Focal 800 V, 700 V User Manual

CHORUS "V" USER MANUAL

800 V serie / 700 V serie

Thank you for choosing the Chorus V loudspeakers. We are pleased to share with you our philosophy : “the Spirit of Sound”. These high-performance speakers feature the latest technical developments from Focal in terms of speaker design, whether it is for high fidelity or home theater systems. In order to (make the most of these speakers) enjoy the maximum of their performance, we advise you to read this user’s manual and to keep it carefully so that you can consult it later.

Running-in period

The drivers used in the Chorus V loudspeaker are complex mechanical devices and require an run-in period before they deliver their best performance. They must get adapted to the temperature and humidity conditions of their environment. This breaking-in period depends on the encountered conditions and can last several weeks. In order to shorten this period, we advise you to let your loudspeakers operate for about twenty hours.

Once the components of the loudspeakers are completely stabilized, it is possible to enjoy the real performance of your Chorus V loudspeakers.

Included inside:

•1 x loudspeaker

•1 x user manual

•1 x micro-fiber cloth (800 V)

•1 x key for spikes (816, 826, 836 V)

•1 x aluminum base (816, 826, 836 V)

•4 screws for base + key (816, 826,

836 V)

The Focal-JMlab guarantee only applies if the enclosed guarantee card is returned to us within 10 days of purchase.

Specifications

The aluminum/magnesium alloy TNV inverted dome tweeter®: the tweeter of the Chorus V benefits from the inverted dome technology, which is exclusive to Focal. It allows optimal energy transfer and wide dispersion. The aluminum /magnesium alloy making up of the dome guarantees exceptional performances in terms of stiffness and damping thus ensuring a subtle blend of softness and dynamics.

Polyglass® cone woofer and midbass: impregnated paper cones with a fine layer of silica micro-balls for a fully dynamic bass impact, precise and distortion-free.

OPC® (optimum phase crossover): phase optimization for a precise, natural and stable soundstage and image.

Braced precision MDF cabinets, non parallel inner wall structure: rigid cabinets without any internal resonance for lower coloration.

Powerflow system (800 V):

Powerful bass.

Highly efficient acoustic wadding: excellent internal damping, deeper and tighter bass.

Highly reliable input sockets. Decoupling spikes.

Français page 9

FocalJMlab® - BP 374 - 108, rue de l'Avenir - 42353 La Talaudière cedex - France - www.focal-fr.com Tel. [phone] - Fax [phone]

Due to constant technological advances, Focal reserves its right to modify specifications without notice. Images may not conform exactly to specific product.

A

C

E

02

B

D

F

INSTALLATION

Connections

The Chorus input sockets ensure reliable multipurpose connections for stripped cables as well as for plugs. The “banana” terminals are obstructed in order to comply with electrical standards currently in force in several countries. Make sure not to remove the plastic safety lids.

It is imperative to respect the connector polarity of both the loudspeaker and amplifier. The positive terminal “+” must be connected to the corresponding (matching) amplifier’s terminal and the negative terminal “-“ to the negative terminal (fig. A). Stereo image, soundstaging and bass perception would be seriously compromised if these conditions were not respected.

Magnetic disturbance

In home theater systems, the magnetic radiation of the loudspeakers must be taken into consideration.

With the exception of the center speakers which are fully magnetically shielded, all other Chorus V loudspeakers generate a magnetic leak that can interfere with household appliances, some of which are sensitive to this phenomenon. It is strongly advised not to place front loudspeakers closer than 50cm to your TV screen.

Frame geometry as well as colours can be severely distorted by a magnetic field if the loudspeaker is placed to close to the TV. In case of problems, some TV screens (or computer monitor) feature a degauss control, but not systematically (fig. B).

Positioning

The Chorus V loudspeakers have been engineered to deliver the most faithful sound reproduction, whether they are used for music or home cinema. In order to enhance their performance, to guarantee a high quality of listening, sound image and tone balance, it is important to note the following basic rules.

The listening area must be located at the summit of an equilateral triangle whose two other points of insertion are determined by the position of each speaker. Nevertheless it is possible to modify these distances to find an ideal compromise according to the particular disposition of the room (fig. C).

Each loudspeaker must be placed at the same height and on the same floor plan. The tweeter should be at the same height as the listener’s ear, when the listener is in their usual listening area (fig. D).

Avoid placing the loudspeakers too close to the room’s corners or walls. This will induce some unwanted room resonance and artificially increase bass response. On the contrary, if the bass level proves to be insufficient, it is possible to move the speakers closer to the walls to adjust the bass level (fig. E).

Optimization

To please the perfectionists, we shall give an optimum positioning formula : if A is the distance from the boomer centre to the closest wall (floor or wall), B the intermediate distance and C the longest distance (A<B<C), the relation B2=AC determines the ideal position of the speakers.

• Example 1:

The boomer centre is 60cm (24”) from the floor (B=60cm) (mini speaker on a foot), standing 50cm (20”) from the back wall (A=50cm), the side wall will be ideally 72cm (28”)

(C=B2⁄A=72cm) (fig. F).

User instructions

The sound rendition of the Chorus loudspeaker depends strongly upon the listening room’s acoustics, the place of the loudspeakers and the listening area. These factors can be modified in order to correct or enhance a desired effect.

Should the soundstage be imprecise or not centred, try to move the loudspeakers closer to each other. Harsh or aggressive sound means that your listening room is probably too reflective. Try to use any absorbing materials (such as tapestries, sofa, wall coverings, curtains…) combined with reflective materials to absorb or diffuse resonances.

Should the sound be “flat” or muffled, there are too many absorbing materials in the listening room. The sound appears to be closed-in, with a narrow stereophonic image. Try to find a better compromise between absorbing and reflective materials within your listening room.

Generally the wall to the rear of the speakers should be made up of reflective materials so that the sound image exhibits satisfying volume and width. On the contrary the wall on the rear of the listener should be absorbing in order to avoid reflections damaging the perception of the stereo soundstage. These reflections may limit the impression of depth of the sound image. Furniture, such as bookshelves should be ideally placed along the side walls in order to diffuse sound waves and to prevent some frequencies from being amplified, especially in vocal range (it removes “flutter echo”).

03

04

HOME THEATER

Choice of speakers

The Chorus loudspeakers have been engineered to work with stereo systems as well as with home theater systems. If you already own a pair of stereo Chorus V loudspeakers and wish to purchase a complete home theater system, it is of the utmost importance that you use the central and effect loudspeakers of the same product line : Chorus V. It is the sole possible condition to bring to your system a perfect tonal homogeneity and a realistic and coherent reproduction of tri-dimensional effects within the listening room.

Central channel placement

Central channel speakers should be placed close to the TV-screen to obtain a proper placement and a realistic reproduction of the dialog. They could be placed below or above the TV-screen if your TV-unit permits

(fig. F).

If a standart projection screen is used, the central channel speaker must be placed under the screen.

If an acoustically transparent projection screen is used, the central channel speaker can be placed behind and at the bottom of the screen (fig. G).

Effect channel speakers‘s place

The soundtrack mix for a film or music encoded in multichannel format is very complex and allows the listener to benefit from a wide range of special sound effects, which require the use of effect channel speakers. In order to obtain a realistic 3D soundstage, the placement of the speakers is decisive, even when confronted with a restrictive disposition of the listening room.

For enhanced performances, the following elements should be noted.

Avoid placing the effect speakers too far from the listening area otherwise the sound perception will be altered. In order to obtain surround effects, with great sound density we advise you to place the speakers against the sidewalls on each side of the listening room (fig. H, I).

Bookshelf mounting (705 V, 706 V, 806 V)

Fixing the bookshelf as indicated

(fig. J).

Surround mounting (SR 700/800 V) with Polyfix wall bracket.

•Place the wall rest on to the wall and drill. Use only plugs fitting your wall material.

•If the loudspeaker cable is embedded in the wall, guide it through the wall mounted bracket’s opening as indicated.

• If the loudspeaker cable is fixed to the wall slide it under the wall mounted bracket as indicated.

•Guide the loudspeaker cable through the Polyfix plate as indicated.

•Clip the plate on the loudspeaker to the wall mounted bracket as indicated

(fig. K, L).

Accessories

The Chorus 700 V floorstanding

loudspeaker		systems	include	four
decoupling		spikes	(cones)	and
should	be	screwed,	if necessary,
into the	four metal		inserts situated

on the base of the loudspeaker. These spikes ensure a better stability for floorstanding speakers, particularly if the floor is not perfectly flat and smooth. The enclosed spikes are adjustable in height. After having adjusted the height of the spikes, don’t forget to lock them with the locknut.

The Chorus 800 V include four decoupling spikes (cones). The spikes are adjustable in height with the supplied key. This key can be reserved for future use in a small housing behind the grille after installation and optimization.

Chorus 700 V

Chorus 800 V

Chorus 800 V

05

FINE TUNE

Mounting the aluminum base (816, 826, 836 V)

Fixing the 4 screws with the supplied key as indicated.

User precautions

The TNV tweeter is made up of a relatively soft aluminum/magnesium alloy and has a “shape memory” that enables it to rapidly take its initial shape again after slight impacts. However we advise you not to remove the speaker grille in order to keep the dome protected. If the dome surface is damaged, tweeter performance may be compromised.

As the loudspeaker’s covering materials are strong, scratchand stain-resistant, maintenance is easy and consists only in cleaning the covering with a dry cloth. If the enclosure is stained, we simply recommend the use of a damp cloth. Never use any solvents, detergents, alcohol or corrosive products, scrappers or scouring powder to clean the surface of the loudspeaker.

Avoid placing the loudspeakers near a heat source.

About amplifiers

Contrary to what one might think, it is not a too powerful amplifier that might damage a loudspeaker, but rather a lack of power. Actually if the output level of the amplifier is too high it will saturate and distort which will irremediably damage the tweeter.

The power handling and frequency response of the Chorus loudspeakers is good enough to highlight the qualities or weak points of the amplifiers they are combined with. Let your retailer help you make the right choice, matching your personal taste and budget.

Cable

Don’t underestimate the importance of the cable: make sure you chose the appropriate section and length. Let your retailer advise you.

Installation of spike caps

Conditions of guarantee

All Focal loudspeakers are covered by guarantee drawn up by the official Focal-JMlab distributor in your country.

Your distributor can provide all details concerning the conditions of guarantee. Guarantee cover extends at least to that granted by the legal guarantee in force in the country where the original purchase invoice was issued.

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