Bowers Wilkins Distribution Amplifier User Guide
- June 7, 2024
- Bowers Wilkins
Table of Contents
Bowers Wilkins Distribution Amplifier
Welcome to Bowers & Wilkins and CDA-16
Thank you for choosing Bowers & Wilkins. When John Bowers first established
our company, he did so in the belief that imaginative design, innovative
engineering, and advanced technology were keys that could unlock the enjoyment
of audio in the home. His belief is one that we continue to share and inspires
every product we design, tailored for new audio experiences outside of the
home.
Our CDA-16 distribution power amplifier can drive any Bowers & Wilkins custom
installation speaker to new heights of performance. Offering 16 channels of
power, the CDA-16 can enable your whole home with sound yet takes up minimal
space thanks to its compact 1U design. Its configurable specification supports
bridging its Class D stereo channels into even more powerful mono outputs if
needed.
Features
- 16 channels distribution amplification in 8 zones with a powerful 100 watts per channel to deliver high-resolution audio.
- Engineered to work with any Bowers & Wilkins installation speakers. · Highly flexible usage/configuration Zone L/R outputs can be bridged to provide a mono output of double the power.
- Three power mode control options on, auto-detect, or 12V trigger.
- Robust and reliable protection features, preventing damage due to overload, short circuits, or heat.
- Ultra-compact rack-mount design (1 rack unit), easy to install and configure.
1. CDA-16 Carton Contents
Diagram 3 Foot mounting
1 x Power cable
2 x Rack-mount ears
4 x Rack-mount ears screws
4 x Feet
4 x Feet screws
8 x 5.08mm Pitch 4-way Phoenix Comicon style
2. Installation
2.1 Rack mounting
CDA-16 is intended to be installed in a standard 19inch equipment rack. It is
supplied with rack mount ears, but not rack mount bolts and nuts. Ensure that,
once mounted in the rack, the amplifier is well ventilated and that the
ventilation apertures are not obstructed. If the system is taken out of use
for a long period, disconnect the amplifier from the mains power supply.
The CDA-16 is supplied with two rack mounting ears for installation in
standard equipment racks. Attach the brackets by inserting machine screws
through each bracket into the threaded holes in the side of the amplifier, see
Diagram 2.
To prevent damage, maintain adequate ventilation space to the sides of the
amplifier. CDA-16 can be stacked vertically but be sure not to place the
amplifier next to other components or against the side of a cabinet. Doing so
will block ventilation openings.
2.2 Foot mounting
CDA-16 can also be table-mounted and is supplied with feet and feet screws,
see Diagram 3.
Ensure that, once positioned, the amplifier is well ventilated and that the
ventilation apertures are not obstructed. If the system is taken out of use
for a long period, disconnect the amplifier from the mains power supply.
To prevent damage, maintain adequate ventilation space to the sides of the
amplifier. CDA-16 can be stacked vertically but be sure not to place the
amplifier next to other components or against the side of a cabinet. Doing so
will block ventilation openings.
3. Controls and Connections
Diagram 7 Connecting to
speakers
Rear panel sockets and switches
- Power input socket (IEC C14)
- Link to global input
- Bridge mode
- Power mode
- Zone outputs
- Zone 1 7 inputs
- Zone 8 input / Global in
- Global out
- 12 V trigger in / out
Front panel controls
- Power LED
- Zone status LEDs
4. Connecting
Connecting speaker wires or input cables while the amplifier is powered may cause electrical shock and could damage the amplifier. Unplug the power cord before making connections.
4.1 Connecting from source
CDA-16 accepts stereo line-level audio connections to its RCA Phono sockets.
Each ZONE input will pass amplified audio to the respective zone speaker
output. Alternatively, each ZONE can be linked individually to the GLOBAL IN
(shared with ZONE 8).
1. Connect the audio cable to the ZONE inputs (1 8) RCA Phono inputs, see
Diagram 6
2. (Optional) Connect the audio cable to GLOBAL IN (ZONE 8) and link speaker
outputs to the GLOBAL IN by moving the dip switch up for that zone to the ON
position.
4.2 Connecting to speakers
CDA-16 can power eight stereo zones of audio and has phoenix-style terminal blocks for speaker connections. Speakers can also be wired to bridge channels to increase the power available to the speakers.
To connect stereo speakers:
1. Connect the speaker cable to the phoenix connector and reinsert it into the amplifier, see Diagram 7.
The common signal of these speaker outputs must not be connected together or
to any other common signal. Do not connect the L and R (negative)
terminals together. Doing so will result in a fault condition and the
amplifier will either shut down or not work properly.
Check the polarity of the speakers and wires before connecting to the
amplifier.
To connect bridged speakers, see Diagram 8:
1. Set the BRIDGE MODE dip switch if needed for each zone by moving the dip
switch up for that zone to the ON position.
2. Connect + terminal from the speaker to the + terminal of the right channel (R).
3. Connect the – terminal from the speaker to the – terminal of the left channel (L) on the amplifier.
The two terminals for a bridged pair of speakers area marked by + BRIDGE -.
In bridge mode, both amplifiers in the zone combine to make a mono output of double the power. When in bridge mode only the left channel RCA input to the zone is active so please connect the input to this jack.
Note: The minimum load impedance in bridge mode is 8Ω. Connecting 4Ω loads may result in lower output power, distortion, and overheating.
5. Setting POWER MODE
CDA-16 can be set up to automatically power on when needed. The POWER MODE
switch, see Diagram 9, allows CDA-16 to be powered on at all times, turned on
with a
12V trigger, or turned on when
an audio signal is present at any audio input.
To set up CDA-16 to be always on:
1. Slide the POWER MODE switch to ON.
In this mode, CDA-16 will be always on unless the power cord is unplugged or
the power switch by the power plug is toggled off.
To set up CDA-16 turn on by AUTO DETECT:
1. Slide the POWER MODE switch to AUTO DETECT
In this mode, CDA-16 will turn on when an audio signal is sensed on the audio input.
Note: Only the amplifier zone that senses audio will turn on when in AUTO DETECT mode.
To set up CDA-16 to be controlled by a 12V trigger:
1. Slide the POWER MODE switch to 12V TRIGGER.
2. Connect the 12V trigger cable to the 3.5 mm 12V TRIGGER IN jack socket, see Diagram 10.
3. (Optional) Connect the 12V TRIGGER OUT jack socket to another amplifier to link their power control together.
In this mode, CDA-16 will turn on when a 12V signal is present on the 12V Trigger Input. This 12V trigger input can be wired to the 12V trigger output from an audio matrix switch or a relay.
Diagram 10 Controlled by 12V trigger
Note: All amplifier zones turn on when a 12V trigger is received in 12V TRIGGER mode.
6. GAIN Controls and CLIP Indicator
The GAIN controls are located next to each Zone input on the rear panel. They
are operated by rotating the control clockwise to increase the GAIN or
counterclockwise to
decrease the
GAIN. When turned fully counterclockwise, GAIN is reduced to 0 and no output
signal will be present. When turned fully clockwise, the GAIN of the amplifier
is +34.9dB.
To operate the GAIN control, rotate the control’s knob so that the desired
level is achieved, a small, flat-tipped screwdriver is typically used, see
Diagram 11.
Note: Do not apply excessive torque to the control, it will turn easily unless at the ends of its travel
The CLIP indicator LED is located below the GAIN control. The flashing CLIP indicator indicates clipping is present while playing source input.
7. LED status
8. Support
Should you require further help or advice regarding your CDA-16 please visit the support site here bowerswilkins.com/support.
Environmental Information
This product complies with international directives, including but not limited
to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic
equipment, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and restriction of
Chemicals (REACH), and the disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE). Consult your local waste disposal authority for guidance on
how properly to recycle or dispose of this product.
Specifications
Audio Specifications
Load impedance range: >3Ω per channel (>6Ω in bridge mode)
Output Power per channel, non-clipped: >50W into 8Ω >100W into 4Ω
Output Power bridge mode, non-clipped: >200W into 8Ω
Output Power total, all channels: >400W short term >200W continuous average
DC offset voltage: <50mV
Frequency Response (-3dB): <10Hz to >50kHz, any load impedance
Frequency response accuracy 20Hz-20kHz: ±0.5dB
Signal to Noise ratio (Ref. 50W/8Ω): >100dB A-Weighted
THD+N (1kHz, 12.5W, 4Ω): typically 0.05%
Voltage Gain: 34.9dB to – infinity, adjustable
Input impedance: 15KΩ
Maximum input voltage: 6.8V peak (4.8V RMS sine wave)
Signal sense threshold: 2.5mV (independent of Gain setting)
Wake-up time: <0.2s (If other zones active) <2s (From all zones inactive)
Turn-off time: 15 minutes from the last signal detected
12V trigger input threshold: typically 3V (recommended input is 5-15V)
Controls & Indicators
Front panel: 1 x Power LED (unit active White, Fault Red) 8 x Zone status
LEDs (Signal present White, Fault Red)
Rear panel: 8 x 2-position DIP switches (link to global input) 1 x 3-position
switch (power mode: on, auto detect, 12V trigger) 8 x input gain control with
Clip indicator LEDs
Connectors
Input:
8 x RCA (pair) Phono socket, line in (global in shared with Zone 8)
Output:
1 x RCA (pair) Phono socket (global out)
8 x 5.08mm Pitch 4-way Phoenix Combicon style
12V trigger control:
1 x 3.5 mm jack – 12V trigger IN
1 x 3.5 mm jack – 12V trigger OUT (Maximum 100mA pass-through)
Power
Power consumption: <0.5W All zones inactive <45W All zones idling 300W maximum
average 1,000W peak
AC supply: 100-240V 50/60Hz
AC inlet: IEC C14, switched
Thermal
Thermal dissipation:
1.7 BTU/hr (standby),
150 BTU/hr (Idle),
400 BTU/hr (max)
Dimensions
Height: 44.5 mm (1.8 in) 1U [55.5 mm (2.2 in) plus feet] Width: 437 mm (17.2
in)
Depth: 310 mm (12.2 in)
Net weight: 4.5kg (9.9lb)
Finish: Black
References
- Bowers & Wilkins | Speakers, Headphones & Sound Systems
- Support, Troubleshooting & More | Bowers & Wilkins
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