In this review, we will be comparing Prime Tower and Chora 816, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Prime Tower and Focal Chora 816 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Prime Tower | Focal Chora 816 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene | 6.5" Slatefiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-25k Hz | 50-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 89.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs | 18.50kg / 40.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm | 39-5/8" x 12" x 15-7/8"
1007.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Prime Tower and Focal Chora 816 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* |
SVS Prime Tower |
Focal Chora 816 |
| 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Prime Tower and Chora 816 are 3-way speakers.
SVS Prime TowerFocal Chora 816
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
SVS Prime Tower |
Focal Chora 816 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Chora 816 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz whereas Chora 816 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Chora 816's min frequency of 50Hz.
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
Prime Tower and Chora 816 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Prime Tower sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Chora 816's is at 89.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal Chora 816 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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.
Prime Tower can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Chora 816 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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
Prime Tower features Binding post type posts and Chora 816 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Prime Tower has a rear firing port whereas Chora 816 has a front firing ports. Focal Chora 816's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to SVS Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower's and Focal Chora 816's external dimensions. SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch) whereas Focal Chora 816 has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 305.0 x 404.0mm (39-5/8 x 12 x 15-7/8inch).
Focal Chora 816 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 101mm wider, 76mm taller and 107mm deeper than SVS Prime Tower.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Prime Tower and Focal Chora 816 in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Prime Tower and Focal Chora 816 Size and External Dimensions
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 SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2 and base area of the Focal Chora 816 is approximately 1232.2cm2 / 191.0inch2. The Prime Tower requires 51% less surface area than the Chora 816 which gives it a small advantage 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 SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs and the Focal Chora 816 weighs 18.50kg / 40.7lbs. This makes the Chora 816 1% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Prime Tower and Chora 816's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Focal Chora 816?
Here are the items that come with the Chora 816:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- Grille
- User manual
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
931mm
vs
1007mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2
vs
1232cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
| General |
SVS Prime Tower |
Focal Chora 816 |
| Brand |
SVS |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
89.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-25k Hz |
50-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Slatefiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
inverted dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
270Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
931.0mm (36.7") |
1007.0mm (39.6") |
| Width |
204.0mm (8") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Depth |
297.0mm (11.7") |
404.0mm (15.9") |
| Weight |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
18.50kg (40.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl-wrap |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, 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 |
A generation apart: Focal Chora 816 is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Focal Chora 816 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
SVS Prime Tower takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
SVS Prime Tower is easier to place; Focal Chora 816 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. SVS Prime Tower sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
A |
SVS Prime Tower is cheaper - $1,400 against $1,798, about 22% less. |
A SVS Prime Tower
B Focal Chora 816
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
SVS Prime Tower has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate SVS Prime Tower the better fit for a very large room, and Focal Chora 816 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.