Focal Chora 806 Bookshelf Speakers (PAIR)

It's all about the drivers Don't think of Focal as simply a speaker manufacturer. Think of them as a team of mad scientists developing new speaker technology in a French lab. Their dedication to improving driver design allows them to continually produce outstanding speakers at a wide range of price points. The Chora 806 bookshelf speakers occupy the most affordable end of the spectrum. To hear these gems at their best, pair them with high-quality speakers stands, like these matching stands from Focal. Focal set out to improve upon the previous Chorus lineup (of which I was quite fond), with a new woofer design resulting from their relentless R&D. Focal's latest woofer design The secret ingredient of the new Chora speakers is the Slatefiber woofer, made of recycled carbon fibers. Carbon fibers are very rigid - important for any speaker cone material. But they go beyond rigidity. These cones are lighter, more responsive, and have better damping than the Polyglass woofers of the previous Chorus speakers. As a result, the Chora 806s look to be better balanced (particularly in the midrange), offer better, tighter bass response, and respond beautifully to high-current power. Trickle-down tweeter tech For the Chora's high frequencies, Focal chose their TNF inverted dome tweeter. This design is known for a wide soundstage that's not seating-position critical. One new development in this iteration is the use of a material called Poron, which suspends the tweeter from its mount. This suspension is trickled down from the Beryllium drivers in Focal's flagship Utopia speakers. Think of it as memory foam. By maintaining its shape as the driver moves, it significantly reduces distortion for clearer sound. Got wire? Most speakers don't include any. Read our article about choosing and installing speaker wire