Focal Aria CC 900

Features

Center Channel Loudspeaker: A center channel speaker is the keystone of a home theater system. It needs to bring precision and consistency between the visual image and the sound stage - Focal's Aria CC900 does just that. The Aria CC900 is a two-way center channel loudspeaker with the same acoustic characteristics as the other loudspeakers in Focal's Aria line-up. Combine the Aria CC900 center speaker with a pair of Aria series floorstanding speakers (926/936/948) or Aria 906 bookshelf speakers for the fronts, a pair of SR900 bipolar speakers for surround and/or surround back speakers, and Focal's SUB300P powered subwoofer (all sold separately) for a reference 5.1ch or 7.1ch home theater system.

1" TNF Inverted Tweeter: The Aria CC900 houses one TNF aluminum/magnesium inverted dome 1" tweeter with a Poron suspension and Urethane waveguide for smoother sound. The tweeter developed for the Aria 900 series uses Focal exclusive inverted dome technology, for optimal energy transfer and limited directivity. The dome's aluminum/ magnesium alloy guarantees outstanding stiffness and damping.

• Poron Suspension: The suspension between the dome and its bracket uses Poron, a material with shape memory. This suspension method is directly derived from the famous Utopia Beryllium tweeter, making it possible to reduce distortion by a factor of three in the 2-3kHz range, where the human ear has very great sensitivity. The mechanical properties of the new suspension system using Poron, an open cell polyurethane microcellular foam, provides numerous benefits - including excellent dimensional stability and no degradation over time. The advantages of the use of Poron in this tweeter are obvious in terms of linearity and distortion reduction. This leads to a silkier, more precise sound with greater harmonic richness.
• Urethane Waveguide: The tweeter mounting has an integral waveguide which maximizes horizontal directivity and minimizes diffraction. The Urethane waveguide improves horizontal directivity and provides a more precise sound image with an incredibly stable sound stage, making the listening position much less critical.

Note: The TNF tweeter uses a relatively flexible aluminum/magnesium alloy, with a "shape memory" enabling it to withstand the majority of small impacts in the home. Nevertheless, Focal recommends leaving the included grille in place to protect the dome. If the dome surface is marked this could have an impact on the tweeter.

Two 6.5" Flax Cone Woofers: The Aria 900 series benefits from Focal's Flax sandwich driver cones with injected Zamak baskets, making voices more intelligible with more depth. Flax is an eco-textile with astounding structural properties - it is light, stiff, and well damped for greater neutrality of timbres and better definition. The Aria CC900 is composed of two 6.5" woofers with Flax sandwich cones that provide natural midrange, rich bass, and high definition sound. These sandwich cones are made of high quality flax fiber enclosed by two thin layers of glass fiber. The lightness of the fiber satisfies the criteria of high internal damping, high velocity, and high flexural rigidity. Flax is twice as light as fiberglass, because the fiber is hollow. It also has very low elasticity which makes it ideal to increase the flexural rigidity of a sandwich structure.

Ultra-Rigid MDF Enclosures: The speaker cabinet features ultra-rigid MDF construction, internal bracing, and non-parallel side panels for a neutral sound with very little vibration or distortion. The cabinet utilizes a leather-finished front panel for its absorbent and acoustic diffraction qualities. The cabinet has no visible fixings; only a solid brushed metal ring surrounding the cone drivers and a matte-black urethane waveguide around the tweeter. The included fabric grille attaches magnetically. This carefully designed cabinet exudes style and quality, blending in perfectly with traditional or more contemporary interiors.

Twin Rear-Firing Ports: The Aria CC900 center speaker utilizes twin rear-firing aerodynamic ports for greater efficiency and bigger, deeper bass performance without distortion.

Binding Post Speaker Terminals: The Focal Aria CC900 center speaker is equipped with a set of heavy-duty binding post terminals that will accept bare wire (up to 10AWG), pin-connectors, spade-lugs, and banana plugs (single only). Two plastic inserts will need to be removed to use banana plugs.

Mounting & Placement Options: The center speaker must be positioned near the screen for realistic reproduction of dialog. It can be placed below or above the television. If a standard projection screen is used, the center speaker should be placed at the foot of the screen for best results. If a micro-perforated screen is used, it can be positioned behind the screen, towards the bottom half of the screen. The included rubber feet add approximately 0.125" to the overall height of the speaker.

Note: The Aria CC900 center speaker is recommended for rooms measuring from 215 sq/ft from a listening distance of 10 ft.

Made In France: The Aria 900 series of loudspeakers are developed and manufactured in France by Focal.

Break-In Period: The Aria 900 loudspeakers are complex mechanical assemblies which need a period of adaptation ("break-in") to operate at their best and to become acclimated to the temperature and humidity conditions of your environment. This break-in period varies depending on the conditions in question and may last for some weeks. To facilitate break-in, Focal recommends operating their speakers for approximately twenty hours consecutively. Once the loudspeakers' characteristics totally stabilize, you will be able to enjoy the Aria 900's performance to the fullest.