In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Focal. Focal Chora Center is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Chora 816 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Chora Center and Focal Chora 816 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Chora Center | Focal Chora 816 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber | 6.5" Slatefiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 59-28k Hz | 50-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 89.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.91kg / 19.6lbs | 18.50kg / 40.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8-5/16" x 20-7/8" x 10-11/16"
212.0 x 531.0 x 272.0mm | 39-5/8" x 12" x 15-7/8"
1007.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm |
|---|
Chora Center and Chora 816 are members of Focal's Chora series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Focal Chora Series
History
What size room are the Focal Chora Center and Focal Chora 816 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Focal Chora Center |
Focal Chora 816 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Chora Center is a 2-way design whereas the Chora 816 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Focal Chora CenterFocal Chora 816
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Chora Center |
Focal Chora 816 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Chora Center features a 1" TNF aluminum/magnesium inverted dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Chora 816 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Chora Center has a frequency range of 59-28k Hz whereas Chora 816 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Chora 816 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Chora Center's min frequency of 59Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Chora Center and Chora 816 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Chora Center sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Chora 816's is at 89.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Chora Center a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Chora 816, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Chora Center and Chora 816 have the same power range of 40-200 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Chora Center features Binding post type posts and Chora 816 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Chora Center's Binding post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Chora Center's and Focal Chora 816's external dimensions. Focal Chora Center has external dimensions of 212.0 x 531.0 x 272.0mm (8-5/16 x 20-7/8 x 10-11/16inch) whereas Focal Chora 816 has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm (39-5/8 x 12 x 15-7/8inch).
Focal Chora Center is 795mm shorter and 132mm less deeper than Focal Chora 816 but it is also 226mm wider.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Focal Chora Center is approximately 1444.3cm2 / 223.9inch2 and base area of the Focal Chora 816 is approximately 1232.2cm2 / 191.0inch2. The Chora Center requires 17% more surface area than the Chora 816 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Focal Chora Center?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Chora Center:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- Rubber foot
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber pads
- User manual
What's in the Box of Focal Chora 816?
Here are the items that come with the Chora 816:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- Grille
- User manual