In this review, we will be comparing Theva No3 and Theva No2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Theva No3 and Focal Theva No2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Theva No3 | Focal Theva No2 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-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 | 48-28kHz | 53-28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-250 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 16.82kg / 37lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39" x 8-3/8" x 15-1/4"
991.0 x 213.0 x 388.0mm | 36-5/8" x 7-1/2" x 13-7/8"
931.0 x 191.0 x 353.0mm |
|---|
Theva No3 and Theva No2 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 No2 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 No2 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.)
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 No3 is a 3-way design whereas the Theva No2 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.
Focal Theva No3Focal Theva No2
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 No3 |
Focal Theva No2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-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
|
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 No2 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 280 Hz - 2900 Hz.
Frequency Response
Theva No3 has a frequency range of 48-28kHz whereas Theva No2 has a frequency range of 53-28kHz. 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 No2's min frequency of 53Hz.
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
Theva No3 and Theva No2 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 No2's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Theva No3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Theva No2, 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.
Theva No3 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Theva No2 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 No3 features Binding post type posts and Theva No2 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Theva No2's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Theva No3 and Theva No2 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
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 No3's and Focal Theva No2'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 No2 has external dimensions of 931.0 x 191.0 x 353.0mm (365/8 x 71/2 x 137/8).
Focal Theva No3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 22mm wider, 60mm taller and 35mm deeper than Focal Theva No2.
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 No2 is approximately 674.2cm2 / 104.5inch2. The Theva No3 requires 23% more surface area than the Theva No2 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 Theva No3 weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the Focal Theva No2 weighs 16.82kg / 37lbs. This makes the Theva No3 19% heavier than the Theva No2.
Here is a comparison of how Theva No3 and Theva No2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
48 Hz
vs
53 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
2.9 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
931mm
vs
991mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
674cm2
vs
826cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
2398USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Theva No3 |
Focal Theva No2 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-250 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.9 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-28kHz |
53-28kHz |
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 |
270 Hz - 2700 Hz |
280 Hz - 2900 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
991.0mm (39") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
213.0mm (8.4") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
388.0mm (15.3") |
353.0mm (13.9") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
16.82kg (37lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Black High Gloss,Dark Wood,Light Wood |
Black High Gloss,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 Theva series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Focal Theva No3 digs deeper - 48Hz against 53Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Theva No3 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Focal Theva No2 is easier to place; Focal Theva No3 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Focal Theva No2 is cheaper - $1,798 against $2,398, about 25% less. |
A Focal Theva No3 B Focal Theva No2
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 Theva No3 measures better, Focal Theva No2 costs about about 33% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 53Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal Theva No2 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Theva No3 the better fit for a very large room, and Focal Theva No2 for a mid-size room.
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.