The test of acoustic system FOCAL-JMLAB Chorus 816V

Focal-JMLab Chorus 816V sounds spectacular, with a dynamic bass and bright top, and the middle is an even bridge between these poles of tonal balance. Speakers are great for sounding of modern genres, a little less interesting, because of some simplification of the timbre palette, they reproduce acoustic music, but they do not have special contraindications for jazz or classical music. For those who are looking not only for stereo speakers, but also for front speakers in their home theater, the Choruses will be an excellent choice.

Design

Company Focal-JMLab, the second part of the name stands for Jacques Mahul Laboratories, is one of the most reputable manufacturers of speakers and acoustic systems in France. It all started in the late seventies when founder Jacques Maul left Audax with the firm intention of going into business for himself. To begin with, he implemented a number of developments in the manufacture of speakers under the brand Focal, and then began to make speakers with the label JMLab.

Series Chorus 800V belongs to the number of entry-level rulers of the company. The feature of this line is the original design, in any showcase the loudspeakers will stand out among competitors from other manufacturers. To give the “Horus” a recognizable look, the developers used the services of the famous design studio “Pineau at Le Porcher”, which specialists used in “Horus” a fashionable V-design.

The V symbol is evident in the shape of the grills and other structural elements of the speakers. To further emphasize the individuality of the new speakers, the sides of their cabinets are finished in mocha or ebony, and the rest of the surface is covered in black acrylic glass. The upper part of the facade attracts attention with an aluminum tweeter waveguide, protected by a metal grid.

The Chorus 816V cabinet is made of MDF sheet metal, 20 to 25 mm thick, with the inner walls of the cabinet specially made non-parallel to eliminate standing waves in the internal volume. To increase the low-frequency response, the French used the dual PowerFlow port.

The port on the front of the speaker must improve the subjective perception of bass density, the second port built into the bottom of the cabinet gives the bass more depth. The distance from the lower port to the “floor” is fixed with an aluminum stand with a special diffuser.

The Chorus 816V crossover is in a 2.5-way configuration. The frequency range above 3kHz is provided by the new TNV tweeter. Like its predecessor TNC from previous versions of “Horus”, the new tweeter is equipped with an inverted 25-mm aluminum-magnesium alloy dome, but it has an improved motor with neodymium magnets and a new cooling system, in which developers refused to use ferromagnetic fluid, considering that it badly affects the response speed of the radiator.

The woofers of the mid/bass section have a diameter of 165 mm and are equipped with Polyglass diaphragms, which was developed by the French more than 10 years ago to replace the high quality but very expensive W-membranes used in reference loudspeakers JMLab.

Polyglass is made on the basis of impregnated cellulose cones, coated then a thin layer of silicate microparticles. The 816V midwoofer operates from down to 3kHz, the bass covers frequencies up to 300 Hz. Unlike the MF/HF transducer that is equipped with central phasing bullet, the bass unit is equipped with wide dust cup that increases the rigidity of the diaphragm.

Sound

Chorus 816V have a dynamic sound, tonal balance is somewhat shifted to the edges of the frequency spectrum, especially tightly supplied by the upper bass, so that the rhythm section in music of any genres “looks” more than presentable. Elastic bass with a solid reserve of strength and amplitude is balanced at the other end of the frequency spectrum by juicy treble with exemplary sharp sound of hi-hats and other high-frequency tinsel. There’s just one flaw: despite the good detail, the top end sometimes sounds gnarly.

In general, the smooth mid-range has a slight emphasis on the lower middle, so the male vocals or timbres of bassoon, cello, acoustic guitar are played with particular thoroughness. Working out the sound on all sorts of dynamic peaks, the speakers are a little less attentive to the details of the arrangement and the overtone structure of the sound. The French loudspeakers build the stage more effectively, with foreground effects and widening, bass and treble images are prominent, while the far space layers are portrayed in a little less precision and detail.

Price: 57 960 Dollars.

Measurements

The minimum value of the speaker impedance is fixed around 140 Hz and at the FI frequency of the system at 42 Hz, in both cases the impedance is 4,3 Ohm. The maximum of 20 ohms is marked at 2.4 kHz. Thus, the 816V Chorus should not be a difficult load for an amplifier. The bends of the curve around 170 Hz and 1.1 kHz do not lead to any noticeable features on the AFC, although the lower resonance is clearly visible on the individual AFC of the MF/LF drivers and the front port.

In the bass and upper octave ranges the sensitivity of the speakers grows. Up to 20 kHz the working range is within +/-4 dB, the lower limit of the +/-3 dB working range reaches 49 Hz. Wide dispersion pattern allows you to turn the speakers slightly away from the direct direction to the listener, in some cases it will be even useful, equalizing the sensitivity of MF and HF ranges.