The Aria 906 is packed with Focal’s latest driver technology, and the results are fantastic. I was smitten by the Arias’ huge soundstage, neutral midrange, and beautifully rendered highs. This bookshelf punches above its weight, and compares favorably with other well-regarded speakers, even above its price range. But the Aria 906 is greater than the sum of its parts -- it was simply a wonderful speaker when I just wanted to relax and listen to some music. Through judicious R&D, Focal has proven that flax is healthy not only for your heart, but for your ears as well.

The effectiveness of the Focals as stereo speakers still shines through with the 926 used in two channel. While they might not do a nuclear explosion complete justice, the bass response for music is excellent with real potency and drive to it. The ‘fun factor’ that the 906 showed in stereo doesn’t necessarily translate to film - the soundtrack takes more of a defining role here - but the 926 is as capable as its little brother in stereo. A spirited performance of Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall is still the hugely entertaining mix of punch and agility that the 906 has - with the bass heft that the 906 was slightly lacking in.

Focal has a winner with their entry-level ARIA 906 Bookshelf/Stand Mount speaker.

The Focal Aria 926 possesses a smooth yet detailed top end along with a level of coherency across its frequency range that is surprising at its price.

Taken as a whole, the 926 is a speaker that keeps true to Focal’s core values, but brings with it a sense of engagement and fun that I haven’t really previously experienced from the brand.

With the right source and suitable partnering electronics, the Aria 936 sings with a beautiful voice.

Ultimately I found the Aria 948 to be a loudspeaker with few downsides, particularly for its cost-to-quality ratio.

A great set of speakers with a big, mature sound and plenty of skill to drive it