Classe Audio CDP-502 User Manual

Owner’s Manual

CDP-502

Reference Disc Player

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.

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 oﬃ cially approved for the European Community (CE) mark.

 is means that your Classé product was subjected to the most rigorous manufacturing and safety tests in the world.  e CE mark certiﬁ es that your purchase meets or exceeds all European Community requirements for unit-to-unit consistency and consumer safety.

 is 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.  ese limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.  is 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 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 diﬀ erent from that to which the receiver is connected;

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

CAUTION: Changes or modiﬁ cations to this equipment not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

 is product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by U.S. patents ad other intellectual property rights. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses otherwise authorized by Macrovision. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.

 e information contained in the manual is subject to change without notice.  e most current version of this manual will be posted on our web site at http://www.classeaudio.com.

Marking by the “CE” symbol (shown left) indicates compliance of this device with the EMC

(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).  e crossed wheelie bin symbol indicates compliance and that the products must be appropriately recycled or processed in accordance with these directives.

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

Please record the serial number for your new Classé component here for future reference.

Serial #: ____________________________________________

Important Safety Instructions

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 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 ampliﬁ ers) 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.  e wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not ﬁ t 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 speciﬁ ed by the manufacturer.

12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁ ed 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 qualiﬁ ed 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.

15. Do not expose this apparatus to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects ﬁ lled with liquids, such as vases, are placed on the apparatus.

16. To completely disconnect this apparatus from the AC Mains, disconnect the power supply cord plug from the AC receptacle.

17.  e mains plug of the power supply cord shall remain readily operable.

18. Do not expose batteries to excessive heat such as sunshine, ﬁ re or the like.

 e lightning ﬂ ash 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 suﬃ cient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

 e 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 product.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of ﬁ re or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.

Contents

Welcome to the Classé family ........................................................................... 6

a word about installation ............................................................................ 6

Unpacking and Placement ................................................................................ 7

unpacking your player ................................................................................ 7

placement .................................................................................................. 7

ventilation .................................................................................................. 7

custom installations .................................................................................... 7

serial number .............................................................................................7

operating voltage ........................................................................................ 8

warm up/break-in period ............................................................................ 9

please read this manual .............................................................................. 9

Special Design Features .................................................................................. 10

flexible GUI .............................................................................................. 10

highly refined circuit design ..................................................................... 10

extensive listening tests ............................................................................. 10

extraordinary longevity ............................................................................. 10

Front Panel ...................................................................................................... 11

Rear Panel ....................................................................................................... 13

using the balanced outputs ....................................................................... 13

using the single-ended (RCA) analog outputs ............................................ 14

coaxial digital output ......................................................................... 16

AES/EBU digital output ....................................................................... 16

optical digital output .......................................................................... 16

The Remote Control ........................................................................................ 19

Using the CDP-502 ......................................................................................... 23

CD operational menu ............................................................................... 23

playlist ............................................................................................... 23

controls menu .................................................................................... 24

repeat mode ....................................................................................... 24

shuffle ................................................................................................ 24

time display .......................................................................................24

program ............................................................................................. 24

DVD operational menu ............................................................................ 25

the home screen ................................................................................25

controls .............................................................................................. 25

The Menu System ...........................................................................................26

main menu system .................................................................................... 26

system setup ....................................................................................... 26

teach IR .............................................................................................. 27

display setup ...................................................................................... 27

triggers ............................................................................................... 27

remote Fkeys ...................................................................................... 28

cautionary note on Fkey use .............................................................. 28

status .................................................................................................. 29

version info ........................................................................................ 29

sensors ............................................................................................... 29

CAN-Bus .................................................................................................. 29

features .............................................................................................. 29

hardware setup .................................................................................. 30

using CAN-Bus................................................................................... 31

CAN-Bus shared features .......................................................................... 32

configuration...................................................................................... 32

operate ............................................................................................... 32

AC status ............................................................................................ 32

status .................................................................................................. 32

name .................................................................................................. 32

global brightness ................................................................................ 33

global standby ...................................................................................33

CAN-Bus model specific features .............................................................33

PlayLink ............................................................................................. 33

amp info ............................................................................................34

event log ............................................................................................ 34

display setup menu ................................................................................... 35

brightness ........................................................................................... 35

timeout .............................................................................................. 35

language ............................................................................................ 36

temporary display .............................................................................. 36

colors ................................................................................................. 36

volume display ..................................................................................36

large number volume display ............................................................. 36

System Setup ................................................................................................... 37

the system setup menu system .................................................................. 37

audio setup ............................................................................................... 37

audio delay ........................................................................................ 38

digital output...................................................................................... 38

volume setup .....................................................................................38

distance ............................................................................................. 39

level trims .......................................................................................... 39

video setup ............................................................................................... 39

video standard ................................................................................... 39

aspect ratio ........................................................................................40

resolution ........................................................................................... 40

edge enhancement ............................................................................. 41

color space ........................................................................................41

preference ................................................................................................ 41

audio format ......................................................................................41

audio language .................................................................................. 41

subtitle language ................................................................................ 41

CD autoplay....................................................................................... 41

navigation .......................................................................................... 42

parental control ........................................................................................ 42

Troubleshooting ..............................................................................................43

Care & Maintenance ....................................................................................... 45

Specifications .................................................................................................. 46

Dimensions ..................................................................................................... 47

Welcome to the Classé family

Congratulations on your purchase of a Classé product. It is the result of many years of continuous reﬁ nement, 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. You will ﬁ nd the warranty registration card at the end of the separate warranty policy booklet, enclosed. Alternatively, you may register your purchase online at www.classeaudio.com

Please take a few minutes to register online or fill out the

warranty registration card and drop it in the mail.

a word about installation Every eﬀ ort has been made to make the Classé CDP-502 simple and

straightforward to install and use.

Still, we have no way to evaluate other variables such as the size and shape of your room, its acoustics, and the associated equipment you have chosen to use with your disc player. All of these factors inﬂ uence 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.

Unpacking and Placement

unpacking your player Carefully unpack your disc player according to the supplied instructions, and

remove all accessories from the carton.

Important! Keep all packing materials for future transport of your Classé

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.

placement  e CDP-502 has been designed to operate optimally on any stable and level

surface. Incorporating vibration damping within the CDP-502’s feet and CD/DVD Drive Assembly, a high level of isolation from external disturbances is incorporated.

As with any digital component, it is best to place the CDP-502 somewhat apart from your most sensitive analog electronics, particularly turntables and preampliﬁ ers. Generally, placing it on its own shelf should suﬃ ce.

Note that adequate clearance for the AC cord and connecting cables must be left behind the CDP-502. We suggest leaving eight inches (20 cm) of free space behind your disc player to allow all cables suﬃ cient room to bend without crimping or undue strain.

Classé recommends that the unit not be placed directly on the top surface of a power ampliﬁ er (or any other heat source).

ventilation Your Classé disc player 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 airﬂ ow (such as plush carpeting).

custom installations Drawings are included in this manual to facilitate special installations and

custom cabinetry (see the section Dimensions). An optional, purpose-designed rack mount kit is available for this product. Contact your Classé dealer for more information.

serial number  e serial number for your disc player 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.

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 or register online now, before you forget.

operating voltage  e CDP-502 disc player is set at the factory (internally) for 100V, 120V, 220V,

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.)  e voltage setting may not be changed by the user.

Make sure that the label on the rear panel of your disc player indicates the correct AC operating voltage for your location. Attempting to operate your DVD player at an incorrect voltage may damage the unit.

Warning: The voltage setting of your disc player 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 disc player is incorrect, please contact your local authorized Classé dealer or distributor.

 e CDP-502 includes protection circuitry that will prevent the player 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 player will not turn on. For example, a 120V unit requires the AC mains to be between approximately 95V–135V in order to turn on.

• Overvoltage during operation: if the AC mains voltage surges by roughly

10% or more during operation, the player will enter protection mode and shut down.  e standby LED (Light-Emitting Diode) will ﬂ ash to indicate the protection mode has been engaged. An error message will be displayed on the LCD touchscreen.

• Under-voltage during operation: if the AC mains voltage sags by 15%

or more, the player will continue to play (since this does not present a particular danger to the player), but note that it may not be able to achieve its usual standard of performance under these compromised conditions.  e Standby LED will ﬂ ash to indicate the condition.

warm up/break-in period Your new Classé disc player 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 ﬁ rst 300 hours, as the player 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.

 e only exception to this rule is if the unit is placed in standby or 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 player 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 player. 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 beneﬁ ts you deserve from having purchased such a ﬁ ne piece of equipment.

Special Design Features

flexible GUI  e LCD touchscreen on the front panel of your new component supports an

extremely ﬂ exible and versatile graphical user interface (GUI) while maintaining a clean, uncluttered appearance.  e CDP-502 provides a range of controls that might otherwise require dozens of buttons and knobs on the front panel. Despite this power and ﬂ exibility, it remains simple to operate in day-to-day use.

highly refined

circuit design

extensive listening tests  roughout the development phase, perhaps the most important testing of

extraordinary longevity Another beneﬁ t of having worked with highly reﬁ ned circuit designs so

Classé products are designed to deliver consistent, state-of-the-art performance over many years of use. With this in mind, our engineers have developed electronic circuitry that oﬀ ers both exceptional performance and stability in equal measure.

Starting with innovative circuit designs, we engineer them to optimum levels by applying meticulous attention to detail at all phases of the design and component selection process. By measuring, listening and viewing in an interactive manner we conclude whether our design goals have been met.

Finally, our designs are subjected to extensive testing to ensure longevity, reliability, and stability.

all is listening and viewing our work. Subjective listening is highly valued at Classé, as striking a balance between products that both measure exceptionally and sound fabulous is our aim. We take the same approach with video, wherein sophisticated video measuring equipment is used in conjunction with subjective viewing.

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 conﬁ dent will stand the test of time.

We are conﬁ dent that your new Classé disc player will give you many years of trouble-free reliability and musical enjoyment, just as previous Classé products have given their owners.

LOAD

CDP-502

EJECTMENU

Front Panel

1 Standby button & LED indicator

 e front panel Standby button will toggle the player between its fully operational status and a standby mode that leaves the player 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).

 e current state of the player is indicated by the LED on the Standby button on the front panel. When the unit is powered and switched on, this LED indicates the following:

• On = standby

• Flashing (on power-up) = initialization

• Oﬀ = operate

• Flashing (after power-up) = AC mains voltage out of range

If you are not going to use the player 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 player 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 will easily jump across a simple power switch.  e resulting surge (which may be many thousands of volts) can damage any piece of electronics, no matter how well designed and protected.  e best protection in the case of severe electrical storms is simply to remove the electronics from any connection with the power grid.

2 Menu button

Pressing the front panel Menu button will call up the menu system, replacing the normal status display in the LCD touchscreen of the CDP-502.

3 LCD touchscreen

Most of your interaction with the CDP-502 will be with the front panel LCD touchscreen (and with the CDP-502’s supplied remote control). It will usually display the information you are accustomed to seeing on the front of most CD and DVD players (track number, time, etc.), as well as the basic transport controls. In addition, the touchscreen can be used to preview videos you may be “cueing up” for friends or family, and to navigate DVD-Audio discs’ menu systems without the distraction of having to turn on your main video display.

By pressing the Menu button, you can also call up the menu system of the CDP-502, which gives you control over many of the operational details of the disc player, including system setup options, various display options (including the language in which the menu system itself displays), and several custom-installation capabilities that allow superior integration of the CDP-502 into complex systems.

For more information, see the section  e Menu System later in this manual.

4 Eject button

 e front panel Eject button operates the slot-loading mechanism of the CDP-502. It will eject a loaded disc.  ere may be a short delay prior to ejection whilst a disc is playing, in order to give the disc time to come to a stop.

A blue light illuminates the slot when there is no disc loaded.

5 IR window

 e infrared (IR) receiver and transmitter are located behind this window. Ordinarily, your Classé CDP-502 must be able to “see” the remote control from this window in order to respond to remote control commands.

If your disc player 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 IR input and output mini-jacks and an IR repeater system to solve the problem. For more information about using an infrared repeater system to route signals to and from the CDP-502, refer to the section Rear Panel later in this manual, or contact your local Classé dealer.

AUDIO OUTPUT

Rear Panel

1 Analog Outputs

In most installations, you will want to use both the analog and the digital outputs of the CDP-502.

 e front left and right channels are supported with both balanced analog outputs on XLR connectors and single-ended analog outputs on RCA connectors.

using the balanced outputs If your processor has balanced inputs for the front left and right channels,

connect these XLR outputs to them using high quality balanced interconnects. Your Classé dealer can provide assistance in selecting appropriate balanced cables for your system.

Balanced audio interconnections were originally developed in the professional audio world, for preserving the delicate nuances of extremely small microphone-level signals. For many years now, they have also been used by performance-oriented consumer companies like Classé to preserve every nuance of the ﬁ nest audio performances in your collection.

Technically, balanced audio interconnections provide two distinct beneﬁ ts: they double the signal’s strength as it travels from one component to the next, increasing the potential signal to noise ratio by 6 dB; they also do an excellent job of rejecting noise and interference that might otherwise be picked up between the components, due to either EMI (electromagnetic interference) or RFI (radio frequency interference). In our modern world of wireless telecommunications, there is more potential interference ﬂ oating around us than ever before—it makes sense to keep it all out of our music and movie soundtracks.

For this reason, we strongly recommend using the balanced analog interconnections between your Classé components wherever possible.

 e pin assignments of these XLR-type female output connectors are:

Pin 1: Signal ground Pin 2: Signal + (non-inverting) Pin 3: Signal – (inverting)

Connector ground lug: chassis ground

 ese pin assignments are consistent with the standards adopted by the Audio Engineering Society.

using the single-ended

(RCA) analog outputs

 e two output channels of the CDP-502 are provided in a high quality single-ended form on RCA plugs. Single-ended cables using RCA connectors are the most common form of analog connection used in consumer electronics. When implemented carefully and used with high quality interconnect cables, this standard can provide excellent performance.

Classé has gone to extraordinary eﬀ ort to ensure that the single-ended (RCA) outputs of your disc player oﬀ er superlative performance. Connect these outputs to your preampliﬁ er/processor using high quality RCA terminated cables. Your Classé dealer can advise you on the selection of cables suitable for your system.

2 Analog Video Outputs

 e CDP-502 is equipped with a complete set of analog video outputs: Component (Y, Pb, Pr), S-Video, and Composite.  e S-Video output employs the standard S-Video (mini-DIN) connector, while the Component and Composite outputs employ high quality RCA connectors.

Note that the three analog video standards oﬀ er varying degrees of performance:

• Component video renders the best analog video quality, and provides compatibility with progressive and high deﬁ nition video signals. As a result, the component outputs are the analog outputs you will want to use in order to take full advantage of the video scaling and processing capabilities of the CDP-502. ( e HDMI output also supports video scaling and processing.)

• S-Video is capable of rendering a high quality video image, but is limited to standard deﬁ nition, interlaced signals.

• Composite video is the most common analog video interface, available on almost all display devices. Like S-video, it is also limited to standard deﬁ nition, interlaced signals.

For this reason, if your display does not support digital video inputs (HDMI), you are advised to use component video connections whenever possible.

 is advice holds especially true for the CDP-502, since it incorporates sophisticated video processing circuitry that can convert the standard deﬁ nition DVDs you play to high deﬁ nition rates that are most compatible with today’s best video displays.

NOTE: due to Macrovision copy protection software, all HD resolutions may not be available depending on the disc.

 e Component video output of the CDP-502 can be set to 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, or 1080i (based on the best match to your display).

All three analog video outputs are active simultaneously. Connect the appropriate video output(s) of the CDP-502 to the corresponding inputs of your A/V preampliﬁ er/processor using high quality video cables. Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable selection.

3 HDMI Digital Video Output

 e HDMI output of the CDP-502 provides for a direct, digital video connection to your display. Digital display devices such as plasma, LCD and DLP™ are used increasingly in modern home theater settings; HDMI allows you to keep the video signal in its digital form all the way to the display, oﬀ ering stunning clarity and realism.

In addition, HDMI carries the multichannel audio signal and some additional data about the signal being played. When fully implemented, it can become the only connection between the disc player and the A/V preampliﬁ er/processor. ( e A/V preamp retains the audio signal and passes the video along to the display device.) More often, people prefer to run separate audio and video cables since doing so oﬀ ers some additional ﬂ exibility as well as the potential for higher audio performance via AES/EBU connection.

If your display has a DVI input rather than an HDMI input, contact your Classé dealer about a suitable adapter cable.  e DVI standard lacks the audio capabilities of HDMI, and is growing less popular in the consumer electronics world. A simple and inexpensive adapter can convert from the HDMI connector to the DVI connector, and the electrical characteristics of the digital video signals are the same.

+ 33 hidden pages

Classe Audio CDP-502 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual