In this review, we will be comparing Chora 816 and Borea BR08, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Chora 816 and Triangle Borea BR08 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Chora 816 | Triangle Borea BR08 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" Break_in |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Slatefiber | 2 x 6" fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-28k Hz | 40 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89.5 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.50kg / 40.7lbs | 18.85kg / 41.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39-5/8" x 12" x 15-7/8"
1007.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm | 40.1" x 8.1" x 12.3"
1020.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Chora 816 and Triangle Borea BR08 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 816 |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Chora 816 and Borea BR08 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Chora 816Triangle Borea BR08
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 816 |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Borea BR08 features a 1" silk Break_in Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 215Hz and 3500Hz.
Frequency Response
Chora 816 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz whereas Borea BR08 has a frequency range of 40 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Borea BR08 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Chora 816's min frequency of 50Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 816 and Borea BR08 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Chora 816 sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the Borea BR08's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR08 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Chora 816, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 816 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR08 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Chora 816.
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 816 features Binding post type posts and Borea BR08 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR08's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Chora 816 and Borea BR08 have front firing ports. front ported speakers offers more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls&surfaces compared to rear ported speakers.
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 816's and Triangle Borea BR08's external dimensions. Focal Chora 816 has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm (39-5/8 x 12 x 15-7/8inch) whereas Triangle Borea BR08 has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (40.1 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).
Triangle Borea BR08 is 99mm narrower and 90mm less deeper than Focal Chora 816 but it is also 13mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Focal Chora 816 and Triangle Borea BR08 in scale.
Comparison image of Focal Chora 816 and Triangle Borea BR08 Size and External Dimensions
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 816 is approximately 1232.2cm2 / 191.0inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR08 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The Chora 816 requires 91% more surface area than the Borea BR08 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Focal Chora 816 weighs 18.50kg / 40.7lbs and the Triangle Borea BR08 weighs 18.85kg / 41.5lbs. This makes the Borea BR08 2% heavier than the Chora 816.
Here is a comparison of how Chora 816 and Borea BR08's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Focal Chora 816?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Chora 816:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- Grille
- User manual
What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR08?
Here are the items that come with the Borea BR08:
- 2 x Borea speakers
- 2 x protections grids
- 2 x pedestals
- 8 x screws
- 8 x adhesive rubber plots
- 8 x decoupling spikes
- 1 x user manual
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1007mm
vs
1020mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1232cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1600USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Chora 816 |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-200 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89.5 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-28k Hz |
40 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Slatefiber |
fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
Break_in |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
270Hz and 2700Hz |
215Hz and 3500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1007.0mm (39.6") |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
305.0mm (12") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
404.0mm (15.9") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
18.50kg (40.7lbs) |
18.85kg (41.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl-wrap |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Black, Dark wood, Light wood |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Triangle Borea BR08 digs deeper - 40Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Triangle Borea BR08 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
Focal Chora 816 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Triangle Borea BR08 is easier to place; Focal Chora 816 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Triangle Borea BR08 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
Triangle Borea BR08 is cheaper - $1,600 against $1,798, about 11% less. |
A Focal Chora 816
B Triangle Borea BR08
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Triangle Borea BR08 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Focal Chora 816 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Triangle Borea BR08 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.