Arcam Amplifiers A90 User Manual

HANDBOOK/MANUEL/HANDBUCH/HANDLEIDING

A90

P90

P90 /3

English

Français

Deutsch

Arcam A90, P90 and P90/3 ampliﬁers

Ampliﬁcateurs Arcam A90, P90 et P90/3

Arcam-Verstärker A90, P90 und P90/3

Arcam-versterkers A90, P90 en P90/3

Nederlands

Using this handbook

This handbook has been designed to give you all the information

Contents

you need to install, connect, set up and use the Arcam A90

integrated ampliﬁer or the P90 power ampliﬁer. The A90

ampliﬁer is described ﬁrst, then the P90. The CR-389 remote

control handset supplied with the A90 integrated ampliﬁer is

also described.

Safety guidelines......................................................2

Important safety instructions ......................................2

Safety complianc e.....................................................2

Using this handboo k.................................................3

Your ampliﬁer(s) may have been installed and set up by an

authorised Arcam dealer. In this case, you may wish to go

directly to the sections describing the use of this equipment.

Safety.......................................................................3

Installation: A90 integrated ampliﬁe r........................4

Positioning the unit ....................................................4

Connecting to loudspeaker s.......................................4

Connecting to a power supply ....................................4

Connecting to other equipment...................................5

Safety

Safety guidelines are set out on the inside front cover of this

handbook.

Using your A90 integrated ampliﬁer .........................6

Front panel control s...................................................6

Recording .................................................................7

Many of these items are common sense precautions, but for

your own safety, and to ensure that you do not damage the unit,

we strongly recommend that you read them.

Setting up your A90 integrated ampliﬁer ..................8

Using the remote contro l..........................................9

CR-389 Remote Control .............................................9

Installation: P90 power amplifer .............................10

Connecting to power, loudspeakers and other

equipment...............................................................10

Remote switchin g....................................................10

Three channel option ...............................................10

Using your P90 power ampliﬁer..............................11

Bi-wiring and bi-amping loudspeakers.....................12

Before you start ......................................................12

Bi-wiring your loudspeaker s......................................12

Bi-amping your system.............................................12

Remote-control codes ............................................13

Service information................................................14

T e chnical speciﬁcations..........................................14

Guarantee..............................................................15

On-line registration ................................................15

A90/P90

Installation: A90 integrated ampliﬁer

PHONO

SP2

TRIG

OUT

4 – 16 OHMS

VOLTAGE

SELECT

INTEGRATED

SP1

REMOTE

POWER INLET

PRE/PWR

–

RECORD

OUT

RECORD

OUT

PLAY

PWR IN

PRE OUT

TAPE 1

VCR/TAPE 2

DVD

TUNER

AUX

5 6 7 8 9 bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br

Positioning the unit

Place your ampliﬁer on a level, ﬁrm surface.

Arcam A90 amplifier

–

Avoid placing the unit in direct sunlight or near sources of heat

or damp.

Ensure adequate ventilation. Do not place the unit in an

enclosed space such as a bookcase or cabinet as both of

these will impede air ﬂow through the ventilation slots.

–

Right

Left

speaker

Wiring your loudspeakers

Using spade terminals:

1. Loosen the terminal by turning it anti-clockwise

2. Insert the spade connecter under the terminal.

3. Tighten by turning clockwise.

Connecting to loudspeakers

The red and black terminals on the back of the ampliﬁers

are used to make the connections to the loudspeakers. You

can connect one or two pairs of loudspeakers to your ampliﬁer,

provided each pair is rated between 8–16Ω. (If one or both

pairs have an impedance of less than 8Ω, the combined load

on the ampliﬁer falls below 4Ω and could cause an overload.)

The pair designated ‘speaker 1’ (SP1) are connected to the

lower set of terminals, while the pair designated ‘speaker 2’

(SP2) are connected to the upper set of terminals. To connect

one pair of loudspeakers, use the SP1 terminals.

Connecting to a power supply

Wrong plug?

Check that the plug supplied with the unit ﬁts your supply and

that your mains supply voltage agrees with the voltage setting

(115V or 230V) indicated on the rear panel of the unit

before plugging in.

When connecting the speaker terminals of the ampliﬁer with

the terminals on the speakers, make sure that like polarities

are matched (i.e., match ‘+’ with ‘+’ (usually red) and ‘–’ with ‘–’

(usually black)). Mismatching of polarities will result in a weak

central sound, unclear orientation of the instruments and the

sense of direction of the stereo being impaired.

If your mains supply voltage or mains plug is different, consult

your Arcam dealer or Arcam Customer Support on +44 (0)1223

203200.

The product must be earthed.

There are two options for connecting the speaker cable to the

ampliﬁer:

Mains lead

The appliance is normally supplied with a moulded mains plug

already ﬁtted to the lead. If for any reason the plug needs to

be removed, it must be disposed of immediately and securely,

as it is a potential shock hazard when inserted into the mains

socket. Should you require a new mains lead, contact your

Arcam dealer.

Using bare wire ended leads:

1. Strip back the insulation on the wire to reveal about 2cm

of conductor (the metal inside the cable).

2. If the conductor is stranded, twist the strands together

tightly to avoid loose strands making contact with the

adjacent terminals or the back panel.

3. Loosen the terminal by turning it anti-clockwise

4. Insert the twisted wire through the hole in the terminal.

5. Tighten by turning clockwise.

When making connections with stranded bare ended wires, take

great care that no individual strands of wire come into contact

with the adjacent terminals or with the back panel. If this

should happen, it will cause a short circuit on the output of the

ampliﬁer and could damage the ampliﬁer.

Plugging in

Push the plug (IEC line socket) of the power cable supplied with

the unit into the socket (POWER INLET)

unit. Make sure it is pushed in ﬁrmly.

in the back of the

Put the plug on the other end of the cable into your power

supply socket and switch the socket on.

A90/P90

Standby power

(12V in and out) – These

connections are intended for use in multi-room installations.

^{TRIG OUT AND REMOTE IN}3

For remote standby operation, the ampliﬁer’s control power

supply is kept powered up all the time the unit is connected to

the mains supply. The front panel power switch powers down all

other circuitry. Power consumption in this mode is less than 2W.

TRIG OUT – This output provides a 12V signal whenever the

unit is switched on (i.e., not off or in standby). This signal

can be used to switch on automatically power ampliﬁers

(or other equipment) connected to the A90, as they will

come on when the A90 is activated. This is useful if the

power ampliﬁer is remote from the A90, or otherwise

difﬁcult to access.

REMOTE IN – This allows remote control signals to be received

by the A90 if the remote sensor is covered (or otherwise

not ‘visible’ to the remote control). An external sensor

is used to receive the signals from the remote control,

which are then fed to the A90 (into this input) using a

suitable cable. Remote control signals acceptable to the

A90 must be in modulated RC5 format, with a voltage

level of between 5V and 15V.

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. If the

unit is to be left unused for an extended period, we recommend

that it is disconnected from the mains supply by switching it off

at the wall socket.

Connecting to other equipment

The use of high quality interconnect cables to and from your

ampliﬁer is recommended to ensure the best sound quality.

Sockets marked L (and R) on your ampliﬁer should only be

connected to sockets marked L (and R) on other equipment. All

the line inputs have the same sensitivity and may be used with

equipment other than that labelled, if needed.

Note that in normal use there is no need to make any

connections to these sockets. If you would like to make use of

these features, please contact your dealer for more advice on

how to make the connections and on what type of cable to use.

^{TAPE1/RECORD OUT}8

– Connect these output sockets

to the input sockets of your cassette deck (usually labelled

RECORD).

Pre/power ampliﬁer connections

^{TAPE1/PLAY IN}9

– Connect these input sockets to the

PWR IN

– To use your integrated ampliﬁer as a power

output sockets of your cassette deck (usually labelled PLAY). If

you do not have a cassette deck you can use this input for other

(line level) equipment, such as a CD player, tuner, VCR, etc., but

not a turntable.

ampliﬁer, connect the output of your pre-ampliﬁer to the PWR IN

sockets.

Press in the PRE/PWR switch

on the rear panel to

select separate pre-amp/power amp mode. Under these

circumstances your A90 has exactly the same speciﬁcation and

performance as a power ampliﬁer (see page 10).

^{VCR/TAPE2 RECORD OUT}bk

– These output sockets can

be connected to the input sockets of VCR/second recorder

(usually labelled RECORD).

PRE OUT

– To use your integrated ampliﬁer as a pre-

^{VCR/TAPE2 PLAY IN}bl

– Connect these input sockets

ampliﬁer, connect the PRE OUT sockets to the input sockets

of your power ampliﬁer. With a power ampliﬁer of the correct

gain (e.g. the P90 power ampliﬁer) you can bi-amplify (‘bi-amp’)

suitable loudspeakers, giving signiﬁcant improvements in sound

quality (see page 12).

to the output sockets of your VCR/second recorder (usually

labelled PLAY). Alternatively, you can use this input for other

(line level) equipment such as a CD player, tuner, etc., but not a

turntable.

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of a DVD

^DVDbm

player.

– Connect this input to audiovisual equipment such as a

VCR, laserdisc player, satellite or Nicam tuner.

^AVbn

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of your

^TUNERbo

radio tuner.

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of your CD

player or DAC (digital to analogue converter).

^CDbp

– Connect this input to the audio outputs of any unit

with a line level output, e.g. tape deck, tuner etc.

^AUXbq

NOTE: The AUX inputs must not be used if the phono module

is ﬁtted. When this is ﬁtted AUX becomes an output carrying

the equalised phono signal at line level.

– As standard, phono inputs are blanked. Phono

^PHONObr

inputs are provided on a separate plug-in module which your

Arcam dealer or distributor can supply and ﬁt. This module

is compatible with most high output moving coil and moving

magnet cartridges (MM) and low output moving coil cartridges

(MC). MM or MC is selected via the MM/MC back panel switch.

Phono earth terminal – For connecting your turntable earth

lead (if ﬁtted). Note that this terminal must not be used as a

safety earth.

A90/P90

Using your A90 integrated ampliﬁer

9bk bl bm

bnbo

A90 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

RECORD MODE

ENTER

SELECT

PHONES

PHONO/AUX CD

TUNER

DVD

VCR

TAPE

TONE

SP1

SP2

POWER

Volume control settings

Front panel controls

It is important to realise that the position of the volume control

is not an accurate indication of the power delivered to your

loudspeakers. The ampliﬁer often delivers its full power long

before the volume control reaches its maximum position,

particularly when listening to heavily recorded compact discs.

However the ampliﬁer also has to be capable of giving full

power output from much lower level sources, such as tuners

and cassette decks. Using these sources, the volume control

setting may be much higher before distortion (audible overload)

sets in. To compensate for this, the input levels of each source

may be individually adjusted to avoid accidental overload (see

page 8).

This section describes how to operate your ampliﬁer.

If your ampliﬁer has not been installed for you, you should

ﬁrst read the section ‘Installation: A90 integrated ampliﬁer’ on

page 4.

^{POWER (and power indicator light)}8

Switches the unit on and off. (You can also switch the ampliﬁer

into standby mode with the remote control handset.)

The light indicates the status of the ampliﬁer. A red light means

the ampliﬁer is in standby mode (press the POWER/STANDBY

button on the remote control, or the POWER button on the front

panel, to switch between standby and powered-up modes).

^{SP1 and SP2}7

When you switch your ampliﬁer on, the light glows amber for a

few seconds, during which time the speakers are disconnected.

The light changes to green when the ampliﬁer is ready for use.

These buttons allow you to select and deselect the main (SP1)

and secondary (SP2) set of speakers attached to your ampliﬁer.

The light above each button glows if the corresponding

speakers are currently selected. (If both lights are out the

ampliﬁer will appear not to work, as all speakers are switched

off!)

The light may ﬂash if a fault has occurred – the fault type is

shown on the display. You should unplug the ampliﬁer and leave

it for a few minutes before reconnecting. If the fault cannot be

cleared, unplug your ampliﬁer and contact your Arcam dealer.

^PHONES1

^{Source selectors}2

This socket accepts headphones with an impedance rating

These buttons select the source connected to the

between 8Ω and 2kΩ, ﬁtted with a 1/4-inch stereo jack plug.

If you wish to listen on headphones only, use the SP1 and SP2

buttons (if necessary) to mute the speakers. The headphone

socket is always active.

corresponding input. A light above the relevant button indicates

which input is currently selected and it will also usually be

shown on the display.

^VCR4

^{Remote control receiver}9

This input is similar to the other line level inputs on the ampliﬁer

The remote control’s infrared receiver is positioned to the left

and may be used with a VCR or a second recording unit (e.g.

cassette deck).

of the RECORD button. Ensure the receiver is in a clear line of

sight from the remote control to allow signals to be received.

^TONE6

^{MODE, UP and DOWN}blbm

Switches the tone circuits on and off, including settings for

These buttons are mainly for use with future optional modules,

individual sources. Note that the tone LED does not light unless

a tone setting has been made. (see page 8).

however the UP and DOWN buttons are used with the basic A90

ampliﬁer to move the cursor when customising the ‘Welcome

message’ (see page 8).

^{Control knob, SELECT and ENTER}3bobn

The control knob has two functions:



as a volume control, to adjust the output of loudspeakers

and headphones connected to the ampliﬁer, and of the

pre-amp output (PRE OUT).

A90/P90



when used in conjunction with the SELECT and ENTER

buttons, to customise ampliﬁer settings (see page 8).

Recording

With the Arcam A90 it is possible to listen to and record from

one source, or to listen to one source while recording another.

Both sets of tape sockets are identical in sensitivity and suitable

for use with almost any type of recorder (cassette, CDR, MD,

VCR, reel-to-reel, etc.). The record signal is sent to both the

TAPE and VCR output sockets.

^RECORDbk

To record the currently selected source, press RECORD until

the display shows ‘RECORD SOURCE’. After a few seconds the

display reverts to showing the volume level and you are ready

to record.

To listen to one source while recording another, press RECORD

again until the display shows ‘RECORD’ followed by the name

of an input (e.g. ‘AUX’, ‘CD’, ‘TUNER’, etc.). Now press the

source selector button on the front panel for the source you

wish to record. Your selection is shown on the display for a few

seconds, after which it reverts to showing the volume level and

you are ready to record.

The RECORD button can also be used as a second zone

selector, sending a source signal at line level to a second

ampliﬁer operating in another room. If you need help with this,

contact your Arcam dealer or Arcam customer support.

Tape-to-tape copying (dubbing)

You can perform tape dubbing from VCR to TAPE, but not from

TAPE to VCR.

For example, to copy from a cassette recorder connected to

the VCR socket to a cassette recorder connected to the TAPE 1

socket, ﬁrst use the RECORD button as explained above and

select ‘RECORD VCR’. This routes the VCR signal to the TAPE

output.

Set the cassette recorder connected to the TAPE socket into its

record mode and the other to playback mode to start dubbing.

^TAPE5

To play back the recording from a cassette deck attached to

the TAPE 1 input, press TAPE. ‘TAPE 1’ is shown on the display.

Selecting this input overrides the other source selectors.

It is also possible to monitor a recording while it is being made,

provided your cassette deck is a 3-head type. To do this, press

TAPE. Switching this button in/out allows an A/B comparison

between the source signal and the recorded signal.

A90/P90

Setting up your A90 integrated ampliﬁer

Introduction

Adjusting listening settings

The default display mode is VOLUME, where the

control knob is used to adjust sound level.

ARCAM A90 ‘Switch on’ state

The A90 allows you to adjust listening settings to

suit your taste, and to customise various features

of the ampliﬁer to ﬁt your system. Use this diagram

to help you navigate through the settings available.

Press SELECT to enter edit mode and cycle

through the other sound settings: BALANCE,

BASS and TREBLE. When a setting is selected,

adjust it with the control knob. Press ENTER to ﬁx

the change you have made and return to default

(volume) mode, or press SELECT again to move to

the next setting.

DOWN

VOLUME

BALANCE

BASS

The ENTER and SELECT buttons are represented

in the diagram by the symbols

respectively. The Control knob is shown as

adjust

and

LEFT

RIGHT

Customising ampliﬁer settings

Press SELECT until the display shows

‘CUSTOMISE->’. Now rotate the Control knob to

choose which setting you wish to alter. Press

SELECT to adjust the chosen setting with the

Control knob.

–dB

+dB

Press ENTER to conﬁrm the adjustment or press

SELECT to conﬁrm the adjustment and move on to

the next item.

+dB

TREBLE

adjust

Press ENTER twice to leave the Customise menu.

Customize ->

choose

setting

RESTORE

INPUT

TRIMS

TONE

CONTROL

Volume

Resolution

Processor

mode

WELCOME

MESSAGE

VOLUME

DISPLAY

PHONO/AUX

SETTINGS

TEXT

edit

STANDARD

GRAPHIC/

NUMERIC

TRIM

GAIN

GLOBAL/

ARCAM

Amp

AUX/

PHONO

NO/YES

FINE

PER

REFERENCE

SOURCE

‘Switch on’

state

continue

Volume

resolution

Volume

display

Input

trims

Tone

control

Processor

mode

Welcome

message

Phono/Aux

text

Restore

settings

Welcome message – You can change the

power on Welcome message from ‘Arcam

INTEGRATED AMP’ to display your name,

postcode, etc. When customising the message,

use the UP and DOWN buttons to select the cursor

position and the Control knob to change the letter.

Volume Resolution – Standard, fine or

Reference. ‘Standard’ and ‘Fine’ represent

different levels of volume control sensitivity. The

‘Reference’ setting gives absolute increments in

0.5dB steps.

Tone Control – Global or Per source. This

speciﬁes the scope of changes for ‘Bass’ and

‘Treble’ tone settings. The default setting is ‘Global’

which affects all inputs equally. ‘Per source’ allows

you to set tone controls for individual inputs: once

set, the ampliﬁer remembers tone settings for

each input.

Volume display mode – graphic or numeric

shows the volume either as a bar graph or as a

number. If Volume resolution is set to ‘Reference’

a numeric volume display shows the actual decibel

ﬁgure.

Phono/Aux Text – If you have had the optional

Phono module added, choose ‘Phono’ so this

word is displayed when the input is selected. The

default is ‘Aux’.

Processor Mode – This mode enables you to

adjust the gain of the ampliﬁer. The ampliﬁer

can then be used to drive the front left and right

speakers in a surround sound system when

fed from a separate processor. You can then

control the volume of the entire system using the

processor, feeding the sound into the TAPE input.

Set the gain to match the ampliﬁers that drive your

other loudspeakers.

Restore Settings – this restores all ampliﬁer

settings, including Input trims and the Welcome

message, to their factory defaults.

Input Trims – use the source select buttons and

Control knob to set input trims for each source.

Input trims are used to compensate for variations

in output levels of different source equipment.

A90/P90

Using the remote control

CR-389 Remote Control

The CR-389 remote control gives access to all functions

available on the front panel of the A90. It also has controls to

operate Arcam CD players, AM/FM tuners and DAB tuners.

The remote control transmits Philips RC-5 type codes.

TUNER

These buttons are used to control tuner functions.

Note that the FM/DAB lights indicate into which mode

you are switching the remote control. The lights only

TUNER

FM DAB

illuminate for ﬁve seconds to conserve battery power.

If neither light is illuminated this does not mean that the

Power/Standby

Toggles the ampliﬁer between standby mode and full power

mode. The power indicator light next to the power button on

the front panel is red if the ampliﬁer is in standby, amber while

the ampliﬁer is powering up (this only takes a few seconds) and

green when the ampliﬁer is powered up.

DAB

remote control is not working!

2-10

DISP

3-11

7-15

1-9

4-12

8-16

(UP and DOWN)

5-13

6-14

Perform the same function as the

buttons

on the front panel (see page 6).

MODE

BAND

SP1 and SP2

These buttons allow you to select and deselect the main (SP1)

and secondary (SP2) sets of speakers attached to your ampliﬁer

(see page 6).

SP1

SP2

ENTER

DISP

ENTER

Performs the same function as the ENTER

button on the front panel (see page 8).

SELECT

DISP (display)

Cycles through the settings ‘Bright’, ‘Off’ and ‘Dim’. Turning the

display ‘Off’ generally gives a slight improvement in sound quality.

SELECT

Performs same function as the SELECT button on the front

panel. It allows you to use the remote’s volume switch in the

same way you use the control dial on the front panel – to

adjust various ampliﬁer settings (see page 8).

Volume and (mute)

Note that pressing + corresponds to turning the

Control knob clockwise, – to anticlockwise.

Press + to increase volume or – to decrease the output volume

of the ampliﬁer.

PHONO

AUX

TUNER

VCR

Press to mute the speaker connections and preamp outputs.

Both tape outputs and the headphone socket remain active.

Mute is disabled either by pressing again, or by adjusting the

volume.

TAPE

DVD

Source selection buttons

These operate in the same way as the source selectors

on the front panel of your integrated ampliﬁer.

AMPLIFIER

You can use the remote’s volume control in conjunction with the

RPT

SELECT button to adjust balance, tone and ampliﬁer settings.

PROG

INFO

CD controls

These offer basic controls of Arcam CD players

CR-389

NOTE: Remember to install the two supplied AAA batteries

before trying to use your remote control!

Do not place anything in front of the IR receiver on the left

of the A90, or the remote control may not work.

A90/P90

Installation: P90 power amplifer

R/CH1 –

L/CH2 –

CTR/CH3 –

SP2

SP1

CTR/CH3

AUDIO

LINK

AUDIO

4 – 16 OHMS

TRIG

OUT

4 – 16 OHMS

VOLTAGE

SELECT

SP1

OUT

REMOTE

CTR/CH3 –

R/CH1 –

L/CH2 –

OUT

POWER INLET

Optional Third Channel Module

– provides a third 90W channel

suitable for Home Cinema or

multi-channel audio use.

Connecting to power, loudspeakers and

other equipment

Follow the installation instructions for the integrated ampliﬁer on

pages 4 and 5.

Remote switching

By making a connection from the REMOTE IN socket of the P90

power ampliﬁer to the TRIG OUT socket of the A90 integrated

ampliﬁer, you can use the A90 to switch the power ampliﬁer on

and off. If conﬁgured in this way, the front panel POWER button

of the A90 (or the POWER/STANDBY button on the remote

control) switches both ampliﬁers on and off together. This facility

allows you to conceal the power ampliﬁer yet still control it.

AUDIO IN – Connect this input to the output sockets of your pre-

ampliﬁer or the PRE OUT sockets of an integrated ampliﬁer.

MONO LINK – The power ampliﬁer can be adapted to provide

two mono loudspeaker outputs from a single input. Pull out

the link supplied and use it to connect the L and R AUDIO OUT

sockets together. Using one power ampliﬁer per loudspeaker

will enable you to bi-amplify bi-wireable loudspeakers.

The connecting cable required is a 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack lead

(stereo or mono) and it is possible to connect several power

ampliﬁers to an A90 by ‘daisy chaining’ from TRIG OUT of one

P90 into the REMOTE IN of the next.

This is particularly beneﬁcial for top quality stereo installations

with a separate pre-ampliﬁer, or where ampliﬁers are provided

for the left, centre and right channel loudspeakers in a ﬁve

speaker Dolby Pro Logic or Dolby Digital system.

Three channel option

The power ampliﬁer can be upgraded from stereo to three

channels by adding a Third Channel Module: in this case, the

model is designated P90/3.

Contact your Arcam dealer for more information.

“Daisy chaining” – The power ampliﬁer can be connected to

further power ampliﬁers to drive more speakers (e.g. those in

other rooms or tri-ampliﬁed speakers, etc).

The module offers extra loudspeaker terminals together with a

third set of AUDIO IN and OUT phono sockets and converts the

P90 into a 3 x 90W (RMS per channel into 8Ω) ampliﬁer suitable

for Home Cinema or multi-channel audio use.

Connect the extra power ampliﬁer inputs to the AUDIO OUT

sockets on the power ampliﬁer, left to left, right to right.

Contact your Arcam dealer for further details.

A90/P90

Using your P90 power ampliﬁer

P90 POWER AMPLIFIER

POWER

SP1

SP2

POWER (and power indicator light)

Switches the unit on and off. The light indicates the status of the

ampliﬁer.

SP1 and SP2

These buttons allow you to select and deselect the main

(SP1) and secondary (SP2) sets of speakers attached to your

ampliﬁer. An indicator light shows which set of speakers are

currently selected.

When you switch your ampliﬁer on, the light glows amber for a

few seconds, during which time the speakers are disconnected.

The light changes to green when the ampliﬁer is ready for use.

A red light means the ampliﬁer is in standby mode.

NOTE: If both lights are out the ampliﬁer will appear not to

work, as all speakers are switched off.

The power light may ﬂash if a fault has occurred, with the colour

of the ﬂashing light indicating the nature of the fault:



green – a D.C. offset fault has occured

amber – a thermal fault has occured (the ampliﬁer is too

hot)



red – a short circuit fault has occured (this can happen if

the speaker cables are not connected correctly and are

making contact with each other or with the chassis)

red and amber – more than one fault has occured.



Except for a thermal fault, if one of the above faults is detected

by your ampliﬁer the unit waits for six seconds before checking

to see if the fault has cleared. If the fault clears within six

seconds, then the unit continues operation; otherwise the unit

shuts itself down. In the case of a thermal fault, the unit waits

until its sensor temperature lowers before resuming operation.

If the ampliﬁer has shut itself down, you should unplug the

ampliﬁer and leave it for a few minutes before reconnecting. If

the fault cannot be cleared, unplug your ampliﬁer and contact

your Arcam dealer.

A90/P90

Bi-wiring and bi-amping loudspeakers

Before you start

Bi-amping your system

The performance of your system can be further enhanced over

that achieved with bi-wiring, by extending the principle one

stage further to include separate ampliﬁcation for the low and

high frequency drive units in each loudspeaker enclosure.

WARNING: Do not make any connections to your

ampliﬁer while it is switched on or connected to the

mains supply.

Connect the integrated ampliﬁer to the high frequency (HF)

terminals and connect the power ampliﬁer to the low frequency

(LF) terminals.

Before switching on please check all connections

thoroughly, making sure bare wires or cables are not

touching the ampliﬁer in the wrong places (which could

cause short circuits) and you have connected positive

(+) to positive and negative (–) to negative.

You will need:

Speakers – with four input terminals each (as with bi-wiring):

these will be marked HF (High Frequency) and LF (Low

Frequency).

Always ensure that the volume control on your ampliﬁer

is set to minimum before starting these procedures.

Two ampliﬁers – one of these would be the A90 and the other

an Arcam power ampliﬁer (e.g. P90).

Bi-wiring your loudspeakers

Loudspeaker cables – two pairs of cables per loudspeaker or a

suitably terminated cable set.

Bi-wiring improves the sound of your system because it divides

the high and low frequency signal currents into separate

speaker cables. This avoids signal distortions arising from the

high and low frequency currents interacting with one another

within a single cable, as in conventionally wired systems.

Interconnect cables – one pair of high quality interconnect

cables.

How to set up a bi-amped system

1. Remove the terminal links on the rear of your

loudspeakers.

You will need:

Speakers – with four input terminals each: these will be marked

HF (High Frequency) and LF (Low Frequency).

WARNING: This step is essential or damage to

your ampliﬁer may result which is not covered

under warranty.

Loudspeaker cables – two pairs of cables per loudspeaker

(which may be joined at the ampliﬁer end if your ampliﬁer has

only one pair of output terminals per channel), or a suitably

terminated cable set.

2. Connect the cables as shown in the diagram below,

ensuring correct polarity at all times.

3. Use the interconnect cables to connect the PRE OUT

sockets of the A90 to the corresponding AUDIO IN

sockets of the power ampliﬁer.

How to bi-wire loudspeakers

1. Remove the terminal links on the rear of your

loudspeakers

WARNING: This step is essential or damage to

your ampliﬁer may result which is not covered

under warranty.

2. Connect the cables as shown in the diagram below,

ensuring correct polarity at all times.

Arcam A90 amplifier

–

Arcam A90 amplifier

–

Right

Left

speaker

–

Right

speaker

Left

speaker

–

Arcam P90 power amplifier

Bi-wiring using one set of connections on ampliﬁer

Recommended bi-amping conﬁguration

A90/P90

Remote-control codes

The following table gives the IR-commands accepted by the

A90.

Power commands

Command

Power toggle

Power-on

Decimal Code

16–12

16–123

Power-off

16–124

Source selection commands

Command

PHONO select

AV select

Decimal Code

16–1

16–2

TUNER select

DVD select

TAPE select

VCR select

CD select

16–3

16–4

16–5

16–6

16–7

AUX select

16–8

Volume control commands

Command

Mute

Decimal Code

16–13

Volume up

Volume down

16–16

16–17

Menu navigation commands

Command

Decimal Code

16-32

DOWN

SELECT

ENTER

16-33

16–37

16–87

Speaker control commands

Command

Decimal Code

16–35

Speaker 1 toggle

Speaker 2 toggle

Speaker 1 on

Speaker 1 off

Speaker 2 on

Speaker 2 off

16–39

16–43

16–44

16–45

16–46

Display control commands

Command

Display

Decimal Code

16–59

Note that the A90 also responds to code 20–53 (the Play

command for an Arcam CD player). The A90 swiches

automatically to CD input on receiving this command.

A90/P90

Service information

Before returning your ampliﬁer for service, please check the

following:



With two pairs of low impedance speakers connected,

overloads are more likely. Overloading the ampliﬁer may

cause it to shut down because of overheating.

Note that because of the high output voltage from a CD

player, it is possible to drive the A90 at full power even

though the volume is not set at maximum.

Sound cuts out for no reason

If the temperature of the internal heatsink rises above a safe

level, then a thermal cutout inside the ampliﬁer will operate.

The power indicator on the front panel ﬂashes and the

protection system temporarily removes the power to the

speakers. The system resets itself as the heatsink cools down.

Ampliﬁer does not switch back on

The A90 and P90 ampliﬁers have a protection mechanism

which is activated if you switch the unit on immediately after

turning it off. If this mechanism activates, wait 30 seconds then

try again.

Technical speciﬁcations

A90

P90

Continuous power output, per channel

Both channels, 8Ω, 20Hz–20kHz

Single channel, 4Ω, 1kHz

Distortion, 8Ω, 80% power, 1kHz

Inputs

90W

150W

0.005%

150W

0.005%

Phono cartridge (optional module)

input sensitivity, MM

2.5mV

250µV

input sensitivity, MC

Line and tape inputs

Nominal sensitivity

250mV

22kΩ

700mV

22kΩ

Input impedance

Signal/noise ratio (CCIR)

Tone controls, max. boost/cut

Preampliﬁer outputs

Nominal output level

105dB

±12dB

112dB

700mV

Output impedance

<50Ω

General

Power consumption (maximum)

Dimensions W x D x H (including feet)

Weight (net)

800VA

800VA (950VA for P90/3)

435 x 340 x 100mm

435 x 320 x 100mm

9.5kg (10.5kg for P90/3)

11kg (12kg for P90/3)

mains lead

9kg

Weight (packed)

10.5kg

Supplied accessories

mains lead

CR-389 remote control

2 x AAA batteries

E&OE

Continual improvement policy

NOTE: All speciﬁcation values are typical unless otherwise

Arcam has a policy of continual improvement for its products.

This means that designs and speciﬁcations are subject to

change without notice.

stated.

A90/P90

Guarantee

It should be sent carriage prepaid by a reputable carrier -– NOT

by post. No responsibility can be accepted for the unit whilst in

transit to the dealer or distributor and customers are therefore

advised to insure the unit against loss or damage whilst in

transit.

Worldwide Guarantee

This entitles you to have the unit repaired free of charge, during

the ﬁrst two years after purchase, at any authorised Arcam

distributor provided that it was originally purchased from an

authorised Arcam dealer or distributor. The manufacturer

can take no responsibility for defects arising from accident,

misuse, abuse, wear and tear, neglect or through unauthorised

adjustment and/or repair, neither can they accept responsibility

for damage or loss occurring during transit to or from the

person claiming under the guarantee.

For further details contact Arcam at:

Arcam Customer Support Department,

Pembroke Avenue, Waterbeach, CAMBRIDGE

CB5 9QR, England.

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

+44 (0)1223 203200

+44 (0)1223 863384

[email protected]

The warranty covers:

Parts and labour costs for two years from the purchase date.

After two years you must pay for both parts and labour costs.

The warranty does not cover transportation costs at any

time.

Problems?

If your dealer is unable to answer any query regarding this

or any other Arcam product please contact Arcam Customer

Support on +44 (0) 1223 203200 or write to us at the above

address and we will do our best to help you.

Claims under guarantee

This equipment should be packed in the original packing

and returned to the dealer from whom it was purchased, or

failing this, directly to the Arcam distributor in the country of

residence.

On-line registration

You can register your Arcam product on line at:

www.arcam.co.uk

A90/P90

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