A38/P38 Handbook Integrated and power amplifiers english CAUTION ATTENTION RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR class i product This equipment is a Class I electrical appliance. It requires safety connection to electrical earth (`ground' in the U.S.). safety guidelines RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove cover (or back). No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel. WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture. The lightning flash with an arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated `dangerous voltage' within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product. CAUTION: In Canada and the USA, to prevent electric shock, match the wide blade of the plug to the wide slot in the socket and insert the plug fully into the socket. MAny of thEsE ItEMs ArE coMMon sEnsE PrEcAutIons but, for your own sAfEty And to EnsurE thAt you do not dAMAGE thE unIt, wE rEcoMMEnd thAt you rEAd thEM. important safety instructions This product is designed and manufactured to meet strict quality and safety standards. However, you should be aware of the following installation and operation precautions. 1. Take heed of warnings and instructions You should read all the safety and operating instructions before operating this equipment. Retain this handbook for future reference and adhere to all warnings in the handbook or on the equipment. 2. Water and moisture The presence of electricity near water can be dangerous. Do not use the equipment near water ­ for example next to a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc. 3. Object or liquid entry Take care that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through any openings. Liquidfilled objects such as vases should not be placed on the equipment. 4. Placing the equipment Only use a rack or shelf that is stable and strong enough to support the weight of this equipment. 5. Ventilation Do not place the equipment on a bed, sofa, rug or similar soft surface, or in an enclosed bookcase or cabinet, since ventilation may be impeded. 5. Heat Locate the equipment away from naked flames or heatproducing appliances such as radiators, stoves or other appliances that produce heat. 6. Climate The equipment has been designed for use in moderate climates and in domestic situations. 8. Cleaning Unplug the unit from the mains supply before cleaning. The case should normally only require a wipe with a soft, lint-free cloth. Do not use chemical solvents for cleaning. We do not advise the use of furniture cleaning sprays or polishes as they can cause permanent white marks. 9. Power sources Only connect the equipment to a power supply of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the equipment. The primary method of isolating the equipment from the mains supply is to remove the mains plug. The equipment must be installed in a manner that makes disconnection possible. 10. Power-cord protection Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them. Pay particular attention to the point where they exit from the equipment. 11. Power lines Locate any outdoor antenna/aerial away from power lines. 12. Non-use periods If the equipment is not being used for an extended period, we recommend that you unplug the power cord of the equipment from the outlet, to save power. 13. Abnormal smell If an abnormal smell or smoke is detected from the equipment, turn the power off immediately and unplug the equipment from the wall outlet. Contact your dealer and do not reconnect the equipment. 14. Servicing You should not attempt to service the equipment. Contact your dealer to arrange servicing. 15. Damage requiring service The equipment should be serviced by qualified service personnel when: A. the power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged, or B. objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into the equipment, or C. the equipment has been exposed to rain, or D. the equipment does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance, or E. the equipment has been dropped or the enclosure damaged. Safety compliance This equipment has been designed to meet the IEC/EN 60065 international electrical safety standard. 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. e-2 contents safety guidelines .......................................E-2 Important safety instructions........................... E-2 Safety compliance ................................................ E-2 Thank you and congratulations for purchasing your Arcam FMJ Amplifier. Arcam has been producing specialist audio products of remarkable quality for over three decades and the new A38 and P38 amplifiers are the latest in a long line of award winning HiFi. The design of the FMJ range draws upon all of Arcam's experience as one of the UK's most respected audio companies, to produce Arcam's best preforming Stereo amplifiers yet; designed and built to give you years of listening enjoyment. This handbook is intended to give you a detailed guide to using both the A38 Integrated Amplifier and P38 Power Amplifier systems. It starts by giving advice on installation, moves on to describe how to use the product and finishes with additional information on the more advanced features. Use the contents list shown on this page to guide you to the section of interest. We hope that your FMJ Amplifier will give you years of trouble-free operation. In the unlikely event of any fault, or if you simply require further information about Arcam products, our network of dealers will be happy to help you. Further information can also be found on the Arcam website at www.arcam.co.uk. The FMJ development team welcome......................................................E-3 overview .....................................................E-4 Placing the unit ..................................................... E-5 Power ......................................................................... E-5 Interconnect cables.............................................. E-5 welcome A38 connections .......................................E-6 Audio inputs ........................................................... E-7 Recording loops .................................................... E-7 Phono input ............................................................ E-7 Pre-/power-amplifier connections ................. E-7 Controlling A38 from a second room............ E-7 loudspeakers .............................................E-8 Connecting loudspeakers to the A38/P38 .. E-8 Single wiring ........................................................... E-9 Bi-wiring ................................................................... E-9 Bi-amping ................................................................ E-9 A38 operation ......................................... E-10 Switching the A38 on ........................................E-10 Changing the volume .......................................E-10 Selecting an audio source ...............................E-10 Recording an audio source .............................E-10 A38 setup................................................. E-11 Configuring your A38 amplifier.....................E-11 remote control........................................ E-12 The CR90 Universal remote controller ........E-12 Source keys............................................................E-12 Amp commands ..................................................E-13 P38connections...................................... E-14 Connecting to loudspeakers ..........................E-14 Other connections..............................................E-14 Remote switching ...............................................E-15 specifications .......................................... E-16 Troubleshooting ..................................................E-17 Remote-control codes ......................................E-17 product guarantee ................................ E-18 e-3 english Arcam's A38 Integrated Amplifier ­ and its companion P38 Power Amplifier ­ provide class-leading sound quality. overview The A38 features a number of new technologies which practically eliminate thermal modulation of audio signals, ensuring truly dynamic and thrilling reproduction. New output devices and dramatically improved thermal coupling results in much improved linearity. A massive torroid-based power supply delivers effortless power with low noise. A new pre-amplifier design, with sealed reed relays from Arcam's range-topping C31, deliver a wonderfully transparent signal to each power amplifier. A completely new volume control gives unprecedented linearity and noise performance, allowing fine details to be reproduced in startling clarity. The CR90 remote control supplied with the A38 is an eight-page `universal' learning remote control which is simple to use, and once set up is able to control a complete system. It can be programmed using a vast internal code library to control CD players, tuners, TVs and other devices. The A38 Integrated Amplifier and P38 Power Amplifier are designed to produce a level of performance that will truly bring music and movies to life. e-4 Placing the unit < Place the amplifier on a level, firm surface, avoiding direct sunlight and sources of heat or damp. Do not place the A38 on top of a power amplifier or other source of heat. Do not place the amplifier in an enclosed space such as a bookcase or closed cabinet unless there is good provision for ventilation. The A38 and P38 are designed to run warm during normal operation. Do not place any other component or item on top of the amplifier as this may obstruct airflow around the heat-sink, causing the amplifier to run hot. (The unit placed on top of the amplifier would become hot, too.) Make sure the remote-control receiver to the left of the front panel display is unobstructed, otherwise this will impair the use of the remotecontrol. If line-of-sight is impractical, a remotecontrol repeater can be used with the rear panel connector (see page 7). Do not place your record deck on top of this unit. Record decks are very sensitive to the noise generated by mains power supplies which will be heard as a background `hum' if the record deck is too close. Power The amplifier is supplied with a moulded mains plug already fitted to the lead. Check that the plug supplied fits your supply ­ should you require a new mains lead, please contact your Arcam dealer. If your mains supply voltage or mains plug is different, please contact your Arcam dealer immediately Push the IEC plug end of the power cable into the socket on the back of the amplifier, making sure that it is pushed in firmly. Plug the other end of the cable into your mains socket and, if necessary, switch the socket on. interconnect cables We recommend the use of high-quality screened cables that are designed for the particular application. Other cables will have different impedance characteristics that will degrade the performance of your system (for example, do not use cabling intended for video use to carry audio signals). All cables should be kept as short as is practically possible. It is good practice when connecting your equipment to make sure that the mains power-supply cabling is kept as far away as possible from your audio cables. Failure to do so may result in unwanted noise in the audio signals. < < < Stand-by power For remote stand-by operation, the amplifier's control power-supply is kept powered on all the time the unit is connected to the mains supply. The front-panel powerswitch powers all other circuitry down and power consumption in this mode is less than 2W. This means that even though the power-switch is off, it may be possible to hear a slight residual hum coming from the mains transformer inside the amplifier. This is perfectly normal. However, if the unit is to be left unused for an extended period, we recommend that you disconnect it from the mains supply. < < e-5 english NOTE The trIG out and rEMotE In functions are only used in multi-room systems. They are not required for normal use. A38 connections Speaker terminals The A38 is equipped with t ...