VTL TL2.5 Owner's Manual

VTL
TL2.5 Line Stage Preamplifier

Owner’s Manual

MAKING TUBES USER FRIENDLY

VTL TL2.5 Preamplifier

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the
express written permission by VTL.

Version History:

Version 5.0 March 24, 2009

Part Number: OM-0490

Copyright © 2009 by VTL Amplifiers Inc. All rights reserved.

4774 Murrieta Street, Suite 10

Chino, CA 91710, USA

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

email: [e-mail] • http://www.vtl.com/

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 ...............................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1

Electrical Safety Notice..........................................................................................................1

Water and Moisture ...............................................................................................................1

Location and Ventilation........................................................................................................2

Servicing ................................................................................................................................2

CHAPTER 2 ...............................................................................................................................3

GETTING STARTED.....................................................................................................................3

TL 2.5 Front Panel Controls..................................................................................................3

The Preamplifier’s Back Panel..............................................................................................5

The Remote Control Hand-held Unit.....................................................................................6

Fitting the Batteries to the Remote Control ...........................................................................6

Connecting Your Preamplifier to your system.......................................................................7

Powering your system on.......................................................................................................9

Using the Preamplifier with the Remote Control...................................................................9

Powering the system off .......................................................................................................10

CHAPTER 3 .............................................................................................................................11

OPERATING THE PREAMPLIFIER ...............................................................................................11

Connecting and Selecting Source Components....................................................................11

Power On Stages..................................................................................................................11

Connecting the TL2.5 to a Home Theater System................................................................11

Using the Tape Loop to monitor recordings........................................................................12

Connecting a second pair of amplifiers...............................................................................13

Connecting to the Turntable ................................................................................................13

CHAPTER 4 .............................................................................................................................16

CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR VTL PREAMPLIFIER.........................................................16

BREAK IN PERIOD ....................................................................................................................16

Tube Life ..............................................................................................................................16

Changing Tubes...................................................................................................................17

Changing the Main Fuse......................................................................................................19

Cleaning...............................................................................................................................20

Troubleshooting...................................................................................................................20

CHAPTER 5 .............................................................................................................................23

SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................................23

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CHAPTER 6.............................................................................................................................24

WARRANTY .............................................................................................................................24

APPENDIX...............................................................................................................................25

Warranty Registration .........................................................................................................25

Service Notes........................................................................................................................25

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of a VTL pure tube preamplifier.

his hand crafted equipment is designed to deliver superb performance for
your listening pleasure for many years to come. Please take a moment to read

T

system, as well as the various functionality this preamplifier can perform. Please take
enough time to get familiar with the features of this product. After you have finished
reading this manual please keep it in a safe place for future reference.

The VTL team is proud that you have selected our pure tube preamplifier as a new
member of your home audio system. This preamplifier is designed to give you the
convenience and flexibility to manage all your audio and video sources while at the
same time giving you the musical experience that is the most alive and the truest to
your source, and we hope you’ll get many hours of enjoyment from it.

through this owner’s manual. You will get an idea of the installation
procedures needed to connect this preamplifier to the rest of your audio

Electrical Safety Notice

Electrical voltage from power cables is hazardous. We recommend that the power
cord connected to this unit be used with a properly grounded outlet. To prevent
electrical shock do not remove the cover of this preamplifier while the unit is powered
on.

Prior to connecting this preamplifier to any audio or video equipment in your system,
make sure this unit’s power (and the rest of the equipment connected to its input and
output channels) is turned off. Adding or removing input or output cables to the
preamplifier while the system is powered on can cause damage to the system.

Water and Moisture

The preamplifier should be used away from water or moisture. If liquid enters the
preamplifier it must be immediately returned to your dealer for servicing. In this case
you should under no circumstances try to power the unit on - there are hazardous
voltages present in this unit that can cause serious injury if they come in contact with
you.

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Location and V entilation

Install this preamplifier in a location which is stable and well ventilated. If the
preamplifier is placed in a built-in installation, ensure that there is adequate room for a
supply of air to flow through the ventilation openings. Allow at least 3 - 5 inches
clearance on the top and around the sides of the preamplifier. Be sure the preamplifier
is at least 10 inches away from your amplifier to prevent possible noise introduction
into your system. Tiptoes or other isolation accessories may prove useful in reducing
mechanical vibrations. Do not place the preamplifier next to heat sources such as
radiators, stoves or other appliances. Do not place preamplifier on the floor where
small children can tamper with the equipment. If it is not possible to place
preamplifier out of the reach of small children it is recommended that you remove
power cables when the equipment is not in use.

Servicing

Do not attempt to service the preamplifier beyond the procedures described in this
manual. For all other service and questions, please contact your authorized VTL
dealer or the factory.

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CHAPTER 2

Getting Started

After you open the carton you should find the following items inside:

• The preamplifier, with a power cord

• The remote control hand-held unit with two AA batteries

• This User Manual, VTL Quality Assurance test document, VTL product warranty

registration card

Remove each item from its packaging material and check to make sure that no physical
damage has occurred during shipping of the unit. There should be no rattles inside
either of the preamplifier or remote control units. Look through the vent slots and
check to see that the tubes appear properly seated firmly in their sockets. Contact your
VTL dealer immediately if physical damage is detected.

TL 2.5 Front Panel Controls

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You can operate the various controls and switches from the front panel to access the
full functionality of the unit. The Status indication LED shows the various operating
modes of the unit.

 The Status LED indicates the power on status of the preamplifier. When the unit

is powered on, the LED light will first blink to indicate the preamplifier is in mute,
and then after 30 seconds, the blinking will go away. The Status light continues to
stay on to indicate that the system is in the “ready” state.

 The Input Selector can be used to select the source component for the preamplifier.

You can choose any one of the six inputs by turning the selector knob to the
location as marked above the knob.

 The Tape Monitor can be used to select whether the input source is coming from

tape monitor or not. If you wish to use the preamplifier to monitor an ongoing
recording session from the tape deck, you can select this switch to Tape Monitor
mode. In this state the playback from the preamplifier will come directly from the
tape deck. In the default operating mode of the preamp, this switch stays n the
down position. This means that the input source will not come from the tape deck,
but will be dependent on the input selection made on the preamplifier.

 The Surround Processor: This switch can be used to change the control of your

audio/video system to the surround processor when the switch is turned to the
Processor In position. In this mode, the surround system will only control all of the
channels of your system, and the preamplifier is in the unity gain mode. In this
mode the volume control and the amplification stages of the TL2.5 are bypassed
completely, and the signal is passed to the front left and right amplifiers at precisely
the same volume as the surround processor is putting out. In the default operating
mode of the preamp, the Processor switch stays in the down position. This means
that the preamplifier will not be receiving the signal from the surround processor.

 The Balance Control knob can be used to set the left and right channel level. When

the line on the knob is in the 12 o’clock position this indicates that the left and
right channels are equally balanced - you will feel a center detent in the control to
indicate this exact position.

 The Volume Control knob changes the loudness level of the output from your

speaker system. Turning the knob clockwise will increase the volume level.
Alternatively, turning the knob counter-clockwise will decrease the volume level.

 The Mute switch is a momentary toggle switch to allow you to switch the system

into the mute state if the preamplifier is currently in the operating state - press the
switch down. If the preamplifier is currently in mute state, clicking this switch
down again will change the system back into the operating state.

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