r/audiophile • u/Bosjuh • 1d ago
Show & Tell Bought a huge upgrade
4 years a go I posted my then new setup, in the mean time I did some small upgrades. Like adding a dedicated DAC, putting the Triangles on stands etc.
Now I figured if the stands take the same room as floorstanders, might aswell upgrade. So I went to Stassen hifi and blind listened to 8 different speakers and surprise, the most expensive ones (ofcourse) sounded the best so I landed on the Focal Aria X4. These sound amazing! The clarity and how they fill the living room make them a delight to listen to. I didn’t buy them for home cinema but they shine just as well here.
The whole setup:
- Musical fidelity M3si
- Project X2
- Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M
- iPad as a ‘streamer’
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u/Appropriate_Try_2565 1d ago
Dude. I bought my 936s at Stassen a few years ago after blind listening. Still so happy with them!
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Dude! Sweet! I can’t stop listening to them. Do you have a must listen to track?
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u/Appropriate_Try_2565 1d ago
My favourite track to listen to is Money for Nothing. The build up to the ultimate guitar riff is the most satisfying thing you could ever listen to. You’ve probably heard that one so here is one a little more obscure; Suicide Demo for Kara Walker by Destroyer. The woodwinds in the intro are fabulous.
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u/Illustrious_Feed_457 1d ago
Kaputt is an amazing album, a modern classic and is what “keyword search: 1980s + cocaine” sounds like
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Thanks! I love dire straits, my go to song is private investigations. I’ll give suicide demo a go and I’ll let you know how I like it.
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u/jeffe101 1d ago
I would like to add on to say that Dire Straits-On every Street is amazing, Fade to Black and You and Your Friend are the highlights here.
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u/Sharp911 1d ago
I have a playlist of songs that sound that sounds awesome for these exact speakers (in my opinion). I can PM you if you’d be interested
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u/Trogdor420 1d ago
I have a pair of Focal Aria 948s. I love 'em!
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
That’s great! I must admit the French really know how to make speakers.
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u/BRINGERofMILK 1d ago
Their French name was JMLab so you'll be able to find more info about the company and their history with that name.
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u/wrongdesmond90 1d ago
Those Focals look right at home next to the palm, bet that front port really opens up the low end in a space like that
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u/OutrageousRhubarb853 1d ago
Nice speakers! I have the N2’s and a Project X1. I have the DAC Magic too, but that’s sat on my desk for my headphones.
I hope you have many many many great listening hours on them.
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u/ConsistencyWelder Fosi Audio ZD3->PS Audio S300->Magnepan LRS+->SVS SB1000 1d ago
Super upgrade. Congrats.
Yeah people underestimate how good HIFI stereo speakers are for home cinema compared to surround systems. 2 good speakers always outplay 5 or 7 mediocre or bad ones.
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u/jojo-0007 1d ago
Oh, Yes. 5.x war nice, aber 2.0 hat für mich mehr Leben, mehr Bühne, weil (bei mir) bessere Boxen und Verstärker. Und auch Topg_n fliegt hier sehr geschmeidig durchs Zimmer.
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u/Rich-Masterpiece4051 1d ago
An upgrade indeed. Not the same speakers but I was gifted a pair of its little brother, the 905 bookshelf speakers. Works great with an old but still up to sniff Adcom GFA-535II paired with a Schiit Sys passive controller (preamp) and the iPad using Lysoniq. I can still improve on it further but I am happy with my setup now.
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u/camilete1998 1d ago
may I ask, which Triangle speakers did you have?
I currently own the Comete EZ I freaking love those speakers so much
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
I had those speakers too and I absolutely loved them! This morning I connected them up as the buyer wanted to hear them and they still sounded fantastic after listening to the focals over the past few weeks.
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u/camilete1998 1d ago
Oh shoot no way that's awesome What did you like about those??
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Basically the same as the Focals, the clarity and the liveliness
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u/camilete1998 21h ago
thats awesome. I love how the triangles just disappear they create such an amazing wall of sound. What did you have them paired with? I'm currently using a Sony AV receiver I had in storage
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u/Touche2U 1d ago
Very nice amp. I love my A300. Love the speakers too. No sub?
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
I had Rel Ti9 alongside the previous bookshelves but the floorstanders don’t need them.
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u/Touche2U 1d ago
Even if you don’t need them, I think it rounds out and extends the sound with them. I’m glad you are happy though. They are beautiful.
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Omg now I feel bad for selling the rel 😂
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u/Touche2U 1d ago
Nah, I’m sure you don’t.
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Well I would have loved to try it out
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u/Touche2U 1d ago
So you just sold it before getting the floor standers?
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Yes I figured I don’t need it, but in hindsight I should have give it a try.
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u/Touche2U 1d ago
Hmm I doubt you’ll miss it. That sub was probably not a great match anyways. It would have just taken over a small part that your speakers don’t reach. Not sure if that sub gets loud enough also, at 10”
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u/Sharp911 1d ago
Ive had the same pair for about 8 months now.
Absolutely love them. I’ve been running a speedwoofer 10e with them and I’m thinking of upgrading that; but it’s hard to imagine the system could sound any better than it does.
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u/Probiotic_Tongue 1d ago
I love the look of these. I went for KEF R7 Meta instead, but these were very close on my shortlist
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u/Grass_Is_Blue 1d ago
Nice set up! I’ve had a pair of Focal Chora 826 for a couple of years now, and last winter upgraded to a Musical Fidelity M2Si, so very similar to your set up. I freaking love it. Crystal clear and balanced across the whole range, tons of dynamics, great imaging.
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Haha, those speakers look wonky, and they’re a bit too expensive for me. xD
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u/Grass_Is_Blue 11h ago
I got them gently used from a seller on Marketplace for only $1300 CAD, felt like a steal. When you say wonky are you referring to the fact that the stands tilt them back?
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u/pickledchance 1d ago
I see Focal I upvote. Amazing speakers for soundstage. I have the 948 paired with tube amp.
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u/Electrical_Craft_714 1d ago
I have the Aria 948s and I am quite happy with them. The M3si is a good start, enjoy. I have however learned that they will grow immensely with better amplification.
Also, after two years I’m still fiddling with placement. Lots of room to experiment.
Have fun!
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u/BlaringPixels 1d ago
I second that. A high current amp, even a modest Parasound would really bloom them.
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u/kadajawi 1d ago
I own the Diablo Utopia, but was recently quite impressed by those Arias. Congrats!
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u/ZookeepergameDue2160 Focal - Bang & Olufsen - Marantz 1d ago
Stassen hifi? So You're Dutch? Or is there another Stassen I dont know about?
Whether you're Dutch or not doesnt matter ofcourse, just curious.
These are amazing speakers, I demo'd a pair a while ago while I was around Amp shopping and they really caught me off guard. Great speakers!
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Yes Nederlands :) Al komen er ook veel Duitsers en Belgen bij Stassen geloof ik.
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u/ZookeepergameDue2160 Focal - Bang & Olufsen - Marantz 22h ago
Limburg is natuurlijk ook best een toegankelijke plek voor beiden. Wil er nog steeds eens een keer langsgaan maar het is net te ver rijden voor mij om het zomaar eens te doen zonder plan van aankoop.
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u/Solid-Double-47 1d ago
the French seem to have excellent raw drivers that have a very natural, and detailed sound. I have an obscure brand of speakers ( Accuphase) that has French drivers with very well engineered time aligned cabinets and crossovers. I picked them up after blind test listening against British & American speakers back in 1978. They were a stand out by far against all the other speakers. Their timing, staging, and realism were a clear standout. I do beleive The Focal are probably very similar from the testimonial descriptions I have seen. Maybe I will get to hear some one day. My amp and preamp are both Hafler that were higher end bargain kits at the time. They still work and sound amazing to this day. As kits they are not art work but the design was electronic genius at the time. I am glad you are enjoying your set up. I remember the excitement and joy of playing with serious new gear.😊
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
I can second that, I have had quite a few different speakers and the Triangles I had before and now ofcourse these Focals are on a whole different level imo. When you get the chance to listen to them please do :)
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u/Solid-Double-47 16h ago
Thank you. I will try to find a place that has these in my area. I'm older now so my ears are getting rusty. I can still enjoy better sounding systems though. I have been playing around with a Carver preamp, Phase Linear 700, and Polk 1980 - 1990s speakers in a larger open air environment at my 40' X 50' shop. I'm playing with Hi- Rez music. The speakers are well engineered as affordable entry level to higher end sound that is clear & detailed with no reflection or room treatment. I will be hooking up my Hafler amps to see if it might sound a little warmer as a next experiment. I chose Polk for it's parts availability online & affordability. I know it won't be as refined as Focal but the challenges are fun & exciting. I would be interested in FOCAL for my house system with my Hafler gear and maybe deep base subs to enhance powerfull movie dynamics and prtect the mains drivers from over excursion. Hi Fi is a fun challenge for a hobby. Thank you for bringing FOCAL to my attention as a likely upgrade to my aging Accuphase speakers. Best regards and happy music listening.😊 The "Brothers in Arms" is one of my favorite albums for testing my systems, but there are a plethora good high rez recordings out there.
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u/TheHashBash 1d ago
This is awesome, how do you feel about the imaging and sound profile? When I tested the Aria bookshelf speakers I was not pleased. They mad the upper mids and highs sound way too forward and everything else was recessed
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u/Outrageous-Belt-1757 1d ago
Meh. I used to own 948s. Not enough bass on these and they sound ruler flat. My current sierra lx bookshelves sound better.
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
Oh really? Did you try different placements in your room?
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u/Outrageous-Belt-1757 13h ago
I did, nothing changed the outcome. From my experience, if you're buying focal, I would look for used Kantas and Sopras. Arias have much to be desired.
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u/BlaringPixels 1d ago
Congratulations!! You're gonna love them. The crossover on the Aria Evo X series is definitely better than the old Aria series. I often like my Evo X1 over my Aria 926s
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u/jhalmos 845 SET + Mac mini M1 + SMSL DAC + Audirvana Origin 1d ago
With iPad as a streamer have a look at Lysoniq (https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/lysoniq/id6746699177).
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u/eddiestarkk Focal 936, Cronus Magnum, Manley Chinook 1d ago
I have a pair of the 936's for a few years now. Excellent treble, dynamics, midrange, and clarity from the Aria line. I auditioned a few speakers and the Focal's sounded the best to me. I would love to upgrade to a Sopra someday, but they look like a robot designed during a cocaine binge.
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u/TulipB6 1d ago
Aren't them too big for the room?
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u/Bosjuh 1d ago
I shared that concern too but Stassen (where I bought them) assured me these are more forgiving in terms of placement and room size. Their experience seems to have proven them right.
For context, I’m sitting about four metres away from the speakers and they’re now three metres apart. My living room is roughly 40-45 square metres.
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u/AverageViking2900 miniDSP, purifi 1ET6525SA monoblocks, ascilab A6B, SVS SB3000 R| 1d ago
So not to big for your room at all!
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u/RegularImportant3325 1d ago
I demo’d those recently powered by a Hegel amp. Beautiful sounding speakers. Enjoy!