In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Focal. Focal Vestia No1 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Vestia Center is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Vestia No1 and Focal Vestia Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Vestia No1 | Focal Vestia Center |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Slatefiber | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-30k Hz | 58-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89.5 dB | 91.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.00kg / 15.4lbs | 10.00kg / 22lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 15-1/4" x 8-5/8" x 10-1/4"
388.0 x 220.0 x 261.0mm | 8-1/2" x 21-1/8" x 10-1/4"
216.0 x 537.0 x 261.0mm |
|---|
Vestia No1 and Vestia Center are members of Focal's Vestia series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Focal Vestia Series
History
What size room are the Focal Vestia No1 and Focal Vestia Center 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 Vestia No1 |
Focal Vestia Center |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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
Both Vestia No1 and Vestia Center are 2-way speakers.
Focal Vestia No1Focal Vestia Center
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Vestia No1 |
Focal Vestia Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Vestia No1 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz. On the other hand, the Vestia Center features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Vestia No1 has a frequency range of 56-30k Hz whereas Vestia Center has a frequency range of 58-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 56Hz, the Vestia No1 can go slightly deeper then the Vestia Center'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
Vestia No1 and Vestia Center have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Vestia No1 sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the Vestia Center's is at 91.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Vestia Center a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Vestia No1, 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.
Vestia Center can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Vestia No1 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Vestia Center.
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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Vestia No1 has a front firing port whereas Vestia Center has a rear firing ports. Focal Vestia No1's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Focal Vestia Center 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 Vestia No1's and Focal Vestia Center's external dimensions. Focal Vestia No1 has external dimensions of 388.0 x 220.0 x 261.0mm (15-1/4-inch x 8-5/8-inch x 10-1/4-inch) whereas Focal Vestia Center has external dimensions of 216.0 x 537.0 x 261.0mm (8-1/2-inch x 21-1/8-inch x 10-1/4-inch).
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 Vestia No1 is approximately 574.2cm2 / 89.0inch2 and base area of the Focal Vestia Center is approximately 1401.6cm2 / 217.2inch2. The Vestia No1 requires 59% less surface area than the Vestia Center which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.