Focal FP Dual Direct User Manual

FP DUAL DIRECT

User Manual

We thank you for choosing Focal amplifiers for your Car Audio system and for sharing our philosophy:
“the Spirit of Sound”. This product offers the latest advances in Focal amplifiers. In order to obtain the
best results, we highly recommend you have your new amplifier installed by your local Focal distributor.
To maximise the use all the functionalities of your amplifier and to fully enjoy its performance levels, we
recommend that you read the entire instructions in this booklet. We recommend you keep this manual for
future reference.

Contents of the packaging:

- 1 FP Dual Direct amplifier

- 1 FP Dual Direct amplifier user’s manual

- 4 screws

- 4 x 40 amp fuses (spares)

- 1 BTR key-set

- 1 quality control sheet

Français page 17

WARNING
This symbol denotes important instructions. Non respect of these instructions may lead to serious
injuries and even fatal injuries.

CAUTION

This symbol denotes important instructions. Non respect of these instructions may lead to injury or
material damage

THE FOCAL GUARANTEE ONLY APPLIES IF PAGE 36 IS
RETURNED TO US WITHIN 10 DAYS OF PURCHASE.

Focal® is a trademark of Focal-JMlab® - BP 374 - 108, rue de l'Avenir - 42353 La Talaudière
cedex - France - Tel. [phone] - Fax [phone] - www.focal-fr.com

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

WARNING

• Do not turn on any function which may distract you while driving the vehicle. Functions requiring
sustained attention must only be used when the vehicle is at a complete standstill. Make sure to always stop
your vehicle in a safe place before operating these functions. There is a risk of causing an accident.

• Keep the volume at a low level so as to be able to hear exterior noises while driving the vehicle.
There is a risk of causing an accident.

• Do not open the amplifier or undertake any modifications of the product. There is a risk of accident,
fire or electric shock.

• Only use this amplifier with 12V mobile applications. Any other use other than the use for which this
product has been designed may lead to fire, electric shock or injury.

• Use fuses of the correct amperage. There is a risk of fire or electrocution.

• Do not obstruct radiators and/or vents. Internal overheating may occur and cause a fire.

• Ensure all connections are properly made. Check the section of cable and the type of cable if it does not

correspond with the use. There is a risk of fire, injury and/or damage to the product.

• To be used only with 12V batteries. Check with your distributor if required. There is a risk of fire, injury
and/or damage to the product.

• Do not use nuts or fasteners part of the steering or braking systems for ground connection. The
fasteners and nuts used for the brake and steering systems (or any other security system) as well as various
tanks must never be used for grounding. Use of these parts as ground may deactivate the vehicle’s control
system and cause a fire or other technical problem.

2

• Keep all small objects which could be swallowed, such as the fasteners and screws, out of the reach
of children. Swallowing such objects may cause serious injuries. In the event of swallowing any of these

objects, seek medical advice immediately.

• Before commencing the installation, disconnect the negative terminal of the battery to avoid any risk
of injury, fire or damage to the equipment.

Fig. 1

CAUTION

Listening for prolonged period at a high volume level, over 110dB, can lead to permanent
deterioration of your hearing. Listening at a volume of over 130dB, even for short periods of time,
can cause incurable damage and injury to your hearing.

Stop operation in the event of a problem. Failure to heed this precaution may result in injuries or damage

to the product. If a problem persists, return the product to your Focal distributor for repair.

Use the specified accessories and be sure to install them correctly. Only use the accessories specified in
the user’s manual and those which are supplied with the package. The use of other components could cause
internal damage to the product, and their installation risks to not being correctly installed. The parts being used
risk becoming loose and causing damages or technical faults with the product.

Do not assemble in very humid or dusty places. Avoid assembling the product in places with high levels of
humidity or an excessive presence of dust. Humidity or dust getting inside the product may cause a technical fault.

Installation of the amplifier

The installation of this product requires technical knowledge and experience. In case you are uncertain of your
ability to correctly install the amplifier, we strongly recommend you contact your Focal retailer to install it for
you, so that you will be able to take full advantage of all the different possibilities of the amplifier.

Wiring of the amplifier

Only use the wires recommended in this manual. The loudspeaker wire must ONLY be used for connecting the
amplifier to the loudspeakers. The section of power cables must correspond with that which is detailed in the
table (page 7) and correspond with the power of the amplifier and the length of the cable. Use double or triple
shielded RCA cables to avoid any interference of the low level signal.

3

Duration of operation of the amplifier

Avoid operating the amplifier for more than 10 minutes before starting the vehicle. This may cause the battery
to go flat.

Warm-up period

In order to get the best sound quality of the FP Dual Direct amplifier, we advise you to respect a
warm-up period.

FOREWORD NOTES

Material required for the installation:

• 2 conduits of suitable cross-section (1 conduit for the power cable, 1 conduit for the loudspeaker, REMOTE,
RCA signal cables).

• Multimeter (voltage/amperage)

• Soldering iron + solder

• Crimping tool

• Stripping pliers

• Wire cutter

• Spanner for battery terminal

• Hand drill and assorted drills

• Heat shrinks of suitable diameter for the different cables.

• Power cable of suitable length and section

• Remote turn on cable (REMOTE) of suitable length and section

• Ground cable of suitable length and section

• Assorted connectors

• Fuse holder and suitable fuse

• Joint tag for the battery’s positive (+) terminal

• Joint tag for the vehicle’s chassis (-)

• Screw with minimum 6mm screw head and its nut for ground connection to the chassis of the vehicle.

4

INSTALLATION

The below section deals with issues regarding the vehicle which are necessary to take into account for the
installation of the amplifier. You’ll save time by planning the system layout and wiring in advance. Ensure that
during this preparatory time that the GAIN rotary potentiometer is accessible once the installation is complete.

Before starting the installation, please follow the following rules carefully:

1 - After reading the whole manual, be sure that you have understood all the instructions before installing

the amplifier.

2 - Disconnect the battery’s negative wire before starting the installation.

3 -To facilitate the assembly, we strongly recommend that you unwind all the wires before installing the

amplifier.

4 - Put aside all the RCA cables, loudspeakers, REMOTE from the power cables in order to avoid any

interference of the signal.

5 - Use quality connectors to ensure a reliable installation and to minimise any losses of signal or power.

6 -Think carefully before drilling anything. Be extremely careful not to cut or drill the petrol (fuel) tank, the

fuel, brake, hydraulic or vacuum pipes, as well as the electrical wiring.

7 - Never route a wire under the vehicle. It is absolutely imperative to install them inside the vehicle for

better protection. While routing the wires, verify that they do not impair the driving of the vehicle.
Cables obstructing or routing through areas such as the steering wheel, pedals (brake, accelerator and
clutch, etc.) may be extremely dangerous.

8 - Avoid routing wires above or through sharp rims. Any wire routed through metal must be protected

with a grommet. Route the wires well away from mobile parts (seat rails,…) and from sharp or pointed
cutting edges. This will avoid catching or damaging the wires.

9 - Always protect the battery and electrical circuit from potential damages with the help of fuses. Install a

fuse holder and suitable fuses on the 12V positive (+) power cable at less than 40cm from the battery
terminal. Ideally, this abovementioned distance should be the shortest possible.

10 - Prepare the chassis ground by scraping any trace of paint on the metal surface in order to ensure

correct grounding. The grounding connections should also be as short as possible and ALWAYS
connected to the metal welded to the body or the chassis of the vehicle.

11 - NEVER install this product in the engine compartment of the vehicle. This will void the guarantee.

(fig. 1).

(fig. 7).

(fig. 4).

5

INSTALLATION

I - Set-up and cabling

Where to install the amplifier?
The amplifier power is such that substantial heat is generated when it is operation. This is why the amplifier has
to be placed in a well-ventilated area of the car.

2 - Attaching the amplifier

The surface onto which you want to attach the amplifier (boot of the car, etc.) may not be smooth enough (due
to bumps, ribs, etc) to make it easy or even possible to fasten the amplifier. If this is the case, we recommend
that you mount the amplifier and its attachment system on a wooden base – i.e. MDF, plywood – which itself
is attached to the surface in question.
Position the amplifier at the desired location. Mark the location of attachment holes using appropriate means
– i.e. an indelible marker, a screwdriver, etc. Make sure that there is nothing below the surface which could
be damaged during drilling – i.e. tanks, bundles of cables, etc. Remove the amplifier, making sure that you
are using a 3mm-diameter drill bit, and then drill. Put the amplifier back into the initial position you chose
for it. Attach the amplifier using the four self-tapping screws supplied. For additional help, see the “General
Installation Guidelines” section.

WARNING

Think carefully before drilling anything. Be extremely careful not to cut or drill the petrol (fuel) tank,
the fuel, brake, hydraulic or vacuum pipes, as well as the electrical wiring.

6

Fig. 2

- Screws

- Holes

- Steel base

- MDF base

INSTALLATION

3 - Cabling

WARNING

If there is a doubt as to your ability to install the amplifier and to cable the system properly, get a
Focal distributor to do it for you.

WARNING

Before you begin the connection phase of set-up, remove the vehicle battery’s negative (-) terminal

CAUTION

Avoid routing power supply cables close to low-level input cables (RCA), to your car’s radio aerial, or to
sensitive units. High-current power supply cables can cause static/interference that affects audio signals.

CAUTION

Keep cables as short as possible to optimise the system’s set-up performance and to reduce
signal loss.

3.1 - What power supply wire gauge should I use?

Amplifier Main fuse Length of Cable in Metres

0 - 4m 4 - 8m

7

(fig. 1).

FP Dual Direct 160A

*AWG : American Wire Gauge

2

35mm

2AWG* 0AWG

53mm

2

INSTALLATION

3.2 - Route the low-level audio cables (RCA cable), the loudspeaker cables, the POWER REMOTE cable,

ensuring to isolate them from powerful automobile accessories, particularly electric motors (windshield
wiper,…). Keep the whole length of the cables, which will be adjusted later on.

3.3 - Route the positive power cables (+). Make sure when doing so to route them opposite the cables that you

have previously drawn – this is to avoid any interference. DO NOT CONNECT THE CABLE YET.

3.4 - Get hold of the negative power cable. This cable should be as short as possible and ideally should not

be any longer than 1 metre, to ensure effective coupling between the amplifier and the car’s chassis. The cable
and its wire gauge should comply with the table on page 7. Find a suitable ground point
to remove any traces of paint or other covering and in so doing optimise the contact point. Pierce the metal
that you have previously sanded, making a hole the same size as the screw you are using, making sure that
there are no tank cables or any other sensitive vehicle devices nearby. Remove the plastic around 1 cm of cable
and then tin it. Screw the cable firmly down onto the amplifier’s GND terminal. Tin the other end of it and then
crimp or weld it onto the terminal lug provided. Insert the terminal lug in the screw, and then put the screw and
nut in place and screw-drive the screw in firmly.

1cm

fig. 3

(fig. 4), then sand it

8

fig. 4

INSTALLATION

9

3.5 - You can now commence the connection phase of the audio, REMOTE, and loudspeaker cables. Connect

the audio cables to the amplifier (fig. 5). When connecting RCA, take care to respect the polarities (INPUT Left
= black or white, INPUT right = red). Then connect the cable(s) to the car radio. Now connect the REMOTE
cable to the amplifier (REM terminal) screwing tightly. Connect the other end of the REMOTE cable to the car
radio REMOTE terminal.

fig. 5

* If the car radio is not equipped with RCA outputs, high-level to low-level adapters

(loudspeaker outputs that are used as RCA outputs) are available from all Focal

distributors. These adapters will enable the cables to be connected via the car radio’s

loudspeaker outputs instead of the requisite RCA outputs, which they replace.

Connect the loudspeaker cables to the amplifier and make sure the polarities are correct (+

fig. 6

+ ; - -) (fig. 6).

WARNING

The FP Dual Direct amplifier is not recommended for load impedances under 2Ω.

3.6 - Get the positive (+) power supply cable ready for connection to the amplifier by removing 1cm of the

plastic coating from the end of it. Tin this part of the cable using a soldering iron and tin the wire. Insert the
plastic-free tinned part of it in the amplifier’s “+ BATT” terminal, then secure the cable in place by screwing
it in tightly.

WARNING

The cable that links the positive (+) terminal to the battery at the amplifier’s “+ BATT” binding post terminal
must ABSOLUTELY be fused (see current ratings listed in the table on page 7) not more than 40cm from the
vehicle’s battery. The connections on the fuse-holder must be fully insulated.

INSTALLATION

3.7.1 - The implementation phase of the fuse holder for a safe installation can now be commenced. The fuse

holder should be linked at both end of the positive (+) power cable. It should be placed close to the battery
{10 to 40cm. (fig. 7)}. Remove the fuse holder taking care to remove the fuse. Fix the fuse holder’s fuse
base. Cut the red power cable between 10 and 40cm. (maximum) from the battery
then solder. Screw the cable to the holder base.

fig. 7

40 cm max

(fig. 7). Strip 1 cm. (fig.3),

10

3.7.2 - Collect the remaining scrap cable. Strip 1cm.

holder terminal. Tin the end of the power supply cable before you connect it to the battery’s positive (+)
terminal. Weld the end of the cable to the terminal lug that is going to be used for the battery’s positive (+)
terminal. Connect the terminal lug to the battery’s positive terminal.

3.8 - Insert the fuse into the fuse-holder(s), and screw in tightly.

3.9 - Connect the loudspeaker cables to the right and left channel crossover networks, making sure that

the polarities are the same (note: + = cable with a red border if you are using a Focal kit) as those used
for standard cabling set-ups. The FP Dual Direct can operate in bridged mode (see product specifications
page 14) for amplifying subwoofers. To do so, simply connect the positive (+) loudspeaker cable to the left
channel’s (“LEFT”) positive (+) binding post terminal and connect the negative (-) loudspeaker cable to the
right channel’s (“RIGHT”) negative (-) binding post terminal.

CAUTION: When connecting several subwoofers, check for the impedance compatibility. The FP Dual Direct
amplifier should ONLY be used with load impedances between 2 and 4 Ohms.

NOTE:

Loudspeakers coils have specific impedances (generally 4, 2 or 1Ω). The nominal power of the amplifier
depends on the load impedance to which it is connected. The lower the load impedance, the higher the power
supplied by the amplifier. Connection of several subwoofers on a single one and same channel of the amplifier
allows the impedance to vary as follows:

(fig.3), then solder. Screw the cable to the other fuse

INSTALLATION

• Connection in series of several subwoofers of the same impedance:

Total impedance = Nominal impedance X number of subwoofer(s)

fig. 9

• Parallel connection of several subwoofers of the same impedance:

Total impedance = Nominal impedance/number of subwoofer(s) and/or coils.

fig. 10

11

3.10 - The connection phase is now complete. You must still verify the correct power supply as well as the

correct operation of the complete system (car radio/amplifier/loudspeakers). Set all gains (source, amplifier)
to their minimum. Turn on the different elements. Once all elements are on, carry out a test at low volume,
adjusting the various gains.

NOTE: The FP Dual Direct amplifier has internal fuses. Changing these parts requires the opening of the
amplifier’s rear cover. Only a Focal dealer can change these parts. Please bring the product to your installer
to carry out the change and to thus avoid any damage to the product, electric shock, or cancellation of the
guarantee.

WARNING

Do not open the amplifier or undertake any modifications to the product. There is a risk of accident, fire or
electric shock.