AP800 - Audio Amplifier YORKVILLE - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL AP800 YORKVILLE

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

CAUTION AVIS

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR

INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO A RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS

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.

Read Instructions

The Owner's Manuals should be read and understood before operation of your unit. Please, save these instructions for future reference.

Packaging

Keep the box and packaging materials, in case the unit needs to be returned for service.

Warning

When using electric products, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following:

Power Sources

Your unit should be connected to a power source only of the voltage specified in the owners manual or as marked on the unit. This unit has a polarized plug. Do not use with an extension cord or receptacle unless the plug can be fully inserted. Precautions should be taken so that the grounding scheme on the unit is not defeated.

Hazards

Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table. The product may fall, causing serious personal injury and serious damage to the product. Use only with cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table recommended by the manufacturer or sold with the product. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when installing the product and use mounting accessories recommended by the manufacturer.

The apparatus should not be exposed to dripping or splashing water; no objects filled with liquids should be placed on the apparatus.

Terminals marked with the "lightning bolt" are hazardous live; the external wiring connected to these terminals require installation by an instructed person or the use of ready made leads or cords.

No naked flame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the apparatus.

Power Cord

The AC supply cord should be routed so that it is unlikely that it will be damaged. If the AC supply cord is damaged DO NOT OPERATE THE UNIT.

Service

The unit should be serviced only by qualified service personnel.

INSTRUCTIONS RELATIVES AU RISQUE DE FEU, CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE, OU BLESSURES AUX PERSONNES

AVIS:

AFIN DE REDUIRE LES RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE, N'ENLEVEZ PAS LE COUVERT (OU LE PANNEAU ARRIERE) NE CONTIENT AUCUNE PIECE REPARABLE PAR L'UTILISATEUR.

CONSULTEZ UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE POUR L'ENTRETIENT

Your new Yorkville AP800 power amplifier is designed and built to provide years of trouble free performance. The AP800 starts with the field proven reliability of our Audiopro amplifiers with customer requested features like switchable limiters and a MONO/STEREO/BRIDGE switch. We've made the AP800 power configurable, (see POWER CONFIGURATION), which makes it the most versatile amp in its class.

The AP800 weighs a comfortable but solid 39 pounds, fits into two rack spaces, and reproduces music with over 1200 Watts of headroom. It will drive reactive phase shifted loads with no difficulty - even though it is fully protected from accidental short circuits. Our design goal was to create an amplifier which would do exactly what an amplifier should do: reproduce music with great power, complete reliability, and uncompromising signal fidelity. We think you will agree that the Yorkville AP800 does exactly that. We hope this manual will provide answers to any questions you may have about the features, controls, and characteristics of this amplifier.

Inputs

Balanced Inputs

Either XLR or two circuit Ring, Tip, Sleeve stereo 1/4" PHONE cords may be used. Each channel's XLR input is internally paralleled with its phone input: The TIP of the channel "A" PHONE input is connected to pin 2 of its XLR input, the RING is connected to pin 3, and the SLEEVE is connected to PIN 1. PIN 2 is in phase, PIN 3 is 180 degrees out of phase, and PIN 1 is ground. We recommend using balanced lines for the best hum-free performance, particularly when chaining multiple amplifiers.

Unbalanced Inputs

Ordinary single circuit standard 1/4'' PHONE plugs may be used to connect unbalanced signals. IMPORTANT NOTE: Such plugs effectively connect the ring terminal to sleeve ground, so they work correctly. However, if you use a stereo 1/4'' PHONE plug on an unbalanced line, you must short the ring terminal to the sleeve terminal, otherwise the sensitivity will be 6dB lower than is specified! (The same applies to the XLR input; to connect an unbalanced source via the XLR input, you must connect the signal to PIN 2 and ground both PIN 1 and PIN 3).

Remote Referencing

You can approach balanced performance with unbalanced sources by utilizing the remote reference feature of the

AP800 Connect a balanced cable to the AP800 just as you would if you were running a balanced line. At the other end, connect PIN 3 and PIN 1 together, (or connect ring to sleeve if you are using a PHONE plug cable), and plug this modified end into your unbalanced piece of equipment. This connection enables the AP800's input to "look" down the cable

directly at the output jack of the unbalanced equipment. Any hum voltage generated across the cable's impedance will be attenuated by the common mode rejection of the AP800.

Driving Multiple AP800's

In large installations it is often desirable to operate many amplifiers in tandem. Since each channel's XLR input is internally paralleled with its phone input, you may use the remaining input jack as an output to the next amplifier. Obviously you will need both XLR to XLR and PHONE to PHONE patch cords if you are going to tandem more than two amplifiers.

NOTE: These patch cords MUST be balanced whether the input signal is balanced or unbalanced!

Ground Switch

Switching the ground switch on the rear panel will disconnect chassis ground from circuit ground. Safety ("earth") ground is still connected to the chassis. We do not recommend lifting the ground strap unless you are experiencing problems with ground loop hum in multiple amplifier setups where lifting the ground straps of all but one amplifier cures the hum problem.

CAUTION: Sometimes hum problems are an indication of improper AC wiring somewhere else in your system. Don't just doctor the symptom by lifting grounds. Fix the cause by making sure that the proper electrical wiring safety regulations have been adhered to.

Modes

The AP800 can be configured for dual-MONO, STEREO, or BRIDGED MONO operation via this rear panel MODE switch. The following is a description of each mode:

Mono Mode

• Channel A and B inputs are paralleled
  Each gain control adjusts the signal level for its respective channel
• Output signals are of equal phase.
• Two loads are driven.
• Loads are connected between the BLACK and RED post on each channel.

Stereo Mode

• Channel A and B inputs are seperate.
• Two independent amplifiers, Amp A and Amp B.
• Two loads are driven.
• Loads are connected between the BLACK and RED posts on each channel.

Bridge Mode

• Channel A and B inputs are paralleled. GAIN-B has no effect.
• Output signals are equal in amplitude but opposite in phase.
• One load is driven.
• The load is connected between the two RED binding posts. The BLACK posts are not used.

Subsonic Filter Switch

The AP800 features a specially designed subsonic filter which effectively blocks potentially destructive energy in the band below 40-Hz. The filter provides an 12 dB/Oct. skirt below 40-Hz. It is implemented with a two pole network designed to minimize phase shift down to 40 Hz. We recommend using this filter in conjunction with some subwoofer and with all high power full range cabinets.

With the filter disabled, the AP800 is flat down to 6-Hz, and rolls off at 12dB/Oct below that.

Limiter Switch

With the internal limiters activated, the AP800's gain is continuously adjusted to fit the signal within the available dynamic range. Occasional clipping is permitted. The limiters will not only help to protect your system's horns and tweeters, but will automatically make the best use of the available dynamic headroom. With the limiters activated, all you need to do is turn up the signal level until you start to see some clip

ping. The limiters will make sure that you are getting the maximum clean power output at all times. Setting the switch to the OUT position completely disables both limiters.

Protect LED

In the event of a shorted load, or a load which is of too low an impedance for the amplifier to handle, the PROTECT LED will flash alternately in about 7 second intervals. The sound may come on and off at 12 second. In this case, the fault is in the speakers or the speaker cables and should be located and remedied. No reset of the AP800 is required to restore proper operation. The protect LED will stay on if the amplifier has overheated. Check the speaker load impedance, the position of the load select switch, and any restrictions to air flow at the air intake or exhaust vents of the amplifier.

Short Circuit Protection

The AP800 is fully protected against all possible passive load conditions. It can operate with a dead short continuously without damage. (However, we don't recommend that you short your AP800 "just for fun." Shorts do create a lot of stress on the output devices). The output stage uses a unique triple slope VL limiting scheme which is sophisticated enough to remain inert during transient currents in excess of 40 Amperes and phase angles of more than 45 degrees, yet is capable of protecting the output stage from damage due to accidental short circuits and improper loads.

DC Protection

In the unlikely event of the AP800's outputs "going DC," a thyristor circuit will short the output terminals and divert all potentially harmful currents away from your speakers.

Thermal Protection

In the unlikely event that the AP800 overheats, the signal will be sporadically cut off and the PROTECT LED will stay on. If further heating occurs, (due to some malfunction), an internal thermal breaker will interrupt the primary circuit. There is no visible indication of this rare condition. The AP800 is designed and tested to operate under "worst case" conditions without shutting down, so if you experience a thermal shutdown you should check for blocked air flow.

Cooling

The fan draws air in from the front and expels hot air through the rear vents. This is compatible with our other amplifiers and with most installations. Since hot air rises, the heated air forcibly expelled from the back tends to rise away from the equipment rack. This draws cool air from the floor upwards into the front of the rack. In some cases where the rear of the rack is obstructed it may be necessary to install rack fans to aid cooling. If there are no obstructions, no secondary cooling is required.

Fan Filter Maintenance

The AP800 is factory equipped with a fan filter mounted on the air intake grill on the amplifier's front panel. Regular cleaning of this filter will increase the amplifier's long term reliability. The filter should be removed and washed at the first sign of visible clogging. This will typically occur every four to six weeks depending on use and environment. Replacement filters are inexpensive and can be ordered through Yorkville dealers. The foam filter should be removed if a regular inspection schedule is not going to be followed. The amplifier can operate without the filter in place, but the amplifier should be

CAUTION: The AP800 can deliver over 800 Watts of power into a bridged load. Yorkville's own high power speaker systems have circuit-breaker protection built in. Although these speakers will protect themselves, they are unlikely to be damaged by a bridged AP800. However, many other speaker manufacturers make "high power cabinets" with no protection features at all.

Yorkville Sound is not responsible for any damage which may result as a consequence of exceeding such a speaker's power handling capability. Yorkville's two year unconditional warranty does not cover any consequential damages to non-Yorkville equipment. Please consider these facts carefully before you choose to run your AP800 in bridged mode!

cleaned internally by a qualified service technician when dust is visible on the heatsink fins.

Note: In an unusually dusty location, without regular filter inspections, removing the foam filter can extend the operating time before thermal shutdown could occur. At that time, the internal heatsinks should be cleaned thoroughly.

Clip LEDs

The CLIP LEDs on the front panel will visibly indicate any signal excursion beyond the dynamic headroom of the amplifier.

Reliability

The AP800 is designed and manufactured by Yorkville Sound. Each unit undergoes a thorough, temperature cycled burn-in period, and each circuit is tested by both manual and sophisticated computer controlled equipment which is capable of identifying any deviation from the design center parameters. The design of the AP800 is conservative with respect to the power handling capabilities of the output devices. The topology guarantees that thermal stress not secondary breakdown will set the limits of operation, while the computer optimized heat dissipation system insures that excessive thermal stress will not occur. Yorkville's reputation as a manufacturer of reliable equipment will be further enhanced by the AP800.

The AP800 is not only suitable for use in both heavy duty touring sound reinforcement systems but also when high headroom and low distortion are needed to fully reproduce

the dynamic range and clarity of todays CD recordings. The AP800 is built to survive grueling road conditions and constant 2-ohm operation. Its reliability is a fixed installation running 4 or 8-ohm studio monitors is without parallel.

Output Connections

The AP800 has 5-way binding posts and Neutrik four contact Speakon™ connectors for output speaker connections. Connection to the binding posts can either be made with a banana plug inserted into the end of the post.

There are two Speakon™ connectors. The Speakons™ are connected to the amplifier's outputs whether the amplifier is in stereo, mono, or bridge modes. Each Speakon™ output connector (output A and output B) is wired in parallel with it's respective binding posts for two channel two cable connections (figure 1).

SpeakonTM output A also doubles as the A&B/Bridge connector. This SpeakonTM contains both channels on one connector. This is convenient when connecting one speaker to the amplifier in bridge mode where the speaker is connected across the positives of each amplifier output. Configure the mode switch for bridge and connect the speaker to pins +1 and +2 of the bridge/bi-amp Speakon (figure 3).

To connect a bi-amp speaker, configure the amplifier for stereo and connect to the bridge/bi-amp connector but use all four terminals in the Speakon connector which will connect A and B outputs separately to the speaker (figure 2). Connection configurations are labeled on the back panel.

Impedance Mode Switch

The AP800 comes factory-configured to deliver its maximum power into a 2-ohm load. However, it is possible switch your AP800 to deliver its maximum power into 4-ohms. The switch is located on the rear panel above the line cord. To prevent damage to the amplifier's circuitry only switch modes when the amplifier's power switch is OFF. This feature is intended to be used where the load is known. PLEASE NOTE: In the 4-ohm configuration, the minimum load per channel is 4-ohms and the minimum BRIDGE load is 8-ohms. Attempting to operate into 2-ohm loads while in the 4-ohm configuration will cause the amplifier to go into current limit, thermal limit, or both.

The POWER specification chart in this manual shows the powers that can be obtained for various configurations and loads.

POWER OUTPUT

One Channel Driven

Load (OHMS)	1 Khz Cont. Avg.	1 Khz Burst	1 Khz Cont. Avg.	1 Khz Burst
	2 Ohm Mode	2 Ohm Mode	4 Ohm Mode	4 Ohm Mode
8	180	200	280	310
4	310	380	500	590
2	520	650	n/a	n/a

Both Channels Driven

Load (OHMS)	1 Khz Cont. Avg.	1 Khz Burst	1 Khz Cont. Avg.	1 Khz Burst
	2 Ohm Mode	2 Ohm Mode	4 Ohm Mode	4 Ohm Mode
8	165	250	250	290
4	270	350	400	560
2	400	600	n/a	n/a

Bridge Mode

Load (OHMS)	1 Khz Cont. Avg.	1 Khz Burst	1 Khz Cont. Avg.	1 Khz Burst
	2 Ohm Mode	2 Ohm Mode	4 Ohm Mode	4 Ohm Mode
8	550	700	840	1100
4	840	1200	n/a	n/a
2	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

All values are in WATTS. Measurements were made at the 0.1% distortion point. Some CONTINUOUS AVERAGE POWER measurements required line currents greater than 15 Amps. The amplifier under test was plugged into an IDEAL POWER LINE consisting of a REGULATED 120 VAC RMS 60Hz pure sine wave. Ordinary AC "wall outlet" lines will always exhibit varying and unpredictable amounts of sag. To produce objectively verifiable and accurate specifications these unknown factors must be eliminated by using an ideal AC line. When using an ordinary electrical outlet, it will usually be possible to get 800 Watts when the AP800 is bridged into 4-Ohms. The BURST measurements use a 10mS burst at 1KHz with a 1/8 second pause between bursts. The 1KHz burst represents the maximum possible sine wave output power.

Specifications

Amplifier class A/B

Coninuous Average Power @ 8 ohms BCD (Watts) 160 (x2) / 250 (x2)*

Conxious Average Power @ 4 ohms BCD (Watts) 260 (x2) / 400 (x2)*

Coninuous Average Power @ 2 ohms BCD (Watts) 400 (x2) / NA*

Continuous Average Power Bridged BCD (Watts) 800 @ 4/8 ohms

Burst Average Power @ 8 ohms BCD (Watts) 200 (x2) / 320 (x2)*

Burst Average Power @ 4 ohms BCD (Watts) 360 (x2) / 560 (x2)*

Burst Average Power @ 2 ohms BCD (Watts) 600 (x2) / NA*

Burst Average Power Bridged BCD (Watts) 1200 @ 4 ohms / 1100 @ 8 ohms

Frequency Response (Hz, +/- 1dB) 20-20,000

Hum and Noise (un / Aweighted -dB) -101 / -104

THD -1kHz- 4 ohms 0.01%

THD - 20Hz-20kHz, 4 ohms less than 0.1%

Slew Rate (V/uS) 20

Slew Rate Bridged (V/uS) 40

Damping Factor (30 Hz - 400 Hz @ 8 ohms) 300

Crosstalk (1kHz/20Hz-20kHz) -80/-75 dB

Input Impedance - Bal/Unbal (ohms) 22,000/12,000

Input Sensitivity (Vrms) For Full Power Out 1.0/1.4 V*

Max Voltage Gain (dB) 29

CMRR @ 60Hz (min/typ) 48/56 dB

Stereo / Mono / Bridge (S/M/B) S/M/B

Protection DC, Load, Thermal

Limiter Peak

High Pass Filter 40Hz, 12dB Octave

Cooling Internal Fan

Cooling Path Front to Rear

Fan Filter User Serviceable

Inputs-XLR 2

Inputs - 1/4 inch Jacks 2

Outputs - Speakon 4-pin 2

Outputs-Binding Post 2

Power Consumption (typ/max) 750/1440 Watts

Rack Spaces 2

Transformer Type Toroidal

Exterior Finish Baked, Black Painted

Other Features * Max power into 2 ohms / Max power into 4 ohms

tensions (DWH /D fm ears, inches) 19 × 16.8 × 3.5 × 15.7

Dimensions (DWH /D fm ears, cm) 48.3 x 43 x 8.9 x 40

Weight (Ibs/kg) 31.5/14.3

Two Channel Configuration

Bi Amp Configuration

Bridged Configuration
Figure 3

Introduction

Configuration Bi-Amp
Figure 2

Configuration En-Pont
Figure 3

PUISSANCE DE SORTIE

Un Canal Utilisé

Charge (OHMS)	1 Khz Moy. Cont.	1 Khz pointe	1 Khz Moy. Cont.	1 Khz Pointe
	Mode 2 Ohm	Mode 2 Ohm	Mode 4 Ohm	Mode 4 Ohm
8	180	200	280	310
4	310	380	500	590
2	520	650	n/a	n/a

Yorkville's two and ten-year unlimited warranty on this product is transferable and does not require registration with Yorkville Sound or your dealer. If this product should fail for any reason within two years of the original purchase date (ten years for the wooden enclosure), simply return it to your Yorkville dealer with original proof of purchase and it will be repaired free of charge. This includes all Yorkville products, except for the YSM Series studio monitors, Coliseum Mini Series and TX Series Loudspeakers.

Freight charges, consequential damages, weather damage, damage as a result of improper installation, damages due to exposure to extreme humidity, accident or natural disaster are excluded under the terms of this warranty. Warranty does not cover consumables such as vacuum tubes or par bulbs. See your Yorkville dealer for more details. Warranty valid only in Canada and the United States.

Garantie Illimitée

Niagara Falls, New York

14305 USA

Voice: [phone]

Fax: [phone]