Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Loudspeaker Review

Our last encounter with Focal’s Aria line was in our review of the Aria K2 936 Floor-Standing speaker. We liked that speaker’s neutral tonality, wide dynamic range, and bold styling. Focal recently refreshed their Aria line with the ‘Aria Evo X’ series, and we were curious to see what improvements have been made, which brings us to today’s review of the Aria Evo X No.4. As the name denotes, the Evo X series is an evolution not revolution, so what we expect to see is basically a refresh and updating of the existing designs with improvements in technology rather than a top-down redesign. Such improvements would only make a good speaker even better, since the Aria series already has a fundamentally good design. In this review we ask the questions: how much has Focal improved upon the Arias with this refresh? Are the changes merely cosmetic? How does the Aria Evo X No.4s stack up against other speakers in this highly competitive market segment? Let’s dive in to find out…

Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Loudspeaker Appearance

The Aria Evo X series doesn’t make any big changes to the aesthetic of the speakers except for a new finish option, “Moss Green High Gloss.” The review samples we received had this finish, and I have to say that it does look very attractive. It’s nice to have a loudspeaker come in a different color other than some variant of black or a woodgrain finish. ‘Moss green’ isn’t a loud green, so it shouldn’t clash with restrained interior decors. The gloss green finish only covers the side panels which have a slight curvature to them that narrows to the rear. The front and back baffles come in a leatherette finish, a material that looks and feels a lot like real leather but is actually a vinyl imitation. One thing I like about this leatherette material is that it does not catch fingerprints like gloss or smooth satin finishes. The speaker is topped by a glass surface with “Focal” printed underneath the front edge.

 

A grill can be used to hide the driver cones, and the grille has its own curvature which complements that of the speaker, so the grille of the Evo X No.4s don’t completely dull the look of the speaker. Without the grilles, the flax fiber of the cones present a striking appearance. I think the cones look cool, but I would understand those who would rather use the grilles to tone down the sight of the cones. The grille uses magnetic adhesion, so there are no grille guides and this makes for a cleaner front baffle. The speakers’ stand on an aluminum alloy base that is anodized with a black dye and gives the speakers a slight backward lean. I think most people will like the styling of the Evo X No.4s, but some will certainly prefer the look with the grilles attached so the speakers will draw less attention.

Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Loudspeaker Design Analysis

Focal’s Aria Evo X No.4 is the direct successor to the Aria 948. As was mentioned, the Evo X series doesn’t depart much from the Aria series’ overall design, and that is very much the case for these two models: both are three-way, dual-ported towers that use two 8” bass drivers, a 6.5” mid, and an inverted 1” dome. Given that they share so many of the same specs including weight, crossover frequencies, low-frequency extension, driver types, etc., I would expect the Aria Evo X No.4 to be more of a tweak on the existing design of the 948 than anything. That being said, what is involved in this design? Let’s start our discussion with the tweeter.

 

Focal uses their traditional inverted 1” dome tweeter, the ‘TAM’ tweeter that we last saw in the Vestia line. Focal claims that the inverted dome shape helps to narrow directivity versus a normal convex dome. It also enables the use of a smaller diameter voice coil affixed directly to the dome, supposedly making the moving assembly lighter and more rigid. The ‘TAM’ dome composition is a mixture of aluminum and magnesium: aluminum for its stiffness, and magnesium for its damping properties. The tweeter has an M-shaped profile and was originally developed for car audio. The M-shape profile helps to stave off high-frequency bending modes, and Focal specs the speaker up to 30kHz within a +/-3dB window. The TAM tweeter is mounted in a shallow elliptical urethane waveguide to induce a wider horizontal dispersion and narrower vertical dispersion as well as reduce baffle edge diffraction. Narrow vertical dispersion may present a problem for lower seating positions since the tweeter is mounted a tad high at 44”. We will examine this in our measurements section.

 

Moving on to the midrange driver, the 6.5” cone is a multi-layer design where flax fibers are sandwiched between layers of glass fiber. This formulation, produced by Focal in-house at Saint-Etienne in France’s Auvergne region, makes for a stiff cone with wide bandwidth, yet is well-damped so there are no massive bending modes. The surround of the cone uses Focal’s TMD, ‘Tuned Mass Damper,’ which relies on the same principle that keeps skyscrapers and bridges stable during high wind or earthquake conditions. Small counter-weights that take the form of circular beads are molded into the mass of the surround and oscillate in opposition to high movement to help tame wild swings that  degrade the midrange’s frequency response, especially around the 1kHz to 2kHz band. The mid-range driver’s use of Focal’s TMD technology is a feature new to this series of Aria speakers.

The two 8” bass drivers also use the Flax cone composition. They cross over to the midrange at 280Hz, and the midrange crosses over to the tweeter at 2.6kHz. Focal uses only a single set of five-way binding posts, so these speakers are not able to be bi-amped or bi-wired, which in my opinion, is a good thing. Bi-amping and bi-wiring are far more often opportunities for error than opportunities for sound quality improvement. The low-end is shored up by two double-flared ports: a 3” diameter by 3 1/2” length port mounted at the bottom panel and a 3” diameter by 4 ¾” length port mounted on the front baffle. While ports with these dimensions do not promise extremely deep bass extension, the difference between the ports’ length should give port-generated output more bandwidth than if they had the same dimensions. The magnets of the motors in the bass drivers have been increased by 40% over the previous Aria speaker series.

 

The MDF enclosure is a fairly hefty one at 77lbs., and seems to have a reasonably good build quality. The paint finish is of excellent quality and must contribute a significant part of the speaker’s manufacturing cost. As was said before, the base is an aluminum alloy, and it anchors the speakers nicely to the floor. Users have the option of using either rubber pads for feet or spikes. The spikes have the advantage of individual adjustability to achieve an even footing on uneven surfaces. The grilles use acoustically transparent fabric over a plastic molded piece that has a hexagon mesh pattern. It does the job of protecting the speakers well, but it probably adds some diffraction to the speaker’s acoustic response, although probably not enough to have a serious audible impact.

Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Loudspeaker Listening Sessions

In my 24’ by 13’ (approximately) listening room, I set up the speakers a few feet off the back and side walls and with an equal distance between the speakers and the listening position. I angled the speakers to face the listening position. The listening distance from the speakers was about 9 feet. No room correction equalization was used. Processing was done by a Marantz 7705 and the amplification was a Monoprice Monolith 5x200 amplifier. No subwoofers were used.

Music Listening

“Bewitched: The Goddess Edition” is a brand new release from the jazz vocalist sensation Laufey. It’s a studio album of jazz pop ballads written by her and her collaborator Spencer Stewart that she describes as a “love album” but not just of romantic love but as a love of life. It’s certainly on-brand for the singer who stops just short of being sentimental by virtue of how melancholy she can be. As with her other albums, this self-released title is a top-notch production that can serve as great demo material for a high-fidelity sound system. I streamed this hi-res release on Qobuz.

The first thing I noticed was how tightly focused Laufey’s voice was centered in the soundstage. The imaging was superb, but that wasn’t surprising given all my experience with Focal’s speakers in the past. Nonetheless, it was nice to hear these weren’t going to depart from that tradition. An occasional choral backing spread out over the soundstage along with a stringed section. A piano flanked her right with acoustic guitars to her left. With access to an orchestra, many other instruments make an appearance as well as jazz instruments, and the No.4s placed them in the soundstage with precision. Laufey’s voice was beautifully rendered by the Aria Evo X No.4s, and she was articulated in detail without extra emphasis in any frequency range. Likewise, her instrumental backing had a balanced presentation, and within the plethora of instruments, nothing sounded overly forward or recessed. Low frequencies were present without being overshadowing nor lacking in any way. The No.4s gave me nothing to complain about in the playback of “Bewitched.”

I found a terrific new release through Qobuz’s ‘Discover’ feature called “Mozart Symphonies Nos.29 & 33, Clarinet Concerto.” The title sums up the pieces that are performed, and they are played by the Akademie fur Alte Musik, a celebrated period-instrument orchestra that seeks to replicate the sound of classical music as it was heard in the age in which it was first produced. The stand-out work here is the performance of the “Clarinet Concerto” due to the use of the basset clarinet, a rarely used instrument that can play lower notes than the standard clarinet. The “Clarinet Concerto” was originally written for the basset clarinet so in this performance we can hear it as it might have originally been intended. I streamed this release from the Pentatone label in a 24-bit/96 kbps resolution on Qobuz. 

Even though this album was recorded in a studio stage, it sounded to have been mixed to give a symphonic hall impression, and I felt like I was seated a bit further back for a concert performance. The instrumental sections were imaged more broadly as groups around a center instead of anything far left or right like what might be heard at a close listening distance in a live performance. There was also a smattering of reverb that one might get in a concert hall, although I don’t know if that was added as an effect or if it were a quality of the recording environment. Either way, the soundstage was given a terrific presentation by the No.4s, and I could close my eyes and easily imagine myself at a concert hall for a live performance. What also helped for that transportive experience was the faithful tonal balance of the orchestra. Nothing sounded amiss, and the No.4s gave a convincing account of the orchestra. While there was a touch of reverb added, the finer textures of the strings, brass, and woodwinds were all magnificently relayed. The star of this show, the basset clarinet, was exquisitely reproduced, and it was given a center stage position which was precisely imaged by the No.4s. This unique and uncommon instrument does have a beguiling sound, and it’s a shame that it never caught on as a standard orchestral instrument. These works by Mozart were wonderfully performed by the Akademie fur Alte Musik as well as recorded by Pentatone’s sound engineers at the Teldex Studios in Berlin and reproduced in my home theater room by the Aria Evo X No.4s. It’s impossible to imagine what Mozart or any of his collaborators might think about their works being reproduced across so much time and space with such utmost fidelity, but I can’t believe they would frown upon it, whatever might have been lost over the ages. 

For a very different musical experience, I queued up “Salesforce” by Lauren Bousfield. It’s not easy to categorize this release except to say that the genre is essentially breakcore which is an electronic music subgenre characterized by high BPM syncopated breakbeats. Bousfield goes beyond typical breakcore by adding on vocals as well as a compositional complexity that can be nearly operatic at times. Needless to say, this is highly experimental music, which is to say not for everyone’s tastes, but I think its intricate arrangements and dense sound design can really shine on a capable sound system.

Listening to this album in my home theater, I was first struck by how authoritative the bass was for this presentation. As with other material I had listened to on the No.4s, the bass wasn’t overpowering, but the No.4s brought a physical element to it that I hadn’t yet been exposed to. The No.4s heightened the surrealism of this album by giving these wild audio concoctions a more concrete instantiation than they would have from being reproduced by some headphones or desktop speakers. The soundstage presentation was larger than life, and that, combined with the sheer kinetic energy of this music, added up to a fun but mind-melting listening experience. There were many layers of intertwined sounds and instruments, but the No.4s managed to keep them distinct and unconfused, even as so many elements were being driven through a variety of effects processes. Some of these pieces could be frenzied yet elaborate, but they never quite fall into anarchy, and the sound system’s ability to delineate the various sounds are key to that, and on this count the No.4s did well. I could easily follow the music even at its fevered tempo. Track 4, “Debtor’s Prison Click Here Disney Needs To See This,” is a great example of that (yes, that is the real track title, and yes, it does sound as bonkers as one would infer from the title). This music in “Salesforce” is doubtlessly an acquired taste, but I had a ton of fun hearing it on a high-fidelity set of loudspeakers, and I would encourage the more adventurous listeners to give it a chance. 

 

To see how the Aria Evo X No.4s could handle stress, I put on “Death Magic,” an album by the industrial band HEALTH. This album uses some surprisingly heavy deep bass, and, as a harder genre of music, it demands to be played loud. The smooth lead vocals by B.J. Miller serves as a contrast to the hard-as-nails instrumentals, and that gives this band a unique signature. It seemed like a good test for a loudspeaker’s dynamic range.

This album starts out with a bang on the first track with some massive bass drums, and the No.4s reproduced them effortlessly, even at louder levels. The third track offers some bombastic percussion underneath metallic tearing sounds; it was brutal stuff at loud listening levels but the No.4s were unfazed. They could easily get louder than I could tolerate, and I didn’t detect any hints of stress. One track with some notably heavy deep bass was “Courtship II,” and the No.4s lent it a subwoofer-like authority. It isn’t all that surprising that the No.4s have a wide dynamic range given their design. The ports are somewhat shallow, which means they are trading extension for output. Dual 8” bass drivers in a somewhat large enclosure is a recipe for lots of slam. Focal could easily have traded some output for deeper bass, but I was already getting a usable in-room response down to 30Hz, which is more than deep enough for almost all acoustic recordings and the vast majority of even electronic bass music. These aren’t the deepest tuned towers, but I guess that Focal figured that anyone interested in high SPL deep bass is going to use a sub, so why bother. That is a reasonable position to take, although there will be some buyers who might guess that the No.4s could play deeper than they do. I doubt they will be bothered by its actual limits, at least for music, unless they listen to esoteric genres that actually have serious energy below 40Hz. For all of its deep bass glory, I didn’t feel that “Death Magic” had spectral energy that escaped the No.4s. It sounded terrific on these speakers; kick drums thumped with a visceral force, and pulsating synths seared behind Miller’s gloomy vocals. This killer album deserves a capable sound system, and I am glad I had one handy in the Aria Evo X No.4s.

Movie Watching

Being a fan of the “Mad Max” series ever since “Road Warrior,” I was guarded about watching the latest installment, “Furiosa,” since it was the first not centered around the Max Rockatansky character himself. However, having heard so much praise for it, I decided to give it a chance, and why not do so with such seemingly capable speakers in house. It is the type of movie that asks for a wide dynamic range, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for the Aria Evo X No.4s to show what they could do with an action movie sound mix.

“Furiosa” greatly exceeded my expectations, and I am glad I gave it a chance. The Aria Evo X No.4s also exceeded my expectations. The primary element of the sound mix for this movie is the rumble of the vehicle engines. We get a taste of that early on with the ‘Thunderbike’ from one of the first group of marauders (there are many different groups of marauders in this movie). It has a low-tuned exhaust with desert echoes that make the bikes two-cylinder engine sound like booming war drums. It sounded terrific on the No.4s which realized the bike’s rumble with a vibrant thunder. The packs of wild vehicles were symphonies of raw internal combustion, and the speakers gave them an aggressive bellow that sounded like a swarm of giant angry bees. There are too many other great vehicles to list here, but one other that deserves mention for its sonorous storm was Demento’s “Six Foot” six-wheeled monster truck. The roar of this beast as it climbed up ridiculously steep gradients was a sound to behold on the No.4s. Tom Holkenborg’s percussion-heavy score underlined many of the action scenes with pensive kettle drums, and the speakers helped to give the movie an epic feel. The sound mix was polished enough for the dialogue not to be obscured by the action, but the sound system had a hand in that too. If the speakers had too elevated bass, it could easily have masked the speech rendering it unintelligible, but even though the No.4s had very potent bass capabilities, its balanced tonality allowed me to follow the dialogue amidst all the vehicular carnage. I do think that “Furiosa” probably had near-infrasonic bass that went beyond the No.4’s low-frequency extension, and a high-performing subwoofer would have added a physical layer of bass, but the No.4s did very good on their own, delivering a highly enjoyable movie experience. “Furiosa” has to be the best action movie of the year, and I strongly recommend using a great sound system to hear it on, much like I had with these speakers.

  

One movie I had been looking forward to was the recent horror release “Abigail.” This movie concerns a group of six criminal lowlifes who abduct the young ballerina daughter of a crime lord to hold for ransom. Unfortunately for them, she harbors a monstrous secret which turns the tables on her abductors. The trailer had me hooked, and the movie looked like it could have a killer music score as well as a good opportunity to show off soundstage and imaging as horror movies often do.

“Abigail” was a fun horror caper, and the No.4s were able to give the viewing experience a big-screen feel. Sound did indeed play a major role when our antagonist was stalking her prey throughout an old mansion. Every creak was a potential skulking location, and the No.4s imaged these off-screen sound cues well. When the attacks came, the speakers rendered them with a delightfully gory level of detail. The movie was a bloodbath, as one would hope, and all of the neck bitings, impalings, and torso explosions were accompanied by vividly reproduced screaming and blood splashing. The score by Brian Tyler is a traditional orchestral affair, and the No.4s had no trouble giving the music depth and definition that underscored the on-screen events. Dialogue intelligibility was never an issue which allowed the creative profanities of the characters’ speech to be exquisitely articulated. As an amusing diversion, I could recommend “Abigail” to horror fans, especially with a good audio-video system in use. This movie would suffer with a poor audio system, and thankfully the Aria Evo X No.4s are anything but poor.

Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Loudspeaker Measurements

The Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Tower was measured in free-air at a height of 4 feet at a 2-meter distance from the microphone, with the microphone raised to an 8’ elevation that was level with and aimed at the tweeter center. The measurements were gated at 8 milliseconds. In this time window, some resolution is lost below 400 Hz, and accuracy is completely lost below 200 Hz. Measurements have been smoothed at a 1/12 octave resolution.

The above graphs depict the Aria Evo X No.4’s direct-axis and horizontal dispersion out to a 90-degree angle in five-degree increments. Information on how to interpret these graphs can be read in this article: Understanding Loudspeaker Review Measurements Part II. On-axis, we see a pretty neutral response, but as we move off-axis, the tweeter does expand its dispersion around 8kHz which lifts up treble frequencies. Normally, we see the dispersion expand at the crossover point to the tweeter, but that isn’t what is happening here since the frequencies at which the tweeter is flaring occur well above the crossover. My guess is that this off-axis flare is due to an interaction between the inverted dome and waveguide. I wouldn’t expect this to have a major effect on the sound for any listeners seated near the on-axis response because as frequencies rise, they become more susceptible to loss by scattering or absorption. That means they will be more greatly attenuated by any potentially reflective absorptive surface than lower frequencies. For this reason, these speakers should be toed-in to face the listening position directly. Having them face outward could make for a bright sound signature.

The above polar map shows the same information as the preceding graphs but depicts it in a way that can offer new insight regarding these speakers’ behavior. Instead of using individual raised lines to illustrate amplitude, polar maps use color to portray amplitude, and this allows the use of a purely angle/frequency axis perspective. The advantage of these graphs is they can let us see broader trends of the speaker’s dispersion behavior more easily. More information about interpreting this graph can be read in this article: Understanding Loudspeaker Measurements Part II.

Here we can see that the No.4s are a relatively wide dispersion loudspeaker, meaning they project sound at over a fairly wide angle. What is interesting to see is that the directivity matching between the midrange driver and tweeter looks quite good, but the tweeter itself doesn’t really maintain a consistent directivity at the upper end of its bandwidth. It flares outward at around 8KHz. In a reflective room, that could make these speakers somewhat bright, but I don’t think it will have a major impact on the sound in a normally furnished room so long as the user is listening on-axis. At around 15kHz, the dispersion constricts again to what would be normal for a dome tweeter. In my own listening room, I didn’t feel these speakers were bright, although I have textured wood wall paneling which probably is somewhat absorptive as well as a lot of bookcases and shelves which would be diffusive, so my environment may be well suited for taking the edge off of this kind of dispersion pattern.

 

The above graph shows the Aria Evo X No.4’s responses along its vertical axis out to 15 degrees. The reference axis is the tweeter with positive values being above the tweeter and negative values below. Here we get a better look at how flat the on-axis response is. We also see that it doesn’t change much at a +/- 5 degree angle above or below the tweeter. At +/-10 degrees, we do start to see some deformation due to a crossover null as each driver’s bandwidths overlap, thereby beginning to cause a phase conflict. At -15 degrees, the phase conflict is almost in full effect, and we can see this by the massive hole in the response just above 3kHz. The lesson here is that the No.4s should be listened to at or around the tweeter’s height. The problem is that the tweeter is mounted somewhat high. Low-slung seating at a close proximity would be a bad idea with these speakers. At a far listening distance, low-slung seating should be OK. Focal recommends a listening distance of three to five meters. At three meters, a -10 degree angle from a 44” high tweeter is about two feet in height. So, for Focal’s prescribed use, the vertical dispersion presents no problems. However, one thing Focal can do to make the No.4s friendlier to lower seating positions at closer distances, without sacrificing any acoustic performance, is simply swap the positions of the midrange driver with the tweeter. They do this already in their higher end Kanta, Sopra, and Utopia speakers. I think it would be beneficial for the Aria Evo X series as well.

 

The above graph shows the Aria Evo X No.4’s low-frequency response captured using groundplane measurements (where the speaker and microphone are on the ground at a 2-meter distance in a wide-open area). The No.4 holds a very flat response down to the port tuning frequency of about 37Hz. Below the port tuning frequency, we see the typical 24dB/octave fourth-order rolloff that is characteristic of ported loudspeakers. Even though this is a large tower with two 8” bass drivers, we don’t get a tremendously deep-digging speaker, although room gain will give a little bit of extra extension. As I mentioned previously, I did manage to get usable bass down to 30Hz from the No.4s, although it was noticeably more powerful above 40Hz, and here we can see why. The No.4s pack a punch, but they don’t dig to subterranean depths. For home theater, I would add a subwoofer to this system.

 

The above graph shows the electrical behavior of the Aria Evo X No.4. Focal specifies this as an 8 ohm nominal load, but that looks like a real stretch to me. They also specify the impedance minima to be 2.5 ohms, but I didn’t measure it to be quite that low. While most of the range stays well above 4 ohms, the dip at 100Hz might hit cheaper amplifiers pretty hard, especially if played at loud levels. The problem is that the range around 100Hz is heavily used in all types of content, and the dip could pull a lot of power. This will create a lot of heat in amps that don’t have good thermal management. Premium AVRs and outboard amps specified for 4 ohm loads should be fine with these speakers, but I would definitely not run them on budget AVRs. This shouldn’t be a problem since I don’t think many people buying $6k speaker pairs will run them with entry-level AVRs. 

I measured the sensitivity to be 89.5dB at 1 meter for 2.83v which is a bit off from Focal’s spec of 92.5dB. However, they don’t state the voltage or context for their measurement.. Either way, this is a big tower that doesn’t need a ton of power to get loud.

Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Loudspeaker Conclusion

Before bringing this review to a close, I will briefly go over the strengths and weaknesses of the product under review, and, as always, I will start with the weaknesses. Focal’s Aria Evo X No.4 doesn’t have many weaknesses but I wouldn’t say it is perfect. The only shortcoming of note in my view is how high the tweeter is mounted versus its narrow vertical dispersion window. To put that another way, those whose ear height is well below the tweeter will need to be seated at a significant distance otherwise the sound quality can suffer at their listening position. That makes the No.4s a suboptimal choice for smaller rooms with lower seating. However, these are substantial speakers and are meant for larger spaces, and Focal does recommend a 3 to 5 meter listening distance. I don’t think many people will be placing them in smaller rooms. Nonetheless, they could have been made more versatile by swapping the position of the midrange driver and tweeter which would have made them more amenable to lower height listening positions.

With that minor gripe out of the way, let’s talk about the Aria Evo X No.4’s many strengths. They do sound terrific and have a nicely balanced tonality across their entire frequency range when listened to on-axis. Angle these speakers to face the listening position directly, and you will be met with a superbly neutral sound. Their wide dispersion offers a broad soundstage and an enveloping soundfield. The No.4s have excellent dynamics as well, as one would expect from sizable floor-standers with dual 8” bass drivers. They can get loud and don’t require a ton of amplification to do so. Their low-frequency extension is fine although not exceptional; it’s more than good enough for acoustic music although those seeking the lowest rumble for movies will want to add a subwoofer.

The Aria Evo X No.4s look quite nice. Focal has always had top notch industrial design, and here they have pulled off a tower speaker in a color outside of the usual black or white that would fit nicely in anyone’s living room. They’re stylish without being overstyled, so that few would complain about having them in their homes. The build quality is good too, possessing a heft and solidity befitting of their price tag. There are heavier speakers out there, but the enclosure definitely shouldn’t present any problems.

 

Focal vs The Competition

So how do they fare against competing speakers? Some speakers that we have looked at recently in their class were the RBH Sound 61-SFM/R. Like the No.4, the 61-SFM/R has two 8”s and a 6.5” midrange and is a fairly neutral loudspeaker. The 61-SFM/R does dig deeper and has its tweeter at a more typical listening height, however, the No.4 is undeniably better looking. In the same class, we also reviewed the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacles. In comparison to the No.4s, the Ultra Evolution Pinnacles have deeper and more powerful bass, although its overall frequency response isn’t as neutral. Something else we reviewed in this segment is the JBL HDI-3800. As with the Aria Evo X No.4s, it boasts a very wide dynamic range. The HDI-3800 has a narrower dispersion but more even off-axis response. We would be remiss in not mentioning the Arendal Sound 1723 Tower as well. The 1723 Towers do have a bit more elevated treble on-axis, but the build quality is certainly a step above the No.4s or pretty much anything at their pricing, and they can dig deeper in bass. These are just a few competing speakers around this price point, and this is a crowded segment, so the Aria Evo X No.4s do have stiff competition. I do think they hold their own in this class.

Focal’s Aria Evo X No.4 speakers are not inexpensive at $6k/pair, but I think they are well worth checking out for anyone in that price range, especially if aesthetics are a major criteria. Gene was thrilled by the aesthetics, color, and sound quality at the 2024 Florida Audio Expo, inspiring this review. Not only do they look great, but they sound great too. There isn’t anything they don’t do well. Personally, I could easily live with a pair, especially if I had a larger room and needed something that was very attractive. I am sure those who decide on the No.4s will enjoy them greatly. I know I did during my time with them, and I am looking forward to what owner’s say about them as they become more popular. They are another win from Focal!

The Score Card

The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:

Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating

Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.

Audioholics Rating Scale

• — Excellent
• — Very Good
• — Good
• — Fair
• — Poor

Metric	Rating
Build Quality
Appearance
Treble Extension
Treble Smoothness
Midrange Accuracy
Bass Extension
Bass Accuracy
Imaging
Dynamic Range
Fit and Finish
Performance
Value