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ARCAM
ALPHA 9/9P AMPLIFIER
HANDBOOK
Front & Rear Panel Diagrams
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Alpha 9 Integrated Amplifier
P O W E R A M P l . l E i E R
S P 2 |
PHONES |
POWR |
O O (Q
(i) ® 0 0
Alpha 9P Power Amplifier
Safety Instructions " Please read before operating the equipment |
ENGLISH |
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
This product was designed and manufactured to meet strict quality and safety standards. There are, however, some installation and operation precautions which you should be particularly aware of:
1. Read Instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.
2.Retain Instructions - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
3.Heed Warnings - Ali warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
4.Follow Instructions - All operating and use instructions should be followed.
5.Water and Moisture - The appliance should not be used near water - for example near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc.
6.Carts and Stands - The appliance should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer.
6A. An appliance and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the appliance and cart combination to overturn.
7.Wall or Celling Mounting - The appliance should be mounted to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manufacturer.
8.Ventilation - The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings or placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings.
9.Heat - The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
10.Power Sources - The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the appliance.
11.Grounding - Precautions should be taken so that the grounding means of the appliance is not defeated.
12.Power-Cord Protection - Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords and plugs, convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the appliance.
13.Cleaning - Unplug the unit from the mains supply before cleaning. The appliance should normally only require a wipe over with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. If it is heavily soiled then a cloth slightly dampened with a water/washing up liquid solution may be used. Dry the unit afterwards with a dry cloth. We do not advise the use of furniture type cleaning sprays/polishes as this can cause white marks, which are very difficult to remove, if the unit is then wiped over with water.
14.Power Lines - An outdoor antenna/ aerial should be located away from power lines.
15.Non-use Periods - The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for
a long period of time.
16.Object and Liquid Entry - Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through any openings.
17.Abnormal Smell - If an abnormal smell or smoke is detected from the appliance, immediately turn the power off and unplug the unit from the wall outlet. Contact your dealer immediately.
18.Damage Requiring Service - The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
A.The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged or:
B.Objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into the appliance or:
C.The appliance has been exposed to rain or:
D.The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance or:
E.The appliance has been dropped or the enclosure damaged.
19.Servicing - The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instructions.
All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.
Introduction & Installation
INTRODUCTION
The Arcam Alpha 9 integrated amplifier, is derived from the highly successful Arcam Delta 290 model. It is rated at 70 watts per channel into 8 ohms. The Alpha 9 is extremely versatile and suitable for both conventional and Audio Visual (home cinema) based systems.
It can be used as an integrated amplifier or as a preamplifier to drive external power amplifiers. The preamp out sockets also allow the addition of an Alpha 9P power amplifier to give a true bi-amplified system. In this configuration the power amplifiers within the Alpha 9 integrated amplifier are retained to drive the loudspeakers’ treble units whilst using the Alpha 9P to drive their bass/midrange units.
In addition to this the Alpha 9 integrated amplifier can also be used as a stand alone power amplifier via its “power amp in” sockets or combined with suitable loudspeakers and an AV processor, such as the Arcam Xeta 2, to form a very high performance home cinema system.
The Alpha 9P is a matching 70 watts per channel power amplifier designed to complement the Alpha 9 integrated amplifier. It offers an easy upgrade path for owners of the Alpha 9 integrated amplifier (or the Delta 290 integrated amplifier) to provide a bi-amplified system.
It may also be used with Arcam’s Alpha 7 and 8 integrated amplifiers, either as a simple power booster or as part of a high performance bi-amplified system.
It can be used with almost any preamplifier and is ideal for upgrading both hi-fi and Audio Visual systems.
This manual is in four parts:
This section has information relevant to both the Alpha 9 and Alpha 9P.
Alpha 9 integrated amplifier operating instructions.
C.Alpha 9P power amplifier operating instructions.
D.Instructions on how to bi-wire or to bi-amplify (“bi-amp”) your loudspeakers.
N.B. Circled numbers e.g. refer to items on the diagrams inside the flap of the front cover.
Section A
INSTALLATION
O Check that your mains supply voltage agrees with the voltage setting indicated on the rear panel of the unit.
■ If your mains supply voltage is different, consult your Arcam dealer.
MAINS SAFETY
■ This product is normally supplied with a moulded mains plug already fitted to the lead. If for any reason the plug needs to be removed, it must be disposed of immediately and securely, as it is a potential shock hazard when inserted into a mains socket.
Warning: This apparatus must be earthed.
ENGLISH
NOTICE FOR U.K. OWNERS ONLY
If the plug is removed then the remaining lead must be rewired as follows:
The blue wire must be connected to the terminal which is coloured blue or marked with the letter N.
The brown wire must be connected to the terminal which is coloured brown or marked with the letter L.
The green and yellow wire must be connected to the terminal which is coloured green and yellow, or marked with the letter E or the safety earth symbol.
When replacing the fuse in the supplied moulded mains plug, the integral fuse holder/cover must always be refitted. Use a 5 amp fuse.
SAFETY STANDARD
■ This product has been designed to meet the I EC 6! international electrical safety standard.
MAINS SUPPLY CONNECTIONS
e Insert the lEC line socket of the mains lead fully into the power inlet on the rear panel. Connect the other end to your mains supply.
CAUTION: Your Alpha 9 and Alpha 9P generate heat when in use, particularly at higher volumes. It is therefore most important never to obstruct the ventilation slots on the top and bottom of the unit as this will cause overheating.
If the temperature of the internal heatsinks rises above a safe level, then a thermal cut out inside the amplifier will operate. The POWER LED on the front panel will turn amber and the output protection relays will temporarily remove the feed to the loudspeakers. The system will reset itself as the heatsinks cool down.
Please note that under certain conditions it is possible for the Alpha 9 or Alpha 9P's thermal cut out to operate when playing music at very high levels.
This might for example happen when continuously playing heavily compressed rock music "flat out" into low impedance (4-6 ohm) speakers. If this happens to you, the cure is to turn the volume down slightly and ensure the amplifier is properly ventilated.
It is important to point out that when playing a heavily recorded CD it is possible to drive the Alpha 9 at full power despite the fact that the volume control is only at 10 or 11 o'clock. This is because of the high output voltage from a CD player. However the Alpha 9 also has to be capable of giving full power output from much lower level sources, such as tuners and cassette decks. Using these sources, the volume control setting will be much higher before overload sets in.
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