TAG MCLAREN AUDIO 100x5R sl Owner's Manual

contents

01

02 controls

04 welcome

06 features

14 set-up

19 remote control

23 TAGtronic Communications Bus

24 grounding and hum

25 running in and warming up

26 care and maintenance

28 technical data

five channel amplifier 100x5R s

6595P

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controls

03

Specification shown may vary for different countries

controls

02

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welcome

05

heading

04

In addition to our experience in the
world of hi-fi we are able to utilise our
expertise in mechanical engineering,
material science, multi-layer printed circuit
boards, fast digital signal processing,
electronic noise suppression, radio
frequency technology and software design
to name but a few.

All these skills are sharpened to compete
in the toughest of all technical sports:
Formula One motor racing.We directly
apply them to enhance high-end audio, for
example material science makes better
audio interconnects and resonant - free
loudspeaker cabinets, suspension
technology decouples better electronics

from the sound field and digital signal
processing makes better home cinema
products.The list is almost endless.

I have been an audiophile for more
than 30 years, and have used and upgraded
many, many audio systems in that time.
Our aim is sonic perfection combined with
aesthetic delight and solid build quality – a
rare combination in hi-fi but one which TAG
McLaren Audio is already delivering.

It is our technical expertise, combined
with the strongest desire to be the best,
which has produced this hi-technology,
multi channel amplifier 100x5R. Its
development has pushed the boundaries of
refinement in the field of home cinema
further. It perfectly compliments our
excellent AV32R audio-visual processor and
DVD32R dvd player.Whether used for two­channel stereo or full five channel surround
sound, we are convinced that, with the
100x5R, you will never be disappointed.

TAG McLaren Audio exists with one
aim in mind: to produce the very best high­end audio and audio-visual equipment in
the world.

Like many people, I often have my best
ideas when relaxing to a piece of music or
watching a movie. For years, knowing the
technical capabilities of TAG McLaren, I
have nurtured the ambition to push sound
reproduction to the absolute limit; that’s
why we formed TAG McLaren Audio.

At the core of our development team are
highly experienced electronics engineers
whose heritage of award-winning hi-fi and
world-beating electronic control systems is
envied by many and equalled by few.

welcome to

Dr. Udo Zucker – Physicist, PhD in

Science, designer of award-winning

control electronics, dedicated audiophile

and Chief Executive Officer of TAG

McLaren Audio

Award-winning TAG McLaren technology -

the TAG2000 F1 powertrain control system

has been selected as a Millennium Product

the TAG McLaren Audio home cinema experience

welcome

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features

07

features

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The 100x5R is a powerful, hi-performance amplifier which
delivers sound reproduction of outstanding clarity and purity for
up to five channels.TAG McLaren Audio's expertise in amplifier
design has led to a product which will satisfy the audiophile and
movie lover.

For many years it has been considered quite impossible to set­up a home cinema system to the same high standards as an
audiophile stereo set-up. However, with the advent of ultra­high-resolution, high-performance DVD, we now can have ‘no-

Thank you for purchasing the TAG McLaren Audio five-channel amplifier 100x5R.

compromise’ home cinema with truly
excellent sound and picture quality. In many
homes the home cinema system has now
replaced the two channel stereo set-up,
requiring components to complement but
also to compete with the best audiophile
products.

Home cinema provides an all involving
sound field, with sound reaching the listener
from all directions, just like it happens in the
real world. More and more recordings are
now available including full surround sound,
but even two channel stereo recordings can
sound breathtaking when surround
information is added.Whilst initial surround
sound recordings (such as Dolby Pro
Logic™) provided most of the sound energy
to the front channels with often only very
subtle information in the surround channels,
the latest 5.1 digital recordings can provide
full sound to any of the five channels,
individually or at the same time.

Audiophiles have known for many years
that precision, clarity, stereo image and
depth can be improved by using so called
monoblocs or single channel amplifiers.
Providing completely independent
amplification for each channel prevents
interaction between them, resulting in a
cleaner signal and hence better clarity and
stereo imaging.This is true whether dealing
with two channels or with five channels!

The TAG McLaren Audio five-channel
amplifier 100x5R includes five completely
independent amplifiers, one for each
channel, including power switching,
transformer, power supply and
amplification.The only feature shared is the
remote control circuitry which allows each
channel to be switched on/off individually
using a microcontroller.This micro­controller is also used to switch off the
amplifier should problems be detected in
a channel.

five channel amplifier 100x5R s

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features

09

features

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TAG McLaren Audio's five-channel
amplifier can be equipped with one, two,
three, four or all five channels of
amplification, making it suitable for a stereo
set-up or complete home cinema system.
The 100x5R is fully remote controlled and
can be expanded into a multi-room set-up
using the TAGtronic Communications Bus.

topology

The 100x5R consists of five identical
power amplifier modules in a single
compact enclosure. Each module is a
complete self contained amplifier,including
its own power transformer, bridge rectifier,
energy storage capacitors and amplification
stage, requiring only mains supply and
control signals for functioning. Control
signals are required to switch each amplifier
module individually on/off and to protect
it in case an error condition, such as a short

circuit to the loudspeaker, is detected. Each
module uses its own custom designed
aluminium heatsink for excellent heat
dissipation, allowing each module to drive
even more critical loudspeakers safely and
totally independently from any of the other
modules.This results in uncompromised
sound quality with perfect channel
separation. For added convenience the
100x5R is fully remote controlled, even
allowing the user to shut down specific
channels, for example when listening to
two channel stereo.The remote control also
allows the user to adjust the volume of the
TAG McLaren AV32R av processor and to
run the DVD32R dvd player.

massive power resources

The 100x5R power output of 100 watts
into 8 ohms is a conservative rating as the
100x5R will typically deliver 120 watts

into 8 ohms, 160 watts into 4 ohms and
will drive 190 watts into 2 ohms for short
durations.As a result of the 100x5R's self­contained amplifier module construction,
this performance is independant of the
number of channels being driven and thus
even during the loudest passages of your
favourite movie the soundstage remains
stable, controlled and detailed.

audiophile quality for movie lovers

The 100x5R provides five channels of
amplification at audiophile quality. Sound is
not compromised if used as a 2 channel
stereo amplifier or as a five channel
surround sound system. Finally home
cinema requirements and audiophile
qualities have met.

premium-grade audio components

All components have been carefully

selected and auditioned before a decision
about their use in the 100x5R was made.
For maximum performance ultra-stable
Vishay metal film resistors and low­dielectric loss Wima polypropylene
capacitors have been selected, providing the
increased transparency and excellent noise
suppression which audiophiles attribute to
these components.

mixed technology construction

With surface mount components for
fast digital signal transfer and leaded
through-hole components for perfect audio
signals, the 100x5R incorporates mixed
technology construction to optimise
performance.The result is uncompromised
sound at a small size.

low intermodulation distortion

A theoretically ideal amplifier

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