This review will be short and sweet. I was skeptical at first because of what I mostly read about these Focal Chora speakers. The reviews suggested that the speakers have a lot of treble, detailed midrange, and very little bass. None of that sounded appealing to my audio tastes (except for the midrange). I'm more partial to a warmer and bassier-sounding speaker like the Wharfedale Linton (which I also own). But my living room has very high ceilings and the Lintons failed to fill the living room with sound to my liking (although if I sat at a certain spot and used a sub, the Wharfedales were magical, especially with vocals; yet, the stereo imaging left me wanting more in the living room).
And although I read the Focal Chora lacked bass, I also kept seeing reviews that stated it imaged like few other speakers in its price range and that you could clearly hear where instruments were set up in the recording. A subwoofer would remedy any lack of bass. I still had worries, however, about possibly shrilly highs. I decided to take a chance on my first Focal. And I'm happy I did!
First, the way the Focal speakers sit on slates that angles them upward (I can't explain this in technical terms) seems to give it stereo imaging in spades! The sound fills my living room (high ceilings and all)! Now, it is true the bass sounded almost nonexistent in the first couple of listens, but I am a staunch believer in burn-in! As I put more hours into the speakers playing music, the bass started to open up. The speakers weren't bass cannons, but that deepness and subwoofer range wasn't missing either. I have an Emotiva BasX TA2 integrated amplifier. When I boosted the bass and bass-sub tonal controls in that amplifier a bit, the bass really showed itself and blended well with the other frequencies (always providing the right deepness of sound that is in the actual recording). And then I added an old small 8-inch Cambridge subwoofer to the mix, and wow! This bass doesn't shake the house or rattle the windows, but it mixes well with the whole sound spectrum. And the treble calmed down some too after burn-in.
The whole speaker turns out to be superb in imaging, clarity, cohesiveness, and filling up the room. I wouldn't say the speakers are too cool (definitely not heavily warm-sounding either), but they are right in the middle. The details of instruments I have never heard in any other floor-standing speaker I've owned. The drumkit, for example, sounds like it is one spot on the floor, and you hear marvelous details from the kickdrum, snare, tom toms, and cymbals. The whole sound just envelops you into the music, and I can't think of any speakers I've heard that do this so well (and I own B&W Nautilus 804s, the Wharfedales I mentioned earlier, Q Acoustics 3050s, and the Emotiva B2+). Now, I love different sound signatures from speakers (I actually moved the Wharfedale Lintons to my bedroom and they sound like magic there), but the Focal Chora is the main one I can't wait to get home and listen to.
I really don't think you have to spend thousands of dollars to get a top audiophile speaker that can compete with the big boys. This Focal speaker can compete with many of them that I've heard in the $5K-$10K range. It may be the best audiophile speaker out there for one who is on a budget. And the speakers also made me curious about Focal's headphones. I picked up the Clear model, and I'm having a similar experience with this headphone.
If the Focal Chora 826 stays under $2K, I don't believe you can beat it for that price (although I believe this speaker will be discontinued soon). Happy Listening!
(By the way: I mainly listen to jazz, but gospel, blues, classic r&b, classic rock, reggae, neo-soul, house music, and some hip hop also hit my turntable and cd player).
Update 05/10/2023: I've gone from an Emotiva integrated amplifier to the new Yamaha R-N2000A Hi-Fi Network Receiver/Integrated Amplifier! All I can say is WOW! The Chora speakers are very happy, and the sound reflects that observation. Spacious, natural sounding, detailed and weighty (especially more in the bass) musical bliss!
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