Parasound PHP-850 Owner's Manual

O W N E R ´ S M A N U A L

P H P - 8 5 0 S t e r e o P r e a m p l i f i e r

Congratulations on your purchase of this precision audio component and thank you for your selection of
Parasound. Your new PHP-850 Stereo Preamplifier has been designed with the latest technology to become
the heart of a top flight, but practical music system. With premium parts and advanced design, the PHP-850
represents one of the finest preamplifier values we've ever offered. You have made an excellent choice.

Please take a few moments now to read these instructions thoroughly so you may fully understand the
sophisticated capabilities of your new preamplifier.

Remove the AC cord which is packed separately inside the carton. We recommend using only this specially
selected cord for best musical reproduction.

Save your carton and the cardboard inserts for future safe transport in case you move or the unit requires
shipping for repair. Note: the actual printed carton is not itself strong enough for safe shipping: you must
place this carton into an additional outer "overcarton" before shipment.

Before you proceed, find the serial number which is located on the rear panel of the unit and note it here for
future reference or in case the unit is ever stolen___________________________.

Unpacking

Placement

Keep your Parasound PHP-850 out of direct sunlight and away from windows which might accidentally be
left open to let in rain. It should be placed away from a heat source such as hot air registers or radiators. Do
not place the unit directly on a pile carpet that could interfere with air flow into its bottom vent openings. If
you stack your components, we suggest you place your PHP-850 below or alongside other components
which may generate heat. Proximity to some power amplifiers may contaminate low level signals with
radiated hum from their transformers.

Making Connections

Before making any signal connections, make sure your PHP-850's volume control is turned fully counter­clockwise or its power is turned off. When making connections, make sure then is no strain or tension on any
wires that could cause them to pull loose later on.

Input Connections

•CD These inputs have the same input sensivity and impedance and are

•Tuner compatible with any typical analog line level source: DAT, DCC, audio

•Video output of a Laserdisc or VCR, D-A converter, tape deck. It’s normal if

•Tape your CD player or D-A converter sounds louder than any of the other

sources and requires a slight volume control adjustment.

•Phono This input accepts the output of a MM or high output MC phono cartridge.

•GND Terminal The adjacent ground “GND” terminal is used for the 3rd ground wire from

the turntable. in some rare cases, disconnecting the ground wire will reduce
audible hum.

Tape Record/Playback Jacks

Play jacks connect to the Line Output jacks of the analog deck.
Rec jacks connect to the Line Input jacks at the deck.

Make sure you connect inputs and outputs of the Right and Left channels consistently, otherwise channels
will be exchanged when you replay a tape you had recorded through this system.

Line Out Connectors
Normal These are the jacks you can use with any power amplifier. They connect to circuits

that block DC which might be amplified through the power amplifier.

Direct These are directly coupled and are used where you are certain your amplifier

either blocks DC with a capacitor at its input or bypasses DC with servo cir-

cuits. The Direct output should sound a little stronger and clearer.

AC Line cord

The IEC standard AC cord supplied with your PHP-850 is an audiophile-grade accessory. Please connect it
directly to an AC wall outlet and avoid use of an extension cord or power strip; these will degrade sound
quality.

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Operating your PHP-850

Before turning the unit on, recheck all your connections and turn down the volume control to avoid any
unpleasant "blasts" that could damage your speakers.

Power Switch

Press the upper part of the rocker to turn on. Press the lower part of the rocker to turn off. There will be a
slight delay after turn on, while circuits are muted as they are stabilizing.

Volume Control

Adjust listening level; the knob controls a smooth, precision potentiometer. If your power amplifier has gain
controls, they should be adjusted to accommodate a 11AM-1PM setting or your PHP-850 volume control
knob for your most frequent listening level.

Balance Control

Adjust relative left and right volume levels with this precision control. If clockwise rotation favors the left
channel speaker as you face it, you have reversed Right and Left hookups between your preamp and power
amplifier or between your power amplifier and speakers.

lnput Select Buttons

Press the button for the source you wish to hear . LED indicators indicate selection. (Remember, Phono is for
turntables only.)

Bass and Treble Tone Controls

These offer precision adjustment of tonal balance. To preserve sonic clarity, use these controls sparingly and
only for recordings that sound better with them. You will find that very slight adjustments can add a degree
of warmth, richness, clarity and airiness. However, greater adjustments may obscure musical detail, and
even risk overloading your speakers.

Tone Defeat

By pressing this button, you bypass all of the tone control circuitry. This will give you audiophile purity,
reduced phase shift, noise and distortion, as if the tone controls were not present.

Headphone Jack

For private listening at any time. It accommodates headphones with an impedance range from 8 Ω to 600 Ω.
T o listen privately , you must turn off your power amplifier , as inserting a headphone plug into this jack does
not mute the signal at the Line Output jacks.

Burning-in your PHP-850

Like many other great preamplifiers, your PHP-850 requires at least 72 hours of continuous operation after
it is first turned on to sound its best. This gives various internal components and wiring a chance to "form"
their optimum electron paths and pass complex musical information with greater definition, smoothness,
and transparency.

Although we're certain your PHP-850 will sound spectacular when you first turn it on, you will find it
worthwhile to reserve your final judgment until you've listened after a more few days. You'll discover addi­tional details you may not have imagined in your music.

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Maintaining your PHP-850

Your PHP-850 requires no periodic maintenance and has no user serviceable parts inside. Don't remove the
top cover to avoid risk of electric shock. To keep it clean use only a soft cloth and never use any solvents or
abrasives. Fingerprints may be removed with a soft cloth moistened only with a few drops of water or glass
cleaner.

Your PHP-850 has corrosion-free gold RCA jacks, but it is a good idea to twist the input plugs to preserve
perfect signal transfer by removing corrosion which might have accumulated on the connecting plugs them­selves, if they are not gold plated.

Power Fuse

If this fuse blows, it is an indication of internal parts failure. Do not replace it with any larger value to avoid
damage to internal parts. Substitution of a larger fuse will void your warranty.

In Case of Trouble

If you suspect a problem with your unit, first recheck all your connections. If one channel is inoperative, the
trouble may be caused by another component or even a defective hookup cable. If only one channel remains
inoperative, try reversing the Left and Right cables to your power amplifier (turn it off before moving
wires). If the same channel stays out, it indicates trouble could be other than your preamp itself. We suggest
you contact your authorized Parasound dealer or call Parasound T echnical Service if you suspect a problem.
We will suggest other diagnostic tests you can easily perform and which will save you a lot of trouble.

If we determine that your PHP-850 should be returned to Parasound for inspection and possible servicing,
you must first obtain a Return Authorization number from Parasound. You will be asked to re-pack the unit
in its original carton and cardboard packing plus an additional outerbox over its own box for proper protec­tion in transit. The Return Authorization number must be clearly marked on the outer carton only. You
should ship the unit by UPS with adequate insurance specified. You must include a copy of your purchase
receipt to validate your ownership.

Units that arrive without an RA number, without a suitable shipping carton or with evidence of improper
internal packing materials may be refused. We do not accept collect shipments. After repair under warranty ,
the unit will be returned to you via prepaid UPS within the Continrental United States. In case of a non­warranty repair, contact us and we will advise you of the repair charges before you ship the unit to us. The
same packing and Return Authorization number requirements apply.

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Frequency Response

10Hz - 100 kHz, +0/-2 dB, full output

Distortion

< 0.009% THD, 1 kHz
<0.01%THD, 20 kHz
<0.01% IM

Maximum Output

> 10 V before clipping

lnput lmpedance

High Level 30 kΩ, +/- 5%
Phono 47 kΩ, +/- 5%

lnput Sensitivity

High Level l50mV
Phono 2.5 mV

Max lnput Level

High Level 9.5 V
Phono 160 mV

PHP-850 Specifications

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

High Level > 93 dB, A-weighted, full output
High Level > 90 dB, A-weighted, full output -6 dB
Phono > 65 dB, A-weighted, full output

Maximum Hum

< 0.04 mV, full output

Crosstalk

> 60 dB, ≥ 10 kHz, full output

Separation

> 80 dB, ≤ 10 kHz, full output, tone controls off
> 60 dB, ≤ 10 kH, full output, tone controls on

Channel Balance

≤ 0.8 dB
≤ 1.5 dB, -60 dB

Tone Control Range

10 dB, +/- 100 Hz
10 dB, +/- 10 kHz

Dimensions

17" wide x 3 5/8" high x 11 1/2" deep

Power Requirements

110 V - 120 V AC, 10 W

Weight

13 1/2 lb.

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Special Features

• 100% pure Class A

• J-FET input stage

• Best Analog Devices parts

• CMOS solid-state switching

• Buffered outputs

• IEC removable AC cord

• Function LEDs

• Gold-plated jacks

• FR 4 glass circuit boards

• 19,000 µF filter bank

• Film bypass caps

• Gold series capacitors

• Precision volume control

• Headphone output

Please Stay in Touch

• Direct coupled output

• Defeatable tone controls

• Turn on/off mute circuit

• Accurate RlAA for phono

• Silver clad copper wiring

• Low distortion design

We'd like to hear from you about your experience with your Parasound PHP-850. Of course we want to
assist you with any questions you may have, but we'd also be thrilled to know how much you are enjoying
the unit. You don't need to have a problem as an excuse to call.

Reviews are coming in from all over the world and we continually have exciting new products in develop­ment. If you'd like us to keep you advised, just drop a line and ask to receive updates. We welcome your
suggestions and look forward to hearing from you.

Parasound Products, Inc. 950 Battery Street San Francisco, CA 94111

Tel [phone] Fax [phone]

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©1994 Parasound Products, Inc.