Cambridge Audio EDGE A User manual

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EDGE A
Manual Generated: 02/11/2023 - 13:20

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Table of Contents
EDGE A 3 .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Introduction 4 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................
What’s included with the EDGE A? 5 ..........................................................................................................................................................................
Front panel controls 6 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................
Rear panel connections 7 ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Remote control 9 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Getting connected 10 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................
Advanced connections 15 ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Bluetooth 19 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Factory reset 21 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................
Power syncing 22 ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Protection circuitry 23 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................
Troubleshooting 24 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................
Technical specifications 25 ..........................................................................................................................................................................................
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 27 .......................................................................................................................................................................

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EDGE A
Last updated: August 9, 2022 04:57. Revision #9955
Users Manual

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Introduction
Last updated: August 9, 2022 04:57. Revision #9950
This guide is designed to make installing and using this product as easy as possible. Information in this document has been carefully checked for
accuracy at the time of printing; however, Cambridge Audio’s policy is one of continuous improvement, therefore design and specifications are
subject to change without prior notice.
This document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced by any
mechanical, electronic or other means, in any form, without prior written permission of the manufacturer. All trademarks and registered trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.
© Copyright Cambridge Audio Ltd 2022.
Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries, used with permission. aptX is a trademark
of Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., registered in the United States and other countries, used with permission.
Qualcomm aptX is a product of Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Audio Partnership
Plc is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.
For upcoming news on future products, software updates and exclusive offers, make sure you register your product
at https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/register

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What’s included with the EDGE A?
Last updated: August 9, 2022 04:57. Revision #9949
Inside the box of your EDGE A you will receive:
EDGE A Integrated Amplifier1.
Remote Control2.
3x AAA batteries3.
Bluetooth antenna4.
UK power cord (Depending on which country the EDGE A was purchased in)5.
EU power cord (Depending on which country the EDGE A was purchased in)
CU power cord (Depending on which country the EDGE A was purchased in)
JP power cord (Depending on which country the EDGE A was purchased in)
Link Cable6.
User Manual7.
Warranty Card8.
Welcome Letter9.
Unboxing Card10.
EC Declaration of Conformity Card11.

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Front panel controls
Last updated: August 9, 2022 04:57. Revision #9948
1. STANDBY/ON - Switches the unit between Standby mode (indicated by dim LED) and On (indicated by bright LED). Standby mode is a low
power mode where the power consumption is less than 0.5 Watts.
AUTO POWER DOWN (APD)
The product will automatically switch to standby mode after inactivity of 20 minutes. To enable or disable this function, use the APD switch located
on the rear of the unit.
2. IR SENSOR - Used for remote control.
3. VOLUME/SOURCE SELECTOR - To change the volume, rotate the front part. To select a source, rotate the back part.
4. HEADPHONES - Allows for the connection of stereo headphones with a 3.5mm jack plug. Headphones with an impedance of between 8 and 600
ohms are recommended.
Note: Connection will automatically mute the loudspeaker and pre-out.
VOLUME CALIBRATION
The first time the Edge A is powered on after a factory reset, it will perform a calibration process, which takes approx. 30 seconds. Please allow this
process to complete before attempting to use the product.

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Rear panel connections
Last updated: November 15, 2022 10:45. Revision #9947
1. VOLTAGE SELECTOR SWITCH
Note: For use by Cambridge Audio service personnel only!
2. AC POWER SOCKET
3. SPEAKER TERMINALS
Note: When using a banana plug, make sure the speaker terminals are completely tightened before inserting the plug.
Connect the wires from your left channel loudspeaker to the left positive and negative terminals and the wires from the right channel loudspeaker
to the right positive and negative terminals.
In each case, the red terminal is the positive output and the black terminal is the negative output.

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Care should be taken to ensure no stray strands of wire short the speaker outputs together. Please ensure that the loudspeaker terminals have
been tightened completely to provide a good electrical connection.
It is possible for the sound quality to be affected if the screw terminals are loose.
4. PRE OUT - For connection to the inputs of a power amplifier or active subwoofer.
5. USB AUDIO IN (D5) - For connecting to PC/MAC computers. (Class 2 USB Audio only.)
Windows based PCs require a Cambridge Audio USB driver to be installed before connection. Please see the ‘Advanced Connections’ section for
more details
6. AUDIO RETURN CHANNEL (ARC) (D4) - Connection from a TV that supports ARC function.
Note: Ensure that the audio output settings on your TV are set to PCM or Stereo.
7. DIGITAL INPUTS - TOSLINK OPTICAL (D1 AND D2) / S/P DIF DIGITAL (D3)
Coaxial – Use a high quality 75 ohm digital RCA Phono interconnect cable (not one designed for normal analogue audio use).
This input is suitable for 16-24 bit content up to 192 kHz.
TOSLINK optical – Use a high quality TOSLINK fibre optic interconnect cable designed specifically for audio use.
This input is suitable for 16-24 bit content up to 96 kHz (TOSLINK is not recommended at 192kHz sampling rates).
8. BLUETOOTH ANTENNA - Used for wireless streaming Bluetooth audio capability directly from most phones, tablets and laptops. See Bluetooth
section for details.
9. ANALOGUE INPUTS - BALANCED XLR (A3) / UNBALANCED RCA (A1 AND A2) - Suitable for any 'line level' source equipment such as
Network Players, CD players or FM/AM tuners etc.
These inputs are for analogue audio signals only. They should not be connected to the digital output of a CD player or other digital devices.
10. AUTO POWER DOWN (APD) SWITCH - Switches to enable or disable the Auto Power Down function. When enabled, the amplifier will
automatically switch to standby mode after inactivity of 20 minutes.
11. LINK - Refer to the 'Power syncing' section of this manual for more information.
12. RS232 - RS232 is a standard serial data communication protocol, which allows devices that support RS232 to communicate with each other as
part of a home automation system.
Custom install control - a full protocol is available for the EDGE A on our website here.

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Remote control
Last updated: August 9, 2022 04:57. Revision #9946
1. STANDBY/ON - Switches the EDGE A between On and Standby mode.
2. VOLUME - Volume level adjustment.
3. SKIP - Skips between previous and next tracks.
4. MUTE/UNMUTE - Press to mute or unmute the loudspeakers, pre-out, sub, and the headphone
outputs.
When using the Bluetooth input, this will instead function as a Play/Pause button.
5. SOURCE SELECTOR - Used to select the source inputs.
6. PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS – Press and hold to store a specific volume level for an input or
source.
In order to set specific volume levels for inputs on the EDGE A, you will need to manually select
the desired input and volume level, then press and hold one of these buttons (1, 2, 3 or 4) on the
remote control until you see the source LED blink.
Selecting the previously chosen button (1, 2, 3 or 4) will recall your chosen source and volume
level.
Note: If the remote control will not function, please check that the batteries have not expired, and
that there is nothing blocking the front panel IR receiver.

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Getting connected
Last updated: November 11, 2022 10:32. Revision #9945
LOUDSPEAKERS
Check the impedance of your speakers. You can use types with an impedance of between 4 and 8 Ohms.
The red coloured speaker terminals are positive (+) and the black speaker terminals are negative (-). Make sure the correct polarity is maintained at
each speaker connector or the sound can become weak and “phasey” with little bass.
USING BARE WIRE CONNECTIONS
Prepare the speaker cords for connection by stripping off approximately 10mm (3/8”) or less of the outer insulation. More than 10mm could cause a
short circuit. Twist the wires tightly together so there are no loose ends. Unscrew the speaker terminal, insert the speaker cable, tighten the
terminal and secure the cable.
Note: All connections are made using standard loudspeaker cable.
USING BANANA PLUGS
We recommend using Banana plugs with our units to establish a secure connection and ensure there are no loose strands of wire that may cause
unwanted noise or interference.
Once you have stripped the outer insulation of the cable and twisted the wires as indicated below, securely connect these to your banana plugs and
push the plug in as far as possible without applying excessive force.
Note: When using a banana plug, make sure the speaker terminals are completely tightened before inserting the plug.
BASIC CONNECTIONS
The diagram below shows the basic connection of the EDGE A to a CD player using the D3 coaxial digital input source and a pair of loudspeakers.

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PRE OUT CONNECTIONS
The Pre Out can be connected to the inputs of a power amplifier or active subwoofer.
Subwoofer:
Although the EDGE A does not contain a dedicated subwoofer output, you can connect a subwoofer by connecting either of the unbalanced RCA Pre-
Outputs to the corresponding inputs on the rear of your powered sub.
The sub’s audio level will then follow the volume commands of the EDGE to ensure the volume increases/decreases in sync.
Power amplifier:
To connect the EDGE A to a power amp, such as the EDGE W, you will need to run either unbalanced RCA cables or balanced XLR cables from the
Pre Outs to the input on the power amp.

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With this setup, you will be using the EDGE A as a dedicated Preamplifier.
Unbalanced:
Balanced:
BALANCED AUDIO CONNECTIONS
Balanced connections in an audio system are designed to reject electrical noise, from power wiring etc, and also the effects of noise currents
flowing through ground connections. The basic principle of balanced interconnection is to get the signal you want by subtraction, using a three wire
connection. One signal wire (the hot or in-phase) carries the normal signal, while other (the cold or phase-inverted) carries an inverted version. The
balanced input senses the difference between the two lines to give the wanted signal. Any noise voltages that appear identically on both lines
(these are called common-mode signals) are cancelled by the subtraction.
The EDGE A is designed to work at its highest performance when a balanced interconnect is used.

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Note: Ensure that the A3 input has been selected via the source selector dial on the front panel or the source selector buttons on the remote.
There will be no audio from the EDGE if the correct input hasn’t been selected.
CONNECTING A TV
The EDGE A has an HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) input to allow you to create a connection to a TV that supports ARC function.
The TV ARC input is labelled as D4 on the front panel source selector.
Note: As the EDGE A is only able to decode a stereo PCM signal, you will need to ensure the audio output of your TV/App/Box’s settings are
configured to PCM/Stereo. If you are unsure of how to amend your settings, please consult your TV/Box’s manufacturer.
Some Connected TVs will send an inconsistent sample rate to the EDGE A, that the DAC inside the amplifier is unable to process. This can result in
audio dropouts and glitches.

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The issue seems to be mainly related to newer LG and Samsung televisions (QLED and OLED models in particular), but there have also been reports
of TCL televisions experiencing the same issue.
We have now developed a fix for this issue, which permits the use of TV's experiencing this issue with the ARC input (D4) on the Edge A.
If you are experiencing this issue with audio dropouts and glitches, please contact us at https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en/contact and we
will be able to provide you with instructions on how to perform this update.
Please note that this fix is for the ARC input only, and not TOSLINK inputs on the unit.

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Advanced connections
Last updated: November 15, 2022 12:49. Revision #9944
USB AUDIO CONNECTION
The Edge A comes equipped with a USB Audio Input for connecting to a PC/Mac computer.
As the Edge A is Class 2 USB Audio Only, Windows-based PCs require a Cambridge Audio USB driver to be installed before connection, which can be
found here. No extra drivers are required when using a Mac.
Important Note: Always turn the volume to minimum, switch to another input or turn the EDGE off before plugging/unplugging cables to the USB
input or whilst booting up/shutting down your PC/Mac.
How to connect a Windows PC to the EDGE A via the USB audio input:
1. Install the appropriate Cambridge Audio Windows 2.0 USB driver on your computer. Please find a link to the most recent USB audio driver here.
The USB driver is required to ensure ASIO is installed, as this allows music player apps to have exclusive use of the peripheral, in addition to enable
native DSD support.
2. Once installed, you should notice the 'CA Control Panel' has been installed in your taskbar. This will show any connected Cambridge Audio USB
Audio device.
3. Now run a USB Audio cable from the D5 input on your EDGE A to a free USB port on your computer.
4. Upon turning on your EDGE A, please select the D5 input. You should notice that the EDGE A appears as 'CA USB Audio' within the playback
section of your computer’s Sound Settings (Control Panel > Sound > Playback).
5. Make sure that the EDGE A is selected as your default playback Device with a green tick. Once completed the EDGE A should also appear in the
CA Control Panel.

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6. Next right click the EDGE A within playback devices and select properties. Here navigate to Advanced where you can select the sample rate and
bit depth to be used. We would recommend selecting the highest available.
Note: This step is optional.
7. After doing this you will notice the 'Current Sample Rate' within the CA Control Panel should now change to reflect the settings you applied within
the Advanced Speaker Properties.

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How to connect a Mac to the EDGE A via the USB audio input:
If you are using an Apple Macbook you will not need to download or install any additional drivers before connecting.
1. Run a USB Audio cable from the D5 input on your EDGE A to a free USB port on your computer. Please be aware if you own a Macbook from 2016
or later you may need to purchase an additional USB-C adapter or a USB-C to USB-B cable.
2. Upon turning on your EDGE A please select the D5 input. You should notice that the EDGE A appears as 'CA Edge 2.0' under Output within your
Sound Settings (System Preferences > Sound> Output).
3. Make sure that the EDGE A is selected as the Output Device.
4. To achieve the best possible sound quality you will need to navigate to Audio MIDI Setup (Finder > Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup).
Within 'Format' you will be able to select which sample rate and bit depth to use. We would recommend selecting the highest available.
Note: This step is optional.

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Bluetooth
Last updated: October 18, 2022 04:09. Revision #9943
Selecting this allows the EDGE A to receive wireless Bluetooth audio from most phones, tablets and laptops.
PAIRING
To begin streaming high quality music from your chosen media source, it will first need to be paired with the EDGE A.
Notes:
Your device can only be paired and connected to the EDGE A while the Bluetooth source is selected.
The EDGE A is always in discoverable mode when there is no Bluetooth connection. Discoverable mode means that the EDGE A is able to be
paired to another Bluetooth device.
The supplied Bluetooth antenna must be inserted into the rear of the unit to enable Bluetooth functionality.
Bluetooth troubleshooting guide
If you are having problems connecting your Bluetooth device to the EDGE A, please try the following troubleshooting steps:

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Ensure that the supplied Bluetooth antenna is properly connected to the back of the unit. The EDGE A will be unable to connect to a1.
Bluetooth device without the antenna connected. Try disconnecting and then re-connecting the antenna.
Ensure that the Bluetooth source has been selected via the front panel source selector or the source selector buttons on the remote.2.
Ensure that your Bluetooth device is in pairing mode and not already connected to another Bluetooth unit.3.
Forget the EDGE A from your devices’ list of discoverable Bluetooth items and start the pairing process again.4.
Perform a factory reset on the EDGE A (see 'Factory Reset' section below).5.