Krell Industries Evolution 505 User Manual

EVOLUTION

EVOLUTION 505

SACD/CD PLAYER

OWNER’S REFERENCE

Evolution 505 SACD/CD Player
Owner’s Reference, v06.0

Krell Industries, Inc.
45 Connair Road
Orange, CT 06477-3650 USA

TEL [phone]
FAX [phone]
E-MAIL [e-mail]
WEBSITE http://www.krellonline.com

This product complies with the EMC directive (89/336/EEC) and the low-voltage directive
(73/23/EEC).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read 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 install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appa-

ratus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

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

9. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus

has been damaged in any way, such as a 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.

10. Caution: V

isible and invisible laser radiation. When the cover is open, avoid exposur
beam. This apparatus employs a laser. To prevent possible eye injury, only a qualified service
person should r

emove the cover, or attempt to service this apparatus. Use of controls or
adjustments or performance of procedures other than specified herein may result in hazardous
laser radiation exposur

e.

11. The apparatus must be placed on a firm, level surface where it is not exposed to dripping or

splashing.

12. The ventilation grids on the top of the apparatus and the space under

neath it must be unob
structed at all times during operation. Do not place flammable material above or beneath the
apparatus.

13. Before making connections to the Evolution 505, ensure that the power is off and other compo-

nents are in mute or stand-by mode. Make sure all cable terminations are of the highest quality,

ee from frayed ends, short circuits, or cold solder joints.

fr

14. THERE ARE NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE AN EVOLUTION 505 SACD/CD

PLAYER.

Please contact Krell if you have questions not addressed in this guide.

e to the

-

This product is manufactured in the United States of America. Krell®is a registered trademark of Krell Industries, Inc., and is restricted for use by
Krell Industries, Inc., its subsidiaries, and authorized agents. Evolution Bias
based on U.S. Patent No. 5,331,291. CAN Link
Inc. All other trademarks are registered to their respective companies.

© 2006 by Kr

ell Industries, Inc. All rights reserved P/N 309405-W

™, CAST™, Evolution CAST™, and Krell Current Mode™ are trademarks of Krell Industries,

™ is a trademark of Krell Industries, Inc. and is a Krell technology

Contents

List of Tables and Illustrations, page 4

A Letter from Dan D’Agostino, page 5

SECTION ONE: Evolution 505 Features and Technology, page 6

es, Revolutionary Krell CAST Technology,

Featur
Definition of T

erms

SECTION

SECTION THREE: Anatomy of the Evolution 505, page 13

SECTION FOUR: Connecting the Evolution 505 to Your System, page 22

SECTION FIVE: Evolution 505 Operation, page 24

WARRANTY, page 28

RETURN AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURE, page 30

SPECIFICATIONS, page 31

TWO: Unpacking and Placement, page 11

Opening the Evolution 505 Shipping Carton, Placement, AC Power Guidelines

Front Panel Description, Remote Control Description, Battery Installation and
Removal, Back Panel Description

Using Balanced Connections, Connection Steps

Power On, How to Play a Disc, Disc Formats, Data Disc, Filter, Repeat Functions,
12 VDC Trigger, RS-232 Port

3

List of Illustrations and Tables

Figure 1, page 13

Evolution 505 Front Panel

Figure 2, page 17

Evolution 505 Remote Control

Figure 3, page 19

Evolution 505 Back Panel

Table 1, page 22

Analog and Digital Connections

4

A Letter from Dan D’Agostino

Dear Audio Enthusiast,

Thank you for your purchase of the Krell Evolution 505 SACD/CD Player. Source
components are the first, vital link in the audio signal chain, and an audio system
can perform no better than the source allows. For this reason, I have made every
effort to include the best technology in the design of this new Krell product.

At the heart of the Evolution 505 are separate, linear power supplies that insure
perfect operating conditions for the drive mechanism and audio circuits. Discrete,
Class A gain stages are balanced and are utilized from input to output. Current
Mode topologies enable wide bandwidth performance, while Current Audio Signal
Transmission (CAST) transmitters insure the most robust connection to other
Evolution components. All of these technologies are heard in the authentic and
satisfying audio reproduction of the Evolution 505.

I hope that you enjoy your new Evolution 505 source component.

Sincerely,

Daniel D’Agostino

Chief Executive Officer

5

SECTION ONE

Evolution 505 Features and Technology

This section describes the innovative features and technology of the Evolution 505
SACD/CD Player, and defines CAST and other key terms used in this reference.

The Evolution 505 works to carefully transmit audio signals without damaging the
ephemeral staging and dimensional components of the music. A combination of
advanced technologies and inspir
Player’s performance to the reference level.

Features

ed design elevate the Evolution 505 SACD/CD

The Evolution 505 has Class A, balanced, Krell Curr
to output for increased bandwidth. New current mirror stages feature LED voltage
reference. Developed for the Evolution Two, these current mirrors operate with

ee times less distortion than previous designs. A zero feedback design pre-

thr
serves the original harmonic structure of the recording, and a 500 K bandwidth
promotes low distortion and phase coherent performance.

The Evolution 505 uses PCM 1738 differential advanced segment DACs for supe­rior dynamic range, and a DCI drive with independent suspension for enhanced
ergonomics and reliability.

The Evolution 505 will read redbook, CDR, 44.1 WAV, AAC (adts, and adif), DVD­R, RW, +R, and RW discs. The 16 character, dot-matrix LED display is highly visi­ble and features an adjustable intensity.

For flexibility of control, the back panel features a 2-way, RS-232 interface, an
RC-5 connector
tors allow the Evolution 505 to operate in link mode with other Evolution compo­nents.

The outputs include balanced XLR, single-ended multi-channel outputs, and a pair
of Evolution CAST™ outputs, for the most r
components.

, and 12 VDC trigger inputs and outputs. Kr

obust connection to other Evolution

ent Mode topology from input

ell Can Link connec

-

A 65 VA linear power supply is used for the drive mechanism, for absolute voltage
stability. A separate 45 VA linear power supply for the audio circuits is optimized to
power critical Class A audio topologies.

6

Revolutionary Krell CAST Technology

Current Audio Signal Transmission, termed CAST, is a revolutionary method of
connecting analog audio components for unparalleled sonic performance.
Innovative engineering combines the new Krell CAST circuitry with existing Krell
Current Mode technology to create entire CAST systems that reproduce music
with incredible range, tonality, and precision.

The Voltage Signal Transmission
and the Traditional Audio System

Traditionally, signal is transmitted in the voltage domain between two components.
In an audio system, each component is a discrete entity with unique characteris­tics that act upon the musical signal independently
of the other components in the system. The cables that connect the components
also have their own electrical characteristics, which affect the sonic presentation
of the entire system. CAST transmission unifies individual components and inter­connects into an electrically-linked whole. The original signal remains unalter
from source to speaker.

CAST Basics

. Each component is unaware

ed

Here is how a CAST audio system works: Internally, each CAST source transfers,
or amplifies, current using Krell Current Mode circuitry. This current signal is then
output using CAST circuitry. When the signal is received by a CAST input, Krell

ent Mode cir

Curr
By maintaining the musical signal in the curr
entire CAST system behaves as if it is one component. With CAST, circuit board

operties and signal transmission aberrations between components ar

pr
ed. Cable impedances and their ef

cuitry again takes over until the signal r

ent domain fr

fects on the transmitted signal ar

eaches the loudspeaker.

om beginning to end, an

e eliminat

e non-existent.

How CAST and Krell Current Mode Interact

While CAST is a new method of transferring the musical signal between compo­nents, its origin stems from Krell Current Mode, the technology developed to
transfer the musical signal within a component. CAST combined with Kr
Mode takes cir

cuitry signal transmission to the next evolutionary level.

ell Curr

ent

-

d

7

continue

(SECTION ONE: Evolution 505 Features and Technology continued)

In essence, Krell Current Mode maintains the integrity of the signal within the
component and CAST preserves the transmitted signal between components.
Together, CAST and Krell Current Mode technologies unify separate Krell compo­nents into a

single global circuit. Krell Current Mode technology enjoys bandwidth

increases up to an order of magnitude greater than their voltage based counter­parts. This dramatic increase in circuit bandwidth delivers near perfection in the
audible band that typically suffers from phase distortions in voltage circuits.

CAST Cable Construction

A CAST system uses cables manufactured by Krell and other manufacturers spe­cially licensed by Krell. Thin and flexible CAST cables ar
same build quality as other Krell components and are aesthetically matched to the
components that Krell manufactures. An all-metal body and locking connectors
with gold contacts ar

e part of the standard no-compromise specification devel-

oped for every CAST cable made.

Evolution CAST

e constructed with the

By employing radical current mirror circuitry, the Evolution 505 components ele­vate the CAST technology to another level. This advanced use of the technology
increases the linearity, transient speed, and bandwidth of the Evolution compo­nents while reducing the distortion by an or

der of magnitude.

The Best Musical Performance

When you operate a CAST system, you will hear significant impr
performance ar

ea: speed, pr

ecision, dynamic range, depth and width of the sound
stage, transient impact, tonal balance, harmonic distortion, and mor
CAST is the same company goal used for all Krell products. Krell strives for the
delivery of the best performance of a musical event for you, using the full expr
sion of technology to date.

ovements in every

e. The goal for

es

-

8

Definition of Terms

The following are definitions of key terms used in this owner’s reference:

Inputs and Outputs

Balanced

A symmetrical input or output circuit that has equal impedance from both input
terminals to a common ground reference point. The industry standard for profes­sional and sound recording installations, balanced connections have 6 dB more
gain than single-ended connections and allow the use of long interconnect cables.
Balanced connections are completely immune to induced noise from the system
or the environment.

CAST and Evolution CAST

Krell Current Audio Signal Transmission, or CAST, is a proprietary Krell circuit tech­nology for connecting analog components, transmitting the audio waveform
between components in the curr
speed and bandwidth provided by Krell CAST and its circuitry update, Evolution
CAST, yield accurate, realistic music reproduction, enabling connected compo­nents to perform as if they are all part of a single circuit.

Single-ended

A two-wire input or output circuit. Single-ended connections are not recommend­ed for connections requiring long cable runs. Use care when using single-ended
connections, because the ground connection is made last and broken first. Turn
the system off/on prior to making or breaking single-ended connections.

ent domain rather than in the voltage domain. The

Operation

f

Of

When the back panel power switch (34) is in the down (0) position, or the AC
power supply cor

d is disconnected, the component is of

LED is not illuminated.

Stand-by

A low-power

-consumption status that keeps the audio and r
idle. The stand-by/power LED (2) is illuminated in r
stand-by mode. Krell recommends leaving the component in stand-by mode when
it is not playing music.

Operation

When the power button (1) or key is pressed, the standby/power LED (2) is illumi­nated in blue, and the component is in operational mode and ready to play music.

9

f, and the stand-by/power

egulator cir

cuits at

ed when the component is in

continue

d

(SECTION ONE: Evolution 505 Features and Technology continued)

Technology

Krell Current Mode

A proprietary Krell circuit topology in which the audio gain stages of a component
operate in the current rather than the voltage domain. This unique technology pro­vides the component with exceptional speed and a wide bandwidth.

SACD Disc

A Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) is an audio disc that provides exceptional
high quality sound. Based on the new Direct Stream Digital (DSD) technology, a
format that comprises a 1-bit system, a SACD has a sampling frequency 64 times
higher than that of a conventional audio CD. With a frequency response of over
50 kHz, and a dynamic range of 120 dB over the entire audible spectrum, the
results are spectacular: There is no better audio disc reproduction.

You will recognize a SACD by the super audio compact disc logo.
There are three SACD disc types:

1. A single layer disc consists of one high density (HD) layer.

2. A dual layer disc consists of two HD layers, and can store twice as much infor-

mation as a single layer disc.

3. A hybrid disc consists of one standard compact disc layer with conventional

two-channel audio compact disc information, and one HD layer.

SACD Disc: Hybrid Disc T

ype

Each SACD disc type may contain two areas of recorded information: a high-quali­ty two-channel area and a high-quality multi-channel area. Recorded information
may vary per area. Refer to the disc inlay for more information.

The hybrid SACD disc type has the most versatile disc playback options, with two
areas of recorded information for SACD playback as well as backward compatibili­ty with existing standard CD and DVD players via the standard compact disc layer.

On a hybrid SACD disc, the two layers are read from the same side of the disc.
The HD layer is read by a DVD laser. The reflective conventional compact disc
layer is read by the CD laser through the second, semi-transmissive HD layer.

CDDA

s. CDDA stands for a

This is the digital audio file type utilized for standar

d CD’

Compact Disc Digital Audio system.

Data Disc

This is a disc composed of digital audio files of a type other than CDDA. The most
widely r

ecognized non-CDDA digital audio file type is MP3.

10