Audiolab 8000AP User Manual

	RS232
8000AP	audiolab
User Instructions

BROWN (Live)

Blue (Neutral)

3A FUSE

BS 1362

Statutory & Safety Information

CAUTION!

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER

NO USER-REMOVEABLE PARTS INSIDE

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL

ADVERTISSEMENT: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE-

NE PAS OUVRIR

This symbol indicates that there are important operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying this unit.

This symbol indicates that dangerous voltage constituting a risk of electric shock is present within this unit.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Read these instructions.

Keep these instructions. In the event that you pass the product to a third party this instruction manual should be provided along with the product.

Heed all warnings. Follow all instructions.

Do not use this apparatus near water. Clean only with dry cloth.

Do not block any ventilation openings.

Install in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wider blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

Use only attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

Use only with a 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.

Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

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.

Warning: To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this product to rain or moisture. The product must not be exposed to dripping and splashing and no object filled with liquids such as a vase of flowers should be placed on the product.

No naked flame sources - such as candles - should be placed on the product.

Caution: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user's authority to operate this device.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by tuning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•Re-orientate or re-locate the receiving antenna.

•Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Mains supply and safety

Class II construction double insulated. These products must not be connected to earth.

Power Cord: An AC power cord is normally supplied with a mains plug suitable for your area. If you have any doubts, consult your dealer about obtaining a suitable power cord.

Mains Supply: The mains voltage of Audiolab units is shown on the rear panel. If this does not match the voltage in your area, consult your dealer. The mains supply fuse is on the rear panel. If it has broken, check for any obvious cause before replacing the fuse with one of the correct rating and type. The fuses for all areas are type T (time lag ) AL 20mm.

The fuse values are: 220-240V:T1.0A 100-120V: 1.6A

Fuse Carrier

The fuse is located in a slide-in carrier which also contains a spare fuse. The carrier can only be pulled

out after the IEC power cord is

unplugged. When the carrier is opened the first fuse is the spare. Remove and safely dispose of the

blown fuse before replacing it.

IEC Mains Connector

Important notice to UK users

The appliance cord is terminated with a UK approved mains plug fitted with a 3A fuse. If the fuse needs to be replaced, an ASTA or BSI approved BS1362 fuse rated at 3A must be used. If you need to change the mains plug, remove the fuse and dispose of this plug safely immediately after cutting it from the cord.

Connecting a Mains Plug

The wires in the mains lead are coloured in accordance with the code: Blue: NEUTRAL Brown: LIVE

As these colours may not correspond to the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows:

The Blue wire must be connected to the terminal marked with the letter N or coloured BLUE or BLACK.

The BROWN wire must be connected to the terminal

marked with the letter L or coloured BROWN or RED.

Audiolab 8000AP User Manual

Contents:

Statutory and Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

Introduction - Players and Formats	. . . . . . . . . . . .	. . . . .	.	. .	.	2
Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . .	. . . . . . . . . . . .	. . . . .	.	. .	.	3

Speaker Placement and Preliminary topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Controls and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	4
Audio and Video Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Other Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	6
System Connection Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7
Remote Handset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Setting Up the 8000AP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	9
Main Menu - Setting Speaker Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	9
Main Menu - Setting Speaker Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10
Main Menu - Setting Speaker Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Main Menu - Analogue Mode Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Main Menu - 5.1 input bypass options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Main Menu - Setting HDMI input options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Main Menu - Other options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Operation - Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Digital Inputs and Screen Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Analogue Inputs and Screen Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Volume and Balance Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Night Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Forced Stereo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Switching off the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Qset Menu -1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Qset Menu - Lip-Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The Qset Menu -Setting the OSD format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Care and Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Service Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

“HDMI, the HDMI Logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.”

Manufactured under licence from Dolby Laboratories. ‘Dolby’, ‘Pro Logic’, ‘AC-3’ and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Confidential Unpublished Works. ©1992-1997 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved.

Manufactured under licence from Digital Theater Systems, Inc. US Pat. No. 5,451,942 and other world wide patents issued and pending. ‘DTS’ and ‘DTS Digital Surround’ are trademarks of Digital Theater Systems, Inc. ©1996 Digital Theater Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

The HDCD system is manufactured under licence from Pacific Microsonics, Inc. This product is covered by one or more of the following patents: USA 5,479,168; 5,638,074; 5,640,161; 5,808,574; 5,838,274; 5,854,600; 5,872,531; Australia 669114. Other patents pending.

Page 1

Introduction - Players and Formats

DVD Players

There are many DVD players on the market and very many formats - more are added all the time, some useful, many not.

Your existing DVD player will support many formats but almost certainly not all. Equally the Audiolab 8000A supports the vast majority of formats but again, not all although every popular format is supported including most High Definition and audiophile formats. Before using the 8000AP please read your DVD and other digital player handbooks to ascertain which formats your player will support.

A Note on High Definition Players

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD (BD/HD) players will offer some or all of the following formats:

Linear PCM - up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio (LPCM), BD

Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound.

DTS Digital Surround 5.1 channel surround sound

DTS-HD

DTS-HD Master

Dolby Digital Plus

Dolby True HD

The 8000AP is HDMI 1.2a compliant and HDMI 1.3 compatible and will in most circumstances allow you to enjoy all of the above formats.

Cycling the processor’s Mode Key will display all the formats available with the current combination of player and disc. In other words the formats available at any time will depend both on the format support built into your player and the actual disc you are playing.

To play uncompressed Linear PCM: Set your BD/HD player to output PCM (typical player settings are 'Auto' or PCM) From the disc, select either the LPCM , Dolby True HD or DTS-HD Master Audio sound track.

Note. Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio are “lossless compressed audio formats”. In other words they are uncompressed Linear PCM (LPCM) tracks 'zipped up' rather like a .zip file on a computer. The built in codec in your BD/HD player will “un-zip” the file and pass the uncompressed LPCM stream on to the 8000AP.

Audiolab 8000AP Supported Formats

The 8000AP features four types of input: Stereo Analogue: 5.1 analogue: SPDIFdigital (optical and coaxial): HDMI.

All these inputs (with the exception of 5.1 analogue) have processing options. The following lists detail the various options that can be applied to the various inputs. It should be stressed that in the case of digital sources, the more esoteric formats are all optional - all DVD discs offer basic multichannel processing and the 8000AP caters for all of those.

Analogue Inputs

	Encoded Format	Decoding Options
		Default in Bold
	Analogue 2.0	Stereo
	(None or ProLogic)	PLIIx Movie/Music
		DTS NEO:6 Cinema/Music
	Analogue 5.1	None
	Pass through

HDMI Inputs

	Encoded Format	Decoding Options
		Default in Bold
	PCM 2 Channel	Stereo
		PLII(x) Movie/Music
	PCM 3-8 Channel	Multi-Channel
		Stereo Downmix
	SPDIF	As SPDIF (below)

SPDIF Digital Inputs - Optical and Coaxial

	Encoded Format	Decoding Options
		Default in Bold
		Dolby Digital 5.x
	Dolby Digital	Dolby Digital EX
	5.x + EX	Dolby Digital + PLIIx Movie/Music
		Stereo Downmix
		Dolby Digital 5.x
	Dolby Digital	Dolby Digital EX
	5.x	Dolby Digital + PLIIx Movie/Music
		Stereo Downmix
	Dolby Digital	Stereo
	2.0 + Surround	PLII(x) Movie/Music
	Dolby Digital	Stereo
		PLII(x) Movie/Music
	2.0
		DTS ES (discrete)
	DTS ES (discrete)	DTS 5.x
		Stereo Downmix
		DTS ES (matrix)
	DTS ES (matrix)	DTS 5.x
		Stereo Downmix
		DTS
	DTS	DTS ES (matrix)
		Stereo Downmix
	DTS 2.0	DTS 2.0
		DTS NEO:6 Cinema/Music
	DTS 96/24	DTS 96/24 (5.x)
		DTS 96/24 Stereo Downmix
	PCM	Stereo
		PLII(x) Movie/Music
	(None or ProLogic)
		DTS NEO:6 Cinema/Music
	HDCD	Stereo

Page 2

1: Preliminaries

Unpacking

Unpack the product fully. The carton should contain:

The Audiolab 8000AP integrated amplifier

One IEC power cord suitable for your area

One Remote Handset with two AAA batteries

This instruction manual.

If any item is missing or damaged report this to your dealer as soon as possible.

Retain the packing for future safe transport of your amplifier. If you dispose of the packing, do so with regard to any recycling regulations in your area.

Placement

Place the processor on a sturdy shelf or table.

The 8000AP is designed to run warm during normal operation - even when put into standby.

Do not place anything on top of the unit. If you are using an equipment rack ensure the 8000AP has sufficient space to allow adequate ventilation and is on its own shelf.

Before you connect the 8000AP to the mains, ensure your mains voltage corresponds to the rating plate on the rear of the product. If in doubt, consult your dealer. If you move house to an area which has a different mains voltage seek advice from an Audiolab appointed dealer or a competent service technician.

Make sure you locate the unit so that the front panel is in view as otherwise the infrared-remote handset will not work.

Before Starting

Your 8000AP ’s performance is determined by the care you take in setting your system up: not merely the processor but all connected sources, amplification and loudspeakers.

Before setting up your processor, review all the handbooks for your existing equipment and confirm that those items are set up correctly. Have a variety of music and video software on hand - you will need them. You will also need a tape measure, and ideally a sound level (SPL) meter.

Loudspeaker Placement

The 8000AP is a 7.1 channel processor. It allows the connection of seven channels: front left, front centre, front right, surround left, surround right, back left and back right, plus a subwoofer channel.

All speakers (with the exception of the subwoofer) should be arranged around your normal viewing/listening position. Don’t worry if you are unable to position your speakers at ideal distances from your preferred listening position, the 8000AP can be set up to take account of different distances. The subwoofer can be placed almost anywhere, but we recommend you experiment to obtain the best result.

Here is the Dolby Labs recommended speaker placement for 7.1 channel reproduction. Speaker placement is important and dependent on room circumstances but this layout is a very good starting point. If you are using a 5.1 or 6.1 layout, adjust accordingly. (If you are using back channels, we strongly recommend that you use a 7.1 layout with two rear speakers rather than a 6.1 layout which only uses one.)

L	C	LFE	R
		22º	30º

	90º
Ls	Rs
	110º
	135º
	150º
Lb	Rb

Phase

Phase is critical in a multi-channel environment. Make sure that your loudspeakers are properly connected.

If you are using different amplifiers:

Some power amplifiers invert the phase - in a mixed system it is just possible that even if all the loudspeakers are properly connected one or more may be out of phase.

All Audiolab power amplifiers are phase coherent so even if you are using different series, the loudspeakers will always be in phase. provided they are properly connected.

Some subwoofers have adjustable phase control, others have a phase inverting switch. You may have to use these controls during the setup procedure. Consult the subwoofer handbook for more information.

Gain and Efficiency

The 8000AP is adjustable across a wide range of volume levels so differences in gain (in power amplifiers) and efficiency (in loudspeakers) can be fully compensated. All Audiolab amplifiers, irrespective of their output power feature the same gain parameters.

Try not to set the subwoofer input volume too high or you may overload the input. Again refer to your subwoofer handbook.

Page 32

2: Controls and Connectors

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Page 4

RS232

2%

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1power/standby LED

2input buttons

3mode buttons

4channel indicators

5Dolby mode indicator

6dts mode indicator

7remote control sensor 8 display screen

9volume knob

9fuse carrier

10IEC mains input socket

11mains on/off switch

12external 5.1 input

13analogue 5.1 outputs

14back outputs (for 7.1)

15coaxial digital inputs

16HDMI output

17HDMI 1 input

18HDMI 2 input

19RS232 (service only)

20optical digital output

21optical digital inputs

22composite video output* (for on-screen setup only)

23tape input/ouput

24stereo analogue inputs

25mains input fuse

3: Audio and Video Connections

Analogue Inputs and Outputs

Standard Analogue Inputs

Your 8000AP has four regular analogue stereo inputs -VCR, SAT, TV, and AUX. These are electrically identical and may be used for any analogue stereo audio source.

There is a 5.1 analogue input, L: R: LS: RS: C: SUB for connection of a multi channel SACD or DVD Audio player. This input is a straight-line pass-through input. The output appears unchanged at the 5.1 outputs of the 8000AP.

These inputs should be connected to a suitable line output on the source component using quality, screened, RCA phono interconnects.

Analogue Outputs

The 8000AP can be configured to any multi-channel combination, from stereo to full 7.1 output. The L (Front Left), R (Front Right), LS (Left Surround) RS (Right Surround) , C (Centre), LB (Left Back) and RB (Right Back) outputs should be connected to the appropriate line inputs of your AV power amplifier using quality, screened RCA phono interconnects.

The SUB output should be connected to the line input of your subwoofer using a high quality, well screened RCA phono interconnect. Tale care not to run the interconnect parallel with mains wiring and other potential interference sources.

Tape Input and Output

The TAPE OUT is a line-level output of the currently selected stereo analogue input. It is unaffected by the volume control. This should be connected to the input of a suitable recorder.

The TAPE IN should be connected to the analogue output of a recorder. If you have a three head recorder you can compare the original and recorded sound during recording

Digital Inputs and Outputs

Coaxial Digital Inputs

Your 8000AP has three identical coaxial digital inputs - CD, DVD, DX1(Digital Aux 1). These should be connected to the SPDIF digital output on the source component using a quality, screened, coaxial digital cable.

Make sure all system components are disconnected from the mains before making or changing system connections!

Optical Digital Inputs

Your 8000AP has four optical inputs - DTV, DAB, MD, DX2(Digital Aux 2). These should be connected to the TOSLINK output on the source component using a quality, optical cable. All connections are electrically identical

Optical Digital Output

The signal at DIGITAL OUT is an unmodified copy of the currently selected digital source, i.e. it is unaffected by the volume control or processing mode. It is not possible to route an analogue source to the digital output. This should be connected to a digital recorder such as a DAT or MD recorder.

HDMI Connections

There are two HDMI inputs. These should be connected via an HDMI interconnect to the output of a DVD player or other AV streaming device. They are identical.

The audio component of the HDMI input is stripped off and routed through the processor. The processed output appears at the analogue outputs of the 8000AP.

The HDMI output may be connected to an HDMI input on your TV screen.

Apart from conducting the mandatory handshaking protocols the video component of the HDMI signal is not processed by the 8000AP. The video signal that appears at your TV is entirely dependent on your DVD player or other source. To get the best video result you should consult the handbooks of the video source component and the TV.

HDMI interconnects carry very high freqiencies and levels of information. For optimum results use high quality interconnects and ensure that they are as short as possible.

HDMI-DVI cables: A DVI enabled graphics card may be connected to the HDMI input of the 8000AP. Likewise the HDMI output may be connected to the DVI input of a Computer monitor. In both cases a HDMI-DVI convertor will be required. There are very real problems with computer graphics cards and monitors when passing High Definition Video signals. Even if they support HD, the lack of High Definition Copy Protection (HDCP) circuitry in many products means that HD signals will be blocked or downgraded to standard definition video. If you are contemplating these connections consult your manuals before proceeding.

Page 5

4: Other Connections

On Screen Display Connections

There is a composite video output labelled OSD. This connection is purely for viewing the Setup menu on your TV screen.

Connect a single RCA video interconnect from the OSD socket of the 8000AP to the Composite Video (CVBS) input on your TV screen. Once you have set up your 8000AP you may disconnect this cable as basic system parameters can be set up from the front panel of the 8000AP.

RS232

The RS 232 connection is for applying patches and upgrades to the software and is specifically for the use of appointed qualified service agents. This connection should never be used in normal operation.

Mains Input

Before connecting the 8000AP to the mains supply make sure that all the other connections to your AV system have been properly and securely made. Switch the mains supply at the wall socket and then using the cable supplied, connect the socket on the back of your 8000AP to an AC supply outlet.

The 8000AP has been designed to remain connected to power at all times to optimise its sonic performance. The 8000AP will automatically switch into standby when first connected to power.

The principal means of disconnection from the mains is the on/off switch located on the rear panel. This must be kept unobstructed and freely operable at all times.

Page 6