Cambridge Audio 840EW User Manual

Pre-Amplifier

User’s manual

2

ENGLISH

840Eazur

2

For your own safety please read the following important safety
instructions carefully before attempting to connect this unit to the mains
power supply. They will also enable you to get the best performance and
prolong the life of the unit:

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,

stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9. 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 wide 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.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly

at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the apparatus.

11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

12. Use only with the 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.

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for

long periods of time.

14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is

required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such
as the power-supply cord or plug being 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 electric shock, do not expose
this unit to rain or moisture.

The unit is of Class 1 construction and must be connected to a mains
socket outlet with a protective earthing connection.

The unit must be installed in a manner that makes disconnection of the
mains plug from the mains socket outlet (or appliance connector from the
rear of the unit) possible. Where the mains plug is used as the disconnect
device, the disconnect device shall remain readily operable. Only use the
mains cord supplied with this unit.

Please ensure there is ample ventilation (at least 10cm clearance all
round). Do not put any objects on top of this unit. Do not situate it on a
rug or other soft surface and do not obstruct any air inlets or outlet
grilles. Do not cover the ventilation grilles with items such as
newspapers, table-cloths, curtains etc.

This unit must not be used near water or exposed to dripping or
splashing water or other liquids. No objects filled with liquid, such as
vases, shall be placed on the unit.

The lightning flash with the arrowhead symbol within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of un-insulated
‘dangerous voltage’ within the product’s enclosure that may be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance
instructions in the service literature relevant to this appliance.

WEEE symbol

The crossed-out wheeled bin is the European Union symbol for
indicating separate collection for electrical and electronic
equipment. This product contains electrical and electronic
equipment which should be reused, recycled or recovered and

should not be disposed of with unsorted regular waste. Please
return the unit or contact the authorised dealer from whom you
purchased this product for more information.

CE mark

This product complies with European Low Voltage
(2006/95/EC) and Electromagnetic Compatibility

(89/336/EEC) Directives when used and installed according
to this instruction manual. For continued compliance only Cambridge
Audio accessories should be used with this product and servicing must
be referred to qualified service personnel.

C-Tick mark

This product meets the Australian Communications Authority’s
Radio communications and EMC requirements.

Ross Test Stamp

This product meets Russian electronic safety approvals.

FCC regulations

NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RADIO OR
TV INTERFERENCE CAUSED BY UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO
THIS EQUIPMENT. SUCH MODIFICATIONS COULD VOID THE USER
AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT.

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 communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and
on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:

- Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.

- Increase the separation between the equipment and 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.

Important safety instructions

CAUTION

Risk of electric

shock.

Do not open.

AVIS

Risque de choc

electrique.

Ne pas ouvrir.

ACHTUNG

Vorm öffnen
des gerätes.

Netzstecker ziehen.

840Eazur

ENGLISH

3

Ventilation

IMPORTANT - The unit will become hot when in use. Do not stack
multiple units on top of each other. Do not place in an enclosed area
such as a bookcase or in a cabinet without sufficient ventilation.

Ensure that small objects do not fall through any ventilation grille. If this
happens, switch off immediately, disconnect from the mains supply and
contact your dealer for advice.

Positioning

Choose the installation location carefully. Avoid placing it in direct
sunlight or close to a source of heat. No naked flame sources, such as
lighted candles, should be placed on the unit. Also avoid locations
subject to vibration and excessive dust, cold or moisture. The unit can
be used in a moderate climate.

This unit must be installed on a sturdy, level surface. Do not place in a
sealed area such as a bookcase or in a cabinet. Any space open at the
back (such as a dedicated equipment rack) is fine however. Do not place
the unit on an unstable surface or shelf. The unit may fall, causing
serious injury to a child or adult as well as serious damage to the
product. Do not place other equipment on top of the unit.

Due to stray magnetic fields turntables or CRT TVs should not be located
nearby due to possible interference.

Electronic audio components have a running in period of around a week
(if used several hours per day). This will allow the new components to
settle down, the sonic properties will improve over this time.

Power sources

The unit should be operated only from the type of power source
indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power­supply to your home, consult your product dealer or local power
company.

This unit has been designed to be left in Standby mode when not in use,
this will increase the life of the amplifier (this is true with all electronic
equipment). To turn the unit off completely switch off on the rear panel.
If you do not intend to use this unit for a long period of time, unplug it
from the mains socket.

Overloading

Do not overload wall outlets or extension cord as this can result in a risk
of fire or electric shock. Overloaded AC outlets, extension cords, frayed
power cords, damaged or cracked wire insulation, and broken plugs are
dangerous. They may result in a shock or fire hazard.

Be sure to insert each power cord securely. To prevent hum and noise, do
not bundle the interconnect leads with the power cord or speaker leads.

Cleaning

To clean the unit, wipe its case with a dry, lint-free cloth. Do not use any
cleaning fluids containing alcohol, ammonia or abrasives. Do not spray
an aerosol at or near the unit.

Battery disposal

Please dispose of any discharged batteries according to local
environmental/electronic waste disposal guidelines.

Loudspeakers

Before making any connections to loudspeakers, make sure all power is
turned off and only use suitable interconnects.

Servicing

These units are not user serviceable, never attempt to repair,
disassemble or reconstruct the unit if there seems to be a problem. A
serious electric shock could result if this precautionary measure is
ignored. In the event of a problem or failure, please contact your dealer.

Cambridge Audio warrants this product to be free from defects in
materials and workmanship (subject to the terms set forth below).
Cambridge Audio will repair or replace (at Cambridge Audio's option) this
product or any defective parts in this product. Warranty periods may vary
from country to country. If in doubt consult your dealer and ensure that
you retain proof of purchase.

To obtain warranty service, please contact the Cambridge Audio authorised
dealer from which you purchased this product. If your dealer is not
equipped to perform the repair of your Cambridge Audio product, it can be
returned by your dealer to Cambridge Audio or an authorised Cambridge
Audio service agent. You will need to ship this product in either its original
packaging or packaging affording an equal degree of protection.

Proof of purchase in the form of a bill of sale or receipted invoice, which
is evidence that this product is within the warranty period, must be
presented to obtain warranty service.

This Warranty is invalid if (a) the factory-applied serial number has been
altered or removed from this product or (b) this product was not
purchased from a Cambridge Audio authorised dealer. You may call
Cambridge Audio or your local country Cambridge Audio distributor to
confirm that you have an unaltered serial number and/or you purchased
from a Cambridge Audio authorised dealer.

This Warranty does not cover cosmetic damage or damage due to acts of
God, accident, misuse, abuse, negligence, commercial use, or modification
of, or to any part of, the product. This Warranty does not cover damage due
to improper operation, maintenance or installation, or attempted repair by
anyone other than Cambridge Audio or a Cambridge Audio dealer, or
authorised service agent which is authorised to do Cambridge Audio
warranty work. Any unauthorised repairs will void this Warranty. This
Warranty does not cover products sold AS IS or WITH ALL FAULTS.

REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENTS AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY ARE
THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY OF THE CONSUMER. CAMBRIDGE AUDIO SHALL
NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR
BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY IN THIS PRODUCT.
EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW, THIS WARRANTY IS EXCLUSIVE
AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES
WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PRACTICAL PURPOSE.

Some countries and US states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of
incidental or consequential damages or implied warranties so the above
exclusions may not apply to you. This Warranty gives you specific legal
rights, and you may have other statutory rights, which vary from state to
state or country to country.

Limited warranty

Plug Fitting Instructions (UK Only)

The cord supplied with this appliance is factory fitted with a UK mains plug fitted
with a 5 amp fuse inside. If it is necessary to change the fuse, it is important that
a 5 amp one is used. If the plug needs to be changed because it is not suitable for
your socket, or becomes damaged, it should be cut off and an appropriate plug
fitted following the wiring instructions below. The plug must then be disposed of
safely, as insertion into a mains socket is likely to cause an electrical hazard.
Should it be necessary to fit a 3-pin BS mains plug to the power cord the wires
should be fitted as shown in this diagram. The colours of the wires in the mains
lead of this appliance may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying
the terminals in your plug. Connect them as follows:

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be
connected to the terminal which is marked
with the letter ‘N’ or coloured BLACK.

The wire which is coloured BROWN must be
connected to the terminal which is marked
with the letter ‘L’ or coloured RED.

The wire which is coloured GREEN/YELLOW
must be connected to the terminal which is
marked with the letter ‘E’ or coloured GREEN.

If a standard 13 amp (BS 1363) plug is used, a 5 amp fuse must be fitted, or if any
other type of plug is used a 5 amp fuse must be fitted, either in the plug or adaptor,
or on the distribution board.

4

Thank you for purchasing this Azur 840E Pre-Amplifier. We hope that
you will enjoy many years of listening pleasure from it.

Cambridge Audio has taken the Azur 840 series to its peak with the
introduction of two new models – the 840E Pre-Amplifier and 840W
Power Amplifier. The 840E is a high-end pre-amplifier which uses
Cambridge Audio’s new proprietary TerraPin™ modules for
unprecedented audio fidelity, forming the perfect partner for the
accompanying 840W power amplifier.

Other features include the use of precision resistor ladders switched by
gold plated relay contacts for the volume and balance controls rather
than the more common solid-state or volume potentiometer schemes.
Volume is controllable in 1 dB steps over most of the range, giving very
fine control, an accurate logarithmic law and superbly accurate channel
balance. Input switching is also by high quality gold contact relays.

Inputs 1 and 2 feature balanced inputs using XLRs giving optimal
performance with equipment such as the matching 840C Upsampling
CD player which feature balanced outputs.

The casework combines massive structural rigidity with careful damping
and control of acoustic resonance. An Azur Navigator remote control is
also provided, giving full remote control in an attractive and easy to use
handset.

We have also included support for multi-room use. By plugging in one or
two external Cambridge Audio Incognito keypads and a power supply
unit, this unit can become the hub of a simple multi-room system. In
addition, Control Bus Input/Output, IR Emitter Input, Trigger In/Out and
RS232 control are featured making it easy to integrate the 840E into a
Custom Installation system if desired.

Your pre-amplifier can only be as good as the system it is connected to.
Please do not compromise on your source equipment, power amplifier
or cabling. Naturally we particularly recommend models from the
Cambridge Audio Azur range, in particular the matching 840W Class
XD™ Power Amplifier. These have been designed to the same exacting
standards as this pre-amplifier. Your dealer can also supply excellent
quality Cambridge Audio interconnects to ensure your system realises its
full potential.

Thank you for taking the time to read this manual; we do recommend
you keep it for future reference.

Matthew Bramble,
Cambridge Audio Technical Director
and the 840E/840W design team

Contents Introduction

Important safety instructions .....................................................................2

Limited warranty..........................................................................................3

Contents.......................................................................................................4

Introduction .................................................................................................4

Rear panel connections..............................................................................5

Front panel controls....................................................................................6

Remote control............................................................................................7

iPod compatibility........................................................................................7

Input connections .......................................................................................8

Power syncing..............................................................................................8

Output connections.....................................................................................9

Mono Bridged connections ......................................................................10

Operating instructions ..............................................................................11

Pre-Amplifier setup ...................................................................................11

Multi-Room connections...........................................................................14

Custom installation use............................................................................15

Technical Specifications...........................................................................15

Troubleshooting.........................................................................................15

Visit www.cambridge-audio.com and register to receive notification of future
hardware and software releases.

This guide is designed to make installing and using this product as easy as
possible. Information in this document has been carefully checked for accuracy at
the time of printing; however, Cambridge Audio's policy is one of continuous
improvement, therefore design and specifications are subject to change without
prior notice. If you notice any errors please feel free to email us at:
[e-mail]

This document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. All rights
are reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced by any mechanical,
electronic or other means, in any form, without prior written permission of the
manufacturer. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.

Incognito, Incognito Ready and TerraPin are trademarks of Cambridge Audio Ltd.
All rights reserved.

Class XD Technology International Patent Pending Cambridge Audio Ltd.

© Copyright Cambridge Audio Ltd 2007

A-BUS and A-BUS Ready are registered trademarks of LeisureTech Electronics Pty
Ltd Australia. This product may be covered by one of more of the following patents
US 7,181,023, 6,389,139, EP 1004222, AU 739808, NZ 502982, Mexico
Z41196, Canada CA2301062.

iPod, Apple and the Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered
in the U.S. and other countries.

840Eazur

ENGLISH

5

Rear panel connections

Power On/Off

Switches the unit on and off.

AC power socket

Once you have completed all connections to the unit, plug the AC power
cable into an appropriate mains socket then switch on. Your unit is now
ready for use.

Trigger In, Out/Thru

For Custom Install use, the 840E can be turned on and off (i.e. brought
in and out of Standby mode) by the presence of 5-12V DC at the Trigger
input. A trigger input will also produce an internally generated 12V DC
trigger output at the Output/Thru connection. Turning the 840E on from
the remote/front panel also produces a 12V DC trigger output at the
Output/Thru connection. This can be used to turn on/Standby a
connected 840W power amplifier if desired. Refer to the ‘Power syncing’
section of this manual for more information.

IR (Infra-Red) Emitter In

Allows modulated IR commands from multi-room systems or IR repeater
systems to be received by the unit. Commands received here are not
looped out of the Control Bus. Refer to the ‘Custom installation’ section
of this manual for more information.

Control Bus

In - Allows un-modulated commands from multi-room systems or other
components to be received by the unit.

Out - Loop out for Control Bus commands to another unit.

Also allows the 840E to turn on/off some Cambridge Audio units,
including the matching 840W power amplifier. Refer to the ‘Power
syncing’ section of this manual for more information.

RS232C

The RS232C port allows external serial control of the 840E for custom
install use. A full command set is available on the Cambridge Audio
website at www.cambridge-audio.com. This port can also be used by
Cambridge Audio service personnel for software updates.

A-BUS™ Ready / Incognito Ready™
multi-room outputs

PSU In - Connect an Incognito PS5 to supply power to the connected
multi-room keypads/speakers.

Keypad 1/2 - Connect one or two Incognito A-BUS KP10 keypads (or
other A-BUS compatible keypads) using CAT5/5e cable. Incognito AS10
Active Ceiling Speakers can also be connected here.

IR - Four IR outputs for remote control of source equipment.

Please refer to the ‘Multi-Room’ section of this manual for more
information on connections and set-ups.

Input 1/2 Balanced Audio

Inputs 1 and 2 feature either unbalanced (phono/RCA) or balanced
(XLR) connections. Either type may be used but not both at the same
time. The balanced connection is the higher quality option and can
reject noise and interference in the cable when used with other
equipment that supports this function. An XLR connector is wired Pin 1

- Ground; Pin 2 - Hot (in-phase); Pin 3 - Cold (phase-inverted).

Use the Balanced/Unbalanced switch (Item 9) to select the connection
type you wish to use. The unused input does not require to be
terminated.

Input 1/Input 2 Balanced/Unbalanced switch

Use to select the connection type for Input 1/Input 2.

Inputs 1-7

These inputs are suitable for any 'line level' source equipment such as
CD players, DAB or FM/AM tuners etc.

Note: These inputs are for analog audio signals only. They should not be
connected to the digital output of a CD player or any other digital device.

Rec In (Input 8)

Connect to the output sockets of a Tape/MD player or other devices that
support recording.

Rec Out 1/2

Connect to the input sockets of your recording device.

Flat/200Hz LP switch

The 840E features a Sub output that is a separate mono mix created
from the main pre-amp outputs. This output can have either a ‘Flat’ (i.e.
full range, unfiltered) frequency response or a 200Hz Low Pass filter can
be applied. Most Subwoofers feature built in Low Pass filtering and ‘Flat’
is usually the best setting. This setting does not affect the main outputs
which are always full-range.

Sub Out

Connect to the input on an active subwoofer if required.

Balanced Pre Out

For connection to the balanced inputs of a power amplifier that support
this type of connection.

Pre Out

For connection to the unbalanced inputs of a power amplifier.

1

1

2

3 4 6 75

9

2

3

8

5

6

9

11

12

13

14

15

16

4

10

7

101112

15

13

14

16

8

Trigger

In Out/Thru In Out

Pre Out

L

L

R

R

GND

Pre Out LeftRight

IR Emitter

In

Balanced Pre Out

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1) This device may not cause harmful interference; 2) This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Left Right

Control Bus

Flat / 200Hz L.P.

Sub Out

On Off

CAUTION

Risk of electric

shock.

Do not open.

Power AC

Power

AVIS

Risque de choc

electrique.

Ne pas ouvrir.

ACHTUNG

Vorm öffnen
des gerätes.

Netzstecker ziehen.

Designed in London, England

azur 840E Pre-Amplifier

Power Rating: 230V AC ~ 50Hz
Max Power Consumption: 36W

www.cambridge-audio.com

Manufactured
in an ISO9001

approved facility

Multi-Room

IR1

Keypad 1

International Patent Pending
LeisureTech Electronics Pty Ltd

PSU

In

IR2

Rec Out 2

Rec Out 2 Rec Out 1 Rec In Input 7 Input 6 Input 5 Input 4 Input 3 Input 2 Input 1

Keypad 2

Rec Out 1Rec InInput 7Input 6Input 5Input 4Input 3Input 2Input 1

RS232C

L

R

Input 2 Balanced Audio

IR3

IR4

Input 1 Balanced Audio

LeftRight

(Unbalanced) (Unbalanced)

GND

LeftRight

Balanced

L

Unbalanced

Input 1

Balanced

R

Unbalanced

Input 2