Audio Note Kageki Balanced Owner's Manual

KAGEKI BALANCED

MONO POWER AMPLIFIERS

OWNER’S INFORMATION

CONTENTS

1) IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

2) CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
DISPOSAL
POWER REQUIREMENTS

3) INTRODUCTION

4) OVERVIEW
UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION

5) VALVE INSTALLATION

6) CONNECTION

7) OPERATION

8) TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

9) WARRANTY INFORMATION

10) CONTACT INFORMATION

! IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION !

RISK OF SHOCK OR ELECTROCUTION! INTERNAL OPERATING
VOLTAGES ARE LETHAL!

Do not remove top cover, unless specifically instructed to do so in the user
manual.

This unit contains fuses and other safety components in accordance with
BS60065 requirements.
In the event of failure, replacement fuse or safety component must be of
the same part type and value.

This product generates high levels of heat. Adequate ventilation must
be provided. Do not restrict airflow through any ventilation slots or
place the unit on any surface that may restrict airflow.

Valve equipment operates at extremely high temperatures;

KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN AND ANIMALS.

Do not store or operate this unit in areas of high humidity or in close
proximity to water / moisture.

Do not expose or immerse the unit in liquid of any kind.

This product must be earthed – ensure that the mains supply cable earth /
ground is correctly connected.

OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: -

Never touch the power cord with wet hands.
Always remove the power cord by grasping the plug, not the cable.
Never expose the unit to excessive heat or magnetism.
Never let an inexperienced person repair or reassemble the unit.
Never put anything, especially metal objects, inside the unit.
Never place excessive weight on the unit.

S
U
CH REPLACEMENT MUST ONLY BE CARRIED OUT BY A
QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN.

Do not attempt to replace any fuses without first disconnecting the unit
from the mains electricity supply.

CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

DISPOSAL

This product must not be disposed of as normal household waste. To
prevent possible harm to the environment please separate the product
from other waste to ensure that it can be recycled in an environmentally
safe manner. Please contact your retailer or the appropriate local
government office for collection facilities.

We declare under our sole responsibility that this product is in conformity
with the following standards or standardized documents:

BS EN 60065 in accordance with the regulations 73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC
(from 1 January 1997)

CE 94
Peter Qvortrup,

Director
Audio Note (UK) Limited
Viscount House
Star Road, Star Trading Estate
Partridge Green
West Sussex
RH13 8RA
United Kingdom

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

POWER REQUIREMENTS

Power requirements for electrical equipment vary depending on your geographical
location. Please ensure that your unit meets the power requirements in your area.
The power requirement for your unit is marked on the serial number plate, located on
the rear panel.

If you are in doubt, please contact your dealer before plugging the unit into the mains
supply.

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing this Audio Note (UK) product. With the correct care it
should give you many years of pleasure and enjoyment.

Please take the time to read all of the information in this manual before connecting
your new component to an electrical supply or your system, to ensure both your
safety and satisfaction.

Please note that due to our desire to continually improve products, specifications are
subject to change without notice. Therefore it is important to refer to the manual that
is supplied with your product for the most accurate information; manuals downloaded
from our website or obtained from other sources may no longer fully apply to your
product.

If you have any questions regarding the information contained within this document
or your new component, please feel free to contact us: -

Audio Note (UK) Limited

Viscount House

Star Road, Star Trading Estate

Partridge Green

West Sussex

RH13 8RA

United Kingdom

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

e-mail: [e-mail]

Congratulations on your purchase of the Audio Note (UK) KAGEKI BALANCED

KAGEKI BALANCED

mono power amplifiers.
They are Pure Class A Parallel Single Ended valve amplifiers that use a pair of the

highly regarded and wonderful sounding 2A3 triode valves per channel, producing a
level of performance that is radically superior to the vast majority of current designs.

They have been specifically engineered for sonic performance rather than technical
specification, and fulfill all Audio Note (UK) Level 5 criteria: -

Pure Class A operation
Zero Negative Feedback
Single Ended Output Stage
Valve Rectification
Directly Heated Triode operation
Finest materials and component quality

Each amplifier is completely hand assembled, and uses only the finest possible
materials and components: -

Audio Note (UK) customer Output Transformers, using AN (UK) Silver windings and
AN-Perma 50% Nickel Double C core
Audio Note (UK) custom 2 Watt Tantalum resistors
Audio Note (UK) 2 Watt Tantalum Non Magnetic resistors
Audio Note (UK) Silver Foil capacitors
Audio Note (UK) Silver internal wiring
Black Gate™ capacitors in critical areas

UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION

Please take care when unpacking your KAGEKI BALANCED amplifiers. Choose a
clean, clear location to unpack them, and be aware that the amplifiers are very
heavy; before attempting to unpack or lift the units, check the weight and if necessary
use more than one person so that they can be moved safely and easily.

We recommend that you retain and carefully store all of the original packing
materials, in case transportation / shipping is required at a later date.

Select a suitable location for the amplifiers. This should be a dry, dust free and level
area, preferably shielded from direct sunlight and free from vibration. Also ensure
that the location is stable and capable of supporting the weight of the units.

A suitable mains power outlet must be close to the location; power cords must not be
pulled or stretched tightly in an attempt to reach a wall socket. If the power cord will
not easily reach the socket, choose a closer location!

Please ensure that adequate ventilation for the amplifiers is provided, and that airflow
through any ventilation slots in the casework is not restricted. We recommend a
distance of at least 50cm free space is maintained above the amplifiers, and
preferably they should be sited in free space or on the top shelf of your equipment
rack or table. Please also remember that valve equipment operates at extremely high
temperatures, so a position that is inaccessible to any children or animals is
essential.

VALVE INSTALLATION

The amplifiers are shipped without their valve compliment installed. It is necessary to
install the valves before operation.

It is essential that the valves are installed correctly or serious damage that is not

covered by the warranty will result. We recommend that your dealer perform
this procedure for you if you are in any way unsure.

FIRSTLY, ENSURE THAT THE AMPLIFIERS ARE NOT CONNECTED TO A
MAINS ELECTRICAL SUPPLY, AND THAT THE POWER CORDS ARE NOT
CONNECTED TO THE AMPLIFIER.

Now remove the valves that are packed inside the shipping carton and carefully
unwrap them. Also inspect the amplifiers to check that nothing has become damaged
or dislodged during transit.

You should find the following valves: ­2 x VT25 / 10Y input stage valves
4 x 2A3 new old stock output valves
2 x 5R4GY rectifier valves

Once again, please understand that it is absolutely vital these valves are fitted
correctly.

There are three different types of valve used in the KAGEKI Balanced amplifier, the
rectifier, a 5R4GY, the two output valves, 300B and the input/driver valve, the VT25,
also known as the 10 and 10Y.
The 2A3 and VT25 use the UX4 valve base, which has four pins. It has two large
diameter pins, and two smaller, and it is extremely important to ensure that, when
inserting the valves, that the correct pins line up with those in the valve base.

Check twice, three times, and make sure you insert the valves the right way.
The AN UX4 valve bases use a copper alloy for the contacts, which means it’s

possible to bend them on insertion unless a little care is taken.
The 5R4GY is an Octal based valve. It has 8 pins plus a locating spigot with a key to

ensure correct alignment. When inserting the valve, ensure that the key is aligned
with the key seat on the base. It is possible to break off the spigot if the valve is
treated roughly.

The correct way to seat a valve is to ensure that it is dead vertical when inserting it
into the socket, to use a firm pressure, and a small (<1mm at the top of the valve)
amount of rocking to get the pins to engage the contacts.

If you are unsure about fitting the valves, get your dealer or a technician to do it for
you, to fit the valves incorrectly risks damage to a very expensive piece of
equipment.

Check one more time that all of the 8 valves are correctly fitted

CONNECTION

Line inputs The KAGEKI Balanced is a mono, transformer-balanced-input

amplifier, and has a single XLR input wired according to the accepted
pro standard of 1 - GND, 2 - HOT, 3 COLD.

Speakers Each amplifier has three speaker terminals; a common, 0, a 4 ohm

nominal terminal and an 8 ohm nominal terminal.

Most common speakers would be connected to the 8 ohm terminal
(and 0), and will sound best in that position, but there is no harm in
trying both 4 and 8 ohms.

Unless the speaker is a very low impedance model, the 8 ohm tap will
usually sound more open and dynamic.

Mains Each KAGEKI BALANCED is equipped with an IEC 320 mains inlet

socket for each amplifier. Use the supplied mains cables to connect

the units to the local mains supply. The mains fuse and a spare are

located in the inlet socket fuse drawer.

Special Note – Make sure that all connections are tight and clean. For

best results use good quality audio interconnects. Although it is

perfectly acceptable to use cables manufactured by other companies,

for best results and performance, we recommend our own Audio Note

(UK) range of interconnects and loudspeaker cables. For further

information, please consult your nearest Audio Note (UK) dealer, or

alternatively please feel free to contact us directly.

OPERATION

Once all the connections are completed and checked, ensure that the volume control
of your preamplifier / source is at the minimum setting.

Turn on all components in the signal chain BEFORE the KAGEKI BALANCED; they
should always be the LAST components to be switched ON, and the FIRST to be
switched OFF.

Turn on the amplifiers by using the rocker switch located on the rear top left of the
back panels, just above mains inlet socket.

Bedding in The new amplifiers requires about 100 hours of initial use

(called “bedding in”) before the circuitry becomes stable and
optimum performance is realized.

As the amplifiers “bed in” the sound will become increasingly

smoother, detailed and open.

Once the amplifiers have “bedded in” a warm up time of

approximately 30 to 45 minutes is required each time the
amplifiers are switched on before optimum sonic performance
is reached.

Cleaning No special maintenance is required for the amplifiers. Use a

soft, clean lint free cloth to remove any surface marks from the
casework. For finger marks / grease, use a soft, clean lint free
cloth, lightly moistened with a solution of warm water and mild
detergent. Do not use any alcohol or solvent based cleaning
products, as they may damage the finish of the amplifiers.

ENSURE THAT THE AMPLIFIERS ARE SWITCHED OFF

AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE MAINS ELECTRICITY
SUPPLY BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY CLEANING.

Valve Life The valves supplied with your amplifiers should provide

approximately 6000 hours of operation. They are specially
selected by us, and should only be replaced with matched
pairs. Please consult your Audio Note (UK) dealer should your
valves need replacing.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

INPUT IMPEDANCE

INPUT SENSITIVITY

MAXIMUM OUTPUT

CHANNEL BALANCE

VALVE COMPLEMENT

UNIT WEIGHT

SHIPPING WEIGHT

(ORIGINAL PACKAGING)

UNIT DIMENSIONS

SHIPPING DIMENSIONS

(ORIGINAL PACKAGING)

MAINS INPUT
MAINS FUSE

MAX. POWER

CONSUMPTION

NOTE

2.4KOhm

2.4KOhm Balanced, 2.4V rms

7.5 watts RMS per channel into 4 or 8
Ohm loads (7,5 Watts PMO)

+/- 0.3dB

2 x 5R4GY (1 per chassis)
4 x 2A3 new old stock (2 per chassis)
2 x VT25/10Y (1 per chassis)

20KG (per amplifier)
30KG (per amplifier)

195mm (h) x 205mm (w) x 500mm (d)
295mm (h) x 320mm (w) x 610mm (d)

AC 100-120V/220-240V 50/60 Hz

3.15A Anti Surge (110/120V Supply)

1.6A Anti Surge (200/240V Supply)
400mA (Internal HT)

200 Watts

Due to Audio Note (UK)’s ongoing

research and development program,
specifications are subject to change
without notice.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Audio Note (UK) warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship for two years from the original date of purchase from an appointed
Audio Note (UK) dealer, and agrees to cover the cost of parts and associated labour

required to correct such defects, subject to terms & conditions.
This Warranty is offered to the first purchaser only.

Any valves supplied with the unit are warranted for three months from the original
date of purchase.

If the product fails in normal domestic use and during the Warranty period due to the
above described faults or defects, Audio Note (UK) will, at its discretion, repair or
replace the item free of charge within a reasonable time once it has been returned to
Audio Note (UK) or an appointed Audio Note (UK) dealer or service engineer.

Audio Note (UK) is not liable for any shipping charges incurred whilst transporting the
product to or from Audio Note (UK) or an appointed Audio Note (UK) dealer or
service engineer, should the item require service or repair during or after the
Warranty period.

If the product must be shipped, please use the original packaging materials and
include a copy of the original sales receipt along with a note explaining, in as much
detail as possible, the problems you are experiencing with the unit.

Only use a reputable Courier Service or Shipping Agent, and ensure that your
product is insured during transit.

Any servicing, repairs or modifications not authorized by Audio Note (UK), or
carried out by persons other than appointed Audio Note (UK) service
engineers will invalidate any warranty.

This Warranty does NOT cover: ­Damage sustained whilst in the possession of a shipping agent, retailer or consumer

and not caused as a direct result of defects in materials or workmanship.
Damage caused by normal wear and tear.
Damage or defects caused by abnormal or unreasonable use.
Damage caused by accident, acts of nature, misuse or neglect.
Damage caused by a failure to follow the operating and installation instructions

supplied with the product.
Damage caused by improper or careless cleaning.
Audio Note (UK) reserves the right to refuse warranty for any component of which

the serial number has been removed, defaced or tampered with.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If in the future your Audio Note (UK) product

requires servicing, or if you require technical support

or have any questions regarding this or any of our

other products, please contact your local Audio Note

(UK) dealer.

Alternatively, please feel free to contact us directly: -

Audio Note (UK) Limited

Viscount House

Star Road, Star Trading Estate

Partridge Green

West Sussex

RH13 8RA

United Kingdom

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

e-mail: [e-mail]