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NILES AUDIO CORPORATION

 – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 1-760-710-0992

2 Channel, BridgaBle Power amPlifiers

FEATURES ANd BENEFITS

REAL wORLd pOwER

The SI-1230 is a 12-channel amplifier that delivers a solid 30 watts per channel 
RMS into 8 ohms and 40 watts per channel RMS into 4 ohms. A new digital 
power transformer design provides the energy necessary to efficiently deliver 
solid, deep, controlled bass response to a house full of speakers.

TwELvE TO SIx ChANNEL CONFIGURABLE pOwER

Each of the SI-1230’s six adjacent speaker output pairs are bridgeable. You 
can create up to six 80 watt channels by sliding the bridging switches located 
between each pair to the “bridged” position. This enables you to allocate more 
power to specific locations, such as large rooms or outdoor applications.

FREEdOm FROm NOISE ANd CROSS-TALk

The SI-1230’s BusMatrix™ incorporates advanced PCB construction ensuring 
extremely high channel to channel isolation. Signal to noise ratios and cross-talk 
are equivalent to a professional mixing board found in a recording studio. With 
the SI-1230, the music playing in the living room cannot interfere with the music 
in the den.

TRANSpARENT SOUNd

The audio circuitry of the SI-1230 is constructed with the finest parts available, 
including 1% metal film resistors, high quality capacitors and oversized heat 
sinks. All this attention to technical detail results in a sound that is clear and 
uncolored.

BUSmATRIx™  SELECTOR

Our unique BusMatrix™ selector gives you the flexibility to assign each channel 
to a common Left, Right, or Mono signal bus, or to a dedicated signal input. 
With BusMatrix™, routing surround sound to the master bedroom, stereo 
to the den and mono to the powder room is as simple as flicking a switch. 
BusMatrix™ makes the SI-1230 an ideal multi-room or multi-zone amplifier and 
offers exciting new features and system design possibilities to the professional 
installer.

Summary of Contents for SI-1230 Series 2

Page 1: ...A M P L I F I E R S I N S T A l l ati o n G u i d e SI SERIES 2 ...

Page 2: ...f quality and reliability With proper installation and operation you ll enjoy years of trouble free use TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 FEATURES AND BENEFITS 5 SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS 7 SYSTEM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 9 APPLICATIONS 11 CONFIGURING YOUR SYSTEM 15 INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS 16 FRONT AND REAR PANEL DETAILS 18 INSTALLATION 20 OPERATION 25 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE 27 SPECIFICATIONS 29 CONFIGU...

Page 3: ... disconnect the power supply cord plug from the AC receptacle 17 The power supply cord sometimes referred to as the Mains Plug is used as the disconnect device and shall remain accessible and operable at all times 18 Do not expose batteries to excessive heat such as sunshine fire or the like 19 Open flame sources such as lighted candles should NOT be placed on the apparatus WARNING To reduce the r...

Page 4: ...nts in different rooms and different kinds of applications home theater stereo and background music As you read this manual and become more familiar with the capabilities of the SI 1230 you ll understand why its predecessor the SI 1200 was selected Best New Product 1994 by Sound Video Contractor Magazine and CEDIA Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association In addition the SI 1200 also w...

Page 5: ...tes advanced PCB construction ensuring extremely high channel to channel isolation Signal to noise ratios and cross talk are equivalent to a professional mixing board found in a recording studio With the SI 1230 the music playing in the living room cannot interfere with the music in the den Transparent Sound The audio circuitry of the SI 1230 is constructed with the finest parts available includin...

Page 6: ...ger Audio Sense and External Voltage trigger modes enable you to configure the SI 1230 to interface with any kind of system and turn on automatically Automatic Protection Each channel has independent thermal and short circuit protection In the unlikely event that a problem occurs on one channel the other channels will continue to play When conditions return to normal regular operation resumes Stat...

Page 7: ...ne time A listening zone can consist of a single room or a group of rooms To achieve different volumes and greater convenience in different rooms within a zone individual volume controls can be used Niles makes volume controls in various styles and colors When designing your system take into account who will use the system and when they will use it Consult your local Niles dealer for more informat...

Page 8: ... family room wired for surround sound and their living room wired for background music In a two zone system the children can watch TV in surround sound while Mom and Dad are reading the paper and enjoying background music in the living room Figure 2 Cable Box CD Player Blu ray Player Plasma LCD Family Room Living Room RECEIVER RECEIVER Listening Zone 1 Listening Zone 2 ...

Page 9: ...nt see Installation Considerations on page 15 When designing your system try to specify 6 8 ohm speakers Niles offers a complete line of inwall in ceiling outdoor and home theater loudspeakers with all models rated from 6 8 ohms Cable and Wire Because the SI 1230 has many connections on the rear panel see Figure 12 it is important that you correctly label all of the input cables and speaker wires ...

Page 10: ...wer There are several situations where bridging is an excellent way to improve the sound There are also applications where bridging would seem to be appropriate but is not recommended Bridging channels increases the power output to 80 watts per channel at 8 ohms These are some of the most common DOs and DON Ts 1 Outdoors DO Sound dissipates faster outside than it does in a room where the walls enc...

Page 11: ... a robust 30 watts to each speaker in your multi room system as shown in Figure 3 Each channel of the SI 1230 has its own level control so you can compensate for architectural differences that create sonic imbalances In addition you can fine tune the system so that when all of the room volume controls are set to the loudest level the large rooms and the small rooms play at the same volume PRE AMP ...

Page 12: ...a second listening zone as shown in Figure 4 In addition in this example high power is supplied to the patio stereo speakers by bridging channel pair 9 and 10 for the left speaker and bridging channel pair 11 and 12 for the right speaker DUAL ZONE SURROUND SOUND RECEIVER SI 1230 SERIES 2 Front Speakers Center Speakers Living Room Kitchen Office Bedroom Patio Bridged Channels 9 10 11 12 Rear Speake...

Page 13: ...amplifier channels via dip switch settings creating six completely independent listening zones MultiZone systems enable listeners located in the six separate zones to simultaneously listen to different source components as shown in Figure 5 Niles ZR 6 MultiZone Receiver Z R 6 M u l t i Z o n e R e c e i v e r 3 2 1 4 5 6 F M 9 3 1 P R E S E T 1 BAND SET SI 1230 SERIES 2 Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4...

Page 14: ...dicated input signals are then routed to the appropriate amplifier channels via dip switch settings creating six completely independent listening zones MultiZone systems enable listeners located in the six separate zones to simultaneously listen to different source components as shown in Figure 6 Matrix Switching Preamp SI 1230 SERIES 2 Dedicated Inputs Zone Outputs Figure 6 Cable Box CD Player Bl...

Page 15: ...e filled out according to the block diagram on page 10 BUS INS OUTS CONNECTED TO CH BRIDGED DIP INPUT SOURCE SPEAKER MODE SETTINGS IN USE SPECIAL Left Main Bus Right Main Bus Cascade Output Constant Audio Sense Voltage Trigger Control Output 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Stereo Receiver 2nd Zone Left Pre Output Stereo Receiver 2nd Zone Right Pre Output L Main Bus Zone1 Left R Main Bus Zone1 Right L M...

Page 16: ...n on sensing circuitry looks for a signal present at any of the audio inputs If it detects a signal the adjacent pair of amplifier channels i e channel 1 2 3 4 etc assigned to receive the input signals will turn on Once the audio signal stops the sensing circuit waits two minutes then turns all amplifier channels off 3 24 Volt Ac Dc Opto Isolated Voltage Trigger The Power switch on the front panel...

Page 17: ...ve the chassis If the amplifier is located on a carpeted surface place a board under the amplifier s feet Do not block the ventilation holes on the top and bottom of the SI 1230 The SI 1230 is equipped with a digital power transformer This transformer generates a powerful magnetic field which could induce hum in a turntable particularly a turntable equipped with a moving coil cartridge Do not plac...

Page 18: ...DGED MODE CLASS II WIRING 4 BUS L R L R 3 L R L R 4 5 LEVEL BRIDGED BRIDGED 5 6 LEVEL BUS USE CH 6 WHEN BRIDGED BRIDGED 4 Ω MINIMUM 8 Ω MINIMUM IN BRIDGED MODE CLASS II WIRING 6 BUS L R L R 5 L R L R 6 7 LEVEL BRIDGED B 7 BUS USE CH 8 WHEN BRIDGED BRIDGED 4 Ω MINIMUM 8 Ω MINIMUM IN BRIDGE CLASS II WIRING BUS L R L R 7 Niles Audio Carlsbad California USA Designed and Engineered in the U S A Made in...

Page 19: ...G FUSE 100 120V T10AL 250V FUSE 100 120V 220 240V 220 240V T5AL 250V Niles Audio Carlsbad California USA Designed and Engineered in the U S A Made in China This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cau...

Page 20: ...h RCA phono plugs attached to the ends 2 Connect the sources by inserting the RCA plug into the amplifier s jacks NOTE If you are using two amplifier channels in bridged mode connect the input cable to the even numbered amplifier input jack Connect outputs from your sources to inputs on the amplifier Never connect a source or preamplifier s input e g record inputs to the inputs of your SI 1230 STE...

Page 21: ...ack at the end of the amplifier s binding post Dual banana plugs will fit the binding post STEP DESCRIPTION 1 Label all wires If you label the wires for their destination rather than which terminal of the SI 1230 they are connected to it will be easier to reconfigure your system in the future 2 Connect one stripped wire end or banana plug to the black terminal and one to the red terminal CAUTION A...

Page 22: ...r Left L Right R or Mono L R To assign the channel s dedicated input select the fourth switch Only ONE switch should be selected to the ON position STEP DESCRIPTION Move only ONE switch to the ON position for each channel ICAUTION The DIP switch physically allows you to move all four of the switches to the On position If you accidentally set more than one switch On you will create an undesirable m...

Page 23: ...e connections to a bridged channel pair will result in either thermal shutdown or poor quality sound 3 Use the EVEN NUMBERED input DIP switch and level control for connections and configuration When two channels are bridged into one make sure that the odd numbered input DIP switches are all in the off position S 2 l i f i e r BRIDGED 2 LEVEL BUS USE CH 2 WHEN BRIDGED BRIDGED MINIMUM M IN BRIDGED M...

Page 24: ...mplifier is active or on When the amplifier turns off the 12V signal is off TURN ON MODE AUDIO SENSE CONSTANT 3 30V AC DC TRIGGER INPUT Slide the switch with either your fingernail or 1 8 slotted screwdriver blade STEP DESCRIPTION 1 Check the requirements of the device you want to control The control output has a maximum current capability of 150 mA 2 Connect the 3 5 mm Jack to the control output ...

Page 25: ...lt in the wiring or the speaker or with the Niles System Integration Amplifier itself Using Level Controls as Limiters If your system is remote controlled or if you think that some of the users like to play the stereo too loudly you can choose to calibrate the system so that it is limited to a volume level you assign The SI 1230 allows you to set different volume levels for different rooms Calibra...

Page 26: ...own immediately Those harsh sounds are masking some much more powerful high frequency sound spikes which will quickly damage the tweeter of any loudspeaker If you continue to operate the amplifier at clipping power levels the protection circuits will operate when the amplifier overheats The protection circuits reset when the amplifier s internal circuitry cools Reduce the volume to prevent a reocc...

Page 27: ...er to a channel that plays another speaker Audio cable to dedicated input is bad Connect the non working channel input to another cable that is known to be good Bridging Switch is in the wrong position Check your configuration worksheet for the correct setting and verify The thermal protection circuit has operated because of overheating caused by over driving or inadequate ventilation No sound on ...

Page 28: ...ing switch is Off If two adjacent channels are connected normally but the bridging switch is set to the Bridged position the two speakers will play out of phase with each other The loudspeakers are wired out of phase Reverse the connections at the back of one speaker A speaker connected to a bridged pair of amplifier channels sounds weak Check that the bridging switch is On 1 800 BUY HIFI 289 4434...

Page 29: ...hms 40 watts RMS per channel into 4 Ohms all channels driven Continuous Average Power Output Bridged 80 watts RMS per channel into 8 Ohms Frequency Response 5Hz to 25kHz 0dB 3dB Signal to Noise Ratio 20Hz to 20kHz unweighted 102dB Total Harmonic Distortion 1kHz 05 Channel Separation 1kHz 70dB Overall Dimensions 17 43 81 cm wide 5 14 5 cm high including feet 16 41 1 cm deep Weight Weight 35lb 15 8 ...

Page 30: ...onfiguration Worksheet can be enlarged on a photocopier BUS INS OUTS CONNECTED TO CH BRIDGED DIP INPUT SOURCE SPEAKER MODE SETTINGS IN USE SPECIAL Left Main Bus Right Main Bus Cascade Output Constant Audio Sense Voltage Trigger Control Output 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ...

Page 31: ...S This warranty does not cover reimbursement for your costs of removing and transporting the product for warranty service evaluation or installation of any replacement product provided under this warranty This Warranty will be void if the Serial Number on the product has been removed tampered with or defaced the product was not purchased from an authorized dealer or reseller THE FOREGOING WARRANTI...

Page 32: ...e the right to change specifications descriptions and prices without notice The technical and other information contained herein is not intended to set forth all technical and other specifications Designed and engineered in the USA 9901253 Rev D 1 6 9 0 C o r p o r a t e C i r c l e P e t a l u m a C A 9 4 9 5 4 1 7 6 0 7 1 0 0 9 9 2 1 8 0 0 B U Y H I F I w w w n i l e s a u d i o c o m ...

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