Arcam P7 User Manual

Multichannel Power
Amplifier

2

3

3

Using this handbook

This handbook has been designed to give you all the information you
need to install, connect, set up and use the Arcam FMJ P7 Multichannel
Power Amplifier.

It may be that the P7 has been installed and set up as par t of your
Hi-Fi or home cinema installation by a qualified Arcam dealer. In this
case, you may wish to skip the sections of this handbook dealing with
installation and setting up the unit. Use the Contents list to guide you
to the relevant sections.

SAFETY

Safety guidelines are set out on the following page of this handbook.

Many of these items are common sense precautions, but for your own
safety, and to ensure that you do not damage the unit, we strongly
recommend that you read them. This is a class 1 product and requires
an earth connection.

CONTENTS

Using this handbook...................................................................... 3

Safety guidelines ............................................................................. 4

Safety instructions .................................................................................. 4

Safety compliance................................................................................... 4

Getting started with your P7...................................................... 5

Introduction ............................................................................................... 5

Speaker installation ................................................................................ 5

Cables............................................................................................................5

Installation ....................................................................................... 6

Positioning the unit................................................................................6

Connecting to a pre-amplier......................................................... 6

Connecting to a loudspeakers ........................................................7

Connecting to a power supply....................................................... 7

Operating your P7......................................................................... 8

Front panel layout .................................................................................. 8

Operating procedure ........................................................................... 8

Bi-wiring and bi-amping your loudspeakers............................. 9

Before you start ......................................................................................9

Bi-wiring your loudspeakers ............................................................. 9

Bi-amping your system.........................................................................9

Troubleshooting........................................................................... 10

Fault status indicators........................................................................ 11

Technical specication ................................................................12

Guarantee...................................................................................... 13

On-line registration ............................................................................ 13

OTHER LANGUAGES

Check the Arcam website (www.arcam.co.uk) for further languages.

4

5

Safety guidelines

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

This product is designed and manufactured to meet strict quality
and safety standards. However, you should be aware of the following
installation and operation precautions:

1. Take heed of warnings and instructions

You should read all the safety and operating instructions before
operating this appliance. Retain this handbook for future reference
and adhere to all warnings in the handbook or on the appliance.

2. Water and moisture

The presence of electricity near water can be dangerous. Do not use
the appliance near water – for example next to a bathtub, washbowl,
kitchen sink, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc.

3. Object or liquid entry

Take care that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the
enclosure through any openings. Liquid filled objects such as vases
should not be placed on the equipment.

4. Ventilation

Do not place the equipment on a bed, sofa, rug or similar soft surface,
or in an enclosed bookcase or cabinet, since ventilation may be
impeded. We recommend a minimum distance of 50mm (2 inches)
around the sides and top of the appliance to provide adequate
ventilation. Do not place other equipment directly on top of the unit.

5. Heat

Locate the appliance away from naked flames or heat producing
equipment such as radiators, stoves or other appliances (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.

6. Climate

The appliance has been designed for use in moderate climates.

7. Racks and stands

Only use a r ack or stand that is recommended for use with audio
equipment. If the equipment is on a portable rack it should be
moved with great care, to avoid overturning the combination. As
this amplif ier weighs 31kg, ensure that the equipment rack or stand
is sturdy enough to suppor t this weight.

8. Cleaning

Unplug the unit from the mains supply before cleaning.

The case should normally only require a wipe with a soft, damp, lint­free cloth. Do not use paint thinners or other chemical solvents for
cleaning.

We do not advise the use of furniture cleaning sprays or polishes as
they can cause indelible white marks if the unit is subsequently wiped
with a damp cloth.

Do not spray cleaning products into the ventialtion slots on top of
the unit.

9. Power sources

Only connect the appliance to a power supply of the type described in
the operating instructions or as marked on the appliance.

10. 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, and also the point where they
exit from the appliance.

11. Grounding

Ensure that the unit is grounded properly at all times.

12. Power lines

Locate any outdoor antenna/aerial away from power lines.

13. Non-use periods

If the unit has a standby function, a small amount of current will
continue to flow into the equipment in this mode. Unplug the power
cord of the appliance from the outlet if left unused for a long period
of time.

14. Abnormal smell

If an abnormal smell or smoke is detected from the appliance, turn
the power off immediately and unplug the unit from the wall outlet.
Contact your dealer immediately.

15. Servicing

You should not attempt to ser vice the appliance beyond that
described in this handbook. All other servicing should be referred to
qualified service personnel.

16. 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.

17. Lifting the unit

This amplifier weighs 31kg, so take extreme care when lifting or moving
this unit. We recommend that two people are available to lift this unit.

SAFETY COMPLIANCE

This product has been designed to meet the EN60065 international
electrical safety standard.

5

Getting started with your P7

INTRODUCTION

The P7 Multi-channel Power Amplifier is built to Arcam’s traditional
high quality design and manufacturing standards. It is an extremely
high-performance multi-channel power amplifier, offering up to 150W
per channel. It is obviously well suited to multi-channel home cinema
amplification, and also provides superb quality stereo performance
with two-channel sources. The P7 is an ideal par tner for the FMJ AV8
Pre-amp Processor.

Each power amplifier module is identical, and is electrically isolated
from the other modules by opto-isolated circuitr y which ensures
that each amplifier module has its own isolated supply. This allows the
amplifier to give excellent channel separation and very low distortion.

The P7 also has input and output phono sockets for the signal being
fed to each channel, to allow the signal to be passed on to additional
power amplifiers to drive loudspeakers in other rooms or to bi-amplify
any of the speakers. If the P7 is being used to drive a five-channel
surround sound system, then the spare two modules (‘L surround
rear’ and ‘R surround rear’) can be used in conjunction with the main
(‘L front’ and ‘R front’) modules to bi-amplify suitable front left and
right speakers.

NOTE: For speakers to be suitable for bi-amping, they must have
separate input terminals for bass (LF) and treble (HF) and any links
between these terminals must be removed before using the P7 in
this way.

The P7 can be easily integrated with various types of loudspeakers
currently available, including those that are THX cer tified. Being THX
certified means that the P7 has passed the rigorous THX Ultra2
specification enabling it to reproduce THX Surround EX signals from
both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, when fed from a THX
Surround EX-capable processor, such as the Arcam AV8.

The customised installation of the P7 to a listening room is an
important process which requires care at every stage For this reason,
the installation information is very comprehensive and should be
followed carefully. This manual has been written with the assumption
that the installer is familiar with the installation of audio/video
systems.

SPEAKER INSTALLATION

The P7 allows connection of up to seven loudspeakers (for typical

5.1 and 7.1 installations). The speakers are distributed in the front left,
centre, front right, surround left, surround right, surround back left,
surround back right (see diagram below)

Surround

back left

Surround
back right

CentreFront

left

Front
right

Subwoofer

Surround

left

Surround
right

All speakers, with the exception of the subwoofer, should be arranged
around your normal viewing/listening position (see diagram). The
subwoofer can be placed almost anywhere and we recommend
experimenting with it in various positions to obtain the best result.

Position your front left and right speakers to achieve a good stereo
image for normal musical reproduction as well as for the multi-channel
modes. If they are placed too close together there will be a lack of
spaciousness. Alternatively if they are placed too far apart the stereo
image will appear to have a large hole in the middle and will be
presented in two halves.

The centre speaker allows for a more realistic reproduction of
dialogue and centre sounds as well as wider and better imaging for
stereo effects and background sounds for home cinema use. Do not
compromise on the quality of your centre speaker as it carries all the
dialogue for a home cinema system.

The surround left and right speakers reproduce the ambient sound
and effects present in a multi-channel home cinema system.

The surround back left and surround back right speakers are used to
add extra depth, a more spacious ambience and sound localisation.

A subwoofer will greatly improve the bass performance from your
system. This is useful for reproducing special cinema effects, especially
where a dedicated LFE (Low-Frequency Effects) channel is available, as
with Dolby Digital or DTS Digital Surround encoded discs.

CABLES

We recommend the use of high quality screened analogue, digital
and video cables as inferior quality cables will degrade the sound and
picture quality of your system. Only use cables that are designed for
the particular application as other cables will have different impedance
characteristics that will degrade the performance of your system.
Speaker cable length should be minimized and low resistance wire
should be used throughout to ensure efficient power transmission and
avoid audible distortion.

For optimum soundstage imaging, try to keep the right and left speaker
cables the same length. You are also advised to route the signal cables,
speaker cables and mains power cables away from each other to
minimize interference.

Contact your Arcam dealer or installer for details of suitable cables.

6

7

POSITIONING THE UNIT

 Place the amplifier on a level, firm surface.

 Avoid placing the unit in direct sunlight or near sources of heat

or damp.

 Do not place the unit on top of a power amplifier or other

sources of heat.

 Ensure adequate ventilation.

The P7 has a variable speed fan for cooling. If the unit is placed

in an enclosed space, such as a bookcase, equipment rack or
cabinet, ensure that there is adequate space and ventilation in
the enclosure for air to flow through the ventilation slots and
cool the amplifier. Inadequate cabinet ventialtion may cause the
P7 to shut down due to thermal overload.

The amplifier is designed to run warm during normal

operation.

 Ensure that the equipment rack or stand can suppor t the 31kg

weight of the unit.

CONNECTING TO A PRE-AMPLIFIER

ANALOGUE AUDIO INPUTS

It is imperative to connect the pre-amplifier outputs to the module
for that particluar channel, e.g. connect the left surround output to the
module that will be driving the left surround speaker.

All modules are identical, however, we advise you to make connections
corresponding to rear panel labelling, since the amplifier modules are
muted in pairs. Due to the layout of the power supply circuitry in the
P7, you should connect the correct input signal and loudspeaker to
the recommended channel, or the left/right stereo imaging will not
be optimum.

The outputs from the pre-amplifier should be connected to the

AUDIO IN inputs on the P7. Be sure to note which channel from the

pre-amplifier is connected to which power amplifier module, so that
the correct speaker can be connected to that module and the correct
channel identity can be maintained.

If you wish to use four modules to bi-amplify a pair of speakers, or
would like to bi-amplify using another power amp, then you can take
the signal for that channel and feed it on to the additional modules
using the AUDIO OUT phono socket on that module. The signal is then
fed in to the first module, but also fed on to the second module so that
both modules can bi-amplify the loudspeaker.

12V TRIGGER INPUT

If your pre-amp provides a 12V Trigger output, it can be connected to
the 12V TRIGGER IN socket using a 3.5mm jack. This enables the P7 to be
turned on remotely from the pre-amp.

Note that the trigger input is only active when the central power
button on the front panel is depressed.

POWER INLET

50 – 60 HZ

~230V

3700 VA MAX

12V TRIGGER

IN

+

–

4-16 OHMS

AUDIO

IN

OUT

+

–

4-16 OHMS

AUDIO

IN

OUT

+

–

4-16 OHMS

AUDIO

IN

OUT

+

–

4-16 OHMS

AUDIO

IN

OUT

+

–

4-16 OHMS

AUDIO

IN

OUT

+

–

4-16 OHMS

AUDIO

IN

OUT

+

–

4-16 OHMS

AUDIO

IN

OUT

7. RS BACK

6. R SURR

5. R FRONT

4. CENTRE

3. L FRONT

2. L SURR

1. LS BACK

Installation

7

CONNECTING TO LOUDSPEAKERS

The speakers should be connected to the loudspeaker terminals,
as per the correct input signal. In other words, the Centre channel
speaker should be connected to the module that is being fed the signal
for the Centre channel, and so on, for all the channels.

As with all speaker connections, ensure that polarity is maintained
when connecting the speakers (i.e. red (+) to red; black (–) to black).

To bi-wire or bi-amplify your speakers, refer to the section towards the
end of this Handbook where diagrams are provided. If you are unsure
as to how your system should be connected, or need advice on bi­amping, please consult your Arcam dealer.

Arcam P7 power amplifier

HF

LF

+

+

–

–

+

–

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

OUT

HF

LF

+

+

–

–

HF

LF

+

+

–

–

HF

LF

+

+

–

–

... etc. ...

R surround

rearRsurroundRfront CentreLfrontLsurround

L surround

rear

Outputs from multichannel pre-amp (e.g. AV8)

I

CONNECTING TO A POWER SUPPLY

WRONG PLUG?

Check that the plug supplied with the unit fits your supply and that
your mains supply voltage agrees with the voltage setting (100V, 115V
or 230V) indicated on the rear panel of the unit.

If your mains supply voltage or mains plug is different, consult your
Arcam dealer or Arcam Customer Support on [phone].

MAINS LEAD

The appliance 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 the mains socket. Should you require a new
mains lead, contact your Arcam dealer.

PLUGGING IN

Push the plug (high current IEC line socket) of the power cable
supplied with the unit into the POWER INLET socket in the back of the
unit. Make sure it is pushed in firmly.

The P7 has been designed so that a standard-rating IEC cable (which
has insufficient current rating) cannot be plugged into the P7. Only
high current power cables can be connected.

Put the plug on the other end of the cable into your power supply
socket and switch the socket on.

Basic wiring of loudspeakers (three channels omitted for clarity)

8

9

Operating your P7

P7 MULTICHANNEL POWER AMPLIFIER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

FRONT PANEL LAYOUT

The P7 front panel has a single control: a centrally located power
on/off button.

POWER

Switches the unit on and off. Note that the modules are turned on
individually to stagger the surge created when a powerful amplifier
is switched on (i.e. it provides a ‘soft star t’). This reduces the surge
current drawn from the domestic power supply.

POWER/STATUS LEDS

A separate LED indicates the status of each of the seven channels of
the P7.

The LEDs cycle through red, orange, then green to indicate the status
from powered-up (initialised), stabilised and active respectively.

All LEDs are off in standby mode.

OPERATING PROCEDURE

Once the relevant connections have been made, the P7 can be
switched on using the central button on the front panel.

SWITCHING ON

It is recommended that you switch on your pre-amp or controller
before powering up the P7 power amp.

Normal powering up is indicated by the following sequence of front
panel LED indicators:

1. On pressing the power switch, all LEDs turn red.

2. After approximately half-a-second, the centre LED turns amber.

3. The LEDs continue turning amber from the centre to the edges
in pairs, with intervals of approximately one second.

4. The centre LED turns green and a relay ‘click’ is heard.

5. The LEDs continue turning green from the centre to the edges
in pairs, along with relay ‘clicks’, with intervals of approximately
one second.

If the LEDs do not follow this sequence when the P7 is powered up,
or behave abnormally at any time during use, then consult the table of
‘Fault status indicators’ on page 11 to discover why the amplifier is in
protection mode.

NOTE: It is recommended that if the unit is switched off, then it
should not be switched on again for at least 20 seconds from when
it was turned off. This allows the amplifier’s power supply to discharge
fully before it is switched on again.

SWITCHING OFF

To shut down, switch the P7 power amp off first, followed by the pre­amp or controller.

This eliminates the chance of any ‘thumps’ or power spikes being fed
through to the power amplifier and potentially causing damage to the
system.

9

Bi-wiring and bi-amping loudspeakers

Bi-wiring using one set of connections on amplifier

Recommended bi-amping configuration

Arcam P7 power amplifier

HF

LF

+

+

–

–

+

–

IN

OUT

Arcam P7 power amplifier

HF

LF

+

+

–

–

+

–

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

OUT

BEFORE YOU START

BI-WIRING YOUR LOUDSPEAKERS

Bi-wiring improves the sound of your system because it divides the
high and low frequency signal currents into separate speaker cables.
This avoids signal distor tions arising from the high and low frequency
currents interacting with one another within a single cable, as in
conventionally wired systems.

You will need:

Speakers – with four input terminals each: these will be marked HF
(High Frequency + and –) and LF (Low Frequency + and –).

Loudspeaker cables – two pairs of cables per loudspeaker (which
may be joined at the amplifier end if your amplifier has only one pair
of output terminals per channel, as is the case with P7). Or, a suitably
terminated cable set (a loom, probably prepared by your dealer and
capable of being used for bi-wiring in one length).

How to bi-wire loudspeakers

1. Remove the terminal links on the rear of your loudspeakers.

NOTE: If you do not remove the shorting links from the
speaker terminals, the speakers will still be single-wired!

2. Connect the cables as shown in the diagram below, ensuring
correct polarity at all times.

WARNING: Do not make any connections to your amplifier while
it is switched on or connected to the mains supply.

Before switching on please check all connections thoroughly, making
sure bare wires or cables are not touching the amplifier in the wrong
places (which could cause short circuits) and you have connected
positive (+) to positive and negative (–) to negative.

Always ensure that the volume control on your amplifier is set to
minimum before starting these procedures.

BI-AMPING YOUR SYSTEM

The performance of your system can be further enhanced over that
achieved with bi-wiring, by extending the principle one stage further
to include separate amplification for the low and high frequency drive
units in each loudspeaker enclosure.

To bi-amplify your speakers, connect the speaker terminals from one
module to one pair of terminals on the speaker. Connect another
module, or one channel of a separate power amp, to the other
pair of terminals on the speaker, so that two amplifier channels are
connected to that speaker; one for low frequencies and one for high
frequencies.

Ensure that in all cases, the positive terminals on the speakers are
connected to the positive (red) terminals on the amplifier, and similarly
for the negative (black) terminals.

NOTE: In order to bi-amplify your speakers, your speakers will need
to be bi-wirable, and have positive and negative terminals for both high
frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) information. If your speakers
are bi-wirable, ensure that the links between the HF and LF terminals
are removed.

How to set up a bi-amped system

1. Remove the terminal links on the rear of your loudspeakers.

WARNING: This step is essential or damage to your amplifier
may result which is not covered under warranty.

2. Connect the cables as shown in the diagram below, ensuring
correct polarity at all times.

3. Use interconnect cables to connect the OUT socket of the first
channel to the corresponding IN socket of the adjacent channel
of the power amplifier.

10

11

Troubleshooting

NO LIGHTS ON THE UNIT

Check that:

 the power cord is plugged into the P7 and the mains socket

outlet it is plugged into is switched on.

 the plug fuse has not failed, or a circuit-breaker earlier in the

power supply path has not opened.

 the power button is pressed in.

RED LED PRESENT

Refer to the ‘Fault Status Indicators’ table if you have an unusual
sequence of LEDs.

NO SOUND IS PRODUCED

Check that:

 the correct input has been selected on the pre-amp.

 you have assigned the digital input to the correct input source.

 the volume is turned up to a reasonable level and ‘MUTE’ is not

displayed on the front panel display on the pre-amp.

 your power amplifier(s) are turned on and working correctly.

SOUND IS POOR AND BADLY DISTORTED

Check that:

 all cables are making a good connection. If necessary withdraw

the cable from the connector and plug it back in again. (Turn the
power off before doing this)

 you have selected the correct size of speakers to suit your

system in the setup menu of the processor or pre-amp.

SOUND ONLY COMES FROM SOME OF THE
SPEAKERS

Check that:

 all speakers in the system are connected to the P7.

 you have configured your pre-amp to include all the speakers in

your system.

 you have an appropriate surround sound source selected and

playing through the pre-amp.

 for digital sources, check the player is outputting multichannel

data. With some DVD players you are able to select in what
format multi-format encoded discs are outputted, and whether
multichannel data is down mixed to PCM (stereo).

 the disc you are playing is a multichannel recording and that the

processor is outputting multichannel audio.

 your speaker balance is correct.

 all amplifiers are turned on and all channels are working

correctly.

 all units are turned on. If the audio is ‘daisy-chained’ from the P7,

make sure that the unit being fed is turned on.

HUM ON AN AMPLIFIER OUTPUT

Check that:

 all cables are making a good connection. If necessary withdraw

the cable from the connector and plug it back in again. (Turn the
power off before doing this)

 if the hum originates from a ground loop caused by an aerial,

satellite dish or cable supply, you should contact your aerial
contractor.

 the signal (interconnect) leads are not wrapped around a mains

lead.

 try switching the ground lift on the back panel of the processor

(if available).

THERE IS RADIO/TELEVISION RECEPTION
INTERFERENCE

The P7 has been designed to a very high standards of electromagnetic
compatibility.

Check that:

 the aerial/dish cable is routed as far as possible from your P7

and its cabling.

 the cabling used from the aerial/dish is of high quality and

screened.

 repositioning the receiving aerial/dish as far as possible from

your P7 and its cabling may bring an improvement.

 if the problem persists, contact your aerial contractor.

 you are using high quality screened audio cable between your

equipment and that no cables are broken or damaged.

11

LED status

All LEDs are green

During power up all LEDs stay red
for an extended time

During power up or normal
operation, one or more LEDs are
flashing green, with the remaining
LEDs solid red

During power up or normal
operation, one or more LEDs are
flashing green, with the remaining
LEDs NOT solid red

During power up or normal
operation, one or more LEDs are
flashing red, with the remaining
LEDs solid red

During power up or normal
operation, one or more LEDs are
flashing red, with the remaining
LEDs NOT solid red

During power up or normal
operation, one or more LEDs are

flashing amber

During power up or normal
operation, one LED is flashing

amber, with the remaining LEDs
solid red

During power up or normal
operation, all the LEDs are flashing

amber

During normal operation, all the
LEDs are solid red

During power up or normal
operation, one or more LEDs are
flashing amber, with the remaining
LEDs flashing green

During power up or normal
operation, one or more LEDs are
flashing amber, with the remaining
LEDs flashing red

FAULT STATUS INDICATORS

The LED patterns below indicate the following fault conditions:

Description

This is the normal operating state of the
amplifier.

The amplifier is waiting for the DC offset fault
lines to clear. A DC offset fault can occur if an
excessive DC voltage is present at the output of
the pre-amp feeding the P7. Normal operation
resumes if the lines clear in 20 seconds.

The DC fault cannot be cleared. The channels
with the flashing green LEDs represent the
amplifier modules that have a DC offset fault.
Alternatlively, a DC offset fault has reoccurred
on the same channel within 12 seconds of a
previous DC offset fault clearance.

The amplifier is attempting to clear a DC offset
fault on a channel with the flashing green LED.

A short circuit fault cannot be cleared. The
flashing red LEDs represent the amplifier
modules with a short circuit fault. Alternatlively,
a short circuit fault has reoccurred on the same
channel within 12 seconds of a previous short
circuit fault clearance.

The amplifier is attempting to clear a short
circuit fault on a channel with the flashing red
LED.

The amplifier is attempting to clear an over
temperature fault on a channel with the flashing
amber LED.

An over temperature fault has reoccurred
on the same channel within 12 seconds of a
previous over temperature fault clearance.The
flashing amber LEDs represent the amplifier
modules with an over temperature fault.

The amplifier is attempting to clear an over
temperature fault on more than one channel, or
the power transformers have overheated.

An over temperature fault has reoccurred
on one or more channels, or the power
transformers have overheated within 12
seconds of a previous over temperature fault
clearance.

A DC offset fault occurred on one or more
channels while attempting to clear a multiple
over temperature fault.

A short circuit fault occurred on one or more
channels while attempting to clear a multiple
over temperature fault.

Amplifier action

None

To verify excessive DC offset voltage, remove
the interconnect leads (with the P7 switchd
off) and turn on the P7. The fault should have
cleared.

The amplifier shuts down. The power switch
must be cycled to reset the amplifier (cycling
the trigger does NOT reset the amplifier).

The amplifer mutes the channel with the fault
and its paired channel. The amplifier stays in
this state for up to two seconds or until the
fault clears (whichever is sooner).

The amplifier shuts down. The power switch
must be cycled to reset the amplifier (cycling
the trigger resets the amplifier).

The amplifer mutes the channel with the fault
and its paired channel. The amplifier stays in
this state for up to half-a-second or until the
fault clears (whichever is sooner).

The amplifer mutes the channel with the fault
and its paired channel and the fan is set to
maximum speed. The amplifier stays in this
state until the channel has cooled.

The amplifier shuts down. The power switch
must be cycled to reset the amplifier (cycling
the trigger resets the amplifier).

The amplifer mutes all channels and the fan is
set to maximum speed. The amplifier stays in
this state until all channels have cooled, or the
transformer has cooled.

The amplifier shuts down. The power switch
must be cycled to reset the amplifier (cycling
the trigger resets the amplifier).

The amplifier shuts down. The power switch
must be cycled to reset the amplifier (cycling
the trigger does NOT reset the amplifier).

The amplifier shuts down. The power switch
must be cycled to reset the amplifier (cycling
the trigger resets the amplifier).

12

13

NOTE: All specification values are typical unless otherwise stated.

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT POLICY

Arcam has a policy of continual improvement for its products. This
means that designs and specifications are subject to change without
notice.

RADIO INTERFERENCE

The P7 is an audio device which has been designed to very high
standards of electromagnetic compatibility.

The unit can radiate RF (radio frequency) energy. In some cases this
can cause interference with FM and AM radio reception. If this is the
case, keep the P7 and its connecting cables as far from the tuner and
its aerials as possible. Connecting the P7 and the tuner to different
mains sockets can also help to reduce interference.

EC COUNTRIES – These products have been designed to comply
with directive 89/336/EEC.

USA – These products comply with FCC requirements.

Technical specications

All measurements are with 230V/50Hz mains power

Continuous output power

All channels driven, 20Hz—20kHz, 8Ω 150W per channel 1.05kW total
All channels driven, 20Hz—20kHz, 4Ω 230W per channel 1.62kW total
One or two channels driven at 1kHz, 8Ω 160W per channel
One or two channels driven at 1kHz, 4Ω 250W per channel
One or two channels driven at 1kHz, 3.2Ω 300W per channel

Peak output current capability

±25A per channel

Total harmonic distortion

At any level up to rated power, into 4 or 8Ω <0.05% (20Hz—20kHz)
typically <0.005% at 1kHz

Frequency response

±0.2dB (20Hz—20kHz)
–1dB at 1Hz and 100kHz

Residual hum and noise

Ref. full power –122dB, 20Hz–20kHz, unweighted

Voltage gain

x 28.3 (1V input gives 100W/8Ω output)

Input impedance

22kΩ in parallel with 470pF

Output impedance

50mΩ at 20Hz, 1kHz
120mΩ at 20kHz

Power requirements

115V or 230VAC, 50/60Hz, 3kW maximum via heavy duty IEC mains inlet
A soft start system eliminates large inrush currents at switch on

Physical
Dimensions: W430 x D450 x H180 mm
Weight: 31kg (68 lb) nett; 35kg (77 lb) packed

E&OE

13

WORLDWIDE GUARANTEE

This entitles you to have the unit repaired free of charge, during the
first two years after purchase, at any authorised Arcam distributor
provided that it was originally purchased from an authorised Arcam
dealer or distributor. The manufacturer can take no responsibility for
defects arising from accident, misuse, abuse, wear and tear, neglect
or through unauthorised adjustment and/or repair, neither can they
accept responsibility for damage or loss occurring during transit to or
from the person claiming under the guarantee.

THE WARRANTY COVERS:

Parts and labour costs for two years from the purchase date. After two
years you must pay for both parts and labour costs. The warranty does
not cover transportation costs at any time.

CLAIMS UNDER GUARANTEE

This equipment should be packed in the original packing and returned
to the dealer from whom it was purchased, or failing this, directly
to the Arcam distributor in the country of residence. It should be
sent carriage prepaid by a reputable carrier -– NOT by post. No
responsibility can be accepted for the unit whilst in transit to the
dealer or distributor and customers are therefore advised to insure
the unit against loss or damage whilst in transit.

For further details contact Arcam at:

Arcam Customer Support Department,
Pembroke Avenue, Waterbeach, CAMBRIDGE, CB5 9PB, England

Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

PROBLEMS?

Always contact your dealer in the first instance.

If your dealer is unable to answer any query regarding this or any other
Arcam product please contact Arcam Customer Support on +44 (0)
1223 203203 or write to us at the above address and we will do our
best to help you.

ON LINE REGISTRATION

You can register your Arcam product on line at:

www.arcam.co.uk/reg

Guarantee

14

15

NOTES

15

PEMB RO KE AV ENUE, WATE RBEAC H, CA MBRID GE CB 5 9PB , ENGLA ND

telephone [phone] fax [phone] email suppor [e-mail] website www.arcam.co.uk

SH100EIssue 1