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Focal Chorus 826W with Rotel RC/RB 1070?

Hi all,

I have an opportunity to acquire a pair of Focal Chorus 826W for a good price.  Wondering what you think about pairing them with a Rotel RC/RB 1070 pre/power amp?  I hear really good things about Focal speakers. Is Focal + Rotel a good combo?  

Main sources include a Pro-ject Debut Carbon DC (with acrylic platter and Nagaoka MP-150) and digital from PC through Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2 DAC.  Current speakers are Paradigm 11SE MkIII.

Is the Chorus 826W a good speaker? Would they be a marked improvement over the Paradigm speakers (which I have to say I am pretty happy with)?

I'd appreciate any opinions or advice you may have before plunking down a chunk of change for the Focals.  

Thanks!
hugodataway
hugodataway OP
4 posts
 
Thanks for the advice, very helpful. Can you recommend an amp would be a good match with the 826W?  I'm slowly upgrading everything over time, as I can afford.  I might get the 826W's with a view to an amp upgrade next.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
4,966 posts
 
hugodataway

These speakers, I would think would want something bigger with more current output than the RB-1070 to perform at their best, especially in the bass.

Sterophile measured tests on the Focal Chorus 826W
"With a minimum magnitude of 2.9 ohms at 118Hz.
There is also a current-hungry combination of 3.83 ohms magnitude and –53° electrical phase angle at 94Hz, a frequency where music can have high energy levels."

https://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/1110Focfig1.jpg

Cheers George

kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
George is right. Robust solid state power is what those speakers like, especially class A power. I'm driving my 936's with 40 watts, but the F5 will keep doubling it's output until the outputs melt. It hardly leaves class A operation though. Focal recommends 50 watts of power minimum but you can slide by with less if the amp delivers solid current to low impedances. 
Post removed 
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
There aren't many First Watt amps I'd pair with those speakers. They're pretty much limited to the F5. F6, and F7. All the rest are current source amps that don't play well with very reactive speakers like Focal tends to make. 
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