Focal Aria 926 Quality Issues

taufive

Member
I've recently purchased ex-demo's of the 926 and have mixed feelings about the build quality of the speakers. The outside finish is impeccable all around however one of the speaker cabinets has an air leak between the top glass panel which is audible when I play low frequency test tones. I've also noticed abnormal mechanical noise coming from the 2nd to last LF drivers on each speakers with the test tone playing. Investigating further I've found this post AVS Focal - JM Lab Owner's Thread which also reinforces issues with the build quality. It's possible the leak and abnormal noise could be a result of improper insulation and/or cabinet construction. Either way I'd like to investigate inside them but need a bit of help taking out the drivers.

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As you can see from the picture each driver has a bezel ring around it to cover the screws. Before I attempt to pry them off and potentially damage the finish - has any had any experience taking off this sort of thing? I'm not sure if it's glued or clipped in somehow. What would be the best way to take them off? I've tried to twist them and lightly lift them from the side with a flat head screwdriver however I'm worried any more pressure may damage the finish.
 
So I've managed to pry them off using a sturdy plastic knife. I wedged it between the speaker basket and the bezel, pulling forward, which with a bit of patience eventually peeled off the ring which was stuck on with double sided tape. I decided to reattach the bezels using thin Velcro instead of the tape just in case I'd like to open them up again. As I suspected both my Aria 926's had the internal damping material misaligned and also miss-cut. Once I placed it properly and trimmed the corners the sound changed dramatically especially within the mid-range. I'll urge anyone who purchases any of the Aria's open up their speakers and check to make sure everything is as it should be. The fact that this has happened to someone else in another country makes me think this isn't isolated and someone has fallen asleep during some stage of quality control. Made in France sure means a lot :thumbsup:

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How are you liking these since then? Any comparisons to other speakers you have owned?

Since purchasing these back in 2015 when I originally made the topic I had to get them replaced under warranty due to an air leak between the top glass panel and enclosure. Unfortunately the new Aria's I got had exactly the same problem with the misaligned damping material. Anyone reading this I urge you to inspect your Aria's carefully.

Quality concerns aside, the sound is quite good. The speakers are more room filling than others I've heard in the past. For example, if you're not sitting directly in front of a lot of speakers the sound seems to taper off, while with the Aria it's far less apparent. Great to have playing in the background for ambiance. That being said, the high end is not as detailed and forward as others I've heard, such as the B&W 702 S2. It's not far off, but noticeable nonetheless. I also found it to be quite scooped - lacking in the mid-low range, but with a boost around 250 Hz it really shines.The low end is adequate though and I never felt as though it was lacking.

In the price range I don't think you can do much better :music:
 
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Wow, I always heard that Focal was associated with quality, but it would appear that they use wood screws to hold the woofers in place. That's nuts :crazy: and there should at least be some Tee-nuts to back up the screws.
 
Wow, I always heard that Focal was associated with quality, but it would appear that they use wood screws to hold the woofers in place. That's nuts :crazy: and there should at least be some Tee-nuts to back up the screws.

That surprised me too but I guess it saved them a penny in production.
 
The wood screws are very surprising on that Focal series...I have the lower-end chorus 726 and the screws looks like normal metal allen screws with T-nuts behind, I dont want to unscrew them because they are still under warranty.
Insulation should be glued as well as cables to avoid any ratling or vibration, these are not cheap speakers

Why didnt you return them as part of warranty ? They should be tested for leaks or abnormal sounding in the factory quality control. I cant find for your specific region but they should be covered for 2 or 5 years starting, maybe you still have time to claim it as your original post is from late 2015
 
Why didnt you return them as part of warranty ? They should be tested for leaks or abnormal sounding in the factory quality control. I cant find for your specific region but they should be covered for 2 or 5 years starting, maybe you still have time to claim it as your original post is from late 2015

I got a replacement soon after I discovered the air leak on the original pair I got in 2015. The new pair still had the damping problem though.
 
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