BEST FOCAL SPEAKER TO BUY? FOCAL ARIA 936 K2 REVIEW
Focal Aria 936 K2 review by Andrew Robinson. Originally published December 8, 2021.
WHICH FOCAL SPEAKER IS BEST? FOCAL ARIA 936 K2 REVIEW
UPSET ALERT! Are the new Aria K2 loudspeakers from Focal the best all-rounders from the French speaker manufacturer? Let’s find out if the FOCAL ARIA 936 K2 is the BEST FOCAL SPEAKER to buy!
FOCAL ARIA 936K2 SPECS
The Focal Aria 936K2 is a special edition of the brand’s popular Aria 936 loudspeaker. Like the original, the K2 is a three-way tower speaker that features a single one inch aluminum/magnesium inverted dome tweeter mated to a six and a half inch K2 midrange driver and three six and a half inch K2 bass drivers. The K2 drivers here are made from aramid fibers opposed to the flax design found on the regular 936. Regardless, both speakers have the same reported frequency response of 39Hz to 28kHz with a sensitivity of 92dB and an impedance of 8 Ohms.
Focal Aria 936K2 Speakers - Photo credit: Andrew Robinson
ARIA K2 DESIGN
Stylistically the K2 is a handsome speaker though I’m a bit confused as to why Focal decided to limit the finish options on their special edition speaker to just one, a gloss Ash Grey. Well, that’s not entirely accurate as the gloss finish is only found on the speaker’s side walls for the front and rear baffles are clad in a leatherette finish, which is a nice touch. Granted, it’s not a finish that is readily apparent or appreciable, especially if you leave the magnetic grilles on, which I did because I don’t care for the yellow color of the drivers. Yeah, not a fan of those yellow drivers, and seeing as how Focal makes their own drivers in-house (like the rest of the speaker) I think they could’ve made them whatever color they wanted. I think the bee yellow, gloss grey colorway looks a little cheap. Thankfully the grilles look good on this speaker and go a long way in maintaining its otherwise tailored look.
I understand looks are subjective so let’s just get on with how they sound. First, know that while the K2 is NOT, I repeat NOT, a difficult speaker to drive, it is refined enough that as you move up the food chain with respect to amplification, each move will likely produce notable and appreciable improvements in sound quality --provided you move in the “right” direction.
TESTING THE FOCALS - best AMPLIFiERS for focal speakers
Canor Audio AI 1.10 (BEST MATCH)
Onkyo RZ50 (BEST RECEIVER FOR FOCAL HOME THEATER)
Testing the Aria’s to find the best amplifiers for Focal speakers, we used a variety of options. The Canor Audio A1.10 was my favorite pairing, providing for a mildly smooth, warm but more three dimensional presentation whereas the Parasound and Audiolab were far more exacting, with the Hint 6 driving the Focal’s to arguable perfection with the Audiolab coming in a not to distant second. Good news is, when it comes to driving the K2s you have options, even the sub $1000 Bluesound Powernode worked well.
FOCAL SOUND
For me, the Aria K2s are the least Focal-like Focal speakers I think I’ve heard to date. What does that mean? Well, historically, Focal speakers from their CHORA SERIES to the crazy exclusive Diablo Utopia Color Evos have all been on the livelier side, possessing a bit of top-end energy that makes them very captivating, BUT can also make them too forward or aggressive for some listeners. Now, I personally believe that Focal walks the line that separates high frequency detail retrieval and being too bright rather well, but I understand if you disagree. I’m bringing all this up because I don’t believe the K2s require such a disclaimer, if anything they may be among the more even keel speakers Focal has ever made and I’m including the Diablo Utopia Color Evos in that statement. But let’s break it down.
ARIA 936K2 BASS PERFORMANCE
Starting with the bass, here’s where having a good amp, one with solid power delivery down into 4 Ohms is going to pay the most dividends. It took the Class A, Class A/B stylings of both the Canor or Parasound amps to fully unlock the low-end prowess of these particular speakers. Don’t get me wrong, the Audiolab was able to coax good bass from the K2s, but if you truly want to experience the depths this speaker is capable of, an amp like the Hint 6 or better may be required. That said, for true full-range, 20Hz to 20kHz playback a subwoofer is still going to be necessary. While 39Hz isn’t nothing, the speaker’s more appreciable bass rests in the mid to upper 40’s. I still very much enjoyed the K2s without a sub, but when it came time for movies, I will admit adding a single SVS 3000 Micro to the mix did open things up and bring a bit more gravitas to the party!
On their own you can expect bass that is relatively deep, well dampened and not the least bit boomy. Amplifier choice will play a role in the speaker’s ultimate detail retrieval and speed down low, with the Hint 6 being more agile and outright impactful versus the Canor’s more dimensional and full-bodied presentation with respect to bass. Good news is, whether listening to a drum kit, double bass or synth note, the K2s rendered bass-rich instruments in such a way that they always came across as lifelike in their timbre and scale and possessed true in-room presence -even without a sub.
K2 MIDRANGE
In terms of midrange the K2s are incredibly neutral. No added warmth or coloration really of any kind that I can detect, which makes judging other components downstream with respect to their coloration very easy. Plus, there doesn’t seem to be THAT much of a rise in the upper midrange as you near the tweeter, making the hand-off between the two pretty seamless --or less pronounced. I’m not saying there isn’t a mild rise in the treble response but at or around the crossover point between the midrange and tweeter, the K2 sounds very linear to me. The resulting sound is clear, articulate and detailed but in a non-artificial way, which I love and can appreciate.
ARIA 936K2 TREBLE RESPONSE
Which brings us to the tweeter. This has to be the least polarizing treble response I’ve heard from a Focal speaker. I’m not saying the treble response is absolutely ruler flat, it’s not, and I suspect there is a rise as you get up above 15kHz, but that rise sounds appropriate and lends an ounce of added resolution to notes and vocals without coming off as too forward or outright “bright”. Highs are airy, extended and detailed to the nines, and I love it. While the Utopia tweeter is a tad more refined all the way up and to the edge of its capability, I feel as if the tweeter on the 936K2 sits within the overall “mix” a little better. Providing for pristine highs but without calling as much attention to themselves as with other Focal speakers.
Aria K2 with Parasound Hint 6. Photo by Andrew Robinson
SOUNDSTAGE
With respect to Soundstage, the K2s are exceptional. Driven by either the Parasound or Canor amp, the soundstage was near 180-degrees and the tall K2s completely disappeared within it. Detail and separation throughout the soundstage was excellent as was center focus. Dynamics, again, with a solid amplifier, can approach explosive territory, but I stress, this is going to be amplifier dependent especially with respect to bass impact and weight. Get it right, and the sheer force, scale and agility of these towers is impressive. Get it wrong and you may keep reaching for that volume dial as you scratch your head and wonder what all the fuss is about. Trust me, with respect to dynamics, if you have the K2s (or I suspect the original 936s) and are at all concerned with a lack of slap and oomph, it’s your amp, because when driven properly, these towers can throw down.
FOCAL ARIA K2 DOWNSIDES
So while the K2s may rank among my favorite Focal speakers to date, there are a few things about their build and even performance that I am not a fan of. As I stated earlier, I do not like the yellow drivers, I think it dresses down a speaker meant to be a visual step up from the original. The gloss grey color is nice and befitting of a special edition, but as soon as you take the grilles off, I think the K2s look cheaper than the original Focal Aria 936.
AMP PAIRING IS KEY
Like the B&W 702 Signatures, the Focal requires the right amp for every aspect of its performance to be realized. Thankfully that amp doesn’t have to possess 500 Watts or more per channel the way the 702 Signatures demanded, but to say that any or EVERY amp is going to sound good on the K2s wouldn’t be 100 percent true either. While it is possible to drive these using even an AV receiver, it takes one with an ability to tackle impedances that dip down to 4 Ohms to really make these speakers sing. In our tests, the Onkyo RZ50 proved to be a better match than the more powerful Yamaha A8A, but in truth, I didn’t really feel like I heard these speakers until they were connected to an integrated amplifiers like the Audiolab, Parasound and Canor.
Focal home theater using Aria K2 speakers with Solidsteel rack. Photo credit: Andrew Robinson
FOCAL HOME THEATER - USING K2 SPEAKERS FOR MOVIES
If you’re looking to set up a home theater around the Aria K2 tower speakers, you can. Focal offers a matching center as well as bookshelf speakers that can be used as surround or affect channels. A potential downside to this is there are no upward firing atmos speakers currently available in the K2 series. The workaround here is to mount the bookshelf speakers near your ceiling or use an alternative in-ceiling speaker. We tested the K2’s center channel and it is a terrific match for the towers. So no hesitation in recommending the K2 speakers on the whole for home theater. Just make sure you have the right amplifier or receiver and a subwoofer.
FOCAL ARIA 936K2 VS OTHER SPEAKERS
In terms of comparisons, the K2s are likely to be cross-shopped against the Bowers & Wilkins 702 Signatures, the PSB Synchrony T600s and of course the original Aria 926. Straight up I would buy the K2s over either the B&W or PSB towers without a second thought. Yes I prefer the look of the 702 Signatures and the PSBs are a bit weightier bass-wise, but both are an even bigger pain with respect to setup, with the B&Ws requiring gobs of power, and the PSBs quickly becoming even pickier with respect to amp pairings, placement AND overall setup. The K2s aren’t tricky to setup with respect to placement, nor do they require you to endlessly shop for the “right” amp. True they need a good amp, but so long as you choose one that is solid down to four Ohms and produces a good 50 Watts per channel or more, you’re likely going to be okay. So some, emphasis on some, effort needs to be extended in order for the K2s to perform at their best, but you don’t have to go crazy in order to get to the summit.
The biggest competition for the K2 has to be the Focal Aria 936. Retailing for $600 less a pair, the non K2 Arias are, at least on paper, identical to the K2s reviewed here. There is no difference in any of their specs, which includes their reported frequency response. Now, I have NOT heard the original Aria 936, so I cannot say what, if any, differences there are between these two speakers, BUT if I had to guess, I’m going to go out on a limb and say if any difference DOES EXIST, it’s likely to be modest at best. The K2 therefore is an Aria speaker you have to want, either for the different driver material or because you prefer the special edition finish because in terms of day-to-day performance I doubt many folks would experience an appreciable difference in sound quality.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In the end, I’m not certain if the Focal Aria 936 K2 is an entirely new speaker for Focal. I doubt listeners will discern much if any differences between it and the original 936, but that’s not the point for I’m sure Focal will happily sell you whatever Aria you ultimately want for yourself. What I love about the K2 is that it is still a Focal loudspeaker, but with some of the common criticisms that I and others have about the brand (mostly) ironed out. This is an incredibly well-balanced loudspeaker top to bottom, and as a result is very adept at being a reference-caliber loudspeaker for both music and movies. With a solid amp in tow, the K2s are the type of speaker someone with true high-end aspirations could more easily buy and in the process actually save money; for it is my opinion that one would have to spend Focal Utopia-level money to outright BEST the K2s.
