Focal Aria K2 936 Loudspeaker
Saint-Étienne, France-based Focal has been one of the pillars holding up the pantheon of high-end loudspeakers for multiple decades now. The company is about as vertically integrated as can be in this era, with R&D, driver manufacturing and speaker assembly all done in-house. Focal offers an enormous range of speakers, from entry level up to truly state of the art. For the last several weeks I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing the Aria K2 936 ($6598/pair), the top floor standing model in the Aria K2 series.
The original Aria series has been a stalwart of the Focal lineup since its launch almost a decade ago. As one would hope from an engineering (and marketing) powerhouse like Focal, the K2 series includes more than just a fresh paint job. At least in the case of the Aria 936 K2, the form factor of the previous 936 remains, while the midrange and bass drivers have been completely replaced with units that harken back to one of Focals earliest patented driver designs. Updated versions of the namesake K2 drivers feature a cone made of a foam sandwiched between aramid fiber and fiberglass layers. The goal of the driver overhaul, according to Focal, was to achieve ‘rigidity, lightness and damping.’
The Aria K2 series occupies an enviable position in the Focal portfolio. They’re a healthy step up from the entry level Chora but nowhere near the uber high end Utopias. Value is always relative but there are undeniable advantages to products in this middle-of-the-lineup sweet spot. The MSRP $6598/pair of the K2 936s should afford them serious attention in terms of engineering and tuning while allowing them to be manufactured in high enough quantities to still benefit from some economy of scale. My expectations prior to the Focal’s arrival were appropriately high.
Features & Specifications
The specifications of the K2 936 are a bit contradictory. The nominal impedance is an easy 8 ohms but the minimum impedance is a thirsty 2.8 ohms. Often, a speaker with a minimum impedance that low is assigned a nominal rating of 4 or 6 ohms. The sensitivity, on the other hand, is a lively 92 dB. The degree to which the high sensitivity compensates for the demanding load may depend on personal preference of listening volume or the personality of a particular amplifier. The full specifications from Focal are as follows:
Type: 3-way bass-reflex floorstanding loudspeaker
Speaker drivers: 3 x 61/2" (16.5cm) K2 woofer 61/2" (16.5cm) K2 midrange 1" (25mm) Al/Mg TNF inverted dome tweeter
Frequency response: (+/- 3dB) 39Hz - 28kHz
Low frequency point: - 6 dB 32Hz
Sensitivity (2.83V / 1m): 92dB
Nominal impedance: 8 Ω
Minimum impedance: 2.8 Ω
Recommended amplifier power: 50 - 300W
Crossover frequency: 260Hz / 3,100Hz
Dimensions: (H x W x D) 451/4x119/16x145/8" (1,150x294x371mm)
Weight: 64lbs (29kg)
Design & Build
The proportions and lines of the 936 K2 are classic and handsome. A heavy aluminum alloy base with adjustable carpet spikes all around forms a solid foundation. Shapely grilles cover the entire face for a subdued look. Things get more dramatic when the grilles are removed. The front panel is a dark, luxurious leatherette material which lets the yellow K2 drivers pop. The cone color is bold but the yellow is not as saturated in person as the catalog photos imply. The top panel is a black glass while the sides of the MDF based cabinet appear to be clad in some sort of shell painted in a stunning gloss grey finish. Focal calls this finish ‘Ash Grey’ which really undersells the elegance it exudes. That name sounds too much like the ‘black ash’ vinyl used on mass market speakers. Focal’s finish is a deep tone with a well executed gloss finish. It closely resembles a popular finish on a particular brand of German luxury cars.
Construction appeared to be perfectly robust throughout. Knuckle rap tests on the sidewalls inspired plenty of confidence.
Set Up & Daily Use
A few aspects of setting up the K2 936 required some care. The first was positioning them for optimal bass performance. Don’t be fooled by the front-facing reflex port as there is a bottom-facing omnidirectional port as well. The three 6-inch woofers move a lot of air. I found the Focals sounded best almost three feet into my room. Close to the wall they could easily sound boomy at decent volume. Listening rooms and preferences vary but be prepared to experiment with positioning.
While the Focals certainly sounded fine up close, I did prefer sitting in the 10-12 foot range as recommended on the spec sheet. That extra distance seemed to help the soundstage coalesce a bit. The K2 936 are tall enough that the tweeters are well above ear level when seated on a typical couch. At the recommended listening distance of 12 feet this gave the impression of an image centered a touch above ear level. Great for a large listening space and just another consideration for smaller rooms.
More so than other speakers I’ve spent time with, the Focals sounded better with their grilles removed. I like the extra sense of mystery from keeping speaker drivers hidden but with the K2 936 I found removing the grilles was essential for serious listening. For those who love those throwback K2 drivers, this will be a perk.
Review System
Fortunately, I had three very different amplifiers on hand to drive the Arias. The Wharfedale Diamond 10.2 speakers I used for comparison, while not in the same price bracket as the Aria, proved a useful foil because I know them well and they have quite a different presentation.
Digital Sources: Yamaha DVD-S1700, Schiit Audio Modi DAC, Xiang Sheng DAC-01A, Macbook Air (AmazonHD via USB), iPad (Spotify, AmazonHD via Airplay)
Analog Source: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, Ortofon 2M Red, iFi ZEN Phono
Amplification: Parasound P/LD-1100, Cambridge EVO 150, Denafrips Hyperion (Audiophilia review forthcoming), Parasound HCA-750A,
Speakers: Wharfedale Diamond 10.2
Listening
It feels like I spent more time listening and immersing myself in music on a weekly basis than I did before the Aria’s arrived. That alone would be an endorsement but it wouldn’t provide readers a whole lot of useful guidance. To better convey the experience of living with the Aria K2 936 these are my impressions of some standout recordings.
Recent chatter among the Audiophilia writers about conductor CD box sets motivated me to order a few that looked like great values. As a Cleveland native, I had to snag the most recent George Szell set, The Warner Recordings, 1934-1970 (Warner Classics, 2020). This box made for some great listening, not just because of the music but because of the unique timespan covered by the recordings. The earliest recordings of Szell leading the Czech Philharmonic were made before magnetic tape recorders came into widespread use, and, by 1970 technology, had advanced enough to produce truly timeless audiophile quality recordings. Exploring how the K2 936 handled digitized historical performances helped dismiss any concerns about Focal’s reputed ‘bright’ house sound.
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with the London Philharmonic and Benno Moiseiwitsch on piano was especially enchanting. I never forgot it was a vintage recording but it was bursting with charm. Strings were occasionally rough but the full orchestra was rich and nostalgic. The Focals managed to pull a deep sound from this old mono nugget. The piano hovered out front and center with a clarity that suggested it was recorded in a later decade than the rest of the orchestra.
During some late night jazz listening sessions I pulled out some Sun Ra LPs. No rare 50’s or 60’s originals, sadly, but some Ra reissues are great pressings. We Are in the Future (Savoy, 1984), originally released as The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra is a great snapshot of the Arkestra during their transition from bop to spaced out free jazz. The session features some tight arrangements with nice grooves and all kinds of fun instrumentation, especially on the percussion side. The K2 936 conveyed an intimate feeling throughout the record, as if I were right there in the studio exploring with the Arkestra. Of course, instrument separation and soundstage were excellent as expected for a stereo jazz record. What really stuck with me was the tactile quality of the percussion—bongos, maracas and castanets, etc. That got right under my skin and kept me coming back for another spin.
A visit to Audiophilia comrade Michael Johnson’s place in Arizona and a revelatory spin of his Bob Ludwig Led Zeppelin II inspired me to check the provenance of my own copy and give it a listen. It turns out mine is a more pedestrian Speciality Records pressing from 1977. On ‘A Whole Lotta Love’, vocals and effects moving around in the mix came through just fine with plenty of detail and there was definite weight to the music. But I was leaning in listening for a little something more that I couldn’t quite find. Had I not recently listened to the most face-melting Led Zeppelin in memory I might not have put it together, but the Focals were capable of a more dynamic performance than this particular record contained. It’s not so much a quibble as a reminder of how effortlessly dynamic the K2 936’s performance was during my time with them.
Mose Allison Sings (Prestige, 1963), a compilation of vocal tracks Mose Allison recorded in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, had been in my heavy streaming rotation when by sheer luck I scored a decent first pressing on an impulse trip to my local record store. Comparing the digital stream with the vinyl made for some fun listening with the K2 936.
On vinyl, Allison’s mellow vocals floated out in a nice centre image with the Focals contributing some real goosebump factor. Crisp and realistic, his voice had neatly defined edges with ample space around it. I had to lean in to focus on the bass player, though. The K2 936 made it apparent that the digital track didn’t have nearly the crystalline character of the LP but there was more weight to Allison’s voice. The sound was weightier down low as well, with the bass much more of a factor in the presentation.
It was hard to pick out a favorite because I kept getting lost in the tunes and would forget to take notes. Either way, that’s a win for the Focals. They brought out the best of two different sounding versions of the same album. Unlike my Led Zeppelin II, none of these classic Rudy Van Gelder-recorded tracks left me looking for a more dynamic performance.
Streaming Massive Attack’s trip-hop masterpiece Blue Lines (Circa, 1991) I was instantly reminded why this is a classic audiophile demo album. Immaculate production, hard hitting bass, diverse vocals and most importantly timeless grooves. There are so many layers in this album to geek out about on a great system and with the K2 936 it was pure trip-hop paradise.
The Aria’s threw an enormous soundstage. On ‘One Love,’ reggae legend Horace Andy’s vocals had great dimensionality and texture while the keyboard hook danced around right beneath it. The bass line had real impact and was cleanly integrated into the whole presentation. Notably, I didn't detect a hint of extra sibilance in any of those hushed but urgent rap verses throughout the rest of the album.
Those bass lines really started to get physical at higher volume. Not once did the Focals break a sweat. The Cambridge EVO, with 150 watts on tap, was the most powerful amp I had in house during the review. The EVO still had some headroom by the time I had my fill but the K2 936s were just getting started. No cabinet resonance, soundstage confusion or other issues showed up, even at party volume.
In terms of amplification I spent the most time with the Cambridge EVO 150 driving the K2 936s. Overall the combination was detailed, balanced, and would be extremely easy to live with for the long term.
Swapping in my classic Parasound HCA-750, which never struck me as having a ton of personality, was easily noticeable. The K2 936 kicked harder in the bass, sounded a touch more raw and textured and the overall effect was exciting but didn't seem as neutral. Rated at half the power of the Cambridge but capable of a respectable 20 amps peak current, the Parasound offered plenty of usable power. I considered upgrading this old tank last year, but the Focals made me change my mind.
The Denafrips Hyperion seasoned the Focal’s sound ever so slightly in a different direction. Stay tuned for the review in a few weeks once I get better acquainted with this amplifier.
When it comes to equipment matching in general, I found the Aria K2 936 to be quite transparent. I didn’t pair it with any big money sources but I don’t doubt they would flatter a boutique analog rig or digital front end. On the other hand, quality is quality, and good sounding electronics on the value end of the spectrum might also do well paired with the K2 936. There is no substitute for an audition when it comes to a transparent speaker.
Conclusion
The Focal Aria K2 936 takes a maximalist approach to music reproduction. That doesn’t mean extreme, as no aspect of its performance is out of balance. Rather, for the price they offer a lot of everything. Extreme resolution and musicality. Macro and microdynamics. Serious air moving capability and enjoyable low volume music making. They can rock out while maintaining their composure. The only thing they don’t do is make apologies for mediocre source material. That, combined with their large stature, makes squeezing the best performance from them a bit of a commitment. For those able to afford the $6598/pair Focal Aria K2 936 Loudspeaker, they will provide an immersive musical experience. An essential audition.
Further information: Focal
