T 973manual C.qxd 8/21/2006 11:39 AM Page 1 T 973 Seven Channel Power Amplifier GB Owner's Manual F D E I P S Manuel d'Installation Bedienungsanleitung Manual del Usario Manuale delle Istruzioni Manual do Proprietário Bruksanvisning T 973manual C.qxd 8/21/2006 11:39 AM Page 2 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 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 unit to rain or moisture. The lightning flash with an arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to 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 to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product. Do not place this unit on an unstable cart, stand or tripod, bracket or table. The unit may fall, causing serious injury to a child or adult and serious damage to the unit. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table recommended by the manufacturer or sold with the unit. Any mounting of the device on a wall or ceiling should follow the manufacturer's instructions and should use a mounting accessory recommended by the manufacturer. An appliance and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force and uneven surfaces may cause the appliance and cart combination to overturn. Read and follow all the safety and operating instructions before connecting or using this unit. Retain this notice and the owner's manual for future reference. All warnings on the unit and in its operating instructions should be adhered to. Do not use this unit near water; for example, near a bath tub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool. The unit should be installed so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, it should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings; or placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet, that may impede the flow of air through its ventilation openings. The unit should be situated from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other devices (including amplifiers) that produce heat. The unit should be connected to a power supply outlet only of the voltage and frequency marked on its rear panel. The power supply cord should be routed so that it is not likely to be walked on or pinched, especially near the plug, convenience receptacles, or where the cord exits from the unit. Unplug the unit from the wall outlet before cleaning. Never use benzine, thinner or other solvents for cleaning. Use only a soft damp cloth. The power supply cord of the unit should be unplugged from the wall outlet when it is to be unused for a long period of time. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall, and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through any openings. This unit should be serviced by qualified service personnel when: A. The power cord or the plug has been damaged; or B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the unit; or C. The unit has been exposed to rain or liquids of any kind; or D. The unit does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or E. The device has been dropped or the enclosure damaged. POUR ÉVITER LES CHOC ELECTRIQUES, INTRODUIRE LA LAME LA PLUS LARGE DE LA FICHE DANS LA BORNE CORRESPONDANTE DE LA PRISE ET POUSSER JUSQU'AU FOND. TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT FULLY INSERT. If an indoor antenna is used (either built into the set or installed separately), never allow any part of the antenna to touch the metal parts of other electrical appliances such as a lamp, TV set etc. ATTENTION CAUTION CAUTION POWER LINES Any outdoor antenna must be located away from all power lines. OUTDOOR ANTENNA GROUNDING If an outside antenna is connected to your tuner or tunerpreamplifier, be sure the antenna system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built-up static charges. Article 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA No. 70-1984, provides information with respect to proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of grounding conductors, location of antenna discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes and requirements for the grounding electrode. a. Use No. 10 AWG (5.3mm2) copper, No. 8 AWG (8.4mm2) aluminium, No. 17 AWG (1.0mm2) copper-clad steel or bronze wire, or larger, as a ground wire. b. Secure antenna lead-in and ground wires to house with stand-off insulators spaced from 4-6 feet (1.22 - 1.83 m) apart. c. Mount antenna discharge unit as close as possible to where leadin enters house. d. Use jumper wire not smaller than No.6 AWG (13.3mm2) copper, or the equivalent, when a separate antenna-grounding electrode is used. see NEC Section 810-21 (j). EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING AS PER NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN ARTICLE 810 - RADIO AND TELEVISION EQUIPMENT. DO NOT ATTEMPT SERVICING OF THIS UNIT YOURSELF. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL Upon completion of any servicing or repairs, request the service shop's assurance that only Factory Authorized Replacement Parts with the same characteristics as the original parts have been used, and that the routine safety checks have been performed to guarantee that the equipment is in safe operating condition. REPLACEMENT WITH UNAUTHORIZED PARTS MAY RESULT IN FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK OR OTHER HAZARDS. NOTE TO CATV SYSTEM INSTALLER: This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installer's attention to Article 820-40 of the National Electrical Code that provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the ground cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable entry as practical. NOTES ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION At the end of its useful life, this product must not be disposed of with regular household waste but must be returned to a collection point for the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. The symbol on the product, user's manual and packaging, point this out. The materials can be reused in accordance with their markings. Through re-use, recycling of raw materials, or other forms of recycling of old products, you are making an important contribution to the protection of our environment. Your local administrative office can advise you of the responsible waste disposal point. 2 T 973manual C.qxd 8/21/2006 11:39 AM Page 3 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS Seven Channel Power Amplifier T 973 REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS GRO UND 9 FIGURE 1 Spade Wire Pin 3 T 973manual C.qxd 8/21/2006 11:39 AM Page 4 NAD T 973 Seven Channel Power Amplifier ABOUT THE T 973 Designed specifically for home theater and custom installation setups, the NAD T 973 Power Amplifier delivers uncompromising performance. It combines supreme reliability, flexibility, and performance with outstanding value. Flexibility has always been an important part of NAD components. Such flexibility is particularly important in home theater and other multi-channel systems. That's because it is common for a multi-channel system to incorporate different brands and models of loudspeakers. Often these speakers have different levels of efficiency. The individual input level controls for the seven channels of the NAD T 973 make it easy to compensate for such differences in efficiency, and achieve the ideal system balance. Ample dynamic headroom of the T 973 ensures that the very wide dynamic range of modern cinema soundtracks and digital music sources will be preserved. In addition, the T 973 will handle low impedance speakers with ease. The T 973 incorporates NAD's unique Soft-Clipping circuitry in all seven channels. Any amplifier can be overdriven if it is played too loud, exceeding the maximum output power. Under such circumstances, amplifiers produce extreme high levels of distortion which, besides sounding very unpleasant, can damage your loudspeakers. The Soft Clipping circuit suppresses such distortion and minimizes the risk of damage to speakers. This is particularly important with movie soundtracks which often contain very dynamic outbursts in which, unlike music, it is difficult to hear this potentially damaging distortion. The Soft Clipping LED on the front panel illuminates when the Soft Clipping circuit is engaged. Soft Clipping can be defeated with a rear panel switch. The 12V trigger connection on the back panel allows the amplifier to be switched from On to Stand-by and vice-versa remotely. This way, the T 973 can be part of a system which can be turned on and off with a single command, easing operation. The 12V trigger also allows the amplifier to be installed in places not in easy reach. POWERDRIVE To meet the diverse requirements of high current drive and high dynamic power, our patented PowerDrive amplifier circuit will build further on our reputation for amazingly effective power. By adding a second high-voltage rail to our well regulated high-current power supply, we get an "overdrive" that can nearly double the continuous power on a short term dynamic power basis. This is a further development and refinement of our renowned Power Envelope circuit, utilized by NAD in the 80's and 90's. PowerDrive differs from Power Envelope in that it offers greater amplifier stability and low impedance drive capability, resulting in less distortion when driving real speakers with real program material INSTALLATION PRECAUTIONS WARNING - To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose the amplifier to rain or moisture. CAUTION - For units factory-set at 115 volts AC match the wide blade of the power plug to the wide slot of the power outlet, to prevent electrical shock. Be sure the plug is completely inserted into the receptacle. Turn off all the components in the system whenever connecting or disconnecting any audio signal wiring. Once all signal connections have been completed, turn down all the system's main volume control before turning the system components on. Then increase the volume control setting carefully to avoid damage to the system components. NOTES ON INSTALLATION LOCATION Read and follow all the safety instructions on the first page of this manual. To prevent a fire or shock hazard, do not place the amplifier where it will be exposed to any water or moisture. If liquid accidentally gets into the amplifier, immediately unplug the AC power cord. Do not operate the amplifier again until it has been examined by a service technician. The amplifier generates a moderate amount of heat, requiring ventilation. Do not obstruct the air outlet grilles on the top or bottom covers. There should be at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) of clearance above the amplifier and 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the sides. Do not place the amplifier in an enclosed area, such as in a bookcase or in a cabinet, unless it is very well ventilated. Be sure there is adequate room behind the amplifier for signal input and speaker output connections. If you want to locate the amplifier on a carpeted floor, place a board under it in order to prevent it from sinking into the carpet, blocking the air inlets on the bottom. Do not place the amplifier where it will be exposed to direct sun light for prolonged periods of time. This unit may be installed on any sturdy, level surface. NOTE: 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 power transformer in the T 973 generates a magnetic hum field of moderate strength. Turntables (especially those with a moving-coil pickup cartridge) should not be located near the amplifier. Magnetic media, such as audio or video tapes and computer diskettes, should not be stored near the amplifier. GB THE DESIGN The NAD T 973 houses seven individual amplifiers, each on separate circuit board. Each amplifier channel acts as a "mono block" within the chassis. Each input connector, and set of loudspeaker output terminals, is directly connected to that channel's circuit board. This design eliminates extra wiring and keeps signal paths short. Furthermore, this modular design increases reliability and thermal efficiency. The input circuit uses a totally new dual differential input topology that operates in true Class-A mode. The special HolmgrenTM toroi ...