Arcam P85 User Manual

HANDBOOK

A85

P85

P85 /3

Arcam A85, P85 and P85/3 ampliﬁ ers Ampliﬁ cateurs Arcam A85, P85 et P85/3

Arcam-Verstärker A85, P85 und P85/3

English

Français

Deutsch

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 ﬁ lled 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.

5. Heat

Locate the appliance away from naked ﬂ ames or heat producing equipment such as radiators, stoves or other appliances (including other ampliﬁ ers) that produce heat.

6. Climate

The appliance has been designed for use in moderate climates.

7. Racks and stands

Only use a rack 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.

8. Cleaning

Unplug the unit from the mains supply before cleaning. The case should normally only require a wipe with a soft, damp,

lint-free 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.

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 the point where they exit from the appliance.

11. Grounding

Ensure that the grounding means of the appliance is not defeated.

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 ﬂ ow 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 service the appliance beyond that described in this handbook. All other servicing should be referred to qualiﬁ ed service personnel.

16. Damage requiring service

The appliance should be serviced by qualiﬁ ed 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.

Safety compliance

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

A85/P85

English

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 A85 integrated ampliﬁ er or the P85 power ampliﬁ er. The A85 ampliﬁ er is described ﬁ rst, then the P85. The CR-389 remote control handset supplied with the A85 integrated ampliﬁ er is also described.

Your ampliﬁ er(s) may have been installed and set up by an authorised Arcam dealer. In this case, you may wish to go directly to the sections describing the use of this equipment.

Safety

Safety guidelines are set out on the inside front cover 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.

Contents

Safety guidelines 2

Safety instructions 2 Safety compliance 2

Using this handbook 3

Safety 3

Installation: A85 integrated ampliﬁ er 4

Positioning the unit 4 Connecting to loudspeakers 4 Connecting to a power supply 5 Connecting to other equipment 5

Using your A85 integrated ampliﬁ er 6

Front panel controls 6 Recording 7

Setting up your A85 integrated ampliﬁ er 8

Using the remote control 9

CR-389 remote control 9

Installation: P85 power ampliﬁ er 10

Connecting to power, loudspeakers and other equipment 10 Remote switching 10 Three channel option 10

Using your P85 power ampliﬁ er 11

Bi-wiring and bi-amping loudspeakers 12

Before you start 12 Bi-wiring your loudspeakers 12 Bi-amping your system 12

Service information 13

Technical speciﬁ cation 13

Guarantee 14

On-line registration 14

Installation: A85 integrated ampliﬁ er

+ –

PHONO

+ –

SP1

SP2

POWER INLET

PRE OUTPWR IN

6 8 9 bk bl bm bn bo bp54 bq1

4 – 16 OHMS

VOLTAGE

SELECT

230V

RECORD

OUT

PLAY

TAPE 1

RECORD

OUT

PLAY

VCR/TAPE 2 DVD AV TUNER CD AUX

INTEGRATED

PRE/PWR

MM MC

REMOTE

TRIG OUT

7br

Arcam A85 amplifier

+ –+ –

Right

speaker

–

Left speaker

Positioning the unit

Place your ampliﬁ er on a level, ﬁ rm surface. Avoid placing the unit in direct sunlight or near sources of heat

or damp. Ensure adequate ventilation. Do not place the unit in an

enclosed space such as a bookcase or cabinet as both of these will impede air ﬂ ow through the ventilation slots.

A85/P85

Connecting to loudspeakers

You can connect one or two pairs of loudspeakers to your ampliﬁ er, provided each pair is rated between 8–16Ω. If one or both pairs have an impedance of less than 8Ω, the combined load on the ampliﬁ er falls below 4Ω and could cause an overload. If so, the overload protection circuit engages and the ampliﬁ er will not work.

To connect one pair of loudspeakers, use the

SP1 and SP2 terminals

Both sets of loudspeaker terminals can be switched off by pressing the MUTE button on the remote control. To switch SP1 and SP2 independently, use the front panel switch 7 (see page 6) or the remote control (see page 9).

Your ampliﬁ er is ﬁ tted with loudspeaker terminals to BFA (British Federation of Audio) standard speciﬁ cation.

BFA loudspeaker terminals

The terminal will accept spade terminals, bare wires or a BFA plug. BFA plugs are available from your Arcam dealer. To connect a bare wire or spade terminal, unscrew the red (or black) part of the loudspeaker terminal ﬁ rst.

Insert the wire or spade terminal and screw it back up.

CAUTION: Do not over tighten the loudspeaker terminals or use a wrench, pliers, etc., as this could cause damage to the terminals which will not be covered under warranty.

SP1 terminals.

Wiring your loudspeakers

Connect the right speaker to the terminals on the back of your ampliﬁ er marked

R and the left speaker to the terminals

marked L. Connect your loudspeakers so that the red (positive/+) terminal

on each loudspeaker is connected to the red (positive/+) terminal on the ampliﬁ er. Your loudspeaker cables may be marked to show polarity (negative/– and positive/+), if not, then the positive terminal can usually be identiﬁ ed by a ridge or coloured marking.

Now connect your loudspeakers’ black (negative/–) terminals to the black (negative/–) terminals on the ampliﬁ er.

Ensure that no stray strands of inner wires are allowed to touch another cable or the ampliﬁ er’s casing. This can cause a short circuit and damage your ampliﬁ er!

A85/P85

English

Connecting to a power supply

Wrong plug?

Check that the plug supplied with the unit ﬁ ts your supply and that your mains supply voltage agrees with the voltage setting (115V or 230V) indicated on the rear panel of the unit before plugging in.

If your mains supply voltage or mains plug is different, consult your Arcam dealer or Arcam Customer Support on +44 (0)1223 203203.

The product must be earthed.

Mains lead

The appliance is normally supplied with a moulded mains plug already ﬁ tted 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 (IEC line socket) of the power cable supplied with the unit into the socket (POWER INLET) 1 in the back of the unit. Make sure it is pushed in ﬁ rmly.

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

Standby power

For remote standby operation, the ampliﬁ er’s control power supply is kept powered up all the time the unit is connected to the mains supply. The front panel power switch powers down all other circuitry. Power consumption in this mode is less than 2W.

This means that even though the power switch is off, it may be possible to hear a slight residual hum coming from the mains transformer inside the ampliﬁ er. This is perfectly normal. If the unit is to be left unused for an extended period, we recommend that it is disconnected from the mains supply by switching it off at the wall socket.

Connecting to other equipment

The use of high quality interconnect cables to and from your ampliﬁ er is recommended to ensure the best sound quality. Sockets marked connected to sockets marked L (and R) on other equipment. All the line inputs have the same sensitivity and may be used with equipment other than that labelled, if needed.

TAPE1/RECORD OUT

to the input sockets of your cassette deck (usually labelled

RECORD).

TAPE1/PLAY IN

output sockets of your cassette deck (usually labelled PLAY). If you do not have a cassette deck you can use this input for other (line level) equipment, such as a CD player, tuner, VCR, etc., but not a turntable.

VCR/TAPE2 RECORD OUT

be connected to the input sockets of VCR/second recorder (usually labelled RECORD).

VCR/TAPE2 PLAY IN

to the output sockets of your VCR/second recorder (usually labelled PLAY). Alternatively, you can use this input for other (line level) equipment such as a CD player, tuner, etc., but not a turntable.

DVD

player.

L (and R) on your ampliﬁ er should only be

– Connect these output sockets

– Connect these input sockets to the

– These output sockets can

– Connect these input sockets

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of a DVD

– Connect this input to audiovisual equipment such as a

VCR, laserdisc player, satellite or Nicam tuner.

TUNER

radio tuner. CD

player or DAC (digital to analogue converter). AUX

with a line level output, e.g. tape deck, tuner etc.

NOTE: The AUX inputs must not be used if the phono module is ﬁ tted. When this is ﬁ tted AUX becomes an output carrying the equalised phono signal at line level.

PHONO inputs are provided on a separate plug-in module which your Arcam dealer or distributor can supply and ﬁ t. This module is compatible with most high output moving coil and moving magnet cartridges (MM) and low output moving coil cartridges (MC). MM or MC is selected via the MM/MC back panel switch.

Phono earth terminal – For connecting your turntable earth lead (if ﬁ tted). Note that this terminal must not be used as a safety earth.

TRIG OUT and REMOTE IN connections are for use in multi-room installations. In normal use there is no need to make any connections to these sockets. If you are bi-amping with a power ampliﬁ er and wish to power both units on or off simultaneously, see page 11.

Pre/power ampliﬁ er connections

PWR IN 5 – To use your integrated ampliﬁ er as a power

ampliﬁ er, connect the output of your pre-ampliﬁ er to the PWR IN sockets.

Press in the select separate pre-amp/power amp mode. Under these circumstances your A85 has exactly the same speciﬁ cation and performance as a power ampliﬁ er (see page 8).

PRE OUT

ampliﬁ er, connect the PRE OUT sockets to the input sockets of your power ampliﬁ er. With a power ampliﬁ er of the correct gain (e.g. the P85 power ampliﬁ er) you can bi-amplify (‘bi-amp’) suitable loudspeakers, giving signiﬁ cant improvements in sound quality (see page 12).

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of your

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of your CD

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of any unit

– As standard, phono inputs are blanked. Phono

(12V in and out) – These

PRE/PWR switch

– To use your integrated ampliﬁ er as a pre-

on the rear panel to

+ 9 hidden pages