Esoteric AZ-1 User Manual

D00905700B

Digital Pre Main Amplifier

Owner’s Manual

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1) Read these instructions.

2) Keep these instructions.

3) Heed all warnings.

4) Follow all instructions.

5) Do not use this apparatus near water.

6) Clean only with dry cloth.

7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10)Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

11)Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

12)Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

13)Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

14) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

Do not expose this apparatus to drips or splashes.

Do not place any objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus.

Do not install this apparatus in a confined space such as a book case or similar unit.

The apparatus draws nominal non-operating power from the AC outlet with its POWER switch in the off position.

The apparatus should be located close enough to the AC outlet so that you can easily grasp the power cord plug at any time.

An apparatus with Class !construction shall be connected to an AC outlet with a protective grounding connection.

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USERSERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

CAUTION

DO NOT REMOVE THE EXTERNAL CASES OR CABINETS TO EXPOSE THE ELECTRONICS. NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS ARE WITHIN!

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THIS PRODUCT, CONTACT TEAC FOR A SERVICE REFERRAL. DO NOT USE THE PRODUCT UNTIL IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED.

WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

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, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, 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 equipment and/or the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

CAUTION

Changes or modifications to this equipments not expressly approved by TEAC CORPORATION for compliance will void the user’s warranty.

For U.S.A.

Contents

Thank you for choosing Esoteric. Read this manual carefully to get the best performance from this unit.

CAUTION Regarding Placement

To maintain proper ventilation, be sure to leave a space around the unit (from the largest outer dimensions including projections) equal to, or greater than, shown below.

Left and Right Panels: 5 cm (2”) Rear Panel: 10 cm (4”) Top Panel: 20 cm (8”)

Before Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Speaker Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

i.LINK (IEEE 1394) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Remote Control Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Restoring factory settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Front panel features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Understanding the remote control unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Basic Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Muting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Display dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Word sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Basic Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Gain Setting for Analog Audio Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Name and skip setting of the INPUT knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

What’s in the box

Please confirm that the following accessories are in the box when you open it.

Remote control unit (RC-1056) x 1 Batteries (AA, R6, SUM-3) x 2 Felt sheet x 4 Power cord x 1 Owner’s manual x 1 Warranty card x 1

Before Use

Read this before operation

< As the unit may become warm during operation, always leave

sufficient space around the unit for ventilation. The ventilation holes should not be covered. Make sure there is at least 20 cm (8”) of space above and at least 5 cm (2”) of space on each side of the unit. Do NOT place anything on top of the unit.

The voltage supplied to the unit should match the voltage as printed on the rear panel. If you are in any doubt regarding this matter, consult an electrician.

Choose the installation location of your unit carefully. Avoid placing it in direct sunlight or close to a source of heat. Also avoid locations subject to vibrations and excessive dust, heat, cold or moisture.

Do not place the unit on the amplifier/receiver.

Do not open the cabinet as this might result in damage to the circuitry or electrical shock. If a foreign object should get into the unit, contact your dealer or service company.

When removing the power plug from the wall outlet, always pull directly on the plug, never yank the cord.

Do not attempt to clean the unit with chemical solvents as this might damage the finish. Use a clean, dry or slightly damp cloth.

To protect easily scratched furniture, you may stick the felt supplied with the unit to the feet.

< Keep this manual in a safe place for future reference.

“Super Audio CD” is a registered trademark. “DSD” is a registered trademark. The i.LINK logo is a trademark of Sony Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Maintenance

If the surface of the unit gets dirty, wipe with a soft cloth or use diluted neutral cleaning liquid. Be sure to remove any fluid completely. Do not use thinner, benzine (naphtha) or alcohol as they may damage the surface of the unit.

Short Circuit and Output Protection

“OVER LEVEL” blinks on the display when the short circuit protection (or the output protection) is activated. In this case, turn the unit off and check the speaker cables. The metal portions of the two separate wires should not touch. If there is no shorted wire, turn down the volume using the VOLUME knob.

Thermal Overload Protection

“HIGH TEMP” blinks on the display when the overload protection is activated. In this case, turn the unit off and leave it for a few hours to cool it down. Also check the location of your unit. Place the unit in a cool place, and always leave sufficient space around the unit for ventilation.

Speaker Connections

CAUTION:

Switch off the power to all equipment before making connections.

< Read the instructions of each component you intend to use

with this unit.

< Be sure to insert each plug securely. To prevent hum and

noise, avoid bundling the signal interconnection cables together with the AC power cord or speaker cables.

Note:

The black speaker terminals are – (negative). Generally, the + side of the speaker cable is marked to make it distinguishable from the – side of the cable. Connect this marked side to the + terminal and the unmarked side to the black – terminal.

The metal portions of the two separate wires should not touch or an electrical short can occur. Shorted wires can create a fire hazard or induce a failure in your equipment.

Ideally, left and right speaker cables should be the same length. And the length of cables should be as short as possible for better sound quality.

Connection using

speaker cables with

spades or bare wire

1.Turn the terminal cap counterclockwise to loosen it. The speaker terminal caps cannot be fully removed from the base.

2.Insert the wire or spade into the terminal and turn the terminal cap clockwise to securely connect it:

Make sure none of the wire insulation is under the terminal, only the bare, stripped wire.

3. Make sure it is fastened firmly by pulling the cable lightly.

Right

Speaker

Connection using speaker cables with banana plugs

Tighten the terminal cap and insert a banana plug.

The inside diameter of spades should be 8 mm or more.

When your speaker cable has bare wire at the end

Prepare the speaker cables for connection by stripping off approximately 10 mm (1/2”) or less of the outer insulation. (Removing too much insulation may lead to a short circuit if the bared wired should come in contact with each other.) Twist the strands of the stripped wires tightly together. The thickness of wires should be less than 4 mm (1/8”).

Left

Speaker

When you are using two or three AZ-1 units for multi-channel listening, connect them as shown here.

Connections

i.LINK cable

RCA coaxial cable

optical digital cable

BNC coaxial cable

Turntable

Supplied power cord

Wall socket

RCA cable

Connect one of these cables.

Master clock generator (G-0s, AZ-1, etc.)

Tuner, Cassette tape deck, etc.

i.LINK(AUDIO)

AZ-1

(C/LFE)

WORD SYNC

OUT

i.LINK(AUDIO)

AZ-1

(LS/RS)

i.LINK(AUDIO)

AZ-1 (L/R)

WORD SYNCINi.LINK(AUDIO)

(IEEE 1394)

SZ-1

UZ-1

Setting of the SZ-1/UZ-1

i.LINK button “PCM” WORD button

“ON”

Analog Out setting

“Multi ch”

Digital Out setting

“ON”

CD Direct setting

“Normal”

Speaker setting

necessary

Setting of the AZ-1

INPUT “i.LINK” WORD button One of the AZ-1 that receives channel

L/R: “W_OUT”

The others: “OFF” W_OUT setting “176.4” or “88.2” CH setting respective channels i_RC setting “ON”

DIGITAL OUT

WORD SYNC

AUDIO OUT

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