Focal’s reasonably priced Chora speaker lineup surprises positively. There’s a clear difference between the floor models, but for some reason, not in the price.
Text and measurements: Teppo Hirvikunnas
Photos: Producer & Teppo Hirvikunnas
French company Focal has invested in its more expensive head units in recent years. Now it’s the turn of more affordable speakers. The Focal Chora is actually a completely new series that includes three models: the Chora 806 two-way floorstanding speakers and the Chora 816 2.5-way and Chora 826 three-way floorstanding speakers. The floorstanding speaker costs only 658 euros for the pair and the floorstanding models 1,198 and 1,398 euros for the pair. The range also includes a center speaker, surround/atmos speakers and an active subwoofer.
Distinctive design
Focal has always been bold in its design, being French, and the Chora series is no exception. The design language is certainly a constant, but with small details they have managed to stand out from the crowd. The speakers are available in three different finishes: the more conventional black veneer with a glossy black front panel, the light walnut imitation with a cream-white front panel, and finally the dark walnut imitation with a bluish-dark grey front panel. In all models there are thick black rounded or curved base pads that tilt the speaker. As a distinctive detail in the floor models, there are also thick black beveled base plates that tilt the speaker. Altogether, a pleasant and refreshing-looking speaker.
Affordable for a stand
The smallest and most affordable model in the collection is therefore the Chora 806 two-way speaker. It’s not exactly small, however; at over 40 centimeters high, it still fits on a shelf but is no longer easy to place on a bookshelf. Besides the shelf, the most convenient placement is on the floor, which can be purchased as an optional accessory for a reasonable price of 199 euros per pair.
Structurally, Chora 806 is a very conventional two-way speaker with a 165 mm bass mid-range and 25 mm tweeter. The tweeter is a typical reverse aluminum-magnesium metal dome for Focal. All models have this same tweeter. The bass mid-range driver uses a carbon-fiber reinforced Slatefiber cartridge. The same element is also used in the floor model but with a separate bass driver. All models are also reflex-tuned, and the reflex ports are located on the front panel of the enclosure.
Floor models
When it comes to floor models, the price jumps almost twofold and even more for the smaller Chora 816 model. Its height is about 2.5 meters. Structurally, it is a 2.5-way speaker, which means that in addition to the conventional tweeter and bass mid-range speaker familiar from the floor model, there is also a separate 165 mm bass driver for frequencies below 270 Hz. In the case of the Chora 816, the 2.5-way configuration means that the aforementioned bass driver partially overlaps with the bass mid-range speaker at low frequencies.
The larger floor model Chora 826 is actually only three centimeters taller than its little brother, but the two 165 millimeter bass units instead make it look both bigger and more expensive. However, for the pair, Chora 826 costs only 200 euros more than the 816. Surprisingly, it’s an exceptionally small price difference.
Structure
The Chora is Focal’s most affordable speaker system, and that cannot be overlooked in terms of construction and finishing. Well, perhaps also because at Focal they have always been accustomed to finishing to the last detail. However, that should not be taken the wrong way. There is no fault with the construction or finishing. The enclosures are made of MDF panels, and they are sturdy. There are diagonal supports inside the enclosures, and more damping material has been used than is typical. The crossover filters have decent components, and for high frequencies, small-diaphragm air-cages have been used, although for low frequencies there are iron-caged air-cages. The internal wiring is basic, but the connectors are sturdy screw-on clamps. The elements made by Focal themselves are of high quality, although the tweeter structure is a bit lightweight. Overall, there is nothing to complain about in terms of either direction or the other.
The speakers come with spikes for the floor protection panels (except the stand model), as well as rubber anti-slip strips. These are also included in the stand model for the speaker stands sold as accessories.
Surprising differences
All models had something of a lack of distortion in common, but also without any woofer effect and with the characteristic sound of Focal. The basic tone is therefore slightly different than, for example, in Finnish or English speakers. It is difficult to describe, but the treble has its own sound, as does the bass. This may be important if you are used to a certain sound or are looking for a specific sound, but it is not relevant for someone buying a high-quality basic speaker.
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