Classe Audio SSP-800/CT-SSP manual

O w ner ’ s M a nu al SSP - 800 / CT -SSP Surround Sound Processor[...]

2 Classé marks the “CE” symbol indicating compliance of this device with the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) and L VD (Low V oltage Directiv e) standards of the E uropean Community . Classé complies with the European P arliament and Council Dir ective 2002/96/EC concerning W aste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). is product m[...]

3 Important Safety Instructions 1. Read these instructions. 2. Keep these instructions. 3. Heed all warnings. 4. F ollow all instructions. 5. Do not use this apparatus near water . 6. Clean only with dry cloth.  7. Donotblockanyventilationopenings.I nstallinaccordancewiththemanufacturer’ sinstructions.[...]

4 Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................... 6 Exceptional Design Features ............................................................................ 7 custom theater ...........................................................................................7 versati[...]

5 name ............................................................................. 42 audio ............................................................................................... 43 configuration.................................................................................... 43 in use .................................................[...]

6 Introduction Welcome to the Classé family! CongratulationsonyourpurchaseoftheClasséSSP-800/CT -SSPS urround Sound P rocessor , a next generation processor with reference-quality performance. W e are sure that you will enjo y it for many years to come. Classé values the relationships with our customers and intend on s[...]

7 Exceptional Design Features e SSP-800 is a next-generation surround sound preamp/processor , conceived withpureperformanceasitsraisond’êtr e.I tseamlesslyunitesamultitudeof disparate audio and video signal formats to faithfully reproduce your music and movies as the artist intended. custom theater e[...]

8 room equalization and speaker control All home theater sound systems are aected by room characteristics. S ound reections and sound absorption can create dramatic v ariations in the performance of your system, particularly in the lower frequencies. e SSP-800/CT -SSPfeaturesasystemoflterswhich,inthehandsof[...]

9 Unpacking and Placement W e have taken all precautions, and made every eor t to make the SSP simple and straightforward to install and use. Still, w e recommend that you take a few minutes to review this manual. E ven if you are having the processor professionally installed, you will want to kno w how to eciently operate it to its potential[...]

10 • Allowatleastthreeinches(7.5cm)ofclearanceabo veandtoeach side of the processor for ventilation. D o not obstruct the area around the processor so that excess heat can dissipate thr ough normal air circulation. A void placing the processor on a soft surface, such as plush carpeting, that may restrict [...]

11 11 1b. I nstall (4) accessor y feet (FC90895) and secure with (8) 6-32 X3/4 screws. Tigh te n to 8.5 in -l bs (0.96 N- m) Important! Install (2) securing brackets when using the CT-SSP in a stand- alone (non-rack-mount) installation. Important! For stand-alone CT-SSP installations, follow the same placement considerations as outlined for the SSP[...]

12 warm-up/break-in period Y our new Classé processor delivers outstanding performance immediately . Ho wever , you can expect to hear subtle impro vements as it reaches normal operating temperatures and breaks-in. In our experience, you can expect the gr eatest changes within the rst 300 hours. Afterinitialbreak-in,you ’llenjoy?[...]

13 voltage protection eSSP-800/CT -SSPS urroundSoundP rocessorcontainsprotectionfeatures that prevent the processor fr om operating at dangerously high or low voltages. ese features are incorporated to help pr otect the processor from dangerous power surges and other po wer irregularities that could cause extensive dam[...]

14 14 MENU SSP-800 MUTE MENU MUTE 1 2 5 6 4 3 Front Panels efrontpanelsoftheSSP-800andCT -SSParesho wnabove.enumbersin the drawing refer to the descriptions that follow . 1 Standby/On Button and Status Indicator P ressing the Standby button puts the SSP into standb y mode – a low- power state which [...]

15 • LEDashes(atpower-up)–theSSPisinthepr ocessofpower- up initialization. • LED O – the SSP is power ed on, fully operational, and the display active. • LEDashesrapidly(afterpower-up)–theA Cmainsvoltageis out of range. 2 Menu On/Off Button P ress onc[...]

16 16 6 Volume Control Knob e large rotary knob on the right side of the front panel controls the system volume level. T he v olume knob increases and decreases volume in precise 0.5dB increments throughout most of the volume range. A t extremely low volume, the step size is increased somewhat to facilitate mo ving between extremely low and norm[...]

17 Rear Panel e rear panel of the SSP-800 is shown abo ve. e same rear panel layout also appliestotheCT -SSP .enumbersinthedrawingrefertothedescriptionsin this section. serial number Y ou ’llndyourprocessor ’ sserialnumberonthetoprightedgeoftherearpa[...]

18 2 Component Video Inputs e SSP supports two component video inputs, each with three R CA connectors labeled 1 and 2 – the component video format requires thr ee separate cables labeled P r , Pb, and Y . U se these inputs when the output of your source is component. Although still analog, a component video signal provides a much sharper imag[...]

19 4 HDMI Outputs e SSP supports two HDMI outputs, labeled 1 and 2. e SSP HDMI outputs support HDMI v1.4a featuring 2D and standard 3D video formats at resolutions up to 1080p @ 24/50/60 fps, A udio Return Channel (AR C), HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC), Deep Colour , x.v .Color(xvYCC) and pr ovides a 2-channel SPDIF downmix of the source materia[...]

20 8 Digital Audio Output - Coaxial e SSP supports one digital audio coaxial output, with SPDIF connector labeled CO AX. is output can pass PCM data streams up to 24-bits long and up to 96 kHz sampling frequency . 9 Digital Audio Output - Optical ese digital outputs carry only digital audio data, excluding any sub- code information which s[...]

21 13 IR Input U se the IR input when the front panel IR window does not have a clear line-of-sight with the remote control, for instance, when the SSP is installed in a cabinet or closet. Attach this input to an infrared r epeater system to route signals from the remote contr ol to the SSP via a mono mini-jack (3.5mm phono). e list of available[...]

22 18 CAN-Bus Input and Output CAN-Bus(ControllerAr eaNetwork)allo wsseveralClassécomponentsto be connected together for simultaneous operation, such as switching from On to Standb y .U singtheCAN-BusInputandOutputconnectors,the Classé components can be daisy chained together and controlled vi[...]

23 20 Main Power On/Off Switch is switch connects and disconnects the SSP from AC. NO TE: Changes to settings are stor ed whenever the SSP is put into Standby . T urning o pow er to the unit before rst entering S tandby mode er ases any setting changes that have been made since the unit was last placed in S tandby mode. 21 AC Power Cord In[...]

24 The Remote Control Y ourSSP-800/CT -SSPSurr oundSoundP rocessorincludesaversatileremote control for both the processor itself and several aspects of the r est of a Classé- based system. e buttons are arranged in logical groups accor ding to their functions. e remote control of the SSP is sho wn on the left. e[...]

25 4 Preset Config (Configuration) Button is button steps through the congurations set to “in use ”. If there is already a conguration active (due to being a default) for a particular input it will be overridden until the input is selected again, or the user selects that default conguration. 5 Volume Control & Mute Buttons e [...]

26 Initial Setup Y ourSSP-800/CT -SSPSurr oundSoundP rocessorisdeliveredwithdefault factory settings to facilitate initial setup. But we highly r ecommend that you workwithyourClassédealerforthenalsetupoftheprocessor .Y ourdealer’ s knowledge and experience with Classé prod[...]

27 Step 3 Connect all source components to the SSP rear panel. Source devices that y ou may want to integrate into your surround system might include audio and video devices, such as CD and DVD play ers, and your main display , such as a at-panel display or projection system. If necessary , refer to the Rear P anel section in this manual for a d[...]

28 Connect the Main Analog A udio Outputs, either RCA or XLR, fr om the rear panel of the SSP to the corresponding inputs on your amplier(s) as follo ws: • ConnecttheSSPF rontLeftandF rontRightoutputstotheinputs of the amplier(s) designated for the F ront Left and F ront Right speakers, respectively . [...]

29 Step 6 Power up the system! N owyouarereadytopo werupyourSSPandyoursurroundsystem. • T urntherearpanelpow erswitchoftheSSPto ON . • e initial power-up cy cle of the SSP takes approximately 90 seconds. During this time, the blue LED on the standby button ashes. (F o[...]

30 Understanding Surround Sound T oday’ ssophisticatedsurroundsoundsystemshavespawnedabewildering arrayoftechnologiesandacronyms.Inthissection,w e ’llgiveyouabasic understandingofwhatallthatjargonmeans.Asaresult,you ’llbebetter equipped to[...]

31 By contrast, modern soundtracks use discr ete channels of information. at is, each speaker has a distinct signal that is completely independent of every other channel. is approach is clearly more desirable, since it gives the mo vie-makers more creativ e control o ver the quality of your experience. M usicians also prefer discrete formats,[...]

32 Dolby D igital Plus 1.0 - 7.1+ Discrete Audio codec which allo ws for higher bitrates, 7.1 channels or more (currently limited by HD D VD, Blu-ray disc ™ standards), while still remaining compatible with older 5.1 systems. e codec was designed based on Dolby D igital but provides the necessary versatility going into the future. Dolby T r[...]

33 Using the SSP-800/CT-SSP Y ourSSP’ sversatiletouchscreenL CDsupportsmostofyourday-to-day operations and provides access to a exible menu system for setup functions thataren ’ taccessedasoftenasothers.Althoughusingthetouchscreenisquite intuitive,themenusystemi[...]

34 mode selection While you can specify default surround processing modes for each input, there are times when y ou may wish to select a dierent mode for a particular recor ding. F or example, when watching a classic movie from the 1940s, you may prefer to hear it in mono using only the center channel speaker . T ouchthe Mode option on the[...]

35 Dolby PLIIx M atrix e Matrix mode pro vides a sound eld similar to the M usic mode, but does not have the additional adjustment options. Dolby PLIIx Game e Game mode also routes the special eects signals to the surround channels. DTSN eo:6 Expandsexistingstereoor5.1-channelaudiosignalsfor playback with 6[...]

36 controls T ouchingthe Controls option opens a new page, as shown below . e Controls page allows you to adjust a v ariety of processor functions, such as audio levels and delays, as well as selecting listening/speaker congurations. eseadjustmentsaretemporary;whenanewinputisselected,theadjustments[...]

37 • Dolby late night - this mode oers intelligent moderation of the dynamic range in Dolby D igital recordings. is is especially useful when you want to watch a movie in the evening, but ar e concerned about disturbing the neighbors or others in the household who might prefer to be sleeping during your action movie. is featur e is sp[...]

38 The Menu System e comprehensive menu system pro vides setup and conguration controls for the S urround Sound P rocessor . ese installation-specic features let you customize how the SSP wor ks within the context of your particular system. P ressing the Menu button on the front panel opens the main M enu page, which is divided into six[...]

39 system setup T ouchingthe System Setup option from the main M enu page opens the System Setup page, which contains six setup options as sho wn below . F rom the System Setup menu, you can: • tailoryourinputstoyourparticularsourcecomponents • congureandcalibratethesystemtotakebestadv[...]

40 max volume e Max V olume page allows you to establish a maximum v olume setting for your system. is scale runs from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating that you do not want any articial limit placed on the maximum gain your Surr ound Sound P rocessor can provide. is setting is interactiv e. Y ou can set the value to something less than 100[...]

41 automation T ouchingtheAutomationoptiondisplaystheAutomationv olumespeedsetup page, shown belo w . is volume control is specically for use with automation control systems. S uch control systems can vary in how quickly they repeat ramped volume commands. Byrstselectingasuitablev olumecontro[...]

42 input setup Each of the 20 inputs supported by your S urround Sound P rocessor can be customized in several ways to enhance system performance or to simplify controls. e Input S etup menu always opens to the setup page for Input 1. e menu contains six buttons that completely dene each input – N ame , Audio , Conguration , In use , [...]

43 audio e Audio I nput menu allows you to select the oset, delay , and favorite processing settings, aecting how the audio fr om this input source is handled. • oset is used to ensure that all analog source playback is at comparable levels. ere can be signicant dier ences in output levels among analog sources (this is not[...]

44 in use is button identies active inputs. If the I n U se button is highlighted, then theInputisactive.I ftheInU sebuttonisNOThighlighted,thentheinputis considered inactive and is r emov ed from the source selection list. Deselecting the In U se button for unused inputs is a good way to simpli[...]

45 profiles A P role allows you to create a number of shortcuts to various functions of your S urround Sound P rocessor . T woseparateprolescanbecustomizedwithuptosixcommandseach.Any dened prole has a named button available on the home page, as sho wn above. NO TE: By default both proles ar e in[...]

46 room EQ eSSP-800/CT -SSPRoomEQcapabilityallo wsyoutobuildveryprecise digital audio lters to help compensate for xed sonic irregularities in y our room. ese lters should be constructed based upon audio measurements made by a well-qualied acoustical engineer . ese powerful lters are made ava[...]

47 name e N ame button provides a way to customize the names of the speaker congurations. Each name can be up to 14 characters long. T ochangeacongurationnametosomethingmorespecictoyoursystem, usethefourbuttonsalongthebottomoftheCongurationN amemenu.e butto[...]

48 levels e Lev els menu allows you to adjust the output levels of the speakers. An SPL meter should be used from the primary seating position to ensure that each speaker delivers the same sound pressur e from a given test noise audio signal. T ouchtheNoiseS eqbuttontoactivatethenoisegenerator;thetopofthe?[...]

49 Each speaker opens the same menu with two buttons – size and crosso ver . T o modify the crossov er for the selected speaker , touch the Crossov er button and then adjust the setting using the increase and decr ease buttons. e crossov er setting applies a high pass lter to the speakers set on crossed ov er , and a low pass lter [...]

50 auxiliary channels N owthatthemainspeakershavebeencongured,we ’lldiscusstheA uxiliary Channel congurations. On the S peaker setup page, touch the Aux Channels button to open the Auxiliary Channels menu. e SSP has two auxiliary channels that can be utilized as additional subwoofers, assigned as a 2-c[...]

51 black level e more button on the S ystem Setup screen accesses the Black Level setting. e“ videosetup ”inNorthAmericaassumesthatblackisrepr oducedatavideo level of 7.5 IRE units, while most of the rest of the world assumes that video black is represented b y a video level of 0 IRE units. e S[...]

52 brightness e Brightness setting of the SSP front panel touchscreen has thr ee possible values: low , medium, and high . Select the appropriate setting based on the level of ambient light typically found in your listening room while using the system. A high brightnesssettingusuallyworksbestinbrightly-litrooms;youm[...]

53 If using an extra wide aspect ratio screen, you may nd the need to raise the position of the OSD. P ress the osd shift button to move the display upwar d. Each press mo ves the display upwar d 25 pixels. After six steps up the OSD location will revert to its bottom position. I t is possible to walk the display up beyond this level by making s[...]

54 Dolby Pro Logic IIx Dolby P ro Logic IIx M usic mode has three user-adjustable parameters: • P anorama presents a wider , deeper front soundstage. e eect is somewhat signal-dependant, meaning that it is more pronounced with some recor dings and less so with others. W ith a good recor ding, however , the eect can be quite dramatic. [...]

55 remote Fkeys eremotecontrolsuppliedwiththeSSP-800/CT -SSPhasfour function keys (Fkeys) , each of which gives you instant access to a specic system function that might otherwise be buried in the menu system. F or example, if you use the balance control frequently , you may want to consider programming one of the F[...]

56 status e S tatus screen pro vides several items of information on the currently playing disc, as well as access to information on the software used in and the internal sensors of the SSP . While on this page, pr essing the more key will access the CAN-Bus features. version info e v ersion info button on the status screen takes you to the V[...]

57 hardware setup 1 Classé Delta Series Products T woormoreClasséDeltaand/orCTseriesproductsar erequired,atleastone of which must have a touchscreen display . 2 Category 5 Network Cables ese are or dinary network cables, commonly used for broadband Internet connections. ey should be typical “ stra[...]

58 using CAN-Bus CAN-Busiscontrolledviathetouchscr eenofanyDeltaorCTseries component.ereisnomastercomponent,soDelta/CTseriessystemswher e two or more units have a touchscr een can be controlled through any of the touchscreens.H owever ,itisprobablyeasiestto[...]

59 configuration Selecting conguration will present the CAN-B us conguration screen allowing access to name, global brightness, and global standby featur es.. • name enables you to set the name that this component will be listed under intheCAN-Busdevicesscreen.enamewillappearnexttotheunit model a[...]

60 CAN-Bus model specific features efollowingCAN-B usfeaturesaremodelspecic. PlayLink is feature is exclusiv e to Delta series disc players and will only function if thediscplayerisconnectedtoaCAN-Busenabledpr eamporsurroundsound processor . When PlayLink is active, pressing play on [...]

61 event log Reserved for ampliers, this feature is a protection circuitry ev ent log which can only be accessed when the target amplier is in standby . e protection circuit shuts down the amplier or channel if it o verheats or if its output could damage your speakers. e event log details the circumstances surr ounding the amp going [...]

62 Troubleshooting Always refer any service problems to your Classé dealer . Howev er , if you run into a problem, we recommend r eferring to this section rst as sometimes an error is not a malfunctioning product, but simply an ov ersight in the proper setup of the component. is section provides suggested solutions to potential pr oblems. If[...]

63 3 Only one speaker seems to be playing. P If the pr oblem occurs with all inputs, check the interconnecting cables between the preamp and the po wer amp. Also check the speaker wires for secure connections. P If the pr oblem occurs with only one input, check the input balance control setting of that input: select the problem input, then access t[...]

64 P If ther e is no output on component video from an HDMI source,thesignalislikelyHDCPencrypted. T r ysettingthe source up with an analog cable and select an analog video input path. P If ther e is a preview image but no output image, check the display connection. Ensure the YPrPb cables are pr operly connectedif?[...]

65 Care & Maintenance T oremovedustfr omthecabinetofyourS urroundSoundP rocessor ,usea featherdusteroralint-freesoftcloth. T oremo vedirtandngerprints,we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Dampen the cloth with alcohol rst and then lightly clean the s[...]

66 Specifications All specications are accurate at the time of printing. Classé reserves the right to make improv ements without notice. n Frequency response 20Hz - 200kHz < 0.1dB, stereo analog bypass  20Hz - 20kHz < 0.2dB, all other sources n Distortion (THD+noise) 0.001%, digital source/bypassed analog source  .002%, proces[...]

67 SSP-800 Dimensions 17.50" [ 444.5mm ] 6.00" [ 152.4mm ] .78" [ 19.7mm ] 6.78" [ 172.1mm ] MUTE MENU SSP - 800 2.42" [ 61.5mm ] 2.20" [ 55.9mm ] 13.09" [ 332.6mm ] 17.50" [ 444.5mm ] 12.66" [ 321.6mm ] 17.30" [ 439.3mm ] 2.42" [ 61.5mm ] 12.40" [ 315.1mm ] 1.65" [ 41.9mm ] 16.48&quo[...]

68 CT-SSP Dimensions MUTE MENU 19.00" 483 mm [ ] 6.97" [ 177mm ] 17.00" [ 432mm ] 14.91" [ 379mm ] 16.39" [ 416mm ][...]

69 Installation Worksheet Source : ______________________________________________________________ Audio Connector:______________________________________________________ Video Connector:______________________________________________________ Input:_______________________________________________________________ Source : _______________________________[...]

Copyright © 2012 B&W Gr oup Ltd. V 2.2 062212 B&W G roup Ltd. 5070 F rançois Cusson Lachine,Quebec CanadaH8T1B3 +1 (514) 636-6384 +1 (514) 636-1428 (fax) http://www .classeaudio.com email: cservice@classeaudio.com N or thAmerica:+1(514)636-6384 email: cservice@classeaudio.com Eur ope: 44 (0) 1903 221 700 email: [...]