DIABLO UTOPIA
U s e r M a n u a l
Please validate your Focal-JMlab warranty,
it is now possible to register your product online: www.focal.com/warranty
Thank you for choosing Focal loudspeakers and welcome to the world of high-fidelity sound. These loudspeakers
from the Utopia line feature Focal's most advanced and exclusive innovations, deliver exceptional sound and invite
you to explore a new world of emotion. To make the most of the performance of your loudspeakers, we advise you
read this user manual and keep it handy for future reference to ensure that each listening experience is unique.
"Listen beyond"
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.
Running-in period
The drivers used in the loudspeakers are complex mechanical devices and require run-in period before they deliver
their best performance. They must get adapted to the temperature and humidity conditions of their environment.
This breaking-in period depends on the encountered conditions and can last several weeks. In order to shorten this
period, we advise you to let your loudspeakers operate for about twenty hours at medium level, playing standard
musical programmes, but with a large amount of bass.
Once the components of the loudspeakers are completely stabilized, it is possible to enjoy the real performance of
your loudspeakers.
User precautions
All the products are lacquered in order to offer a resistant cabinet surface and to make the upkeep easy. We
recommend the use of a dry cloth to dust your pair of loudspeakers. If the loudspeaker is stained, then use a damp
cloth. Never use any solvents, detergents, alcohol or corrosive products, scrappers or scouring powder to clean the
surface of the loudspeaker. Avoid placing the loudspeakers near a heat source.
Positioning
The loudspeakers have been engineered to deliver the most faithful sound reproduction, whether they are used for
music or home cinema. In order to enhance their performance, to guarantee a high quality of listening, sound image
and tone balance, it is important to note the following basic rules.
The listening area must be located at the summit of an equilateral triangle whose two other points of insertion are
determined by the position of each speaker. Nevertheless it is possible to modify these distances to find an ideal
compromise according to the particular disposition of the room (fig. A).
Each loudspeaker must be placed at the same height and on the same floor plan. The tweeter should be at the
same height as the listener's ear, when the listener is in their usual listening area (fig. B).
Avoid placing the loudspeakers too close to the room's corners or walls. This will induce some unwanted room
resonance and artificially increase bass response. On the contrary, if the bass level proves to be insufficient, it is
possible to move the speakers closer to the walls to adjust the bass level (fig. C).
Optimization
To please the perfectionists, we shall give an optimum positioning formula :if A is the distance from the boomer
centre to the closest wall (floor or wall), B the intermediate distance and C the longest distance (A<B<C), the
relation B
2
=AC determines the ideal position of the speakers (fig. D).
• Example 1:
The boomer centre is 60cm (24") from the floor (B=60cm) (mini speaker on a foot), standing 50cm (20") from the
back wall (A=50cm), the side wall will be ideally 72cm (28") (C=B
• Example 2:
The boomer centre is 30cm (12") from the floor (column speaker) (A=30cm), 1m (39") from the back wall (C=1m),
the clearance with respect to the side walls will be B=√AC=54.7cm (22").
COLOUR EVO
®
2
⁄ A=72cm).
DIABLO UTOPIA
U s e r M a n u a l
22
Connections
Input sockets ensure reliable multipurpose connections for stripped cables as well as for plugs.
It is imperative to respect the connector polarity of both the loudspeaker and amplifier. The positive terminal
"+" must be connected to the corresponding (matching) amplifier's terminal and the negative terminal "-" to the
negative terminal (fig. E). Stereo image, soundstaging and bass perception would be seriously compromised if
these conditions were not respected.
User instructions
The sound rendition of the loudspeaker strongly depends upon the listening room acoustics, the place of the
loudspeakers and the listening area. These factors can be modified in order to correct or enhance a desired effect.
Should the soundstage be imprecise or not centred, try to move the loudspeakers closer to each other.
Harsh or aggressive sound means that your listening room is probably too reflective. Try to use any absorbing
materials (such as tapestries, sofa, wall coverings, curtains...) combined with reflective materials to absorb or diffuse
resonances.
Should the sound be "flat" or muffled, there are too many absorbing materials in the listening room. The sound
appears to be closed-in, with a narrow stereophonic image. Try to find a better compromise between absorbing and
reflective materials within your listening room.
Generally the wall to the rear of the speakers should be made up of reflective materials so that the sound image
exhibits satisfying volume and width. On the contrary the wall on the rear of the listener should be absorbing
in order to avoid reflections damaging the perception of the stereo soundstage. These reflections may limit the
impression of depth of the sound image. Furniture, such as bookshelves should ideally be placed along the side
walls in order to diffuse sound waves and to prevent some frequencies from being amplified, especially in vocal
range (it removes "flutter echo").
Accessories
Floorstanding loudspeaker systems include four decoupling spikes and four butyl cone and could be screwed, if
necessary, into the four metal inserts situated on the base of the loudspeaker. These spikes ensure a better stability
for floorstanding speakers, particularly if the floor is not perfectly flat and smooth. This stability improves clarity in
bass and midrange by decoupling the system from the floor and thus reducing floor-born resonances.This required
stability allows the energy delivered by the woofer cone to be integrally converted into sound. The enclosed spikes
are adjustable in height.When the use of the spikes proves to be necessary, we advise you to place a piece of metal
(such as a coin) between the floor and the spike in order to avoid scratching a tiled floor.
Bookshelf speakers can be placed on an optional stand specially developed for them.
About amplifiers
Contrary to what one might think, it is not a too powerful amplifier that might damage a loudspeaker, but rather a
lack of power. Actually if the output level of the amplifier is too high it will saturate and distort which will irremediably
damage the tweeter.
The power handling and frequency response of the loudspeakers is good enough to highlight the qualities or weak
points of the amplifiers they are combined with. Let your retailer help you make the right choice, matching your
personal taste and budget.
Our policy of continual product improvement means that Focal-JMlab reserves the right to modify the technical specifications
COLOUR EVO
®
of its products without notice. Product may vary from images.
23