CTH-8550 Integrated Amplifier User Manual
Contents
1. Press A or Y in order to display the next screen for date setting epic Hilda HEHE SESE EEE ARISES PHIRI When Auto start is set to On your CTH 8550 will power itself on at the time programmed on the next screen shown below When Auto start is left to Off your CTH 8550 will not start automatically Press or to set Auto start to On or Off Press A or Y to go to the next menu to set the start time The date format is DD MM Y Y Y Y This rubric cannot be changed Sorry 1f you are used to another format but this is the most universal one Press or to set the correct day Press to jump to the month figures Press or to set the correct month Press to jump to the year figures Press or to set the correct year If the time has not been set yet Press A or Y to return to Set time and adjust the time The date settings will be kept correct saving you from entering the Set Clock menu twice Press OK to save darTZeel CTH 8550 Press or to set the correct hour Press to jump to the minute figures Press or to set the correct minute Press OK to save The STOP TIME procedure is exactly the same as START TIME Press Stop time from the main CLOCK menu in order to proceed User Manual version 1 0 This screen indicates the software version and the registration status DTZ BKP UPD When your machine is new you will2. With no fewer than nine inputs including optional phono inputs and two preamp outputs the darTZeel CTH 8550 is the ideal modern integrated amplifier to fit into any high end audio system Thanks to its newly developed output stages driving any real world loudspeaker load will be just another day at the office for the CTH 8550 With the CTH 8550 s more than 200 watts into 8 ohms and close to 350 watts into 4 ohms even low sensitivity speakers will put out plenty of volume during your most demanding dynamically speaking listening sessions The new power circuits use only three junctions in the signal path offering truly musical fast transparent reproduction Furthermore in those green days we are proud to say the CTH 8550 runs very cool saving on your electrical bill This integrated amplifier actually marks a new milestone in darTZeel history by introducing features you will not find elsewhere Hey this is a darT Zeel machine isn t it From the technical point of view there is no doubt that the CTH 8550 is a very special machine As for the most important thing you can ask for and we obviously mean the music you will simply find it Enthralling Page 5 of 15 4 Warranty Your CTH 8550 is guaranteed for one full year parts and labor against any breakdown or component failure as 1s the tradition in Switzerland for such equipment As we view it any electrical component with no movi
3. C MM MC L1 O0 000 INPUTS ER L2 L3 L4 A Fa Wan KOK AC mains darTZeel CTH 8550 Manufactured in Geneva Switzerland USB ports a x We think the rear panel labeling speaks for itself Nevertheless we will try to keep you awake by providing some general information You will note that we provide two USB ports on the lower left corner The standard rectangular port is the one into which you will insert your USB key when registering or when a firmware update becomes available When you register your CTH 8550 you will need to insert your USB key into the rear panel s rectangular USB port Please carefully read the chapter 7 Activation key procedure next page III YOUR MACHINE WILL OPERATE FOR ONLY 15 MINUTES IF NOT PROPERLY ACTIVATED Caution Disconnect AC mains and wait for 5 minutes before removing the cover Il Hazardous lethal voltage inside 6 2 1 Fuse and voltage settings The small window above the AC mains connector indicates the factory voltage setting If you move to another country you may have to change the voltage setting Please contact your dealer for information as to how to proceed In this case a new activation code will be required 11 Warning Improper fuse installation and or voltage selection will certainly damage your CTH 8550 For 100 120 volts AC proper rating 1s 8 amperes For 200 240 volts AC proper rating 1s 4 amperes Fuses must
4. This is the maximum level at which your CTH 8550 will power on In the above example if and only if you listened at more than 26dB the output level will resume to this value at the next start Press or to set the desired level Press OK to store this value Press RST to restore the factory default Press to set the source The CTH 8550 will always start with a preferred source that is whichever source was selected during last powering off No change means the CTH 8550 will start with same selected source as played during previous music session Press or to choose a source to be played at power on Press OK to save this setting Press RST to restore the factory default Press to set the internal power amp When using the CTH 8550 as a stand alone preamplifier the power amplifier section will be shut off improving both electricity consumption and signal to noise ratio Press or to enable or disable the internal power amplifier Press OK to confirm The CTH 8550 will shut down and restart darTZeel CTH 8550 Go to previous page Allows for 3 different types of attenuation This can be useful when you just want to decrease the level instead of cutting 1t off completely Press or to set the Mute level co 20dB 40dB Press OK to memorize this setting Press to set the Volume limit Ph F a ano om Liga f f frigo A ese e Messe la a ns PH puh anmum gu
5. When this function is ON the display will dim after the above defined time Press or to choose from 2 to 15 seconds Press OK when set Press RST to return to factory mode Press lt or gt to return to illumination level settings User Manual version 1 0 This section offers many parameter setting options allowing you to personalize your CTH 8550 You will be able to set virtually any parameter for each input as well as performing software updates when and if available in the future PARAMETERS SEE NEXT PAGE Page 10 of 15 After selecting Rename from the above PARAMETERS menu the default input source displayed is the one you have selected for listening Press A or Y in order to change the source to be renamed Press lt or to select the character alphanumeric key to be changed Press or in order to browse from A Z and 0 9 Space blank 1s just before A Press OK to confirm the new name Press RST and OK in order to return to the factory default name darTZeel CTH 8550 After selecting Settings from the above PARAMETERS menu the default input source displayed is the one you have selected for listening Press A or Y to select another source Press or in order to adjust the input level The range is from 10dB to 10dB Press OK to memorize the level Press RST to return to OdB Press to set Input balance hereunder Go to Page 13 Go to nex
6. ate for your region e This user manual darTZeel CTH 8550 User Manual version 1 0 5 2 Location Before making any connections you should carefully plan the location where you will install your gear If you plan to install your CTH 8550 inside furniture or cabinetwork please remember that you absolutely must allow at least one inch of free space all around the unit as well as providing an adequate fresh air inlet and outlet to ensure proper cooling As noted in the Brief description chapter the CTH 8550 does run comparatively cool However failing to provide proper ventilation will quickly increase its internal temperature Therefore please be forewarned that the CTH 8550 will stop playing if it becomes too hot The CTH 8550 s thermal shutdown point is approximately 70 C 158 F The power supply starts up again when the operating temperature has dropped to 60 C 140 F Please also note that continued excessive operating temperatures will reduce the lifespan of your machine It is also advisable where possible to leave enough space around your CTH 8550 to allow easy access when making or changing connections 5 3 Connections As you will see in next chapter making or changing connections to the CTH 8550 is quite easy thanks to its clearly labeled rear panel The only thing you will have to confirm is the proper voltage setting You will find above the IEC connector a small window showing the v
7. be of T temporized type Do NOT use fuses with wound coil filaments In case of doubt always install Fast Blow types 6 3 Remote control The remote control is easy to use e The nine lower keys numbered 1 to 9 are for selecting the source as described in chapter 6 1 FRONT PANEL e The and keys are for adjusting the output volume level e The L and R keys are used for direct balance adjustment It is easier to adjust balance from here than from the front panel since it allows for direct access Resetting the balance to the central position is accomplished by pressing the L and R keys simultaneously e The Lite key functions the same as the Light key on the front panel e The Owner key functions the same as the Name key on the front panel e The other keys speak for themselves darTZeel CTH 8550 User Manual version 1 0 Page 8 of 15 7 Activation key procedure Please remember that until you complete its registration your CTH 8550 will operate only for the 15 minutes following each new powering on Registration procedure We provide a USB activation key with your CTH 8550 This key is blank when you receive it Ask your dealer to send you your activation key data file You will receive this by email in the form of a zipped data compressed folder containing a file with a dtz name extension How to proceed 1 Unzip decompress the key activation software from the zi
8. darT Zeel CTH 8550 Integrated Amplifier User Manual Table of contents L Preliminary notes 2 Introduction 3 Brief description 4 Warranty 5 Installation 5 1 Unpacking 5 2 Location 5 3 Connections 6 The CTH 8550 in detail 6 1 Front panel 6 2 Rear panel 6 2 1 Fuse and voltage settings 6 3 Remote control Activation key procedure 8 User parameters 8 1 Main features 9 How to set everything 9 1 Power on sequence 10 Full configuration and settings 11 Some advice and tips 11 1 Cleaning and upkeep 11 2 What not to do 12 Assistance 13 Technical data darTZeel CTH 8550 User Manual version 1 0 ON vs Xx 000 113 NN A A NH Yu a m u AAA a Fe a A Page 3 of 15 darTZeel CTH 8550 integrated amplifier User Manual 1 Preliminary notes Your CTH 8550 comes with a USB activation key to provide the required identification data to your CTH 8550 s internal CPU You must use the USB activation key to unlock your CTH 8550 the first time you operate it Until you complete its registration your CTH 8550 will operate only for the 15 minutes following each new powering on As part of the registration process your dealer will send to you the appropriate data file by e mail Please refer to chapter 7 Activation key procedure page 9 for how to obtain your USB activation key data file Please read this user manual in its entirety We did our best to avoid making you fall asle
9. ee on the display screen when powering the darTZeel CTH 8550 on 10 Full configuration and settings Press the Menu key A chapter 6 1 page 7 on the front panel and then play with the charts You can choose the source which will be routed to the RCA REC outputs Listening means that you will record what you are listening to The standard screen will display the selected listening source with its corresponding input label reversed color REC Source Press or in order to set the source which will be recorded regardless of the source you are listening to The above screen shows the selection of a source for Record Out In this case whichever line source or phono source you listen to the REC outputs will always output the signal from the source ZEEL 1 Accordingly the standard screen will display ZEEL 1 label in reversed color regardless the source chosen for listening indicating ZEEL 1 is now the default record output source REC frozen on the chosen source darTZeel CTH 8550 Pressing or will change the illumination of the screen in these four increments 25 50 gt 75 gt 100 Press OK when set Press RST return to 100 Press or to go to Auto off time shown hereunder Pressing either the Light key from the front panel or the Lite key on the remote control will toggle the display between Display auto off ON or OFF
10. en has been dimmed out Green CTH 8550 is on indicating reception of a remote control command onu gt User Manual version 1 0 Menu To enter the configuration setting menu Time To Display Hide time and date Light To Enable Disable display Auto Off Name To Display serial number and owner s name Press once for 5 seconds of display Press twice to display the owner s name permanently Press a third time to resume into standard display mode Name has the same function as the Owner key on the Remote Control Mute To Reduce Cut Resume output volume level When set to 20dB or 40dB Mute will return to the previous level either by pressing Mute again or by altering the volume level using the Pleasure Control or the Remote Control Mono Balance To Adjust L R channel balance Press Balance then adjust with the Pleasure Control knob within 3 seconds Remote control use L and R keys Pressing both L and R keys at same time restores balance to the central position To Switch from Stereo to Mono Infrared Receiver The commands sent by the remote control are received at this point Do not cover it or the remote control will not function properly Never push scratch or attempt to move the infrared receiver Remote control access will not work if the receiver has been damaged Page 7 of 15 6 2 Rear panel OUTPUTS RCA OUTPUTS RCA REC 8 W o RE
11. ep We hope to be successful in that regard The CTH 8550 requires about 170 hours of playing time before 1t approaches its full potential 2 Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of a darTZeel CTH 8550 The darTZeel CTH 8550 is the most advanced analogue integrated amplifier yet designed This new musical component directly benefits from our past experience in audio yet 1t has plenty of innovative features as you will discover while reading this we hope entertaining user manual Designed for user friendly operation the CTH 8550 will provide you many years of absorbing pleasure as you listen to your favorite music The new fluorescent display s comprehensive menus greatly simplify setup and operation The CTH 8550 s intuitive menu structure has allowed us to keep this user manual comparatively brief Sometimes it is possible to deliver high technology while at the same time saving some trees darTZeel CTH 8550 User Manual version 1 0 3 Brief description Your CTH 8550 represents the culmination of all the research and development we have brought to the audio industry over the past decades Our passion and love for music and its reproduction have been embodied in the CTH 8550 The challenging goals we set for ourselves were to design and then build a no compromise all in one music machine You will experience the result very soon when you listen to your favorite records
12. iance with the above e Never forget to power off your darT Zeel CTH 8550 before connecting or disconnecting any source or loudspeakers e Never use a contact enhancer such as silver paste on the input terminals or speaker binding posts as this may cause a short circuit and catastrophic failure 12 Assistance If you need any commercial or technical information about the darT Zeel CTH 8550 or if you have any difficulties or enquiries please contact us by email at moreinfo dartzeel com You can of course write us at the following address darTZeel Audio SA 2 chemin Louis Hubert CH 1213 Petit Lancy Geneva Switzerland We also invite you to visit our website at www darTZeel com We wish you countless hours of musical delight with your CTH 8550 We hope that you will have no further need to read this manual except for the pleasure Your darTZeel team darTZeel CTH 8550 User Manual version 1 0 Page 14 of 15 13 Technical data darT Zeel CTH 8550 Nominal output power 200 watts RMS 230 watts peak 8 ohms Line Gain Power Stage Gain Input impedances Line output impedances Speaker output impedance Frequency response Rise time Slew rate DC output voltage Total Harmonic Distortion THD Temporal Distortion Crosstalk Signal to noise ratio Power consumption Size in mm Net weight lt 0 33 ohms from 20 Hz to 20 kHz 330 watts RMS 360 watts peak 4 ohms 330 watts RMS 400
13. more often than not the most efficient We personally find that a spot of mild soap on a wet soft cloth is the best method most of the time Try for yourself As you have certainly guessed we confirm that it is strongly recommended to never use acid to clean your gear Acid is very corrosive and could react with the front plate s anodized coating Furthermore acid is very corrosive for the skin too If you follow these few elementary rules you will be assured of having a very nice looking machine for years to come 11 2 What not to do Our advice and recommendations have been intentionally placed close to the end of this user s manual That does not mean that they are of only minor importance quite the contrary We just thought that the following points are not directly involved in the everyday use of your amplifier However operating the darT Zeel CTH 8550 calls for certain precautions The few but important warnings are the following e Never ever attempt to short circuit the Speaker Binding Posts e Repeated short circuits will lead to permanent damage to the corresponding output stage e When bi or tri cabling be especially careful when connecting the cables If you inadvertently cross the polarity of one run regarding the other s you will make a perfect short circuit This can easily destroy the corresponding output stage The warranty will be partially or totally void in the event of non compl
14. need to register it Insert your USB key into the rear panel port and press DTZ This feature allows copying internal CTH 8550 parameters onto the USB key for factory diagnosis Insert your USB key into the rear panel port and press BKP Used for updating the internal CTH 8550 firmware Insert your USB key into the rear panel port and press UPD Your USB key must contain the appropriate file in order to operate properly Further details about key activation procedure are described in chapter 7 Page 13 of 15 11 Some advice and tips 11 1 Cleaning and upkeep The darTZeel CTH 8550 has not only been designed to provide you intense moments of musical pleasure 1t also has been designed to withstand the rigors of time assuming that you take proper care The entire Swedish steel case functions as a heat exchanger while the two internal lateral heat sinks regulate and maintain the correct temperature The vent slots provide heat dissipation but they do not communicate with the inside of the machine Therefore the CTH 8550 is virtually dust proof It is not recommended to clean internal parts Actually we do not recommend ever removing the top cover As for the external parts of your machine a soft cloth or even a dust brush will be completely adequate In case of fingerprints a gentle rub with a cloth soaked in isopropyl alcohol should be sufficient Just bear in mind however that the simplest things are
15. ng parts either will fail within days or will last virtually forever This is the reason all our machines are thoroughly tested and broken in before being lovingly packed and sent on to you We are nonetheless aware that no component is always flawless and that a problem could arise after the expiration of the warranty period In such a case we will carefully examine all the circumstances with the aim of reducing the likely repair costs to minimum levels You can always trust us for customer care as you already trusted us when purchasing your CTH 8550 The warranty is valid in the original country of purchase only The warranty is transferable to a single second hand user within the first year but only in the original country of purchase 5 Installation 9 1 Unpacking Please remember how your CTH 8550 was packed which will be very useful in case you relocate Your CTH 8550 has been carefully inspected and packed before shipping Make sure your shipping carton has arrived in mint condition without any sign of external damage If you notice any shipping damage please immediately notify your official dealer All future shipping must be done in the original packing carton Your warranty rights will be void if the CTH 8550 is not shipped returned in its original package Your carton should contain e The CTH 8550 e The IRC 885 infrared remote control e The darTZeel USB key e An AC power cable appropri
16. ngu apati HHE HH HHI s ios FISEER RIISI PIIRIIN AS Enables disables a maximum output level Very useful for not overloading low power rated speakers or simply allowing your kids to play with your system without shaking neighbors walls When left to Off pressing lt or gt will go back to above Mute level screen Press or to set to On Press to set the new value in the next hereunder screen EEHEHE EE Pi ie iti A poes S ESSES ARIaR cease SSN SrH cols 3 is GASES E aeiee 63 05 fi In the sample screen above the maximum output level has been set to 2 5dB Press or to set the desired value Press OK to store it Press RST to return to 12dB default When max volume has been set there is no need to reset the value when you do not want to use a limit you simply enable or disable it User Manual version 1 0 Clock amp Diag SEE NEXT PAGE Page 12 of 15 if ai gii H HE BE sss Bid egois n a i um n g a u a u HE HE EP HB f a min z Bl e Biei SP HE PH E S llesarobidl ESEE Et EHE SFE sith If you have to set both the time and the date it will be easier first to set the date and then the time Press or to set the correct hour Press to jump to the minute figures Press or to set the correct minute Press OK to save The time clock will synchronize at the moment you press OK Until you press OK the internal time clock will not be changed
17. oltage that has been selected Please read chapter 6 2 1 about this topic The speaker binding posts accept most types of cable terminations If you use speaker cables terminated by spade lugs be sure not to over tighten the binding posts Over tightening will create play which can lead to loose binding posts We prefer spring loaded banana plug speaker cable terminations Our experience is that they provide very reliable contact over the long haul without needing periodic re tightening As soon as the CTH 8550 is plugged into the AC wall outlet its operation status LED will turn red There is no master hardware physical on off switch We hope you nevertheless will sleep well knowing that the CTH 8550 s electrical power consumption in standby mode 1s less than 3 watts Page 6 of 15 V00NOUAUNA u darTZeel CTH 8550 The CTH 8550 in detail 6 1 Front panel OOOO CK ONC 9 O 8 RCA Input 1 RCA Input 2 RCA Input 3 RCA Input 4 Phono MM optional Phono MC optional Zeel Input 1 Zeel Input 2 XLR Balanced input Display screen Pleasure Control Knob Used of course for adjusting output volume level Also used for balance adjustment Note In ALL menus the and key functions can be duplicated by rotating the Pleasure Control Very Useful Operation Status LED Shows various operation states Red CTH 8550 is off standby mode Orange CTH 8550 is on even if the display scre
18. p folder Directly copy the dtz file onto the USB key using your home computer DO NOT ALTER THE FILE NAME 2 Insert the loaded USB key into the rectangular USB port located in the rear panel of your CTH 8550 3 From the front panel sequentially press the following Menu gt Parameters gt Diag gt DTZ 4 The file will be uploaded 5 Remove the USB key At registration inquiry time please note that your owner name cannot exceed 14 characters maximum in length So please use J D Smith instead of Jonathan Donald Smith 8 User parameters The section starting at chapter 10 is the largest part of this user manual As there are more than fifty different display screens you can see that we built a lot of features into the CTH 8550 Thanks to the intuitive menus you will be able to access all parameters directly from the front panel 8 1 Main features For each input you can adjust the following e Source Name e Input level e Balance e Mono Stereo e Bypass mode The CTH 8550 offers a pleasantly smooth mute operation softly shutting off resuming the music being played You can choose between a standard full mute or have only a 20dB or 40dB level reduction darTZeel CTH 8550 User Manual version 1 0 The power amplifier section can be switched off in the event you would prefer to use the CTH 8550 as a stand alone preamplifier Doing so the large power transformer will be
19. shut down further reducing power consumption and improving the signal to noise ratio Last but not least a real time clock primarily implemented for memorizing internal CPU events also permits automatic power on and or off of your CTH 8550 Quite a luxury alarm clock but who can resist Sincerely hoping that those little touches will please you let us go on to the next chapter 9 How to set everything Everything Almost The following four pages show how to set up your CTH 8550 by mean of schematic flow charts We reproduce the actual display screens and explain how to proceed exactly as if you were in front of your machine Because there are more than 50 different display screens we tried to compress this presentation a bit yet without neglecting any important options We are sure you will be able to find the small number of remaining hidden displays once you have become accustomed to working with the menus Important note While already mentioned elsewhere it is worth restating that the Pleasure Control knob can be used with the menu functions instead of the and keys That is so you can set your machine up using both hands thereby improving your speed as you try to break your previous score at setting a parameter Now as they say a nice drawing is often much more useful than a longer than wanted explanation Page 9 of 15 9 1 Power on sequence Here is what you will s
20. t page Altering the default balance for a source can be helpful when a particular source such as a phono cartridge exhibits a channel unbalance Press or in order to adjust the input balance The range is from 9 5dB Left to 9 5dB Right Press OK to memorize the balance setting Press A or Y to select another source Press RST to return to OdB Press to set Input mode hereunder 4 The USER INFORMATION screen indicates the serial number of your CTH 8550 as well as your registered name Please be sure the registered name corresponds to yours If the registered name is not correct immediately contact your dealer An improper registered name will void access to warranty rights Altering the input mode for a source can be helpful for a monophonic source such as an old AM tuner or a mono or 78 rpm phono cartridge Press or in order to toggle between Stereo and Mono Press OK to memorize the input mode Press A or Y to select another source Press RST to return to Stereo Press to set Input bypass right after User Manual version 1 0 Used for Home Theatre systems The gain of the bypassed source is OdB WARNING Pleasure Control will be bypassed Press or in order to toggle between bypass On and Off Press OK to memorize Press A or VW to select another source Press RST to return bypass to Off Page 11 of 15 Previous page ott iR mu E Human
21. watts peak 2 ohms software limited 12 dB nominal up to 22dB 26 dB 8 ohms Phono MM 47 kohms Neumann RIAA 4th pole included Phono MC 1 kohms Neumann RIAA 4th pole included RCA gt 30 kohms Zeel BNC 50 1 ohm XLR gt 15 kohms between Pin 1 and 2 gt 15 kohms between Pin 1 and 3 RCA 75 ohms darT BNC 50 ohms measured under 8 ohms 3 Hz to 300 kHz 40 6 dB 20 Hz to 20kHz 0 0 5 dB 20 Hz to 50kHz 0 5 dB lt 0 8 us gt 88 V us peak peak lt 15 mV max lt 1 from 7 Hz to 77 kHz None at any level and load as specified above lt 90 dB from 20Hz to 20kHz gt 115 dB A nominal power 3 watts Standby 40 watts idle 1000 watts Y maximum output power 440 x 335 x 170 WxDxH Total deep with handles 415 mm 28 kg Phono inputs are optional and are not installed in standard delivery darTZeel amplifiers are made to last forever by darTZeel Audio SA in Geneva Switzerland darTZeel Audio SA www dartzeel com 2 chemin Louis Hubert CH 1213 Petit Lancy Geneve Suisse darTZeel CTH 8550 moreinfo dartzeel com User Manual version 1 0 Page 15 of 15
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