The Focal Aria K2 936 is a special update to an already fantastic speaker, the Aria 936. This model gets woven fiber cones for its midrange and woofers, instead of flax, which Focal says gives the speakers a "dynamic, powerful sound." I couldn’t agree more, I happen to have a pair in for review, so I’m listening to a pair of the K2 936 as I type this. They are simply fantastic speakers, aesthetically, and in terms of performance.
While the Aria K2 936 $2995 (per speaker) asking price is certainly in the premium speaker category, you get your money’s worth in terms of performance, as well as design and aesthetics. What I seek to acknowledge here is the overall value of these Focal speakers, how they are “just right” for a pair of main L/R towers located in a living room, both in terms of size and capability. It’s not often that a pair of speakers so easily slide into my system and create an enchanting, hypnotic soundstage with the smooth, liquid, yet highly detailed sound that is a hallmark of high-performance audio gear.
The "original" Aria 936 is essentially the same design, and that's one of the great things about the K2, it builds upon an already great foundation: A tall and handsome tower with a triple port design and a 1-inch inverted aluminum-magnesium dome tweeter. What sets the K2 apart is both the use of the aramid fiber in the drivers and the Ash Gray glossy painted finish for the cabinet—which if you are the sort to weave the grills off your speaker, is rather relevant because the speaker balances the distinctive appearance of the naturally yellow cones and the result is modern and stylish.
The raw specifications are those of speakers that demand a competent amplifier to extract maximum performance. Nominal impedances eight homes, but does dip down to 2.8 ohms. Recommended amplifier power is between 50 W and 300 W, with a sensitivity of 92 dB, chances are you'll want an amplifier that leaves nothing on the table.
This tower's driver array consists of three 6.5-inch K2 woofers, a 6.5-inch K2 midrange, and the aforementioned one-inch inverted dome tweeter. The front panel has a leather texture and the drivers are surrounded by metallic rings, taken together, the premium materials and construction give the visual impression of a high-quality, holistic design and aesthetically it speaks to the French roots of these impressive towers.
Anyhow, I'll vouch for these towers explicitly because I'm listening to a pair as I type this, and they are something special. They are in for review, but I"m willing to tip my hand here. Focal Aria K2 936 tower speakers are sure to please anyone looking for a pair of powerful, capable, stylish, and technologically advanced loudspeakers. Speakers that help you rediscover music in your collection but also appreciate what new releases have to offer—whatever the genre. They also handle home theater duty with ease and a K2 Center and K2 906 bookshelf models are available to build out a complete surround-sound system.
