Review on 🔊 Focal Chora 806 Bookshelf Speaker - Pair in Dark Wood Finish by Simon Connelly

Mechanics: SMSL SU8 RCA -> SMSL DA-9 (50W per Infinium channel with subwoofer output) -> Focal Chora 806 in 2-3 feet near field at the table. Tilt inward 20 degrees and spaced 6 feet apart. Sensitivity: They are easy to control. I'd go with headroom, but you don't need more than 40 watts per channel to drive them comfortably and without distortion. I chose the DA9 because the output is very clean and well controlled with a good subwoofer implementation. The power draw is a bit harsh so I'd avoid amps that can't handle power surges or old style receivers as you could damage your speakers. Treble: Really great height enhancement and detail. Cymbal Bursts have great attack and fast decay. Lots of air without excessive elevation changes at 4-8k. Mids: Slightly forward in the lower mids and very forward on both male and female vocals. It reminds me a lot of the HD 650 effect on vocal isolation. They're really good for bringing vocals forward. The level of detail is decent in the mids, but not as good as in the high frequencies. Bass: They are quite flat and controlled in bass. Extends flat to 95-100Hz with a nice 8dB roll off to the 58Hz spec. This makes these speakers really good candidates for a 2.1 setup with a large subwoofer. Personally I use a 12" Klipsch and it does the job perfectly. Crossover at 90 and fairly low gain. Helps a lot with metal, rock and EDM.EQ: You definitely don't "need" an EQ, but tend to bit bright to metal Detail and texture is fine, but I used the following filters to warm things up a bit and they work great with no bloat or loss of near-field detail: 70Hz: 1.28 gain at 0.3 Q130 Hz: 1.28 gain at 0.7Q Soundstage: Super wide with decent verticality Walkable depth with some smearing in excess of 8ft Image: Strong in near field, slightly off in my home theater as the soundstage is actually very wide The LF- Dispersion is wild Reminds me of how the HD 800 exaggerates the soundstage to the point where the picture becomes inaccurate in a game or movie This is normal with music but can be a bit confusing in games or movies In the near field it looks more realistic Overall: I would avoid this for home theater settings, but the texture, detail and near field are excellent. They rival some of my 3-4k headphones for detail and texture. Extension is poor around 100Hz, so a decent subwoofer is a must. Fortunately, this roll-off eases the crossover and results in less distortion. They're overpriced for most home theater setups and a bit bright for movies. The detail and texture is incredible for games and music. I think they play better in the near field because it shows their strength. I think there are much better options out there for home theater or even general use above 8ft. They are easy to ride but benefit from some headroom as their power consumption is a bit harsh.