CES 2024

Focal, the highly regarded French speaker company, has unveiled a follow-up to the popular Aria 900 speaker range it introduced a decade ago.

The Aria Evo X series is making its debut at CES 2024 with five models: the N°1 bookshelf speaker ($2,398/pair), the Evo X Center speaker ($999), and three stylish tower speakers dubbed N°2, N°3, and N°4, priced at $4,798/pair, $5,198/pair, and $5,998/pair, respectively.

Slated to ship in February, the new models feature Focal’s signature inverted-dome TAM tweeter, whose M-shaped design is said to reproduce high frequencies more faithfully out to 30 kHz, midrange drivers that incorporate a proprietary Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) to reduce distortion, and woofers with a revamped magnet structure for heightened bass impact. Crossover networks have also been reworked to improve frequency balance.

As with its Aria 900 predecessors, the cones used in the woofers and midrange drivers in the new Aria Evo X speakers are made from a special flax fiber from France chosen for its ability to produce “natural sound, free of coloration.”

The N°1 bookshelf speaker is a two-way design that mates the TAM tweeter with a 6.5-inch woofer in a ported cabinet just over 15 inches tall. The speaker is rated to play down to 55 Hz (±3 dB) with a sensitivity spec of 89.5 dB.

Standing 41 and 45 inches tall, the N°2 and N°3 floorstanding models are dual-ported three-way designs rated down to 45 and 39 Hz (±3 dB), respectively. Both models complement the tweeter with three 6.5-inch drivers, one of which is a midrange in the N°2; sensitivity is spec’d at 91.5 and 92 dB.

The flagship N°4 mates the TAM tweeter with a 6.5-inch midrange driver and two 8-inch woofers in a 45-inch-tall cabinet with a single port. The speaker is rated to play down to 37 Hz (±3 dB) with a sensitivity spec of 92.5 dB.

Rounding out the line is the Evo X Center speaker with two 6.5-inch woofers flanking the TAM tweeter in a cabinet 21 inches wide. Its rated low-frequency limit is 57 Hz (±3 dB) with a sensitivity spec of 91 dB.

Focal is adding a high-gloss moss green finish to the existing black gloss and walnut finish options, each of which features a front baffle covered in faux leather. More information on the new speaker series is available at focal.com.