FOCAL Spectral 40th Loudspeaker User Manual

: June 6, 2024
: FOCAL

Table of Contents

Spectral 40th
READ FIRST !
Connections
Positioning
Optimisation
Recommendations for use
Spikes
Break-in period
Special precautions
Choosing the right amplifier
Conditions of guarantee
Documents / Resources
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)

FOCAL Spectral 40th Loudspeaker

Spectral 40th

Type	3-way bass-reflex floorstanding speaker
Drivers	2 x 71/16 ” (18cm) K2 woofer

READ FIRST !

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS !

| The exclamation mark represented in an equilateral triangle is intended to alert users to the existence of important instructions in the user manual relating to the use and maintenance of the device.
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1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Take the warnings into consideration
4. Follow all the instructions.
5. Do not use this device around water.
6. Only clean with a dry cloth.
7. Keep the loudspeakers away from sources of heat, such as radiators, stoves, heat register or any other devices which give off heat (including amplifiers).
8. Only use fixing devices, stands, tripods, supports or tables recommended by the manufacturer or those supplied with the product. If using a trolley or cart, pay particular attention when moving the equipment to avoid any risk of damage or injury.

9. All maintenance must be carried out by a qualified professional. Maintenance is necessary if any damage has been caused to the device, damage due to liquid spilt on the device or objects inserted into the device, exposure to rain or humidity, a malfunction or physical damage.
10. Do not use accessories not recommended by the manufacturer to prevent any risk of damage or injury.| 11. Never insert an object into the vents on the device. It may come into contact with high-voltage components or cause a short circuit which may lead to fire or electric shock. Never get liquid on the device.
12. Never try to repair this device yourself; opening the device may expose you to high-voltages and other risks. For any maintenance or repairs, contact a qualified professional.
13. When it’s necessary to replace components, make sure the technician uses the components specified by the manufacturer or ones which have exactly the same characteristics as the original. Components which aren’t compliant may cause a fire, an electric shock or other accidents.| 14. After any repairs or an intervention on the device, ask the technician to test the equipment in order to check that the product works correctly and is safe.
15. The device must not be mounted to a wall or ceiling unless intended by the manufacturer.
16. In order to avoid damaging your hearing, do not listen to speakers at high volumes for extended periods of time.
Listening to speakers at high volumes can cause damage to the user’s ears and may lead to hearing problems (temporary or permanent deafness, buzzing in the ears, tinnitus, hyperacusis).
Exposure to excessive volumes (over 85dB) for more than one hour can cause irreparable damage to your hearing.

Connections

Spectral 40th connectors provide reliable, multi-purpose contacts for stripped cables (up to 4mm diameter), fork terminals or banana connectors. It is imperative to respect the connector polarity of both the loudspeaker and the amplifier. The connector marked “+” must be connected to the positive output on the amplifier and the connector marked “-” must be connected to the negative terminal (fig. A). Stereo image and bass perception would be seriously compromised if these conditions are not respected. Choose good quality cables with a cross-section appropriate to their length: your retailer will be able to advise you.

FOCAL-Spectral-40th-Loudspeaker-Operation

Positioning

These loudspeakers have been designed to deliver the most faithful reproduction of all kinds of music. Nonetheless, we recommend following these simple rules to optimise their performance and to guarantee good tonal balance and a realistic sound image.
The loudspeakers should be positioned symmetrically, facing the listening area , ideally forming an equilateral triangle with it. However, these distances may be adjusted to find the ideal compromise according to the design of your interior (fig. B).
The loudspeakers should be positioned at the same height, in the same horizontal plane. Ideally, the tweeter should be positioned at the same height as the listener’s ears in the usual listening position (fig. C).
Do not position your loudspeakers too close to a corner of the room and do not place them too close to a wall. This will induce some unwanted room resonance and artificially increase bass response. On the other hand, if the bass level is considered to be insufficient, you could try moving the loudspeakers nearer a wall to re-balance the bass level (fig. D).

FOCAL-Spectral-40th-Loudspeaker-Operation

Optimisation

For perfectionists, here is a formula for optimal positioning: If A is the distance from the centre of the woofer to the nearest floor or wall, B is the distance to the next closest floor or wall, and C is the greatest distance (A < B < C), the equation B2 = AC defines the ideal loudspeaker position.

Example:
If the centre of the woofer is 20″ (50cm) away from the rear wall (A) and 24″ (60cm) above the floor (B), then the side wall will be ideally 28″ (72cm) away [C = B2 / A = 28″ (72cm)] (fig. E).

Our policy of continual product improvement means that Focal-JMlab reserves the right to modify the technical specifications of its products without notice. Product may vary from images.

Recommendations for use

The behaviour of the loudspeakers depends on the acoustics of the listening room, on the correct positioning of the loudspeakers within the room, and on the position of the listener.
It is possible to tweak each of these parameters to obtain or improve a desired effect.
Stereo perception is imprecise and poorly centred: try moving the loudspeakers closer together and/or have them facing the listening point:
The sound is harsh, aggressive: the acoustics of your listening room are probably too reverberant. Consider using sound-absorbing materials (carpets, upholstered furniture, tapestries, curtains, etc.) and soundreflecting materials (furniture) to absorb or diffuse resonance.
The sound is “flat”, strangled: there are too many sound-absorbing materials in the room, the sound is soaked up, it has no relief. Look for the best compromise between sound-absorbing and sound-reflecting materials in your room. In general, aim to have a reflective wall behind the loudspeakers for the sound to develop correctly. The wall behind the listening area, on the other hand, should ideally be sound-absorbing to avoid rear reflections “contaminating” the stereo image. Furniture can be judiciously placed near the side walls of the room to diffuse sound waves and ensure certain frequency ranges are not excited, particularly in the midrange (suppression of flutter echoes).

Spikes

Spectral 40th floorstanding loudspeakers are equipped with decoupling spikes. These spikes give the floorstanding loudspeakers very good stability, particularly on uneven floors. The height of the spikes supplied can be adjusted to ensure the 4 spikes rest evenly on the floor to prevent any wobbling. Four spike pads are also supplied to protect soft floors such as parquet, etc…

| To fit the pads, tilt the loudspeaker slightly and place a pad underneath each spike, one by one. We strongly recommend that two people do this together, paying particular attention when your hands get near to the spikes, owing to the risk of injury.
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Break-in period

The speaker drivers used in Spectral 40th loudspeakers are complex mechanical components which require a certain time to adapt to operate at their best and to become acclimatised to the temperature and humidity of the listening environment. This break-in period varies depending on the climate and may last a few weeks. To reduce the break-in period, we recommend operating the loudspeakers for approximately twenty consecutive hours. Once the loudspeakers’ characteristics have totally stabilised, you will be able to enjoy your Spectral 40th loudspeakers’ performance to the full.

Special precautions

The only maintenance required for the Spectral 40th loudspeakers is dusting with a dry cloth. If you loudspeaker becomes dirty, we recommend simply cleaning it with a damp cloth. Never use solvents, detergents, alcohol-based or corrosive products, scrapers or scourers to clean the surface of a loudspeaker. Keep the loudspeakers away from sources of heat.

Choosing the right amplifier

It is not an excess of amplifier power that can damage your loudspeakers and speaker drivers but a lack of power. Moreover, if the volume is turned up too high, the amplifier saturates and generates parasite signals that may damage the tweeter. The dynamic capacity and definition of Spectral 40th loudspeakers are sufficient to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of whatever amplifier is connected. Your retailer will be able to help you choose the amplifier best suited to your tastes and budget.

Conditions of guarantee

All Focal loudspeakers are covered by guarantee drawn up by the official Focal 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.

| Correct elimination of this product.
This marking indicates that within the EU this product should not be disposed of with other household wastes. To prevent any risk to the environment or human health, please recycle them responsibly to encourage the reuse of material resources. To return your used device, please use the return and collection systems available, or contact the retailer where you purchased the product. They can recycle this product safely.
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