Harman MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES MARK LEVINSON 390S Owner's Manual
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Harman MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES MARK LEVINSON 390S Owner's Manual

Harman MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES MARK LEVINSON 390S Owner's Manual

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Nº390S
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  • Page 1 Owner’ s Manual Nº390S Processor Madrigal Audio Laboratories...
  • Page 2 WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
  • Page 3 Important Safety Instructions Please read all instructions and precautions carefully and completely before operating your Mark Levinson ® preamplifier. 1. ALWAYS disconnect your entire system from the AC mains before connecting or dis- connecting any cables, or when cleaning any component. 2.
  • Page 4 From all of us at Madrigal Audio Laboratories, thank you for choosing your Mark Levinson Nº390S CD Processor. A great deal of effort went into the design and construction of this precision device. Used properly, it will give you many years of enjoyment.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Unpacking and Placement ............7 Unpacking the Nº390S ............... 7 Remove the Transport Screw ............... 7 Placement of the Nº390S ..............7 Operating Voltage & Frequency..........9 A Quick Start… ................ 10 Break-in period ................. 11 Special Design Features ............12 A New Generation ................
  • Page 6 Repeat Disc ..................43 Repeat Track ..................43 A-B Repeat ..................44 Polarity ..................... 44 Programming the Nº390S ............45 Introduction to Playlists ..............45 Assembling a Playlist ................. 46 Programming by Omission ............... 46 Saving a Playlist ................47 Reviewing a Playlist ................

  • Page 7: Unpacking And Placement

    Unpacking and Placement Unpack your Nº390S CD Processor and remove all accessories from Unpacking the Nº390S the carton. Important! Keep all packing materials for future transport of your Nº390S. Shipping your new component in anything other than its purpose-designed packing material may result in damage that is not covered by the warranty.
  • Page 8 The Nº390S is designed for continuous operation—hence the standby button on the front panel rather than a power button. However, a rear- panel power switch is provided for your convenience should you want to disconnect the unit from the AC mains (as when taking a vacation, for example).

  • Page 9: Operating Voltage & Frequency

    Operating Voltage & Frequency The Nº390S CD Processor is set at the factory (internally) for 100V, 120V, 200V, 220V, or 240V AC mains operation as appropriate for the country in which it is to be sold. Make sure that the label on the rear of the Nº390S (adjacent to the power cord) indicates the correct AC oper- ating voltage for your location, as attempting to operate the Nº390S at an incorrect voltage can damage the unit.

  • Page 10: A Quick Start

    A Quick Start… We recognize that many people are understandably eager to begin lis- tening to their new components, and that reading the manual is often done (if at all) at a later time—perhaps while listening to music with the new product itself. We strongly recommend that you read this manual thoroughly, as the Nº390S CD Processor incorporates many unusual features that enhance its operation.

  • Page 11: Break-In Period

    Connect either the XLR or the RCA analog outputs on the Nº390S to an appropriate input of your preamplifier When properly implemented, balanced interconnection via XLR con- nectors and high quality balanced cables offers superior performance, and is preferred to single-ended RCA interconnection. Both sets of outputs on your Nº390S have been optimized to ensure maximum compatibility in a wide range of systems.

  • Page 12: Special Design Features

    Special Design Features Congratulations on your purchase of the Nº390S CD Processor. The Madrigal design team is confident you will enjoy the outstanding per- formance of the Nº390S for many years. In case you are interested in technical details, what follows is a brief outline of some of the key technologies in your new CD player.

  • Page 13: Digital Servo Control

    The laser mechanism used in the Nº390S uses all digital servo controls Digital Servo Control of its operations. Critical functions such as focus and tracking are handled completely in the digital domain with mathematical precision. A digital servo remains stable over time, never needing readjustment under normal conditions.

  • Page 14: Convenience Features

    Too often, high performance CD players have eschewed convenience in Convenience Features the hopes of seeming more “performance-oriented.” While there were good arguments for such a “minimalist” design in the days of analog turntables, the time is long gone when the audiophile needed to give up operational convenience for musical performance.

  • Page 15: Advanced Digital Filter Techniques

    Design of the fully balanced DAC/analog output module follows the Mark Levinson tradition of rigorous component selection. An unusual hybrid design approach incorporating both advanced Surface-Mount and “through-hole” technologies, allows us to utilize the optimum part at each location in the circuit, without the constraints on parts selection normally associated with traditional PCB assembly practices.

  • Page 16: Balanced Analog Volume Control

    This approach to the Digital-to-Analog circuit block yields distortion and noise levels that are extraordinarily low and contributes greatly to the natural sound of the Nº390S. Rather than use the digital attenuator on-board the DAC, the Nº390S Balanced Analog incorporates a fully balanced analog volume control similar to that Volume Control found in Mark Levinson separate preamplifiers.

  • Page 17: Front Panel, Nº390S

    display intensity repeat mode MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES Nº 390S CD PROCESSOR disc repeat track repeat time on disc time remaing standby – mode prev/rew next/f.fwd stop/drawer play pause Front Panel, Nº390S display intensity Pressing this button varies the brightness of the .
  • Page 18 Infrared Transceiver (within display) Infrared commands transmitted from the remote control are received by a receiver behind this section of the display. Remote control of the Nº390S may be unreliable if there is not a clear line of sight between the remote control and the receiver (if the remote is far off-axis, or if the Nº390S is within a cabinet, for example).
  • Page 19 In effect, the Nº390S assumes you will be most interested seeing elapsed time on the current track; only departures from that as- sumption are denoted by LEDs. The Nº390S will remember the last display mode selected and continue to display that informa- tion until you change it, except in (when it always defaults to stop...
  • Page 20 Repeat button You may choose to either repeat the entire disc (including any programs you might have entered for that particular disc) or an individual track by pressing the button. From normal repeat operation, the first press of the repeat button will light the disc LED below the display (number 11 in the front panel repeat...
  • Page 21 10 mode – and mode + buttons Using these two buttons in conjunction with the button, mode any of four different Nº390S functions can be controlled from the front panel : • (for creating custom playlists) PROGRAM • (for selecting a digital source) INPUTS •...
  • Page 22 13 track repeat LED This LED is lit when the Nº390S is set to repeat a single track endlessly. This feature is accessed using the button (see repeat number 7, above). 14 next/f.fwd button Pressing this button momentarily will advance the Nº390S to the beginning of the track.

  • Page 23: The Extended Pause Mode

    These four options are accessed by selecting the mode TIMES (using the button) and repeatedly pressing the mode mode + buttons, which cycle forward or backward through the mode – four modes, respectively. 17 play button As you might guess, press this button in order to a disc.

  • Page 24: Sleep Timer

    19 Standby & Standby LED Assuming that the Nº390S is connected to AC power and the switch on the rear panel is in the “|” position (see main power Rear Panel, Nº390S), pressing this button takes the Nº390S out of mode and enables the front-panel controls.

  • Page 25: Rear Panel, Nº390S

    CD Processor Nº390S a n a l o g o u t p u t s CD PLAYER Nº 39 d e s i g n e d a n d m a n u f a c t u r e d i n U . S . A . right left MADRIGAL...

  • Page 26: Ac Power Cord Polarity

    AC power cord polarity To Nº390 To AC mains 1 = Line (hot) 2 = Neutral 3 = Earth ground Turn on the power by pressing the top of the power switch above the power cord receptacle (it has a solid vertical line to indicate “on”: Caution: Do not switch power off and on rapidly, as this...
  • Page 27 However, optimizing any electrical digital interface completely represents a significant engineering challenge. It is entirely possible that a different type of input may actually outperform a less-than- optimized implementation on some brands of digital com- ponents. For this reason, we have gone to great lengths to fully optimize both of the digital outputs on the Nº390S.
  • Page 28 balanced analog outputs These outputs normally provide balanced line-level analog audio (via cables equipped with XLR-type connectors) to a preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or receiver equipped with balanced inputs (see “Set-up and installation”). The pin assignments used are AES- standard, as shown below: Pin 1: Signal ground Pin 2: Signal + (non-inverting) Pin 3: Signal –...

  • Page 29: Ir Input Tip Polarity

    The specifications for this IR input call for a triggering voltage of 5-12 volts at no more than 100 milliamperes of current, with the tip of the ⁄ " mini-plug having positive polarity, as below: – IR input tip polarity 3-15 volts @ less 5-12 volts @ less than 100 mA...

  • Page 30: Standard Link Cables

    Finally, if at some point you end up using your Nº390S as a transport in conjunction with a separate Mark Levinson digital processor, sim- ply insert it between the processor and the preamplifier (connecting the processor’s port to the Nº390S’s port, and the Nº390S’s master slave in...
  • Page 31 A different Link cable configuration is used when connecting the Nº390S to a power amplifier as though it were a preamplifier. It uses six-conductor cable (rather than eight), with a six-conductor modular plug at one end and an eight-conductor modular con- nector at the other end (using pins 1 through 6 of the latter), as shown below: amplifier link cables...

  • Page 32: Remote Control, Nº390S

    Remote Control, Nº390S IR Transmitter window The Nº390S’s Remote Control sends infrared (IR) commands MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES through its projection lens, and the Nº390S receives IR commands through its Remote sensor window. (See “Front Panel, Nº390S”). If • rew • f.fwd play either of these lenses is obstructed, no IR commands can be received mode...
  • Page 33 : Press to play. The same button will stop/dwr stop operate the if stopping the disc has no rel- drawer evance (e.g., if it is already stopped, or if there is no disc inside the Nº390S). : Press to play in the current location. If pause pause left in...

  • Page 34: Random Play

    Numeric Keypad The numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 may be used to directly access individual track numbers of discs played by the Nº390S. For example, to go directly to track 13, press followed by , and then press .
  • Page 35 Other Operational Buttons : Pressing this button (followed by appropriate num- time bers from the numeric keypad) allows direct access to any particular time on a disc. Note that this is a context- sensitive control—the time accessed will be according to the currently selected time display mode, e.g., 30:00 with the LEDs lit...

  • Page 36: Analog Input Switching

    : Pressing this button on the Nº390S remote volume control will transparently and automatically raise the volume of a Linked Mark Levinson preamplifier, mini- mizing the need to juggle multiple remotes. Since this function depends on the ability of the Nº390S to pass the instruction to the Nº380 (for example), the two components must be connected by a Link cable.

  • Page 37: Conditions That Affect Ir Performance

    IR communication between the Remote Control and the Nº390S can Conditions that Affect be affected by: IR Performance • direct sunlight • interior lighting • wall, window, ceiling, and floor treatments • the angle of the Remote Control relative to the Nº390S If the Nº390S will be subject to direct sunlight, place it no more than 10 feet from where you’ll normally operate the Remote Control.

  • Page 38: Optimum Ir Reception Window

    Optimum IR reception window 30° 30° If the requirements of your installation preclude a clean line of sight between the Nº390S and your listening position, you may want to consider using an infrared repeater to route the remote control’s com- mands directly to the Nº390S, using the external ir input on the rear panel.

  • Page 39: Setup And Installation

    Setup and Installation Caution! For your protection, review “Important Safety Instructions” before you install your Nº390S. Plug the female end of the AC power cord into the appropriate socket Connecting AC Mains on the rear panel of the Nº390S, being certain to seat it firmly, all the way into the receptacle.

  • Page 40: Making Link Connections

    For electrical digital interconnection, we recommend Madrigal MDC cable. MDC-1 is designed for 110Ω interconnection (via AES/EBU XLR connectors). MDC-2 is designed for 75Ω interconnection S/PDIF (via either RCA or BNC connectors). Both MDC-1 and MDC-2 are available in various lengths from your Mark Levinson dealer. Using appropriate cables, connect the appropriate outputs on your Nº390S to your external digital components.

  • Page 41: Basic Operation

    Basic Operation Before operating your Nº390S, take a minute to become familiar with its controls and their locations. (See “Front Panel” and “Remote Control.”) To load a CD: Loading a CD 1. Make sure that the switch is set to the main power “|”...

  • Page 42: Navigating The Disc

    random-play mode. Subsequently, the letter will appear preceding the track number in the display as a reminder. To cancel random play, press stop You may skip to another track any time while a CD is playing. To move Navigating the Disc to another track, press (to go forward) or (to go back-...

  • Page 43: Pause

    “forget” that you had begun to do something, and revert to normal op- eration). Alternatively, you might want to set the Nº390S to play music for a spe- cific period of time. Say you’d like to listen to music until the evening news begins in 30 minutes.

  • Page 44: A-B Repeat

    To repeat (continuously) a specific phrase or passage on a CD (when A-B Repeat learning how to play a favorite solo, for example), press on the re- A–B mote at the beginning of the passage you would like to repeat. At the end of the passage, press on the remote again.

  • Page 45: Programming The Nº390S

    Programming the Nº390S Rather than playing an entire CD, you may choose to play only certain Introduction to Playlists selections. To do this, you create a “playlist.” If this is a one-time playlist, it may be used immediately upon being created (and will van- ish when a new playlist is created).

  • Page 46: Assembling A Playlist

    Even if you have previously saved a playlist for a CD, the Nº390S allows you to temporarily override it (and have access to all tracks on the CD), without erasing it from memory. This temporary override applies to polarity programming as well. To temporarily override a previously saved playlist, click the mode button until...

  • Page 47: Saving A Playlist

    mode, a will illuminate to indicate a track is in the playlist, and extinguish for any track omitted from the playlist. Once you have created the playlist you want for a particular disc, you Saving a Playlist may either use it as a temporary playlist (using it only for that one oc- casion), or save it as the default playlist for that disc.

  • Page 48: Adding A Track To A Playlist

    4. Press until the selection you want to delete ap- mode + pears on the display. 5. Press ; the display will remove the from the dis- mode – played track to indicate that it has been removed from the playlist.

  • Page 49: Erasing Playlists From Memory

    2. press while the CD is loaded, but before play has mode – started. 3. the display will show to indicate that the pro- CLEARED gram has been temporarily overridden The display will show the total number of tracks and the total time on the disc (as it would if there were no playlist associated with the disc).

  • Page 50: Whole-Disc Polarity Programming

    Important Note: Programmed playlists include polarity information. The Nº390S will ensure the “correct” polarity (that is, the polarity you chose when creating the program) upon playback of that playlist. This polarity may only be overridden by either temporarily overriding the playlist or by re-programming the playlist (see below).

  • Page 51: Overriding A Polarity Program

    If you want to doublecheck you previously-saved polarity program, Overriding a simply press the polarity button at any time. Doing so will change the Polarity Program polarity of the Nº390S, but will not modify the polarity program (e.g., the next time you play the disc, the polarity you saved in the program will be used).

  • Page 52: Special Functions

    HOLD MODE ➜ .....SET UP ➜ .....SOUND ➜ BALANCE ➜......MODE + ➜ ..SHIFTS RIGHT MODE BUTTON (<– – – –>) MODE – ➜ ..SHIFTS LEFT HOLD MUTE LEVEL ➜......MODE + ➜ ..MORE ATTENUATION PRESS MODE MODE BUTTON MODE – ➜ ..LESS ATTENUATION BUTTON VOL.

  • Page 53: Silent/Audible Cueing

    only “preamp,” driving a power amplifier directly. This capability is particularly useful in simple systems involving only two or three digital sources. When first engaged, the volume control circuitry will be set to a low volume to avoid any chance of overdriving your loudspeakers. The Nº390S has the ability to “link”...

  • Page 54: Link Menu Items

    drive even relatively insensitive systems.) Alternatively, it can serve as a helpful “party control” to guard against indiscrete guests becoming somewhat overzealous in the heat of the moment.… If you want to set a maximum allowable volume, select your chosen volume setting and then toggle from UNLOCKED to LOCKED.

  • Page 55: Changing Link Options

    context of your system than their factory-default, generic input names. You may select from the following lst of names (the same list is available for both inputs). Digital Music Express Digital Satellite System Digital Audio Tape Digital Compact Cassette Mini-Disc Compact Disc-Recordable Compact Disc-Interactive Direct Broadcast Satellite...

  • Page 56: Sleep Timer

    will cycle through each of your Nº390S’s main menus, in this order: SOUND LINKS AUX IN’ s Continued clicks on the button will return you to mode the beginning of the list, in case you accidentally pass the option you want to change. 3.

  • Page 57: Using Learning Remote Controls

    Using Learning Remote Controls The Nº390S includes both an infrared receiver and an infrared trans- mitter. With this capability, it can “teach” a learning remote control any commands that might be needed for remote operation. Specifically, the Nº390S can send all of the necessary IR commands from its window, enabling you to teach a learning remote any display...

  • Page 58: Teaching Other Nº390S Commands

    Most learning remotes need to be held fairly still while they learn new IR commands; movement can garble the received IR. If you are uncertain as to how to prepare your remote control for learn- ing new commands, refer to the instructions provided with the remote control.
  • Page 59 release, then Press and hold the Repeat button a second time to place the Nº390S in its Custom IR mode After about five seconds, the display will change from TEACH IR (the first special IR code available for teaching). This OPERATE indicates that the special IR codes that do not correspond to front-panel buttons are now available for teaching to a learning...

  • Page 60: Special Commands Table

    special commands table Command Display positive control for operate OPERATE positive control for standby STANDBY positive control for stop JUST STOP set display intensity to off DISPLAY 0 set display intensity to medium DISPLAY 2 positive control for unpause UNPAUSE positive control for pause PAUSE positive control for leaving the repeat mode...

  • Page 61: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting In general, refer any service problems to your Mark Levinson dealer. Before contacting your dealer, however, check to see if the problem is listed here. If it is, try the suggested solutions. If none of these solves the problem, contact your Mark Levinson dealer. The Nº390S won’t function, and the Display is dark.
  • Page 62 The linked functions don’t work.  The Link cable is disconnected, or is connected incor- rectly. Check your Link connections.  The Link options are turned off.  The preamplifier is not aliased (renamed) for the Nº39.  The processor (if one is being used) does not have one of its inputs tied to the Nº390S.

  • Page 63: Care And Maintenance

    Care and Maintenance To remove dust from the cabinet of the Nº390S, use a feather duster. To remove dirt and fingerprints, we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Caution! Always apply the isopropyl alcohol to the soft cloth and then wipe the Nº390S with the dampened cloth. Never pour or spray even small amounts of any liquid directly on the Nº390S, as doing so may allow the liquid to reach the circuitry inside the unit.

  • Page 64: U.s. And Canadian Warranty

    U.S. and Canadian Warranty This Mark Levinson ® product is warranted to be free from defects in 90-Day material and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety Limited Warranty (90) days from the date of purchase. To extend the warranty of this Mark Levinson product, return the warranty registration card along with a copy of the original receipt of purchase to Madrigal Audio Labo- ratories, Inc., P.

  • Page 65: Obtaining Service

    Obtaining Service We take great pride in our dealers. Experience, dedication, and integrity make these professionals ideally suited to assist with our customers’ service needs. If your Mark Levinson component must be serviced, please contact your dealer. Your dealer will then decide whether the problem can be remedied locally, or whether to contact Madrigal for further service in- formation or parts, or to obtain a Return Authorization.

  • Page 66: Specifications

    Specifications The correlation between published specifications and sonic quality is unreli- able. A list of numbers reveals virtually nothing. All technical measurements must be subject to qualitative as well as quantitative interpretation. Measurements of the Nº390S yield excellent results by any standards. However, only those specifications that apply to its actual operation are included here.

  • Page 67: Dimensions

    Dimensions 20.56" 52.21 cm 13.38" 34 cm 0.425" 7.68" 2.85" 1.1 cm 7.24 cm 19.5 cm 0.10" 2.00" 5.1 cm 5.45" 5.25" 13.8 cm 13.3 cm 12.25" 31.1 cm 15.55" 6.25" 39.5 cm 15.9 cm 11.55" 29.3 cm 15.75" 40 cm 12.25"...

  • Page 68: Installation Notes

    Installation Notes...
  • Page 70 Middletown, Connecticut 06457 USA Telephone: (860) 346-0896 Fax: (860) 346-1540 http://www.madrigal.com/ MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES is a registered trademark of Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc. a Harman International company 630457 © 7/2001˝ Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

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