Focal Aria 905 vs Pioneer SP-FS52: which should you buy?

The Focal Aria 905 is my pick. It takes sound quality, midrange clarity, treble detail, bass response and design by clear margins, and the only aspect it gives up is a narrow loss on value for money.

Buy it if the recording itself is what you care about. The mids are crisp and precise, the highs are detailed once the first few hours of brightness settle, and the fit and finish are the best of the pair by a wide margin. At 334 mm it needs a stand, a shelf or a wall mount, and corner placement worked well for me. With 89 dB sensitivity, an 8 ohm load and a 25 to 100 W amp range, it is happy with modest amplification, though a solid-state amp pushes it towards the bright side before it warms up. Rated from 60 Hz, it rewards a subwoofer if you want the bottom octave, and that is an extra cost to plan for.

Buy the Pioneer SP-FS52 if you want the most performance per pound spent. It takes value for money, narrowly, and it is the one I would put in a living room where a single pair handles films, rock, pop and EDM without a fuss. It is a 3-way floorstander at 890 mm and 53.9 lb, designed by Andrew Jones, with two 5.12 inch mid-woofers, outriggers for stability and a rated response down to 40 Hz. Expect to break it in: the high end is harsh for the first hours before it smooths out, and it still trips over some female vocals. Add a subwoofer for real low-end punch. Its 6 ohm load and 87 dB sensitivity ask slightly more of an amplifier, and Pioneer does not publish an amp range.