Related Manuals for Mark Levinson 38S
Summary of Contents for Mark Levinson 38S
- Page 1 Operating Manual ® Mark Levinson Nº38S Preamplifier Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc.
- 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.
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Page 3: Important Safety Instructions
8. NEVER block air flow through ventilation slots or heatsinks. 9. NEVER bypass any fuse. 10. NEVER replace any fuse with a value or type other than those specified. 11. NEVER attempt to repair this product. If a problem occurs, contact your Mark Levinson ® retailer. - Page 4 From all of us at Madrigal Audio Laboratories, thank you for choosing the Mark Levinson ® Nº38S Preamplifier. A great deal of effort went into the design and construction of this precision device. Used properly, it will give you many years of...
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Page 5: Table Of Contents
Surround sound processors should not come before the preamp 28 Surround sound processors should not be in a tape loop ....29 Surround sound processors and the Nº38S ........29 Wiring Diagram with a Surround Sound Processor ....29 Noise in A/V systems ................30 Ground Isolation Adaptor ............ -
Page 7: Unpacking And Placement
“off” mode—it is designed to be standby connected to the AC mains at all times for the best performance. Be sure to allow 3 to 4 inches of clearance above the Nº38S to allow Ventilation heat dissipation through air circulation. -
Page 8: Nº38S Bottom-Panel Label
AC cord) indicates the correct AC operating voltage for your location. If the voltage indicated on your Nº38S is incorrect, or if you wish to change the AC operating voltage of your Nº38S as the result of moving to a different country than the one in which you purchased your digital audio processor, see your Mark Levinson dealer. -
Page 9: A Quick Start
XLR jacks on the rear panel of your Nº38S preamplifier. ( Use the Input 3 RCA jacks if your source is single-ended. If used, press the Input 3 button on the face of the Nº38S to select this input. ) High quality interconnecting cables such as Madrigal HPC will yield superior results, and are strongly recommended. -
Page 10: Front Panel
ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY Provides a wide range of information concerning the operational status of the Nº38S. The information displayed depends on the operating mode the Nº38S is in at any point in time. The information displayed is summarized below: Monitor Selected (audible) Source and Volume Record Select “RECD”... - Page 11 INVERTED POLARITY INDICATOR The polarity (sometimes inaccurately called “absolute phase”) of the output of the Nº38S may be inverted via the Nº38S remote control, in which case this LED will light as confirmation. A second press of the Polarity button on the remote control will restore the polarity of the output to its original, non-inverted state.
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Page 12: Rear Panel
Connector ground lug: chassis ground Refer to your power amplifier’s operating manual to verify that the pin assignments of its input connectors correspond to the Nº38S. If not, wire the cable so that the appropriate output pin connects to the equivalent input pin. -
Page 13: Biamplification
Biamplification If your system calls for multiple outputs from the Nº38S (as might be the case for “passive” biamplification, for example), you may use balanced Y-adaptors to split each balanced output into two balanced outputs. The low output impedance (6 ) of the Nº38S can easily drive multiple power amplifiers. -
Page 14: Linking Connections
Nº38S Preamplifier must be the final “Slave” in the chain. ( In technical terms, it terminates the communications buss .) In turn, the Nº38S can serve as a master to an associated compatible Mark Levinson power amplifier—hence its “Master”... -
Page 15: Using A Turntable
Using a turntable If a turntable is to be used with the Nº38S, it must be used in conjunction with a phono preamp such as the Mark Levinson Nº25 which will handle RIAA equalization and which will deliver a line- level signal to the input of the Nº38S. -
Page 16: Remote Control
Remote Control MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES MONO Pressing this button will toggle the Nº38S in and out of the Mono mono polarity mode, having the same effect as pressing the front panel mono display mode button. Mono mode activates circuitry which combines Left and Right input signals, and sends the resulting monophonic signal to both Left and Right outputs. -
Page 17: Connections And Cables
Power connection and Connect the AC cord to the male IEC connector on the center of the system activation bottom panel of the Nº38S, then connect the AC cord to the AC mains. AC power cord polarity To Nº38... -
Page 18: Aliases
Aliases To facilitate operation in complex multi-source systems, the Nº38S is capable of displaying a wide variety of aliases , or alternative names, for each of its six inputs. They are listed below. -
Page 19: The Eq Alias
The EQ Alias The EQ alias also deserves special mention: if your loudspeaker requires a dedicated equaliser for proper operation (or if you have any other reason for using an EQ much of the time), you may connect the outputs of the equalizer to the input named “EQ.” By “recording” the source you wish to listen to (selecting it on the record path), and montioring the EQ input, you will be able to run all signals through the equalizer prior at a line level. -
Page 20: Results Of Unrealistic Tests
Nº38S is used correctly. Moreover, even under these unrealistic test conditions, any resulting noise is small and poses no danger. -
Page 21: Programming Input Offsets
Programming Input Offsets The Nº38S allows you to adjust the relative outputs of your various sources with respect to one another, so as to avoid disturbing and/or potentially dangerous changes in output levels as you switch from one source to the next. These Input Offsets are made relative to whichever source tends to be the loudest—that is, you raise the outputs of the... -
Page 22: Programming An Automatic Output Level
Programming an The Nº38S also features the ability to remember a “preferred” output Automatic Output Level level setting, to which it will return whenever you select a particular input. -
Page 23: Programming The Mute Function
I M P O R T A N T PRECAUTION Note: It is necessary for the Nº38S to have an Input Offset of 0.0 in order to access the AUTO setting. As a result, it will be necessary to save a 0.0 Input Offset before selecting AUTO if a higher offset was previously saved. -
Page 24: Volume Lock
You may select any value between -1 and -60 decibels (inclusive), in one-decibel increments. PRESS AND HOLD THE MUTE BUTTON AGAIN When the display reads NEW DATA, the Nº38S will have saved your new setting in non-volatile memory. The Mute button will toggle you back and forth between the “Normal”... -
Page 25: Standby Timer
Standby Timer In a similar fashion, the user of a Nº38 or Nº38S can elect to have the preamplifier (and the entire system, if Linked) go into standby after a certain period of time, much like a “Sleep Timer” on many alarm clocks. -
Page 26: Operational Modes
Operational Modes The Monitor Mode The majority of time you spend with your Nº38S will be spent in the Monitor mode. In this mode, the display indicates the alias of the input you have selected and the listening volume (in decibels). The Output Control acts as a volume knob, increasing or decreasing the volume in 0.1 dB increments above 39.0 (with gradually increasing increments... -
Page 27: The Balance Mode
Output imbalances due to asymmetrical placement of the loudspeakers in the room are common, and degrade imaging accuracy. To correct this problem, place the Nº38S in mono mode and center the resulting image (which should be quite small) directly between the loudspeakers, using the Balance control. -
Page 28: Using Surround Sound Processors
Using Surround Sound Processors The Nº38S Preamplifier incorporates a special surround sound processor mode which makes it uniquely capable of integrating the highest performance audio with surround sound—that is, dual-purpose music and movie systems. In order to better understand the value of this design, it is essential to understand a bit about the nature of a Dolby Pro-Logic Surround™... -
Page 29: Surround Sound Processors Should Not Be In A Tape Loop
Listening Room calibration cannot be disturbed by the preamplifier. Note: the Nº38S will not allow an input with an “ssp” alias to be selected during initialization, since allowing a line level signal to pass through unattenuated at start-up presents a potential... -
Page 30: Noise In A/V Systems
hazard to your loudspeakers. Noise in A/V systems In some cases, connecting your audio and video systems together in this fashion can result in noise, typically a 60 Hz or 120 Hz hum. The most common cause for this noise is a “ground loop” caused by the presence of two ground references in the system: one from the power company and another from the cable-television company. -
Page 31: Display Intensity
Linked Functions The Nº38S has the ability to “link” several of its functions to certain compatible Mark Levinson components (such as the Nº30 and Nº35 digital processors and the Nº31 CD transport). Note: to take advantage of linked functions, you must connect the Nº38S to the other, compatible Mark Levinson components... -
Page 32: Care And Maintenance
Care and maintenance To remove dust from the cabinet of the Nº38S, use a feather duster. To remove dirt and fingerprints, we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Apply the alcohol to the cloth first and then lightly clean the surface of the Nº38S, going with the grain of the brushed aluminum. -
Page 33: U.s. And Canadian Warranty
Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc., P. O. Box 781, Middletown, CT 06457. The extended warranty for this Mark Levinson product is five (5) years Five Year Extended Warranty from the date of purchase. During the warranty period, any Mark... -
Page 34: Obtaining Service
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 information or parts, or to obtain a Return Authorization. -
Page 35: Specifications
(860) 346-1540 Madrigal provides an owner-transferable, five year limited warranty on all Mark Levinson products within the U. S. and Canada ONLY. Warranty and service policies outside the U. S. and Canada are set by the local, authorized distributor and are applicable in the country of purchase ONLY. Madrigal products are designed to operate at set voltages appropriate for the country of sale and may be damaged if operated at the wrong voltage. -
Page 36: Dimensions
Dimensions 13.38" 34 cm 0.425" 7.68" 2.85" Dimensions, Nº38S, top 1.1 cm 19.5 cm 7.24 cm view 0.10" 2.00" 5.1 cm 4.45" 11.3 cm 7.34" 18.6 cm 2.00" 5.1 cm 15.55" 39.5 cm 11.55" 29.3 cm 1.19" 6.5" 0.875" 15.75"... - Page 38 MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES 2081 South Main Street, P.O. Box 781 Middletown, Connecticut 06457 USA Telephone: (860) 346-0896 Fax: (860) 346-1540 http://www.madrigal.com/ ® is a registered trademark of Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc. a Harman International company 630127-6 ©1/1997 Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.