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Constellation Altair II Owner's Manual

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Summary of Contents for Constellation Altair II

  • Page 2 CAUTION To reduce risk of electric shock, do not remove any of the preamplifier’s cover plates or screws. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Contact qualified service personnel. WARNING To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this preamplifier to moisture, rain, or excessive humidity.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Thank you for purchasing the Constellation Audio Altair II preamplifier. This new revised version of the original Altair II has been engineered to deliver a superbly user- friendly experience—and to offer a few subtle performance enhancements as well. The Altair II employs the same revolutionary circuitry pioneered in our Altair preamp.

  • Page 4: Before You Install The Altair Ii

    If you will be using the Constellation Audio Centaur or Hercules amplifiers (or any other high-powered amplifier), do not plug the Altair II into the same AC socket or into any other outlet connected on that circuit. Constellation Audio amplifiers draw a great deal of power and could affect the Altair II’s performance if the amplifier(s) and preamp are plugged into the same electrical circuit or AC outlet.

  • Page 5: Installation Notes

    Make sure that the Altair II will not be exposed to moisture. Do not locate it in an area where it might be spilled on, and do not place it in a humid location (such as an unfinished basement).

  • Page 6: Source Device And Amplifier Connections

    1. XLR inputs On the rear of the Altair II preamp there are eight XLR inputs, four on each side. As you are looking at the rear panel, the left four XLR inputs are for the right channel, the right four inputs are for the left channel.

  • Page 7: Xlr Outputs

    Be sure to match the output to the correct channel on your amp. As you are looking at the back of the Altair II, the outputs on the left side are for the right channel, the outputs on the right are for the left channel.

  • Page 8: Rca Outputs

    When connecting to an amplifier, be sure to match the output to the correct channel on your amp. As you are looking at the back of the Altair II, the outputs on the left side are for the right channel, the outputs on the right are for the left channel.

  • Page 9: Usb / Control

    6. USB / control This USB jack is used to interface the Altair II with third-party control systems such as those from AMX, Crestron and Control4, and also to update the Altair II’s firmware. For more information, contact your dealer.

  • Page 10: Power Supply Connections

    Power supply connections 9. Power outputs These outputs connect to the power inputs of the Altair II preamp. Constellation Audio has supplied special spiral-wrapped, gold-plated copper cables designed for aerospace use. Each cable is rated to handle 30 amps. Each of these jacks mates with a matching jack on the preamp. Be sure to connect the Analog power jack on the preamp to the Analog power jack on the power supply, and the Control power jack on the preamp to the Control power jack on the power supply.

  • Page 11: Controls / Displays / Indicators

    13. Volume The volume control is always active when the Altair II is powered up and the mute is deactivated. Note that the control is calibrated in negative decibels (-dB), reaching maximum volume at 0.0 dB and minimum at -99.0 dB. Thus, when you turn the volume up (clockwise), the number on the front display will decrease.
  • Page 12 16. Standby/power Push this button to turn the Altair II on and off. When you turn the unit on, it will take a few seconds for the power supply and preamp to warm up. When the preamp is ready for use, its LCD screen will show the most recently selected input, and the blue LED on the front of the power supply will come on.

  • Page 13: Remote Control

    19. Standby/power Push this button to turn the Altair II on and off. When you turn the unit on, it will take a few seconds for the power supply and preamp to warm up. When the preamp is ready for use, its LCD screen will show the most recently selected input, and the blue LED on the front of the power supply will come on.

  • Page 14: Control Screens

    23. Input Press this button to select among the Altair II’s XLR and RCA inputs. You will have to wait a second or so between pushes of this button, because for best sound quality the Altair II uses relays to switch inputs.
  • Page 15 To flip the phase of the Altair II’s output signal: Use the multifunction button below the display. To set minimum and/or maximum levels: Adjust the Altair II’s volume to the desired minimum or...
  • Page 16 STEP 1: To turn on the Altair II from the front panel, push the Standby button in the middle under the LCD touchscreen. Alternatively, you may push the Standby button on the remote.

  • Page 17: Maintenance

    C. Make sure the master power switch on the rear of the power supply is turned on. D. If the Altair II is plugged into an AC line conditioner, make sure the line conditioner is turned on. F. Flip the master power switch off and on again. This will reset the Altair II's internal circuit breaker.
  • Page 18 Altair II (which is on the right side, as you're looking at the back panel), and the right channel to the right input (which is on the left side). On the back of the Altair II, the left and right inputs are NOT next to each other.

  • Page 19: For More Information

    Default button. For more information Your Altair II preamplifier should give you many years of trouble-free, maintenance-free service. If you encounter any problems you cannot solve or have technical questions, please contact your Constellation Audio dealer.

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