Focal Chora 826 Speaker review ! New Slatefiber cone drivers ! 

Ps. I wish all the best to you all in these tough times 1. Tweeters are aluminum and magnesium. Not beryllium. 2. When I say efficiency, I really mean sensitivity Adorama: adorama.rfvk.net/adPGZ Focal Chora 826: adorama.rfvk.net/LkgdZ Disclaimer/ Personal interest in my reviews - Please read "About" section on Patreon.com/nbts

There is SO MUCH I don't know and haven't experienced when it comes to audio gear. Thank you for the content!

Jay, you have described these speakers exactly the way listeners understand. Thank you for a great job!!!

Focal is known for the detail and open sound stage. I really love the so called “focal sound”. That’s very different of the muffled bassy sound of the some speakers.

I agree... and here are names *I* will name. Low end Dynaudio, NHT, SVS, ELAC do a good job, but "soft". on top by compare. This vocing is fine if that is your preference. Monitor audio, POLK, KEF ,B&W's and paradigm under $1000 speakers don't have it together. They are sloppy and have mediocre playback at best. (I'm not a klipsch fan, they are harsh and 2-dimesional to me) For detail on the higher end: Focal will equal anything B&W has, but more realistic and natural mids than B&W. My compare, B&W are sterile and lifeless in the mids, lacking tonality. If I had the cash, High end focal>anything.

Everything you said is what I experienced. I thought they were a bit light in the lower bass. I was upgrading from my focal chorus 806v bookshelves so wanted better bottom end. I went for Kanta 2 with qutest dac and musical fidelity m6si amp. I like my bass so have an svs sb4000. Keep up the good work 👍

hello great review! have you compare this to the BW 603?

Thank you for another excellent Review. The Triangle BOREA BR09 are in the same price bracket, would love you to review the Triangle BOREA BR09 sometime this year.

I just wanted to say you made a small mistake in the video. Only Kanta and up use the beryllium driver in the Focal line. Not that it doesn't work well also but the tweeter in the Chora line has a Aluminium/Magnesium inverted dome which is a little cheaper to make but still performs really well.

First time visitor to your channel. I'm a fan of Focal and own a pair of their bookshelves. The purpose of any loudspeaker is to accurately reproduce sound, which in our context is musical recordings. Focal speakers do an outstanding job at doing that but what one hears when they listen to them is sound reproduction they probably aren't used to. You clearly stated this truth which I never hear from other reviewers. Moreover, in times past, the goal was to reproduce the effect of a live performance which is anything but "warm." It was nice to listen to a genuine informed review for a change.

Great review, love focal and bowers and wilkens, which seem unpopular with tons of people, thinking of kanta 2 as my next speaker.

Any chance you can review the Focal Aria 948s?

I just brought a pair few weeks ago, your reviews are spot on. This are my first Focal. I made a right choice, they're lively transparent full of details yet not bright at all, and they don't need toe in.

I wish you would compare them to other speakers like to Warfdale and Polk that you have reviewed

Thanks for the review really interesting wondering how you would rate these versus your Tekton pendragons or perhaps versus the double impact please? On a different note any plans to review some of the more expensive Tekton speakers like , Moab or Encore - hardly any reviews of these and would hugely value the your opinion given your wide experience of audio gear. Keep up the good work - great channel .

I just got a pair of 816…what can i say…detail detail and layer of details. i used to think bright is detail and vice versa but now see my mistake. The details exceed what my ls50 can deliver. I used to aim for warm speakers like from old sonus faber lines to spare my ear from fatigue but now i see what i have been missing out all these years.

Time alignment seeks to align the acoustic centers of drivers relative to the listener. This is achieved by positioning smaller drivers further back then woofers which have recessed acoustic centers. The goal is to align wave fronts such that their arrival occurs simultaneously for tones which are multiples of each other. For example, at 10 K tone from the tweeter and a 1K tone from a midrange driver should present every 10th wave simultaneously to the listening position.

I've been an audio file for 25 years. Ginormous Focal fan! You do a great job teaching young lad 👍

Nice review, really! Do you think they are a huge upgrade from my Klipsch Rp-260f? I'll pair them (for the moment) with Marantz pm-6006.. Thank you all

Very nice content, thank you so much,I’d like to get your opinion, now I have chorus 716s, considering to upgrade, to be honest I’m missing lower range(bass), I would probably use the sub to compensate that, but my integrated amp NAD c526bee has only two channels, do you think I can get more bass after upgrade? unfortunately it’s not an option to rent 726 for listening Thanks What do you have in a corners and on a wall behind the speakers? what kind of acoustic panels?

How do you compare dali opticon 6 with this focal model guys please comment as they have ribbon hybrids and go till 33 khz

I have them for 2 months now.... impressive speakers, I'm extremely satisfied with the choice i made... every day! Very nice video and the description you made can't be more accurate.

Not very easy to find a review of these speakers, thanks for it. How will you rate these 826s against Klipsch RP 8000F especially when paired with Naim Unity ATOM.

I still have these in my very large family room with a pair of REL T9x subs I switched to when these were made available. I don't find them bright at all but love the headphone like detail. I don't think ill ever let them go . I also have a Pair of Polk R700s I bought based on one of your reviews that I just orderd a pair of REL Classic 99s for . When I buy one of your reviewed items I find your description of what you hear to be accurate to that when I receive it . 👍

I found the Theva I just heard is different than these . I don’t think they are better but different . If they are better it’s a few percentage better if any . I’m quite happy with these Chora 826D . Thank you for showing these to me as I wasn’t very familiar with the brand other than knowing their name . ❤👍

I use a NAD c3050 and a Primare i25 prism, it sounds great, open and with lots of details. I used a subwoofer, which I think is unnecessary. just sounds great. 90db speaker, very wide soundstage, listen to a lot of jazz and soundtracks. Where Philips used to make perfect sound systems, this brand is quite comparable. affordable speaker boiler with a high-end feel. okay its best very large 105cm high, 38cm deep and 30.8 wide. if that's no problem, buy buy.

The tweeter is neither Beryllium or Titanium

I am tempted by these speakers, but the exposed tweeter and extended grills just are not appealing lookin, would prefer a 3/4 or full grill.

This is weird. This is the 1st time that I’ve come across your channel? 60k subscribers. Yet I’ve mainly come across: Zero Fidelity, Cheap audio man, Thomas, Audio philiac Sorry about the last 2 guys I’ve forgotten their full site names. Nevertheless this is the 1st time yours pops up. And your descriptions are great

Thanks for this Jay. I have been very curious about the Focal approach. I am into detail and am usually satisfied under 70db. I think this makes me a listener more consistent attributes making these Focal very successful in Korea. On the highs, I typically cannot hear up to 10k so these may be a very good match for me.

May I Use them with amplifier Marantz PM 6007 ? Or Is It weak for them? Pm 6007 has 2x45W . Thank you very much

Hey, I just order them, I hope Denon avr2600 can run them

Hello my friend. I want ask if this speakers is only av home cinema or 2 channel music. Thanks.

I've noticed those bass traps in the last few videos. They look intresting is there a talk about them coming? Good review of the focal's .

I’m a huge fan of Focal but I am not a fan of Naim at all. I feel name doesn’t deliver what everyone says it delivers. I had a few Naim products and have found superior products for less money. It’s not a financial issue it’s more of a quality issue for me. I feel like they have established a solid brand but no longer deliver what they once did. Perhaps it’s just to my ear but I have a lot of HiFi components and speakers but have found Naim to no longer deliver my expectations since around approx 2015.

Will this be a good match with the NAD T778 AV Receiver? Thanks

Too bad Focal places themselves in the ubber "lifestyle" market in Asia and charges double for their shit here. Why do I need to pay double so they can afford their showroom in Gangnam (Seoul)? Move their asses to the Yongsan electronics market like everyone else. I had to use a freight forwarder to get my Massdrop Focal Elex headphones over here cause I wasn't going to pay double prices for their already pricey regular lines. I wonder if the 826s would fit into a suitcase lol.

Coming back here again I do find that they are revealing but I don’t find them as bright as other Focals . I don’t know if I’m completely correct in that statement from memory but it’s what I recall .

I have the aria 948s.. do you think same positioning with tilting aplys to them as well? And with tilted outwards the room, do you mean leand back, or do you mean to skip toe in?

Two years down the line and I am very pleased with these 826, they lost there irritating sharpness after 75 to 80 hrs when I Listen now I can and wind up the volume without that annoying feeling that its to loud and uncomfortable to listen Sad thing is they are cheaper now than when I bought them . Truly a bargain

After fiddling with these speakers I slowly evolved to your recommended placement toed out just a hair and can’t get over how different they sound . I really love these speakers especially after only paying clearance prices . 826 D double duty music / movies . Great channel

Hi Jay what do you think if i connect these lovely pairs with Cambridge EVO 150? Thanks for your opinions in advance.

I'm close to getting these but I'm also considering the Wharfedale Evo 4.4. Given the price difference, do you think it would be worth it getting the Focals?

between Kef Ls50 meta and focal chora 826 what speakers would you choose ?

Thank you for reviewing the Focal Chora 826. You got me thinking of them. Initially I heard other speakers by them years ago and thought they were eh in the bass, but I see you have it with a REL so that'll be a good combo. I am just concerned about my amp. I have a Vintage Mitsubishi DAA15DC dual mono block amp and preamp. Would you have any suggestions about what speakers I can hook up to these? I want to make sure the speaker I get for them will have the best synergy on the first purchase. I want to avoid at all costs to having to return a purchase if it doesn't go with this amp. Note: I will eventually replace the preamp with either a Vincent Audio or Schiit Freya plus...Thanks

Hey, Jay. I just found your channel a couple weeks back. Great reviews. Based on your recommendations, I actually just purchased the Chora 826 along with the Billie amplifier. I know the chora lists a recommended minimum amplification of 40wpc and the Billie provides 60 into 8ohms. I guess I'm wondering, is that something I can trust? Is it possible that I will drive the Billie into clipping without knowing it? And if so, any guidance on how high I can turn the volume nob without having to worry about this?

Any thoughts on the ELAC AF15 Adante Towers ? there are literally no reviews & they're on sale, I know the store you work at has a lot of higher end speakers. Maybe you've heard them? Thanks for all your reviews, Like your channel a lot. Good stuff .

Hi Jay, I have exactly these speakers paired with a Marantz SR7013, how do you like it with the Dodge 10 and their preamp, if you have compared it? I am considering improving my amps...Thanks

Have you ever listened to "Acoustic Energy" speakers, if so how do you rate them?

would you recommend setting them up with denon 3700h amp with the chora 600p sub?

I heard these speakers at TAF and they sounded very very similar to the Aria 936 I owned. When the music is mastered perfectly these speakers can be so gosh darn engaging and fun to listen to. But I didn't have the space and the room treatments, so they came off as very very bright at times, downright fatiguing. Even demoing these types of speakers with 20K of gear and room treatment they can come off as bright. I think being far enough from the speakers is key, the tweeter will lose some of its energy that way.

Would a small Vintage Luxman L31 be able to drive them? Of course without wanting high volume outputs mostly for classic music.

A closer look at the bass and midrange drivers ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y4tkbQRcmKo.html Maybe someday someone will show the tweeter a bit more as well :)

Can anyone advice if matching with Hegel 120 or 390 is better sound quality?

Would you recommend Accuphase E380 integrated for these speakers? Considering them and that’s the amp I have. Thank you

Can you compare these to the KEFQ950’s

Great review!! I will search out an opportunity to hear them.

Can they be placed without stand

"Second to none" is what I think you mean. "Next to none" means it does not do it well. Nice review.

How are they in comparison with Magnepans? I have a pair of .7’s on order but heard some vids of the Kanta No1’s and am super impressed with the detail and openness (Beryllium tweeters I’m assuming) etc. Those are a bit more than I want to spend though. I seemed to prefer the bookshelf’s over the towers etc.

Hello everyone! Would the Rega Elex R be a good match for this speakers? thanks!!

Hi Jay, how would you compare the Focals to the Tekton Pendragon which you reviewed earlier? I guess the Focal speakers have better clarity?

I always found it weird that when focal makes a material innovation they put it in their lower end models starting with the kanta and then the choras

Excellent description on the Focal 826 by Jay, having gone from MA RS8 Focal's are bright so as he says if you like heavy rock avoid, but the detail they present is fantastic. when playing loud rock you find yourself turning down the volume to a more presentable level. As I like rock music I do play at lower levels probably a good thing as I will have to live with them for now.I have them hooked up to a Yamaha N-R803D which I am very happy with and usually listen to Dab station or down load Apple Music

What would you see as the main separators between these and the aria series. I'm looking for mastering speakers. I currently have focal SHAPE twins and love them. I also have a friend with some chorus 714v .... are these better?

I have a Bryston 3b sst2 amp. Have anyone had experience with these speakers with the Brystons?

If I buy Yamaha S1200 to this speakers? Is it a good combination? Thank you.

Thanks for a review, could you pls put her a link for a back corner plates

Hello my friend this speakers can to drive with as 801 yamaha integrated amp?Thanks

Can do a wharfedale diamond 11 series speaker review?

Hi...which is better Triangle BR08 or Focal Chora 826?

Hi Jay! Yours was the review that made me pull the trigger on the Focals... that said, one thing I didn't factor is was room acoustics - lots of exposed to wood, glass, etc. The result after adding a big rug, room correct is the top end being quite harsh at med - high volumes. Toe forward is deff better, still playing around but wanted to let you know!

Beautiful and solid content ! Thanks for all your videos and great reviews ! ! ! I ordered these speakers to go with my Musical Fidelity system 🙃 Thanks 💙 Spotify is not good quality ... I encourage to younger generations to listen CD, SACD and Vinyls ... I only use Tidal Hi-Fi ...

Hi Jay love watching your videos. I totally agree with your opinion on Focal speakers. I have Focal Aria 906s paired with Reisong A12 with Tung Sol tubes. I love the detail and warm sound from Arias. Would be keen to hear the new Chora range after watching this. Thanks for your amazing work. Cheers mate 👍👍👍

Thanks for the wonderful video. I am setting up a home theatre room with 14 feet * 16 feet room. TV will be placed on the 16 feet wall. Should I use the 5.1 setup from Chora 816 or Chora 826 for this room? Please advise. I am okay to stretch my budget but my main goal is less fatigue while watching movies/tvseries. We should get a good theatre experience even on lower sounds. Your advice will be very helpful to me.

What would you say is better? The Polk Audio Reserve R700 or Focal Chora 826? Main use will be for movies, then partly music. I also have a subwoofer as well

Some people said focal sound bright and lean, because they matching them with wrong amp, speaker cables or even spike plate. for my experience focal(especially the 7, 8, 9 series)are better match with warm and soft sound amp(e.g: Rega, Cyrus or Musical Fidelity amp...), or try to use a hard wooden(e.g ebony wood)spike plate.

Hi Jay, great review! Very detailed, packed with tons of info and tremendously entertaining! I hit sub, pun intended lol. I tend to like British hi fi sound and love B&W 603 S2 anniversarys but chose these, only a smidge less resolute but much better balanced. Paired mine with Naim Nait, on cloud nine. Would be interesting to hear them with tube or hybrid amps.

The chora's tweeters are in aluminum not Beryllium.

How do you think the sonus faber sonetto 5 compare to the focal speakers of a similar price

Hello, Would you use a pair of ATC SCM100 ASLT (Active) speakers at home for Hifi? Are these suppose to be neutral speakers and what do they mean by a speaker been neutral. Thanks.

Beautiful speakers and value of money , you can hear with any kind music genres

Will the Roksan K3 integrated amplifier be a good match with these speakers?

Tilting the speakers up or down (rake angle) is not time alignment. It changes the directivity/axis which affects how much on-axis or off-axis the sound is that hits your ears, depending on where your ear height is when you are in your listening position... If there's a factory tilt upwards this is most likely to correct for hotspotting and the fact that the tweeters may be perceived as too bright/harsh when focused more directly at the listener , or it could be the opposite if the speakers are shorter than typical towers/tweeter heights, or it could be a marketing gimmick all the same too... (either way, doesn't make them bad, I like Focal and I'm sure they're a great pair of speakers). The tilt may also help or worsen problems created from sound reflections in the room by changing the angle at which the sound frequencies will reflect back from the wall behind you. How perceivable this would be vs. measurable is up for debate and entirely dependent on the room size and shape, ceiling height, acoustic treatment if any, etc.

Is it good to pair Chora's with YBA or Atoll 200 se amps? Aria and Atoll 200 se sounds really nice. Jay?

what is the name of Black slim speaker in the background?

91db yes... 2.8ohm minimum...NOT ideal for all tube amps whose 8ohm taps tend to sound best.

Hi bro my speaker setup magnat 2002 monitor supreme 3 wege bassreflex standbox 3way bass reflex floorstanding speaker enceinte colonne bassreflex a 3 voles (8inch woofer). 9.2ch.

Would you recomend me to buy Yamaha 803 to this speakers?

When are going to get the Willsenton amp review? You keep mentioning how great it is and I've been checking everyday to see if it's uploaded yet! Can't wait to get your full opinion. Thanks.

Wish you could get hold of a pair of Kralk Audio TDB-12s. Awesome speakers for the money.

Hi Jay, I saw you at the threeview of Hegel vs Naim entry level integrades. I have predecessor of Chora and I had been finding their placment for two years due to my room and Focal unique signiture. Focal's are bright when: 1. they are put too close to each other, 2. when listener is not far away from them - they aren't for nearfield listening, 3. when the are put on spikes on wooden floor - softfloor. They cast the image in front but not in you face. The hugely benefit if there is nothing between them - e.g. tv. My Choruses are great with Naim and I imagine that Chora would be even better but I will wait for successor of Aria range to compare...

@The Next Best Thing Studio Hi! Excellent detailed review. How do you find the finishing of these speakers, specially at the corners as those seems very sharp and not rounded. Is the front glossy surface prone to scratches easily ? Is it possible fro you to review the Fyne Audio F501 or F502 speakers ? Thanks much.

Hey Jay, Thanks for the review. I'm considering the 926's from your old stomping ground. What's your opinion in how these compare to the SF Sonnetto V's?

Most of jays reviews sound very unbiased. This one sounds like he is a paid sponsor???

Best review for me because is explaining what I was looking for - listening to low volume, quality of sound at low volume. Now I understand why Focal Chora 826 D Speakers are part of kit with surround that comes with central speaker as well as subwoffer which compensate for the lower frequencies.

I just got my new black set, these speakers are fantastic. I’m running a Marantz 7015 but upgrading to an amp very soon. I Listen to live jazz , it’s is unbelievable, I sold my B&W 603s and center which were nice but don’t compare. A sub is a must.. not that it’s bad but I’m running dual SVS SB3000... talk about loud bone rattling awesome and detailed !! I plugged in Avengers 4K movie to test theater mode and was blown away.. very detailed, tweeters make a difference, i’m running 4 SVS height speakers for Atmos , so glad I did it, your missing another dimension if you don’t go with it .. The funny thing.. I haven’t even tuned my system yet.. it only gets better. I only had speakers for 3 days. If your on the fence.. buy them. I believe these are the best for your money in that 2k arena.. oh’ I got the center channel too.. 3k , lol the center is unbelievable as well sounds great and is big ! These speakers are hand made from France and the quality shows leaps and bounds. Well worth the 4 week wait .

You seem not to have any idea what "soundstage" defines in a home einvironment.... or imaging.....nothing any electronic connected to speakers can "produce". There is the recording and the speakerroom interaction....The speakers are nice though. Focal can produce to that prices. Made in France; you should once visit their factory in Saint Etienne impressive....

How would these pair with Rega Brio-R (pre current 2017 version). I currently have MA Monitor 200’s (orange cone) and they are really good for the money but would like to upgrade. Also looking at MA Silver 300. I love the look on the Focal’s. And front porting helps in our room. Cheers

Hi great video really informative. I have a few quick questions you might be able to help. I have a set of Harbeth 30.1 with Hegel 390 integrated and I really like but I was thinking to get a set of floor standers with a different sound signature to Harbeth. I had a set of LS50 before Harbeth which I really liked and for electronic music I like better than the Harbeth.My room set up is not great with speaker backed up to walls but I'm moving so will have a listening area of roughly 30m2 and should be able to get speakers away from the walls. How would the Focal compare to the Kef line up or the Audio Physics line up for instance, so many options. I just want to get something to complement the warm lush sound of the Harbeth , something more detailed etc. How fussy are the Focal in room set up I might put some money into treatment also to get the most out of them. I also watched your magnispan review and these look really great too. Thanks Sean