Short answer: the Focal Chora 816. It ranks #14 of 68 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $900; the Magnepan LRS+ ranks #62 and costs $1300, 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 Magnepan LRS+ offers: Thin, two-way planar-magnetic open-baffle/dipole panel design (about 48” tall, just 1” deep). Delivers a uniquely dramatic and enveloping soundstage with genuinely three-dimensional depth effects that work across all music genres, not just classical or orchestral material as commonly assumed. Extremely tight, locked-in center-phantom imaging when set up correctly. Open-baffle design avoids the “boxy” enclosure coloration of conventional cabinet speakers. Multitone distortion is remarkably consistent from low to high frequency, a characteristic the reviewer hasn’t observed in conventional cone-and-dome speakers. Compression at high output stays modest (about 0.5-1dB) through the midrange and treble, giving roughly 20-26dB of usable dynamic range in that region. At its price, a strong contender for a dedicated secondary listening room, even if not a main-system replacement. Watch for: Extremely current-hungry and power-hungry: even a pair of 600W Macintosh monoblock amplifiers only averaged about 90dB output - a robust, high-power amplifier is essentially mandatory, and budget amps won’t cut it. Bass rolls off very quickly (F3 74Hz, F10 67Hz, described as falling off “like a rock”), making a subwoofer an absolute requirement for any low-end content. A roughly 3dB dip in the mid-bass (100-300Hz) region thins out vocal body and fullness compared to a conventional bookshelf speaker. A resonance/bump around 400Hz adds a mild boxy quality, though it responds well to about 2dB of EQ correction. Extraordinarily fussy about exact positioning - both seating height (must align with the acoustic reference point between the panel’s lower tie-down points) and horizontal aiming are unusually critical; moving just a couple of inches can cause treble content above roughly 500-600Hz to nearly vanish. Distinct off-axis cancellation zones exist directly to the sides of the panel, where very little sound is audible at all. Fails badly under extreme dynamic-transient testing in the bass, and the reviewer blew fuses pushing the speaker during testing - not built for high-volume or highly dynamic playback. A genuinely different category from conventional hi-fi speakers, requiring more setup patience and experimentation than a typical monopole design.
Buy the Focal Chora 816. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Magnepan LRS+ and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Magnepan LRS+. It ranks near the bottom of the 68 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Focal Chora 816 | Magnepan LRS+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $900 used, Discontinued | $1300 |
| Ranked | #14 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #62 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 67Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 74Hz (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) | 48"H x 13.5"W x 1"D (1219.2 x 342.9 x 25.4 mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.9 ohms minimum, measured, Audio Science Review) | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 6.5" (16.5cm) Slatefiber woofer, 6.5" (16.5cm) Slatefiber midrange, 1" (25mm) TNF Al/Mg inverted dome tweeter | Full-range planar magnetic dipole panel (48" tall x 13.5" wide); quasi-ribbon design, two-way with separate mid/bass and tweeter ribbon sections |
| Sensitivity | 91dB (measured, Audio Science Review) | 85.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 40.8 lbs / 18.5 kg each | 30 lbs / 13.6 kg |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | open baffle |
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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
Magnepan LRS+: $1300 Magnepan eBay
Pros: Thin, two-way planar-magnetic open-baffle/dipole panel design (about 48” tall, just 1” deep). Delivers a uniquely dramatic and enveloping soundstage with genuinely three-dimensional depth effects that work across all music genres, not just classical or orchestral material as commonly assumed. Extremely tight, locked-in center-phantom imaging when set up correctly. Open-baffle design avoids the “boxy” enclosure coloration of conventional cabinet speakers. Multitone distortion is remarkably consistent from low to high frequency, a characteristic the reviewer hasn’t observed in conventional cone-and-dome speakers. Compression at high output stays modest (about 0.5-1dB) through the midrange and treble, giving roughly 20-26dB of usable dynamic range in that region. At its price, a strong contender for a dedicated secondary listening room, even if not a main-system replacement.
Cons: Extremely current-hungry and power-hungry: even a pair of 600W Macintosh monoblock amplifiers only averaged about 90dB output - a robust, high-power amplifier is essentially mandatory, and budget amps won’t cut it. Bass rolls off very quickly (F3 74Hz, F10 67Hz, described as falling off “like a rock”), making a subwoofer an absolute requirement for any low-end content. A roughly 3dB dip in the mid-bass (100-300Hz) region thins out vocal body and fullness compared to a conventional bookshelf speaker. A resonance/bump around 400Hz adds a mild boxy quality, though it responds well to about 2dB of EQ correction. Extraordinarily fussy about exact positioning - both seating height (must align with the acoustic reference point between the panel’s lower tie-down points) and horizontal aiming are unusually critical; moving just a couple of inches can cause treble content above roughly 500-600Hz to nearly vanish. Distinct off-axis cancellation zones exist directly to the sides of the panel, where very little sound is audible at all. Fails badly under extreme dynamic-transient testing in the bass, and the reviewer blew fuses pushing the speaker during testing - not built for high-volume or highly dynamic playback. A genuinely different category from conventional hi-fi speakers, requiring more setup patience and experimentation than a typical monopole design.
Full Magnepan LRS+ review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 67Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 74Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 48"H x 13.5"W x 1"D (1219.2 x 342.9 x 25.4 mm) |
| Drivers | Full-range planar magnetic dipole panel (48" tall x 13.5" wide); quasi-ribbon design, two-way with separate mid/bass and tweeter ribbon sections |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 30 lbs / 13.6 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | open baffle |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Grab Your Pitchforks! The Magnepan LRS+ Review You Didn’t See Coming! More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Review Website Magnepan LRS+
- Erin’s Audio Corner: I Tested 250 Speakers So You Don’t Have To!
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Magnepan LRS+ Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons