Arcam A80, P80 Bi-wiringand bi-ampingloudspeakers, Before you start, Bi-wiringyour loudspeakers

Bi-wiring and bi-amping loudspeakers

Before you start Bi-amping your system

A80/P80

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 LF (Low Frequency).

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 (a loom, probably prepared by your dealer and capable of being used for bi-amping in one length).

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 A80 amplifier
	+	–		+	–
		R			L
+	HF	– Right	+	HF	– Left
+	LF	– speaker	+	LF	– speaker

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.

Connect the integrated amplifier to the high frequency (HF) terminals and connect the power amplifier to the low frequency (LF) terminals.

You will need:

Speakers – with four input terminals each (as with bi-wiring): these will be marked HF (High Frequency) and LF (Low Frequency).

Two amplifiers – one of these would be the A80 and the other an Arcam power amplifier (e.g. P80).

Loudspeaker cables – two pairs of cables per loudspeaker or a suitably terminated cable set (a loom, probably prepared by your dealer and capable of being used for bi-amping in one length).

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.

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 the interconnect cables to connect the PRE OUT sockets of the A80 to the corresponding AUDIO IN sockets of the power amplifier.

+	–	Arcam A80 amplifier		–
		+
	R		L
+	–	+		–
Right	HF		HF	Left
speaker	LF –	–	LF	speaker
+		+		–
+	–	+		–
	R	Arcam P80 power amplifier	L

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Bi-wiring using one set of connections on amplifier Recommended bi-amping configuration