Unison Research Sinfonia, Sinfonia Anniversary User Manual

HIGH - END ELECTRONICS BORN

IN ITALY

SINFONIA

INDEX

Index ............................................................ pag.2

Owners Manual ........................................... pag.3

Manuale di Istruzioni ................................... pag.11

Technical Characteristics ........................... pag.20

Declaration of Conformity ........................... pag.21

2

OWNERS MANUAL

First may we thank you for choosing a valve amplifier from

A.R.I.A. Advanced Research In Audio srl.

Your new amplifier is the result of many years of electronic
design experience allied to a thorough understanding of
electronic tubes. But more than that it is the fruit of our
passion, and of our wish to create products to give musical
enjoyment and lasting value, in which the traditional
craftsman’s skill is blended with advanced electronic design.

Each and very one of our products is built using the best and
most trusted materials, before being subjected to rigorous
testing and final inspection.

All the wood parts are hand made in solid wood by expert
craftsmen, and finished exclusively with natural organic
lacquers. As well giving a very pleasing appearance to the eye,
the wood also benefits sound quality by helping to dampen
resonance in the metal chassis .

UNPACKING

First of all please make sure that the carton is scaled and that
the amplifier has not suffered any damage in transit. If you
notice any signs of damage, consult your Authorised Dealer
before attempting to operate the unit.
To protect delicate parts against shocks during transport, valves
are normally packed separately.
Please refer to the fitting instructions for valves contained in
this manual .

3

IMPORTANT !

When unpacking an amplifier which is cold, allow it to
stand for sufficient time to reach normal room temperature
before attempting to operate it. This precaution will allow
any condensation which may have formed on the electronic
parts to fully dissipate.

Keep the original carton and packing material in a safe
place. You will need it if you have to send the unit for service
or transport it for any other reason.

VALVE FITTING

Fit the valves into their corresponding sockets following the
scheme you can see on the transformers covers and the
indications on the valves themselves which ensure the correct
orientation.

When fitting (or removing) valves, use firm but gentle
pressure. Never use force !

PLACEMENT

The unit should be placed on a safe, stable surface, out of
reach of children or pets. Adequate ventilation is required
above and around the unit. Take care not to expose the unit to
high temperature or humidity.

4

CONNECTING INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

Situated on the rear panel of the Sinfonia are the input and
output sockets.

IMPORTANT !

Ensure that all other items of equipment to be connected to
the amplifier are switched off before making the
connections.

Do not insert the amplifier AC mains cord until all input
and loudspeaker connections are securely made.

To avoid the possibility of hum and noise, it is good practice
to ensure that all connections to and from the amplifier are
clean and tight, and that all cable runs are neat and tidy.
For best results, AC mains cables should not be placed
alongside signal or loudspeaker cables.

Using RCA phono interconnects of suitable quality, connect
the various sources (CD, tuner, phono) to the corresponding
inputs of the amplifier.

On the rear panel of the unit is also located a power supply
plug for the unit Simply Phono by Unison Research.

The power supply circuit has fuses not accessible externally,
whose characteristics are listed at the end of this manual.

Remember when connecting the loudspeaker cables to the
amplifier output terminals to respect the correct phase (red =
+/black = -) for each channel. With the double loudspeaker
outputs provided on the Sinfonia it is possible to connect to
loudspeakers using bi-wiring, (provided of course that the
loudspeakers are fitted with two sets of input terminals). Note
that the upper and lower loudspeaker sets of output terminals of

5

the Sinfonia are in parallel, therefore either set may be used for
normal loudspeaker connection.

The Sinfonia is also equipped with a low-impedance
subwoofer output controlled by the volume potentiometer.

The circuitry of the Sinfonia is conceived to provide an
effective protection from short circuits which may occur at
the outputs.

CONNECTION TO MAINS

Before connecting the mains cable and switching on, make
sure that your local power supply voltage corresponds to the
value shown on the rear panel of the unit.

IMPORTANT !

Never connect the amplifier to a mains supply of a different
voltage to that shown on the unit !

Mains fuses are located in the IEC mains input socket
located on the rear of the unit. The correct value is indicated on
the rear panel and also in the technical specifications at the end
of this manual.

If you need to replace a mains fuse, always use one of the
same type and rating !

OPERATION

After switching on, the Sinfonia stands by for a time of
about 5 seconds, during which the four diodes on the front
panel are on and the outputs are disabled.

6

This time is necessary to allow the valves to stabilise and
reach the operating temperature. The optimal temperature,
corresponding to the best sound performance, is reached after
about 15 minutes from switching on.

After the initial warm up the outputs are enbled, the last
input used is selected and the corresponding led on the front
panel lights on.

The subwoofer output is enabled after 60 seconds.

VOLUME CONTROL

Before swithcing on the unit, ensure that the volume control
is at the minimum (fully anticlockwise) position.

During the initial warm up keep the volume at the minimum
to avoid any possible sollicitation due to transient effects.

After the warm up time it is possible to regulate the volume
either rotating the volume control handle on the front panel or
pushing the dedicated buttons on the remote handset.

IMPORTANT !

All the operations at the inputs or outputs should be
preferably executed when the device is switched off or
anyway keeping the volume at the minimum.

INPUT SELECTION

The desired input can be selected either rotating the input

selector handle on the front panel or from the remote control.

Inputs are activated in sequence; the one currently active is
identified be the corresponding led on the front panel switched
on.

7