Handbook

E2

safety

guidelines

Important safety instructions

This product is designed and manufactured to meet

strict quality and safety standards. However, you

should be aware of the following installation and

2. Water and moisture

The presence of electricity near water can be

dangerous. Do not use the equipment near water – for

example next to a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in

a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc.

3. Object or liquid entry

Take care that objects do not fall and liquids are not

spilled into the enclosure through any openings.

Liquid-lled objects such as vases should not be

placed on the equipment.

Do not place the equipment on a bed, sofa, rug or

similar soft surface, or in an enclosed bookcase or

cabinet, since ventilation may be impeded.

Keep a minimum of 5cm (2 inches) clear around the

apparatus to allow sucient passage of air.

6. Heat

Locate the equipment away from naked ames or

heat-producing appliances such as radiators, stoves or

other appliances that produce heat.

7. Climate

cleaning.

The case should normally only require a wipe with a

soft, lint-free cloth. Do not use chemical solvents for

cleaning.

We do not advise the use of furniture cleaning sprays

or polishes as they can cause permanent white marks.

9. Grounding

Ensure that the unit is grounded (‘earthed’) properly

at all times

10. Power sources

disconnection possible.

11. Power-cord protection

Power supply cords should be routed so that they are

not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed

upon or against them. Pay particular attention to the

point where they exit from the equipment.

12. Non-use periods

If the equipment is not being used for an extended

period, we recommend that you unplug the power

cord of the equipment from the outlet, to save power.

You should not attempt to service the equipment.

Contact your dealer to arrange servicing.

15. Damage requiring service

The equipment should be serviced by qualied

service personnel when:

A. the power-supply cord or the plug has been

B. objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into the

C. the equipment has been exposed to rain, or

This equipment has been designed to meet the IEC/

EN 60065 international electrical safety standard.

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 cause

undesired operation.

Many of these items are common sense precautions but, for your own safety and to ensure that you do not damage the unit, you must read them.

E3

English

… and thank you for purchasing the Arcam Solo Neo music system.

Arcam has been producing high-quality audio components for nearly thirty years. During that

time we have amassed a wealth of knowledge on both the design and construction of audio

components in order to give the best sound performance for the price. The design of Solo Neo

is a distillation of this knowledge into an easy-to-use package that is intended to give you years

of listening enjoyment while taking just a few minutes to learn how to use.

This handbook is intended to give you a detailed guide to using the Solo Neo music system.

Arcam website at www.arcam.co.uk.

The Solo Neo development team

Contents

safety guidelines ............................................. 2

welcome… ........................................................3

installation guidelines .................................. 4

making music ...................................................8

remote control ...............................................14

Setup Menu ....................................................15

Network Setup Wizard ................................19

has a socket allowing the

connection of headphones.

To use headphones

with Solo Neo, plug the

headphones into the socket

on the left hand side of

the front panel. When

headphones are plugged

into the headphones socket

the main speaker output

socket is always active, except when Solo Neo is

muted.

Audio outputs

TAPE OUT: This output is taken before the volume control, i.e., the source being

listened to is routed directly to this output. If you wish, this output may

be connected to a cassette recorder (or other recording device). Under no

sockets of your power amp., then connect your speakers to its speaker

terminals.

ZONE 2 OUT: This is the output to be used for a second room system. It should be

connected to the amplier in the second room. The output level varies with

the volume control for the second room.

Audio inputs

Solo Neo provides four audio inputs and a tape loop, allowing connection of

other audio sources, (games console, TV, DVD player, etc.). Three of these inputs,

together with the tape loop, are on the rear panel, with one on the front of Solo

Neo. The labels above the inputs give suggested uses, but all four inputs have

of the inputs of Solo Neo, making sure that the plugs are pushed in rmly. We

advise you to use high-quality interconnect cables wherever possible to ensure

the best possible sound quality.

website.

Remote control inputs/outputs and the 12V trigger

Speaker installation

The advice given here are general guidleines for speaker installation.

standing speakers), or in corners.

The nal sound will depend on the acoustics of the listening room

and experimentation with speaker positioning is very worthwhile.

As a starting point, we suggest that the speakers are placed

2–3m apart with their backs 15cms from the rear wall.

Listening in a second room

Solo Neo provides two independent volume

controls, oering you the possibility of listening

to the same output in two dierent rooms of your house. To do this, you will require the

following:

1. Ensure that all equipment is switched o and disconnected from the mains

supply.

2. Connect the outputs of Solo Neo labelled ‘Zone 2’ to the audio inputs of the

power amplier using the interconnect cables.

3. Connect the speakers to the speaker terminals of the power amp. The speakers should

be connected in the same method as described in the panel on page 4, ‘Speakers’.

4. Plug the remote receiver from the second room into the connector labelled ‘In Zone 2’

on the rear of Solo Neo.

5. Reconnect the equipment to the mains supply and switch on. You should be able to

hear the output of Solo Neo in through the power amp. and control the volume using

‘explicitly’ when required. This is to avoid

unexpected output in the remote location.

Speaker stands

The more rmly a speaker is held, the better it will sound. We

recommend the use of rigid metal stands of 40–60cms height.

Properly damped types that do not ‘ring’ when tapped with

a pencil (either by virtue of construction, or because they are

lled with dry silver sand) will bring out the best in a speaker.

Ensure that the stands and/or speakers do not wobble.

Solo Neo is tted with a DAB+/FM receiver module.

A roof-mounted aerial should be used wherever

possible to obtain the best reception.

Your Solo Neo is capable of superb FM and DAB/

DAB+ radio reception, but only if it is receiving a good

quality transmission signal.

DAB/DAB+ (Digital Radio)

If the transmission signal is strong in your area then

the supplied indoor aerial may be sucient (it should

be hung on a wall with both wires fully stretched out

to www.WorldDAB.org. In Band III transmission areas,

use a multi-element Yagi aerial if you are a long

way from a transmitter, or use an omnidirectional

or folded dipole aerial if you are close to more than

one transmitter (in the U.K., a Band III region, this

should be mounted with the elements vertically, as

the transmissions are vertically polarised). If the DAB

services in your area are transmitted on L-band then

consult your dealer with regard to the best aerial to

use.

conditions. If you listen exclusively to FM

transmissions, for example, and the FM signal

strength is strong in your area, then a simple

omni-directional aerial mounted in your loft or

on your roof may be sucient. Listening to DAB

in a weak signal area will require a high-gain,

roof-mounted aerial.

For the best reception of both DAB and FM

signals, an aerial combiner box may be required

(as shown in the diagram opposite). This

For the best advice, we recommend that you

contact your local Arcam dealer or aerial

installation expert.

FM Radio

Although an FM ribbon aerial is supplied as an

accessory to Solo Neo, for optimal FM radio reception

a roof- or loft-mounted aerial is advised as this will

give superior reception. In some areas cable radio may

be available or, in an apartment building, a distributed

aerial system may be installed. In either of these cases

‘T’-elements positioned horizontally. Try each usable

wall of the room to see which gives best reception

and use tacks or adhesive tape to secure the aerial in

a T shape, but note that no tacks should come into

contact with the internal wire of the aerial.

If you wish to receive both DAB and FM signals,

experiment with the orientation of the aerial for best

results.

Wi-Fi Antenna

An equipment cabinet can block the wireless signal.

The wired network connection is recommended for

enclosed installations.

Wireless networking requires network settings to

be entered into the Solo Neo. See pages 18—19 for

network conguration instructions.

MODE repeatedly until the playback mode is

removed from the display.

Note that the repeat/shue modes are not

available during programmed playback (described

in the next panel).

and

twice on the

remote-control, or eject the disc.

when listening to the CD. The mode is changed by

pressing the INFO button on either the front-panel

or the remote-control.

1. Current track time: this is the ‘conventional’

display for a CD player, showing the track number,

together with track time.

2. Remaining track time: this shows the current

track number, together with the track time that

remains to be played.

3. CD text: if available, text from the disc (CD text)

a CD.

Press again (or press play) to re-start playback.

(Skip/Scan forwards) – press and release this

button of skip forwards to the beginning of the

next track. Press and hold the button to scan

again to close it.

using the numeric keys on the remote-control.

For tracks 1–9, press the number of the track that you

want to hear. To select a track greater than 9, press

and hold the rst digit of the track (e.g.

number is shown in the bottom left corner of the

display (‘1–’), then press the second digit.

Quick-start – to play a CD:

1. Press the

button to close the drawer.

3. Wait for the disc to load. If play was pressed to close the

drawer, then the disc will start playing automatically,

otherwise press

) to start playback.

1. Programme type (DAB/FM): a short description

of the type of programme being transmitted.

2. Transmission frequency (FM): the station name

(if available) and transmission frequency.

3. Dynamic label (DAB)/ RDS (FM): 128 characters

of text used by broadcasters to give programme-

related information (e.g., ‘phone numbers, web-

addresses, etc.).

4. Data rate (DAB): this mode shows the data-rate

of the station (in kbits/s) and the transmission

Solo Neo is tted with a DAB+/FM receiver.

DAB receiver throughout this handbook.

Solo Neo provides:

Switching to the radio

Press SOURCE+ or SOURCE until the radio type that you wish to listen to (DAB/FM) is displayed on the front panel.

Alternatively, press the DAB or FM button on the remote control for direct access.

Programming station presets

An alternative method, giving access to presets 10–30, is to press

Solo Neo conguration menu (described fully on pages 15—19), then to navigate

through the menu until ‘Store Preset’ is displayed. At this point, using the

buttons on the remote control (

or

preset number you wish to use for the station (if a preset is in use already, then the

Searching for stations

Pressing the MODE button when the radio is

selected as the music source toggles between the

two tuning modes of Solo Neo – ‘Preset’ or ‘Tune’.

The selected mode is shown briey on the display.

When in preset mode, pressing the

buttons on the remote control (

In tune mode, by contrast, pressing these buttons

changes the FM tuning frequency or selects the

next DAB radio station from the station list.

FM

To search for new stations, ensure that Solo Neo is

in ‘Tune’ mode, as described above.

and

DAB

Tuning stations in under DAB is dierent from

conventional FM tuning, in that you do not

need to know the transmission frequency of the

station – this is handled for you by Solo Neo.

Select DAB as the source, then press the

button. Navigate through the menu options (see