Sony TA-E1 User Manual 2

Ster eo
Preamplifier

3-866-956-12(1)

Operating Instructions
Mode d’emploi

GB
FR

TA-E1

 1999 by Sony Corporation

WARNING

To prevent fire or shock
hazard, do not expose the
unit to rain or moisture.

Do not install the
appliance in a confined
space, such as a bookcase
or built-in cabinet.

For the customers in United States

This symbol 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.

This symbol is intended to alert the user to
the presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.

For the customers in Canada
CAUTION

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT USE THIS POLARIZED AC PLUG
WITH AN EXTENSION CORD,
RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET
UNLESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY
INSERTED TO PREVENT BLADE
EXPOSURE.

Precautions

On safety

Should any solid object or liquid fall into
the cabinet, unplug the preamplifier and
have it checked by qualified personnel
before operating it any further.

On power sources

• Before operating the preamplifier, check
that the operating voltage is identical
with your local power supply. The
operating voltage is indicated on the
nameplate at the rear of the preamplifier.

• The unit is not disconnected from the AC
power source (mains) as long as it is
connected to the wall outlet, even if the
unit itself has been turned off.

• If you are not going to use the
preamplifier for a long time, be sure to
disconnect the preamplifier from the
wall outlet. To disconnect the AC power
cord, grasp the plug itself; never pull the
cord.

• AC power cord must be changed only at
the qualified service shop.

On placement

• Place the preamplifier in a location with
adequate ventilation to prevent heat
buildup and prolong the life of the
preamplifier.

• Do not place the preamplifier near heat
sources, or in a place subject to direct
sunlight, excessive dust or mechanical
shock.

• Do not place anything on top of the
cabinet that might block the ventilation
holes and cause malfunctions.

CAUTION

You are cautioned that any changes or
modification not expressly approved in
this manual could void your authority to
operate this equipment.

Owner’s Record

The model and serial numbers are located
on the rear of the unit. Record the serial
number in the space provided below.
Refer to them whenever you call upon
your Sony dealer regarding this product.

Model No. TA-E1
Serial No.

GB

2

On operation

Before connecting other components, be
sure to turn off and unplug the
preamplifier.

On cleaning

Clean the cabinet, panel and controls with
a soft cloth slightly moistened with a mild
detergent solution. Do not use any type of
abrasive pad, scouring powder or solvent
such as alcohol or benzine.

If you have any question or problem
concerning your preamplifier, please
consult your nearest Sony dealer.

About This Manual

The instructions in this manual are for model TA-E1.
Check your model number by looking at the front panel.
In this manual, the European model is used for
illustration purposes unless stated otherwise. Any
difference in operation is clearly indicated in the text, for
example, “USA/Canada only.”

Conventions

• The instructions in this manual describe the controls on
the preamplifier.

• The following icon is used in this manual:
z Indicates hints and tips for making the task easier.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Hooking Up the Components 4

Unpacking 4
Connections to a Power Amplifier (Unbalanced) 5
Connections to a Power Amplifier (Balanced) 6
Connections to Audio Components 7
Power Hookup 8

Location of Parts and Basic
Operations 10

Front Panel Parts Description 10
Rear Panel Parts Description 12

Other Operations 13

Recording 13

Additional Information 14

Troubleshooting 14
Specifications 15

GB

GB

3

Hooking Up

Unpacking

the
Components

This chapter describes how to connect
an amplifier as well as various audio
components to the preamplifier. Be
sure to read the sections for the
components you have before you
actually connect them to the
preamplifier.

Check that you received the following items with the unit:

• Audio cord (1)

• AC power cord (1)

• AC power plug adapter (3 to 2 prong polarized type) (1)
(USA/Canada only)

Before you get started

• Turn off the power to all components before making
any connections.

• Do not connect the AC power cords until all of the
connections are completed.

• Be sure to make connections firmly to avoid hum and
noise.

• When connecting an audio cord, be sure to match the
color-coded pins to the appropriate jacks on the
components: white (left) to white; and red (right) to
red.

GB

4

Power Amplifier Hookup (Unbalanced Connections)

Connect the preamplifier’s PRE OUT jacks to your power
amplifier’s UNBALANCED input jacks (Sony TA-N1,
etc.). For details, see the operating instructions supplied
with your power amplifier.

L

R

2R1

SACDCDLINE BALANCED LINE

L

DIRECT

OUT IN

TAPE2/MD

Required cords

Audio cords (1 cord is supplied)

When connecting a cord, be sure to match the color-coded pins to
the appropriate jacks on the components.

White (L) White (L)

Red (R) Red (R)

CONNECTION
ASSIGNMENT

1

2

3

1 :GROUND
2 :HOT ( + )
3 :COLD ( – )

1

3

1 :GROUND
2 :HOT ( + )
3 :COLD ( – )

2

OUT IN

TAPE1/DAT

PRE OUT

L

R

R

BALANCED OUT

L

Hooking Up the Components

TA-E1

TA-N1, etc.

SPEAKERS

+

L

RR –

+

–

–A–

–B–

L

+

–

+

IMPEDANCE USE 4~16Ω

A +

B USE 8~16Ω

INPUT

L

R

UNBALANCED

12

BALANCEDUNBALANCED

1

2

–

CONNECTION
ASSIGNMENT

2

1

3

1 : GROUND
2 : HOT(+)

BALANCEDINPUT SELECTOR

R

3 : COLD(–)

L

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5

Power Amplifier Hookup (Balanced Connections)

IN OUT

2 3 1 1 3 2

Hooking Up the Components

Connect the preamplifier’s BALANCED OUT jacks to
your power amplifier’s BALANCED input jacks (Sony
TA-N1, etc.). For details, see the operating instructions
supplied with your power amplifier.

L

R

2 R1

SACDCDLINE BALANCED LINE

L OUT IN

DIRECT

OUT IN

TAPE2/MD

Required cords

Balanced cords (not supplied)

When connecting a cord, be sure to insert the plugs firmly in the
jacks. If the plugs are not connected firmly, noise may be
produced.

To the preamplifier To the power amplifier

(L) (L)

(R) (R)

Note

The pin assignment of the BALANCED output jacks on the
preamplifier is 1:GROUND, 2:HOT, and 3:COLD. When
connections are made to an amplifier with a pin assignment of
1:GROUND, 2:COLD, and 3:HOT, reverse the polarities (‘ and
’) of the speaker cables. For details, refer to the instructions
supplied with the preamplifier.

1: GROUND
2: HOT (+)
3: COLD (–)

CONNECTION
ASSIGNMENT

1

2

3

1 :GROUND
2 :HOT ( + )
3 :COLD ( – )

1

3

1 :GROUND
2 :HOT ( + )
3 :COLD ( – )

2

TAPE1/DAT

PRE OUT

L

R

R

BALANCED OUT

L

TA-E1

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6

TA-N1, etc.

SPEAKERS

+

L

RR –

+

–

–A–

–B–

L

+

–

+

IMPEDANCE USE 4~16Ω

A +

B USE 8~16Ω

INPUT

L

R

UNBALANCED

12

BALANCEDUNBALANCED

1

2

–

CONNECTION
ASSIGNMENT

2

1

3

1 : GROUND
2 : HOT(+)
3 : COLD(–)

L

R

BALANCEDINPUT SELECTOR

Audio Component Hookups

Connect the analog line outputs of your audio
components (SACD player, CD player, MD deck, DAT
deck, tape deck, etc.) to the analog line jacks on this unit.
If you have a component with balanced output capability,
that component can be connected to the BALANCED
LINE jacks on this unit.

Note

When making connections to a CD player (etc.) that has both
balanced and unbalanced output capability, make connections to
either the CD input jacks or to the BALANCED LINE jacks, but
not both. Making connections to both inputs may lessen the
quality of the audio output, or audio may not be output at all.

CD Player

Super Audio CD
Player

OUTPUT

L

R

OUTPUT

L

R

Required cords

Audio cords (not supplied)

When connecting a cord, be sure to match the color-coded pins to
the appropriate jacks on the components.

White (L) White (L)

Red (R) Red (R)

Balanced cords (not supplied)

When connecting a balanced cord, be sure to insert the plugs
firmly in the jacks. If the plugs are not connected firmly, noise
may be produced.

To the source component To the preamplifier

(L) (L)

(R) (R)

Hooking Up the Components

L

R

2R1

Audio component
with balanced
output jacks

R

BALANCED OUT

SACDCDLINE BALANCED LINE

L

TA-E1

CONNECTION
ASSIGNMENT

1

L

R

DIRECT

ç

IN

OUT IN

TAPE2/MD

ç

OUT

OUT IN

TAPE1/DAT

IN

ç

PRE OUT

R

OUT

ç

L

BALANCED OUT

L

Tape deck,
MD deck ,
(etc.)

OUTPUT

INPUT

L

R

INPUT

OUTPUT

2

1 :GROUND
2 :HOT ( + )
3 :COLD ( – )

1

1 :GROUND
2 :HOT ( + )
3 :COLD ( – )

Tape deck,
DAT deck ,
(etc.)

L

R

3

2

3

GB

7

Power Hookup

Hooking Up the Components

Before connecting the AC power cord of this preamplifier
to a wall outlet:

• Make sure that the power switch on the preamplifier is
in the off position.

Connect the supplied power cord to the AC IN terminal
on this unit.

Connecting to the power outlet

(European model only)
Connect the supplied power cord to a wall outlet.

(USA/Canadian model only)
The supplied power cord has a 3-pronged grounded plug.
If you are using a 3-pronged grounded outlet, the plug
can be inserted directly into the outlet. However, if the
socket is a 2-pronged grounded outlet, use the supplied
AC power plug adapter or a commercially available AC
power plug adapter.

3-pronged grounded outlet

2-pronged polarized outlet

• When using a grounded outlet (the inlets are different sizes)
Use the supplied AC power plug adapter.

3 to 2 prong polarized
AC power plug adapter

N pole

If noise (hum) is produced

Noise may be caused by an electrical potential difference on the
ground circuit*. In this case, use the supplied AC power plug
adapter and be careful not to connect the ground lead to
anything.
* Although the ground of the domestic outlet is normally a safety

ground, a slight electrical potential difference may be
produced, depending on the outlet. Therefore, use of the
supplied 3-pronged power cord may lessen the quality of the
audio signal or may produce humming noise.

Note

We recommend that you connect this unit directly to a wall
outlet. If you must use a multi-outlet tap, or extension cord, be
sure to use one capable of handling high current (at least 10 A) or
one designed for office use.

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8

Hooking Up the Components

GB

9

Location of Parts and Basic Operations

This chapter provides information
about the locations and functions of
the buttons and controls on the front
and the various jacks on the rear
panel. It also explains basic
operations.

Front Panel Parts Description

1 U (power) switch

Press to turn the preamplifier on and off.

• Before you turn on the preamplifier, make sure that you
have turned the VOLUME control to the leftmost position
to avoid damaging your speakers.

2 Power indicator

Lights red for 12 seconds when preamplifier is turned
on, and then lights green.

3 INPUT SELECTOR control

Turn to select the component you want to use.

To select Turn to light

DAT deck, tape deck 1 DAT/TAPE 1
MD deck MD/TAPE 2
BALANCED LINE BALANCED LINE

SACD player SACD

CD player CD
LINE 1 LINE 1

LINE 2 LINE 2

After selecting the component, turn on the component
you selected and play the program source.

10

GB