Aria Evo X - Speaker FOCAL - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL Aria Evo X FOCAL

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation

openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources

such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9. Only use attachments/accessories

specified by the manufacturer.

10. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod,

bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

11. Refer all servicing to qualified service

personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

13. Do not use this device in tropical

such as lit candles, near the device.

15. The appliance should only be

mounted on a wall or ceiling if the manufacturer allows for this.

16. This product has sharp corners.

Handle it with care.

17. Do not attempt to repair this device

yourself. Opening the device may be dangerous. Contact a qualified professional for all work on the device.

18. When replacement components

are needed, use only the components specified by the manufacturer or components with identical technical features to those of the original product. Using non-compliant components could cause fires, electric shocks or other risks.

19. After any maintenance or repair work

on the device, test it to check that it is working safely.

20. Turn the source to minimum before

connecting the products and turning up the volume. Once the products are in place, gradually increase the volume to a reasonable and comfortable level.

21. To avoid damaging your hearing,

do not listen to loudspeakers at high volumes for long periods of time. Listening to loudspeakers at an excessive volume can cause damage to the user’s ears and may lead to hearing problems (temporary or permanent deafness, buzzing in the ears, tinnitus, hyperacusis). Exposing your ears to a volume higher than 85dB SPL-LAeq for several hours can irreversibly damage your hearing.

22. After removing the product from its

packaging, keep the packaging out of the reach of children. It could present a suocation risk.

23. Some users who are not self-

sucient enough to use the product on their own without danger. In particular, children under 14 or people with some types of disabilities must be supervised and/or accompanied when using the device.EN

User manual 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. Thank you for purchasing a Focal product. Welcome to our High-Fidelity world. Innovation, tradition, excellence and pleasure are our values; our one and only aim is to bring you a sound that is rich, pure and true. To get the most out of your product, we recommend that you read the instructions in this booklet, then store it in a safe place to refer to in the future. Handling (fig. A) Aria Evo X N°2/N°3/N°4 loudspeakers weigh almost 20kg. We strongly advise having 2 people lift them during unpacking and installation. Fixing the base (N°2, N°3, N°4) (fig. B, C) To attach the base to the cabinet, firstly turn the cabinet over so that it is resting on its top (on the packaging padding), taking care not to damage the cabinet-work, glass top-plate or speaker cones when carrying out this operation (fig. B). Position the base on the cabinet and screw in the four screws provided. Tighten the screws using the Allen key (fig. C). Positioning screws or feet (N°2, N°3, N°4) (fig. D, E) Screw or unscrew the spikes, depending on the type of floor you are installing your loudspeaker onto, using the bit provided (fig. D). For hard floors, it is preferable to use the plastic feet provided, which should be fitted directly onto the spikes. (fig. E). If you are installing your loudspeaker on carpet, using the spikes will provide greater stability. Grilles (fig. F) Aria Evo X 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. Please validate your Focal-JMlab warranty, it is now possible to register your product online: www.focal.com/warrantyEN

User manual Connections (fig. J, J') Aria Evo X 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. Positioning (fig. 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. G). 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. H). 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. I). Optimisation (fig. I') 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 B

= 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 = B

⁄ 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 sound-reflecting 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).EN

User manual Choice of loudspeaker The Aria Evo X speakers have been developed to operate in stereo and in Home Cinema. If you already have Aria Evo X loudspeakers at the front and want to move to Home Cinema, you must use a central loudspeaker and Aria SR900 loudspeakers for the surround effects. This is the only feasible way to guarantee a perfect tone match and a realistic yet consistent distribution of threedimensional effects in the room. Positioning the centre speaker The central loudspeaker should be placed close to the screen for realistic dialogue reproduction. It can be placed beneath the television if the TV unit allows this. If a standard projection screen is used, the central loudspeaker must be placed below the screen for optimum results. If a micro-perforated screen is used, it can then be placed behind and towards the lower half of the screen. Positioning the satellites - Sit in your listening position - Position the diagram (fig. K) opposite your screen - It will give you the best position for your 5.1 and 7.1 loudspeakers Break-in period The speaker drivers used in Aria Evo X 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 Aria Evo X loudspeakers’ performance to the full. Special precautions The only maintenance required for the Aria Evo X 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 Aria Evo X 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 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.WICHTIGE SICHERHEITSMASSNAHMEN! Deutsch Warnsymbol. Dieses Symbol soll den Benutzer auf wichtige Anweisungen in der Bedienungsanleitung hinweisen, die sich auf die Handhabung, den Betrieb und die Wartung des Geräts beziehen.

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.