In this review, we will be comparing Chora 826 and Chora 826-D, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Chora 826 and Focal Chora 826-D first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Chora 826 | Focal Chora 826-D |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-28k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-250 watts | 40-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 21.15kg / 46.5lbs | 22.20kg / 48.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-1/2" x 12" x 15-7/8"
1053.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm | 41-7/16" x 12" x 16-1/2"
1053.0 x 305.0 x 420.0mm |
|---|
Chora 826 and Chora 826-D 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 826 and Focal Chora 826-D 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 826 |
Focal Chora 826-D |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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.
Drivers
Both Chora 826 and Chora 826-D are 3-way speakers.
Focal Chora 826Focal Chora 826-D
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 826 |
Focal Chora 826-D |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Chora 826 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270Hz and 2700Hz. On the other hand, the Chora 826-D features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Chora 826 and Chora 826-D has exactly the same frequency range of 48-28k Hz.
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 826 and Chora 826-D have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 91 dB.
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 826 and Chora 826-D have the same power range of 40-250 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 826 features Binding post type posts and Chora 826-D has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Chora 826's Binding post terminals
Focal Chora 826-D's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Chora 826 and Chora 826-D 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 826's and Focal Chora 826-D's external dimensions. Focal Chora 826 has external dimensions of 1053.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm (41-1/2 x 12 x 15-7/8inch) whereas Focal Chora 826-D has external dimensions of 1053.0 x 305.0 x 420.0mm (41-7/16 x 12 x 16-1/2inch).
Focal Chora 826 has the same height and width with Focal Chora 826-D. On the other hand, with a thickness of 404.0mm, it is 16mm less deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Focal Chora 826 and Focal Chora 826-D in scale.
Comparison image of Focal Chora 826 and Focal Chora 826-D 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 826 is approximately 1232.2cm2 / 191.0inch2 and base area of the Focal Chora 826-D is approximately 1281.0cm2 / 198.6inch2. The Chora 826 requires 4% less surface area than the Chora 826-D which gives it a small advantage 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 826 weighs 21.15kg / 46.5lbs and the Focal Chora 826-D weighs 22.20kg / 48.8lbs. This makes the Chora 826-D 5% heavier than the Chora 826.
Here is a comparison of how Chora 826 and Chora 826-D'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 826?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Chora 826:
- 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 Focal Chora 826-D?
Here are the items that come with the Chora 826-D:
- Dolby-Atmos enabled floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- 2 Grilles
- User manual
 Base Surface Area |
1232cm2
vs
1281cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
2998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Built-in 1 x 5-1/8
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
| General |
Focal Chora 826 |
Focal Chora 826-D |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-250 watts |
40-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.9 ohms |
2.9 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-28k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Slatefiber |
Slatefiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
inverted dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
270Hz and 2700Hz |
270Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1053.0mm (41.5") |
1053.0mm (41.5") |
| Width |
305.0mm (12") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Depth |
404.0mm (15.9") |
420.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
21.15kg (46.5lbs) |
22.20kg (48.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl-wrap |
MDF/Vinyl-wrap |
| Available Colors |
Black, Dark wood, Light wood |
Black, Dark wood, Light wood |
| 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 |
Siblings in Focal's Chora series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (48Hz vs 48Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | Focal Chora 826-D: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | A | Focal Chora 826 is cheaper - $2,398 against $2,998, about 20% less. |
A Focal Chora 826 B Focal Chora 826-D
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
The usual trade-off: Focal Chora 826-D measures better, Focal Chora 826 costs about about 25% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest.
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.