Cary Audio Design SLP 05 User Manual
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SLP 05
Pure Balanced Vacuum Tube
Preamplier
OWNER’S MANUAL
NOTE: Before installing your new component, please read this manual
carefully as it will inform you of the product specications, proper
installation and correct operating procedures for your unit. Also included
in this manual are guidelines on how to service and care for your new
Cary Audio Design product.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Safety Instructions ............................................................................................................. 2
Welcome
Product Overview ................................................................................................................................. 4
Circuitry ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Unpacking and Installation ................................ .................................................................................... 6
Specifications
General Specifications ........................................................................................................................... 7
Features .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Controls
Front Panel Preamplifier ........................................................................................................................ 9
Rear Panel Preamplifier ....................................................................................................................... 11
Front Panel Power Supply.................................................................................................................... 12
Front Panel Power Supply.................................................................................................................... 13
Remote Control .................................................................................................................................. 14
Operation
Basic Operation .................................................................................................................................. 15
Headphone Listening .......................................................................................................................... 15
Service and Care
Care and Cleaning .............................................................................................................................. 16
Factory Service................................................................................................................................... 16
Non-Warranty Repairs ......................................................................................................................... 16
Tube Placement Chart ........................................................................................................................ 17
Limited Warranty ................................................................................................................................ 18
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
2
WARNING: The triangle with the lightning flash
symbol displayed on the unit advises the user of
dangerous un-insulated voltage inside the product’s
enclosure.
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do
not remove the cover. There are no userserviceable parts inside; it is recommended that only qualified personnel service this component.
ALERT: The triangle with the exclamation point symbol on the component suggests that the owner refer to
important operating and maintenance instructions in the owner’s manual.
1. OWNER’S MANUAL: Before powering up the equipment, read all safety and operating instructions and follow
them as instructed. Retain the safety and operating instructions for future reference.
2. ATTACHMENTS: Use only those attachments recommended by the unit manufacturer, as others may cause
hazards.
3. ACCESSORIES: Do not place the unit on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The unit may fall,
causing injury to a person or damage to the unit. Mount the unit according to the manufacturer’s instructions with
the suggested mounting accessory.
4. WALL OR CEILING MOUNTING: Mount the unit to a wall or ceiling only in the manner recommended by the
manufacturer.
5. WATER AND MOISTURE: Do not use the unit near water (for example, near a swimming pool, bath tub, wash
bowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub) or in a damp environment (like a basement or outside in the rain).
6. OBJECT AND LIQUID ENTRY: Do not push objects of any kind into the unit through openings as they could touch
dangerous voltage points and short-out parts, possibly resulting in a fire or electric shock. Avoid spilling liquid of any
kind on the unit. If water or any metal object (such as a paper clip, coin, or staple) accidentally falls inside the unit,
disconnect it from the AC power source immediately and contact Cary Audio Design for further instructions.
7. HEAT: Position the unit away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other units (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.
8. VENTILATION: Slots and openings in the cabinet create ventilation to protect the component from overheating.
These openings on the top and bottom panels must remain unobstructed. Allow at least 6 inches (16cm) of clearance
above the unit and an opening behind the unit for airflow. Do not place the unit on a bed, sofa, rug, built-in
bookcase, or rack without adequate ventilation.
9. GROUNDING OR POLARIZATION: As a safety feature, the unit may be equipped with a polarized alternating
current line plug in which one blade is wider than the other. This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way. If
you cannot insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing the plug. If the plug still will not fit, contact a licensed
electrician to update your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug.
10. POWER SOURCES: Operate the unit only from the power source indicated on the marking label. If you are
unsure of the type of power supplied to your home, consult your unit dealer or local power company.
11. POWER CORD PROTECTION: Arrange power supply cords so that they do not suffer from foot traffic or pinching
by items placed on or against them. Pay close attention to cords where plug enter the AC outlet and where they exit
from the unit.
12. LIGHTNING: For added protection during a lightning storm or when is the component is idle for long periods of
time, unplug the unit from the wall outlet and disconnect the antenna or cable system. This will help protect the
unit from lightning and power line surge damage.
13. POWER LINES: Do not locate an outside antenna system in the vicinity of overhead power lines or other electric
light or power circuits. When installing an outside antenna system, take extreme care to avoid touching the power
lines or circuits; contact with them could be fatal.
14. OVERLOADING: Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords, or integral convenience receptacles as this
increases the risk of fire or electric shock.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
3
15. REPLACEMENT PARTS: When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used
replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or those having the same characteristics as the original parts.
Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock or other hazards.
16. SAFETY CHECK: Upon completion of any service or repairs to the unit, ask the service technician to perform
safety checks to ensure the unit is in proper operating condition.
17. IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE:
•
Before connecting a new product such as the CD 303T to your audio or home theater system, turn off all other
equipment (preferably unplugging them from the AC power source). Many audio components feature automatic
turn-on circuits that may activate during an installation, potentially causing damage to electronic components
and/or speakers. This type of damage is not covered by product warranties, and Cary Audio specifically disclaims
responsibility for any such damage.
•
Power Cord: The removable power cord provided with your player was specifically designed
for use with this product, but other AC cords may be used. Consult your dealer for advice on AC
power cords and high quality wire in your system.
•
AC Fuse: The fuse is located inside the chassis and is not user serviceable. If the unit does not
power up, contact an authorized service representative
•
Wiring: Cables running inside walls should have the appropriate markings to indicate compliance and listing by
the UL, CSA or other standards required by the UL, CSA, NEC or your local building code. Questions about
cables inside of walls should be referred to a qualified custom installer, a licensed electrician, or low-voltage
contractor.
18. RECORDING COPYRIGHT: Recording of copyrighted material for other than personal use is illegal without
permission of the copyright holder.
19. NOTE TO CATV SYSTEM INSTALLER: This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installer's attention to
article 820-40 of the NEC, ANSI/NFPA 70, which provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies
that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building as close to the point of cable entry
as practical.
20. FCC INFORMATION FOR USER:
•
CAUTION: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by Cary
Audio Design could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
•
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits
for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
•
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions it may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from where the receiver is
21. OUTDOOR ANTENNA
•
If an outside antenna or cable system is connected to the equipment,
be sure the antenna or cable system is grounded in order to provide
protection against built-up static charges and voltage surges. Article
810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70 (in Canada, Part 1
of the Canadian Electrical Code) provides information regarding
proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure, grounding of
the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of grounding
conductors, location of antenna discharge unit, connection to
grounding electrodes and requirements for the grounding electrode.
•
Outside antenna system should be located well away from power
lines, electric light or power circuits and where it will never come into
contact with these power sources if it should happen to fall. When
installing an outside antenna, extreme care should be taken to avoid
touching power lines, circuits or other power sources as this could be fatal. Because of the hazards involved,
antenna installation should be left to a professional
connected.
INSTALLATION/SAFE
ANTENNA AND CABLE CONNECTION:
WELCOME
4
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
We at Cary Audio Design would like to thank you for purchasing the new SLP 05
preamplifier.
The following is an overview of the design characteristics of the SLP 05.
The SLP 05 employs a fully balanced circuit topology, from input-to-output, that actively cancels
external electrical and radio frequency noise picked up by audio cables. The sonic result is a
greatly improved signal-to-noise level ratio with palpable, three-dimensional images of
instruments and vocalists in a natural acoustic space. Balanced operation also ensures more than
adequate output voltage to drive any balanced amplifier throughout the entire audio range with
the all-too-rare combination of vibrancy, immediacy and control. An added feature of the new SLP
05 permits “balanced to single-ended” and “single- ended to balanced” audio connections for the
greatest flexibility of use in your system.
Listeners today have more choices of playback sources than ever before, and the SLP 05 offers
complete flexibility to accommodate them. In addition to three RCA unbalanced line level inputs,
there are two balanced XLR stereo inputs along with a dedicated tape input as well. Included is
a pair of cinema processor inputs for either RCA single-ended or XLR balanced connections.
Outputs include both RCA single-ended and Balanced XLR connections. The XLR balanced in and
out connections follow the “Cannon plugs” pin out wiring standard. Pin #1 is the shield, pin #2
is the normal-phase (hot lead) and pin #3 is the inverted signal.
The special Cinema Bypass feature routes the balanced or unbalanced cinema inputs directly to
their corresponding outputs, bypassing all the SLP 05 circuitry and turning over control to the
user’s cinema processor. The cinema bypass circuitry may be engaged by toggling the Cinema
bypass switch on the front panel of the preamplifier. If the SLP 05 power switch is turned to the
off position, the SLP 05 automatically defaults to the cinema bypass mode.
All switches in the SLP 05 are gold-contact types to ensure signal purity and high resistance to
wear and oxidation over years of use. Single-throw toggle switches and solid-seating rotary
switches along the machined aluminum front panel are easy to use and provide unambiguous
indication even in low light. All source inputs and the audio mute function are switched through
hermetically sealed, gold plated contact relays. Listening level (volume) is controlled with a
high-precision Alps potentiometer that is mechanically driven by command from the infrared
remote control. A front-panel mute/operate switch offers additional convenience when
switching cables or changing a record. Remote muting is also possible by switching the SLP 05
remote handset button to the mute position. The remote handset now takes over the control of
this feature.
Reflecting the growing popularity of high performance headphones, the SLP 05 features a state of
the art headphone amplifier stage based on the popular 6SN7 vacuum tube. This is a “zero
feedback” circuit design and is transformer-coupled, guaranteeing extended, uniform frequency
response regardless of the headphone driver type. Sufficient drive current is available to power
headphones with impedance’s from 30 to 300 ohms. A front panel toggle switch allows use of the
onboard headphone amplifier.
WELCOME
5
CIRCUITRY
The SLP 05 is a no compromise line stage and headphone amp. The power supply is vacuum
tube rectified and has a 5AR4 vacuum tube rectifier lying on its side inside the unit. The 5AR4
tube has a separate cathode from the filament so any position of mounting is proper. It was
horizontally mounted to keep the power supply the same height as the preamplifier. The
rectifier tube provides the high-voltage (B+) plate voltage. Two separate filter chokes and a fully
regulated shunt coupling capacitor ensure stable and ripple-free voltage resulting in a very low
noise and spacious sound stage.
The preamplifier has eight (8) 6SN7 dual triodes octal socket vacuum tubes. Four (4) of the
6SN7's act as the true balanced main line section. Two (2) of the 6SN7's are operating in the
front end ahead of the gain stage as balanced plus/minus 180 degree input buffer stage. The
remaining two (2) 6SN7's function as a ‘Class A’ push-pull zero feedback headphone amplifier.
This headphone section amplifier has two on board output transformers to transform the high
impedance of the 6SN7's to low impedance for driving the headphones.
There are two power switches to control the AC input voltage to the preamplifier. The large
knob on the power supply is the mains power switch. If one places the power supply in another
location, the main power switch is turned on. A blue LED in the knob indicates the power
supply can be activated by the preamplifier section. Turning the preamplifier power switch
sends 12 volts DC to the power supply relay to turn on the main power transformer that powers
the tube rectification along with all other voltages required to place the SLP 05 in operation.
The two meters on the front of the power supply indicate the B+ plate voltage (210 VDC) along
with the plate current (60 ma.). You will always know at a glance if all is OK with the operating
conditions.
The SLP 05 is engineered and built to provide a lifetime of musical enjoyment with facilities
and features that ensure future compatibility and audiophile performance for many years to
come. This preamplifier is a future collector’s item and deserves to be installed with the finest
ancillary equipment available, such as the CD 306 SACD Pro disc player or the CAD 211FE
power amplifiers.
WELCOME
6
UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION
Unpacking
Your Cary Audio Design product was shipped in a carton particularly designed to protect its
contents, and special care has been taken to prevent damage during shipping.
Carefully remove your new component from its packing carton and examine it closely for signs of
shipping damage. If shipping damage is discovered, document the damage with photographs,
contact the transport carrier immediately, and retain the packing as evidence.
We strongly recommend saving all original packing cartons to protect your component for
storage or future shipping.
Power Requirements
The SLP 05 Preamplifier is designed to operate from AC mains current. The specified
AC voltage is either 110-120 volts or 220-240 volts AC at 50-60 Hz.
Warranty Card
If you are the original purchaser of this unit and you purchased it in the United States, fill out the
enclosed warranty registration card and return it to Cary Audio Design within 15 days of your
purchase. Warranty restrictions apply. Consult the warranty section of this manual for details.
Please keep a copy of the original sales receipt from your Authorized Cary Audio Design dealer to
validate the warranty if necessary.
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