NAD 218 THX GB F D E I S P · OWNER'S MANUAL · MANUEL D'INSTALLATION · BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG · MANUAL DEL USUARIO · MANUALE DELLE ISTRUZIONI · BRUKSANVISNING · MANUAL DO PROPRIETÁRIO WARNING:TO PREVENT FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE Note to CATV system installer: This reminder is provided to call the CATV installer's attention to Article 820-40 of the NEC , which provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the cable should be connected to the grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable entry as practical. THIS DIGITAL APPARATUS DOES NOT EXCEED THE CLASS B LIMITS FOR RADIO NOISE EMISSIONS FROM DIGITAL APPARATUS AS SET OUT IN THE RADIO INTERFERENCE REGULATIONS OF THE CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS. LE PRESENT APPAREIL NUMVERIQUE N'EMET PAS DE BRUITS RADIOELECTRIQUES DEPASSANT LES LIMITES APPLICABLES AUX APPAREILS NUMERIQUES DE LA CLASSE B PRESCRITES DANS LE REGLEMENT SUR LE BROUILLAGE RADIO ELECTRIQUE EDICTE PAR LE MINISTERE DES COMMUNICATIONS DU CANADA. CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT USE THIS POLARISED PLUG WITH AN EXTENSION CORD RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET UNLESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED TO PREVENT BLADE EXPOSURE. ATTENTION: POUR PREVENIR LES CHOCS ELECTRIQUES NE PAS UTILISER CETTE FICHE POLARISEE AVEC UN PROLONGATEUR, UNE PRISE DE COURANT OU UNE AUTRE SORTIE DE COURANT, SAUF SI LES LAMES PEUVENT ETRE INSEREES A FOND SANS EN LAISSER AUCUNE PARTIE A DECOUVERT. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER SEVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. ATTENTION: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR AFIN DEVITER UN CHOC ELECTRIQUE, ET LES CONSEQUENCES GRAVES QUI POURRAIENT EN RESULTER, TENTEZ PAS D'OUVRIR L'APPAREIL ET DE TOUCHER AUX COMPOSANTS INTERNES SANS LA PRESENCE D'UNE SERVICE PERSONNEL. The lightning flash with arrowhead, within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure; that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS NAD 2 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS Figure 1. (120V version only) NAD 3 GB NAD 218 THX POWER AMPLIFIER peak power levels that may occur in the "bridged" mode or with low-impedance speakers. At moments when the amplifier is producing maximum power, voltages of nearly 100V may be present on the speaker terminals, so the terminals are protected by hinged plastic safety covers. To connect loudspeaker cables, first switch off the amplifier's power. If you are connecting a pair of speakers for normal stereo operation, be sure that the Bridging switch is set to OFF (STEREO). Raise the plastic cover to gain access to the SPEAKERSterminals. For best stereo imaging, the left and right speakers should be located at equal distances from your chair. To minimize the effect of speaker cables on the sound, locate the amplifier near the speakers and use short cables to connect the speakers. If your preamplifier is located at the opposite end of the room near your chair, you will need a long cable to connect it to the power amplifier. All NAD preamplifiers have the low output impedance required to drive long connecting cables. Connect the wires from your left-channel speaker to the (L+) and (L-) terminals in the SPEAKERS group, and connect the wires from the right-channel speaker to the (R+) and (R-) terminals. In each channel the red terminal is the positive (+) output, and the black terminal is the negative (-) or "ground" terminal. Use heavy-duty (16-gauge or thicker) stranded wire, especially with 4-ohm loudspeakers. Bare wires can be connected directly to the binding-post terminals. For a longer-lasting and more corrosion-resistant connection you may purchase speaker cables with nickel or gold-plated connectors (pin connectors, spade lugsfor 230V versions, or banana plugs for 120V versions), or you can install such connectors on the wires yourself. Connections to each binding post may be made in several ways, as follows. (1) Pin connectors. A pin connector is a slim metal shaft that is crimped or soldered onto the end of a wire. The threaded shaft of each binding post contains an opening that accepts pin connectors up to 3mm in diameter. Unscrew the red or black plastic bushing on each terminal to expose the hole in the metal shaft. Insert the pin connector through the hole, and turn the bushing clockwise until it is tight. (2) Spade lugs. Unscrew the colored bushing, insert the U-shaped spade lug behind the bushing, and tighten the bushing down on it. (3) Bare wires [See Figure 1]. Separate the two conductors of the cord, and strip off a half-inch (1 cm) of insulation from each. In each conductor, twist together the exposed wire strands. Unscrew the red or black bushing, insert the bare wire through the hole in the metal shaft, and tighten the plastic bushing until it grasps the wire securely. Check to be sure that no loose strand of wire is touching the chassis or an adjacent terminal. (Loose strands can be prevented by "tinning" the bare wire with melted solder before you connect it to the amplifier.) CAUTION: Safety organizations recommend that the speaker terminals of a very powerful amplifier should be covered. Potentially dangerous voltages A NOTE ON INSTALLATION This unit may be installed on any level surface that is strong enough to support its weight. Since its power transformer generates a significant magnetic hum field, a turntable (especially one with a movingcoil pickup cartridge) should not be located adjacent to the amplifier nor directly above it. The heat-sink fins make it awkward to lift the 218 THX by grasping the left and right sides. You may find it more practical to place your hands under the front and rear panels. Much of the amplifier's weight is near the front panel. CAUTION: The amplifier's weight must always rest on its bottom feet. Never put the amp down on its rear panel, with its front panel facing up. Doing so risks damage to the input/output connectors. The amplifier generates a moderate amount of heat, requiring internal ventilation. Do not permit the air outlet grille on the top cover to be obstructed by papers or articles of clothing. If you want to locate the amplifier on a carpeted floor, place a board under the amp in order to prevent it from sinking into the carpet, blocking the air inlets on its bottom. CAUTION: To prevent a fire or shock hazard, do not permit liquid or moisture to enter the amplifier. If liquid is accidentally spilled on it, immediately shut off the power and unplug the AC power cord. Allow time for complete evaporation to occur before operating the amplifier again. (If the liquid is anything but water and/or alcohol, the amplifier should be examined by a service technician before power is applied to it.) Do not open the amplifier, or attempt to modify or repair it yourself. Refer all servicing to a qualified technician. REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS 1. AC POWER CORD Plug the AC power cord into a live wall socket. If you must use an extension cord, select a heavy-duty cord of the type used for large electrical appliances. Do not connect the amplifier's power cord to the accessory AC outlets on a preamplifier. Such convenience outlets are not designed to supply the high power levels, up to 800 watts, that the 218 THX requires. If you wish to switch your entire audio system on and off at once, plug both the 218 THX and your preamp into a "power strip" containing several grounded AC outlets and a high-current on/off switch. Voltage conversion. A notice printed on the rear indicates the AC power-line voltage that the amplifier requires. However every Model 218 THX amplifier has a "universal" power supply that can be modified easily for operation in other countries. If you wish to transport your 218 THX to a nation that employs a different power-line voltage, an authorised NAD dealer or service agency can convert it for such use. 2. SPEAKERS This amplifier is equipped with special high-current binding-post speaker terminals to handle the highest NAD 4 GB are present on these terminals when the amplifier is producing maximum power. After you have connected the speaker cables, bend the protective cover down against the rear panel and fasten it in place. It is particularly important that curious children and small pets be prevented from touching the terminals. Phasing. Stereo speakers must operate "in phase" with each other in order to produce a focused stereo image and to reinforce rather than cancel each other's output at low frequencies. An in-phase connection is assured if the red (positive) terminal on the amplifier is connected to the red (positive) terminal on the loudspeaker, in each channel. If your speakers are easily moved, their phasing can easily be checked. Make the connections to both speakers, place the speakers face-to-face only a few inches apart, play some music, and listen. Then swap the connection of the two wires at the back of ONE of the speakers, and listen again. The connection which produces the fullest, boomiest bass output is the correct one. Connect the wires securely to the speaker terminals, being careful not to leave any loose strands of wire that might touch the wrong terminal and create a partial short-circuit; then move the speakers to their intended locations. If the speakers cannot easily be set face-to-face, then phasing must rely on the "polarity" of the connecting wires. The speaker terminals on the amplifier are identified as red (+) and black (-) in each channel. The terminals at the rear of the speakers are also marked for polarity, either via red and black connectors or by labels: "+", 1, or 8 ohms for positive, "-", 0, or G for negative. The red (+) terminal on the amplifier should be connected to the red (positive) terminal of the speaker, in each channel. To facilitate this, the two conductors comprising the speaker wire in each channel are different, either in the color of the wire itself (copper vs. silver) or in the presence of a small ridge or rib pattern on the insulation of one conductor. Use this pattern to establish consistent wiring to both speakers of a stereo pair. Thus if you connect the copper colored wire (or ribbed insulation) to the (+) amplifier terminal in the Left channel, do the same in the Right channel. At the other end of the wire, if you connect the copper colored wire (or the ribbed insulation) to the red or positive terminal on the left-channel speaker, do the same at the right-channel speaker. If your preamplifier has balanced XLR outputs, connect a three-conductor cable from your left-channel preamp output to the left-channel XLR input on the 218 THX, and set the BALANCE switch to BAL. If your audio dealer does not have the appropriate cables, purchase balanced "microphone" cables from a shop that sells professional recording equipment. The end of the cable that has a "male" XLR plug (with three metal pins) should be connected to the 218 THX amplifier. The end of the cable that has a "female" XLR socket (with three holes) should be connected to your preamp. An XLR plug is "keyed" so that it fits into the socket only one way. If there is a set-screw in the barrel of the plug, align it with the top of the connector. Push the plug fully into the XLR socket until it latches in place. The three pins of an XLR-type ("Cannon") connector are numbered. Pin 2 is the signal "hot" connection; in the 218 THX, Pin 2 is connected directly to the center pin of the unbalanced RCA phono jack. Pin 3 is the signal return (signal ground) connection. Pin 1 is the chassis earth (ground), to which the shield of a balanced-wire cable is connected. UNPLUGGING. The XLR socket has a latching feature that prevents the connector from being pulled out by accident. Before disconnecting an input cable, turn off the Power. Use one hand to press the latching tab above the XLR socket while using the other hand to pull the XLR plug out. 4. RIGHT CHANNEL INPUTS (Balanced, Unbalanced). Make connections to the right-channel input in the same way that you did for the left channel. 5. INPUT SELECT (Balanced/Unbalanced). Set this switch to match your selection of input connector. Set to UNBAL if you have connected a cable from your preamp to the RCA phono input jacks. Set the switch to BAL if you are making connections to the balanced XLR inputs. Normally the choice of input connector is determined by the output connectors on your preamp. If your preamp has balanced outputs, use three-conductor cables equipped with XLR connectors. If your preamp has only "unbalance ...