In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Focal. Focal Theva Center is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Theva No3 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Theva Center and Focal Theva No3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Theva Center | Focal Theva No3 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 59-28kHz | 48-28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 40-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.00kg / 22lbs | 20.00kg / 44lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8-1/4" x 20-7/8" x 10"
210.0 x 531.0 x 254.0mm | 39" x 8-3/8" x 15-1/4"
991.0 x 213.0 x 388.0mm |
|---|
Theva Center and Theva No3 are members of Focal's Theva series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Focal Theva Series
History
What size room are the Focal Theva Center and Focal Theva No3 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 Theva Center |
Focal Theva No3 |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Theva Center is a 2-way design whereas the Theva No3 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 Theva CenterFocal Theva No3
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 Theva Center |
Focal Theva No3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Theva Center features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100 Hz. On the other hand, the Theva No3 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 270 Hz - 2700 Hz.
Frequency Response
Theva Center has a frequency range of 59-28kHz whereas Theva No3 has a frequency range of 48-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Theva No3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Theva 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
Theva Center and Theva No3 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 91 dB.
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.
Theva No3 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Theva Center has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Theva No3.
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
Theva Center features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Theva No3 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Theva Center's and Focal Theva No3's external dimensions. Focal Theva Center has external dimensions of 210.0 x 531.0 x 254.0mm (81/4 x 207/8 x 10) whereas Focal Theva No3 has external dimensions of 991.0 x 213.0 x 388.0mm (39 x 83/8 x 151/4).
Focal Theva Center is 781mm shorter and 134mm less deeper than Focal Theva No3 but it is also 318mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Focal Theva Center needs about 63% more floor or shelf area. Focal Theva No3 is 134mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Theva No3 is 781mm taller.
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 Theva Center is approximately 1348.7cm2 / 209.0inch2 and base area of the Focal Theva No3 is approximately 826.4cm2 / 128.1inch2. The Theva Center requires 63% more surface area than the Theva No3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.