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Focal Aria 936 vs 926 bass response

I am looking at a couple of Focal Aria speakers in the same model line, and trying to decide on which will work best in my room. The listening area is 14 x 25 x 8.5, but it opens up into another room of the same size (open concept with a half wall between them). Listening distance is 8-9 feet. I have listened to the 936 and liked it, but am a little concerned that it could be too much bass for my room. Also, I have very limited placement options where these are going. My dealer does not have the 926 in stock so I have not listened to it; I assume it will sound very similar to the 936, but with less bass, so I’m wondering if I can get away with the 926. The 926 is also a little smaller so it has better WAF. There is a return policy at the dealer but ideally I’d like to make the right choice initially.

The frequency response of the speakers is as follows. How much bass will I be missing in practical terms between the two? I know the replies may well be “nobody can tell until you get them into YOUR room” but I thought I’d throw it out for comment anyway.

Focal Aria 936:
Frequency response: (+/- 3dB) 39Hz - 28kHz
Low frequency point: 6 dB 32Hz
Sensitivity: (2.83V / 1m) 92dB
Nominal impedance: 8 Ohms

Focal Aria 926:
Frequency response: (+/- 3dB) 45Hz - 28kHz
Low frequency point: 6 dB 37Hz
Sensitivity: (2.83V / 1m) 91.5dB
Nominal impedance: 8 Ohms
braudio7
sjtm
79 posts
 
braudio7 - I am not sure how to quantify "appreciable", but I was willing to upgrade based on my listening impressions.  My decision was also influenced by the price ($1,200 for a virtually brand new pair). 

My music taste are fairly broad, but mostly Chicago blues,  classic rock and contemporary jazz.
contuzzi
295 posts
 
Both are outstanding.  The 936 in some way benefits the most from the fact that it's a taller speaker.  It sounds "larger" and even more "real" because of it.  Especially because the tweeters and mids do SO well off axis in this series. 

Get either of them, you will be very happy.

When you get them, make sure you don't toe them in too much at all, as it is completely unnecessary. 
braudio7 OP
35 posts
 
Thanks everyone for the responses. Any considerations for the listening distance? On their website Focal recommends 10-12 feet for the 936, and I am around 8-9 feet. My room is fairly large but the speakers are on the long wall.
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
The long wall should do well. I personally think having adequate distance from the wall is more critical that the listening distance. I think the reason they recommend 10+ feet is because the tweeter is so high and you've got to be that far out to be in it's sweet spot. I work around that by turning the rear spikes all the way down and turning out the fronts just enough to get through the carpet. I've got mine pulled out 23 inches and toes to see a shallow angle of the insides. I STRONGLY recommend a diffraction or absorbing solution for the wall they're facing, possibly both, with little or nothing behind them. That seems to yield the deepest, widest imaging. 
I love these speakers. I think with proper placement, room treatment, and electronics these things are extremely hard to beat for the money. 
paul8060
43 posts
 
I'm considering the Focal Aria 936s with the Moon ACE. The ACE is 50wpc at 8 ohms. I've heard that the 936s require a lot of power to drive them well and sound good, despite their their high sensitivity of 92db. Can anyone tell me whether the Moon ACE will be a good paring with the 936s, and whether the 936s will sound good and reach their full potential with this amp?
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