Void Bias Q5 User Manual

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Bias Q5

User Guide V1.0

Bias Q5

Version 1.0

This user guide is subject to change without notice. For the latest online version, visit: www.voidacoustics.com

Void Acoustics and the Void logo are registered trademarks of Void Acoustics Research Ltd. in the United Kingdom, USA and other countries; all other Void trademarks are the property of Void Acoustics Research Ltd.

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

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Contents

1 Regulatory information 10

2 Important safety instructions 11

3 About 12

3.1 Welcome 12

3.2 Unpacking and checking for shipping damage

3.3 Disposal of the packing material 12

3.4 List of image panels 12

4 Installation 13

4.1 Location 13

4.2 Cooling 13

4.3 Cleaning 13

4.4 AC mains supply 13

4.4.1 Three-phase electric power 14

4.4.2 Two-phase electical power 14

4.4.3 Single-phase electric power 14

4.5 Precautions regarding installation 14

4.6 Switch on 14

4.7 Switch o 15

4.8 Mute 15

4.9 Wi-ﬁ switch 15

4.10 Armonía callback 15

5 Wi-ﬁ 15

6 Connections 16

6.1 Signal grounding 16

6.2 Analog audio input connections 16

6.3 Digital audio input connections 16

6.4 Output connections 16

6.5 Ethernet connections 16

7 LED chart 17

8 Networking 18

8.1 IP addressing 18

8.1.1 Addressing troubleshooting 18

8.2 DanteTM netwroking 18

8.2.1 Redundant network conﬁguration 18

9 Armonía Pro Audio Suite 19

9.1 Signal routing and DSP architecture 19

9.2 Purposed workﬂow 19

10 Warranty and assistance 20

10.1 Warranty 20

10.1.1 Product warranty 20

10.1.2 Return of goods 20

10.1.3 Repair or replacement 20

10.1.4 Cost and responsibility of transport 20

10.2 Assistance 20

11 Appendix A: Mains wiring options 21

12 Appendix B: Speciﬁcations 24

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

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Bias Q5

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

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Bias Q5

J K L

B C D E F G

A. AC mains Phoenix connector B. Input: channels 3 & 4 AES XLR C. Input: channels 1 & 2 AES XLR D. Input: channel 4 analog XLR E. Input: channel 3 analog XLR F. Input: channel 2 analog XLR

G. Input: channel 1 analog XLR H. Remote ON/OFF Phoenix connector I. Output: channels 3 & 4 speakON J. Output: channels 1 & 2 speakON K. Ethernet: etherCON secondary port L. Ethernet: etherCON primary port

Bias Q5 Bias Q5

1 8

4 7

on/off

1. Wi-Fi on/o switch

2. USB port

3. CH1 Status LED and MUTE

4. CH2 Status LED and MUTE

5. Main on/o switch, status LED and MUTE ALL

6. CH3 Status LED and MUTE

7. CH4 Status LED and MUTE

8. Armonía callback

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Bias Q5

1 1

1 RU

Mounting brackets

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Color code (TIA/EIA-568-B) Pin

ORANGE / WHITE 1

ORANGE 2

GREEN / WHITE 3

BLUE 4

BLUE / WHITE 5

GREEN 6

BROWN / WHITE 7

BROWN 8

Input

XLR-M pinout

Pin 1 GND

Pin 2

HOT

Pin 3

COLD

HOT

COLD

GND

RJ45

F G

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

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speakON

connector

output

stage A

output

stage B

CHA +

CHA

CHB +

CHB

Bridge-tied load

Two single-ended loads

CHB –

CHA –

speakON

connector

output

stage A

output

stage B

CHA +

CHB +

CHB –

CHA –

1–

2–

1–

2–

1–

2–

1–

2–

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LNPE

L3 L2 L1

NPEPE

I J

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Once properly wired, insert and

lock the ﬂying connector into the

shell provided by Powersoft.

L1L2PE

K L

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FCC COMPLIANCE NOTICE

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

CAUTION: Changes or modiﬁcations not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment o and on, 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 receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit dierent from that to which the receiver is connected.

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

WEEE DIRECTIVE If the time arises to throw away your product, please recycle all the components possible.

This symbol indicates that when the end-user wishes to discard this product, it must be sent to separate collection facilities for recovery and recycling. By separating this product from other household-type waste, the volume of waste sent to incinerators or land-ﬁlls will be reduced and natural resources will thus be conserved.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment. Void Acoustiscs comply with the Directive 2002/96/EC and 2003/108/ EC of the European Parliament on waste electrical ﬁnance the cost of treatment and recovery of electronic equipment (WEEE) in order to reduce the amount of WEEE that is being disposed of in land-ﬁll site. All of our products are marked with the WEEE symbol; this indicates that this product must NOT be disposed of with other waste. Instead it is the user’s responsibility to dispose of their waste electrical and electronic equipment by handing it over to an approved reprocessor,

or by returning it to Void Acoustics for reprocessing. For more information about where you can send your waste equipment for recycling, please contact Void Acoustics or one of your local distributors.

EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

Manufacturer: Void Acoustics Research Ltd Unit 15, Dawkins Road Ind Est., Poole, Dorset, BH15 4JY, United Kingdom

We declare that under our sole responsibility the products: Model Names: Bias Q5 Intended use: Professional Audio Ampliﬁer

Are in conformity with the provisions of the following EC Directives, including all amendments, and with national legislation implementing these directives:

• 2006/95/EC Low Voltage Directive

• 2004/108/EC Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive

• 2002/95/CE RoHs Directive

The following armonized standards are applied:

• EN 55103-1

• EN 61000-3-2

• EN 61000-3-3

• EN 55103-2

• EN 61000-4-2

• EN 61000-4-3

• EN 61000-4-4

• EN 61000-4-5

• EN 61000-4-6

• EN 61000-4-11

• EN 60065

For compliance questions only: info@voidacoustics.com

1 Regulatory information

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EXPLANATIONS OF GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS

The triangle with the lightning bolt is used to alert the user to the risk of electric shock.

The triangle with the exclamation point is used to alert the user to important operating or maintenance instructions.

The CE-mark indicates the compliance with the low voltage and electromagnetic compatibility.

Symbol for earth/ground connection.

Symbol indicating that the equipment is for indoor use only.

Symbol for conformity with Directive 2002/96/EC and Directive 2003/108/EC of the European Parliament on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Do not use the unit at altitudes above 2000 m.

Do not use the unit in tropical environment.

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN ANY PART OF THE UNIT. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE, DRIPPING OR SPLASHING LIQUIDS. OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON THIS APPARATUS.

THE UNIT MUST BE INSTALLED IN RACK CABINETS ONLY: PLUG THE AMPLIFIER’S MAINS CONNECTIONS VIA A SECTIONING BREAKER TO A POWER DISTRIBUTION PANEL INSIDE THE RACK CABINET.

THE SECTIONING BREAKER MUST REMAIN READILY ACCESSIBLE.

WHEN THE UNIT IS INSTALLED IN A RACK CABINET, MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS SUFFICIENT SPACE ON ALL SIDES TO ALLOW FOR PROPER VENTILATION (50 CM FROM THE FRONT AND REAR VENTILATION OPENINGS).

CONNECTION TO THE MAINS SHALL BE DONE ONLY BY A ELECTROTECHNICAL SKILLED PERSON ACCORDING THE NATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COUNTRIES WHERE THE UNIT IS SOLD.

WARNING: FUSE ON NEUTRAL

Electrical energy can perform many useful functions. This unit has been engineered and manufactured to ensure your personal safety. But IMPROPER USE CAN RESULT IN POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR FIRE HAZARD.

In order not to defeat the safeguards incorporated into this product, observe the following basic rules for its installation, use and service. Please read these “Important Safeguards” carefully before use.

Important safety instructions

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this equipment near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

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

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat.

9. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

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

11. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

12. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

13. Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed 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.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRICK SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

2 Important safety instructions

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3 About

3.1 Welcome

Many thanks for purchasing this Void Acoustics Bias Q5. We truly appreciate your support. At Void, we design, manufacture and distribute advanced professional audio systems for the installed and live sound market sectors. Like all Void products, our highly skilled and experienced engineers have successfully combined pioneering technologies with groundbreaking design aesthetics, to bring you superior sound quality and visual innovation. In buying this product, you are now part of the Void family and we hope using it brings you years of satisfaction. This guide will help you both use this product safely and ensure it performs to its full capability.

3.2 Unpacking and checking for shipping damage

Your Void product has been completely tested and inspected before leaving the factory. Carefully inspect the shipping package before opening it, and then immediately inspect your new product. If you ﬁnd any damage, notify the shipping company or reseller immediately.

The box contains the following:

• 1x Bias Q5 ampliﬁer

• 1x AC mains PC 5/5-STF1-7,62 Phoenix plug

• 1x shell for the AC mains plug

• 1x quick guide.

3.3 Disposal of the packing material

The protective transport packaging has been selected from materials which are environmentally friendly for disposal and can normally be recycled.

Rather than just throwing these materials away, please ensure they are oered for recycling.

3.4 List of image panels

A. Q5 mechanical drawings: all dimensions in millimeters B. Q5 rear panel C. Q5 front panel D. Mounting brackets and air ﬂow direction E. Rule for stacking ampliﬁers in closed racks F. Input connector pinout G. RJ45 Ethernet pinout H. Loudspeakers wirings I. Three-phase electric power: AC mains plug wiring J. Single-phase electric power: AC mains plug wiring K. Two-phase electric power: AC mains plug wiring L. AC mains plug shield

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4 Installation

4.1 Location

The intended use of Bias Q5 ampliﬁers is in a rack only. The AC mains wirings of the units must be connected to a terminal box provided with a properly breaker (refer to 3.4 AC mains supply for more details). It is not allowed to connect the Bias Q5 AC mains connection directly to the power distribution system. For North America market we recommend to use an approved UL/CSA cable (i.e. ST 600 Vac 105°C 5 x 13 AWG).

In order to limit the risk of mechanical damages, the ampliﬁers must be ﬁxed to the rack using both frontal and rear mounting brackets. We recommends to use eight M6 or 12-24 UNC-2B screws for threaded holes or cage nuts.

Install this ampliﬁer as far as possible from radio tuners and TV sets. An ampliﬁer installed in close proximity of such equipment may experience noise or generic performance degradation. Placing and using the ampliﬁer for long periods of time on heat generating sources will aect its performance. Avoid placing the ampliﬁer on heat generating sources.

4.2 Cooling

Install the ampliﬁer in a well-ventilated location: the ventilation openings must not be impeded by any item such as newspapers, tablecloths, curtains, etc; keep a distance of at least 50 cm from the front and rear ventilation openings of the ampliﬁer.

All Void ampliﬁers implement a forced-air cooling system to maintain low and constant operating temperatures. Drawn by the internal fans, air enters from the front panel and is forced over all components, exiting at the back of the ampliﬁer.

The ampliﬁer’s cooling system features “intelligent” variable-speed DC fans which are controlled by the heatsink temperature sensing circuits: the fans speed will increase only when the temperature detected by the sensors rises over carefully predetermined values. This ensures that fan noise and internal dust accumulation are kept to a strict minimum.

Should however the ampliﬁer be subject to an extreme thermal load, the fan will force a very large volume of air through the heat sink. In the extremely rare event that the ampliﬁer should dangerously overheat, sensing circuits shut down all channels until the ampliﬁer cools down to a safe operating temperature. Normal operation is resumed automatically without the need for user intervention.

Bias Q5 ampliﬁers can be stacked one on top of the other due to the ecient cooling system they are equipped with.

There is however a safety limit to be observed: in case a rack with closed back panels is used, leave one rack unit empty every four installed ampliﬁers to guarantee adequate air ﬂow (see Panel E, p. 6).

4.3 Cleaning

Always use a dry cloth for cleaning the chassis and the front panel. Air ﬁlter cleaning should be scheduled according to the dust levels in the ampliﬁer’s operating environment.

Disconnect the AC mains source before

attempting to clean any part of the ampliﬁer

In order to clean the vent ﬁlters you need to remove the front cover: never attempt to open any other part of the unit. By means of a metric hex key #6, unscrew the two screws located on the left and right sides of the front panel, (see ﬁgure 1) gently lift the cover and remove the ﬁlter. You may use compressed air to remove the dust from ﬁlters, or wash it with clean water: in the latter case ensure that the ﬁlter is dry before reassembly.

4.4 AC mains supply

Bias Q5 ampliﬁers oers worldwide AC acceptance and direct connection to any regional power line conﬁguration. Void’s legendarily reliable power supply is now suitable to single-phase, two-phase or three-phase operation from 90 V

up to 464 VAC without need of manual selection: true three-phase load balancing is directly achievable by the unit without any complex load assignment in the power distribution system design.

AC mains connection is provided by means of the euroblock Phoenix PC 5/5-STF1-7,62 ﬂying plug (Phoenix product ID

1777862). Proper assembly of the AC mains conductors to the ﬂying plug must respect the power line conﬁguration. Take care to connect any and all the ﬁve contacts of the ﬂying plug to the power cords according to the conﬁguration showed in Panel I, J, K at p. 8 and p. 9. In order to guarantee the proper connection we recommend to use an approved UL/CSA cable (i.e. ST 600Vac 105°C 5 x 13 AWG).

This device must be powered exclusively by

earth connected mains sockets in electrical

networks compliant to the IEC 364 or similar

rules.

Since the main power switch on this unit does not provide a complete insulation of the equipment from the main power, you must disconnect the main power source to turn o all power.

Bias Q5

Figure 1: Use a #6 hex key to remove the front cover

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

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Provide a sectioning breaker between the

mains connections and the ampliﬁer.

The proper device to use depends on mains conﬁguration; for Bias Q5 Void suggests:

• single-phase AC (P+N+E): 16 A rating, C or D curve, 10 kA;

• three-phase AC (3P+N+E): 4 x 10 A rating, C or D curve, 10 kA.

NOTE: The pictures and instructions about AC wiring refer to the European CENELEC standards April 2004 (IEC 60446) color code for conductor identiﬁcation (see table 1).

Conductor Color

Neutral or mid-point conductor N blue

AC phase conductors

L1 brown

L2 black

L3 grey

Protective conductor (earth) E

green/ yellow

Table. 1: Color code for conductor identiﬁcation.

AC mains connections must be performed only by professional

or qualiﬁed personnel according

to local electrical authoritie guidelines.

4.4.1 Three-phase electric power

Each single conductor must be secured to the PC 5/5-STF1-7,62 ﬂying plug as shown in Panel I, p. 8. In some instances neutral connection may lack: on three-phase systems neutral connection is not even necessary given the capability of the Bias Q5 to work in delta connection.

4.4.2 Two-phase electric power

Balanced two-phase AC mains in the conﬁgurations 2P+E without neutral must be secured to the PC 5/5-STF1-7,62 ﬂying plug as shown in Panel K, p. 9. Take care to double the phase wires at the connecting terminals of the sectioning breaker in order to guarantee the proper conduction gauge.

4.4.3 Single-phase electric power

P+N+E, unbalanced single-phase with neutral is the usual conﬁguration for signle-phase AC mains; wiring must be conﬁgured as shown in Panel J, p. 8. Take care to double the phase and neutral wires at the connecting terminals of the sectioning breaker in order to guarantee the proper conduction gauge.

4.5 Precautions regarding installation

WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK

• This device must be powered exclusively by earth

connected mains sockets in electrical networks compliant to the IEC 364 or similar rules.

• Install the unit into rack cabinet only.

• A sectioning breaker between the mains

connections and the ampliﬁer must be installed inside the rack cabinet.

• Take care to properly lock each power cord wire to

the ﬂying connector Phoenix PC 5/5-STF1-7,62.

• Once properly wired, insert and lock the ﬂying

connector into the shell provided by Void.

• Lock the ﬂying connector to the ampliﬁer inlet.

• Before powering this ampliﬁer, verify that the

correct voltage rating is being used.

• Verify that your mains connection is capable of

satisfying the power ratings of the device.

• Do not use this ampliﬁer if the electrical

power cord is frayed or broken.

• Output terminals are hazardous: wiring connection

to these terminals require installation by an instructed person and the use of ready-made leads.

• Take care to lock the output terminal

before switching the device on.

• To avoid electrical shock, do not touch any exposed

speaker wiring while the ampliﬁer is operating.

• Do not spill water or other liquids into or on the ampliﬁer.

• No naked ﬂame sources such as lighted

candles should be placed on the ampliﬁer.

• Do not remove the cover. Failing to do so will

expose you to potentially dangerous voltage.

• The manufacturer cannot be held responsible for

damages caused to persons, things or data due to an improper or missing ground connection.

• Contact the authorized service center for

ordinary and extraordinary maintenance.

It is absolutely necessary to verify these fundamental

requirement of safety and, in case of doubt, require

an accurate check by qualiﬁed personnel.

4.6 Switch on

As soon as you connect the ampliﬁer to the power grid, the ampliﬁer’s power supply will start supplying power to the auxiliary systems. The border of the central button starts blinking white: the ampliﬁer is in standby mode.

A pressure on the central button will wake up the ampliﬁer.

4 Installation

Bias Q5

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

Page 15

4.7 Switch o

Keep pressed the central button for 3 seconds to switch the ampliﬁer o. The ampliﬁer platform passes to the standby mode and the border of the central button blinks white.

The ampliﬁer platform turns completely o only when the mains connector is unplugged.

4.8 Mute

A short pressure on the central button toggles MUTE/ UNMUTE to all active channels: any previously muted channel will remain in mute status.

All other circular buttons (except the central one) toggle the MUTE/UNMUTE to the speciﬁed output channel.

NOTE: Please note that when the ampliﬁer platform is linked and controlled by Armonía Pro Audio Suite™ all MUTE switches are locally disabled.

4.9 Wi-Fi switch

Press the leftmost button: the button will light up and the system will establish a new local Wi-Fi network whose SSID is in the form: Void-MODELNAME-SERIAL (e.g. Void-BiasQ5-70133) and default password: 0123456789. Press again the leftmost button to switch the Wi-Fi o.

4.10 Armonía callback

In order to identify the unit into the Armonía Workspace, push on the rightmost button. On the other hand, if you click on Un/Blink from the contextual menu of the ampliﬁer into the Armonía Workspace, all the front LEDs of the ampliﬁer will blink for a while.

Bias Q5

Mute/Unmure CH1

Mute/Unmure ALL

5 Wi-Fi

Follow this procedure to activate the Wi-Fi connection and remotely access your Void Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platform.

1. Switch on the ampliﬁer by holding down the central

button on the front panel;

2. Press the leftmost button in the front panel: the button

will light up and the system will establish a new local WiFi network whose SSID is in the form:

Void-MODELNAME-SERIAL

(e.g. Void-BiasQ5-71520)

3. Access your mobile device and edit the Wi-Fi

conﬁguration;

4. Hang the Wi-Fi network with the right SSID;

5. Insert the following default Wi-Fi encryption password:

0123456789

6. Open the web browser and type the

following IP address in the address bar:

192.168.0.1

7. The system will push the user interface to the browser:

now you can start managing your Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platform.

8. For simple recall and operation with the interface, we

suggest to bookmark the page on the home screen of your mobile device; for example, in iOS device click on the share icon and select “Add to Home Screen” when the interface has been completely loaded.

9. Remember to switch the local Wi-Fi network o when

monitoring and basic setup are no more necessary: press the leftmost button in the front panel in order to switch o the Wi-Fi.

4 Installation

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

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6 Connections

Make sure the power switch is o before attempting to make any input or output connections.

By using good quality input and speaker cables, the likelihood of erratic signal behavior is reduced to a minimum. Whether you make them or buy them, look for good quality wires, connectors and soldering techniques.

6.1 Signal grounding

There is no ground switch or terminal on the Bias Q5 ampliﬁers. All shield terminals of input connections are directly connected to the chassis. This means that the unit’s signal grounding system is automatic. In order to limit hum and/or interference entering the signal path, use balanced input connections. In the interests of safety, the unit MUST always operate with electrical safety earth connected to the chassis via the dedicated Protective Earth wire.

6.2 Analog audio input connections

Analog input is provided by means of Neutrik XLR female connectors, one per channel input. Signal polarity of analog input connections is shown in Panel F, p. 6.

6.3 Digital audio input connections

Digital input is supported via AES3 (AES/EBU).

AES3 connectors are Neutrik XLR female, one per channel pair. The AES3 connection carries a channel pair through a 110 Ω nominal impedance wire in the form of a balanced (dierential) digital signal: in AES3 XLR connectors the identiﬁcation of hot and cold pins is not an issue; take care to never tie pin 2 or pin 3 (balanced signals) to pin 1 (ground). Avoid the use of microphone cables in AES connections: impedance mismatch can result in signal reﬂections and jitter, causing bit errors at the receiver.

Ethernet cabling must comply to TIA/EIA-568-B and adopt the T568B scheme pinout, as shown in Panel G, p. 6.

6.4 Output connections

CLASS3

WIRING

CLASS 3 WIRING Output terminals are hazardous: wiring connection to these terminals require installation by an instructed

person and the use of ready made leads. Take care to secure the output terminals before switching the device on. Single-ended and bridge-tied loudspeakers connection are supported as shown in Panel H, p. 7.

6.5 Ethernet connections

Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platforms can be remotely controlled via an Ethernet connection through a personal computer and Powersoft Armonía Pro Audio Suite software.

Void recommends the use of Ethernet Cat5 straight through – patch – cables with pin/pair assignments TIA/ EIA-568-B, i.e. T568B, as shown in Panel G, p. 6.

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All circular back illuminated buttons provide status information. The CENTER of each channel button provides status information about the OUTPUT signal.

Center color

OUTPUT indicators

Center color

OUTPUT indicators

color status color status

blue

Channel

ready

orange

MUTE

OUTPUT

yellow

Limiter

active

orange

blinking

MUTE

INPUT

The RING of each channel button provides status information about the INPUT signal.

Ring color

INPUT indicators

color status

white

blinking

(center blue)

Input signal presence

red Input signal clipping

Channel fault and Armonía callback are associated to the following LED signals.

color status

red blinking

(center and ring)

Channel fault

blinking / all channels

(center and ring)

Unit answering to Armonía callback

The central button light on when the system is in standby mode or in case of failure in the power supply unit:

Ring color

CENTRAL button

color status

white

pulsing

(all LEDs o)

System powered

Standby mode

red

pulsing

(normal operating)

fan fault detected

(output stage side fan)

Center color

CENTRAL button

color status

red

blinking

power supply or PSU fan

fault detected

yellow

blinking

power supply

temperature protection active

7 LED chart

Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platforms support linear daisychain, star and loop network topologies; in a daisychained network the PC with Armonía Pro Audio Suite must always be at one end of the chain.

Be aware that daisy-chaining does not guarantee reliability in production environment, since any fault may yield to network sectioning and loss of system control.

When eciency and reliability are paramount, a redundant network topology is advisable. In order to exploit the Dante features, only star and open daisy-chain network topology are allowed.

8.1 IP addressing

Factory default network settings are DHCP/AutoIP, in order for the ampliﬁer platform to self-conﬁgure when connected to an existing LAN or PC. Fixed IP policy can also be adopted and conﬁgured through Armonía Pro Audio Suite.

If a DHCP server is not active within the network, the ampliﬁer platform initiates a stateless address autoconﬁguration (i.e. Zero-conﬁguration networking methodology – Zeroconf): it self assigns a local numeric network address (of the type 169.254.x.y –

172.31.*.* for the secondary network if present – with a subnet mask 255.255.0.0) and automatically distributes and resolves the hostnames of networked devices. For setting a static IP address, please refer to the Armonía Pro Audio Suite user guide.

8.1.1 IP addressing troubleshooting

When connecting the Bias Q5 to a network environment it may happen that Armonía Pro Audio Suite does not discover or import the ampliﬁer.

Usually this is a problem of IP addressing: both Armonia and the Bias Q5 must belong to the same subnet. If a DHCP server is present on the network and a Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platform is in AUTO IP, networking may become unstable.

As a rule of thumb, turn the DHCP server

on before connecting the ampliﬁers.

IP addressing of a Bias Q5 ampliﬁer is established during the bootstrap: when the Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platform discovers a DHCP server on the network during the startup, it negotiates the networking parameters. If the Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platform does not reveal a DHCP server on the network during the startup, it set itself in AUTO IP mode.

8 Networking

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9 Armonía Pro Audio Suite

Armonía Pro Audio Suite is the default conﬁguring interface that allows system setting and customization of the Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platforms.

Armonía can be installed on a PC running Windows (XP SP3 and higher). Download Armonía Pro Audio Suite from the Armonía forum:

http://www.voidacoustics.com/void_uploads/Armonia.zip

Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platforms can connect to the PC running Armonía through a Fast Ethernet connection. In order to start remote operation, the device must be discovered and imported into the Armonía Workspace. Click on the Discover button in the Remote entities windows, or select it from the Model list and drag it into the Armonía Workspace.

The callback button – located rightmost on the front panel of the ampliﬁer – allows you to highlight the presence of the ampliﬁer into the Armonía Workspace.

Once connected to Armonía Pro Audio Suite, a double click on the ampliﬁer icon in the Workspace will open the ampliﬁer dashboard. Here it is possible to access and conﬁgure all the features of the Bias Q5 platform.

9.1 Signal routing and DSP architecture

Signal processing on Void Bias Q5 ampliﬁer platforms accomplishes multiple functions that aect the audio signal before power ampliﬁcation. The main adjustments include gain, polarity, delay, limiting and signal equalization; some processing are related only to particular stages, such as limiting and damping control that are implemented on the output section only, or input priority assignment available in the input section.

The processing architecture is composed of six sections:

• Input source selection. The input section allows you

to manage input gain and delay of analog and digital sources, in order to compensate transmission latency and levels. Furthermore, the Bias Q5 implements a backup policy aimed to improve reliability against signal fault. By assigning a bus priority to the four dierent input sources – analog and AES3 – per channel, the system is able to automatically switch to a reliable input connection in case of any signal fault.

• Matrix. The innovative routing engine of Bias Q5

allows any input to be routed to any output. The Matrix implements a non-Boolean routing architecture allowing free channel assignment and level adjustment.

• Advanced processing. This allows you to optimize

levels and shape the sound of the input signals. Gain and polarity adjustment, asymmetric raised-cosine full parametric ﬁlters, delay and mute are available on each channel routed to the speaker section.

• Speaker equalization. Designed to manage the

conﬁguration presets for multi-way systems, it implements FIR and IIR full parametric ﬁlters.

• Speaker routing. Once properly grouped, the

output channels are presented to the matrix as speakers – a single row representing a speaker (actually group of ways) – allowing a high grade of granularity in signal processing.

• Output processing. This allows ﬁne-tuning of output

signals, aiming to optimize power delivering and loudspeaker performance. It provides gain and polarity adjustment, IIR and FIR full parametric ﬁlters, delay, mute, limiting and damping control on each output channel.

9.2 Purposed workﬂow

Once the loudspeaker layout has been deﬁned, we suggest a bottom-up conﬁguration procedure that starts from the conﬁguration of the transducers layout and raises toward the input selection and the deﬁnition of the backup policy.

Shortly, the main steps to follow are:

1. Load the loudspeaker presets or manually conﬁgure

the loudspeaker layout (grouping output channels, crossovering, limiting, speaker processing, etc.).

2. Deﬁne the routing path and the levels of the signals from

the input channels to the active output channels (matrix).

3. Select the signal source from the input connections

and deﬁne the backup policy (input source selection).

Figure 3: Armonía Pro Audio Suite.

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

Page 19

10 Warranty and assistance

10.1 Warranty

10.1.1 Product warranty

Void guarantees its manufactured products to be free from defective components and factory workmanship for a period of 48 (forty eight) months, starting from the date of purchase printed on Void’s (or any of its Authorized Dealer’s) invoice to the end customer. All warranty repairs and retroﬁts must be performed at Void facilities or at an Authorized Service Center at no cost for the purchaser. Warranty exclusion: Void’s warranty does not cover product malfunctioning or failure caused by: misuse, abuse, repair work or alterations performed by non-authorized personnel, incorrect connections, exposure to harsh weather conditions, mechanical damages (including shipping accidents), and normal wear and tear. Void will perform warranty services provided that the product is not damaged during transportation.

10.1.2 Return of goods

Goods can be returned to Void only after they have been granted a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number to be attached to the external packaging. Void (or its Authorized Service Center) has the right to refuse any returned good without a RMA number.

10.1.3 Repair or replacement

Void reserves the right to repair or replace any defective goods covered by product warranty at its sole discretion and as it deems best.

10.1.4 Cost and responsibility of transport

The purchaser (or end user/customer) is solely responsible for all transportation costs and risks associated with sending warranty covered goods to Void or its Authorized Service Center. Void will assume full responsibility and cover all costs incurred to send the goods back to the purchaser (or end user/customer).

10.2 Assistance

All servicing and repairs for Void Bias series ampliﬁers is handled by Powersoft Worldwide. Please follow the instructions below in case of any diculties.

There are no user-serviceable parts in your ampliﬁer. Refer servicing to qualiﬁed technical personnel. In addition to having an in-house service department, Powersoft supports a network of authorized service centers. If your ampliﬁer needs repair, contact your Powersoft dealer (or distributor). You can also contact the Powersoft Technical Service department to obtain the location of the nearest authorized service center.

Even though most product malfunctioning can be solved at your premises through Powersoft Customer Care or your direct knowledge, occasionally, due the nature of the failure, it might be necessary to return defective products to Powersoft for repair. In the latter case, before shipping, you are kindly asked to follow step by step the procedure described below:

• Obtain the “Defect Report Form” by contacting our

Customer Care Department via email: service@powersoft.it or download the “Defect Report Form” from Powersoft’s website (http://www.powersoft-audio.com/en/support/service).

• Fill out one “Defect Report form” for each returned

item (the form is an editable tab guided document) and save as your name, amp model and serial Number (for example: distributornamek10sn17345.doc) providing all required information except the RMA code/s and send it to service@powersoft.it bryan@voidacoustics.com and marco.mannuci@powersoft.it for Powersoft approval.

• In case of defect reports approved by the

Powersoft Customer Service Representative you will receive an RMA authorization code (one RMA code for each returning device).

• Upon receiving the RMA code you must

package the unit and attach the RMA code outside the pack, protected in a waterproof transparent envelope so it is clearly visible.

• Once the unit has been repaired you will be provided

with a works form which must be forwarded to bryan@voidacoustics.com and the customer.

All returning items must be shipped to the following address:

Powersoft Via Enrico Conti, 13-15 50018 Scandicci (FI) Italy

In case of shipment from countries NOT belonging to the European Community make sure you have also followed the instructions described in the document available for download at the TEMPORARY EXPORTATION / IMPORTATION PROCEDURE link at

http://www.powersoft-audio.com/en/support/service.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation and continued support as we work to improve our partnership.

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

Page 20

Appendix A: Mains wiring options

CONNECTION

SYSTEM

CABLE

WIRING

CONNECTOR

BREAKER CONNECTION

A - L

B - L

C - L

N - N

3-Phase Wye: 4-Wire; Grounded Neutral and Contiguous Ground.

A - L1 // L

B - L3 // N

N - n.c.

Symbol “L1 // L2” (parallel connection) means connect the pole L1

together with the pole L2.

The parallel connection must be done at the breaker output and not

at the connector level.

Symbol “n.c.” means not connected.

2-Phase Wye: 3-Wire; Grounded

Neutral and Contiguous Ground

(typically called a single phase supply

in North america).

A B

A - L

B - L

C - L

N - n.c.

3-Phase Delta: 4-Wire; Grounded at

Midpoint pf Phase and Contiguous

Ground

A B

A - L1 // L

B - L3 // N

C - n.c. N - n.c.

Symbol “L1 // L2” (parallel connection) means connect the pole L1

together with the pole L2.

The parallel connection must be done at the breaker output and not

at the connector level.

Symbol “n.c.” means not connected.

3-Phase Open Delta: 4-Wire; Groun-

ded at Midpoint pf Phase; Contiguous

Ground

L1 - L1 // L

L2 - L3 // N

N - n.c.

Symbol “L1 // L2” (parallel connection) means connect the pole L1

together with the pole L2.

The parallel connection must be done at the breaker output and not

at the connector level.

Symbol “n.c.” means not connected.

Single-Phase: 3-Wire; Grounded

Neutral; Grounded at Midpoint pf

Phase; Contiguous Ground

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

Page 21

Appendix A: Mains wiring options

CONNECTION

SYSTEM

CABLE

WIRING

CONNECTOR

BREAKER CONNECTION

L1 - L1 // L

L2 - L3 // N

Symbol “L1 // L2” (parallel connection) means connect the pole L1

together with the pole L2.

The parallel connection must be done at the breaker output and not

at the connector level.

Symbol “n.c.” means not connected.

Single-Phase: 2-Wire; Grounded

Neutral; Contiguous Ground

A B

A - L

B - L

C - L

3-Phase Wye: 3-Wire.

A B

A - L

B - L

C - L

3-Phase Wye: 3-Wire; Grounded

Neutral Point.

A - L

B - L

C - L

N - N

3-Phase Wye: 4-Wire; Nongrounded

Neutral.

A - L

B - L

C - L

3-Phase Delta: 3-Wire.

A B

A - L1 // L

B - L3 // N

N - n.c.

Symbol “L1 // L2” (parallel connection) means connect the pole L1

together with the pole L2.

The parallel connection must be done at the breaker output and not

at the connector level.

Symbol “n.c.” means not connected.

3-Phase Delta: 3-Wire; Grounded

Junction of Phases.

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

Page 22

Appendix A: Mains wiring options

CONNECTION

SYSTEM

CABLE

WIRING

CONNECTOR

BREAKER CONNECTION

A B

A - L1 // L

N - L3 // N

Symbol “L1 // L2” (parallel connection) means connect the pole L1

together with the pole L2.

The parallel connection must be done at the breaker output and not

at the connector level.

Symbol “n.c.” means not connected.

Single-Phase: 2-Wire; Nongrounded

Neutral.

A B

A - L

B - L

C - L

3-Phase Delta: 3-Wire.

Bias Q5 User Guide V1.0

Page 23

Channel Handling

Number of output channels

4 mono,

bridgeable per ch. pair

Number of input channels:

Analog 4 (4x XLR)

AES3 4 (2x XLR)

Audio

Output Noise A-Weighted @ 8 Ω - Analog to Analog / Digital to Analog

< -70.0 dBV

Dynamic Range A-Weighted @ 8 Ω - Analog to Analog / Digital to Analog

114,3 dB

Damping Factor @ 8 Ω, 20Hz - 500Hz > 5000

Slew Rate (input ﬁlter bypassed) > 50 V/µs

Frequency Response ( -3 dB , 1 W @ 8 Ω) 5 Hz - 30 kHz

Crosstalk (1 kHz) -70 dB

THD+N (from 0.1 W to Full Power)

< 0.5%

(typical < 0.01%)

DIM (from 0.1 W to Full Power)

< 0.5%

(typical < 0.01%)

Input Impedance 20 kΩ Balanced

Input Acceptance +27 dBu

DSP

AD converters

24 Bit Tandem™ @ 96 kHz

129 dB Dynamic Range - 0.00056 % THD+N

DA converters

24 Bit Tandem™ @ 192 kHz

121 dB Dynamic Range - 0.00084 % THD+N

Sample rate converter

24 Bit @ 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz

140 dB Dynamic Range - 0.0001 % THD+N

Internal precision 40 bit ﬂoating point

Delay 2 s + 100 ms for time alignment

Equalizer

Raised-cosine, custom FIR, parametric IIR:

peaking, hi/lo-shelving, all-pass,

band-pass, band-stop, hi/lo-pass

Crossover

linear phase (FIR), hybrid (FIR-IIR), Butterworth,

Linkwitz-Riley, Bessel: 6 dB/oct to 48 dB/oct (IIR)

Limiters TruePower™, RMS voltage, RMS current, Peak limiter

Damping control Active DampingControl™

Construction

Dimensions 483 mm x 44.5 mm x 495 mm (19.0 in x 1.75 in x 19.5 in)

Weight 15 kg (33.0 lb)

Output Stage

Maximum output power per channel @ 8 Ω 1600 W

Maximum output power per channel @ 4 Ω 3000 W

Maximum output power per channel @ 2.7 Ω 4000 W

Maximum output power per channel @ 2 Ω 5200 W

Maximum output power @ 8 Ω Bridged 6000 W

Maximum output power @ 4 Ω Bridged 10400 W

Peak total output, all channels driven 20000 W

Maximum unclipped output voltage 175 V

peak

Maximum output current 130 A

peak

The power ﬁgure is calculated by driving and loading symmetrically all the channels: uneven loads allow to achieve highest performance.

AC Mains Power

Single-Phase

Nominal Voltage 100 - 240 V @ 50/60Hz

Operating Range 90 - 264 V from DC to 200Hz

Power Factor 1/8 Maximum Output Power @ 4 Ω

> 0.9

Current Draw 1/8 Maximum Output Power @ 4 Ω

18 A

rms

@ 100V

9 A

rms

@ 240V

Suggested circuit breaker C16

Three-Phase

Nominal Voltage**

208Y / 120 - 416Y / 240 V, 3~,

3W+N+PE @ 50/60Hz

200 V~, 3W+PE @ 50/60Hz

Power Factor 1/8 Maximum Output Power @ 4 Ω

> 0.9

Current Drawn from Each Single Phase 1/8 Maximum Output Power @ 4 Ω

6 A

rms

@ 208Y

3 A

rms

@ 416Y

Suggested circuit breaker (per phase) C10

Bi-Phase

Nominal Voltage 200/100 V, 2W+PE @ 50/60Hz

Idle Consumption (all AC MAINS cases) < 100 W

Max Consumption (all AC MAINS cases) < 3500 W

** Note: 208Y/120 V = 208 V phase-to-phase, 120 V phase-to-neutral

Thermal

Operating temperature 0° - 15°C / 32° - 113°F

Cooling

Fan, continuously variable

speed, teperature controlled

Thermal dissipation

Single phase 115V 230V

1/8 Maximum Output Power @ 8 Ω 1127 BTU/h 1058 BTU/h

1/4 Maximum Output Power @ 8 Ω 2124 BTU/h 1639 BTU/h

Appendix B: Speciﬁcations

www.voidacoustics.com

Head Oce

Void Acoustics Research Ltd Unit 15 Dawkins Road Industrial Estate Poole Dorset BH15 4JY England

+44 (0) 1202 666 006

info@voidacoustics.com

Registered in England & Wales No. 07533536

North America

Void Acoustics North America

503-854-7134

sales.usa@voidacoustics.com

Void Bias Q5 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual