Short answer: the PS Audio Aspen FR10 for better sound quality, the Focal Aria Evo X N°2 for the lower price. The PS Audio Aspen FR10 ranks #28 of 54 floorstanding speakers at $12000. The Focal Aria Evo X N°2 ranks #44 at $2399, $9601 cheaper.
What the PS Audio Aspen FR10 offers: Distinctive driver layout: two 6” mid-bass drivers plus three 6x9” passive radiators, an 8” planar ribbon mid-range, and a 2.5” planar ribbon tweeter, with the woofers placed low near the floor to counteract typical floor-bounce… Watch for: At roughly $10,000/pair, expectations are high, and the reviewer found some measured shortfalls relative to that price.
What the Focal Aria Evo X N°2 offers: Solid bass with a deliberate mid-bass bump (80-120Hz) that gives extra thump and weight, extending to about 40-50Hz in-room. Watch for: Sounds very bright pointed directly at the listener - the tweeter comes in 5-6dB above the midrange with an unusually wide, roughly two-octave dip (1kHz-4kHz) leading into it, giving a laid-back, low-attack character even after…
Buy the PS Audio Aspen FR10 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Focal Aria Evo X N°2 if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Focal Aria Evo X N°2. It ranks near the bottom of the 54 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| PS Audio Aspen FR10 | Focal Aria Evo X N°2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12000 | $2399 |
| Ranked | #28 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #44 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 28Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 38Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal (2.9 ohms minimum, Manufacturer specified; 3.4 ohms minimum measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.4dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88.2dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner; 91.5dB Manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 2x 6.5" carbon fiber cone woofers, 1x 8" planar magnetic ribbon midrange, 1x 2.5" planar magnetic ribbon tweeter + 3x passive radiators | Aluminum-magnesium inverted dome tweeter with waveguide, 6.5" flax midrange, dual 6.5" flax midbass woofers |
| Weight | 119 lbs / 54 kg | 55.1 lbs / 25 kg (55 lbs) each |
| Dimensions | 41.5"H x 11.8"W x 16.3"D (1054.1 x 298.5 x 412.8 mm) | 40.7"H x 14.6"W x 11.6"D (1035 x 371 x 294 mm) (40.25 x 14.62 x 11.56 in) |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator | 3-way, bass reflex (bottom-firing port, requires plinth) |
| Frequency Response | - | 45Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Recommended Power | - | 40-250W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Polk T50 vs Revel F328Be
- GR-Research NX-Treme vs Polk T50
- MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition vs Polk T50
- Revel F226Be vs PS Audio Aspen FR10
- Focal Aria Evo X N°2 vs Dali Rubikore 6
The Two Speakers In Full
PS Audio Aspen FR10: $12000 Psaudio
Pros: Distinctive driver layout: two 6” mid-bass drivers plus three 6x9” passive radiators, an 8” planar ribbon mid-range, and a 2.5” planar ribbon tweeter, with the woofers placed low near the floor to counteract typical floor-bounce cancellation in the mid-bass/lower-midrange handoff. Deliberately shelved bass response around 150Hz allows placement closer to the rear wall than typical, without the usual boominess. Extremely wide horizontal dispersion (the -6dB point isn’t reached until about 80-85° off-axis), giving a wide, enveloping soundstage that stays consistent rather than narrowing unevenly at different frequencies. Passed multiple stereo-imaging tests with precise placement despite the wide radiation, keeping instruments distinctly separated even in complex, heavily panned tracks. Exceptionally low multitone distortion at high frequency - among the best the reviewer has measured on any speaker. Bass extends smoothly to an F3 of 47Hz and F10 of 28Hz, potentially usable without a subwoofer for material that doesn’t dig much below 40Hz. Shows output enhancement rather than compression below about 50Hz even at high volume, adding extra punch and attack to bass transients.
Cons: At roughly $10,000/pair, expectations are high, and the reviewer found some measured shortfalls relative to that price. A scoop around 600Hz slightly thins out vocal fullness; EQ can restore some body there. A narrow but pronounced dip around 6-7kHz shows up in measurements, though EQ didn’t meaningfully improve it in testing and the reviewer says he’d rather have a dip than a peak in that sibilance-prone region. On-axis, the treble reads as mildly elevated (though far less than some rivals like Martin Logan or Focal); needs about 20° of toe-out, per the manufacturer’s own recommendation, to sound properly balanced and take on a warmer character. Sidewall acoustic treatment should be avoided, since the speaker’s wide, room-filling sound depends on that sidewall interaction, limiting setup flexibility in treated rooms. A minor resonance-like anomaly appears around 800Hz, and some compression shows up at the highest frequencies (around 12kHz) under extreme output testing, though unlikely to be audible in real listening. Large and heavy floorstander (about 76 lbs each, 41” tall).
Full PS Audio Aspen FR10 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 28Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 41.5"H x 11.8"W x 16.3"D (1054.1 x 298.5 x 412.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 6.5" carbon fiber cone woofers, 1x 8" planar magnetic ribbon midrange, 1x 2.5" planar magnetic ribbon tweeter + 3x passive radiators |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.4dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 119 lbs / 54 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
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Focal Aria Evo X N°2: $2399 Music Direct
Pros: Solid bass with a deliberate mid-bass bump (80-120Hz) that gives extra thump and weight, extending to about 40-50Hz in-room. High sensitivity (measured 88.2dB) makes it easy to drive, and distortion is low throughout the range even at high output - the reviewer found only a minor compression “glare” around 4.5kHz at very high volumes, not a real concern. Directivity components (mid-range and tweeter) transition smoothly rather than abruptly, and the overall soundstage is wide and enveloping.
Cons: Sounds very bright pointed directly at the listener - the tweeter comes in 5-6dB above the midrange with an unusually wide, roughly two-octave dip (1kHz-4kHz) leading into it, giving a laid-back, low-attack character even after toeing out ~20 degrees. Fixing this properly requires real EQ (a mini DSP or similar), not just toe-out or absorption alone; without EQ, expect it to sound bright for stereo listening. A mild dip around 200Hz makes male vocals sound slightly subdued. Narrow vertical directivity (about +/-15 degrees) means you need to stay close to tweeter-axis height. Impedance dips to 3.4 ohms (EPDR 1.4 ohms), so it wants a 4-ohm-capable amplifier, and requires a plinth for floor clearance since it’s bottom-ported.
Full Focal Aria Evo X N°2 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 40.7"H x 14.6"W x 11.6"D (1035 x 371 x 294 mm) (40.25 x 14.62 x 11.56 in) |
| Drivers | Aluminum-magnesium inverted dome tweeter with waveguide, 6.5" flax midrange, dual 6.5" flax midbass woofers |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (2.9 ohms minimum, Manufacturer specified; 3.4 ohms minimum measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 40-250W |
| Sensitivity | 88.2dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner; 91.5dB Manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 55.1 lbs / 25 kg (55 lbs) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex (bottom-firing port, requires plinth) |
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