Classe Audio OMEGA - V1.1, Omega Monoblock Owner's Manual

Owner’s Manual

Omega Series

Omega Monoblock

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.

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

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.

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
appliance.

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.

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 under CE Certificate Number
C401CLA1.MGS granted on 18 July 1996.

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.

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.

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 checkup.

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 case 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 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.

12. NEVER attempt to repair this product. If a problem occurs, contact your Classé dealer.

13. NEVER expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures.

14. NEVER operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.

15. ALWAYS unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.

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

Serial #: __________________

4

Contents

Welcome to the Classé family ........................................................................ 5

Unpacking and Placement ............................................................................. 6

unpacking your amplifier ..................................................................................... 6

placement ............................................................................................................ 6

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

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

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

register your purchase! ......................................................................................... 7

please read this manual… .................................................................................... 7

Operating Voltage .......................................................................................... 8

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

A Word About Installation ............................................................................ 10

Special Design Features ............................................................................... 11

design team philosophy ..................................................................................... 11

highly refined circuit design ............................................................................... 11

extensive listening tests ...................................................................................... 12

extraordinary longevity ...................................................................................... 12

robust protection ................................................................................................ 13

Front Panel .................................................................................................. 15

Rear Panel ................................................................................................... 16

Initial Setup.................................................................................................. 22

configuring channels .................................................................................. 22

configuring amplifier turn-on sequences .................................................... 23

Troubleshooting ........................................................................................... 25

Care and Maintenance ................................................................................. 27

Specifications............................................................................................... 28

Dimensions .................................................................................................. 29

5

Welcome to the Classé family

Congratulations on your purchase of a Classé Omega product. It is the
result of many years of continuous refinement, and we are confident 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 put
away the shipping case 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 find the warranty registration card at the end of the enclosed
warranty policy booklet.

Please, take a few minutes to fill out the warranty
registration card, and drop it in the mail.

6

Unpacking and Placement

unpacking your amplifier Carefully unpack your Omega Mono power amplifier according to the

supplied instructions, and remove all accessories from the case. Please
take proper precautions when lifting the Omega Mono, as it is ex­tremely heavy.

Important! The unpacking and placement of the Omega Mono

power amplifier requires two people. Please refer to the
separate instruction sheet provided for instructions on
how to do this safely and easily. . .

We recommend keeping the shipping case for future
transport of your Classé product. Shipping your
component in anything other than its purpose-designed
shipping case may result in damage that is not covered
by the warranty.

placement There are two options when placing your Omega Mono power ampli-

fier: you may place it close to the speakers, requiring longer intercon­necting cables from the preamplifier; or place it close to the preamplifier,
requiring longer speaker cables.

Although either approach will yield excellent performance, you might
consider the first option for two reasons. First, signal quality degrades
more easily when transmitted as a combination of both high voltage and
high current, meaning that speaker cables should be kept as short as
practical. Second, high-quality amplifiers use massive power supplies
which inevitably radiate some degree of magnetic fields. Ideally, one
would separate these fields from sensitive source components by a rea­sonable distance.

If it is more convenient for you to place the amplifier in an equipment
enclosure, along with your other components, we suggest placing it at
the bottom of the enclosure, well away from your source components
and preamplifier.

Note that adequate clearance for the AC cord and connecting cables must be left
behind the Omega Mono. We suggest leaving eight inches (20 cm) of free space
to allow all cables sufficient room to bend without crimping or undue strain.

7

ventilation

Your Classé Omega Mono generates a certain amount of heat in the
course of normal operation. Be sure to allow six inches of clearance
above it and three inches to each side to allow heat dissipation through
air circulation. The vents on the bottom, front and back of the Omega
Mono must be kept free from any obstruction which would reduce the
flow of air through the unit. 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 cabinets (see the section Dimensions).

serial number The serial number for your Omega Mono power 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.

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.

please read this manual… Please take a few minutes to review this manual, and to familiarize

yourself with your new 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.

8

Operating Voltage

The Omega Mono power amplifier is set at the factory (internally) 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 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 the Omega Mono power amplifier

may not be changed by the user and there are no user­serviceable parts within the unit. Please refer any
problems to an authorized Classé service center.

If the AC mains voltage indicated on your power amplifier is incorrect,
please contact your authorized Classé dealer or distributor.

The Omega Mono power amplifier can be powered by a normal 15­ampere AC mains line. For peak performance, we suggest that you con­sider dedicating an outlet exclusively for the Omega Mono.

The Omega Mono power amplifier includes protection circuitry that
will prevent the 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

ΩΩ

ΩΩ

Ω

indicator color will alternate between red and blue to in­dicate that 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 op­erate (since this does not present a particular danger to the
amplifier), but note that it will not be able to achieve its
usual standard of performance under these compromised
conditions. The

Ω Ω

Ω Ω

Ω indicator will alternate between red

and blue to indicate this condition.

9

warm up/break-in period

Your new Classé Omega Mono power amplifier will deliver outstanding
performance immediately. However, you should expect to hear it im­prove somewhat as it reaches its normal operating temperature and its
various components “break-in.” It has been our experience that the
greatest changes occur within the first 300 hours, as the 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 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 Omega Mono’s 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.