Owner’s Manual CP-500 Preamplifier
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.
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 amplifiers) that produce heat. 9.
Contents Welcome to the Classé family ..........................................................................5 a word about installation .......................................................................... 5 Unpacking and Placement ...............................................................................6 unpacking your preamplifier .................................................................... 6 placement ..................................................................................
Welcome to the Classé family Congratulations on your purchase of a Classé product. It is the result of many years of continuous refinement, 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.
Unpacking and Placement unpacking Carefully unpack your preamplifier according to the supplied instructions, and your preamplifier 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.
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.
warm up/break-in period Your new Classé power preamplifier 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 first 300 hours, as the preamplifier reaches thermal equilibrium and the capacitors fully form.
Special Design Features flexible graphical The LCD touchscreen on the front panel of your new component supports an user interface extremely flexible and versatile graphical user interface (GUI) while maintaining a clean, uncluttered appearance. The CP-500 provides a range of controls that might otherwise require dozens of buttons and knobs on the front panel. Despite this power and flexibility, it remains simple to operate in day-to-day use.
extensive listening tests Excellent measured performance is to be expected in world-class products, and Classé products deliver that performance. However, experience has shown that technical excellence alone is insufficient to guarantee subjectively musical results. For this reason, all Classé products are laboriously fine-tuned during the development process by carefully controlled listening tests.
������� ���� ���� ������ Front Panel 1 Standby button & LED indicator The front panel Standby button will toggle the preamplifier between operate, its fully operational state, and a standby mode that leaves the preamplifier 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). The current state of the preamplifier is indicated by the LED indicator in the center of the standby button.
2 Menu button Pressing the front panel Menu button will call up the main menu system, replacing the normal operational menu and status display in the LCD touchscreen. 3 LCD touchscreen Much of your interaction with the CP-500 will be via the LCD touchscreen (and the CP-500’s supplied remote control). It will usually display the various input selection buttons you would use in day-to-day operation, along with access to the tape button.
In addition to receiving IR commands, the CP-500 can also transmit IR commands so they may be learned by third-party learning remote controls. The CP-500 includes a comprehensive list of discrete IR commands to facilitate the creation of reliable macros. Specifically, there are discrete codes for all commands that normally operate as toggle functions (e.g. separate operate and standby commands in addition to the normal command that toggles between the two states).
Rear Panel 1 Tape Input Connect the analog outputs of any recording device (analog tape recorder, digital tape recorder, CD recorder, etc.) you may have to these single-ended RCA connectors. You may select to hear the output of your recording device by touching the tape button on the main operational screen of the CP-500. 2 Single-ended (RCA) inputs These RCA jacks accept right-channel and left-channel (single-ended) inputs from line-level source equipment such as tuners, CD players, and tape decks.
4 Balanced (XLR) inputs These XLR jacks accept right-channel and left-channel balanced signals from source equipment with balanced outputs. Either of these inputs may be selected by touching the corresponding button on the main operational screen of the LCD touchscreen.
7 Balanced (XLR) main outputs These XLR outputs provide a high quality, balanced stereo analog signal to your power amplifier. Connect them to corresponding balanced inputs on your power amplifier, using shielded high-quality balanced interconnects. Your Classé dealer can provide assistance in selecting appropriate balanced cables for your system.
8 RS-232 Control Port This DB-9 connector has two purposes: • downloading new operating software into your preamplifier (should new features ever be added, for example) • external control of your preamplifier by control systems such as i-Command™, AMX® and Crestron™ For more information, please contact your dealer and ask about home automation systems.
11 DC Trigger Input and Output Many audio/video components can supply a DC control voltage to associated equipment in order to induce desired behavior. Your Classé preamplifier can take advantage of these capabilities in order to be switched between operate and standby automatically, usually in concert with the A/V preamp itself. The 1/8th-inch mini mono-jack Trigger In provides for remote-controlled turn-on (that is, toggling between operate and standby) of the preamplifier.
The Remote Control ������� ����� ���� ������� � Your new preamplifier comes with a versatile remote control which can control both the CP-500 itself and several aspects of the rest of a Classé-based system. The buttons are arranged in logical groups according to their functions. 1 ��� ���������� ���� � Basic Functions This section along the top of the remote control groups four functions that control your basic interactions with the CP-500.
3 Navigation Keys The central section of the remote control contains the navigation keys. This array of buttons is similar to what you may have seen on remote controls for DVD players, and is used for navigation of the menu system of the CP-500. • Home returns you to the normal input selection controls normally shown on the LCD screen on the front panel of the CP-500. This provides a quick way to get back to normal operation, regardless of how deep you might be in the menu system.
The Menu System Your CP-500 includes a versatile LCD touchscreen which supports both an attractive information display and a flexible menu system. While its use is quite intuitive, it is also quite extensive. This section of the owner’s manual outlines the many capabilities found in the menu system. operational menu The operational menu provides easy access to the most basic functions of the preamplifier: input selection and tape monitor.
main menu system Pressing the front panel Menu button to the left of the LCD touchscreen brings up a comprehensive main menu system, the top two levels of which are shown above. This menu provides access to many installation-specific features that let you customize how the CP-500 works within the context of your particular system. system setup The first button on the control menu takes you to a series of submenus that collectively provide a great deal of control over your system setup.
rotary The rotary knob on the front panel does not directly control the volume. Instead, it controls circuitry that does so with greater fidelity and precision than traditional volume potentiometers could ever achieve. Since the volume control circuitry is under software control, it is possible to customize its behavior under various conditions.
Of course, it is possible to bump into the knob by accident, which might result in its spinning very quickly indeed. Rather than increasing the volume uncontrollably under these conditions, the CP-500 actually slows everything down again as a safety measure against accidentally blowing your speakers. In fact, if you like you may establish a speed limit beyond which the knob will simply be ignored. The factory default settings for these behaviors are generally found to be intuitive and a pleasure to use.
• speed limit: establishes a maximum rotary speed, beyond which there will be no change in volume whatsoever; the knob’s input will be ignored completely until it is first stopped, and then rotated at a slower speed. • reset defaults: if after experimenting with various settings you decide you prefer it the way it operated as it came from the factory, pressing this button will restore the factory default settings. So feel free to experiment – you can always return to the original settings.
• The t button acts like the backspace key on a computer keyboard, moving the cursor to the left and eliminating any characters along the way. • The u button moves the cursor to the right, adding characters along the way. (Change each character to what you want as you go along, using the + and – buttons.) • The + and – buttons change the current character through the available characters. They include all upper and lower case letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, and a variety of punctuation.
phono gain The phono gain menu is only active if the optional phono module is installed; otherwise it is grayed out. When it is installed, the CP-500 will automatically recognize it, rename the line 1 input to phono, and activate the input on the main menu. Setting the phono gain is simple enough: choose low gain for most moving magnet cartridges, and for high output moving coil cartridges; choose high gain for low output moving coil cartridges.
teach IR The CP-500 provides discrete infrared (IR) command codes for all its functions, a list that extends far beyond what is required by normal remote controls. However, many of these functions are critical if you plan to create a customized remote control with macros that take command of your entire system. Without these discrete codes, many of the macros you might want to create will simply not work reliably. The teach IR screen provides a scrolling list of all the available IR codes in the CP-500.
brightness The brightness setting of the CP-500 has three possible values: low, medium, and high. Select the appropriate setting based on the level of ambient light typically found in your listening room while using the system. A high brightness setting usually works best in brightly-lit rooms; you may find that a lower setting is less visually intrusive under more subdued lighting conditions.
remote Fkeys The remote control supplied with the CP-500 has four function keys (Fkeys) that allow you to have instant, easy access to specific system functions that might otherwise be buried in a menu somewhere. For example, if you use the balance control frequently, you may want to consider programming one of the Fkeys to take you straight to that screen. Doing so will save you having to access the control menu, followed by pressing the balance button (which might be hard to see from across the room).
status The status screen provides several items of information about the current operation status of the CP-500, as well as access to information on the software used in and the internal sensors of the CP-500. version info The version info button on the status screen takes you to the version information screen, which displays information on various pieces of software used by your CP-500.
Troubleshooting In general, you should refer any service problems to your Classé dealer. Before contacting your dealer, check to see if the problem is listed here. If it is, try the suggested solutions. If none of these solves the problem, contact your Classé dealer. 1. Important! Check that the power amplifier is off before checking any connections between the preamplifier and power amplifier, or between the power amplifier and the speakers. 2. 32 Everything appears to be on, but there is no sound.
• If your preamplifier was plugged in properly, try the following: put it in standby, switch off the main power switch in the back, and unplug the unit for at least thirty seconds before trying to power it up again. (Sometimes a brownout of short-term loss of power might require a restart.) Important! Make sure to power down your power amplifier BEFORE doing the restart. • If none of these solutions work, please consult your Classé dealer for assistance. Never attempt to replace an internal fuse.
5. There is a hum coming out of the speakers. • If you are running single-ended interconnects, make sure they are not running alongside any AC power cords. • If you are running single-ended interconnects, make sure they are not too long. Long runs of single-ended interconnects have a natural tendency to pick up noise even if they are shielded. • If any source components connected to your preamplifier has a cable TV hooked up to it, try disconnecting the cable television line from the source.
Care and Maintenance cleaning the cabinet To remove dust from the cabinet of your preamplifier, use a feather duster or a soft, lint-free cloth. To remove dirt and fingerprints, we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Dampen the cloth with alcohol first and then lightly clean the surface of the preamplifier with the cloth. Do not use excessive amounts of alcohol that might drip off the cloth and into the preamplifier.
Specifications All specifications are accurate at the time of printing. Classé reserves the right to make improvements without notice. Frequency response DC – 200kHz ± 0.1dB Distortion (THD + noise) 0.003% Maximum input voltage (single-ended) 5Vrms Maximum input voltage (balanced) 10Vrms Maximum output voltage (single-ended) 10Vrms Maximum output voltage (balanced) 20Vrms Gain range -100dB to +14dB Input Impedance 100kΩ Output Impedance (main output) 100Ω Signal-to-noise ratio (ref.
Dimensions ������ �� �� ������ ���� 37
Classé Audio 5070 François Cusson Lachine, Quebec Canada H8T 1B3 +1 (514) 636-6384 +1 (514) 636-1428 (fax) http://www.classeaudio.com email: cservice@classeaudio.com Copyright © 2006 Classé Audio Inc. Printed in Canada. v2.
