Short answer: the ELAC DBR62. It ranks #55 of 125 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $678.97; the Focal Aria 906 ranks #91 and costs $2199, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Focal Aria 906 offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows very flat bass response, with the reviewer rating overall performance “good.” Predicted in-room response is almost perfect prior to 1kHz. Horizontal dispersion of about ±60 degrees is good and stays even out to about -12dB before getting erratic. Woofer distortion is quite low at 86dB SPL/1m. Watch for: 3dB dip around 2.8khz. Some resonance around 800hz, small directivity error around 7khz. A dip in the upper midrange also shows up in the predicted in-room response. Distortion becomes problematic at 96dB SPL/1m, with a notable peak around 1.3-1.5kHz alongside broader midrange elevation.
What the ELAC DBR62 offers: Two-way design with a 6.5” woofer and 1” dome tweeter in a shallow waveguide, with the tweeter positioned close to the woofer for near-point-source coherence - giving more vertical listening leeway than typical two-ways. Notably forgiving of placement and aiming: sounds good from directly on-axis all the way to 30° of toe-out (parallel with the rear wall), making it more room-independent than many speakers this price. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70° until the tweeter starts beaming, right in the reviewer’s preferred sweet spot. A mild, wide-Q bass bump centered around 100Hz adds a bit of extra punch that the reviewer personally likes. On-axis linearity within about ±2.5dB, with a strong measured preference score of 5.3. Distortion stays below 3% at both 86dB and 96dB until around 50Hz. Vertical sweet spot of about ±10-20° works well for multi-row home theater seating. The reviewer calls it “the epitome of a good speaker” for its price, with no reservations recommending it. Watch for: A slight recess in the 1-2kHz region reduces vocal presence somewhat compared to other speakers in direct comparison. A mild hot spot around 4-5kHz can read as slight sibilance when pointed directly on-axis. Low-to-mid sensitivity (about 84.3dB) combined with a current draw that behaves like roughly 2.4 ohms between 100-200Hz means it’s best driven by a dedicated 4-ohm-capable amplifier rather than an AVR. A diffraction dip from the baffle edge is visible in measurements - typical of any standard rectangular-baffle speaker and not correctable without a much more expensive curved-baffle design. Multitone distortion testing suggests some potential midrange distortion could be audible on certain material, though the reviewer didn’t personally notice it. Minor resonances appear around 700Hz and 1-1.5kHz, possibly tied to the enclosure, port, or cone/surround edge termination, though their audible impact appears minimal. F3 of 53Hz means a subwoofer is still needed for real bass extension below about 40Hz.
Buy the ELAC DBR62. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Focal Aria 906 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Focal Aria 906 | ELAC DBR62 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,199.00 used, Discontinued | $678.97 |
| Ranked | #91 of 125 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #55 of 125 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 63Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal, 5.2 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.5dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 84.3dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 26mm tweeter + 165mm mid-woofer | 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 39.9 lbs / 18.1 kg | 18.1 lbs / 8.2 kg each |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Dimensions | 15.4"H x 8.9"W x 11"D (390.0 x 225.0 x 280.0 mm) | 14.1"H x 8.2"W x 10.8"D (358.1 x 208.3 x 274.3 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | ported, front |
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- ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 vs Technics SB-C700
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- MoFi SourcePoint 8 vs ELAC DBR62
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The Two Speakers In Full
Focal Aria 906: $2,199.00 used, Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows very flat bass response, with the reviewer rating overall performance “good.” Predicted in-room response is almost perfect prior to 1kHz. Horizontal dispersion of about ±60 degrees is good and stays even out to about -12dB before getting erratic. Woofer distortion is quite low at 86dB SPL/1m.
Cons: 3dB dip around 2.8khz. Some resonance around 800hz, small directivity error around 7khz. A dip in the upper midrange also shows up in the predicted in-room response. Distortion becomes problematic at 96dB SPL/1m, with a notable peak around 1.3-1.5kHz alongside broader midrange elevation. Discontinued.
Full Focal Aria 906 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 63Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.4"H x 8.9"W x 11"D (390.0 x 225.0 x 280.0 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 26mm tweeter + 165mm mid-woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.5dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 39.9 lbs / 18.1 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Audio Science Review Focal Aria 906 More from Audio Science Review →
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Assessing the Good and Bad of the Focal Aria 906 More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website: Focal Aria 906
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Focal Aria 906 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
ELAC DBR62: $678.97 Amazon Crutchfield eBay
Pros: Two-way design with a 6.5” woofer and 1” dome tweeter in a shallow waveguide, with the tweeter positioned close to the woofer for near-point-source coherence - giving more vertical listening leeway than typical two-ways. Notably forgiving of placement and aiming: sounds good from directly on-axis all the way to 30° of toe-out (parallel with the rear wall), making it more room-independent than many speakers this price. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70° until the tweeter starts beaming, right in the reviewer’s preferred sweet spot. A mild, wide-Q bass bump centered around 100Hz adds a bit of extra punch that the reviewer personally likes. On-axis linearity within about ±2.5dB, with a strong measured preference score of 5.3. Distortion stays below 3% at both 86dB and 96dB until around 50Hz. Vertical sweet spot of about ±10-20° works well for multi-row home theater seating. The reviewer calls it “the epitome of a good speaker” for its price, with no reservations recommending it.
Cons: A slight recess in the 1-2kHz region reduces vocal presence somewhat compared to other speakers in direct comparison. A mild hot spot around 4-5kHz can read as slight sibilance when pointed directly on-axis. Low-to-mid sensitivity (about 84.3dB) combined with a current draw that behaves like roughly 2.4 ohms between 100-200Hz means it’s best driven by a dedicated 4-ohm-capable amplifier rather than an AVR. A diffraction dip from the baffle edge is visible in measurements - typical of any standard rectangular-baffle speaker and not correctable without a much more expensive curved-baffle design. Multitone distortion testing suggests some potential midrange distortion could be audible on certain material, though the reviewer didn’t personally notice it. Minor resonances appear around 700Hz and 1-1.5kHz, possibly tied to the enclosure, port, or cone/surround edge termination, though their audible impact appears minimal. F3 of 53Hz means a subwoofer is still needed for real bass extension below about 40Hz.
Full ELAC DBR62 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.1"H x 8.2"W x 10.8"D (358.1 x 208.3 x 274.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 5.2 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.3dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 18.1 lbs / 8.2 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Top 3 Things You Need to Know About ELAC DBR62 Before You Buy More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Elac DBR62
- Erin’s Audio Corner: 5 AWESOME SPEAKERS Under $1000 You Won’t Regret
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top Picks of 2023: Must-Haves Under $3000
- Audio Science Review Measurements More from Audio Science Review →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for ELAC DBR62 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- ELAC DBR62 vs ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62
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- ELAC DBR62 vs Definitive Technology Demand D11
- ELAC DBR62 vs Technics SB-C700
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