Short answer: the Infinity IL10. It ranks #59 of 100 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $160; the Focal Aria 906 ranks #67 and costs $2199, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Infinity IL10 offers: Impressively flat for a budget bookshelf. Watch for: Resonances at 600 and 5khz, which show up as distinct distortion spikes at 96dB SPL/1m in the same frequency regions.
What the Focal Aria 906 gets right: CEA2034 spinorama shows very flat bass response, with the reviewer rating overall performance “good.” Predicted in-room response is almost perfect prior to 1kHz. The catch: 3dB dip around 2.8khz.
Buy the Infinity IL10. 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
| Infinity IL10 | Focal Aria 906 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $160 used, Discontinued | $2,199.00 used, Discontinued |
| Ranked | #59 of 100 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #67 of 100 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 47Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 63Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms nominal (4.8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured, Audio Science Review) | 86.5dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 6.5" (165mm) woofer | 26mm tweeter + 165mm mid-woofer |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs / 6.5 kg | 39.9 lbs / 18.1 kg |
| Discontinued | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 15.6"H x 8.5"W x 11.5"D (397.0 x 216.0 x 292.0 mm) | 15.4"H x 8.9"W x 11"D (390.0 x 225.0 x 280.0 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, front |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs Polk R200
- JBL Studio 630 vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
- SVS Prime Bookshelf vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
- Polk Monitor XT20 vs Focal Aria 906
- ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 vs Focal Aria 906
The Two Speakers In Full
Infinity IL10: $160 used, Discontinued
Pros: Impressively flat for a budget bookshelf. Predicted in-room response is good aside from a bit of excess energy here and there. Distortion at 96dB SPL/1m stays low and controlled outside two narrow resonance-driven peaks.
Cons: Resonances at 600 and 5khz, which show up as distinct distortion spikes at 96dB SPL/1m in the same frequency regions. Discontinued.
Full Infinity IL10 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 15.6"H x 8.5"W x 11.5"D (397.0 x 216.0 x 292.0 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 6.5" (165mm) woofer |
| Impedance | 6 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs / 6.5 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Infinity IL10 vs Behringer B2030P
- Infinity IL10 vs Dynaudio Special Forty
- Infinity IL10 vs ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
- Infinity IL10 vs JBL Studio 630
- Infinity IL10 vs SVS Prime Bookshelf
- Infinity IL10 vs KEF Q3 Meta
- Infinity IL10 vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- Infinity IL10 vs Polk Monitor XT20
- See all 13 comparisons
Focal Aria 906: $2,199.00 used, Discontinued Amazon
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons