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Focal Chora 816 Speaker Review

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 5 1.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 27 9.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 168 56.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 96 32.4%

  • Total voters
    296

Ajax

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amirm speakers recommendations...
quiddie-neochrome-purple-metal-dice-set-spread_1024x1024.jpg
If you are insinuating that Amir' recommendations are as good as rolling the dice then you have missed the whole point of what he is about.

He established this site to help audio enthusiasts quantify the performance of audio gear by measuring it against a set of criteria that was established by Dr Floyd Tool (acoustic engineer) amongst others. It is a time consuming processes using sophisticated equipment.

i.e. to provide you with a set of measurements so that you can make an objective assessment of the merits of a particular piece of gear. Personally I use this site as a starting point to short list gear that I then research further for features and if possible try and listen too. With the demise of audio stores this site has become even more relevant.

Amir's personal recommendation is just that. I have purchased gear he doesn't recommend (e.g. he uses Roon but I don't).

You and others who feel it is clever to have a go at someone providing an incredibly valuable free service (if your a grub and don't donate) should compare his contribution to our hobby with your own.
 
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AudioSceptic

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People who care about sound quality, so they can buy three as their front speakers.
This is OT, but I've never understood why "home cinema" needs 3, when it's accepted and established that stereo music is fine with 2. And, unless you have an acoustically transparent screen, where do you put a centre floorstander anyway? I've used a stereo pair with a TV for as long as I can remember and I never feel I'm missing anything.
 
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Ellebob

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where are you? if you are in Europe, Aria 906 + amp would be more "comparable". but still apple vs orange, as Kali one is a nearfield monitor. 906 would suck if it is put close to you (that's @VintageFlanker's words, not mine, but I assume it's true because of the directivity etc.)

And I would not buy PA5 - unless you already have one.
Nearfield vs midfield.

If you are listening in the midfield there is no difference in sound. However, midfield designed speakers can often play louder. So while the sound quality won't change if you like to crank it and play at louder levels you will need the midfield or larger speaker to get the volume level desired. If you listen at more moderate volumes pick the speaker you like best and a nearfield will be fine if that has the sound you prefer.

If you are listening in the nearfield, a midfield speaker might not have the same sound in the nearfield as it does the midfield. For example if you put this tower on a desk and are sitting at the desk listening your sound would be dominated by the drivers that are closer to your ears. The sound between the woofers and tweeters wouldn't be combined because the physical distances of all the drivers are further apart and your ears happen to be closer to either the woofers or tweeter.

So a nearfield can be used in the midfield as long as it plays as loud as you need but a midfield usually can not be used in the nearfield.
 

sarumbear

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Interesting that two woofers have wildly different cone break-up issues. From what I see the only difference between the two is the dust-cup diameter. @Amir, can you see if that is because the voice coil of the button driver is larger or they just used a larger dust-cup?

From a manufacturing point of view why would they use different drivers? Is that because they spend money to treat the top driver’s cone to stop cone break-up?

Is that cone break-up simply caused by that large dust-cup?

Strange…
 

kma100

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This is OT, but I've never understood why "home cinema" needs 3, when it's accepted and established that stereo music is fine with 2. And, unless you have an acoustically transparent screen, where do you put a floorstander anyway? I've used a stereo pair with a TV for as long as I can remember and I never feel I'm missing anything.

Center for dialog (as you know). If you are ok with a phantom center, then you are ok with it. Others might prefer the dialog anchored in the center with a dedicated speaker.
 

Triliza

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amirm speakers recommendations...
quiddie-neochrome-purple-metal-dice-set-spread_1024x1024.jpg

How did you reach that conclusion? Let me guess, by reading and understanding the measurements in the review. You are going in the right direction, agreeing or not with Amir's subjective impressions is beside the point. I for one value his opinion (and of other members in the comments of each review), but sure, feel free to ignore it.
 

AudioSceptic

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Center for dialog (as you know). If you are ok with a phantom center, then you are ok with it. Others might prefer the dialog anchored in the center with a dedicated speaker.
Yes, of course, I know that's the justification, but we don't need that for the central vocals or instruments in music, do we? In fact, I'd argue it's needed even less with video because we have that visual clue, powerful enough to skew our aural perception anyway (ventriloquism wouldn't work without it). I'll shut up now. :)
 

goldark

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Amir's subjective impressions, IMO, are absolutely necessary. He is a trained listener and it helps correlate objective measurements to subjective impressions. Sure, he's only human and subject to biases like we all are and we're free to take it or leave it. But it's a valuable data point.
 

MarcT

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Chora are discontinued, I was told. Not that it matters in terms of the quality of the speaker, but it’s good to know.

I recently picked up a pair of 806 on deep discount, and am quite enjoying them.
Hmm, does the Vestia line replace Chora? I think Vestia is priced between Chora and Aria, maybe closer to Aria.

Edit: Looking at the Vestia images and information, they seem almost like the Aria models, so it doesn't seem like they would replace Chora.
 
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amirm

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es, of course, I know that's the justification, but we don't need that for the central vocals or instruments in music, do we?
We do actually. The frequency response of the phantom center is pretty screwed up. Yet, that is where vocal supposed to land. Whoever is mixing the music is trying to compensate for that but with each setup being different as far as speakers, level of reflections, and distance/angle, it is a crapshoot.
 

PeteL

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Hmm, does the Vestia line replace Chora? I think Vestia is priced between Chora and Aria, maybe closer to Aria.

Edit: Looking at the Vestia images and information, they seem almost like the Aria models, so it doesn't seem like they would replace Chora.
Yes I do hope that they don't give up on those nice paint piano finish in tasteful colors to go all in on those veneered side panels, leathery cottage look. They both have their appeal but I know what I would want in my house.
 

testp

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Vestia looks good, seems to combine aria port(2) and chora features or such..
 

RenSong

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I have the 826 in my listening room and it fills the whole room with soundstage. It can certainly be bright with some recordings, especially orchestras and metal percussion instruments. I'm actually looking for a replacement but am too afraid to lose the astonishing dynamics the Choras output with 200wpc Rotel a/b. I've seen John Coltrane standing in my room from these speakers.

Btw I do think Vestia replaces Chora. List US price that I overpaid a year ago just about lines up with it's new equivalent in the Vestia line.
 

amarsicola

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Nice to see a good-looking french made cheap tower performing reasonably ok, but I'm not fully understanding the hype here. They are way too aggressive in the highs, EQ is a must or you'll get listening fatigue.
 

maty

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amirm

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Nice to see a good-looking french made cheap tower performing reasonably ok, but I'm not fully understanding the hype here. They are way too aggressive in the highs, EQ is a must or you'll get listening fatigue.
The appeal to me is how loud they play and how low they get. Many $500 speakers fall apart in these departments. I can fix the response with EQ. I can't fix the bass and dynamics this speaker brings. It is also good looking and doesn't scream particle board....
 

sofrep811

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That price is for one speaker, correct? I've never seen Focal have a pair of speakers for under $1K. I've owned a pair of bookshelfs 20 years ago and they were well constructed and nice sounding. Wish I had kept them.
 

tktran303

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@amirm

They (Focal) always had favoured methods and materials for transducer design that allow higher sensitivity drive units which is can be impressive because of high dynamic range.
The downside is limited low bass extension (Hoffman’s iron law) but this is where the true a benefit of a 2 1/2 way design comes in. Twin woofers dealing with the bass and you roll off the one driver with an extra inductor and voila you’ve got good bass (AND high sensitivity and reduced costs of not needing a 3 way crossover. Killing 3 birds with one stone.

I’d love to and reviews of more than “yet another 2 way” ; bigger speakers or those with different directivity or dynamic range abilities so that general consumers understand the pros and cons and the differences.

As for this speaker this is nothing new in the sun for Focal with their inverted dome tweeter. It’s gives a wide dispersion. Unfortunately, the predicted in room response or power response gives it a bright sound, but that’s the way it has been for two decades or more for Focal. I’ve been using their transducers and speakers since there were called Focal then JM Lab then Focal JM Lab then Focal again and they stuck by the inverted dome tweeters; for better or worse.

I do hope one day that can incorporate the baffle diffraction signature, because taking near field measurements of all the drivers and then make deductions from them is can lead to big errors. What they contribute to the sound at 1m or 3m or at the intended listening position is very different. PM me anytime and I’ll show you some tools that can be very useful.

I think at the sale price it’s a good buy for a beginner; but you tire of the treble easily and soon go looking for an upgrade. Watch the for sale forums here shortly…

For others who want to read about the benefits of a 2 1/2 way MMT (with a waveguide) Please have a read of this.


almost 20 years old, but still good for understanding pros/cons of these types of designs. this was all done prior to see CTA2034A / spinorama or Klippel Nearfield Scanner, but hasn’t discussions about the power response which is a proxy for the predicted in response.
 
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RenSong

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That price is for one speaker, correct? I've never seen Focal have a pair of speakers for under $1K. I've owned a pair of bookshelfs 20 years ago and they were well constructed and nice sounding. Wish I had kept them.
Yes, 1 speaker but This is end of life sale price, floor standers in this affordable line are 800-1100 each list price in the USA
 
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