In this review, we will be comparing Vestia No4 and Vestia No3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Vestia No4 and Focal Vestia No3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Vestia No4 | Focal Vestia No3 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Slatefiber | 3 x 6.5" Slatefiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-30k Hz | 42-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-350 watts | 40-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.50kg / 69.3lbs | 26.50kg / 58.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-3/8" x 12" x 16-7/8"
1128.0 x 305.0 x 429.0mm | 44-1/8" x 10-1/8" x 14-3/4"
1121.0 x 258.0 x 375.0mm |
|---|
Vestia No4 and Vestia No3 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 No4 and Focal Vestia 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 Vestia No4 |
Focal Vestia No3 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* 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
Both Vestia No4 and Vestia No3 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Vestia No4Focal Vestia 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 Vestia No4 |
Focal Vestia No3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
Vestia No4 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 2800Hz. On the other hand, the Vestia No3 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 3100Hz.
Frequency Response
Vestia No4 has a frequency range of 40-30k Hz whereas Vestia No3 has a frequency range of 42-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Vestia No4 can go slightly deeper then the Vestia No3's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Vestia No4 and Vestia No3 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 dB.
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.
Vestia No4 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Vestia No3 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Vestia No4.
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
Both Vestia No4 and Vestia No3 have front firing ports. front ported speakers offers more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls&surfaces compared to rear ported speakers.
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 No4's and Focal Vestia No3's external dimensions. Focal Vestia No4 has external dimensions of 1128.0 x 305.0 x 429.0mm (44-3/8-inch x 12-inch x 16-7/8-inch) whereas Focal Vestia No3 has external dimensions of 1121.0 x 258.0 x 375.0mm (44-1/8-inch x 10-1/8-inch x 14-3/4-inch).
Focal Vestia No4 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 47mm wider, 7mm taller and 54mm deeper than Focal Vestia No3.
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 No4 is approximately 1308.5cm2 / 202.8inch2 and base area of the Focal Vestia No3 is approximately 967.5cm2 / 150.0inch2. The Vestia No4 requires 35% more surface area than the Vestia No3 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 Vestia No4 weighs 31.50kg / 69.3lbs and the Focal Vestia No3 weighs 26.50kg / 58.3lbs. This makes the Vestia No4 19% heavier than the Vestia No3.
Here is a comparison of how Vestia No4 and Vestia No3's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Minimum Impedance |
2.9 ohms
vs
2.6 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1121mm
vs
1128mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
967cm2
vs
1308cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3598USD
vs
4398USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Vestia No4 |
Focal Vestia No3 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-350 watts |
40-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.6 ohms |
2.9 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-30k Hz |
42-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
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 |
280Hz and 2800Hz |
280Hz and 3100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1128.0mm (44.4") |
1121.0mm (44.1") |
| Width |
305.0mm (12") |
258.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
429.0mm (16.9") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Weight |
31.50kg (69.3lbs) |
26.50kg (58.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF |
MDF |
| 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 |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Focal's Vestia series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (40Hz vs 42Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (350W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Focal Vestia No3 is easier to place; Focal Vestia No4 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Focal Vestia No3 is cheaper - $3,598 against $4,398, about 18% less. |
A Focal Vestia No4 B Focal Vestia No3
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it.
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.