Focal Aria Evo X No. 1 - Two-Way Stand Mount Loudspeaker $2398
As the newest member of House of Stereo, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Jeff Jones, and I am the Sales Manager here at the shop. Now that I've been here in Jacksonville, Florida for about six months, I thought it would be a good time to start talking about some of my favorite gear, and House of Stereo has no shortage of it! As I work to familiarize myself with the products we carry, I thought it would be a good idea to take all of our audio enthusiasts along for the ride and introduce you to some of the products we work with every day. First up, the fantastic Focal Aria Evo X No. 1 bookshelf speakers. After ten years, the Aria 900 series was retired and updated in a big, big way! The Aria Evo X line is a very important line for Focal, and it all begins with the No. 1.
Highlights
Let’s start with some key highlights about the new Focal Aria Evo X No.1’s. What are my top reasons to consider this speaker? Well to start off they are the perfect size for a small room or office. These versatile bookshelves have a very neutral, open soundstage with a wide variety of music. The X 1’s produce some solid, tight bass and happen to be front ported - perfect for getting close to back walls. In typical Focal manner, these cabinets highlight a stylish fit and finish with a really tasteful glass top, and are offered in 3 color options.
Listening
I've had my eye on the bookshelf No 1’s since they arrived at the shop, and have really enjoyed listening to them with a wide variety of music using different amplifiers. My classic rock vinyl record collection is extensive, and I've really enjoyed blasting some Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boston and Steely Dan through the Focal Evo Aria X No 1’s. They deliver exactly what I look for in a loudspeaker which is tonal accuracy, balanced frequency response and a wide, open soundstage. I used the excellent DAC / streamer built into the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 to audition some favorite Hi Res tracks on Qobuz from The Beatles, Kacey Musgraves and Jeff Beck.
My Take
I was pleasantly surprised how much these speakers brought out the “In the Studio / Live” feel of these recordings. You can tell the engineers at Focal really spent time voicing the 6.5 inch bass / midrange driver. It seems to crossover seamlessly with the aluminum / magnesium inverted dome TAM tweeter. In the past I have often found speakers with metal dome tweeters a bit too bright, but Focal seems to have these dialed in just right. The Aria Evo X Series is easily one of the most important speaker lines to be introduced in 2024. The No. 1 bookshelf speaker should provide many years of high fidelity listening enjoyment.
Looking at the rest of the Aria line, I can't help but think of how amazing the Aria Evo X would be in a Multi channel home theater system as well. Paired with an Arcam receiver, whether the No.1's are in a small room setting in a 5 channel configuration or going all the way up to the No. 4's with No. 1's as the rear surround, Focal has a winner on its hands. What a great series!
- Jeff Jones - Sales Manager House of Stereo
Associated Equipment
Integrated Amplifier / DAC / Streamer Used for Evaluation - Cambridge Audio EVO 150 DeLorean Edition - $3199
Integrated Amplifier - Cambridge Audio CXA81 - $899, Naim Supernait 3 $5699
Turntable Used for Evaluation - Pro-Ject Debut Pro with Sumiko Rainier Cartridge - $999
Cables - Synergistic Research Atmosphere SX Alive
Alternate product worth consideration - Triangle Audio Comete EZ 40th Anniversary - $2500
The horn loaded tweeter and paper cone drivers make this speaker a worthwhile contender to the Aria, with a different sonic personality and looks to kill! I’ve never seen a nicer real wood veneer on a speaker at the $2500 price point.
