2. amps-preamps
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Citation 7.1 amp bridging problems

I just got a pair of Citation 7.1 power amps and set them up on my test bench. They did not come with manuals. I first worked through each amp, channel by channel, just testing to see all the channels worked OK. They all worked and sounded fine, though I wondered if I had enough power with them to drive the ACI jaguar 2000's I was testing them with. I'd just been testing out a big Krell KSA 200 last night so that was fresh in my mnd... Anyway, so then I went to test the bridged channels on the first Citation 7.1, and I hooked them up exactly as diagrammed and described on the back of the amps, turned it on, and got no sound, then a loud click like a breaker tripping and a red light on the front panel. Took everything off checked for shorts, etc., hooked it up again, same thing. So I tried the other amp. Same thing.

So I decided maybe it was something about the impedance of the speakers or the cables the amp wasn't liking, and I had a pair of Avalon Avatars nearby so I hooked them up using different cables, again to each amp, with the exact same results.

Can anybody suggest to me what to try next? I may be missing something really silly--I don' have a manual and can't find one on the web. But as I say I am pretty sure I wired it exactly as diagrammed on the back panel and checked and rechecked (and had a friend with me helping). I wired just using the red terminals on both sides when switched in to bridged mode, and with the polarity as shown on the amp. Nothing. Any help would be appreciated!
steffo
wywhcan
39 posts
 
Did you short the ground (black) terminals in bridged mode? Also, does the amp still work in unbridged mode?
steffo OP
5 posts
 
Thanks for your reply to my post. I did not do anything with the black posts. And yes, both amps still seem to function just fine in the non bridged mode--I have made several tests of this.
wywhcan
39 posts
 
It's good to know that nothing is blown inside the amp. Obviously, the protection circuit is kicking in properly. The click that you hear in the beginning is normal turn on sequence for the amp.

Bridged mode should work just fine if you short the black posts together per pair of channels.
jsv
7 posts
 
I have manuals for that amp as we've been selling the amplifiers here. I'll scan one tonight and e-mail it to you.
You are aware though, of the pitfalls of bridging right? The obvious attraction is that the wattage goes through the roof but keep in mind the distortion levels will also increase and the damping actually goes down. So, the question must be asked, do your speakers really need that? Most of the 7.1 amps we've been selling into 2 channel systems are being used to either passively bi-amp the speakers or, with an active crossover (and more cables) to actively bi-amp, - a really cool way to go. The obvious easy thing to do is to listen both ways and decide based on percieved performance.

BTW, here is a link for a blurb on the amplifiers: http://www.citation-audio.com/cit71.html

Have fun! The manual will follow tomorrow at the latest.

Dan
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