Anyone upgraded Focal Aria crossovers?

[CAPer]

Do you think tweeter needs to be attenuated some with higher ohm resistors ?
Did Clarity Cap and bypass made this tweeter play louder than factory cap ?

 

[greenapul]

In my kit, yes. The aria high end is more dynamic and seems like it can get louder. It‘s never fatiguing. I’ll experiment over the next few weeks and let you know what I end up settling on. I run Kimber 8tc speaker cables which is the same as before the upgrade.

make sure you have a t20 screwdriver to remove the woofer.

 

[CAPer]

Definitely let me know how resistor matching goes , how many hours did you put on the Mills 4.7ohm ?

My Brother is using Marantz receiver and DH Labs silver plated high purity copper in Teflon 14ga speaker cables ... it sound super detailed but on the bright side so I hope warmer Cap like CSA and Mills resistor should warm up the highs a bit ...
I think careful electronics and well damped room should make these Arias sing really well...

 

[CAPer]

Your brother will be impressed with the SQ.

Can you tell me how did you re install the metal trim around the woofer ?
What glue did you use ?
Would strips of gel dual stick tape cut to proper width be ok to hold this metal trim in place without rattles ...?

 

[greenapul]

I haven’t reinstalled the metal trim. focal uses thin two sided tape.

 

[CAPer]

I haven’t reinstalled the metal trim. focal uses thin two sided tape.

Thanks a lot , I will try to pry it off slowly with plastic car trim removal tool , hopefully it will not deform ....

 

[Russellc]

I received my aria 906 yesterday, I will decide from humblehifi after 10-15 days of listening. so whosoever changes the crossover first should post for other to take into account its results. So far from listening, i can tell you I would like a capacitor that would mellow the tweeter just little bit, for woofer the capacitor should increase the soundstage. I have used CSA in my other speaker in both tweeter and woofer, in woofer it decreased soundstage but increased clarity. Thing to note is results will vary by speaker system.

I have a pair I built in the 90's. The one thing I found that seemed to affect vocals was how stuffing sheets were arranged around the vent.

Russellc

 

[Russellc]

Do you think tweeter needs to be attenuated some with higher ohm resistors ?
Did Clarity Cap and bypass made this tweeter play louder than factory cap ?

As I recall, the Arias cross over for high frequency was attenuated by which cap you chose, 3 values were originally listed.

Russellc

 

[CAPer]

Here is Danny's take....

 

[berp2869]

Hello everyone, I'm new on the forum.

Some time ago I suspected that my Aria 906 did not sound as I expected.
It came from a Focal 706. After a while I began to regret the upgrade.
Some time later I found the GR Research video and I cried bitterly.....
The GR Kit is very far from my wallet...!!
Looking for a light on the web I found this thread. A hope...??
I don't know anything about croosower but, I have the desire and I know how to weld.
Were they able to move forward with their tests? Is there a definitive bill of materials?

Thanks in advance. Greetings from Argentina.

 

[Lojzek]

Danny is talking truth only for as long as it complies with his business goals. He is hustling buyers in a similar way as any other loudspeaker manufacturer.

 

[greenapul]

I watched Danny’s video, he has an interesting take on the 906’s. He failed to comment on the sound quality or measurement of the individual drivers. He failed to identify root cause of the 800hz response peak. His only feedback on the drivers was the tweeter is not constructed as well as back in the day.

Of the many Aria 906 reviews one suggested the 800hz peak is caused by cabinet resonance. Makes sense as Danny didn’t dismiss the 906 cabinet, in fact he sells a product to tame cabinet resonance. Also the new 906 K2 has the same 800hz peak. This suggests root cause is either the 906 cabinet or quality of crossover components.

In my upgrade journey I’ve decided not to lower tweeter volume. I just upgraded the large inductor which is in series with the bass/mid driver and now I may raise the tweeter volume.

 

[aUDIOhl]

why would you change value of inductor?

 

[greenapul]

I used the same inductor value.

 

[aUDIOhl]

ok, can you mention all three inductor values here. tell us about the woofer cap upgrade difference.

 

[greenapul]

Which caps did you settle on and are you happy with the upgrade?

The remaining 2 inductors were not removed from the board so the readings may not be accurate. Measurement was roughly 0.3 mh on tweeter and the other was 0.2mh. The large inductor is 1.2mh.

 

[aUDIOhl]

I was recapping my amplifier and a transistor failed, waiting for parts so haven't touched the focals. hopefully for tweeter I will go for jantzen alumen z cap.
did the woofer improved with clarity csa?

 

[greenapul]

Bass is nicely defined with the clarity csa. I think it’s a keeper.