APART Champ-One User manual

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MANUAL
Champ - One
Champ - One
Audiophile Stereo Power Amplier

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• Caution: hot and sharp surfaces ! This professional device needs to be installed by
qualied personnel only.
Please check the carton box for any kind of damage on reception of the goods. In case of a• damaged carton, please contact your dealer before opening the carton.
!!!! Danger !!!! Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause a permanent hearing• loss. Individuals vary considerably to noise induced hearing loss but nearly everyone will lose
somehearingifexposedtosufcientlyintensenoiseforasufcientamountoftime.Therefore
it is recommended that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound
pressurelevels,suchasthisamplier,beprotectedbyhearingprotectionwhileinstallingor
operating this unit.
Read all documentation before operating your equipment.• Keep all documentation for future reference.• Save the carton and packing material even if the equipment has arrived in good condition.• Should you ever need to ship the unit, use only the original factory packing.• Do not spill water or other liquids into or on the unit.• Make sure power outlets conform to the power requirements listed on the back of the unit.• Do not use the unit if the electrical power cord is frayed or broken.• Always operate the unit with the AC ground wire connected to the electrical system ground.•
Havegaincontrolsonampliersturneddownduringpower-uptopreventspeakerdamageif• there are high signal levels at the inputs.
Donotconnecttheinputs/outputsofampliersorconsolestoanyothervoltagesource,such•
asabattery,mainssource,orpowersupply,regardlessofwhethertheamplierorconsoleis
turned on or off.
Power down & disconnect units from mains voltage before making connections.• Do not use the unit near stoves, heat registers, radiators, or other heat producing devices.•
Donotoperateequipmentonasurfaceorinanenvironmentwhichmaydistortthenormalow• of air around the unit. If the unit is used in an extremely dusty or smoky environment, the unit
should be periodically “blown free” of dust.
Do not remove the cover. Removing the cover will expose you to potentially dangerous volt-• ages.
Do not drive the inputs with a signal level higher than that required to drive equipment to full• output.
Donotruntheoutputofanyamplierbackintoanotherinput.• Do not ground the red output terminal, never connect a red output terminal to another red• output terminal.
Incaseofmal-functionthisdeviceshouldbeservicedbyqualiedservicepersonnelonly.•
Safety First!

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Dear customer,
Why does live musicleaveanunforgettableimpressiononyou?Theanswerissimple:
dynamics.Theabilityofasoundsystemtoproducecrystalclearlowlevelsoundsaswellas
extreme musical peaks without any distortion, the power to leave some headroom for those
occasionalpeaksinmusic.Purepower!Thiseaseofmusicreproductioncannotbedescribedin
guresorspecications.
In the following pages we will explain how we have reached our goal. Champ-One features an
exceptionallydynamicoutputstage,auniquecombinationofclassGandHampliertopology,
all packed in a two unit fanless enclosure. While our competitors are struggling with often poorly
designedsocalledenergyefcientclassDdigitalampliers…well,wehavetakenacloselook
and listened carefully to some of these designs, and we were not impressed. We got inspired to
make something APart from all the rest, and started from scratch.
Takealookatournewchampionwithhisstrikingdesignandpowerfulsetoffeaturesthatwill
exceed the demands of passionate music lovers as well as system integrators. Designed with a
continuous 4 ohm, 2 ohm dynamically stable high current output stage, Champ-One will surprise
youwithitssonicexcellenceanddynamiccapacities.Remember,thisuniqueamplierhasbeen
developed with the impact of live music dynamics in mind. A true beauty, inside as well as outside,
but also a beast if necessary.
TakeyourtimeandlistentoournewChamp-Oneamplier.Pleasefastenyourseatbeltsand
beware, you might get blown away, not by the cooling fan, simply because there isn’t any.
Experience the pure musical power of Champ-One.
Manual contents
1. Fanless design and highlights
2. Features
3. Inputs and outputs
4. Rack mounting and wiring
5. Standalone use
6. Technical specications
Introduction

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Audiophile grade components mounted on solid aluminum and steel construction chassis for•
thehighestpossiblesignalintegrityandreliability,evenunderdifcultcircumstances.
Highcurrent,highvoltagediscreteoutputstageinclassGandHconguration,capableofdriv-• ing even the most demanding speaker systems and combinations. Either at low or high power,
you will hear the Champ-One difference.
Switchable “tube” characteristic is a unique feature on discrete power amps. It allows you to• enjoy a warm, softer, more transparent sound resulting in zero listening fatigue.
Customdesignedsidemountheatsinks,incombinationwithclassGandHampliertopology•
havemadeitpossibletocreateadiscretehighpoweramplierwithouttheneedofanoisydust
collectingcoolingfaninsidetheenclosure.Thismeanslessmaintenance,noannualfanor
dustlterexchangeprocedure,nomoreampliercleanout…no unwanted noise from cool-
ing fans, Champ-One relies on convectional cooling only, a unique feature in this output power
class !
Temperaturecontrolledprogrampowercontrol:theAPCcircuitrycontinuouslymonitorsoutput•
powerdemandsandampliertemperatureandwillautomaticallyadjustprogrampowerto
avoid overheating and thermal cycling.
A stunning 46.000 µF of high grade electrolytic capacitors, high power toroidal transformer for• ultimate power reserve.
Self-supportinglowresonancesteelsubframe.Torsionfreefrontandsidepanelconstruction• with integrated heatsink assembly.
Solid aluminum brushed front panel with removable 19” brackets and handles for use in a rack• or as a standalone unit in high quality audio systems.
Multipurposeinputandoutputconnectorconguration:genuineNeutrik®speakonconnectors,•
speakerwirebindingposts,XLRinputconnectors,RCAconnectors…
1. Fanless design and highlights

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Intelligent• APC power management circuitry constantly analyses incoming music signals
andkeepsdynamicsalive.Anadditionalultrafastpeaklimiteravoidsamplierclippingincase
someonehitstheinputstoohard.Pleaseremember,thisisamusicalamplier,pleaseleave
some headroom and enjoy the music.
APCalsoallowsyoutoconguretheampliertoyourspecicneeds:averageRMSoutput• power is programmable from 150 to 600 watts. Under all circumstances dynamic headroom is
respectedaslongasyoudon’toverloadtheinputstage.Thiscircuitcanalsobeusedasan
environmental noise limiter.
Outputsoundselection:tubeemulationcircuitryforauthenticsoundfromtubeampliers.Solid•
fornormaluse.Trytondoutanddiscoverthesubtlesonicdifferences.
Bridgeorstereomode:doubletheoutputpowerandconvertthisamplierintoamonoblock•
amplierwithonepushonabutton.Minimumloadimpedanceis8ohmsinbridgemode.
Protectioncircuitry:theprotectioncircuitryisanotheruniquedesignfeatureofthisamplier:• together with the APC circuitry, output signals are constantly monitored by the protection circuit,
and speaker outputs will be cut in case of extreme overload, short circuits, DC offset, overheat-
ing…Thiscircuitisalsocapable(withincertainlimits)ofreducingtheinputsignaltoprevent
clipping, distortion and other musically destructive situations. We have done our best to make
surethisamplierwillproducecleanpower,butit is also the user who is responsible for the
nal result.
Versatilein-andoutputconnectorcongurationforincreasedinstallationexibility.•
User protected power and sound setting switches at the rear, accessible behind a removable• cover plate.
Groundliftswitchtoenableyoutondthecauseofsystemgroundloops.•
2. Features

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What is APC ?
APC is one of the most intelligent amplier protection circuits ever designed, simply
because it does the job without interfering with the typical dynamic character of
music. APC allows you to fully exploit the potential of the amplier, maintaining high
power reserves and thus producing high, clean power.
It is a common misunderstanding that high power ampliers will overload or destroy
lower power speakers, the opposite is true. You can easily destroy a 500 Watt rated
speaker with a simple 50 watt power amplier ! Why ? In order to produce a low tone,
such as a kick drum or bass guitar, you need about 80 % or more of an amplier’s
power. Because distortion is less audible in low frequencies, you would want to
increase the level more than the amplier can supply. This causes low frequency
distortion which causes high frequency harmonics. These harmonics contain more
high frequency energy than the high frequency speaker can deal with. Result: harsh
distortion and sudden heat rise in the high frequency speaker’s voice coil. After a
short while, the high power speaker may burn out.
Conclusion: don’t punish your speakers with weak ampliers. Set the APC control
to a power level equal to your speaker’s RMS input power and avoid hitting the clip
limiter !

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1)Signalledleftchannel,thisledlightsupgreenwhenasufcientlystrongsignalispresenton
the left channel, after passing the input level control. When it lights up red, the power amp is
overheatedorinprotectmodeandisshutdown.Turnoffthepower.The amplier will not
turn on automatically after an error condition, the user MUST turn off power, wait for
cooling down in case of overtemperature, or remove the overload and then power on
again!
2)APCactivityledleftchannel:thisledlightsupwhentheAPCcircuitryisactive.TheAPC
circuitry reduces the gain at the inputs to guarantee the full dynamic range of the power
ampliercircuits.
3)Clipledleftchannel:thisledlightsupwhenevertheamplierclips.Thisisawarningsign:you
arepushingthingsalittletoofaroroverloadingtheamp(minimumloadimpedanceis4ohms
in2channelmodeor8ohmsinbridgemode).ReducetheinputlevelbyafewdBsothatthis
led never lights up anymore ! Don’t ignore this !
4)Templedleftchannel:thisledlightsupwhentheamplierisabouttooverheat.Outputpower
willautomaticallybelimitedbytheAPCcircuitrytoavoidfurtheroverheating.Thispartof
the protection circuit resets itself automatically when temperature has normalized. Caution:
turning off the APC circuit (rear switch ‘15’) will also turn off this protection feature and
will void warranty.
Whenbothsignalled(1)andtempled(4)arered,itispossiblethatthepowertransformer’s
thermalprotectionisactiveandtheamplierisshutdown.Turnoffthepowerandletitcool
down.Theamplierwillnotturnonautomaticallyafterithascooleddown,theuserMUSTturn
off power, wait for cooling down and then power on again !
5)Powerswitchandpowerled:iptheswitchtopowerontheamplier.Theledwilllightupto
indicate that mains power is present.
3. Inputs and outputs
Frontpanellayout:
1234 67895

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6)Signalledrightchannel,thisledlightsupgreenwhenasufcientlystrongsignalispresenton
the right channel, after passing the input level control. When it lights up red, the power amp is
overheatedorinprotectmodeandisshutdown.Turnoffthepower.Theamplierwillnotturn
onautomaticallyafteranerrorcondition,theuserMUSTturnoffpower,waitforcoolingdownin
case of overtemperature, or remove the overload and then power on again !
7)APCactivityledrightchannel:thisledlightsupwhentheAPCcircuitryisactive.TheAPC
circuitry reduces the gain at the inputs to guarantee the full dynamic range of the power
ampliercircuits.
8)Clipledrightchannel:thisledlightsupwhenevertheultrafastcliplimiterbecomesactive.This
isawarningsign:youarepushingthingsalittletoofar:reducetheinputlevelbyafewdBso
that this led never lights up anymore ! Don’t ignore this !
9)Templedrightchannel:thisledlightsupwhentheamplierisabouttooverheat.Inputgain
willautomaticallybereducedbytheAPCcircuitrytoavoidfurtheroverheating.Thispartof
the protection circuit resets itself automatically when temperature has normalized. Caution:
turning off the APC circuit (rear switch ‘11’) will also turn off this protection feature and
will void warranty.
Whenbothsignalled(6)andtempled(9)arered,itispossiblethatthepowertransformer’s
thermalprotectionisactiveandtheamplierisshutdown.Turnoffthepowerandletitcool
down. The amplier will not turn on automatically after it has cooled down, the user
MUST turn off power, wait for cooling down and then power on again!

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Fault
condition SGL led L = red Temp led L = red SGL led R = red Temp led R = red What to do ? Output signal condition
Left amp
temp high Yes Reduce input signal limited output power
Right amp
temp high Yes Reduce input signal limited output power
Left amp
overheated
Yes Yes Reduce input
signal, wait for
cool down
output muted
Right amp
overheated
Yes Yes Reduce input
signal, wait for
cool down
output muted
Amp error
L (DC,
HF, short
circuit)
Yes Yes Remove error,
power off and
on
output muted
Amp error
R (DC,
HF, short
circuit)
Yes Yes Remove error,
power off and
on
output muted
Transformer
thermal
protection
Yes Yes Yes Yes Wait for cool
down*, power
off and on
output muted
*In case the transformer is overheated, it may take a few hours before the amplier has cooled
down sufciently. In such cases, you may have overloaded the amplier too much. Power off the
amplier immediately, correct the error and wait until the amplier has cooled down.
Please note that in some cases, such as DC on the output, strong HF signals or short circuits, the
user must power off the amplier. Remove the error condition and power on again.
Led status messages
Under normal circumstances, this amplier will not overheat. If any of the above
mentioned overheating situations occur, please check the load impedance, the
ventilation and last but not least, input levels. The intelligent APC circuitry will
reduce input gain and level to a safe margin within certain limits. This circuitry can
not correct an input signal that is already clipped and distorted.

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1)RightspeakeroutputongenuineNeutrik®Speakonconnectors.Onlypin1+and1-areused
here.
2)Rightspeakercablebindingposts,thesewillalsoaccept4mmbananaplugson19mm
spacing.
3)Leftspeakercablebindingposts,thesewillalsoaccept4mmbananaplugson19mm
spacing.
4)  LeftspeakeroutputongenuineNeutrik®Speakonconnectors.Warning: left channel output
is present on pins 1+ and 1-, right channel output is present on 2+ and 2-.
For bridge mode applications, you MUST use 1+ (bridge mode +) and 2+ (bridge mode -)
OR use the red binding posts.
5)Mainscableconnector:plugthemainscableconnectorhere,thissocketalsocontainsamains
fuseholder.Replacethisfuseonlywitha6.3AT250Vtype.Beneaththefuseholderyoualso
ndthegroundliftswitch.
6)Rightchannelinputlevelcontrol:turnthelevelcontroltoalevelthatguaranteesdistortionfree
music under all circumstances, avoid clipping at the input at all costs !
7)APCactiveledrightchannel,thisisacopyofthefrontpanelAPCled.
8)Rightunbalancedinputoncinchconnectors:usethetoporbottomcinchconnectortoapplyan
unbalancedsignalontherightchannel.Theseconnectorsarewiredinparallel,thismeansyou
can use the second connector as a signal link connector.
9)RightbalancedinputonXLRconnector,thisconnectoriswiredinparalleltoconnector‘10’.
Thisallowsyoutolinkthebalancedsignaltoanotheramplier.
Rearpanellayout:
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

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10)RightbalancedinputonXLRconnector,thisconnectoriswiredinparalleltoconnector‘9’.
Thisallowsyoutolinkthebalancedsignaltoanotheramplier.
11)  APCrightchannelon/offswitch:always leave this switched on.
Warning: turning off the APC circuit will also bypass the amplier’s output stage
temperature protection. This is for service purposes only.
12)APCpowercontrolrightchannel:turntheAPCcontroltoachievethedesiredprogramoutput
power.Theindicatedpowerlevelisinreferencetoa4ohmsspeakerload.Thiscanalsobe
usedforenvironmentalnoiselimiterpurposes.TheAPCcircuitrywillreducetheinputstage
gain to guarantee the preset program power output with musical dynamics.
13)Tube/solidsoundselector:setthisswitchtothetubesettingforauthentictubelikesound,or
tosolidfornormalapplications.Thedifferencesareverysubtleandwillonlybenoticeableon
very high quality speaker systems ! Set this one to solid for normal applications.
14)APCpowercontrolleftchannel:turntheAPCcontroltoachievethedesiredprogramoutput
power.Theindicatedpowerlevelisinreferencetoa4ohmsspeakerload.Thiscanalsobe
usedforenvironmentalnoiselimiterpurposes.TheAPCcircuitrywillreducetheinputstage
gain to guarantee the preset program power output with musical dynamics.
15)APCleftchannelon/offswitch:always leave this switched on.
Warning: turning off the APC circuit will also bypass the amplier’s output stage
temperature protection. This is for service purposes only.
16)LeftbalancedinputonXLRconnector,thisconnectoriswiredinparalleltoconnector‘17’.
Thisallowsyoutolinkthebalancedsignaltoanotheramplier.
17)LeftbalancedinputonXLRconnector,thisconnectoriswiredinparalleltoconnector‘16’.
Thisallowsyoutolinkthebalancedsignaltoanotheramplier.
18)Leftunbalancedinputoncinchconnectors:usethetoporbottomcinchconnectortoapplyan
unbalancedsignalontheleftchannel.Theseconnectorsarewiredinparallel,thismeansyou
can use the second connector as a signal link connector.
19)  APCactiveledleftchannel,thisisacopyofthefrontpanelAPCled.
20)Leftchannelinputlevelcontrol:turnthelevelcontroltoalevelthatguaranteesdistortionfree
music under all circumstances, avoid clipping at the input at all costs !
21)Bridgemodeswitch:pushthisswitchtoconverttheamplierintoamonobridgeamplier.
In this case you can apply an input signal to the left channel only ! Leave the right channel
connectors open ! Bridge mode input level is controlled by the left channel level controller
(‘20’)only.Connectyourspeakertotherightchannel+(plus)connectorandtotheleft
channel+(plus)connector!Neverusethespeakeroutput–(minus)connectorsinbridge
mode!Theledabovethebridgemodeswitchwillindicatethattheamplierisinbridgemode.
Minimumbridgemodespeakerloadis8ohms.

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Champ-Onecanbemountedina19”rack,takinguponly2rackspaces.Alwaysallowagood
airowaroundtheamplier’sfront,rear,side,topandbottom.Wheninstallinginarackwith
multiple audio devices, it is advisable to leave one rack space between units. Fill the empty rack
spaceswithmeshedblindpanelsforimprovedventilation.Nevermounttheamplierinasealed
cabinet,unlessadequateforcedventilationisprovided.Theampliermaynotbeabletomeetthe
specicationswheninstalledinapoorlyventilatedenvironment.Supporttheunitattherearwhen
installing in a rack !
Always remember: excessive heat is one of your amplier’s biggest enemies !
4. Rack mounting and wiring
When wiring an audio rack, it is a good installation practice to route all AC wiring
along one side of the rack and all audio wiring along the other side to avoid coupling
mains cable interference into the audio path. Please use only high quality signal
and speaker cables and connectors. Pay special attention to avoiding ground loops
when installing audio devices in metal racks, use special insulating rack mounting
hardware, such as the so called ‘humfrees’. This mounting hardware will make sure
that several devices mounted in a rack will be electrically isolated from the rack, and
thus are a great help in avoiding ground loops. Any damage caused by user induced
ground loops are not covered by warranty ! Ground loops can cause hum or other
strange side effects that will affect stable and safe operation of audio hardware and
peripheral devices. Ground loops are often created by connecting tuners to cable
distribution sockets. Use a RF isolating transformer whenever there is a cable signal
tuner or digital TV tuner in the audio path !

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ItispossibletointegrateChamp-Oneinahighqualityaudiochain.Inordertoadaptthefrontpanel
dimensions to the dimensions of other equipment, it is possible to remove the 19” brackets and
handlesforanevenmoresleekandrenedlook.
Remove the three screws marked in the circles and slide off the handles.
5. Standalone use

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Dynamic program power, both channels driven
Bridge-monooperation8ohm 1100 W
2channelmode8ohm 400 W / ch
2 channel mode 4 ohm 600 W / ch
2 channel mode 2 ohm not allowed
Dynamic capacity at 1.7 ohm, both channels
driven 1000 W / ch
6. Technical specifications
Rated output power, both channels driven:
Bridge-mono operation 8 ohm 900 W
2 channel mode 8 ohm 300 W / ch
2 channel mode 4 ohm 450 W / ch
Sine wave power, both channels driven (not recommended, for reference only)
This amplier is designed for an audiophile music experience, not for lab testing!

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Input impedance / sensitivity unbalanced
(RCA)/4ohm
10 Kohm / 1 V 0dBV
Inputimpedance/sensitivitybalanced(XLR)
/ 4 ohm 20 Kohm / 1 V 0 dBV
Frequencyresponse(0,-0.5dB) 10Hz–50kHz
THD < 0.05 %
IMD <0.08%
Noise >100 DBA
Gain 33dB(39dBbridged)
Damping factor “Solid” >100 at binding posts
Dampingfactor“Tube” >10 at binding posts
Dynamics and level control APC, programmable
Power amp circuit design Highcurrent,highvoltageclassG-H
Efciency(dynamicprogramof10dB,1V
input)
>70 %
Protection circuits DC,HF,clip,overcurrent,short-circuit
Temperatureprotection 2step/channel+transformer105°C
Cooling convectional, no fan
Power consumption 18VAidle,1KVAfullprogram,1.5KVApeak
Mains power requirements 230VAC, 50Hz
General technical specications
Physical specications
Netdimensions(cm)(WxHxD) 48.3X8.8X38
Grossdimensions(cm)(WxHxD) 58.5x15.5x56.5
Netweight 13 kg
Gross weight 19 kg

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ANY SUGGESTION?
They are well appreciated and eventually rewarded!
Send your ideas or suggestions to
[email protected]
CHAMP ONE is developed by
Audioprof nv
Lanteernhofstraat 90
BE-2100 Deurne
BELGIUM
Company names, product names, and names of formats etc. are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective owners.
© 2008 APart-Audio specifications subject to change without notice.