In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Focal. Focal Theva No3 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Theva No1 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Theva No3 and Focal Theva No1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Theva No3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer
- 48-28kHz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-250watts
- Weight:20.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 991.0" x 8-3/8" x 15-1/4"( 991.0 x 213.0 x 388.0mm )
Focal Theva No1 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer
- 58-28kHz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-120watts
- Weight:6.82kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 391.0" x 8-3/8" x 10-1/4"( 391.0 x 213.0 x 261.0mm )
Theva No3 and Theva No1 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 No3 and Focal Theva No1 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 No3 |
Focal Theva No1 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal Theva No3 and Focal Theva No1 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Theva No3 is a 3-way design whereas the Theva No1 is a 2-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.
| Driver |
Focal Theva No3 |
Focal Theva No1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Theva No1 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Theva No3 has a frequency range of 48-28kHz whereas Theva No1 has a frequency range of 58-28kHz. 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 No1's min frequency of 58Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Theva No3 and Theva No1 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Theva No3 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Theva No1's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Theva No3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Theva No1, 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Theva No3 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Theva No1 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Theva No3.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Theva No1 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.
Focal Theva No1's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Theva No3 and Theva No1 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 No3's and Focal Theva No1's external dimensions. Focal Theva No3 has external dimensions of 991.0 x 213.0 x 388.0mm ( 39 x 83/8 x 151/4) whereas Focal Theva No1 has external dimensions of 391.0 x 213.0 x 261.0mm ( 153/8 x 83/8 x 101/4) .
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 No3 is approximately 826.4cm2 / 128.1inch2 and base area of the Focal Theva No1 is approximately 555.9cm2 / 86.2inch2. The Theva No3 requires 49% more surface area than the Theva No1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers 
Minimum Impedance 
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*