Focal Chorus 826V, Simply incredible.

mantis

So I picked up a set of Focal Chorus 826V's today and they are simply amazing. I've been considering book shelf, wall mount speakers etc and once I hooked these up, sat down and ran a few tracks, I fell head over heals for them. What an amazing speaker. So detailed and clear. Things are placed so nicely in the soundstage it's like every instrument and voice is suspended on it's own with it's own space with it's own weight.

I still want to experience the Reserve series R600 and R700, actually I want to demo the entire line.

But these are really steering me into a direction I didn't consider. Going back once again to floor standing speakers as my main channels. Maybe I'll use them for a 2 channel system , maybe I'll build a full theater system with them and still use them for music listening.

I had a pair of Chorus Bookshelf speakers many years ago and sold them. They where very good sounding speakers. I didn't want to buy stands and I feared them getting knocked off etc. So out of fear I got rid of them. Floor standing speakers I don't fear anyone bumping into them.

What do you guys think of the 826V? God I'm really enjoying these speakers. The Chorus line is absolutely incredible.

stangman67

Chorus are very nice speakers, don’t come across them too much. Personally I think they are a great looking speak. Focal really puts out a great product across the price spectrum. The Chrous/Chora/Vestia are probably the sweet spot for most people. All the Chora stuff is on deep discount right now

mantis

I have not listened to the Chora line, are they a newer line? I'll have to go check the website

stangman67

Yes they have created tons of new speakers lately. Chora is kind of the entry model line now. Your Chorus’ are better speakers than Choras. It’s hard to keep it all straight now. But now vestia is the new guy on the block, seemingly using Aria like quality cabinets with lower speced drivers.

Also nuts how expensive everything has gotten. When I bought the Aria 926’s back in 2017 they were 2300 for the pair and now they command double that

mantis

Everything is crazy right now, I hate what things cost.

jdjohn

I'm sure Trey @VR3 can provide technical details about that line of speakers, but I can say that Focal drivers are top-notch (at least in my JM Lab Mezzo Utopias). Who knew that one of the best French exports would be speaker drivers?!? Keep the wine...send the speakers!!!

On a more specific point about Focal drivers, I found that dispersion (i.e., off-axis listening angles) was VERY wide, which meant that a 'listening spot' was not critical in order to have enjoyment.

VR3

From what I can recall of the chorus there were two series, the 700 and 800 series. Can't recall the exact differences but I do know the one Dan has is the nicest series of the chorus line.

Always liked their Optimus prime look! Haha

Congrats!

jdjohn

As Trey said, "Congrats!" Enjoy your new speakers! You now have a flavor of how Focal drivers can sound, so relish in that for the time being.

Clipdat

Congrats on the purchase! Sounds like you got a nice deal on them.

Emlyn

Those are much nicer looking than the Reserve speakers.

SIHAB

Nice speaks!

I think I'll go for a couple of Coras

jdjohn

It's cold in outer space.

mantis

I was to report some sad new for me.
The Mythos ST Def Tech speakers are out performing the 826v's in just about every single way I can compare. I'm gonna being up some power amps and feed the 826v's more power but I think this will only make the ST's shine even more and move forward in this shoot out.

The Mythos ST's have been in my system for over a Decade. I put them up for sale a few times here and other places and got low balled and refused to sell them for less that I wanted. I'm glad I did as no speaker so far that I have purchased or just had her for demo failed compared to them. All models like the LSIM703's , the Totem Arrows and bookshelf models , the L200's all where excellent speakers but came up short when I compared them to the ST's.

Sandy Gross did something special with the ST's. They are a remarkable speaker. I even took home a pair of Def Tech STS's years ago and directly compared them and the ST's stomped out the STS's and the STS's are crazy good sounding speakers when the ST isn't in the same room. What I was going for back then as a smaller foot print. But the ST just smacked them around and I took them back to our shop. I don't remember if I posted about that experience as I was kinda pissed I really wanted the STS .

Anyway, I'm probably not going to do a full surround system now with the 826v's. I'm probably gonna move them to 2 channel duty with a sub. They sound great by themselves but when you run them in small , cut them out at 60 or 80 hz and add in a Velodyne DD10 Plus , they become more open and effortless. The Velodyne's is another special speaker( subwoofer) I own.

I'm gonna bring home a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 300 's and see how they can do. Maybe Revel? I also want to try the Reseve 600's or the 700's. The list for speakers is to damn long. Maybe I could revisit Dynaudio, my buddy is a Dynaudio dealer so I could borrow a pair from him and shoot all this madness out and see if anything can beat the ST's.

Maybe I just favor their sound and presentation. I thought about that a few times last night and this morning while I was doing my tests. But I closed my eyes and tried to get lost in the music and things just kept popping out when I compared the 2.

I have a Audiophile JAMO speaker selector box that I might use with a amp and switch the speakers on the fly. I can have my wife select the speakers back and forth and I can really dig in. I kept pausing the music , switching the speaker wires and then getting back to sitting and listening. So maybe a fast switch I can get a more fair compare??? Not sure it's so not fair, I really love the way the 826v's sound until I put on the Def Tech's and then I don't want to switch back.

This sucks.

VR3

The chorus series is considered very entry level for Focal and is geared more towards the mainstream consumer/ht and gaming.

I would check out the older elektra or utopia line if you are going for a music/ht balance.

I would forewarn that receivers just won't cut it with their higher end stuff, especially for music.

On a side note, The later year Definitive eproducts, the st and 7000sc were awesome in their own ways. It is a shame what definitive has turned into as a brand.

WLDock

I was really fond of the Focal Aria line when I heard them. However, I'm sure if you compare them to the older Focal Elektra.... some have said there is a noticeable improvement as you go up the Focal chain.

Then to compare them to Monitor Audio, Revel, etc. there will for sure be audible differences. Man speakers are so personal and different in sound and character. Keep listening... maybe there is an ST killer out there...but at what cost?

Arendal Sound for example is a newer internet direct line in the US that is supposed to be pretty special and is getting great reviews. Just one of so many other products out there these days that I would like to listen to and wonder how they compare to others out there. Will see...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c22mfsEDgs

Clipdat

I'm sure you already know this, but keep in mind that each speaker will have it's performance degraded when they are set up and played physically next to each other like this.

Emlyn

I'm thinking part of the different presentation may be related to the big differences in tweeter height.

VR3

Yeah may need to play with tilt on the focal

Emlyn

Focal added a plinth or stand to the Chora line of speakers that provide a few degrees of back tilt to also provide for better time alignment and imaging. They were a good deal at the closeout price.

mantis

VR3 wrote: »

The chorus series is considered very entry level for Focal and is geared more towards the mainstream consumer/ht and gaming.

I would check out the older elektra or utopia line if you are going for a music/ht balance.

I would forewarn that receivers just won't cut it with their higher end stuff, especially for music.

On a side note, The later year Definitive eproducts, the st and 7000sc were awesome in their own ways. It is a shame what definitive has turned into as a brand.

I got a good deal on the Chorus 826v's and they are really nice speakers in near perfect condition. I'm happy with them it's just they are not better all around than the Mythos ST towers. I've been struggling with a replacement speaker for many years and realize the ST's are just that good. I use to install the 7000's series man they where huge speakers both in sound and size. Miss the older Def Tech days.

mantis

Emlyn wrote: »

I'm thinking part of the different presentation may be related to the big differences in tweeter height.

It's only a few inches. I can tilt the Focal's back just a tad to make up for the difference . I gotta find some factory Carpet spikes / levels for them. They are missing off these.

mantis

Emlyn wrote: »

Focal added a plinth or stand to the Chora line of speakers that provide a few degrees of back tilt to also provide for better time alignment and imaging. They were a good deal at the closeout price.

I was looking on the website and saw all the new models. The Chora line looks like their more entry level models, yet everything Focal makes is really nice.

mantis

WLDock wrote: »

I was really fond of the Focal Aria line when I heard them. However, I'm sure if you compare them to the older Focal Elektra.... some have said there is a noticeable improvement as you go up the Focal chain.

Then to compare them to Monitor Audio, Revel, etc. there will for sure be audible differences. Man speakers are so personal and different in sound and character. Keep listening... maybe there is an ST killer out there...but at what cost?

Arendal Sound for example is a newer internet direct line in the US that is supposed to be pretty special and is getting great reviews. Just one of so many other products out there these days that I would like to listen to and wonder how they compare to others out there. Will see...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c22mfsEDgs

I so agree with you. I'm so use to how the Def Tech's sound and I favor their presentation. I wonder many times why I both to consider to change them out.

Honestly, I'm tired of Powered towers although you would never know the ST's are how I have them dialed in and they don't bump like other powered towers do, they blend perfectly and don't call any attention to themselves, I don't run LFE to them and I also run them small 80 hz . I have 2 Velodyne DD 10 plus subwoofers to handle the low frequencies plus LFE . They are remarkable for both movies and music.

It's the extra wiring that gets me especially everytime I want to fill around behind the rack, change out gear, I gotta deal with not only the speaker wires but the power cords as well plus they take up 2 outlets on the power center.

I'm also planning on them failing again. Both subwoofers went bad over the years I have owned them. It's a common issue for all Subwoofers , Sub amps just go bad over time and now Def Tech doesn't have any more replacement amps. I wish I would have purchased another set of them when they where available. SO, when they go again, I fear I'll have a useless pair of speakers unless I can find someone who is either selling a pair with good subwoofer amps or a repair shop that can fix them without support from Def Tech, I was told there isn't any parts to fix them either. Might not be true but might also be true.

VR3

I feel you Dan, I have a set of the pm500 in the closet to use on the desk that I find truly special.

Sandy gross really had a great implementation of the powered sub in speakers other manufactures never could capture.

The old power monitor series really always captures my intrigue!

mantis

Ok,
So for fast switching and demoing these speakers vs my Mythos ST towers, I installed a Jamo Speaker selector switch. It has the ability to take banana jacks so to make it fair and totally tonally the same, I used all Audioquest 14 gauge SLP speaker wire. I used banana jacks on all ends.

This showed a difference in DB output. The ST towers using a SLP, was 2 db louder than the Focal's. So I had to find 2 positions on the actual volume dial to make It more fair. I try to take out as many variables to make it as close as possible so DB isn't a factor. I adjust placement a touch so both speakers in their positions would give me the best in their locations presentation I could with the space I have provided.
I considered moving my Sub on the right and my Wife's small tree on the left but I was able to adjust them good enough to evaluate.

So same results. The ST's are just the superior sounding to me speaker. A curse , blessing or familiarity , either way or all 3 , they just have a hold on me I can't release. I will say with the DB adjustment , it was slightly closer. It's amazing how louder seems better. When the Focal's played at the same volume dial level, they play slightly quieter, enough for me to break out the SPL.

They are truly a very nice sounding ,very pleasing tone. I think they might be very neutral. I know the ST's are tuned to Sandy's liking, they where his babies like the SRT's where Mathew's. Sandy was very proud of the ST towers when they developed them all those years ago.

I keep looking at the Focal Chorus 826v's and absolutely love the audiophile aesthetic. The Dark I guess ash , charcoal wood grain color is something elegant. I don't like the front firing port BUT it does allow for closer to the wall placement as I tried it closer to the wall, pulled out 15 inches and 36 inches. Really didn't make much difference as there was no loading from the back wall. They are also down firing but I guess because it's also front ported , it's less energy firing downward of 50% less than a conventional downward only design.

The French has a way to attract you in especially with looks, they hit a nice home run on sound quality , sound strange and very nice clear detail. Very airy speakers which I like.

If I find a matching center channel and a pair of surrounds , I might just for the sheer hell of it try them out as well. I'll be using my Atmos speakers as I'm adding a second pair so I can have top front and Top middles. I have middles only right now.

mantis

Emlyn wrote: »

Those are much nicer looking than the Reserve speakers.

Yes they are but I have not seen the reserve in person or heard them yet. They also look way better than my Mythos ST towers.

Emlyn

The Reserve line in the dark grey finish can look better in a darkened room and I don't mean that in a negative way. They don't draw attention to themselves with light reflections in a home theater setting when the lights are dimmed at night.

mantis

Emlyn wrote: »

The Reserve line in the dark grey finish can look better in a darkened room and I don't mean that in a negative way. They don't draw attention to themselves with light reflections in a home theater setting when the lights are dimmed at night.

When I was looking at that finish, It reminded me of the PSW 350-450 Subwoofers from back in the day finish. It's a vinyl wrap that was used on many entry level affordable speakers and subwoofers. I'm surprised IF it's the same stuff, Polk decided that was a good idea. I'm not fond. I'm not into white speakers but the white seems to look the best.

jbreezy5

@mantis - It’s a good problem to have when you keep thinking “I’m gonna upgrade my speakers”, but many comers wind up being goers.

It says something about diminishing returns and probably indicates why you bought what you have in the first place.

I’ve gone through this process countless times with my Dynaudio Audience 82s, and still have them since 2004.

IMO, my ML ESLs surpass them on most things, except bass depth (they win on slam though), and it took a really long time to find a speaker I could say that about.

If you really want something different than the STSs, what are you seeking? (i.e. more soundstage/imaging, bass definition/power, more sensitivity/resolution/airier presentation)

Veering away from the STS’ great overall balance of the above attributes, may leave you feeling dissatisfied later, and most traditional speakers won’t have the inert/quiet cabinet of these.

mantis

jbreezy5 wrote: »

@mantis - It’s a good problem to have when you keep thinking “I’m gonna upgrade my speakers”, but many comers wind up being goers.

It says something about diminishing returns and probably indicates why you bought what you have in the first place.

I’ve gone through this process countless times with my Dynaudio Audience 82s, and still have them since 2004.

IMO, my ML ESLs surpass them on most things, except bass depth (they win on slam though), and it took a really long time to find a speaker I could say that about.

If you really want something different than the STSs, what are you seeking? (i.e. more soundstage/imaging, bass definition/power, more sensitivity/resolution/airier presentation)

Veering away from the STS’ great overall balance of the above attributes, may leave you feeling dissatisfied later, and most traditional speakers won’t have the inert/quiet cabinet of these.

I have ST not STS.
I use to have the Audience 82's, they are great speakers. I had the 122c center and 42W surrounds. The Sub 500 was really good but a little to smooth. No real impact just killer low musical bass.
these are some really old pic's

jdjohn

This is an interesting experiment in initial favoritism/bias with a new purchase, and then reverting back to favoring existing gear.

I'm not criticizing...just observing. Kudos to the OP for being honest after doing comparisons. We like what we like.