Short answer: the Focal Chora 816. It ranks #14 of 68 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $900; the Dynaudio Emit 30 ranks #53 and costs $1274.25, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Focal Chora 816 offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally even on-axis response with nice bass extension and high sensitivity. Predicted in-room response is very good aside from a peak around 8kHz. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±60 degrees is typical and fairly controlled. Distortion is very low at 86dB SPL/1m and still usable at 96dB SPL/1m. Watch for: Some messiness appears between 500Hz-2kHz on-axis, including a dip around 550Hz. Vertical directivity narrows a little, so listening height matters more than with a coincident design. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) shows a fair bit of resonances lingering across the midrange. Distortion rises substantially in the 1-2kHz region at 96dB SPL/1m. Minimum impedance dips to about 3.9 ohms.
What the Dynaudio Emit 30 offers: A 2.5-way floorstander: two 5.25” mid-woofers paired with a roughly 1” dome tweeter, driven through dual rear bass-reflex ports. The two woofers hand off at staggered crossover points (around 1kHz and 3.5kHz) rather than sharing one, which avoids the acoustic lobing a shared crossover point would cause between the tweeter and the lower woofer, and adds a few dB of sensitivity in the process. Genuinely deep bass for a speaker around this price - measured F3 near 44Hz and extends audibly down to about 40Hz in-room without much difficulty. Harmonic distortion measures clean and low at both 86dB and 96dB SPL/1m. Good CTA-2034 sound power and uniform directivity mean the speaker takes EQ correction well if a listener wants to dial in its one tonal weak point. Dynamic range and compression performance are strong overall, with only a minor, high-Q compression artifact tied to a cone-edge resonance that’s unlikely to be audible. Wide, consistent horizontal dispersion around ±70° with just a small ~10° narrowing between 1-3kHz, and a reasonably forgiving ±20° vertical window centered on the tweeter axis. Watch for: A dip and inconsistency in the lower-treble presence region (roughly 2-5kHz) makes the top end sound uneven - sometimes soft, sometimes forward - depending on the specific instrument or frequency being reproduced; male vocals can lack presence and cymbals can lack sizzle as a result. A cone-edge surround resonance shows up around 1-1.3kHz in burst-decay measurements (a trait the reviewer has also seen on other Dynaudio models) and lines up with elevated multitone distortion across roughly 600Hz-1.5kHz. An enclosure resonance appears around 350Hz in the impedance curve. Placed too close to a rear wall, the dual ports make the bass noticeably boomy - pulling the speaker out is needed to keep the low end from overloading the room. Fully resolving the top-end inconsistency needs a modest EQ correction (roughly +2dB with a Q of about 1, centered 3-6kHz), so out-of-the-box tonal accuracy in that band isn’t quite class-leading despite otherwise strong measured performance.
Buy the Focal Chora 816. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Dynaudio Emit 30 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Dynaudio Emit 30. It ranks near the bottom of the 68 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Focal Chora 816 | Dynaudio Emit 30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $900 used, Discontinued | $1,274.25 |
| Ranked | #14 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #53 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 36Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 44Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 40.7"H x 11.8"W x 15.3"D (1033.8 x 299.7 x 388.6 mm) | 35.4"H x 6.7"W x 10.7"D (900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.9 ohms minimum, measured, Audio Science Review) | 4 ohms |
| Drivers | 6.5" (16.5cm) Slatefiber woofer, 6.5" (16.5cm) Slatefiber midrange, 1" (25mm) TNF Al/Mg inverted dome tweeter | Dual 5.25" mid-woofers, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 91dB (measured, Audio Science Review) | 87dB |
| Weight | 40.8 lbs / 18.5 kg each | 34.2 lbs / 15.5 kg |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | ported, rear (dual) |
| Frequency Response | - | 44Hz - 25kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Power Handling | - | 180W (IEC rated) |
| Country of Origin | - | Denmark |
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- Klipsch RP-8000F II vs Sony SS-CS3
- JBL Studio 698 vs Klipsch RP-6000F II
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Dynaudio Emit 30
- KEF Q11 Meta vs Focal Chora 816
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The Two Speakers In Full
Focal Chora 816: $900 used, Discontinued eBay
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally even on-axis response with nice bass extension and high sensitivity. Predicted in-room response is very good aside from a peak around 8kHz. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±60 degrees is typical and fairly controlled. Distortion is very low at 86dB SPL/1m and still usable at 96dB SPL/1m.
Cons: Some messiness appears between 500Hz-2kHz on-axis, including a dip around 550Hz. Vertical directivity narrows a little, so listening height matters more than with a coincident design. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) shows a fair bit of resonances lingering across the midrange. Distortion rises substantially in the 1-2kHz region at 96dB SPL/1m. Minimum impedance dips to about 3.9 ohms. Discontinued.
Full Focal Chora 816 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 40.7"H x 11.8"W x 15.3"D (1033.8 x 299.7 x 388.6 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 6.5" (16.5cm) Slatefiber woofer, 6.5" (16.5cm) Slatefiber midrange, 1" (25mm) TNF Al/Mg inverted dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.9 ohms minimum, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 91dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 40.8 lbs / 18.5 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Dynaudio Emit 30: $1,274.25 Amazon eBay
Pros: A 2.5-way floorstander: two 5.25” mid-woofers paired with a roughly 1” dome tweeter, driven through dual rear bass-reflex ports. The two woofers hand off at staggered crossover points (around 1kHz and 3.5kHz) rather than sharing one, which avoids the acoustic lobing a shared crossover point would cause between the tweeter and the lower woofer, and adds a few dB of sensitivity in the process. Genuinely deep bass for a speaker around this price - measured F3 near 44Hz and extends audibly down to about 40Hz in-room without much difficulty. Harmonic distortion measures clean and low at both 86dB and 96dB SPL/1m. Good CTA-2034 sound power and uniform directivity mean the speaker takes EQ correction well if a listener wants to dial in its one tonal weak point. Dynamic range and compression performance are strong overall, with only a minor, high-Q compression artifact tied to a cone-edge resonance that’s unlikely to be audible. Wide, consistent horizontal dispersion around ±70° with just a small ~10° narrowing between 1-3kHz, and a reasonably forgiving ±20° vertical window centered on the tweeter axis.
Cons: A dip and inconsistency in the lower-treble presence region (roughly 2-5kHz) makes the top end sound uneven - sometimes soft, sometimes forward - depending on the specific instrument or frequency being reproduced; male vocals can lack presence and cymbals can lack sizzle as a result. A cone-edge surround resonance shows up around 1-1.3kHz in burst-decay measurements (a trait the reviewer has also seen on other Dynaudio models) and lines up with elevated multitone distortion across roughly 600Hz-1.5kHz. An enclosure resonance appears around 350Hz in the impedance curve. Placed too close to a rear wall, the dual ports make the bass noticeably boomy - pulling the speaker out is needed to keep the low end from overloading the room. Fully resolving the top-end inconsistency needs a modest EQ correction (roughly +2dB with a Q of about 1, centered 3-6kHz), so out-of-the-box tonal accuracy in that band isn’t quite class-leading despite otherwise strong measured performance.
Full Dynaudio Emit 30 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 36Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 44Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country of Origin | Denmark |
| Dimensions | 35.4"H x 6.7"W x 10.7"D (900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0 mm) |
| Drivers | Dual 5.25" mid-woofers, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 44Hz - 25kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Power Handling | 180W (IEC rated) |
| Sensitivity | 87dB |
| Weight | 34.2 lbs / 15.5 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear (dual) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Klipsch RP-6000F II
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Klipsch RP-8000F II
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- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Klipsch RP-5000F II
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Sony SS-CS3
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Infinity Reference 253
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