FOCAL Solution 25 A1 User Manual [fr]

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

Congratulations on choosing Focal automobile vented box. To gain the best results from your
speaker, please ensure you follow these recommendations, and keep carefully this user manual
so that you can consult it later. If not followed correctly any fault observed may not be covered
by the guarantee.

Precautions

For the subwoofer to perform at its best, we recommend to use it in a location where temperature doesn’t
go below 5°C.

• The location must also be dry and offer adequate ventilation.

• The supply voltage requirement is 12VDC (13.8VDC) with the negative connection grounded. Please
make sure that the characteristics of your vehicle correspond with this requirement before connecting the
equipment.

• For safe driving, we recommend that you operate your sound equipment at a listening level that does not
conceal traffic noise.

For safety reasons, it is essential that you securely fix the subwoofer enclosure in the boot (make sure you do
not drill through the petrol tank if you fix it with screws).

Mounting kit included:

- 2 x nylon straps

- 4 x metal roll bar

- 8 x fixing screws

- 1 x template

Français page 15

THE FOCAL GUARANTEE ONLY APPLIES IF PAG E 31 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

User Manual

• 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. A

CAUTION

User Manual

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 distributor 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 (p. 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 a long period of time (from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the amplifier)
without starting the vehicle. Extensive use before starting the vehicle’s engine may lead to the battery going flat.

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

1 2

4

3 4

5 6

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

Mounting

A power supply kit dedicated to this product cabling will shortly be available at your supply.

• Unplug the “+” from the battery

• Make sure you follow the car manufacturer instructions (airbag, alarm system, computer, immobiliser ...).

• Always use battery lead connections.

Cable routing

The 12V supply cables should be passed down one side of the vehicle and the signal cables down the other.
These cables must be suitably protected to avoid any damage to the insulation, especially when feeding the
cable through from the engine compartment to the passenger cabin.

Installation

We have taken time to design a product that will work exceptionally well. To add to this we have included a
fixing kit to ensure the subwoofer remains securely mounted. Please follow the below mentioned steps to ensure
the subwoofer is mounted correctly.

1 - Rear seats must be positioned in their normal fixed position.

2 - Decide the best location possible that suits your automobile and space available. We recommend the

best location for optimum sound quality and most secure is to position behind the rear seats, in the trunk
of the automobile. It can be positioned in either left centre or right side locations. This will not change the
sound quality, as bass frequencies are not directional.

3 - Ensure the area for subwoofer location is clean and tidy. Any loose objects are removed, as they could knock

and damage the subwoofer, and this is not covered by the warranty.

5

4 - Once the location has been decided, carefully attach the fixing template with scotch tape (fig. 1).

5 - Now mark the screw hole positions for the fixing brackets. (Please verify with template).

6 - Drill two holes 2 mm for the 4 fixing brackets, at your defined locations. It is advisable that the drill

depth be reduced to a minimum length, so to prevent drilling to deep into the textile of the seat (fig. 2).

7 - Now carefully position the brackets and one screw per bracket into place (fig. 3).

8 - Now take the two fixing straps and thread through the aperture available on the fixing bracket (fig. 4)

and position the second screw on each bracket.

9 - Now place the subwoofer into position, lay the straps around the grille. These must be positioned at the

extremity of grille, as indicated on diagram, this ensures the straps do not interfere with the driver or port
tube. Ensure the straps are flat and untangled (fig. 5).

10 - Attach the straps and pull tight (fig. 6).

11 - Ensure the cabinet is securely fastened into position. Adjust straps if necessary to maintain a secure hold

to the rear seat.

12 - Your subwoofer is ready for wiring and setting.

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

Wiring

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 preliminary step all the adjustments are accessible once the installation is complete.

Before starting the wiring, 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. (fig. A).

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, loudspeaker, REM and REMOTE CONTROL 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. (fig. 13).

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. (fig. 9).

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

6

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

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. (fig. A).

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.

What power supply wire gauge should I use?

Length

Amperage 0 - 1m 1 - 1.5m 1.5 - 2.3m 2.3 - 3m 3 - 3.8m 3.8 - 6.1m 6.1 - 7.6m 7.6 - 9.5m 9.5 - 13.3m 13.3 - 19m
30A 2.5mm

AWG : American Wire Gauge

2

4mm26mm28mm210mm216mm220mm225mm235mm250mm

13AWG* 11AWG* 9AWG* 8AWG* 7AWG* 5AWG* 4AWG* 3AWG* 2AWG* 0AWG*

7

2

Route the low-level audio cables (RCA), the loudspeaker cables, the REMOTE cable, and the REMOTE
CONTROL cable together and insulate them from other high-power car accessories, and in particular
insulate them from electric motors (i.e. the windscreen-wiper motor, etc.). Retain the full length of the cables
– adjustments can be made later.

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.

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 (see fig. 9), then sand it 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 (see
fig. 8) 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.

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

fig. 8

fig. 9

8

1cm/0.45“

You can now start the connection phase – i.e. connection of the audio signal (RCA), REMOTE, and loudspeaker
cables. Connect the RCAs to the amplifier (see fig. 10), making sure that the polarities are correct (i.e. INPUT
Left = black or white, INPUT Right = red). Connect the other end of the RCAs to the car radio’s RCA* outputs
(Left = left ; Right = right).

fig. 10

If the car radio only has speakers output, you must use the high-level adaptator supplied in
the packaging (see fig. 11).

fig. 11

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

Then connect the REMOTE cable to the amplifier (see fig. 12) – screw it in firmly. Connect the other end of the
REMOTE cable to the car radio’s REMOTE terminal.
Finally, connect the loudspeaker cables to the amplifier and make sure the polarities are correct (see fig. 12).

Connect the REMOTE CONTROL cable to the amplifier (page 13, [9]), and then put the remote control at
the desired location.

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 plastic­free tinned part of it in the amplifier’s “BATT” terminal, then secure the cable in place by screwing it in tightly
(see fig. 13).

fig. 12

9

WARNING

The cable that links the positive (+) terminal to the battery at the amplifier’s “BATT” 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.

You can now start the fuse-holder (the role of which is to make the system safe) installation phase. The fuse­holder must be connected on both sides to the positive (+) power supply cable. It has to be near the battery (i.e.
10cm - 40cm from the battery). Disassemble the fuse-holder, taking care to remove the fuse. Attach the base of
the fuse-holder. Cut the red power supply cable at a distance of between 10cm and 40cm (maximum) from the
battery. Retain the cable you do not use here, as it will be used later, to link the other end of the fuse-holder to
the positive (+) terminal of the vehicle’s battery. Strip 1cm of the cable end, then tin it. Screw the cable into the
fuse-holder binding post terminal. Do not throw away the spare cable that is left over. Strip 1cm of the cable
end, then tin it. Screw the cable into the other fuse-holder terminal (fig. 13).

ACCESS SOLUTION 25 A1

User Manual

WARNING

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

40 cm max

fig. 13

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.

10

Insert the fuse into the fuse-holder, and screw in tightly.

The connection phase has now been completed. Now all you need to do is to check that you have the right
power supply and verify that the overall set-up – car radio + amplifier + loudspeakers – works properly. Set all
gains (both source gains and amplifier gains) to their minimum levels. Switch on the various parts of the system.
Once you have switched on all of the parts, test the system at low sound level.

fig. 14