H A N DBOOK/MANUEL/HANDBUCH / H A N D L E I D I N G AVP700 Arcam AVP700 Pre-amp.
Safety guidelines CAUTION ATTENTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR 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.
Contents Safety guidelines...................................... E-2 English Important safety instructions ............................ E-2 Safety compliance ........................................... E-2 Before you start! ...................................... E-4 Installation .............................................. E-6 Positioning the unit .......................................... E-6 Notes on installing the AVP700 .......................... E-6 Audio connections...............................
Before you start! Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Arcam AVP700 Surround Sound Receiver. The AVP700 is a home cinema processor built to Arcam’s quality design and manufacturing standards. It combines high resolution digital processing with high performance audio and video components to bring you an unrivalled home entertainment centre. The AVP700 allows switching and volume control of seven analogue and six digital sources; additionally, it has a built-in radio tuner.
Before making connections Before connecting your equipment it is important to think about the following points, as these will affect your choice of connections and subsequent use of the system. Audio English Wherever possible, connect both the analogue and digital outputs of digital sources. This enables use of a digital input for the main zone with the corresponding analogue input used for recording onto an analogue tape deck or VCR, or for the Zone 2 output.
Installation FR FL RS LS MON OUT AV ZONE2 VIDEO OUT OUTPUTS AM GND DVD OUT DVD DIGITAL OUT IN LSB CD FR FL IN RS LS AV SAT RSB LSB SAT AUX AM STEP (USA) 10K (EU) 9K 1/RGB 2/S-VID AUX 230 IN ZONE 2 AV DVD SAT REMOTE OUT SUB OUT VIDEO TRIGGER FM CEN AC INLET HDMI SAT HIGH QUALITY VIDEO IN VCR RSB IN OUT 12V TRIGGER (Z1 & Z2) TAPE FR OUT FL RS232 CONTROL GROUND IN LOCAL CEN RS LS GROUND LIFT RSB OUT IN CEN IN R CD L SUB TAPE DVD R AUDIO L DV
< Wherever possible, connect both the analogue and digital outputs of digital sources. This enables use of a digital input for the main zone and the corresponding analogue input for recording onto an analogue tape deck or VCR, and for the Zone 2 output if used. < Take care to place the audio cables as far from any power supply cabling as is practically possible to reduce hum and other noise problems.
Regardless of the connection type chosen, you should make connections as follows: FR (Right) FL (Left), CEN (Centre): Connect these to the equivalent front channel inputs of your power amplifier. SUB: Sub woofer output. Connect this to the input of your active sub woofer, if you have one. LS: Surround left output. Connect this output to the surround left power amplifier input. RS: Surround right output. Connect this output to the surround right power amplifier input.
SCART RGB 4-WIRE CONNECTION (SCART refers to the multi-pole A/V connector used commonly on European A/V equipment.) Some video projectors and most European TV sets require the use of a 4-wire RGB connection, where the ‘sync’ signal is separate from RGB. In this case, you need to use the composite video MONITOR OUT dn for the sync information. A cable is available from your dealer to make this 4-wire RGB connection (refer to the table of SCART connections at the back of the manual).
Connecting the AM and FM antennas FM antenna A VHF antenna is required to receive FM radio signals. AM Although a VHF ribbon antenna is supplied as an accessory to the AVP700, for optimal FM radio reception a roof- or loft-mounted aerial is advised as this will give superior reception. It is recommended that any roof-top antenna is fitted by an experienced contractor as a contractor will be able to align your antenna to the nearest FM transmitter.
Configuring the AVP700 English The AVP700 ‘Set-up Menu’ has six ‘Basic’ and six ‘Advanced’ menu screens that take you through the configuration process. The ‘Basic’ menus enable you to match your AVP700 to your speakers; the ‘Advanced’ menus allow you to optimise the operation of your system. Screen shots of these menus are shown in shaded boxes on the following pages. The best way to set the AVP700 up is using the on-screen display (OSD).
The ‘Basic’ Set-up Menus 1 – General Settings: Max Volume: This limits the maximum volume setting the system can be turned up to. This is a useful feature to prevent accidental over-driving of low powerhandling speakers, for example. Max On Volume: Limits the maximum volume the system operates at when it is first switched on. The system comes on at the ‘Max On Volume’ if the last used (possibly very loud) volume exceeds this value.
HQ Video: Choose between RGB or YUV; if you have a YUV display, set this item to YUV, otherwise set it to RGB. This setting controls the routing of the HQ-video within the AVP700, either as 3-wire YUV or 4wire RGB signals (with the synchronisation signal on composite for RGB). In addition, it controls the operation of the S-video/composite-to-HQ video converter.
Sub Stereo: This setting allows the volume level of the sub woofer to be adjusted for when the sub woofer is being used with 2-channel (stereo) sources. The sub woofer level for stereo music often needs to be set at a lower level than that for cinema use; use this trim setting, with a stereo source, to reduce the sub woofer output in stereo playback to an acceptable level. The level required depends on various factors such as speakers, the types and styles of music to be played and personal taste.
5 – Level settings The relative sensitivity of different speakers can lead to some speakers sounding disproportionately loud or quiet, relative to others in the system. The level settings of your AVP700 can help to address this in-balance. It is important to calibrate the speakers correctly to achieve an accurately centred sound stage. If possible, we recommend you use a sound pressure level meter (SPL meter) to perform this part of the set-up as it is difficult to judge the levels accurately by ear alone.
The ‘Advanced’ Set-up Menus ADV 1 – Speaker Eq. This allows fine adjustment of bass and treble in 1dB steps (up to ±6dB) for each of the speakers in the system. Use these adjustments sparingly to compensate for speaker response problems caused by positioning, adjacent surface textures, or mixed brands of loudspeakers.
ADV 4 – Zone 2 Settings ZONE2 VOL: Sets the volume for Zone 2. Max Vol 20–83: Limits the maximum volume setting for Zone 2. This is a useful feature to prevent accidental over-driving of low power-handling speakers, for example. English Fix Vol: This selects between fixed and variable audio output to Zone 2. If NO is selected, the output level can be controlled from Zone 2 or the main system. If you wish to fix the volume level, first set the Zone 2 volume to the desired level, then select YES.
Remote control The CR80 remote control is a multi-function unit that controls the AVP700 and up to seven other devices. The instructions on this page only refer to the control of the Arcam AVP700. For information on using the remote control for other devices, and a full list of features, see the instruction booklet supplied with the CR80. Device selection IMPORTANT: Press the ‘AMP’ button first to operate the AVP700.
Operating your AVP700 A/V SURROUND SOUND PROCESSOR FM MUTE/ MONO PRESET/ TUNE STORE English RDS INFO AVP700 DOWN/UP ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE 7.1 PROCESSOR VOLUME TREBLE AUX PHONES BASS EFFECT MENU MODE OK DVD SAT AV AUX VCR TAPE CD FM AM DVD-A ZONE 2 DIRECT DISPLAY MUTE POWER For information display we recommend you use the OSD on your TV/screen whenever possible. However, all key information is also duplicated one line at a time on the front panel display of the AVP700.
Input selection To select a particular source, press the corresponding button on the front panel or on the remote control. There are eight inputs available: DVD, Sat, AV, AUX, VCR, Tape, CD and DVD-A (multi-channel). In addition, AM and FM radio reception can be selected from the built-in tuner. Any picture signal associated with the selected input is switched to the monitor output.
Effect Description The EFFECT button (FX on the remote) cycles through the available effect modes. The effects are only available when the AVP700 is in stereo mode. None No effects active, stereo signal Music Extracted ambience and centre information For more information on the effects, see the section ‘DSP Effects Modes’, page 25.
Using the tuner The AVP700’s radio tuner can be controlled from the upper row of front panel buttons (see diagram, below) or from the remote control handset. Note that the tuner behaviour can be seen only via the frontpanel display, as there is no on-screen display for the tuner. Tuning to a station Pressing the PRESET/TUNE button (or TM on the remote) toggles between the two tuning modes of the unit – ‘Tune’ or ‘Preset’. The selected mode is shown briefly on the display.
Listening to the tuner in Zone 2 The tuner can be selected, as other inputs, for routing to Zone 2. Note, though, that it is not possible to listen to different stations in the main zone and Zone 2 simultaneously. This is because the AVP700 is fitted with just a single tuner module. Using the Main Menu English Three ‘Main Menu’ screens allow day-to-day changes to be made to the way the AVP700 operates. Examples include adjusting the tone control for a particular input, or selection of ‘direct’ mode.
Main Menu Screen 2 Compression: Allows selection of three different compression ratios (OFF, MEDIUM and HIGH), where the higher compression is intended for ‘late night’ listening. The compression effect increases the volume of the quiet passages and decreases the volume of the louder passages. Compression can be disabled by setting this item to OFF. Compression is only available on Dolby Digital recordings and on some DTS recordings.
Surround modes Introduction English Your AVP700 processor provides all the key decoding and processing modes for analogue and digital signals. Modes for Digital sources Digital recordings are usually encoded to include information about their format type. The AVP700 detects automatically the relevant format in a digital signal, such as Dolby Digital or DTS, and switches in the appropriate decoding.
Two-channel source modes The following decoding and surround modes are available: < < < < Mono Stereo Pro Logic II/IIx Movie < < < Pro Logic Emulation Neo:6 Cinema Neo:6 Music Pro Logic II/IIx Music These modes are available with two-channel analogue and two-channel PCM digital sources (although a Dolby Digital 2.0 source may only be decoded as Mono, Stereo or Pro Logic IIx Movie). Mono: The AVP700 will combine the left and right audio channels from a stereo signal to produce a mono signal.
DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete: This is a true discrete 6.1 channel sound format (unlike DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix where the sixth (surround centre) channel information is extracted from the two surround channels). DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete mode operates only on sources with DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete audio encoding, such as certain DVD discs. A list of available software titles with DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix and DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete titles can be found at www.dtsonline.com.
Troubleshooting There are no lights on the unit. < Is the power cord plugged into the AVP700 and is the mains socket it is plugged into switched on? < < Is the power button pressed in? Has the mains fuse in the plug (if applicable) blown? The AVP700 requires a 6-amp fuse, or greater. If a red light is showing next to the power button then the AVP700 is in stand-by mode. Press any source button on the front panel or on the remote control to bring the unit out of stand-by.
< Are the cables to the source and to the power amplifier making a good connection? If necessary withdraw the cable from the connector and plug it back in again (turn the power off before doing this). < For analogue audio sources, is the input sensitivity on the ‘Input Trims’ page in the Set-up Menu reduced excessively? Check that the input is not clipping by using the ‘Analogue Settings’ page.
IR Remote Codes The following information is supplied for owners of advanced programmable remote controls, such as the Philips ‘Pronto’ and similar devices, where it is possible to program remote codes directly into the device. The coding system for the AVP700 is based on the Philips RC-5 standard. The main system control uses RC-5 system codes ‘16’, with the tuner section using system code ‘17’ (this is to provide compatability with existing ARCAM tuners).
These extra commands on code 17 allow full control of the tuner in the AVP700 using the remote control supplied with the T61/T31. The AVP700 responds to these commands in both the main zone and Zone 2. System code 17.
SCART connections These pinouts describe the signal connections between the AVP700 and your display device input.
Technical specifications Analogue audio inputs Overload margin Input impedance 0.5/1/2/4V rms (2V rms normal) +2dB English Line input sensitivity >22kΩ Analogue audio outputs Level (at 0dB gain) 2V rms Maximum level 3.5V rms Impedance 600Ω Signal/Noise ratio (analogue input) 100dB unweighted (measurement bandwidth 22kHz) Signal/Noise ratio (digital input) 100dB unweighted (measurement bandwidth 22kHz) THD+N (analogue input) 90dB (0.
Guarantee 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.