In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Focal. Focal Chora 806 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Chora 826-D is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Chora 806 and Focal Chora 826-D first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Chora 806 | Focal Chora 826-D |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Slatefiber | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-28k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25 - 120 watts | 40-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.35kg / 16.2lbs | 22.20kg / 48.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17" x 8.25" x 10.7"
431.0 x 210.0 x 270.0mm | 41-7/16" x 12" x 16-1/2"
1053.0 x 305.0 x 420.0mm |
|---|
Chora 806 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 806 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 806 |
Focal Chora 826-D |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Chora 806 is a 2-way design whereas the Chora 826-D 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 806Focal 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 806 |
Focal Chora 826-D |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Chora 806 features a 1" TNV2 AI/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3000Hz. 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 806 has a frequency range of 55-28k Hz whereas Chora 826-D has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Chora 826-D can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Chora 806's min frequency of 58Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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 806 and Chora 826-D have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Chora 806 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Chora 826-D's is at 91 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Chora 826-D a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Chora 806, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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-D can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Chora 806 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Chora 826-D.
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 806 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 806's Binding post terminals
Focal Chora 826-D's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Chora 806 has a rear firing port whereas Chora 826-D has a front firing ports. Focal Chora 826-D's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Focal Chora 806 with its rear-firing port.
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 806's and Focal Chora 826-D's external dimensions. Focal Chora 806 has external dimensions of 431.0 x 210.0 x 270.0mm (17 x 8.25 x 10.7inch) 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-D is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 95mm wider, 622mm taller and 150mm deeper than Focal Chora 806.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Focal Chora 806 and Focal Chora 826-D in scale.
Comparison image of Focal Chora 806 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 806 is approximately 567.0cm2 / 87.9inch2 and base area of the Focal Chora 826-D is approximately 1281.0cm2 / 198.6inch2. The Chora 806 requires 56% less surface area than the Chora 826-D which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Focal Chora 806?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Chora 806:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber pads
- 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