# Focal Aria 926 vs MK 150 for a 7.2.4 system ?



## siddhartha.saive (Dec 15, 2016)

Hi guys
I've been looking for a 7.2.4 system for a dedicated home theater room in a new house. The room size is 22' x 14' (is 7.2.2 enough? Two rows of seats probably.. 3+4)
This will be for movies, music and gaming. Good bass is a priority. 

AVR - Anthem MRX 1120
Projector - Epson or JVC 4K (simulated 4k)

I've demoed all the brands I could get my hands on locally.
B&W 983 and CM9, Focal Aria 926, Monitor audio silver 8, MK 950 and 300(out of my budget), Kef R700 and Polkaudio LSIM707

My favourites so far
Focal aria 926 vs MK Sound 150

Focal aria 926 was amazing. Great overall.. very good detail and bass response and imaging. Loved how they sounded. Liked them better than MK especially for 2.1 Stereo for music (not fair for mk as they aren't intended for this  )
The MK was exceptional too. Liked both the 950 and 300 that i listened to. Highly detailed and great sound imaging like the online reviews say. But I'm not sure i want my speakers hidden(performance is more important to me though) and wasn't really satisfied with the bass. 
Will take a demo of the MK 150 to decide.

Thinking of buying two SVS SB13 ultra subwoofers to go with the speakers. Are they good enough? These subs have amazing reviews online. I really want the gut wrenching or heart thumping bass feel.. and good quality bass ofc

Or should I go for just one of the new SVS SB16 ultra or SVS PB16 ultra?

Have another option left to demo. Golden ear Triton 2. How good are they vs focal and mk sound?

Any opinions on Focal 926 vs MK 150 ? Performance vs value ?

Thank you


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

I personally owned an SB13-Ultra - and at this very moment I'm listening to an SB16-Ultra that's here for review - so perhaps I can answer your question. 

Assuming you have a traditional ceiling height of 8 feet the room is about 2500 ft^3, which means a pair of SB13's would have no problem filling the space with deep bass. But reading deeper into your post suggests to me they may not totally satisfy your goal. When names like Anthem, B&W, Focal and MK Sound are part of the discussion it usually means the person is looking for more than the usual fare. If my assumption is correct then the 16 series is probably going to be more suited to task, especially given your statement "_I really want the gut wrenching or heart thumping bass feel_". If you have the ability to accommodate the PB16 I'd look long and hard at that one. It's huge, but if you want to feel assaulted by a movie soundtrack that will certain do the trick. The SB16 is definitely no slouch, so a pair of those would be a worthy alternative if the PB16 proved too large.


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## siddhartha.saive (Dec 15, 2016)

theJman said:


> I personally owned an SB13-Ultra - and at this very moment I'm listening to an SB16-Ultra that's here for review - so perhaps I can answer your question.
> 
> Assuming you have a traditional ceiling height of 8 feet the room is about 2500 ft^3, which means a pair of SB13's would have no problem filling the space with deep bass. But reading deeper into your post suggests to me they may not totally satisfy your goal. When names like Anthem, B&W, Focal and MK Sound are part of the discussion it usually means the person is looking for more than the usual fare. If my assumption is correct then the 16 series is probably going to be more suited to task, especially given your statement "_I really want the gut wrenching or heart thumping bass feel_". If you have the ability to accommodate the PB16 I'd look long and hard at that one. It's huge, but if you want to feel assaulted by a movie soundtrack that will certain do the trick. The SB16 is definitely no slouch, so a pair of those would be a worthy alternative if the PB16 proved too large.


Thank you for the detailed reply. You have convinced me to go for the sb16 ultra  Will try to get my hands on them. The pb is too big for me though


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## siddhartha.saive (Dec 15, 2016)

So i demoed the focal aria 926 and the mk 150 again. I have decided to go with the focals!
The focal aria 926 sounded better to me and easily beat the mks in music playback. I was quite satisfied and wanted to stay longer and listen more! I like the bass response with the focal better too. The mk sounded a little lack lustre to me.. too neutral. 

So my choice for the setup so far.. 7.2.4
Focal aria 926 speakers
Anthem MRX 1120 AVR

Epson or jvc simulated 4K projector?

Subwoofers- two SVS ultra sb16???


Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Sounds like you're building quite an impressive system. I imagine it will be able to satisfy your needs for years to come. The SB16's are likely to work quite well for you, but while looking over your post one other subwoofer option came to mind; Funk Audio.

Nathan Funk is one of the most talented people in this industry. Not only can he design and engineer products, he does some of the most exquisite finishes anyone has seen. Give him a sample of the finish on your speakers and you could end up with a subwoofer to match them perfectly.


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