Classe Audio 2100 Owners manual
Owner’s Manual
CAP-2100
Integrated Amplifier
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the
user to the presence of uninsulated 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 (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the
Marking by the “CE” symbol (shown left) indicates compliance of this device with the EMC
appliance.
(Electromagnetic Compatibility) and LVD (Low Voltage Directive) standards of the European
Community.
Classe products are designed to comply with international directives on the Restriction of Hazardous
Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment and the disposal of Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The crossed wheelie bin symbol indicates compliance and that the
products must be appropriately recycled or processed in accordance with these directives.
NOTICE
All of us at Classé take extreme care to ensure that your purchase will remain a prized investment. We are proud to inform you that all
Classé components have been officially approved for the European Community (CE) mark
This means that your Classé product was subjected to the most rigorous manufacturing and safety tests in the world. The CE mark certifies
that your purchase meets or exceeds all European Community requirements for unit-to-unit consistency and consumer safety.
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 gener
ates, 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 interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate 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.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
The information contained in the manual is subject to change without notice. The most current version of this manual will be posted on
our web site at http://www.classeaudio.com.
.
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Important Safety Instructions
Caution:
Please read and observe all warnings and instructions in this owner’s manual and all those
marked on the unit. Retain this owner’s manual for future reference.
1. Do not attempt to service this product yourself. Do not open the cover for any reason. There are no
user-serviceable parts inside. An open unit, particularly if it is still connected to an AC source, presents
a potentially lethal shock hazard. Refer all questions to authorized service personnel only.
2. To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to water or moisture. If a liquid does enter
your component, immediately disconnect it from the AC mains and take it to your Classé dealer for a
thorough check-up.
3. Do not place your component near any heat-producing device such as a radiator, stove, etc., Keep
it away from direct sunlight.
4. Connect your component only to an AC source of the proper voltage. The shipping container and
the rear panel serial number tag will indicate the proper voltage. Use of any other voltage may damage
the unit and void the warranty.
5. AC cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items
placed upon or against them. Do not stress the AC cord by stretching it to reach a plug. If damage
does occur to the AC cord, take it to your Classé dealer for a thorough check-up and proper repair or
replacement.
6. If your component will be out of use for an extended period of time (vacation, etc. ), you may wish
to unplug the power cord from the AC source to prevent any chance of problems from a voltage surge
or lightning strike.
7. NEVER wet the inside of this product with any liquid.
8. NEVER pour or spill liquids directly onto this unit.
9. NEVER block air flow through ventilation slots or heatsinks.
10. NEVER bypass any fuse.
11. NEVER replace any fuse with a value or type other than that specified.
NEVER attempt to repair this product. If a problem occurs, contact your Classé dealer.
12.
NEVER expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures.
13.
NEVER operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.
14.
15. ALWAYS unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.
Please record the serial number of your new Classé component here for future reference.
Serial #: __________________
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Contents
Welcome to the Classé family ..........................................................................5
a word about installation .......................................................................... 5
Unpacking and Placement ...............................................................................6
unpacking your integrated amplifier ......................................................... 6
placement ................................................................................................ 6
ventilation ................................................................................................ 6
custom installations .................................................................................. 6
serial number ........................................................................................... 6
register your purchase! ................................................................. 7
operating voltage ...................................................................................... 7
warm up/break-in period .......................................................................... 8
please read this manual… ........................................................................ 8
Special Design Features ...................................................................................9
flexible graphical user interface ................................................................ 9
customizable volume control ................................................................... 9
highly refined circuit design ..................................................................... 9
extensive listening tests .......................................................................... 10
extraordinary longevity .......................................................................... 10
Front Panel .....................................................................................................11
Rear Panel .....................................................................................................14
optional phono preamp ................................................................... 15
The Remote Control .......................................................................................19
The Menu System ..........................................................................................21
operational menu ................................................................................... 21
input selection ................................................................................. 21
tape loop ......................................................................................... 21
main menu system ................................................................................. 22
system setup ........................................................................................... 22
rotary ............................................................................................... 23
input ................................................................................................ 25
phono gain ............................................................................................. 27
triggers ................................................................................................... 27
max volume ........................................................................................... 27
teach IR .................................................................................................. 28
display setup .......................................................................................... 28
brightness ....................................................................................... 29
timeout ........................................................................................... 29
language .......................................................................................... 29
main balance ......................................................................................... 29
remote Fkeys .......................................................................................... 30
cautionary note on Fkey use ......................................................... 30
status ...................................................................................................... 31
version info ...................................................................................... 31
sensors ............................................................................................. 31
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................32
Care and Maintenance ...................................................................................36
cleaning the cabinet ............................................................................... 36
cleaning theLCD touchscreen ................................................................. 36
installing the remote control batteries ..................................................... 36
Specifications ................................................................................................37
Dimensions ...................................................................................................38
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Welcome to the Classé family
Congratulations on your purchase of a Classé product. It is the result of many
years of continuous refinement, and we are sure that you will enjoy it for many
years to come.
We value our relationship with our customers. Please allow us to stay in touch
with you by returning your warranty card now, before you pack up the shipping
carton of your new product and forget all about it. Doing so will enable us to
let you know about any possible future upgrades or updates that might become
available for your Classé component.
Sending in your warranty card also registers your product with us so that
warranty service can be obtained easily and quickly, even if you have mislaid
your original sales slip.
Please, take a few minutes to fill out the warranty registration
card, and drop it in the mail.
You will find the warranty registration card at the end of the separate warranty
policy booklet, enclosed.
a word about installation Every effort has been made to make the Classé CAP-2100 simple and
straightforward to install and use.
Still, we have no way to evaluate many other variables such as the size and shape
of your room, its acoustics, and the associated equipment you have chosen to use
with your amplifier. All of these factors influence the ultimate performance of
your system.
For this reason, we strongly encourage you to have your system
installed and calibrated by your dealer, whose experience,
training, and specialized equipment can make a profound
difference in the final performance of the system.
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Unpacking and Placement
unpacking your
integrated amplifier
Important! Keep all packing materials for future transport of your Classé
placement As with any integrated amplifier, it is best to place the CAP-2100 centrally
Carefully unpack your integrated amplifier according to the supplied
instructions, and remove all accessories from the carton.
product. Shipping your new component in anything other than
its purpose-designed packing material may result in damage
that is not covered by the warranty.
within your system, since it is the hub to which all other components are
connected. It should also be located at a convenient height for both visibility and
use, since you generally interact with your integrated amplifier more than any
other component (changing inputs, adjusting volume, etc.).
Note that adequate clearance for the AC cord and connecting cables
must be left behind the CAP-2100. We suggest leaving eight inches (20
cm) of free space behind your integrated amplifier to allow all cables
sufficient room to bend without crimping or undue strain.
Classé recommends that the unit not be placed directly on the top surface of a
power amplifier (or any other heat source).
ventilation Your Classé integrated amplifier generates a certain amount of heat in the course
of normal operation. Be sure to allow three inches of clearance above it and
three inches to each side to allow heat dissipation through air circulation. Avoid
placement on soft surfaces that would restrict airflow (such as plush carpeting).
custom installations Drawings are included in this manual to facilitate special installations and
custom cabinetry (see the section
rack mount kit is available for this product. Contact your Classé dealer for more
information.
serial number The serial number for your integrated amplifier is found on the rear of the
unit. Please note and record this number on the page entitled Important Safety
Instructions for your future reference.
Dimensions). An optional, purpose-designed
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register your purchase! Having found the serial number, now would be a good time to fill out the
registration card. Please register your purchase so we can advise you of updates
and other items of interest.
It will take only a minute or so. Please complete the card now, before you forget.
operating voltage The CAP-2100 integrated amplifier is set at the factory for 100V, 120V, 230V,
or 240V AC mains operation, as appropriate for the country in which it is to be
sold (230V only in European Union countries, in compliance with CE regulations.)
The voltage setting may not be changed by the user.
Make sure that the label on the rear panel of your power amplifier indicates
the correct AC operating voltage for your location. Attempting to operate your
power amplifier at an incorrect voltage may damage the unit.
Warning: The voltage setting of your power amplifier may not be
changed by the user. There are no user-serviceable parts
within the unit. Please refer any problems to an authorized
Classé service center.
If the AC mains voltage indicated on your integrated amplifier is incorrect,
please contact your local, authorized Classé dealer or distributor.
The CAP-2100 can easily be powered by a normal 15-ampere AC mains line.
If other devices are also powered from the same AC line, their additional power
consumption should be taken into account.
The CAP-2100 includes protection circuitry that will prevent the integrated
amplifier from operating at dangerously high or low voltages.
• At startup: the AC mains voltage must be within a range of
approximately -15% to +10% of its nominal value at startup, or
the amplifier will not turn on. For example, a 120V unit requires
the AC mains to be between approximately 95V–135V in order to
turn on.
• Over-voltage during operation: if the AC mains voltage surges
by roughly 10% or more during operation, the amplifier will enter
protection mode and shut down. The Standby LED will flash to
indicate the protection mode has been engaged.
• Under-voltage during operation: if the AC mains voltage sags by
15% or more, the amplifier will continue to play (since this does
not present a particular danger to the amplifier), but note that
it may not be able to achieve its usual standard of performance
under these compromised conditions. The Standby LED
flash to indicate the condition.
will
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warm up/break-in period Your new Classé integrated amplifier will deliver outstanding performance
immediately. However, you should expect to hear it improve somewhat as
it reaches its normal operating temperatures and its various components
“break-in.” It has been our experience that the greatest changes occur within the
first 300 hours, as the integrated amplifier reaches thermal equilibrium and the
capacitors fully form. After this initial break-in period, the performance of your
new product should remain quite consistent for years to come.
The only exception to this rule is if the unit is unplugged for an extended period
of time, allowing it to cool down. Depending on the degree of cooling involved,
you should expect a brief warm-up period before the sound quality is at its best.
Unless your amplifier was allowed to become quite chilled, subsequent thermal
re-stabilization should not take long. Fortunately, you should never have to
repeat the initial 300 hour break-in period.
please read this manual… Please take a few minutes to review this manual, and to familiarize yourself
with your new integrated amplifier. We understand that you are anxious to plug
everything in and get started. However, reading this manual and following the
advice it gives will ensure that you get all the benefits you deserve from having
purchased such a fine piece of equipment.
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Special Design Features
flexible graphical
user interface
customizable
volume control
The LCD touchscreen on the front panel of your new component supports an
extremely flexible and versatile graphical user interface (GUI) while maintaining
a clean, uncluttered appearance. The CAP-2100 provides a range of controls
that might otherwise require dozens of buttons and knobs on the front panel.
Despite this power and flexibility, it remains simple to operate in day-to-day use.
In fact, in some ways it is even simpler to operate than a more conventional
design might be. For example, if you are not using one or more of the inputs on
your CAP-2100, you can delete the unnecessary buttons from the operational
menu. Doing so prevents anyone from trying to select a non-existent source
component, with the resulting confusion stemming from the lack of any sound.
(Of course, you can easily restore the button if you subsequently add another source
component and need that input.)
The volume control on your new Classé integrated amplifier is controlled by
sophisticated software that allows you to fine-tune its response to suit your
preferences.
Ideally, a volume control would allow you to reach the volume you desire
quickly, and would also provide extremely fine control once you are close to the
“perfect” volume. Of course, these characteristics are in conflict with each other:
one requires the volume to change by quite a lot for a given amount of turning
of the knob, while the other requires small, incremental changes for the same
turn of the knob.
highly refined
circuit design
The volume control system on your CAP-2100 solves this problem by
responding differently based on the specific circumstances (e.g., how quickly you
are turning the knob and where in the volume range you are). After extensive
testing, we feel we have created factory default settings that most people will find
intuitive and a real pleasure to use. However, if you feel you would like to finetune its performance further in order to suit your particular preference, you may
easily do so.
All Classé analog amplification stages are based on circuits that have been
extensively optimized over many years of continuous development.
By starting with excellent circuit designs and working with them over the years,
we are able to discover the many small refinements that add up to superlative
performance, in a variety of applications. Altering a voltage here, or using a
slightly different part there, may make all the difference between solid and
absolutely outstanding performance.
This level of refinement only comes with a great deal of experience, and is
not available to those who flit from one trendy notion to the next. It accounts
in no small measure for both the consistency of sonic performance among
Classé products (as they are all based on similar analog gain stages), and for the
consistently excellent reviews these products receive from owners and reviewers
alike.
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extensive listening tests Excellent measured performance is to be expected in world-class products, and
Classé products deliver that performance. However, experience has shown that
technical excellence alone is insufficient to guarantee subjectively musical results.
For this reason, all Classé products are laboriously fine-tuned during the
development process by carefully controlled listening tests. Our ears are still
some of the finest laboratory test instruments available, and nicely complement
more traditional engineering test equipment. In the course of optimizing the
circuitry for a product, hundreds of decisions are made based on the subjective
impression given by substituting one high quality part for another.
As an example, we may listen to half a dozen 0.1% tolerance film resistor
components of the same value, from several different companies. Standard tests
may show them all to provide identical results in terms of noise, distortion, and
so forth. Yet, almost invariably, one selection yields some small improvement in
the subjective reaction to the performance of the product under development.
Less often, even a single such change can result in a surprisingly large
improvement.
Multiply those various improvements by the dozens or even hundreds of such
decisions that must be made before the product can be finalized for production,
and you have a remarkable improvement, indeed – all based on careful listening
tests, which we view as a necessary complement to the solid engineering you
might rightly expect from Classé.
extraordinary longevity Another benefit of having worked with highly refined circuit designs so
extensively over many years is that we have vast experience in what works well
over the long term.
By using only the highest quality parts to begin with, and then using them in an
informed way as a result of both accelerated aging experiments and actual longterm experience, we are able to design and manufacture products which we are
confident will stand the test of time.
We are confident that your new Classé integrated amplifier will give you many
years of trouble-free reliability and musical enjoyment, just as previous Classé
products have given their owners.
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Front Panel
1 Standby button & LED indicator
The front panel Standby
between operate
, its fully operational state, and a standby mode that leaves
the integrated amplifier off, yet ready to respond to system commands via
any of the supported control options (e.g. IR input, DC trigger, CAN Bus,
or RS-232).
button will toggle the integrated amplifier
The current state of the integrated amplifier is indicated by the
LED on
the standby button on the front panel. When the unit is powered and
switched on, the state of this LED indicates the following:
• on = standby
• flashing (on power-up) = initialization
• off = operate
(dim) = display timeout
• on
• flashing (after power-up) = AC mains voltage out of range
If you are planning not to use the integrated amplifier for an extended
period of time, e.g. vacation or other travel, we suggest you disconnect it
from the AC mains. Please be certain that the integrated amplifier is in
standby prior to disconnecting it from the AC mains.
Also, it is a good practice to physically disconnect any and all valuable
electronics from the AC mains during electrical storms, as a lightning strike
anywhere near your home can put a tremendous surge on the AC mains
that can damage any piece of electronics, no matter how well designed
and protected. The best protection in the case of severe electrical storms is
simply to remove the electronics from any connection with the power grid.
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2 Menu button
Pressing the front panel Menu
replacing the normal operational menu and status display in the LCD
touchscreen.
3 LCD touchscreen
Much of your interaction with the CAP-2100 will be with the LCD
touchscreen (and the CAP-2100’s supplied remote control). It will usually
display the various input selection buttons you would use in day-to-day
operation, along with access to the tape button.
By pressing the Menu button, you can also call up the main menu system
of the CAP-2100, which gives you control over many of the operational
details of the integrated amplifier, including
display options (including the language in which the menu system itself
displays), and several custom-installation capabilities that allow superior
integration of the CAP-2100 into complex systems.
button will call up the main menu system,
system setup options, various
For more information, see the section The Menu System
manual.
4 Mute button
The front panel Mute button reduces the volume of the integrated
amplifier to zero at the touch of a button. Pressing the button a second
time restores the volume to its previous setting.
However, if you increase the volume manually (using either the volume
knob or the remote control) while the Mute button is engaged, the mute
control will disengage and the volume will be set to zero. This approach
is a safety measure, to avoid situations in which the volume might be
adjusted up while muted, only to then have the system un-muted to an
unexpectedly high volume.
5 IR window
The infrared (IR) receiver and transmitter are located behind this
window. Ordinarily, your Classé CAP-2100 must be able to “see” the
remote control from this window in order to respond to remote control
commands.
If your integrated amplifier will be located behind closed doors, or for any
other reason will not be able to “see” the remote control during normal
operation, you may use the rear panel
an IR repeater system to solve the problem. For more information about
using an infrared repeater system to route signals to and from the CAP2100, refer to the section Rear Panel later in this manual, or contact your
local Classé dealer.
IR input and output mini-jacks and
later in this
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