Owner’s Manual CA-2300 / CT-2300 Two-Channel Amplifier
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. 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 manufacturing consistency and consumer safety.
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 that produce heat. 9.
Contents Welcome to the Classé family...........................................................................5 a word about installation........................................................................................ 5 Unpacking and Placement................................................................................6 unpacking your amplifier........................................................................................ 6 placement....................................................
Welcome to the Classé family Congratulations on your purchase of a Classé amplifier. 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 your amplifier Carefully unpack your power amplifier according to the supplied instructions, and remove all accessories from the carton. Please take care when lifting the amplifier, as it is quite heavy. Important! Keep all packing materials for future transport of your Classé amplifier. Shipping your new component in anything other than its purpose-designed packing material may result in damage that is not covered by the warranty.
operating voltage The amplifier is set at the factory (internally) for 100V, 120V, 220V, 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 or dealer. Make sure that the label on the rear panel of your power amplifier indicates the correct AC operating voltage for your location.
warm up/break-in period Your new Classé power amplifier 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 amplifier reaches thermal equilibrium and the capacitors fully form.
Special Design Features highly refined This Classé amplifier benefits from the use of high quality component parts, circuit design application of advanced electronics design principles and exhaustive testing. Its design uses fewer parts in the signal path than is typical, while also achieving outstanding measured performance. This unusual accomplishment showcases both the innovation of the design and the persistence of the Classé Design Team.
robust protection Finally, your new Classé amplifier incorporates a variety of protection circuits, all designed to protect both the amplifier and your loudspeakers against dangerous fault conditions. Significantly, these protection circuits do not intrude upon or limit the normal performance of the amplifier; rather, they simply put the amplifier into protection mode when confronted with abnormal conditions.
CA-2300 1 CT-2300 Front Panel 1 Standby button & LED indicator The front panel Standby button will toggle the amplifier between operate, its fully operational state, and a standby mode that leaves the amplifier 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 amplifier is indicated by the LED indicator in the Standby button.
When in standby, the amplifier’s gain stages are powered down. Only a small power supply and control circuit remain on, consuming relatively little power. Fortunately, since the output stages by their nature conduct a great deal of current, they warm up and sound their best very quickly. If you are not going to use the amplifier for an extended period of time, we suggest you disconnect it from the AC mains. Please be certain that the amplifier is in standby prior to disconnecting it from the AC mains.
100-120~ T12AH 250V 220-240~ T6.3AE 250V OUT RIGHT LEFT OUTPUT OUTPUT CLASS 2 WIRING CLASS 2 WIRING CAN BUS IN RS 232 SHOCK HAZARD - DO NOT OPEN RISQUE DE CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE-NE PAS OUVRIR CAUTION! TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, GROUNDING OF THE CENTER PIN OF THIS PLUG MUST BE MAINTAINED AVIS! POUR RÉDUIRE LE RISQUE DE CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE LA FICHE CENTRALE DE LA PRISE DOIT ÊTRE BRANCHÉE POUR MAINTENIR LA MISE À LA TERRE THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC RULES.
Technically, balanced audio interconnections provide two distinct benefits: they double the signal’s strength as it travels from one component to the next, increasing the potential Signal-to-Noise ratio by 6 dB; they also do an excellent job of rejecting noise and interference that might otherwise be picked up between the components, due to either EMI (electromagnetic interference) or RFI (radio frequency interference).
(Many high quality loudspeakers also offer two sets of connections on their speakers. Generally, one set of the connections on the loudspeaker feeds the portion of the speaker’s crossover network that supplies the woofer with its signal; the other set of connections connects to the portion of the crossover that supplies the rest of the speaker with the midrange and high frequencies.
6 DC Trigger Input and Output Many audio/video preamplifiers can supply a DC control voltage to associated equipment in order to induce desired behavior. Your Classé amplifier can take advantage of these capabilities in order to be switched between operate and standby automatically, perhaps in concert with the A/V preamp itself. Two 1/8th-inch mini mono-jacks provide this remote-controlled turn-on (that is, toggling between operate and standby) of the amplifier.
Do not open your amplifier. There are no user-serviceable parts within this product. Danger! Potentially dangerous voltages and current capabilities exist within your power amplifier, even when disconnected from AC mains. Do not attempt to open any portion of the amplifier’s cabinet. There are no user-serviceable parts inside your power amplifier. All service of this product must be referred to a qualified Classé dealer or distributor.
Installation Your new Classé amplifier is quite simple to set up and enjoy. Please follow the steps outlined below in order to safely set up and use your new amplifier. Important: The AC mains connection should be the last connection you make on your new power amplifier. In addition, it is always a good idea to power up your power amplifier(s) last, after everything else has been powered up and has stabilized. .
Optional accessory feet can be purchased and installed as follows. 1b. Install (4) accessory feet (FC90902) and secure with (8) 6-32 X 3/4 screws. Tighten to 8.5 in-lbs (0.96 N-m) Important! Install (2) securing brackets when using the CT-2300 in a stand-alone (non-rack-mount) installation. 2. Install left and right faceplate securing brackets (L7326 for CT-SSP and CT-AMPS, and L7909 for CT-5300) secure with (4) 8-32 X 3/8 philips pan head screws. Tighten to 5.0 in-lbs (0.
3. Configure your amplifier turn-on delay/amp no. In a system that contains multiple Classé amplifiers, you may set the number of seconds of turn-on delay for each amplifier, allowing each to turn on in the order you have specified, rather than all at once. This number also acts as an ID when using the CAN-Bus. (Having several powerful amplifiers all turning on at the same time can sometimes stress the AC mains in your home, potentially leading to nuisance tripping of circuit breakers).
8. Install the front panel (CT-2300 only). Once all connections have been made and the amplifier is verified to be working correctly, remove the front panel from its packing and firmly press it into place. NOTE: If the CT-2300 is NOT installed in an equipment rack, the front panel should be secured to the chassis using the supplied security tabs. These will prevent the faceplate from unexpectedly popping off if someone should try to lift the amplifier by its front panel.
The diagrams below illustrate how to connect the CAN-Bus hardware. Any combination of models in any order. CAN-BUS IN OUT CAN-BUS IN OUT CAN-BUS IN OUT CAN-BUS IN OUT For any system with SSP-300 or SSP-600. CAN-BUS IN OUT CAN-BUS IN OUT CAN-BUS IN OUT CAN-BUS IN OUT NOTE: Daisy chain may need to be terminated with CAN-Bus Terminator.
using CAN-Bus CAN-Bus is controlled via the touchscreen of any Delta or CT series component. There is no master component, so Delta/CT series systems where two or more units have a touchscreen can be controlled through any of the touchscreens. However, it is probably easiest to start using CAN-Bus through just one. CAN-Bus is accessed by pressing the menu button on the face of the unit or remote, then the status button, followed by the more button.
CAN-Bus shared features The following CAN-Bus features are shared by all models. configuration Selecting configuration will present the CAN-Bus configuration screen allowing access to name, global brightness, and global standby features. operate The operate settings allow you to bring the target unit in and out of standby, or mute. This key will be disabled for the unit whose touchscreen you are using to access CAN-Bus.
CAN-Bus model- The following CAN-Bus features are model specific. specific features PlayLink This feature is exclusive to Delta series disc players and will only function if the disc player is connected to a CAN-Bus enabled preamp or surround sound processor. When PlayLink is active, pressing play on the disc player will also automatically switch the preamp/processor to a specified input. This means that you can listen to a CD or watch a DVD literally at the touch of a button.
amp info Available for amplifiers only, this screen displays the data provided by the heatsink and AC Module temperature sensors. NOTE: This feature is only accessible when the target amplifier is on. event log Reserved for amplifiers, this feature is a protection circuitry event log which can only be accessed when the target amplifier is in standby. The protection circuit shuts down the amplifier or channel if it overheats or if its output could damage your speakers.
Care and Maintenance To remove dust from the cabinet of your amplifier, use a feather duster or a lintfree soft 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 amplifier with the cloth. Do not use excessive amounts of alcohol that might drip off the cloth and into the amplifier.
Troubleshooting In general, you should refer any service problems to your Classé dealer. Before contacting your dealer, however, check to see if the problem is listed here. 28 1. No sound, and Standby LED is not lit. • The amplifier is not plugged into the AC mains, or the AC mains are down (circuit breaker, fuse). • A brown-out or short-term loss of power might require the internal microprocessor to be reset. Unplug the unit for at least 30 seconds and then plug it in again and try powering it up.
4. The AC mains fuse is blown. There is a specific troubleshooting procedure for a blown AC mains fuse, since this rare occurrence sometimes indicates a significant problem. Please use the following steps, in order: a. Disconnect your amplifier from the AC mains, as well as from its input connections and speaker connections, and remove the fuse cover on the rear of the unit. b. If the fuse appears to be blown, replace it only with a fuse of the same type and rating (specified below).
Specifications All tests un-weighted and 500kHz measurement bandwidth (except SNR). n Frequency response n Output power 1Hz – 80kHz, -3dB 300W rms into 8W (24.8 dBW) 600W rms into 4W (24.8 dBW) Both channels driven n Harmonic Distortion <0.002% @ 1kHz balanced <0.004% @ 1 kHz single ended n Peak Output Voltage 150V peak to peak, 53V rms no load 136V peak to peak, 48V rms into 8W n Input Impedance 50kW balanced / single ended n Voltage gain 29 dB balanced / single ended n Input level at clipping 1.
Dimensions CA-2300 17.50" 444mm 8.00" 203mm 8.78" 223mm 15.94" 405mm 10.21" 259mm 10.76" 273mm 17.52" 445mm 18.83" 478mm 10.20" 259mm 16.
CT-2300 19.00" 483mm 6.97" 177 m m 17.41" 442mm 19.89" 505mm 17.
B&W Group Ltd. 5070 François Cusson Lachine, Quebec Canada H8T 1B3 +1 (514) 636-6384 +1 (514) 636-1428 (fax) http://www.classeaudio.com North America: (514) 636-6384 email: cservice@classeaudio.com Europe: 44 (0) 1903 221 700 email: classe@bwgroup.com Asia: (852) 2790 8903 email: classe@bwgroup.hk All Others: +1 514 636 6384 email: cservice@classeaudio.com Copyright © 2014 B&W Group Ltd. V 1.
