Arcam Multichannel Power Amplifier - Manual (Page 9)

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Bi-wiring and bi-amping loudspeakers
Bi-wiring using one set of connections on amplifier Recommended bi-amping configuration
Arcam P7 power amplifier
HF
LF
+
+ –
–
+
–
IN OUT
Arcam P7 power amplifier
HF
LF
+
+ –
–
+
–
IN OUT
+
–
IN OUT
BEFORE YOU START
WARNING: Do not make any connections to your amplifier while
it is switched on or connected to the mains supply.
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.
Always ensure that the volume control on your amplifier is set to
minimum before starting these procedures.
BI-WIRING YOUR LOUDSPEAKERS
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.
You will need:
Speakers – with four input terminals each: these will be marked
HF
(High Frequency + and – ) and LF (Low Frequency + and – ).
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, as is the case with P7), or a suitably
terminated cable set.
How to bi-wire loudspeakers
1. Remove the terminal links on the rear of your loudspeakers.
NOTE: If you do not remove the shorting links from the
speaker terminals, the speakers will still be single-wired!
2. Connect the cables as shown in the diagram below, ensuring
correct polarity at all times.
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.
To bi-amplify your speakers, connect the speaker terminals from one
module to one pair of terminals on the speaker. Connect another
module, or one channel of a separate power amp, to the other pair of
terminals on the speaker, so that two amplifier channels are connected
to that speaker; one for low frequencies and one for high frequencies.
Ensure that in all cases, the positive terminals on the speakers are
connected to the positive (red) terminals on the amplifier, and similarly
for the negative (black) terminals.
NOTE: In order to bi-amplify your speakers, your speakers will need
to be bi-wirable, and have positive and negative terminals for both high
frequency (
HF ) and low frequency ( LF ) information. If your speakers are
bi-wirable, ensure that the links between the HF and LF terminals are
removed.
How to set up a bi-amped system
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.
3. Use interconnect cables to connect the OUT socket of the first
channel to the corresponding IN socket of the adjacent channel
of the power amplifier.