Focal PERFORMANCE FOCAL DIRECT FET User Manual

PERFORMANCE

FOCAL DIRECT FET®

Ultra-compact amplifier user manual /

Manuel d’utilisation amplificateur ultra compact

English page 3

Français page 21

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

Thank you for choosing Focal amplifiers for your Car Audio system and for sharing our philosophy: “the Spirit
of Sound”. This product offers the best of Focal technology in terms of compact class D amplifiers. In order to
obtain the best results, we highly recommend you have your FDS amplifier installed by your local Focal dealer.
To maximise the use of all the functionalities of your amplifier and to fully enjoy its performance, we recommend
you thoroughly read all the instructions in this manual. We recommend you keep this manual for future reference.
Any problems due to the non-compliance of these rules may void the warranty.

English version

Please validate your Focal-JMlab warranty,
it is now possible to register your product online: www.focal.com/warranty

WARNING

This symbol indicates important instructions. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in
injury or material damage.

Contents

- 1 FDS amplifier 4.350 or FDS 2.350 or FDS 1.350

- 1 user manual

- 1 set of accessories

The Focal guarantee only applies if the enclosed guarantee card

is returned to us within 10 days of purchase.

Your Focal-JMlab product was developed and manufactured with high-quality materials and components
which can be recycled and/or re-used. This symbol indicates that electrical and electronic equipment
must be disposed of separately from normal garbage at the end of its operational lifetime.Please dispose
of this product by bringing it to your local collection point or recycling centre for such equipment. This will
help to protect the environment in which we all live.

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

WARNING

• Do not operate any functions which may distract you while driving. Functions requiring sustained attention must
only be used when the vehicle is at a complete standstill. Always make sure to stop your vehicle in a safe place
before operating these functions. Failure to do so may cause an accident.

• Keep the volume at a low level to be able to hear exterior noises while driving the vehicle. Failure to do so may
cause an accident.

• Do not open your FDS amplifier or make any modifications to the product. Failure to do so may cause an accident,
a fire or an electric shock.

• Only use your FDS amplifier with 12V mobile applications. Any use other than the intended use may cause a fire,
an electric shock or injury.

• Use fuses with the adequate amperage. Failure to do so may cause a fire or an electric shock.

• Do not obstruct the heat sink on your FDS amplifier. Internal overheating may occur and cause a fire.

• Wire the connections correctly. Make sure you use the appropriate wire gauge and type of cable. Failure to do so

may cause a fire, injury and/or material damage.

• Do not use nuts or bolts on steering or breaking systems, tanks, seat-belt anchor points or other safety

elements for connecting the ground. Using of these parts as ground may deactivate the vehicle’s control system
and cause a fire or other damage.

• Keep small parts which could be swallowed, such as bolts, accessories or screws out of the reach of children.

Swallowing such parts may cause to serious injury. If swallowed, consult a physician.

3

• Before beginning installation, disconnect the negative terminal of the battery to avoid any risk of injury, fire or

material damage. (fig. 1)

fig. 1

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

CAUTION

Prolonged listening at high volumes, over 110dB, can cause long-term damage to your hearing. Listening at
volumes over 130dB, even for short periods of time, can cause permanent damage to your hearing.

Stop operation in the event of a problem. Failure to comply with this precaution may cause injury or material
damage. If a malfunction persists, return the equipment to your Focal dealer for repair.

Use the specified accessories and be sure to install them correctly. Only use the accessories specified in the

user manual and those which are supplied in the packaging. The use of other components could cause internal
damage to the equipment, and its installation may not be carried out correctly. The parts used may become loose
and cause damage or a technical malfunction of the equipment. Failure to do so may cause an accident, a fire or an
electric shock.

Do not install in very humid or dusty places. Avoid installing the equipment in places with high levels of humidity or
with an excessive presence of dust. Humidity or dust getting inside the equipment may cause a technical malfunction.

4

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

Installing your FDS amplifier

Installation of this product requires technical knowledge and experience. If you are uncertain of your ability to

correctly install the amplifier, we strongly recommend you contact your Focal dealer who will install it for you,
so that you will be able to take full advantage of the full capabilities of your FDS amplifier.

Wiring your FDS amplifier

Only use the cables recommended in this manual and the accessories supplied. The speaker cable must ONLY be
used for connecting the amplifier to the speaker drivers. The wire gauge of power cables must correspond with
those indicated in the table (paragraph 3.1) and is according to the power of your amplifier and the length of cable
required. Use double or triple shielded RCA cables to avoid any interference of the low-level signal.

Operating time of your FDS amplifier

Avoid using the amplifier for extended periods of time without starting the vehicle. This may cause the battery to
become flat prematurely.

Cooling system

Do not cover the top of your FDS amplifier as this may cause overheating.

Materials required for installation (in addition to accessories supplied):

• 2 sheaths of an adequate cross section (1 sheath for the power cable, 1 sheath for the speaker cables, REMOTE

cable and RCA low-level wires)

• Multimetre (voltage/amperage)

• Soldering iron + tin solder

• Crimpers

• Wire stripper

• Wire cutter

• Spanner for battery terminal

• Hand drill and matching drill bits

• Heat-shrink tubing of adequate diameter for the different cables

• Power cable of adequate length and wire gauge

• Remote turn-on cable (REM input on amplifier) of adequate length and wire gauge

• Grounded terminal cable of adequate length and wire gauge

• Fuse holder and adequate fuse

• Spade terminal for connecting to positive (+) battery terminal

• Spade terminal for connecting to the chassis of the vehicle (-)

• Screw with a minimum 6mm screw head and its nut for grounding to the chassis of the vehicle

5

Installation:

The following section deals with issues related to the vehicle which must be considered for the installation of your
amplifier. You will save time by planning the layout of the system and wiring in advance.
Please ensure during this preparatory phase, that all the settings remain accessible once the installation is complete.

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

Before beginning the installation, please follow these rules carefully:

1 - After thoroughly reading the user manual, make sure you have understood all the instructions before installing

the amplifier.
2 - Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery before beginning the installation. (fig.1)
3 - To facilitate the assembly, we strongly recommend you unwind all the wires before installing the amplifier.

4 - Route all RCA, speaker and REM cables, away from the power cables in order to avoid any signal interference.

5 - Use quality connectors and Y-type spade terminals on the amplifier terminal board to ensure a reliable installation

and to minimise any loss of signal or power.

6 – Before carrying out any operation, be extremely careful not to cut or drill through the fuel tank, fuel, brake,

hydraulic or vacuum lines, any electrical wiring or safety device.

7 - Never route a wire under the vehicle. Wiring must be installed inside the vehicle. When routing the cables, make

sure they do not impede your driving. Cables obstructing or protruding out from areas such as the steering

column or pedals (brake, accelerator, clutch, etc...) can be extremely dangerous.
8 - Avoid routing wires over or through sharp edges. Any wire routed through metal must be protected with a cable

grommet. Route the cables well away from mobile parts (seat rails…) and sharp or pointed edges. This will avoid

damaging the wires and getting them caught which may cause a short circuit.
9 - Always protect the battery and electric circuit from potential damage with fuses. Install a fuse holder and

adequate fuses on the 12V positive (+) power cable less than 40cm away from the battery terminal. Ideally, this

above-mentioned distance should be as short as possible (fig.5).
10 - Prepare the chassis ground by scraping off any trace of paint on the metal surface in order to ensure proper

grounding. The grounding connections should also be as short as possible and ALWAYS connected to metal

welded to the body or the chassis of the vehicle (fig. 2). The ground point which is generally chosen is the one
connecting the negative terminal of the battery to the chassis of the vehicle.

11 - NEVER install this equipment in the engine compartment of the vehicle. This will void the warranty.

1 - Positioning of your FDS amplifier

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Where to install your FDS amplifier?

Due to the power of the amplifier, heat dissipation is required for correct operation. For this reason, the amplifier
must be installed in a well-ventilated area, particularly the top of the amplifier. Avoid covering or embedding the
amplifier in its installed location.

2 - Mounting your FDS amplifier

Position your amplifier at the desired location and make matchmarks.
Locate the attachment points in your surface by removing the caps at each end.
Use the fixing screws supplied (adapted for wooden surfaces).

3 – Wiring your FDS amplifier

WARNING

If you are uncertain of your ability to correctly install the amplifier and to wire the system properly, get a
Focal dealer/installer to do it for you.

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

CAUTION

Avoid routing power cables close to low-level input cables (LOW LEVEL INPUTS), close to the car aerial

or sensitive equipment and harnesses. High-current power cables can cause interference that affects
audio signal.

CAUTION

Keep the cables as short as possible to maximise the quality of the installation. This will also limit signal
loss.

CAUTION

Before beginning the connection phase, remove the negative (-) terminal of the battery of the vehicle.

(fig.1)

3.1 - What wire gauge should I use for the power cable?

Your FDS amplifier requires a power supply of adequate amperage.
The required wire gauge of power cables depends on the length of wiring to the battery. See recommended wire
gauge in the table below:

Length of cable to the battery in metres

Length < 3 m < 4 m < 5 m < 6 m < 7 m

Cross sectional

area in mm

2

> 4 mm

2

AWG < 11 AWG < 10 AWG < 10 AWG < 10 AWG < 10 AWG

Compliance with these wiring rules is essential for the safety of your electrical Installation and important for
maintaining maximum performance of your FDS amplifier.

> 5 mm

2

> 5 mm

2

> 5 mm

2

> 5 mm

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2

3.2 – Wiring the input and output signals on your FDS amplifier

Route the RCA low-level wires, the speaker cables and the REM cable ensuring to insulate them from other powerful

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

3.3 – Wiring the power supply to your FDS amplifier

3.3.1 – Route the positive power cable (+) making sure when doing so to route the cable to the opposite side of the

cables that you have previously installed – this is to avoid any interference. DO NOT CONNECT THE CABLE
YET.

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

3.3.2 – 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 a perfect connection between the amplifier and the chassis of the vehicle. The
cable and wire gauge must comply with the table in section 3.1. Find a suitable grounding point, then sand it to re­move any traces of paint or other coating to maximising the quality of the contact point. Drill a hole in the metal that
you have previously sanded, making a hole the same diameter as the screw you are using, making sure that there are
no fuel lines, cables or any other sensitive vehicle devices nearby. Crimp the black Y-type spade terminal supplied to

the end of the cable. Screw the black Y-type spade terminal firmly to the GND terminal on your FDS amplifier (fig. 2).

Tin the other end of the cable and then crimp or solder it onto the intended spade terminal. Insert the screw through
the spade terminal, then put the screw and the nut in place and screw tight. (fig. 2)

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fig. 2

3.4 – Connecting the input signals to your FDS amplifier

You can now start the connection phase of the input/output cables.

3.4.1 – Your head unit is equipped with RCA outputs (fig. 3)

Connect the RCA cables to the amplifier. Be careful to respect the polarities (INPUT Left = black or white, INPUT
Right = red). Then connect the other end of the RCA cable(s) to the appropriate RCA* outputs of the head unit (Left

and Right).

Now connect the REMOTE cable to the amplifier (REM terminal) and screw tight. Connect the other end of the
REMOTE cable to the REMOTE terminal on the head unit. Finally, connect the speaker driver cables to the amplifier.
Be careful to respect the polarities (+ with + ; - with -) by using the red and black Y-type spade terminals supplied.

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

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speaker 3

speaker 4

speaker 1

speaker 2

speaker 1

RCA 1/2

RCA 3/4

Remote

fig. 3.1 - FDS 4.350

RCA 1/2

speaker 2

Remote

fig. 3.2 - FDS 2.350

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

Simple voice coil speaker

Minimum 2 ohms

Remote

fig. 3.3 - FDS 1.350, simple voice coil wiring

Double voice coil speaker

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RCA 1/2

Coil 1 -

Minimum 4 ohms

Coil 2 -

Minimum 4 ohms

RCA 1/2

Remote

fig. 3.3 bis - FDS 1.350, double voice coil wiring

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

Speaker pair

Speaker 1 -

Minimum 4 ohms

Speaker 2 -

Minimum 4 ohms

Remote

fig. 3.3 ter - FDS 1.350, speaker pair wiring

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RCA 1/2

CAUTION

The speaker drivers or speaker driver kits wired to your FDS amplifier must have a minimum impedance of 2 Ohms.
In bridged mode (FDS4.350 and FDS2.350) or dual output mode (for the FDS1.350), the speaker drivers or speaker
driver kits wired to your FDS amplifier must have a minimum impedance of 4 Ohms.
Use of equipment with an inferior impedance will void the warranty.

FOCAL DIRECT FET® PERFORMANCE

User manual

3.6 – Wiring power supply to your FDS amplifier

CAUTION

The cable connecting the positive (+) terminal of the battery to the “+ BATT” terminal of the amplifier MUST be fused
(ampere rating: 30 amperes) less than 40cm away from the battery of the vehicle.
The connections on the fuse holder must be fully insulated.
Open the fuse holder, removing the fuse with care. Fix the base of the fuse holder.
Cut a length of power cable between 10 and 40cm (maximum). Strip 1cm, then tin. Screw the cable to the terminal of
the fuse holder (battery side). Crimp the power cable to the intended spade terminal and screw to battery terminal.
Strip 1cm from the remaining length of cable, then tin. Screw the cable to the other fuse holder terminal.

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40cm max

fig. 5

Prepare the positive power cable (+) to connect it to the amplifier by using the adequate Y-type spade terminal, then

block the cable by screwing tight. (fig. 5)