NAD Stereo Amplifier C245BEE User Manual

C 245BEE

Four Channel Power Ampliﬁer

Owner’s Manual

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

19 damage requiring Service - Unplug this product from the wall

outlet and refer servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel under the

following conditions:

THE LIGHTNING FLASH WITH 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 MAYBE OF

SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO CONSTITUTE A RISK OF ELECTRIC

SHOCK TO PERSONS.

a) When the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.

b) If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the product.

c) If the product has been exposed to rain or water.

d) If the product does not operate normally by following the

operating instructions. Adjust only those controls that are covered

by the operating instructions as an improper adjustment of other

controls may result in damage and will often require extensive

work by a qualiﬁed technician to restore the product to its normal

operation.

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 APPLIANCE.

e) If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way.

f) when the product exhibits a distinct change in performance-this

indicates a need for service.

20 replacement parts - When replacement parts are required, be

sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified

by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the

original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric

shock, or other hazards.

21 Safety check - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this

product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to

determine that the product is in proper operating condition.

22 wall or ceiling mounting - The product should be mounted to a wall

or ceiling only as recommended by the manufacturer.

23 heat - The product should be situated away from heat sources such as

radiators, heat registers, stoves or other products (including ampliﬁers)

that produce heat.

The equipment draws its nominal non-operational power from the AC

outlet with its POWER switch in the ON position.

The socket-outlet shall be installed near the apparatus and shall be easily

accessible.

caution

Changes or modiﬁcations to this equipment not expressly approved by

NAD Electronics for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate

this equipment.

warning

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS

PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

caution regarding placement

To maintain proper ventilation, be sure to leave a space around the unit

(from the largest outer dimensions including projections) that is equal to or

greater than shown below.

caution

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE

SLOT, FULLY INSERT.

Left and Right Panels: 10 cm

Rear Panel: 10 cm

Top Panel: 50 cm

ꢁ

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

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.

information about collection and diSpoSal of

waSte batterieS (directive 2006/66/ec of the european

parliament and the council of european union) (for

european cuStomerS onlY)

Batteries bearing any of these symbols indicate

that they should be treated as“separate collection”

and not as municipal waste. It is encouraged that

necessary measures are implemented to maximize

the separate collection of waste batteries and

to minimize the disposal of batteries as mixed

municipal waste.

End-users are exhorted not to dispose waste

batteries as unsorted municipal waste. In order to

achieve a high level of recycling waste batteries, discard waste batteries

separately and properly through an accessible collection point in your

vicinity. For more information about collection and recycling of waste

batteries, please contact your local municipality, your waste disposal service

or the point of sale where you purchased the items.

By ensuring compliance and conformance to proper disposal of waste

batteries, potential hazardous eﬀects on human health is prevented and

the negative impact of batteries and waste batteries on the environment

is minimized, thus contributing to the protection, preservation and quality

improvement of the environment.

note: the c 245bee iS not an auto voltage power

amplifier. connect onlY to the preScribed ac outlet, i.e.,

120v 60hz or 230v 50hz.

record Your model number (now, while You can See it)

The model and serial number of your new C 245BEE are located on the

back of the cabinet. For your future convenience, we suggest that you

record these numbers here:

Model no: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Serial no.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NAD is a trademark of NAD Electronics International, a division of Lenbrook Industries Limited

ꢂ

INTRODUCTION

getting Started

QUICK START

BARE WIRES AND PIN CONNECTORS

In case you simply cannot wait to experience the performance of your

new NAD C 245BEE Four Channel Ampliﬁer, we provide the following

QUICKSTART instructions to get you underway.

warning: The terminals marked with this symbol

are hazardous live. External wiring connected to these

terminals requires installation by an instructed person or

the use of ready-made leads or cords.

Please make all the connections to your C 245BEE with the unit unplugged.

It is also advisable to power-down or unplug all associated components

while making or breaking any signal or AC power connections.

Bare wires and pin sockets should be inserted into the hole in the shaft

of the terminal. Unscrew the speaker terminal’s plastic bushing until the

hole in the screw shaft is revealed. Insert the pin or bare cable end into

the hole and secure the cable by tightening down the terminal’s bushing.

Ensure bare wire from the speaker cables does not touch the back panel or

another socket. Ensure that there is only 1/2”(1cm) of bare cable or pin and

no loose strands of speakers wire.

Connect your speakers to the CHANNEL A (or CHANNEL B) SPEAKERS

terminals of C 245BEE.

Connect your Preampliﬁer’s PRE OUT to the C 245BEE rear panel’s

CHANNEL A (or CHANNEL B) input sockets.

Make sure to set the following conditions: your Preampliﬁer’s volume

level set to minimum and C 245BEE’s +12V Trigger IN switch set to“OFF”

position.

Connect the AC cord to the C 245BEE’s AC Mains input and then plug

into an AC outlet.

Switch the POWER switch on the rear panel to the“ON”setting in order

to turn the C 245BEE to standby mode. The Standby LED indicator

embedded around the bezel of the STANDBY button will illuminate

amber.

Press the STANDBY button to turn ON the C 245BEE. The Standby LED

indicator will turn from amber to blue.

Press the front panel button CHANNEL A (or CHANNEL B) to select

desired input source.

SAVE THE PACKAGING

Please save the box and all of the packaging in which your C 245BEE

arrived. Should you move or otherwise need to transport your C 245BEE,

this is by far the safest container in which to do so. We’ve seen too many

otherwise perfect components damaged in transit for lack of a proper

shipping carton, so please: Save that box!

NOTES ON INSTALLATION

Your NAD C 245BEE should be placed on a ﬁrm, level surface. Avoid

placing the unit in direct sunlight or near sources of heat and damp. Allow

adequate ventilation. Do not place the unit on a soft surface like a carpet.

Do not place it in an enclosed position such a bookcase or cabinet that

may impede the air-ﬂow through the ventilation slots. Make sure the unit is

switched oﬀ before making any connections.

The RCA sockets on your NAD C 245BEE are colour coded for convenience.

Red and white are Right and Left audio respectively.

Use high quality leads and sockets for optimum performance and reliability.

Ensure that leads and sockets are not damaged in any way and all sockets

are ﬁrmly pushed home.

For best performance, use quality speaker leads of 16 gauge (1.5mm)

thickness or more. If the unit is not going to be used for some time,

disconnect the plug from the AC socket.

Should water get into your NAD C 245BEE, shut oﬀ the power to the unit

and remove the plug from the AC socket. Have the unit inspected by a

qualiﬁed service technician before attempting to use it again.

do not remove the cover; there are no uSer-Serviceable

partS inSide.

Use a dry soft cloth to clean the unit. If necessary, lightly dampen the cloth

with soapy water. Do not use solutions containing benzol or other volatile

agents.

ꢃ

IDENTIFICATION OF CONTROLS

front panel

StandbY button: Press this button to switch ON the C 245BEE.

The Standby LED indicator will turn from amber to blue. Pressing the

STANDBY button again turns the unit back to standby mode.

channel a: Press to select the input source connected at the rear

panel CHANNEL A input sockets.

channel b: Press to select the input source connected at the rear

panel CHANNEL B input sockets. Both CHANNEL A and CHANNEL B can

be activated at the same time if an input source is connected to their

respective rear panel channel input sockets.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The rear panel POWER switch must be in the ON position for the

STANDBY button to activate.

StandbY led: This indicator will light up amber when the C 245BEE

is in standby state. When the C 245BEE is at ON state, this indicator will

illuminate blue.

In cases of serious abuse of the C 245BEE, such as excessively low

loudspeaker impedance and short circuit, the C 245BEE will engage its

Protection circuitry, indicated by the Standby LED turning from blue to

red and the sound being muted.

In such a case, turn the C 245BEE OFF by the rear panel POWER switch,

wait for it to cool down and/or check the speaker connections, making

sure the overall loudspeaker impedance doesn’t go below 4 ohms or

8 ohms in Bridge mode. Once the cause for the protection circuitry to

engage has been removed, switch ON the rear POWER switch and the

Standby button to resume normal operation.

ꢄ

IDENTIFICATION OF CONTROLS

rear panel

10 11

ATTENTION!

Please make sure that the C 245BEE is powered OFF or unplugged before making any connections. It is also advisable to power-down or unplug all

associated components while making or breaking any signal or AC power connections.

channel b SpeakerS (applicable to channel b only): Connect the

right speaker to the CHANNEL B SPEAKERS terminals marked“R +”and“R-”

ensuring that the“R+”is connected to the“+”terminal on your loudspeaker

and the“R-”is connected to the loudspeaker’s“-”terminal. Connect the

terminals marked“L+”and“L-”to the left speaker in the same way.

CHANNEL A OUT is a line level“loop through”output. The same level

of input signal at the CHANNEL A IN sockets is available at CHANNEL A

OUT sockets thereby allowing the same signal to be shared or passed

on to another ampliﬁer.

Always turn OFF the C 245BEE and other components in the system

before connecting or disconnecting anything to the CHANNEL A IN

sockets.

In Bridge Mode, connect the single speaker to the terminals marked“R +”

and“L+”ensuring that the“L+”is connected to the“+” terminal on your

loudspeaker and the“R+”is connected to the loudspeaker’s “-”terminal.

bridge mode (applicable to channel a only): The C 245BEE

ampliﬁer can be conﬁgured to be MONO (Bridge Mode), more than

doubling its output power. This way, the C 245BEE can be used as

part of a high power stereo or home-theatre system, by connecting

additional power ampliﬁers.

bridge mode (applicable to channel b only): Set the BRIDGE

MODE switch to the“ON”position and connect the speaker to the

terminals marked“L +”and“R+”ensuring that the“L+”is connected to

the “+”terminal of your loudspeaker and the“R+”is connected to the

loudspeaker’s “ - ”terminal. Connect the input source to the CHANNEL

B IN sockets.

In BRIDGED MODE, the C 245BEE will produce approximately 70W into

an 8 ohm loudspeaker. In this mode, the ampliﬁer sections will react

as though the speaker impedance has been halved. Low impedance

speakers (under 8 ohms) are not recommended when using Bridge

Mode as these may cause the ampliﬁer’s thermal cut-out to operate if

played at high levels.

channel b (in/out): Connect the output from a pre-ampliﬁer or

processor, such as a surround-sound decoder, to this set of CHANNEL

B IN sockets. Use a twin RCA-to-RCA lead to connect the left and right

“Audio Output”of the preampliﬁer or processor to these CHANNEL B

input sockets.

Set the BRIDGE MODE switch to the“ON”position and connect the

speaker to the terminals marked“L +”and“R+”ensuring that the“L+”

is connected to the “+”terminal of your loudspeaker and the“R+”is

connected to the loudspeaker’s “ - ”terminal. Connect the input source

to the CHANNEL A IN sockets.

CHANNEL B OUT is line level“loop through”output. The same level of

input signal at the CHANNEL B IN sockets is available at CHANNEL B

OUT sockets thereby allowing the same signal to be shared or passed

on to another ampliﬁer.

Always turn OFF the C 245BEE and other components in the system

before connecting or disconnecting anything to the CHANNEL B IN

sockets.

NOTE

Do not connect anything to the Right Input socket when Bridge Mode is

selected.

channel a (in/out): Connect the output from a pre-ampliﬁer or

processor, such as a surround-sound decoder, to this set of CHANNEL

A IN sockets. Use a twin RCA-to-RCA lead to connect the left and right

“Audio Output”of the preampliﬁer or processor to these CHANNEL A

input sockets.

ꢅ

IDENTIFICATION OF CONTROLS

rear panel

channel a SpeakerS (applicable to channel a only): Connect the

right speaker to the CHANNEL A SPEAKERS terminals marked“R +”and“R-”

ensuring that the“R+”is connected to the“+”terminal on your loudspeaker

and the“R-”is connected to the loudspeaker’s“-”terminal. Connect the

terminals marked“L+”and“L-”to the left speaker in the same way.

+12v trigger input: The +12V Trigger input allows the C 245BEE

to be switched remotely from standby mode to ON and vice-versa

by ancillary equipments such as a preampliﬁer, AV processor, etc. The

controlling device must be equipped with a 12V trigger output to

use this feature. Refer also to the section above about“+12V TRIGGER

IN/INPUT SENSE - OFF/AUTO”.

In Bridge Mode, connect the single speaker to the terminals marked

“R +”and“L+”ensuring that the“L+”is connected to the“+” terminal

on your loudspeaker and the“R+”is connected to the loudspeaker’s “-”

terminal. Refer also to the section below about“BRIDGE MODE”.

fuSe holder: In the unlikely event a fuse may need to be replaced,

unplug the AC cord from the wall. Then, remove all connections from

the ampliﬁer. Use a ﬂathead screw driver or similar to open the fuse

holder via the slot indicated. With the screw driver in place, push and

turn counterclockwise to open the fuse holder. Only replace the fuse

with the same type, size, and speciﬁcation – T3.15AL 250V for 230V

version or T6.3AL 250V for 120V version.

Always use heavy duty (16 gauge; 1.5mm, or thicker) stranded wire to

connect loudspeakers to your NAD C 245BEE. The high-current binding

post terminals can be used as a screw terminal for cables terminating in

spade or pin sockets or for cables with bare wire ends.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

+12v trigger in/input SenSe - off/auto: This dual function

switch alternates between sensing a +12V input as applied through the

+12V trigger IN jack or sensing any input signal applied at the CHANNEL

A IN or CHANNEL B IN sockets.

Do not use any substitute fuses of diﬀerent types or with diﬀerent ratings

or values. Failure to observe this precaution may cause damage to the

ampliﬁer circuits and may create a ﬁre hazard and/or defeat the safety

built into the ampliﬁer and may void the warranty.

At AUTO setting and with the +12V trigger input of the C 245BEE

connected to the DC output jack of a compatible auxiliary component,

the C 245BEE can be switched remotely from standby mode to ON

and vice-versa. Use a 3.5mm mini-jack to pass +12V from the auxiliary

equipment into the C 245BEE.

10 ac mainS input: The C 245BEE comes supplied with a separate AC

Mains cable. Before connecting the cable to a live wall socket ensure

that it is ﬁrmly connected to the C 245BEE’s AC Mains input socket ﬁrst.

i.e., 120V 60 Hz (for 120V version models of C 245BEE only) or 230V 50

Hz (for 230V version models of C 245BEE only). Always disconnect the

AC Mains cable plug from the live wall socket ﬁrst, before disconnecting

the cable from the C 245BEE’s Mains input socket.

If there is no 3.5mm mini-jack inserted at the +12V Trigger IN jack and

with the switch still at AUTO setting, the C 245BEE will instantaneously

turn ON from standby state if it senses any input signal (approximately

above 50mV RMS input) applied through CHANNEL A IN or CHANNEL

B IN sockets.

11 power Switch: The POWER switch supplies the master AC mains

power for the C 245BEE. Refer to the ATO LOGIC chart below for a better

understanding of the role of the POWER switch when switching ON

or OFF the C 245BEE. If you intend not to use the C 245BEE for long

periods of time (such as when on vacation), switch OFF the POWER

switch.

In the absence of a +12V trigger input or any input signal at CHANNEL

A IN or CHANNEL B IN sockets and with OFF/AUTO switch set to AUTO,

the C 245BEE will switch automatically to standby mode. Slide the OFF/

AUTO switch to OFF setting for the C 245BEE to be normally switched

ON (or back to standby mode) using the front panel STANDBY button.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

With the rear panel POWER switch at ON position and the OFF/AUTO

switch at AUTO setting, the C 245BEE cannot be switched ON using the

front panel STANDBY button. Slide the OFF/AUTO switch to OFF setting

for the C 245BEE to be normally switched ON (or back to standby mode)

using the front panel STANDBY button.

NOTES

•

Switch the rear panel POWER switch to ON position in order to make use

of the +12V Trigger IN or Input Sense AUTO feature as well as the front

panel STANDBY button.

•

It will take about 10 minutes for the C 245BEE to go to standby mode

when the input signal source is turned OFF.

ꢆ

IDENTIFICATION OF CONTROLS

rear panel

AUTOMATED TURN-ON LOGIC (ATO LOGIC)

same manner by which it was activated. In other words, if the C 245BEE is

switched ON via a +12V-control signal, it cannot be switched to standby

mode via the front panel STANDBY button, it must wait for removal of the

+12V-control signal. In practice, you probably would use only one of the

methods once your C 245BEE is installed.

The C 245BEE may be turned ON in any one of three discrete ways for

complete system ﬂexibility - from the front panel standby button, the 12V-

TRIGGER circuit or by the input signal-sensing circuit. The ON/OFF power

control is managed by the Automated Turn-On logic or ATO Logic circuit

that requires the C 245BEE to be switched back to standby mode in the

ATO LOGIC CHART

+12V TRIGGER IN

INPUT SENSE

POWER SWITCH

STANDBY BUTTON

(using 3.5mm mini-jack plug)

CONDITION

Power

OFF

Standby Mode

(amber)

Switch ON

(blue)

Mini-jack

Input signal

>20mV

Input signal

<20mV

+12V

unplugged

POWER switch : OFF