FOCAL 826-D Dolby Atmos Speaker Review User Manual

: August 20, 2024
: FOCAL

Table of Contents

826-D Dolby Atmos Speaker Review
Specifications
Recommendations for use
Special precautions
Choosing the right amplifier
Audio/video amplification
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

CHORA™ 826-D
User Manual

826-D Dolby Atmos Speaker Review

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Specifications

CHORA 826-D	Atmos channel
Type	3-way Bass-reflex floorstanding loudspeaker
Drivers	2 x 6 1/2″ (16.5cm) Slateﬁber 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.

Read these instructions.
Keep these instructions.
Take the warnings into consideration
Follow all the instructions.
Do not use this device around water.
Only clean with a dry cloth.
Keep the loudspeakers away from sources of heat, such as radiators, stoves, heat register or another devices which give off heat (including ampliﬁers).
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.
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.
Do not use accessories not recommended by the manufacturer to prevent any risk of damage or injury.
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
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.
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.
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.
The device must not be mounted to a wall or ceiling unless intended by the manufacturer.
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.

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

http://www.focal.com/warranty/

Thank you for choosing Focal loudspeakers and for sharing our ‘Listen Beyond’ philosophy. These highperformance loudspeakers feature Focal’s very latest improvements in the design of speaker drivers whether it is for high-fidelity sound or Home Cinema. To get the very best out of their performance, we recommend that you read the instructions in this user manual, then store it in a safe place to refer to in the future.

Handling (fig.A)

Chora 826-D loudspeakers weigh more than 20kg. We strongly advise having 2 people lift them during unpacking and installation.
Chora loudspeakers have sharp corners. Take care not to injure yourself when handling your loudspeakers.

Fixing the base (fig.B)
To secure the base to the loudspeaker, place the loudspeaker horizontally on a firm surface (e.g. a table), taking care not to damage the woodwork. Align the base opposite the fixing holes, position the 4 screws supplied and tighten them using the Allen-key provided. Make sure the base is the right way up (upper part at the front of the loudspeaker).
Then simply attach the rubber feet or spikes depending on the type of floor your loudspeaker will stand on. For hard floors, we recommend using the rubber feet.
If installing your loudspeaker on carpet, using the spikes will provide greater stability.

Grilles (fig.C)
Chora loudspeakers are supplied with grilles to protect the speaker drivers. They are easy to fit or remove thanks to their magnetic attachment system.
We advise removing them when you are listening to music to get the best performance from your loudspeakers.
Dolby Atmos® (fig.D)
Your 826-D loudspeakers supports Dolby Atmos®. The loudspeaker has a speaker on top, facing upwards, to use ceiling reflections to achieve Dolby Atmos® effects. Dolby Atmos® technology offers 3D sound, integrating the vertical dimension, i.e. the propagation of sound from a new source of sound emission: the ceiling. This new dimension brings precision and realism to a multi- channel sound experience worthy of home-theater (fig. D).

Connections (fig.E)
Chora 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 . 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.

Dolby Atmos® connections (fig.E)
Be sure to observe the connectors indicated on the back of the speaker. The top connector corresponds to the speaker situated on top of the loudspeaker, which reproduces Dolby Atmos® effects. The bottom connector refers to the speakers on the front of the loudspeaker (fig. E).

Positioning (fig.F,G,H,I)
These loudspeakers have been designed to deliver the most faithful reproduction of all kinds of music or home cinema programmes. Nonetheless, we recommend following these simple rules to optimise their performance and to warranty 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. F).
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. G).
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. H).
For a home cinema setup, please refer to the figure I for the placement of your loudspeakers (fig. I)
CAUTION
With a Dolby Atmos® installation, it is advised not to have any obstacles (shelf, lamp, etc.) less than 3 feet (1m) above the Chora 826-D loudspeaker that could impede the reflection of Dolby Atmos® sound off the ceiling.
Optimisation (fig. J)
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)].

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).

Break-in period
The speaker drivers used in Chora 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 Chora loudspeakers’ performance to the full.

Special precautions

The only maintenance required for the Chora loudspeakers is dusting with a dry cloth. If your 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 Chora 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.

Audio/video amplification

Please make sure your amplifier is Dolby Atmos® compatible.
Recommendations:

If your amplifier is equipped with an auto-calibration function, make sure that your amplifier has the latest firmware.
If you configure the amplifier manually, we highly recommend:
– setting Dolby Atmos® speaker in “Small”.
– doubling the distance of the Dolby Atmos® loudspeakers compared to the front speaker drivers.
– increasing the level until you obtain the desired result.

Conditions of warranty
All Focal loudspeakers are covered by warranty drawn up by the official Focal distributor in your country.
Your distributor can provide all details concerning the conditions of warranty. Warranty cover extends at least to that granted by the legal warranty 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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Tel. (+33) 04 77 43 57 00
Fax (+33) 04 77 43 57 04
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