Manley JUMBO SHRIMP User Manual
JUMBO SHRIMP®
OWNER’S MANUAL
TUBES
RULE
rev4/20/11cd
CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
INTRODUCTION 3
MAINS CONNECTIONS 4
GETTING STARTED 5
MOVING RIGHT ALONG 6
FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS 7
SIMPLE TROUBLESHOOTING 9
REPLACING A TUBE OR LAMP 10
TUBE FAQ 11
MORE SILLY VACUUM TUBE QUESTIONS 12
OPTIMIZING YOUR SOUND SYSTEM 13
REMORA REMOTE CONTROL INSTRUCTIONS 15
SPECIFICATIONS 16
2
INTRODUCTION
THANK YOU!...
for choosing the Manley JUMBO SHRIMP® PREAMPLIFIER!
The JUMBO SHRIMP shares key outward features found in many of its counterparts both past and present. It is a two-
channel single-ended line level control preamplier with ve sets of stereo inputs, and two sets of paralleled stereo line
outputs. A ve-position input selector switch routes the chosen signal directly to the rst amplier tube’s control grid.
Amplied signals, boosted about 4 times [11.8 dB] are then fed through a dedicated White-Follower stage (using 5670
triodes) to effortlessly drive the (motorized!) high quality ALPS stereo variable attenuator, known for its stability, long
life, ease of servicing and good inter-channel level tracking characteristics. This is followed by a similarly appealing,
center-detented ALPS stereo balance potentiometer.
The attenuator network output is then fed to a special White-follower output stage. This output circuit has been a
favorite of ours for many years mainly due to the stage’s inherently low output impedance, simplicity, wide bandwidth,
ease of drive, modest feedback requirements and graceful overload characteristics. Ordinarily, the typical JUMBO
SHRIMP user would not ever begin to approach the limits of this output stage under normal line and loading circumstances.
High quality polypropylene dielectric lm-and-foil capacitors have been employed at all signal-coupling points in the
circuit along with two extravagant 30 microfarad metalized monsters coupling the output stage signals to the output
RCA jacks. These are all MultiCaps made by our buddy Bas Lim at Rel Cap. We know you would rather listen to
superior capacitors such as these over some cheap electrolytic capacitors like you might nd in other gear.
But the JUMBO SHRIMP’s cardinal feature is its uncomplex non-inverting signal path. This minimal signal path
approach is designed to bring unbalanced RCA-type line inputs up to levels suitable for proper drive of downstream
power ampliers in the simplest and most direct way possible. This is accomplished by using only three active stages,
as described above, through the judicious use of vacuum tubes, whose purpose-designed application in audio amplication is, as always, pressed to full advantage. By so doing, the endeavor here is to provide the most direct, uncolored,
quiet and wide-band signal path possible so that the native character of the chosen source material may be heard without encumbrances from a set of imposed limitations brought on by the preamp. In this spirit, there are no provisions
for balanced inputs or outputs. Since the whole guts of the Jumbo Shrimp are inherently single-ended, adding balanced
I/O would require additional circuitry, transformers, or IC’s which would inevitably color the sound.
Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not mention the clever REMORA REMOTE CONTROL that comes standard
with every Jumbo Shrimp. This little box commands the motorized ALPS volume control via radio frequency signals,
so it works through doors, walls, cabinets, you name it!
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 Jumbo Shrimp! (and the clever Owner’s Manual.)
UNPACKING: Unpack the amplier carefully and make sure that all supplied accessories are present. Carefully examine all items for any possibility of shipping damage. All four tubes should be standing at attention in their sockets,
and 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 JUMBO SHRIMP 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) 1 each, 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 Jumbo
Shrimp in the careless hands of The Shipping People again.
3
MAINS CONNECTIONS
Your JUMBO SHRIMP 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.
Exportunitsforcertainmarketshaveamouldedmainsplugttedtocomplywithlocalrequirements.Ifyourunit
doesnothaveaplugttedthecolouredwiresshouldbeconnectedtotheappropriateplugterminalsinaccordancewith
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:
TheEuropeanParliamentandtheCounciloftheEuropeanUnionhaveissuedtheWasteElectricalandElectronicEquipmentDirective.ThepurposeoftheDirectiveisthepreventionofwasteofelectricalandelectronicequipment,andtopromotethereuseandrecyclingandotherformsofrecoveryofsuchwaste.Assuchthe
Directive concerns producers, distributors and consumers.
TheWEEEdirectiverequiresthatbothmanufacturersandend-consumersdisposeofelectricalandelectronicequipmentandpartsinanenvironmentallysafemanner,andthatequipmentandwastearereusedorrecoveredfortheirmaterialsorenergy.Electricalandelectronicequipmentandpartsmustnotbedisposedofwith
normalhouseholdwastage;allelectricalandelectronicequipmentandpartsmustbecollectedanddisposedofseparately.
Productsandequipmentwhichmustbecollectedforreuse,recyclingandotherformsofrecoveryaremarkedwiththefollowingpictogram:
Smallproductsmaynotalwaysbemarkedwiththispictograminwhichcasethisispresentintheinstructionsforuse,ontheguaranteecerticateandprintedonthe
packaging.
Whendisposingofelectricalandelectronicequipmentbyuseofthecollectionsystemsavailableinyourcountry,youprotecttheenvironment,humanhealthand
contributetotheprudentandrationaluseofnaturalresources.Collectingelectricalandelectronicequipmentandwastepreventsthepotentialcontaminationof
naturewiththehazardoussubstanceswhichmaybepresentinelectricalandelectronicproductsandequipment.
Your MANLEY or LANGEVIN retailer will assist with and advise you of the correct way of disposal in your country.
4
GETTING STARTED
PREPARATION FOR INSTALLATION
Budget a suitable space in which to place the preamplier and associated interconnect and mains power cables. This space should be free of strong external magnetic and RF elds, and reasonably removed from strong
loudspeaker-generated acoustical elds. This space should also be free of excessive heat or dust and large enough
to permit easy ow of cool air to the top, bottom and sides of the preamp. Do not connect the JUMBO SHRIMP
to the AC mains until the other interconnections and items outlined below have been completed.
Keep other associated equipment some distance away from the preamp. This will help keep airow unrestricted,
and cut down interference from radiated magnetic hum elds that can eminate from certain power supplies.
Before plugging in your interconnects, take a quick visual inspection of the tubes. Sometimes either through shipping or unpacking things get jostled. Make sure all tubes are rmly in their sockets and not sagging or leaning.
You might also verify that none have turned white inside. That indicates that air has leaked inside the tube (or the
vacuum leaked out!). Though it is rare, a tube is sometimes cracked or broken in shipping. It would need to be
replaced before powering up the Jumbo Shrimp.
Once in place, connect the input and output cabling to the signal sources and loads as desired.
Plug in your interconnects, one at a time, from each source, ie CD, Tuner, AUX, then connect each input to the
appropriate RCA jack on the Shrimp. All RCA jacks are clearly labled as to a typical function. Each input is for all
intents functionally and electronically the same - only the labels are different.
CD - Plug in your audio outputs from your CD player or DAC here. Kind of obvious. A good spot for the main
L & R signals from a DVD player. Do not patch lines marked “digital output, SPDIF or AC-3 here though.
These are un-decoded digital signals and not audio (yet).
VIDEO - Audio actually, from a DVD/VCR audio outputs. Again, watch out for AC-3, video output and Svideo. Don’t plug those things into your Jumbo Shrimp.
TUNER INPUT - Connect your FM/AM tuner outputs here.
AUX - Plux your Aux in here. What is an Aux? It stands for Auxilliary and basically means “extra”, so this is just
an extra input for any other source that we didn’t label or you have two of.
If you need to connect a turntable (vinyl!) you will need a separate phono preamp to raise the level from and
perform RIAA equalization to the tiny signal from the phono cartridge to bring him up regular line levels like what
the Jumbo Shrimp wants to deal with. The Manley Steelhead can do this for you...
REC OUT - This is an unbuffered Record Output. The signal present at these RCA jacks is the same as whatever
is selected right as it enters the Shrimp. It does not pass through any circuitry other than the selector switch. It is
not affected by the volume control. You can use this output to record from. Plug this into your tape deck recording
inputs, CD Recorder audio inputs, or computer audio inputs if you want to record or dub whatever you are listening
to. Note: some sneaky recording devices can play funny tricks on unbuffered Record Outs which could adversely
affect your audiophile listening experience. Some devices have low-ish imput impedances which can “load down”
the selected input as they are directly seeing each other. Other bastards, if they happen to have certain IC circuitry,
and they happen to be turned off, can present a most undesireable loading condition on also what is your main input
to this Shrimp. To avoid all these surprises, it is recommended to only plug in recording devices to the REC OUT
jacks when you are actually going to record something.
MAIN OUTS - This is what you plug into your power ampliers. We gave you two sets of paralleled Main
Outputs so you don’t have to use an external “Y” cable if you are driving two sets of ampliers in a Bi-Amp
situation or if you are driving satellites and a subwoofer. We try to be thoughful as we can.
5
MOVING RIGHT ALONG...
Why can’t I have balanced ins or outs?
Like we said earlier, since the whole guts of the Jumbo Shrimp are inherently single-ended, adding balanced
I/O would require additional circuitry, transformers, or IC’s which would inevitably color the sound.
If you have some gear that you are trying to hook up to the Jumbo Shrimp that offers both balanced and unbal-
anced connectors, in many cases, you will nd that the XLR balanced jack does indeed go through extra stuff just
to become balanced, and in many cases this was done purely for marketing reasons because sometime in the 1990’s
somebody started telling everyone in the Hi biz that “balanced was better” and everybody started banging on extra
balancing thingies and all the cable guys got to sell everybody new cables. (end of cynical rant...) Balanced runs
are indeed mandatory for very long runs of cable, and certainly there are benets of Common Mode Rejection and
cancellation of odd harmonics in balanced circuitry, especially fully differential circuitry. However, to pull this off
in tube-land with no coupling transformers or extra “stuff” to have to listen through is quite a challenge and in our
experience, the purity and elegance found in low-level single-ended tube circuits just can’t be beat. In the quest for
The Ultimate Good Thing, we adopt the “Less is More” mantra. Try it and see.
If you have other gear that only has balanced ins or outs, check its owner’s manual to see how it prefers to be
hooked up to a single ended device. Some equipment, especially transformer coupled gear, must have something
always hooked up to both legs. Presuming the convention of Pin 2 = HOT, one would wire an RCA to XLR cable
as follows:
RCA PIN to XLR Pin 2
RCA Outer Shield/Ground to Pins 1 & 3
If the device you are trying to interface with the Jumbo Shrimp prefers to NOT have anything hooked up to Pin
3 in an unbalanced interface, (some IC gear is like this) then hook up: RCA PIN to XLR Pin 2
RCA Outer Shield/Ground to Pin 1 only, leaving Pin 3 empty and neglected.
Check with the manufacturer of your other balanced equipment to see how best to hook it up. It can be done.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE ALL YOUR CABLES PLUGGED IN, you may now connect the IEC power cord to
the preamp and to an energized power outlet.
(Unless you live in California and are in the middle of a Rolling Greyout
Set the VOLUME control to about 9 o’clock. Choose an active input, as necessary, with the INPUT control. Place
the balance control at the center detent position.
Place the preamp’s mains power switch in the ON position. The MUTE switch lamp will start ashing and the
MANLEY SHRIMP badge will light up. The winking MUTE lamp indicates the beginning of a 30 second warm-up
mute delay, during which time the muting relay is engaged; no output will be heard from the preamp. As soon as
everything is settled down inside, the MUTE will go off and stop winking at you. If the MUTE light is still steadily
illuminated, then push it so the MUTE will go off and tunes can play.
DURING OPERATION
Once audio is heard from the JUMBO SHRIMP the exploration for comfortable volume and balance control
settings can begin. Notice that it takes about 45 minutes of warm-up time for the system to reach thermal equilibrium. During this warm up time, go walk your dog, make dinner, or play some lite pop music. The Monkees
would be a fun choice. Or even Tom Jones.
POWER DOWN
At the conclusion of your listening session rotate the power knob to the OFF position to cut power to the preamp.
Notice that effort has been made to keep power engagement and cessation noise generated by the preamp to a
minimum. Nevertheless it is wise to remove power mains and signal feed to your power amps when the preamp is
undergoing a power state change. As a rule, power up your ampliers last, power down them rst so they do not
amplify any stray noises which could occur upstream from source components powering up or down. Additionally,
it is best to cut power to the JUMBO SHRIMP when not in use rather then leaving the power on indenitely. This
will enhance tube and system life. The tubes should last thousands of hours under normal conditions.
®™ .)
6
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