Focal Chora 806 Bookshelf Speaker Review
Focal Chora 806 Bookshelf Speaker Review
French loudspeaker Focal is no stranger to good design, in truth they’ve been manufacturing some of the finest looking loudspeakers for over 40 years. My Focal Chora 806 bookshelf speaker review makes it clear that this is not the brand’s cheapest loudspeaker. However, it is more affordable compared to others in their lineup. Priced at $990 a pair and available for sale at retailers as well as online, the Focal Chora 806 might just be the perfect bookshelf speaker for the audiophile who appreciates both good sound and looks.
Be sure to watch the video of my Focal review above
The Focal Chora 806 is a two-way speaker that uses a 1 inch inverted dome tweeter and a six and a half inch mid-bass driver, which is a common combination in bookshelf speakers. Still, the Chora 806 isn’t as small as some speakers in its class, though it is among the more design conscious.
Best Speaker for Style Seeking Audiophiles
Coming in your choice of three standard finishes, light wood, dark wood and black, the Focal Chora is a loudspeaker that fits nicely into a wide range of decors, and is a speaker you don’t necessarily want to hide from view. Interior designers will find the Chora line will compliment a wide range of home audio listening spaces.
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Our review sample was finished in Focal’s light wood finish which has a contrasting off-white or beige soft-touch rubberized front. The build quality of the Chora 806 is pretty good, and while some have criticized it in the past, my wife and I thought it looked nice in our home alongside our BDI Octave media cabinet.
In terms of its sound the Focal Chora 806 is a great sounding speaker. It just is. It has a very easy and pleasing demeanor that pairs well with a wide variety of home audio electronics and music listening tastes. The bass is punchy and detailed, the midrange is articulate, smooth and largely neutral and the high frequencies are extended and airy with almost zero harshness. I won’t go so far as to say the Chora 806 possesses full-range sound, or that it wouldn’t be helped by the presence of a subwoofer (or two) in certain situations or rooms, but on a whole it’s sound is very pleasing. It’s definitely one our picks as best speaker for style seeking audiophiles.
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Cheap Bookshelf Speaker for HiFi Fans
The Chora 806’s soundstage is truly amazing and where this small speaker really shines. It has one of the best center images I’ve heard at this price point and its dispersion is likely best in class. The Chora 806 aurally disappears like few speakers can manage. If you are one who likes to get lost in their music, this is a great cheap bookshelf speaker for HiFi fans.
I don’t have a lot of complaints as it relates to the Chora 806. This being a European-made loudspeaker, specifically a French manufactured one, it does have “safety” plugs in its binding posts that need to be removed if you want to use banana terminated speaker cables. This is easy enough to accomplish with a pair of needle nose pliers, nevertheless you have to do a bit of surgery.
Second, the included magnetic grilles only cover the midrange driver and not the whole front of the speaker itself, which is okay, but I think the speaker would’ve looked a bit more tailored had the grille covered the entire face of the Chora 806.
In terms of sonic downsides, the only thing I need to note is this, at high volumes (in excess of 100dB) there is some slight boxy or cabinet coloration to the Chora 806’s midrange. It’s nothing too bad or major, but it is present and something to be aware of. I don’t often listen at volumes where this is or would be an issue so it doesn’t bother me, but you’ve been warned.
The Focal Chora 806, at roughly a thousand dollars for the pair, will undoubtedly be compared to speakers such as the Polk Audio L100, Revel Performa3 M105, Elac Uni-fi E5 and Bowers & Wilkins 606. All of these speakers are two-way bookshelf speakers like the Focal Chora 806 and all cost roughly the same as the Chora. Which is best or better will depend on you or the listener. Needless to say, the roughly $1,000 bookshelf speaker category is a competitive one.
If you’re looking for a quality bookshelf speaker at or below $1,000 a pair the Focal Chora 806 in any of its finish options should be on your short list. We loved it, and with the exception of only the far more expensive Klipsch Heresy IV, the Focal Chora 806 is my wife’s favorite loudspeaker to date.
Don’t to forget to watch the video review of this speaker above!
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