Aavik acoustics I-880 User manual

AAVIK I-880
USER GUIDE | INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Clean the amplifier only with a dry, lint-free cloth. For
more thorough cleaning, unplug the amplifier from the
mains supply and go over it lightly with a damp, lint-free
cloth.
Do not use any type of chemical solvents or other cleaning
products for cleaning.
6. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators,
heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.
7. Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
8. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when
unused for long periods of time.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or
grounding-type plug.
10. Only place apparatus horizontally and on a suitable
table or rack. If more components are stacked. Make sure
to place the hottest unit - usually the amplifier, at the top.
11. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
12. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
damaged in any way, such as when the power-supply cord
or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have
fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed
to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been
dropped.
1. WARNING – Take care that objects do not fall and
liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through any
openings.
The equipment shall not be exposed to dripping or
splashing. Liquid-filled objects such as vases should not
be placed on the equipment.
2. The equipment has been designed for use in moderate
climates and in domestic situations.
3. Only connect the equipment to a power supply of the
type described in the operating instructions or as marked
on the equipment. The primary method of isolating the
equipment from the mains supply is to remove the mains
plug. The equipment must be installed in a manner that
makes disconnection possible.
4. If an abnormal smell or smoke is detected from the
equipment, turn the power off immediately and unplug the
equipment from the wall outlet. Contact your dealer and
do not reconnect the equipment.
Rev.1.0 ENG
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do
not expose the amplifier 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 magni-
tude to constitute a risk of electric shock 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.
THE EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE SERVICED BY QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL

I-880 / USER GUIDE 3
5FRONT PANEL FUNCTIONS
6REAR PANEL FUNCTIONS
7REMOTE
7FACTORY RESET
8MENU FUNCTIONS
10 SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
THANK YOU
The Aavik audio engineering team are thankful for your unique choice of the Aavik I-880 integrated Amplifier.
We are convinced that you will enjoy the exquisite music experience just as intimate and close as it was
originally performed by the artist themselves.
The 880 series is Aavik’s most innovative and sophisticated amplifier production to date. The result is this
powerful non-switching pure Class A amplifier up to impressive 2x200 W into 8 Ohms.
The unique design is based on the unique collaboration by the engineer and the artist
- Michael Børresen and Flemming Erik Rasmussen.

4
FUNCTIONS
BUTTONS ON THE FRONT OF THE AMPLIFIER
CONNECTORS ON THE BACK OF THE AMPLIFIER
1
2 3 4 5 6
7
16
88
12 13
17
14 15 9 10 11

I-880 / USER GUIDE 5
FRONT PANEL FUNCTIONS
1DISPLAY
During normal operation the left side of the display
shows the selected source, and the right side shows
the volume setting.
It is possible to change the source with the up/down but-
tons. When changing settings (see “MENU FUNCTIONS”
page 8), the display will show the setting being changed.
In the event of an error, a line at the bottom of the
display will show error messages. The possible errors
are DC, over current and high temperature. The errors
are explained in the following section.
OVER CURRENT
If the amp displays “Error: Short Right” or “Error: Short
Left”, too much current is running through the output
stage. This usually occurs because of a short circuit
in the speaker wiring. When the error is detected, the
speaker output(s) will be switched off, and you have
to switch the amplifier off and back on, to re-enable
normal operation. Before you switch the amp back
on, make sure that there are no wiring errors. The
error could be strands of wire from the speaker cable
touching each other or the metalwork of the amplifier.
If the error is displayed again after power cycling the
amplifier, and even with speakers disconnected, the
amplifier has been damaged, and will need servicing.
DC
If the amp displays “Error: DC Right” or “Error: DC Left”,
DC is present on the output(s) of the amplifier. When
this occurs, the speaker output(s) are disabled to
protect the speakers. If music is playing, the sound
will be distorted and low in level. The DC could come
from the preamp or a signal source. Try switching
the amplifier off and back on. If the DC error is still
present, try switching the amplifier off, disconnect
the input cable(s), and switch the amp back on. If the
DC error persists, with input cables disconnected, the
error is in the power amplifier. Otherwise the error is in
the preamplifier or the signal source.
HIGH TEMPERATURE
If the amp displays “Error: Temp High”, the tempera-
ture inside the amplifier is reaching critical levels. This
can occur if the ambient temperature is too high and/
or the amplifier has been delivering large amounts of
power into low impedance speakers. When the error
is first shown, it is only a warning. If the temperature
drops again, the message will clear. If the temperature
continues to rise however, the amplifier will switch
off. In that case, you have to let the amplifier cool off
for some time, and then switch it off and on using the
main power switch on the back panel.
2STANDBY
Press the standby button to place the amplifier in
standby mode, or to switch on the amplifier from
standby mode. When the amplifier is in standby mode,
the only light showing on the amplifier will be a dim
LED illuminating the standby button. When you switch
on the amplifier, the outputs will be muted, and a line
will illuminate at the bottom of the displays, starting
in the lower left corner.
During the start-up cycle, the circuits of the amp will
stabilize, and any power amp(s) connected to the pre
outs will have some time to stabilize. When using trig-
ger cables between the amplifier and power amp(s),
the power amp(s) will be switched on and off together
with the amplifier.
3UP BUTTON
The up button is used for switching inputs, and for
changing menu options, when in the menu. See ”MENU
FUNCTIONS” page 8.
4MENU BUTTON
The menu button is used for accessing the menu. See
”MENU FUNCTIONS” page 8.
5DOWN BUTTON
The down button is used for switching inputs, and for
changing menu options, when in the menu. See ”MENU
FUNCTIONS” page 8.
6MUTE / REMOTE CONTROL
PAIRING BUTTON
The mute button has multiple functions. When you
press this button briefly, it will mute the speaker
outputs of the amplifier, and also the pre outs with the
standard configuration (see “MENU FUNCTIONS” page
8). The display will show ”Mute” instead of the volume
setting.
For remote pairing instructions, see page 7.
7VOLUME CONTROL
(ROTATING KNOB)
Use the rotating knob to change the volume or menu
settings.

6
REAR PANEL FUNCTIONS
8SPEAKER TERMINALS
The amplifier accepts speaker cables terminated with
spade connectors and 4mm banana plugs.
To connect speaker wires terminated with spades,
loosen the isolation knob and insert the spade be-
tween the isolator and terminal. Tighten the isolation
knob to secure the spade.
To connect speaker wires terminated with banana
plugs, insert the banana plug into the center hole of
the terminal.
9LINE INPUTS
The amplifier is equipped with five single-ended, RCA
line inputs.
The gain of the line inputs can be changed to equalize
the volume of different signal sources. The range is
between 5 and 15dB for input 1-4, and between 1 and
11 dB for input 5. The default gain for all inputs is 9dB.
Please see “MENU FUNCTIONS” for guidance.
10 PRE OUT
The amplifier is equipped with a set of pre out (pre-
amplifier output) connections. They can be used for
an active sub-woofer, a separate power amplifier or a
headphone amplifier.
For some uses, such as in combination with an head-
phone amplifier, you may need to mute the speaker
outputs, but not the pre outs. This can be achieved
by changing the “Pre Out Mute” setting. See “MENU
FUNCTIONS” for guidance.
11 MAIN IN
Through a menu option, you can separate the pre- and
power amplifier sections of the I-880. When this
option is enabled, the “Main In” inputs are used as the
inputs of the power amplifier section. This can be used
in conjunction with the built-in crossover section, so
that the I-880 power amp section is used to amplifiy
only the high- or low frequency part of the signal, by
connecting cables from the “High Pass” or “Low Pass”
outputs to main in. The inputs can also be used with
external signal processors.
12 LOW PASS OUTPUTS
This set of outputs can be used, if you have a separate
power amp for the bass range, use the I-880 power
amp section for the bass range only or for driving an
active subwoofer.
13 HIGH PASS OUTPUTS
This set of outputs can be used, if you have a separate
power amp for the midrange/treble range, or if you use
the I-880 power amp section for the midrange/treble
range only.
14 RS-232, FIRMWARE UPDATE
The amplifier RS-232 terminal is used for firmware
updates. You can check for firmware updates on the
Aavik Acoustics homepage.
15 TRIGGER OUTPUTS
The amplifier is equipped with two DC trigger out-
puts. These can be used to power-on power amps,
sub-woofers and other equipment together with the
amplifier. When the amplifier is switched on (not in
standby mode), the trigger outputs will supply 12VDC.
They can supply up to 80mA total.
16 POWER ON/OFF SWITCH
Toggle the switch to switch between fully off and
standby mode. When the amplifier is in standby mode,
the power consumption is less than 1W. When the
amplifier is on and idling, the power consumption is
less than 150W.
17 POWER INLET (CAUTION!)
The amplifier accepts mains voltages from 100 to
240VAC 50-60Hz.
The power inlet accepts power cables with an IEC
60320-C13 female connector.
To ensure the best performance, please consult your
Aavik Acoustics dealer for a suitable mains cable.

I-880 / USER GUIDE 7
REMOTE FACTORY RESET
AVOLUME UP, Press this button to increase the
volume setting.
BVOLUME DOWN, Press this button to decrease the
volume setting.
CINPUT +, Press this button, to move to the next
input. From Line 1 to Line 2 etc.
DINPUT -, Press this button, to move to the previous
input. From Line 2 to Line 1 etc.
ESTANDBY, Press this button to place the amplifier
in standby mode, or to switch the amplifier on from
standby mode.
FMENU, Use this button to enter the menu, or switch
back to normal operation. Use the INPUT + and INPUT
- buttons to cycle through the menu, and the VOLUME
UP and VOLUME DOWN buttons to change a setting.
See “MENU FUNCTIONS” for details.
GMUTE Press the button to mute the outputs of the
amplifier. A small light beneath the display will show
“Mute” when mute is enabled.
You can reset all settings back to factory defaults.
This will erase gain settings, the balance setting and
the remote pairing settings. To do this, proceed as
follows:
• Switch on the amplifier using the standby button 2
or the remote control.
• Press and hold the up and down front panel buttons
(3and 5) simultaneously.
The display will show “Restoring default settings ...”
and then “Shutting down”. The amp will switch off, and
you can turn it back on using the front panel button
2. The remote control will not work until it has been
paired.
A
C
E
F G
B
In order to pair your remote control with the ampli-
fier, press and hold the front panel mute button for
more than one second. When the amplifier is ready
to pair, the display will flash slowly. To pair, press a
button on your remote control facing it toward the
amplifier. The display will show ”Paired”. Press the
front panel mute button again briefly to go back to
normal operation.
Note: In order to save your settings, set the amplifier in
standby mode by pressing the stand by button ( E/ 2).
You can remove the pairing, so that the amp will
stop responding to the remote again, by pressing
the front panel mute button for more than five
seconds. When the five seconds have passed,
the displays will flash fast. Press a button on the
remote, to complete the procedure. The display will
show ”Unpaired”. Press the front panel mute button
again briefly to go back to normal operation.
REMOTE PAIRING
D

8
MENU FUNCTIONS
Note: In order to save your settings, set the amplifier in
standby mode by pressing the stand by button ( E/ 2).
Using the front panel or remote control, you can change
many settings of the amplifier.
Using the remote, press the “Menu” button Fto enter
or exit the menu. Using the front panel, press and hold
the menu button 4for 3 seconds.
When entering the menu, the gain setting of the cur-
rent input will be shown on the display. The top line
of the display shows the current option (“Preamp gain”
when entering the menu), and the bottom line shows
the current setting.Using the remote, cycle through the
options using the INPUT + Cand INPUT – Dbuttons.
Using the front panel, press the menu button 4to cy-
cle through the options.
Use the VOLUME UP Aand VOLUME DOWN Bbuttons
of the remote, the up and down front panel buttons (
3/ 5) or the rotary knob 7to change the settings.
Once in the menu, using the remote, you can cycle
through all options in the order shown in the diagram
below.
Using the front panel, the amplifier will return to normal
operation once cycled through all the options.
SETTINGS DISPLAY SHOWS
PREAMP GAIN (SETTINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL INPUTS)
Using this function you can set the gain of the selected input. The gain number shown, is the gain between the input and pre out.
The power amp adds 26dBs of gain.
BALANCE
Using this function, you can change the left/right balance in 6 1dB steps.
PRE OUT MUTE
This setting can be set either on or off. With the default setting (On), the pre out connectors are muted with the speakers, when
muting is enabled. With pre out muting off, the pre out connectors will stay on, when the amp is muted. This function can be used
e.g. for running a headphone amp on the pre out connectors. With pre out muting off, you can change inputs and volume setting
with muting on. When you switch off muting again, the volume will return to the previous setting.
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
You can change the display brightness in four steps: 10, 40, 70 and 100%
DISPLAY DIM
Using this setting, you can set the display to switch off automatically after 1-5 seconds. The standard setting is off. When the
display is off, only the logo and touch buttons will be dimly lit.

I-880 / USER GUIDE 9
MENU FUNCTIONS
SETTINGS DISPLAY SHOWS
TEMPERATURE
This menu option shows the current operating temperature of the power amp.
HOME THEATRE BYPASS
Using the home theatre bypass function, you can setup one of the inputs to use a fixed volume setting. Choose the input you want
to use, or ”Disabled” to use all inputs as regular inputs.
HOME THEATRE BYPASS LEVEL
If you have setup one of the inputs as a home theatre bypass input, you can set the fixed volume level using this menu option. 0dB
(full volume) is often used, but any level can be set.
HIGH PASS FREQUENCY
Use this setting to change the crossover frequency of the high pass output.
LOW PASS FREQUENCY
Use this setting to change the crossover frequency of the low pass output.
LOW PASS LEVEL
Using this setting, you can trim the output level of the low pass output in 0.25dB steps. The range is +/-6dB.
MAIN IN SELECT
Use this setting to select the source feeding the power amp section. The standard setting is “Internal signal”, which makes the
I-880 operate as an integrated amp. The setting “External input” routes the signal from the “Main in” inputs to the power amp
section, making the I-880 operate as separate pre- and power amps. This can be used in conjunction with the crossover section,
or with an external signal processor.
SOFTWARE VERSION
This menu option shows the current firmware version of the amplifier.

10
SPECIFICATIONS
LINE: Gain (line 1 - 4): 5-15dB; maximum input 4.5Vrms
Gain (line 5): 1-11dB; maximum input 6.5Vrms
Input impedance 10K ohm
PRE-AMP.
OUTPUT:
1 pair of RCA output
Max output: 7.5Vrms
Distortion, line stage: <0.005% (THD at 1kHz, 1V input)
Output impedance: 50 ohms
VOLUME
CONTROL:
76 1dB steps
OUTPUT: 2 x 200W 8 ohm, 2 x 400W 4 ohm
Distortion (THD): <0.007% (10W, 1 kHz, 8 ohm)
AAVIK NOISE
REDUCTION:
Active Tesla Coils: 132
Active Square Tesla Coils: 311
Dither circuitry: 18
Active zirconium anti aerial resonance Tesla coils: 20
Active zirconium cable anti aerial resonance Tesla coils: 4
POWER
CONSUMPTION:
Standby: <1W
Idle: <150W
DIMENSIONS: 580 x 510 x 155mm
WEIGHT: 36kg

I-880 / USER GUIDE 11

12
We would love to hear about your experience with this product.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with feedback or questions.
[email protected]
AAVIK-ACOUSTICS.COM