Over thirty years ago, I walked into a listening room in Manheim Germany PX. Many speakers were all playing at low volumes. The B&W's high fidelity beckoned my ears to its location. I could not sensibly afford the Nakamichi system that they were connected to, but I had to have them. I connected them to my Marantz system that included an equalizer and adjusted the sound to where it suited me. Everyone that heard them were amazed. B&W rules.
Small point - but that is an excellent way to set up the speakers for a demo! Most people do two on the inside and two on the outside (same brands). The way you do it gives equal distance between the left and right on both sets! Very smart!
I do this at home too ;p tbh having them side by side like this isn't optimal either, but it beats moving them each time and allows for faster comparisons (which is an advantage)
I went to buy ATC SCM11. After a dissapointing demo, the salesman tried 5 more speakers and I ended up with Focal 906. Way better than all the others I tried. Fabulous timing, clean, clear and involving with the right amp.
Spot on , I swap my Dali Oberon 3s to a pair of Focal aria 906 . Now paired with my new Rega p6 and Rega Elex-r amplifier plus Marantz cd 8006 and they’re definitely punch way above average speakers when paired with the right amplifier. Would recommend checking them out if you’re looking for speakers. PS WHAT THE STANDS YOU’VE GOT THEM ON PLEASE .
I owned the Focal Aria 906 for just over a year and I can tell you the bass gets stronger and more tuneful after a few hundred hours on them, of all the speakers I owned these took the longest to really bed in and sing, they sound very bass light out of the box. Also the midrange is not quite as muted as it sounds in this video, room acoustics and amplifier (mics used in demo) will affect how it sounds.
The mids sound muted because the 12 dB 100 Hz room mode is overwhelming them. A prospective owner should bear this in mind. (The B&W bass does not push the room 'over the edge'. Maybe some speaker builders are making 'conservative' sound signatures that are an uncomplicated match and still sound great) "Out of the box they sound lean in the bass". Good point. Take a look at the ASR review of the 906. It gives you the hard data behind the sound. My take is that the Focal Aria can be tamed with a bit of room treatment, (and perhaps with a bit of EQ if really needed) It is NOT an unbalanced speaker.
Good to know those particularities. I plan to buy a pair of 906 in the following weeks. I listen to them in a showroom compared with others and I just want to buy them, so good was the sound.
B & W has more bass and more treble, which is a bad thing because there’s lack in mid range, and are too harsh on higher frequency’s, the Focals play even, and beautiful 👌
Something seems odd to me. The Focal's bass "bloom" makes the B&W seem brighter still in comparison. Both are superb speakers. But the famously 'playful' B&W comes across as demure in comparison. Expressive, but not to a fault. The Focal's bass must be tamed with traps, rugs, ceiling tiles, whatever. (That's just me. I'm being WAY too harsh, but since I'm actually considering a set of 906 for myself this week these things can make me start to question my sanity. ;-) I KNOW the Focal is not designed to be bassy. (For the objectivists: it's FR was measured by Amir in ASR and it's perfectly ok. It's a balanced speaker). I have to find a way to prevent that bass from trampling all over the composed smoothness and balance of the 906's delivery. (I'm listening with neutral headphones).
This comparison reminds me of why choosing speakers is so difficult. The B&W initially seems more appealing to me because it does one thing well, and it really stands out: the rhythm section is so clean and articulate and prominent that you just think wow, this speaker really portrays sound naturally. If you didn't pay much attention to the vocal comparison, the B&W would seem to be superior. Then you listen to the vocals, and the piano, and you realize that the B&W leaves quite a bit of music out of its presentation. What it does do is very pleasant, and its energetic treble makes it appealing (a B&W house sound), but it leaves out a lot of musical content. The Focal is not as immediately appealing, but it gives a better portrait of this performance.
Not sure if it is because I have B&Ws at home, but in most of these comparisons I always find that I like the B&W sound a lot more. It sounds really open and airy and the treble is unmatched.
Those here are some of the best comparison videos on youtube. I personally own the B&W 706 S2 (Satin White), but I had a little journey finally buying these speakers. The B&W may have a specific sounding, may not measure linear in optimized environments - but to be honest: A speaker has to sound good in its final position. It is nice to know, that a speaker would measure perfectly well balanced .... but a speaker will never sound "linear", if you place it in your standard living room environment. So my recommendation: go to your local resellers, hear those speakers - take some home, give it time ... and after that, finally buy some. Buy that one, which sounds the "nicest" to your ears.
On the B&W I'd have to EQ down a bit of the higher end. It sounds open and airy, with good bass, wonderful speaker, but to my ears upper range would have to be tamed a little. Maybe in ten+ years' time, with hearing aquity diminished, nature would do the job. ;-)
BW tipped up treble can cause fatigue soon though attractive at first. Overall sound agressive. Focal has more delicate sweeter treble and natural vocals more characteristic of High end sound for long term listening. I have focal 906 suites my taste better.
I think the sound of the instruments are more involving on the Focals and they do seem to give a liver sound stage. The B&W's presentation is just cleaner across the board. Could the instruments on the B&W's sound better making tonal adjustments with the equipment? I could live with both as well. You will also have to listen to both sets with different genres of music in order to find limitations. I own a pair of B&W matrix horizontal and i can tell you they are very revealing in regards to all recordings which is what i love about them. That is another thing to consider as well before deciding between the two.
I am hearing some echo from the focal. This was the same i heard from the initial video. Thought it was the room but i think it’s the speaker sound itself since i never heard it from the b&w’s.
I have the 906's, but... I'm using a Parasound 2250v2 AMP, which I have A=B speaker selector when I play the 906's I'm using not moved,,,,, until,,, I push the B speaker selector which is now driving 4 speaker... it sound NICE ! The B speaker are Klipsch PR600's, they on there own are great speakers... so when I use them in conjunction with the 906's the place rocks. I want a larger pair of (826's or 936's) FOCAL's but after listing to demo's at different places, they just don't have the BASS response. At theRE price point, for the larger Focals, I'm not tickled about having to by a SUB, to accommodate the LRGER MODEL SPEAKERS. So, be careful... I suggest u listing to the Locals 906's and the Klipsch RP600, which are about 1/3 the price. The only reason I'm keeping the 906's is because when there PAIRED with my Parasound 2250 V2, the room rocks. I have the Klipsch Flagship Reference Speakers for Hi-Fi, and total quality listing... depending on which of the 4 AMP I use with them.. My Yamaha A-S2200, fit like a GLOVE with the Klipsch(s). Big mouth me, SORRY- my Bad. have fun
Almost pulled the trigger on a Denon 2010 but i already have 9 ampliefiers for my review channel, so going to keep the best 4 budget amps one with cool sound signature, 2 with netural sound signature, and 3 with warm sound signature, and 4th will be the V shaped sound signature, thats also very colorful 😆 Thanks again, about to order that kickass audio stand you reviewed yeahaaa! I will order from your link, I saw your right up on Monaprice site
@@Tharbamar lol Yeah , I been trying to find the best budget amps that i can, so when i test out new speakers DACs cd players streamers for a review and a viewer ask how do the speakers sound on a bright netural warm AVR or Stereo reciever or Integrated amp or seperates i can answer them , but i'm going to cut that number down about to sale alot of audio 😆 I tell ya the IOTAVX-STACK sounds great its a keeper along with the Pioneer elite SX-N30 and the Onkyo Integra M504/P304
In my opinion live sounding recordings aren't the best demo material for brighter sounding speakers such as these in a lively reflective room such as this one. The recording already has natural room sound and reverb built into it, combine that with a lively reflective acoustics of his listening room and it's hard to dial in the true sound of the speakers and may be making them sound brighter than they actually are.
Focal has a much better range of sound separation! The sound is honest, limpid and well balanced. B&W is more for people that listen to rock or country music. Focal is for music experts that listen to classical, jazz and other sophisticated music.
I couldn't say better! The winner goes to Focal spite i love B&W so much! But not this time! Twice better the sound! I think it's the beryllium tweeter!
B&W in this case gives an over emphasis on High Frecuencies that´s hard to hear. No comparison with Aria 906 that are well balanced, with flat and clear response.
Focal is much more detailed and accurate, but has less depth in the low end, needs a sub or two. The BW sounds "better" right off the bat, but the average audiophile would probably not like it because it's colored, doesn't sound as accurate as the Focal. But the vocals and low end sound much better and are louder. I would personally go with 906 and add 2 subs if I had the space.
The Focals are better if you prefer a speaker that is accurate and linear. Focals unjustly have a reputation for being bright but they are really quite flat. The B and Ws would make my ears bleed if I had to listen to them for an extended period. Some may prefer the B and W coloration but the Focals are more true to the recording.
I mean in terms of build quality they’re actually quite similar but it’s the B&W that’s ahead which you expect at this price right? Knock on both cabinets and you’ll be educated right away which is of higher quality.
These comparisons mean nothing in all honesty. They are soiled by several processes to get to your. Focal's are typically have a smooth rich sound, and B&W are designed to reference speakers to expose mid to upper frequencies in great detail. In real life, what can sound bright, is actually enhanced detail of the upper scales.
it depends on what your are listening back with. I've got the Focal Shape here in my room and noted the following about this demo. The room is playing back, despite the stuff on the walls there is a lot of room reverberation. The B&W sound nice and smooth to me, but honestly trying to judge quality over RUclips is an absolute waste of your time. Who knows what mic is being used or it's characteristics. Speakers need to be heard in your own space and tweaked to your environment. I use Focal Shape 65s as nearfield monitors which is what they are intended for. I'm sure those B&W are excellent for home listening.
Hello, I owned a pair focal aria 906 and wharfedale diamond 225, good speakers, especially at the price of diamond ! Now, i own a pair davis acoustics olympia one master, it's a another world !!!
I have a Focal Aria 926 and it is the most tonally accurate speaker I have heard. It’s incredibly detailed yet warm and natural at the same time. Very well balanced speaker indeed. I find BWs very treble rich and forward sounding speaker. Not my cup of tea.
Just tested a couple of Aria 906 on this song, and it is a lot cleaner than here, you seem to have a weird room interaction. The larger ported Focal are probably more sensitive to it than the B&W.
The main reason I came here is because I’m looking to build my own speaker over 3 months and have decided to use the Flax drivers and wanted to see what it’s like vs Continuum which in my opinion is the reference of bookshelves and Floorstanders. Only reason I picked Focal drivers over B&W is because I can’t find a set of B&W drivers anywhere only Focal which I’m happy with, I am in fact going to use a crossover from a B&W DM601 as I’ll leave the actual hard crossover stuff to the professionals
On this track the B&W sound more communicative while the Focals sound big but muffled. The bass in this space is a bit boomy (in the recording anyway) which affects both speakers, but it seems to have more of an impact on the clarity of the Focals. BTW, love your channel - it's one of only a few on RUclips that features affordable equipment, properly setup and well recorded.
Thanks, I would like to know how do you listen to RUclips sound demos? like what kind of headphones or the speakers etc., the reason is bass on my original recording was not boomy at all, please let me know because I want to make sure quality is right for future videos, thanks
@@Tharbamar Hi, I listen mainly on my headphone setup which is Apple iMac > Schitt Modi (via USB) > Little Dot Mk II > AKG K702 or Sennheiser HD600 - I tend to use the K702s more as I find them a lot more neutral and open. What I hear is not so much a boomy bass, it's reverberation that tends to clutter up the sound. I feel the listening space you had in your earlier videos sounded a lot more clean and clear acoustically.
To my ears, and via youtube, the B&W's are far more clear and life-like. The focal's do seem to have a boxy, echo sound to me. Would be interesting to hear them live - or perhaps you can confirm/deny your thoughts on this interpretation?
I hear the same sort of echo/resonance on the Focals. But they have more meat on the bone too, while the B&W, that I would definitely not qualify as being bright here, sound somewhat hollow... but very delicate and articulate, faster as well. A matter of personal preference in the end, two frank presentations.
@@elemeno9463 Focal 906 speakers would sound louder they are bigger more out put, a lot of the echoe is down to the room, they need to be in a more treated room, with carpet or rugs in front on the speakers
Tannoy d700 if you can find it. I own a pair for 20 years. This speakers continue to amazed me everytime I listened to music. I alway check out local hifi shop and demo their b&w, paradigm, rebel, klipsch and other popular brand in hifi but none of them can touch the tannoy d700. Happy listening...
I listened to the 706 s2. The top took over a bit to much it killed off the low end. It's there but the balance between them don't work to good. But it also depends on your music taste. I also use my system for movies so imho, it won't work. Will try to lsiten at the, Canton vento reference 9 dc. It's between them and Focal Aria 906
B&W 706 S2 (1 458 € ) / FOCAL ARIA 906 (550 €) je trouve les B&W plus convaincantes à l'écoute ! Par contre Focal sont largement gagnantes rapport qualité/prix ! Une comparaison avec les 607 s2 de B&W aurait été judicieuse. Je serai enthousiaste de comparer rp-600M de Klipsch à 479 € / 607 s2 de B&W à 599€ / Focal Aria 906 à 550€. B&W 706 S2 (€ 1,458) / FOCAL ARIA 906 (€ 550) I find the B&W more convincing when listening ! On the other hand, Focal are largely winning quality / price ratio ! A comparison with the 607 s2 from B&W would have been wise. I will be excited to compare Klipsch's rp-600M at € 479 / B&W 607 s2 at € 599 / Focal Aria 906 at € 550.
Hi, the bass reflex is in front why said that? I am interesting to buy a pair of these speakers. For rock metal and electronic music would be suitable? Thank you Mel
@@meletisstavridis3125 the global project counts, not the position of the relflex. This is an allrounder loudspeakers but fo your musical preferences you can also look for something more suitable. bye
There is an issue with your listening space. The upper midbass bass sounds hollow and echoey. Probably around the 400Hz region. Probably because your speakers are too close to the rear wall, with the right speaker against the corner of the wall while the left speaker is next to “free-air” cos it appears your listening area is on a mezzanine floor.
hands down, Focal 906 for more pleasant tones. And that comes from the size of the enclosure. The build. Sounds more roomier.. hence it is lager in size.
maybe when you watch movies connected to some AV surrounds.. for similar muci nope. or if you listen to hip-hop music. subwoofer is for extra (extreme) bass.
The Focal Aria looks beautiful, but regarding sound B&W won again. At least what we can hear via youtube. The 706's tweeter is so good, it's unbeatable in this category I think.
"The 706's tweeter is so good, it's unbeatable in this category I think"... Measurements says otherwise (much more reliable than a recording, compressed for RUclips). The Aria's tweeter has a much more consistent frequency response, both On and Off-axis.
@@vintageflanker7096 Would you please show me those frequency responses ? The links please, because I think you are just bluffing :) You own a Focal Aria probably. The B&W is much more expensive speaker its not a shame what I said. And youtube is not good enough to compare these speakers, thats correct, but still I hear the usual B&W sound, much more airy , very wide stage, distinct instruments, no distortion, no struggling, and still its not harsh at all. If I can hear this via youtube, I'd hear it even more in real. Compared to B&W speakers the usual speakers are a little chaotic, instruments run into each other. By the way the frequency response has not much to do with that. Focal Aria has no less high pitch sounds, not at all. Maybe the frequency-phase diagram would show it, I donno. "The 706's tweeter is so good, it's unbeatable in this category I think" - yes I meant it, because the better tweeters come from the B&W 705 S2 or 805, but those things are little expensive. 706 is affordable, its not only for millioner HiFi maniacs. I'm a B&W fan did I mention ? But for reason, I'm not blind or fanatic.
Is it just me or just everything on the Focals sounds much muddier than the B & Ws? Like it's not even close. So if you don't like bright vocals, then go Focal?
Muddier is subjective. I do believe Focal and Kef tone down the high frequency a bit. B&W tends to just allows whatever to come through. The effects though are that with B&W initially you really like the sound but you then hit the point of listener fatigue. The high end is too hissy and raspy for me on B&W’s. One option though is that initially one can pull off the speaker grills for the B&W and then if the highs start to get bothersome then put the speaker grills on. For B&W you can also just turn down the volume. For Kef and Focal you will be able to listen at loud volumes for a longer period of time. It’s all just a matter of preference. Pairing up with the proper pre amp and amp is important too. Room acoustics play a role also. B&W’s may be better with carpeted floors, etc.
@@f430ferrari5 B & W is extremely harsh, except their higher end stuff. The only speaker I have liked a lot is the 702 S2, but that's like $$$$ for a pair. Kef is slightly better and more neutral, but not by much. They are both way better than Klipsch, which I consider the same as Bose. I wish I had enough money to get the higher end stuff B & W has though...
@@harveylin3548 what type of amp and pre-amp you have. Or are you using a receiver? You also have a subwoofer? What type and size and wattage. Type of music you listen to?
@@f430ferrari5 I now use a Rotel A12, and sold my B & W 606 S2, way too bright and not enough Bass. Speakers I have now is HTD level 3 and Kef Q150. The kefs are as bright as the most I can accept.
@@harveylin3548 it seems the B&W 606 S2 are bookshelf speakers? You didn’t mention any subwoofer. If you don’t have bass then most likely the highs are over emphasized. The Rotel A12 is 60 watts per channel? It’s rated up to 120 watts but recommended 30-120w. I have heard some recommend double the amp power for rated speaker capacity. So if 120 watt max then 240 watt per channel amp. This is a bit overkill to me. However going with same rating or slightly over helps better drive the bottom end lows. I have Paradigm Studio 60 V1. I got back in the late 90’s. They have 2 6.5 in drivers. One is a woofer and the other mid woofer. It say max input 150 watts but I’m driving at around 250w because I have a 200 w per channel amp rated at 8 ohm and the Studio 60’s are 6 ohm. The bass for certain bass heavy songs can be quite impressive with even no sub. With the subwoofer I have everything balances out. I don’t have the tweeters pointed at me. I find it tapers off the highs a bit and I keep the speaker grills on. Klipsch can be fine for certain home theatre. It’s just preference.
Both are good - Focal has a more vintage vinyl dreamy sound like lazy Sunday afternoons drinking wine in the sun - B&W are more open and clearer - like listening in a spacious room analytical - both give great sound but different moods
0:00 6:19 / 0:19 6:38 / 0:49 7:08 / 1:25 7:44 / 3:54 10:13 / 4:21 10:40
AB's make life easier :)
Thanks you.
thx bro
Thank you!
@Edwin Mohammed wtf
Will Frank
Would you please tell me how to do demo to compare the infinity and focal , what 🎤 and AB speakers on my Amplifier?
Thanks
Amazed by Focal sound delivery.
Thanks for sharing.
Over thirty years ago, I walked into a listening room in Manheim Germany PX. Many speakers were all playing at low volumes. The B&W's high fidelity beckoned my ears to its location. I could not sensibly afford the Nakamichi system that they were connected to, but I had to have them. I connected them to my Marantz system that included an equalizer and adjusted the sound to where it suited me. Everyone that heard them were amazed. B&W rules.
Focal, soft and well balanced sound. BW sound is sharply to my ears.
I agree. The drums and brushes sound like drums and brushes? Just me.
@@BastognePitBull Aria produce some of the most realistic kick drums I've ever heard. You can just sit there and listen to drum solos for an hour.
@@ArthaxtaDaVince777 totally agree with you. I own focal aria 906 and love the way how they plaing instrumental and drums
Exactly : FOCAL is much more realistic, cleaner and the soundstage is way above B&W. No doubt that FOCAL wins all the way that contest!
Small point - but that is an excellent way to set up the speakers for a demo! Most people do two on the inside and two on the outside (same brands). The way you do it gives equal distance between the left and right on both sets! Very smart!
I do this at home too ;p tbh having them side by side like this isn't optimal either, but it beats moving them each time and allows for faster comparisons (which is an advantage)
I went to buy ATC SCM11. After a dissapointing demo, the salesman tried 5 more speakers and I ended up with Focal 906. Way better than all the others I tried. Fabulous timing, clean, clear and involving with the right amp.
What were the 5 speakers?
Spot on , I swap my Dali Oberon 3s to a pair of Focal aria 906 . Now paired with my new Rega p6 and Rega Elex-r amplifier plus Marantz cd 8006 and they’re definitely punch way above average speakers when paired with the right amplifier. Would recommend checking them out if you’re looking for speakers. PS WHAT THE STANDS YOU’VE GOT THEM ON PLEASE .
What do you mean by 'timing'?
I owned the Focal Aria 906 for just over a year and I can tell you the bass gets stronger and more tuneful after a few hundred hours on them, of all the speakers I owned these took the longest to really bed in and sing, they sound very bass light out of the box. Also the midrange is not quite as muted as it sounds in this video, room acoustics and amplifier (mics used in demo) will affect how it sounds.
The mids sound muted because the 12 dB 100 Hz room mode is overwhelming them.
A prospective owner should bear this in mind.
(The B&W bass does not push the room 'over the edge'. Maybe some speaker builders are making 'conservative' sound signatures that are an uncomplicated match and still sound great)
"Out of the box they sound lean in the bass". Good point.
Take a look at the ASR review of the 906. It gives you the hard data behind the sound.
My take is that the Focal Aria can be tamed with a bit of room treatment, (and perhaps with a bit of EQ if really needed) It is NOT an unbalanced speaker.
@@juanmillaruelo7647 nothing to tame in the 906, from on axis to the off axis to the PIR.
Good to know those particularities. I plan to buy a pair of 906 in the following weeks. I listen to them in a showroom compared with others and I just want to buy them, so good was the sound.
B & W has more bass and more treble, which is a bad thing because there’s lack in mid range, and are too harsh on higher frequency’s, the Focals play even, and beautiful 👌
I like the Focal better. I have demo'd it up close, and it has a cool relax and natural vocal. B&W seems bright.
I like when it's bright with détails, so i do prefer Bowers , the 607S2 !
Exactly : FOCAL is much more realistic, cleaner and the soundstage is way above B&W. No doubt that FOCAL wins all the way that contest!
Have 906 for couple years & very happy with it. Balance sound & deep bass.
Put it 50-60cm off the wall, sounds much better.
There is a significant room mode around 100Hz which overpowers much of the low end. It must be at least +12dB.
Something seems odd to me.
The Focal's bass "bloom" makes the B&W seem brighter still in comparison. Both are superb speakers. But the famously 'playful' B&W comes across as demure in comparison. Expressive, but not to a fault.
The Focal's bass must be tamed with traps, rugs, ceiling tiles, whatever. (That's just me. I'm being WAY too harsh, but since I'm actually considering a set of 906 for myself this week these things can make me start to question my sanity. ;-)
I KNOW the Focal is not designed to be bassy. (For the objectivists: it's FR was measured by Amir in ASR and it's perfectly ok. It's a balanced speaker). I have to find a way to prevent that bass from trampling all over the composed smoothness and balance of the 906's delivery.
(I'm listening with neutral headphones).
@@juanmillaruelo7647 Indeed. A little bit of room correction would also sort it out. The B&W's rear port makes placement somewhat more complicated.
@@juanmillaruelo7647 get the 906 and 2 Rsl Speedwoofer 10s, you won't be disappointed.
This comparison reminds me of why choosing speakers is so difficult.
The B&W initially seems more appealing to me because it does one thing well, and it really stands out: the rhythm section is so clean and articulate and prominent that you just think wow, this speaker really portrays sound naturally.
If you didn't pay much attention to the vocal comparison, the B&W would seem to be superior.
Then you listen to the vocals, and the piano, and you realize that the B&W leaves quite a bit of music out of its presentation. What it does do is very pleasant, and its energetic treble makes it appealing (a B&W house sound), but it leaves out a lot of musical content. The Focal is not as immediately appealing, but it gives a better portrait of this performance.
It's also worth pointing out that this is likely pre-break in
lol@@matthewcattermole504
Not sure if it is because I have B&Ws at home, but in most of these comparisons I always find that I like the B&W sound a lot more. It sounds really open and airy and the treble is unmatched.
Thats because the treble is boosted to death.
@Mark Winston maybe I like it that way.
@@lebogangmogashoa8817 good for you.
Moi aussi j'aime quand les aigus sonnent fort.
Je suis français mais je trouve les B&W supérieures aux Focal.
Les Bowers ont plus de vie,
dilemma both sound great and each have their particularity both of them are fun to listen to👍
Aria 906 vs TRIANGLE Esprit Comete EZ ??
Focal my heart!!!
Those here are some of the best comparison videos on youtube.
I personally own the B&W 706 S2 (Satin White), but I had a little journey finally buying these speakers. The B&W may have a specific sounding, may not measure linear in optimized environments - but to be honest: A speaker has to sound good in its final position. It is nice to know, that a speaker would measure perfectly well balanced .... but a speaker will never sound "linear", if you place it in your standard living room environment. So my recommendation: go to your local resellers, hear those speakers - take some home, give it time ... and after that, finally buy some. Buy that one, which sounds the "nicest" to your ears.
FA has better tonal clarity in mid-treble but BW got fuller bass extension. BW is kinda harsh on high end.
On the B&W I'd have to EQ down a bit of the higher end. It sounds open and airy, with good bass, wonderful speaker, but to my ears upper range would have to be tamed a little. Maybe in ten+ years' time, with hearing aquity diminished, nature would do the job. ;-)
I personally would not mention independent bass delivery as you would probably add a sub or two for proper low end.
@@ArthaxtaDaVince777Agreed if the sub can be integrated well. If the sub is in the equation, I will pick FA.
BW tipped up treble can cause fatigue soon though attractive at first. Overall sound agressive. Focal has more delicate sweeter treble and natural vocals more characteristic of High end sound for long term listening. I have focal 906 suites my taste better.
I think the sound of the instruments are more involving on the Focals and they do seem to give a liver sound stage. The B&W's presentation is just cleaner across the board. Could the instruments on the B&W's sound better making tonal adjustments with the equipment? I could live with both as well. You will also have to listen to both sets with different genres of music in order to find limitations. I own a pair of B&W matrix horizontal and i can tell you they are very revealing in regards to all recordings which is what i love about them. That is another thing to consider as well before deciding between the two.
Focal Aria are very detailed, I don't know of a different brand with the same accuracy and detail at this price.
I am hearing some echo from the focal. This was the same i heard from the initial video. Thought it was the room but i think it’s the speaker sound itself since i never heard it from the b&w’s.
I don't understand how others are saying the focals sound natural. They sound echoey and shouty to me. Painful to listen to.
The Focals are like silk.
It's forbiden to live "little".
Well done, u just proved it again.
Can someone tell me what stands the focals are on please? Thank you 😊
Whats more musical and exciting 706 s2 or kef r3
Focals give so much more vibrant and alive sound!I would pick the focals.
Agreed. B&W are dry and lifeless.
B&W are just unballanced wooden boxes.
I have the 906's, but... I'm using a Parasound 2250v2 AMP, which I have A=B speaker selector when I play the 906's I'm using not moved,,,,, until,,, I push the B speaker selector which is now driving 4 speaker... it sound NICE ! The B speaker are Klipsch PR600's, they on there own are great speakers... so when I use them in conjunction with the 906's the place rocks. I want a larger pair of (826's or 936's) FOCAL's but after listing to demo's at different places, they just don't have the BASS response. At theRE price point, for the larger Focals, I'm not tickled about having to by a SUB, to accommodate the LRGER MODEL SPEAKERS. So, be careful... I suggest u listing to the Locals 906's and the Klipsch RP600, which are about 1/3 the price. The only reason I'm keeping the 906's is because when there PAIRED with my Parasound 2250 V2, the room rocks. I have the Klipsch Flagship Reference Speakers for Hi-Fi, and total quality listing... depending on which of the 4 AMP I use with them.. My Yamaha A-S2200, fit like a GLOVE with the Klipsch(s). Big mouth me, SORRY- my Bad. have fun
Focal 👍👍👍
Focal👍!
Focal! 😄
Almost pulled the trigger on a Denon 2010 but i already have 9 ampliefiers for my review channel, so going to keep the best 4 budget amps one with cool sound signature, 2 with netural sound signature, and 3 with warm sound signature, and 4th will be the V shaped sound signature, thats also very colorful 😆 Thanks again, about to order that kickass audio stand you reviewed yeahaaa! I will order from your link, I saw your right up on Monaprice site
Thanks Tee-Jay, You must be very busy with all the amps 😀
@@Tharbamar lol Yeah , I been trying to find the best budget amps that i can, so when i test out new speakers DACs cd players streamers for a review and a viewer ask how do the speakers sound on a bright netural warm AVR or Stereo reciever or Integrated amp or seperates i can answer them , but i'm going to cut that number down about to sale alot of audio 😆 I tell ya the IOTAVX-STACK sounds great its a keeper along with the Pioneer elite SX-N30 and the Onkyo Integra M504/P304
In my opinion live sounding recordings aren't the best demo material for brighter sounding speakers such as these in a lively reflective room such as this one. The recording already has natural room sound and reverb built into it, combine that with a lively reflective acoustics of his listening room and it's hard to dial in the true sound of the speakers and may be making them sound brighter than they actually are.
B&W 706 S2 👍👍👍
Focal has a much better range of sound separation! The sound is honest, limpid and well balanced. B&W is more for people that listen to rock or country music. Focal is for music experts that listen to classical, jazz and other sophisticated music.
B&W is for uk garage and drum and bass lol
@@bencosturbz7755 Yes : mids and highs are not well balanced with the bass. B&W = 7 / 10 and Focal = 10 / 10
I couldn't say better! The winner goes to Focal spite i love B&W so much! But not this time! Twice better the sound! I think it's the beryllium tweeter!
@@EltonMinduri It's not beryllium tweeter, it's inverted aluminium magnesium tweeter.
@@jari121 i din't know that! I thought all was beryllium tweeter on focal!
B&W in this case gives an over emphasis on High Frecuencies that´s hard to hear. No comparison with Aria 906 that are well balanced, with flat and clear response.
B&W lean but more spacious, Focal boxy but bold sound. I don't get any depth feeling when listening to Focal, all voices coming from same spot..
Focal is much more detailed and accurate, but has less depth in the low end, needs a sub or two. The BW sounds "better" right off the bat, but the average audiophile would probably not like it because it's colored, doesn't sound as accurate as the Focal. But the vocals and low end sound much better and are louder. I would personally go with 906 and add 2 subs if I had the space.
I just got the 923 and 906 I will post videos in a week or more, they must break in first !
The Focals are better if you prefer a speaker that is accurate and linear. Focals unjustly have a reputation for being bright but they are really quite flat. The B and Ws would make my ears bleed if I had to listen to them for an extended period. Some may prefer the B and W coloration but the Focals are more true to the recording.
Does anyone have the reference for the stands used with the Focal on the video please ? :)
I’m using custom made stands.
Focal does vocals very well. I would love to hear Karen Carpenter through these.
FOCAL ♥️
B&W Are too bright. Focal has a better lower extension. Also build quality is better on the Focals...
Yeees!
I mean in terms of build quality they’re actually quite similar but it’s the B&W that’s ahead which you expect at this price right? Knock on both cabinets and you’ll be educated right away which is of higher quality.
the B&W ones are actually better with build quality
These comparisons mean nothing in all honesty. They are soiled by several processes to get to your. Focal's are typically have a smooth rich sound, and B&W are designed to reference speakers to expose mid to upper frequencies in great detail. In real life, what can sound bright, is actually enhanced detail of the upper scales.
it depends on what your are listening back with. I've got the Focal Shape here in my room and noted the following about this demo. The room is playing back, despite the stuff on the walls there is a lot of room reverberation. The B&W sound nice and smooth to me, but honestly trying to judge quality over RUclips is an absolute waste of your time. Who knows what mic is being used or it's characteristics. Speakers need to be heard in your own space and tweaked to your environment. I use Focal Shape 65s as nearfield monitors which is what they are intended for. I'm sure those B&W are excellent for home listening.
who is better?
I bought focal 906+AKAI vintage receiver amp. Listen the Taipei classical radio FM99.7
WOW!!! The sound so vivid&natural......OMG
Which akai amplifier if I am.
Most of all, I hear a lot of room and reflections and so it’s almost impossible to tell what speaker is ‘better’.
Hello,
I owned a pair focal aria 906 and wharfedale diamond 225, good speakers, especially at the price of diamond !
Now, i own a pair davis acoustics olympia one master, it's a another world !!!
The sound from B&W 706 S2 have a little big sound stage and High are more mature presention
You should have kept the Parasound equipment !
whats the name of stands under focal?
Amplifer?
I have a Focal Aria 926 and it is the most tonally accurate speaker I have heard. It’s incredibly detailed yet warm and natural at the same time. Very well balanced speaker indeed. I find BWs very treble rich and forward sounding speaker. Not my cup of tea.
Just tested a couple of Aria 906 on this song, and it is a lot cleaner than here, you seem to have a weird room interaction. The larger ported Focal are probably more sensitive to it than the B&W.
His room has no treatment
For me, Focal Aria. Good mids and vocals
The midrange on the Bowers sound beautiful against the focals
Only in this video, not in person.
And with all the audition rooms closed for health reasons...Things get complicated.
But B&W can't deliver balance between bass, mids, and highs!
Easy win for Focal Aria 906
The main reason I came here is because I’m looking to build my own speaker over 3 months and have decided to use the Flax drivers and wanted to see what it’s like vs Continuum which in my opinion is the reference of bookshelves and Floorstanders. Only reason I picked Focal drivers over B&W is because I can’t find a set of B&W drivers anywhere only Focal which I’m happy with, I am in fact going to use a crossover from a B&W DM601 as I’ll leave the actual hard crossover stuff to the professionals
Can you share the link where you are able to find the drivers for focal aria
He’s probably using Focal car speakers.
@@madhus8810 sorry for the late reply and yes I used Focals Car audio drivers
Focal is punchier.. B&W's clear mid-hi is my taste.. Thanx for the demo.. Godbless
B&W👍 The focal’s have a lot of resonance, the 706s2 are more clear.
Who is the artist and song you’re using in your demo. ? I think I prefer the focal. 👌
OF COURSE FOCAL ARIA IS THE WINNER!
Focal, absolutely Focal sound better!
Focal best!
Focal Aria 906 - winner!
Tnx for the demo video. Nice comparison. Don´t forget to turn amplifier power off when you unplug and change speaker wires, just a tip.
You don’t even have to stop the music. Is no big deal as long as you don’t short the amp
Absolutely same. Except highs. Run Heavy Metal on them.
ahh i have the same album... was wondering if you will do a comparison with the Quads S2 speakerS!!!!
What name album
Great review. What kind of stands are you using with the Focals?
Custom made stands.
On this track the B&W sound more communicative while the Focals sound big but muffled. The bass in this space is a bit boomy (in the recording anyway) which affects both speakers, but it seems to have more of an impact on the clarity of the Focals.
BTW, love your channel - it's one of only a few on RUclips that features affordable equipment, properly setup and well recorded.
Thanks, I would like to know how do you listen to RUclips sound demos? like what kind of headphones or the speakers etc., the reason is bass on my original recording was not boomy at all, please let me know because I want to make sure quality is right for future videos, thanks
@@Tharbamar Hi, I listen mainly on my headphone setup which is Apple iMac > Schitt Modi (via USB) > Little Dot Mk II > AKG K702 or Sennheiser HD600 - I tend to use the K702s more as I find them a lot more neutral and open. What I hear is not so much a boomy bass, it's reverberation that tends to clutter up the sound. I feel the listening space you had in your earlier videos sounded a lot more clean and clear acoustically.
@@Tharbamar I had the same experience as msee. Listening straight thru Macbook Pro on Audio Technica ATH-M40x
To my ears, and via youtube, the B&W's are far more clear and life-like. The focal's do seem to have a boxy, echo sound to me. Would be interesting to hear them live - or perhaps you can confirm/deny your thoughts on this interpretation?
I hear the same sort of echo/resonance on the Focals. But they have more meat on the bone too, while the B&W, that I would definitely not qualify as being bright here, sound somewhat hollow... but very delicate and articulate, faster as well. A matter of personal preference in the end, two frank presentations.
Clarity is comparable but 706 S2 has more texture and vivid tone overall compare to 906, 906 is a bit softer as well, thanks
A very interesting comparison. I still think I would take the b&w, definitely sounded more natural. What a great track to test with too 👍👍
The focal's sound echoey and shouty to me. It borders on hurting my ears.
@@elemeno9463
Focal 906 speakers would sound louder they are bigger more out put, a lot of the echoe is down to the room, they need to be in a more treated room, with carpet or rugs in front on the speakers
Hi there
I really like your demo.
Would you please tell what equipments are you using to do this demo?
Thanks
Super demo
Are the focal self powered?
hello. any speaker you recommend for a good amount of mid-range and bass? around 30 Hz without an additional sub ? thanks.
In a reasonable price range you have to go with towers to reach 30hz, Klipsch RP8000F or JBL Studio 590s etc.,
Tannoy d700 if you can find it. I own a pair for 20 years. This speakers continue to amazed me everytime I listened to music. I alway check out local hifi shop and demo their b&w, paradigm, rebel, klipsch and other popular brand in hifi but none of them can touch the tannoy d700. Happy listening...
I listened to the 706 s2. The top took over a bit to much it killed off the low end. It's there but the balance between them don't work to good. But it also depends on your music taste. I also use my system for movies so imho, it won't work. Will try to lsiten at the, Canton vento reference 9 dc. It's between them and Focal Aria 906
Господа, подскажите пжл. что за стойки у Focal Aria?
Focal smoother, less edge, highs don't have edge of B&w
The Focal sound a little stuffy and muddy compared to the B&W, though I'm sure the ear can accustom itself to either.
The Focal sounds a bit muddy because room bass buildup is overwhelming the speaker.
B&W 706 S2 (1 458 € ) / FOCAL ARIA 906 (550 €) je trouve les B&W plus convaincantes à l'écoute ! Par contre Focal sont largement gagnantes rapport qualité/prix ! Une comparaison avec les 607 s2 de B&W aurait été judicieuse. Je serai enthousiaste de comparer rp-600M de Klipsch à 479 € / 607 s2 de B&W à 599€ / Focal Aria 906 à 550€.
B&W 706 S2 (€ 1,458) / FOCAL ARIA 906 (€ 550) I find the B&W more convincing when listening ! On the other hand, Focal are largely winning quality / price ratio ! A comparison with the 607 s2 from B&W would have been wise. I will be excited to compare Klipsch's rp-600M at € 479 / B&W 607 s2 at € 599 / Focal Aria 906 at € 550.
Prices vary. Right now in Spain 800E for the 906 Focal and 1200E for the B&W 706s2.
For some reason in the US, the Focal Aria 906 have the same sticker of $2,000.
Just Christmas shopping online, JBL has the studio 590 on sale for $880/pr. With free shipping..don't know how to beat them at that price.
@Tharbamar How do you think these Focals would do against KEF LS50 ?? Which pair is better?
Hard to say because Focal is very different sound than LS50, personally I would like LS50 for very nice midrange and overall richer sound quality.
@@Tharbamar Thank you!!!!
906 if you wanna great soundstage. Just don't keep them near walls and in small rooms
Hi, the bass reflex is in front why said that?
I am interesting to buy a pair of these speakers. For rock metal and electronic music would be suitable?
Thank you
Mel
@@meletisstavridis3125 the global project counts, not the position of the relflex. This is an allrounder loudspeakers but fo your musical preferences you can also look for something more suitable. bye
Добрый день! Прослушал полностью клип и сразу вернул на воспроизведение Focal. Мой выбор B&W 706 S2! ))
What is the exact model denon amp are you using?
706 great disappearing act sounds closer to live music
B&W 👍🏻
There is an issue with your listening space. The upper midbass bass sounds hollow and echoey. Probably around the 400Hz region.
Probably because your speakers are too close to the rear wall, with the right speaker against the corner of the wall while the left speaker is next to “free-air” cos it appears your listening area is on a mezzanine floor.
hands down, Focal 906 for more pleasant tones. And that comes from the size of the enclosure. The build. Sounds more roomier.. hence it is lager in size.
Maybe b&w sounds like more clarity but focal sounds close to "Live" album~~
I like the B&W's more. Better separation
Focal sound is very rich
How much did you fill the speaker stands for the B&W 706 S2? Thanks
Hi who was the artist of the band or the group you used in this demo. Both speakers have pros and cons but I think I prefer the focal. 👍
Written and bottom of screen at beginning of video and in the description
It's a noob question to ask but would adding a subwoofer to either of these 2 speakers be suitable?
maybe when you watch movies connected to some AV surrounds.. for similar muci nope.
or if you listen to hip-hop music.
subwoofer is for extra (extreme) bass.
The Focal Aria looks beautiful, but regarding sound B&W won again. At least what we can hear via youtube. The 706's tweeter is so good, it's unbeatable in this category I think.
I agree the stand up bass sounds live to me and the high sound much better the focal's seem right to me
"The 706's tweeter is so good, it's unbeatable in this category I think"... Measurements says otherwise (much more reliable than a recording, compressed for RUclips). The Aria's tweeter has a much more consistent frequency response, both On and Off-axis.
@@vintageflanker7096 Would you please show me those frequency responses ? The links please, because I think you are just bluffing :) You own a Focal Aria probably. The B&W is much more expensive speaker its not a shame what I said.
And youtube is not good enough to compare these speakers, thats correct, but still I hear the usual B&W sound, much more airy , very wide stage, distinct instruments, no distortion, no struggling, and still its not harsh at all. If I can hear this via youtube, I'd hear it even more in real. Compared to B&W speakers the usual speakers are a little chaotic, instruments run into each other. By the way the frequency response has not much to do with that. Focal Aria has no less high pitch sounds, not at all. Maybe the frequency-phase diagram would show it, I donno.
"The 706's tweeter is so good, it's unbeatable in this category I think" - yes I meant it, because the better tweeters come from the B&W 705 S2 or 805, but those things are little expensive. 706 is affordable, its not only for millioner HiFi maniacs. I'm a B&W fan did I mention ? But for reason, I'm not blind or fanatic.
Focal hands down!
I prefer SADE ❤😂 and Focal 😉
Please Klipsch rp600m VS Focaaaal 🙏😬
Sorry I don’t have Klipsch anymore, thanks
The Focal can't hit the low E cleanly, but the BW can. It's a very low frequency however.
FOCAL RIGHT !!!BOWERS ARE VERY SOFT
Is it just me or just everything on the Focals sounds much muddier than the B & Ws? Like it's not even close. So if you don't like bright vocals, then go Focal?
Muddier is subjective. I do believe Focal and Kef tone down the high frequency a bit.
B&W tends to just allows whatever to come through.
The effects though are that with B&W initially you really like the sound but you then hit the point of listener fatigue. The high end is too hissy and raspy for me on B&W’s.
One option though is that initially one can pull off the speaker grills for the B&W and then if the highs start to get bothersome then put the speaker grills on.
For B&W you can also just turn down the volume.
For Kef and Focal you will be able to listen at loud volumes for a longer period of time.
It’s all just a matter of preference. Pairing up with the proper pre amp and amp is important too.
Room acoustics play a role also. B&W’s may be better with carpeted floors, etc.
@@f430ferrari5 B & W is extremely harsh, except their higher end stuff. The only speaker I have liked a lot is the 702 S2, but that's like $$$$ for a pair. Kef is slightly better and more neutral, but not by much. They are both way better than Klipsch, which I consider the same as Bose. I wish I had enough money to get the higher end stuff B & W has though...
@@harveylin3548 what type of amp and pre-amp you have. Or are you using a receiver?
You also have a subwoofer? What type and size and wattage.
Type of music you listen to?
@@f430ferrari5 I now use a Rotel A12, and sold my B & W 606 S2, way too bright and not enough Bass. Speakers I have now is HTD level 3 and Kef Q150. The kefs are as bright as the most I can accept.
@@harveylin3548 it seems the B&W 606 S2 are bookshelf speakers? You didn’t mention any subwoofer. If you don’t have bass then most likely the highs are over emphasized.
The Rotel A12 is 60 watts per channel?
It’s rated up to 120 watts but recommended 30-120w.
I have heard some recommend double the amp power for rated speaker capacity. So if 120 watt max then 240 watt per channel amp. This is a bit overkill to me.
However going with same rating or slightly over helps better drive the bottom end lows.
I have Paradigm Studio 60 V1. I got back in the late 90’s. They have 2 6.5 in drivers. One is a woofer and the other mid woofer. It say max input 150 watts but I’m driving at around 250w because I have a 200 w per channel amp rated at 8 ohm and the Studio 60’s are 6 ohm.
The bass for certain bass heavy songs can be quite impressive with even no sub.
With the subwoofer I have everything balances out.
I don’t have the tweeters pointed at me. I find it tapers off the highs a bit and I keep the speaker grills on.
Klipsch can be fine for certain home theatre. It’s just preference.
Both are good - Focal has a more vintage vinyl dreamy sound like lazy Sunday afternoons drinking wine in the sun - B&W are more open and clearer - like listening in a spacious room analytical - both give great sound but different moods
Couldn't agree more. :)
Both speakers suffer from sh sh sound. May be it is electronics. B&w overall sound closer to reality.
Not in person. This video is not representative.
As someone who's listened to many Focal Aria and BW, the BW is not nearly as analytical and detailed as the Focal.