Manley 300B RC User Manual
THE NEO-CLASSIC 300B
PREAMPLIFIER RC
OWNER’S MANUAL
TUBES
RULE
rev4.20.11cd
CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
INTRODUCTION & GENERAL NOTES 3
MAINS CONNECTIONS 4
CONNECTING YOUR PREAMPLIFIER 5
FIGURE 1 FRONT PANEL 6
FIGURE 2 TOP VIEW 7
FIGURE 3 BACK PANEL 8
OPERATIONAL NOTES 9
REMORA REMOTE CONTROL OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 10
SPECIFICATIONS 14
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THANK YOU!...
INTRODUCTION
for choosing the Manley Laboratories 300B Preamplier RC. Handcrafted in Chino, CA, the Neo-Classic 300B Preamplier RC uses beautiful sounding parts in a clever and clean signal path. This Preamp features the 300B direct
heated triode as the line and headphone driver. The 300B is typically used in low power ampliers as a power tube.
These 300B-based amps generally deliver 5 to 9 watts single-ended and cost from $3,000 to over $100,000! Some
of these amps sound very nice coupled with efcient speakers. Our Neo-Classic 300B SE/PP Power Amplier uses
a pair of 300B’s that can be operated single-ended or push-pull, and delivers up to 22 watts. We consider the 300B
to be an extremely luscious tube for low-power purposes. Driving headphones and cables is a natural application for
these tubes. This is where the impedances are not too low and the power requirements are not too high but where
smaller triodes tubes might run out of steam. In our Neo-Classic 300B Preamplier, we combine the classic 300B
with another classic - the octal-based 6SL7GT dual triode to perform the amplication duties. To complement this
tube choice we also employ tube-based rectication and regulation as well as our usual extreme ltering with gobs of
large lter caps.
To complement our best sounding line driver to date, we surround it with proven passive components such as gold
plated connectors, high purity copper wire, Mil-spec printed circuit boards with extra thick copper and plating, ceramic sockets, and custom-designed transformers. All the audiophile goodies are in here and together the sum total is
a beautiful sounding preamplier which we know will provide years of faithful service.
LOCATION & VENTILATION
The Neo-Classic 300B Preamplier must be installed in a stable location with ample ventilation. It is recommended,
if this unit is rack mounted, that you allow enough clearance on the bottom of the preamp such that a constant ow
of air can ow through the ventilation slots. The top should be given enough clearence to allow sufcient ventilation
above the tubes. We also recommend that the preamplier be placed at least 10 inches away from its amplier.
WATER & MOISTURE
As with all electronic equipment, this unit should be kept away from moisture of any kind. You’re allowed to weep
with joy at the sounds it makes, but keep those salty tears away from the power supply!
SERVICING
The user should not attempt to service the preamplier beyond that described in the owner’s manual. Refer all
servicing other than tube replacement to Manley Laboratories.
SPECIAL NOTES
The 300B’s are packaged separately to prevent damage. You will need to carefully plug them in before powering-up
the preamp. Pay attention to the size of the pins to properly align the tubes before inserting. The large pins go into the
large sockets. It is difcult but possible to insert the 300B’s wrong and damage the preamp. Tubes may become loose
during transit. Straighten and press down each tube before plugging the preamplier into the mains socket. Furthermore, do not touch the tubes while the preamplier is switched on, as the tubes do become very hot during operation
and should only be handled after the power has been turned off and the tubes have cooled.
Please read over this entertaining and enjoyable owner s manual carefully as it contains information essential
to the proper operation and maximum enjoyment of this instrument.
Thank you again, and please enjoy your new Neo-Classic 300B Preamplier RC! (and the clever Owner s Manual.)
UNPACKING: Unpack the preamplier carefully and make sure that all supplied accessories are present. Carefully
examine all items for any possibility of shipping damage. All the tubes should show no signs of distress such as
chipped glass, loose internal components or obvious breakage.
If the preamplier is damaged or fails to operate, notify the shipper or your dealer or us or your local authorities
immediately. Or if you suspect The Shipping People threw it off the airplane and onto your front porch whilst ying
overhead at 30,000 feet, notify the shipping company without delay and complain to them as we only guarantee this
unit to be able to survive a drop of 23,487 feet or less.
Your Neo-Classic 300B Preamplier RC was packed with extreme love and includes the following components
and accessories:
a) 1 each, 6 foot IEC 3-conductor power cable (that you will probably replace with an expensive audiophile cord
anyway.)
b) 1 each, Owner s Manual (that we hope you will keep reading.)
c) The tubes: 2 x 300B, 2 x 6SL7GT, 2 x OD3, and 2 x 5U4 vacuum tubes
d) 1 REMORA Remote Control
It is prudent to retain the shipping materials for future use, as they are custom-formed for the preamp and
will greatly minimize the chance of shipping-related damage should you ever need to put your precious
Neo-Classic 300B Preamplier in the careless hands of The Shipping People again.
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MAINS CONNECTIONS
Your Neo-Classic 300B Preamplier RC has been factory set to the correct mains voltage for your country. The
voltage setting is marked on the serial badge, located on the rear panel. Check that this complies with your local supply.
Export units for certain markets have a moulded mains plug tted to comply with local requirements. If your unit
does not have a plug tted the coloured wires should be connected to the appropriate plug terminals in accordance with
the following code:
GREEN/YELLOW EARTH
BLUE NEUTRAL
BROWN LIVE
As the colours of the wires in the mains lead may not correspond with the coloured marking identifying the terminals in your plug proceed as follows:
The wire which is coloured GREEN/YELLOW must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked
by the letter E or by the safety earth symbol or coloured GREEN or GREEN and YELLOW.
The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the letter
N or coloured BLACK.
The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the
letter L or coloured RED.
DO NOT CONNECT/SWITCH ON THE MAINS SUPPLY UNTIL ALL OTHER CONNECTIONS HAVE
BEEN MADE.
Note: This unit has been factory wired for your country. If you plan to take the unit to countries with a differ-
ent mains voltage you will need to send the unit to a qualied service technician, or contact the Manley Labs
Service Center (email: service@manleylabs.com) for the correct transformer primaries wiring conversion.
Alternatively, you may use outboard AC voltage step-up or step-down transformers as appropriate.
100V & 120V Operation: Uses a 0.5A SLO-BLO fuse.
220 & 240V Operation: Uses a 0.25A SLO-BLO fuse.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
Information for customers:
The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have issued the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. The purpose of the Directive is the prevention of waste of electrical and electronic equipment, and to promote the reuse and recycling and other forms of recovery of such waste. As such the
Directive concerns producers, distributors and consumers.
The WEEE directive requires that both manufacturers and end-consumers dispose of electrical and electronic equipment and parts in an environmentally safe manner, and that equipment and waste are reused or recovered for their materials or energy. Electrical and electronic equipment and parts must not be disposed of with
normal household wastage; all electrical and electronic equipment and parts must be collected and disposed of separately.
Products and equipment which must be collected for reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery are marked with the following pictogram:
Small products may not always be marked with this pictogram in which case this is present in the instructions for use, on the guarantee certicate and printed on the
packaging.
When disposing of electrical and electronic equipment by use of the collection systems available in your country, you protect the environment, human health and
contribute to the prudent and rational use of natural resources. Collecting electrical and electronic equipment and waste prevents the potential contamination of
nature with the hazardous substances which may be present in electrical and electronic products and equipment.
Your MANLEY or LANGEVIN retailer will assist with and advise you of the correct way of disposal in your country.
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CONNECTING YOUR PREAMPLIFIER
Setting up your preamplifier is rather easy.
1. Please refer to page 8 for an illustration of the back of the preamplifier.
2. Connect the RCA outputs to the input of your power amplifiers when they are off.
3. UNBALANCED inputs are found on RCA jack inputs and can be connected to any
line level sources such as CD players, tuners or tape decks.
4. All RCA jacks are clearly labeled as to a typical function. Each input is, for all intents
and purposes, functionally and electronically the same. Only the labels are different.
5. The record output is not buffered and it is recommended that one have the tape
feed plugged into the REC OUT only when actually recording. Care should be
used when using a 3-head tape/monitor switch as this record out is not a tape loop.
6. On the left end of the back panel is a standard IEC mains connector. This should
be connected to a standard mains outlet with the supplied cable. This unit has been
hard-wired for the mains voltage in your country
7. Power up the preamplifier FIRST and allow it to settle for a minimum of 30 seconds
before powering up your amplifiers. Turn off your preamplifier and source components LAST when powering down a system. This prevents amplification of turn-on
transients and other noises when powering up or turning a system off and ultimately
protects the speakers.
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