Electrocompaniet EMP 1 User Manual

EMP 1

Balanced Multiformat Player

Owner’s Manual

ENG

2

Owner’s manual

EMP-1 Reference

Multi Player

Warning:

To avoid risk of re or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to

rain or moisture.

Verify line voltage before use.

Do not remove cover. No user serviceable parts inside.

Refer servicing to qualied service personal.

The warranty is void if non-authorized personnel

tamper with the product.

Use only authorized Electrocompaniet service center.

3

1. The story of Electrocompaniet

The early days…

At an AES conference in 1973, Dr. Matti
Otala presented a paper describing a distor­tion that he termed Transient Intermodulation
(TIM). Attending this conference was Svein
Erik Børja, a Norwegian record and broad­casting producer and a great audio enthusiast.
The seminar held by Dr. Otala on TIM
provided Svein Erik with an explanation of
the audible imperfections he had experienced
from audio ampliers. Svein Erik Børja
brought the AES papers to Electrocompaniet,
and asked if we could make an amplier
based on Dr. Otala’s theory.
A few prototype ampliers were made and the
sound, compared to other transistor ampliers,
was encouraging. But Svein Erik Børja, being
the perfectionist he was, felt that this amplier
design approach had a greater potential. At
that time we did not know too much about
high-end audio designs. This gave an element
of neutrality to our research, which we believe
contributed to the amplier’s success. We
consider our audio designers from that time to
have been the rst in what may be called the
new ‘TIM-free’ school.

The next 3 years went to further research and
design improvement. During this time we had
to develop a new ‘language’ to translate what
we were hearing, into practical design param­eters (distortion, frequency response etc.) A
new mathematical equation was developed
to better describe the AC (music) character­istics of the transistor, rather than the normal
DC characteristics. The result of this work
culminated in the launch of our rst 2 x 25W
unit, “The 2 Channel Audio Power Amplier.”
The nal approval came in 1976 when the
American ‘bible’, The Audio Critic magazine,
tested the amplier and wrote: “Audio freaks
– eat your hearts out. This is the world’s best
sounding amplier.”
Since these early days, Electrocompaniet’s
designs have been continually improved and
our product programme has steadily grown.
Today we are represented in 36 countries
worldwide and our products are considered to
be among the very best in the audio industry.
The vision that drove us in the early days has
stayed:

If the music really matters....

Intro

4

2. The Design Concept

Thank you for purchasing this ne audio
equipment. First of all we will give you a
small introduction to the ideas behind the

EMP-1

Technically, a CD (or a DVD) is a simple con­struction, built up with a lot of digital infor­mation, represented by only two states - zero
or one. The main work for the rst section of
the EMP-1 is to read this information. The
EMP-1 have a buffer that reads from the CD
with a higher speed than necessary. If there is
some inconsistent information the system has
time to read it again, and correct the missing
data. With this technique errors introduced
by the CD mechanics are removed. As long as
the rst stage of the process has a perfect copy
of the information on the CD there is a basis
for the next stage.

The next stage is to sample rate the informa­tion. This process removes possible jitter and
also makes sure that all parts of the DAC get
the correct information, at correct time.
The last step is to convert the digital signal
into an analog signal. This is done in two
stages. First the PCM signal is up sampled
to 192kHz. This signal is then up sampled
again to 312 kHz if selected (Factory setting
is 192kHz). After this the High Qualities DAC
converted the digital information to an analog
signal.

After this process the signal passes trough the
fully balanced, symmetrical, state-of-the-art
internal analog output stage - ready to be con­nected to your system.

Intro

5

4. Patent Information

Manufactured under license
from Dolby Laboratories.
“Dolbv”,“Pro Logic” and the
double-D symbol are trade­marks of Dolby Laboratories.

“DTS” and “DTS Digital
Surround” are registered
trademarks of Digital Theater
Systems, Inc.

“DivX”, “DivX Certied”,
and associated logos are trade­marks of DivX Networks, Inc
and are used under license.

“DCDi” is a trademark of
Faroudja, a division of Gen­esis Microchip, Inc.

HDMI, the HDMI logo and
High
Denition Multimedia
Interface are trademarks or
registered trademark of HDMI
Licensing LLC.

3. General Information

Notes About Discs

• This player is designed for use with
the following discs: Super Audio CD
(SA-CD), DVD-Video, Video CD,
SuperVideo CD, Audio CD, CD-R,
CD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-R
and DVD-RW.

This player can play:

• MP3 and picture (Kodak. JPEG) les
recorded on CD-R(W).

- JPEG/ISO 9660format

- Maximum 30 character display

• DivX® disc on CD-R(W)/ DVD+R(W)/
DVD-R(W)

• CD-R and CD-RW cannot be played
unless nalized.

• Some discs cannot be played depending
on the recording conditions, such as the
PC environment and application software.
The characteristics and condition of some
discs: materials, scratches, curvature,
etc.. may result in playback failure.

• Be sure to use only CD-R and CD-RW
discs made by reliable manufacturers.

• Do not use any non-standard shaped
discs (heart-shaped, etc.).

• Do not use discs with tape, seals, or
paste on their surface. Doing so may
damage this player.

• Do not use discs afxed with labels
printed by a commercially available label
printer.

• Photo CD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM,
DVD-RAM, CDV and nonstandard CD
discs cannot be played on this unit.

Cleaning Discs

• When a disc becomes dirty, clean it with
a cleaning cloth. Wipe the disc from the
center out. Do not wipe in a circular
motion.

• Do not use solvents such as benzine,
thinner, commercially available cleaners,
or antistatic spray intended for analog
records.

Intro

6

5. Unpacking the EMP-1

Immediately upon receipt of the EMP-1,
inspect the carton for possible damage during
shipment. The carton and packaging have
been designed to provide the safest possible
protection for transport of this player. Unpack
the unit carefully. Save all packaging materi­als for future shipment.

The contents of the carton

1 pcs Electrocompaniet EMP 1 – Universal
Player
1 pcs AC mains cord.
1 pcs Inspection card.
1 pcs Remote control
2 pcs Batteries

Note !
The EMP 1 are designed to be used together
with the new ECT-2, the advanced RF remote
controller, sold as a separate product.
However, if you do not have this unit we have
included a standard IR controller.

Before startup

Before connecting the EMP 1 to the mains,
check that the main voltage indicated on the
rear panel corresponds to the line voltage in
the territory where you intend to use the unit.

How to avoid damages

Do not under any circumstances connect or
disconnect equipment when power is turned
on.

How to avoid noise problems

The EMP 1 contains delicate circuits that are
made to make a crystal clear, detailed sound.
Make sure all signal cables to the player have
maximal distance to cables to/from television.
If possible the television should be connected
to a separate power outlet, with lter to the
rest of your high end equipment. Television
often have a lot of magnetic stray elds that
can be picked up by cables in your system.
The unit should not be placed near main
transformers, TV sets, etc. Care should also be
taken regarding placement of the interconnect
cables. Do not run interconnect cables in par­allel with main cords or speaker cables. Keep
interconnect cables as short as possible.

Important notes

For optimal sonic performance, the EMP 1
should be burned in for a minimum time of 72
hours. The easiest way to burn in your EMP 1
is to put a disc in REPEAT mode with the rest
of your system turned off.
In daily operation, switch off the EMP 1
player by using the STANDBY button on the
remote. If the EMP 1 has been switched off,
allow two hours of warm-up to optimize sonic
performance.
Due to high class A operation in all Electro­companiet designs, it is normal for the EMP 1
to feel warm. Proper ventilation is important.
The EMP 1 should never be completely cov­ered. A good rule of thumb is to allow at least
3 – 5 cm of air sidewise and 5 – 8 cm above
the EMP 1. It’s not recommended to install
the unit into a cabinet. It’s absolute not pos­sible to install the unit into a closed cabinet.
This will make the system to fault, and also
reduce the lifetime dramatically.

Unpacking the unit

7

6. Connectors on the rear side

Analog

Connect the left output to the left input on the
preamplier or the integrated amplier. Con­nect the right output to the right input on the
preamplier or the integrated amplier. Con­nect the Center, Sub woofer, and Surround
left/right if you want to use the EMP 1 in a
surround setup.

Digital Output

Connect a 75 Ohm unbalanced digital signal
cable from S/P-DIF to the digital input on the
preamplier or the integrated amplier.

HDMI Output

Use a standard High Quality HDMI cable for
connection to your projector or television

Component Output

If you don’t have a HDMI media, use this
output for connection to you projector and
television. Use the switch to select progres­sive or inter latched signal. After changing of
this switch, the system need to be reset.

Mains

Check that the mains voltage printed on the
rear panel corresponds with the line voltage
in the territory you intend to use the EMP

1. After this is checked out, connect the AC
main cord to the power inlet on the rear side.

Front panel controls

The power on/off button is localized in the
center of the front panel. Generally, we
recommend that you use the Standby button
located on the remote control.
When not using the EMP 1 for a long period,
turn the main switch off and disconnect the
unit from the mains outlet.

The four navigator buttons on the right front
panel have the following functions:
Top button = play/pause
Right button = next
Left button = previous
Lower button = stop / eject – hold the
button pressed to eject the disc.

Connecting the EMP 1

8

7. Remote Control

S. MODE

• Selects a sound mode:
Stereo, Virtual Surround
or Multi-channel.

• Changes the SA-CD play
back area

TOP MENU

• Displays the top-level
disc menu (DVD)

• moves back to the
previous menu (VCD)

MENU

• Accesses the disc’s root­ menu (for DVDs)

• Switches PBC on/off
(for VCDs)

FUNCTION ◄►▲▼

• (left/right/up/down)
Selects an item in the
currently displayed menu

FUNCTION 7 8

• Search backward or for­ ward (DVD only)

PREV/NEXT 9 :

• Moves to the previous or
next chapter or track

• Search back/forward,
press and hold

STOP/EJECT

• Stops playback (short)

• Eject disck ( long)

PLAY ►

• Starts playback

PLAY 4

;

• Pauses playback tempo­ rarily

•frame-by-frame playback

O/l

• Turns this player into the
standby mode.

0-9 numeric keypad

• Selects numbered items in the
currently displayed menu

ON SCR

• Accesses or clears the player’s
On Screen Display menu

SETUP

• Accesses or clears the player’s
setup menu

SUBTITLE

• Selects the language for subtitles

ZOOM

• Enlarges the video image

AUDIO

• Selects the audio language or
format selector

REPEAT

• Repeats the chapter, track, title,
disc or all discs

A-B

• Repeats a specic segment

SHUFFLE

• Plays tracks in random order

SCAN

• Plays the rst & seconds or less
of each track/chapter on the disc

OK

• Acknowledges the menu
selection

Functional Overview

9

8. Remote Control, Inserting batteries

1 Open the battery compartment

2 Insert two type R06 or AA batteries,

following the indications (+/-) inside
the compartment.

3 Close the cover.

9. Turning on the Power

1 Connect the AC power cord to an AC
outlet.

2 Turn on your TV and AV receiver.

3 Select the appropriate input source
at the AV receiver that was used to
connect to chis player. Refer to the
owner’s manual for your component
for details.

4 Turn on this player.

5 Set the TV to the correct Video IN
channel. (e.g. EXT1, EXT2, AV1,
AVZ AUDIO/VIDEO, ecc. Refer
to the owner’s manual for your TV for
details.)

• The front display lights up and the
default screen appears on the TV.

10. Selecting a color system for your TV

This player it compatible with both NTSC and
PAL video formats. Select the color system
that matches your TV.

1 Press SETUP

2 Press ► repeatedly to select [VIDEO
SETUP PAGE].

3 Press ▲▼ to highlight [TVTYPE],
then press ►

TV TYPE
TV DISPLAY
BLACK LEVEL
CLOSED CAPTION
PICYURE SETTING
ADV PICTURE

PAL
NTSC
MULTI

VIDEO SETUP PAGE

Getting Started

4 Press ▲▼ to highlight one of the options
below:

PAL

Select this if the connected TV is a PAL
system TV. It will change video signals
of NTSC discs and output them in PAL
format

NTSC

Select this if the connected TV is an
NTSC system. It will change video sig
nals of PAL discs and output them in
NTSC format.

MULTI

Select this if the connected TV is
compatible with both NTSC and PAL
formats (a multi-system TV). The output
format will be in accordance with the
video signals of the disc.

10.5 Select an item and press ENTER/OK.

Notes:
Before changing the current TV Standard
setting, ensure that your TV supports the
‘selected TV type’ system.
If the picture does not display properly on
your TV, wait 15 seconds for auto recover to
activate

Video output format

Note:
When Scan mode is set to PROGRESSIVE,
CVBS/S-video output will depend on the
format of disc

11. Setting Language Preference

You can select your own preferred language
settings. This player will automatically switch
to your preferred language for you whenever
you load a disc. If the language selected is
not available on the disc, the disc’s default
language will be used instead. The OSD
language in the system menu will remain once
selected.

Setting the OSD Language

1

Press SETUP

2 Press ◄► to select [GENERAL SETUP
PAGE].

3 Press ▲▼ to highIight [OSD LAN
GUAGE], then press ►

4 Press ▲▼ to select a language and press
ENTER/OK

DVD-AUDIO
DISK LOCK
PROGRAM

OSD LANGUAGE

SCREEN SAVER
SLEEP
DIV(X) VOD CODE

ENGLISH

FRANCAIS
ESPANOL

GENERAL SETUP PAGE

Sheet1

TV Type

Y Pb Pr

CVBS/

S-video

NTSC

PAL 576p 480i

NTSC 480p 480i

MULTI 480p 480i

PAL

PAL 576p 575i

NTSC 480p 575i

MULTI 576p 575i

Disc

Format

Output Format

(progressive ON)

Getting Started

12. Setting the menu language

1 Press STOP

■

twice, then press SETUP.

2 Press ► repeatedly to select
[PREFERENCE PAGE].

3 Press ▲▼ to highlight the options below
one at a time, then press ►

• AUDIO (disc’s sound track)

• SUBTITLE (disc’s subtitles)

• DISC MENU (disc’s menu)

4 Press ▲▼ to select a language, then
press ENTER/OK

Note
If the language you want is not in the list:
Select [OTHERS], then use the numeric
keypad (0-9) on the remote control to
enter the 4-digit language code (see
“Language Code” on page 36) and press
ENTER/OK

13. Setting Speaker Channels

You can adjust the delay times (for center and
surround speakers only) and the volume level
for individual speakers. These adjustment let
you optimize the sound of your system to best
suit your surroundings and setup.

IMPORTANT:
Speaker settings are only available for
multi-channel audio output.

1 Press SETUP

2 Press ► repeatedly to select [AUDIO
SETUP PAGE].

3 Press ▲▼ to highlight [SPEAKER
SETUP], then press ►.

4 Enter a submenu by pressing ►.

5 Press ▲▼ to highlight one of the
options, then press OK.

Note !
If you have EC4.9 in your system, use the
more advanced speaker volume and balance
setting included in that system.

ANALOG OUTPUT
DIGITAL OUTPUT
HDMI OUTPUT

SPEAKER SETUP

CD UPSAMPLING

AUDIO SETUP PAGE

AUDIO

SUBTITLE
DISC MENU
PARENTAL
PBC
MP3 MPEG NAV
PASSWORD
DEFAULT

ENGLISH

CHINESE
FRENCH
SPANISH
PORTUGUESE
POLISH
ITALIAN
TURKISH

PREFERENCE PAGE

FRONT SPEAKER

CENTER SPEAKER
SURROND SP.
SUBWOOFER
SPEKERS VOLUME
SPEKERS DELAY

LARGE

SMALL

Getting Started