Boulder 2010 Owner's Manual
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Boulder 2010 Owner's Manual

Boulder 2010 preamplifier owners manual
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  • Page 2: Owners Manual

    Boulder 2010 Preamplifier Owners Manual 4/1/04 Boulder Amplifiers, Inc. 3235 Prairie Ave. Boulder, CO 80301 www.boulderamp.com BOULDER REMOTE GETTING APPENDIX RECORDING LINK PROGRAMMING CONTROL OPERATION STARTED...
  • Page 3 B o u l d e r 2 0 1 0 P r e a m p l i f i e r R e a r P a n e l BOULDER REMOTE GETTING APPENDIX RECORDING LINK PROGRAMMING CONTROL OPERATION STARTED...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Placement of the 2010 Preamplifier ........
  • Page 5 REMOTE CONTROL Expansion ..............3-1 Batteries .
  • Page 6 BOULDERLINK Connecting the Boulderlink ..........5-1 Setting Boulderlink Switches .

  • Page 7: Getting Started

    We at Boulder Amplifiers are certain it will provide years of listening pleasure. BEFORE YOU START To get started listening, you only need to connect the 2010 as you would any other preamplifier and the power supply as on page 1-3, but you should take note of the following.

  • Page 8: Placement Of The 2010 Preamplifier

    PLACEMENT OF THE 2010 PREAMPLIFIER Your Boulder 2010 Preamplifier is designed to reduce the effects that external magnetic and radio fields (RF) have on its internal circuitry. While placement is not critical, known magnetic fields should be avoided. Line of sight from the listening position is necessary for the remote control to function properly.

  • Page 9: Connecting The Power Supply To The Main Chassis

    CONNECTING THE POWER SUPPLY TO THE MAIN CHASSIS Your Boulder 2010 Preamplifier is supplied with a Boulder 2000 Triple Power Supply. Each of the three supplies is independent of the others except for the front panel LED which confirms correct power supply operation of all three supplies.

  • Page 10: Connecting To The Mains Outlet

    CONNECTING TO THE MAINS OUTLET Your 2010 Preamplifier is supplied with a mains cord suitable to the location where it was purchased. One of the features of the 2000 power supply is its universal automatic voltage-selecting power supply. Simply plug it into any standard outlet.

  • Page 11: Polarity

    POLARITY Please note that the 2010 Preamplifier conforms to the standard of pin 2 as the high or hot pin for all analog balanced inputs and outputs. Because input and output polarities are handled through programming setups and the remote control, no concern for polarity is needed while connecting sources.

  • Page 12: Connecting An Unbalanced Source

    Boulder ABL2 input adapter. It converts a balanced input into a RCA phono input right at the rear of the 2010. Like the above cable, the minus input of the 2010 is connected to the ground of the RCA phono.

  • Page 13: Connecting To A Balanced Input Amplifier

    CONNECTING TO A BALANCED INPUT AMPLIFIER With your 2010 Preamplifier’s balanced outputs driving a balanced input power amplifier, you can take sonic advantage of short speaker cables and correspondingly longer input cables. With the 2010’s low output impedance, distances of more than 50 meters between preamplifier and power amplifier are practical.

  • Page 14: Connecting To An Unbalanced Input Amplifier

    Connecting the unused output pin (usually pin 3) to ground will cause excessive ground currents and degrade performance. Use an ohmmeter or continuity checker to determine how a cable is wired. UNBALANCED OUTPUT CABLE 2010 BALANCED OUTPUT POWER 2-POS OUTPUT AMPLIFIER...

  • Page 15: Setting The Boulderlink Switch

    SETTING THE BOULDERLINK SWITCH Set the Boulderlink MASTER / SLAVE switch to MASTER. For more information on Boulderlink, see the Boulderlink section of this manual. GETTING STARTED...

  • Page 16: Operation

    During the powerup sequence, “Boulder” and “2010” will slowly appear in the left and right display windows. The front panel power switch can later be used for normal on-off switching.

  • Page 17: Input Selections

    INPUT SELECTIONS To select an input, press one of the pushbuttons labeled ONE through SIX. The respective input will be shown in the left display and that signal will be routed to both main outputs. For example, if input ONE is chosen, “1. INPUT 1” will show in the left display. Holding down any of the pushbuttons labeled ONE through SIX for several seconds will cause no input to be selected, and “SOURCE NONE”...

  • Page 18: Volume

    Because the precise feel of the Boulder 2010’s volume control may be different from what you are used to, we recommend starting the source device so that an audio signal is fed to the 2010 before increasing the volume. The right display will show “VOL INFINITE” to indicate maximum attenuation or no sound.

  • Page 19: Balance

    BALANCE To change the level balance, press the BALANCE pushbutton. “BAL CENTERED” will show in the right display. Now rotating the center control will change the balance instead of the volume for as long as “BAL...” is displayed. Turning the control counterclockwise (left) will cause an indication such as “BAL R -1.8dB”...

  • Page 20: Theater Volume And Balance

    VOL THEATER or BAL THEATER will be displayed. Theater mode should be used with extreme caution as there is no way to control the volume of the 2010 while in Theater Mode. If it is used carelessly, damage to speakers and other components may occur.

  • Page 21: Mute

    MUTE To temporarily reduce the volume, press the MUTE pushbutton. ”MUTE -60.0dB” will show in the right display, replacing the volume indication. Again pressing the MUTE pushbutton will return the volume to normal level. While muted, the level of both channels will be reduced by the amount indicted in the display, regardless of volume setting.

  • Page 22: Polarity

    0 to 360 degrees, the correct term of polarity is preferred to indicate the 180° phase change, or inversion, available in the 2010 Preamplifier. To activate a polarity change only in one channel, start by pressing either the L POLARITY or R POLARITY pushbuttons.
  • Page 23 To activate a polarity change in both channels, again start by pressing one of the polarity pushbuttons. “POL NORMAL” will show in the right display. Now press the L POLARITY pushbutton and then press the R POLARITY pushbutton while “POL...” is displayed. “POL INVERTED” will show in the right display and the output polarity of both channels of the main outputs will be inverted.

  • Page 24: Display

    DISPLAY The display brightness may be set to any of 8 brightness levels and also completely off. To change the brightness level, press the DISPLAY pushbutton. “DISPLAY 8” will show in the right display. Rotate the center control until the desired brightness is obtained such as “DISPLAY 6.” The number in the display indicates the relative brightness.

  • Page 25: Remote Control

    DO NOT PULL THE SCREWS OUT FIRST. To separate sections, loosen the screws while slowly pulling the battery pack from the 2010 module. Slide the battery pack off the screws. Then slide the module off the screws. Once all sections are removed from the transmitter, you may remove the screws from the transmitter.
  • Page 26 To reassemble the remote control, insert the 2-module screws into the transmitter section first. Carefully slide the module you want at the top onto the screws. Continue to push it up to the transmitter allowing the connector to engage. Slide the next module onto the screws.
  • Page 27 Continue push second module up to the first module allowing the connector to engage. Slide the battery pack onto the screws just enough so that the screws can be started simultaneously. Use the special screwdriver to tighten the screws, drawing up the battery pack.
  • Page 28 When finished, be certain to keep the original single-module screws and screwdriver for future use. REMOTE CONTROL...

  • Page 29: Batteries

    BATTERIES It is not necessary to remove the above mentioned screws to install batteries in the remote control. However, a standard #1 Phillips screwdriver is required to install the 3 AAA batteries. Turn the remote control over and remove the two screws located on the cover of the battery pack (the bottom module).

  • Page 30: Remote Control Operation

    REMOTE CONTROL OPERATION Operation of the Boulder 2010 Preamplifier by remote control uses buttons on both the transmitter and 2010 module sections. REMOTE CONTROL...

  • Page 31: Source Selection

    SOURCE SELECTION To select an input (source) press the button marked SRC on the preamp module. While “NUMBER?” is showing in the left display, press the desired input number (1 through 6) on the transmitter module. You will now be listening to your desired source, and it will be showing in the left display.

  • Page 32: Volume, Balance And Mute

    VOLUME, BALANCE and MUTE To increase the volume, press the button marked UP. To reduce, press DOWN. Holding either button down will cause the volume to change continuously until released. To change the balance to the left, press the button marked LEFT until the display shows “BAL CENTERED”...

  • Page 33: Polarity

    0 to 360 degrees, the correct term of polarity is preferred to indicate the 180º phase change, or inversion, available in the 2010 Preamplifier. To change polarity only in one channel, start by pressing the POL pushbutton.

  • Page 34: Display Brightness

    DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS To change the display brightness, press the DISPLAY pushbutton. While “DISPLAY” is showing in the right display, press the desired brightness pushbutton (1 through 8) or use the UP and DOWN pushbuttons. 3-10 REMOTE CONTROL...

  • Page 35: Programming

    While it is not necessary to ever use any optional programming functions, you will probably find them helpful in using your Boulder 2010 Preamplifier. All programming is accomplished by pressing the PROGRAM pushbutton which causes “PROGRAM MODE” to be displayed in the left display and “SELECT?”...
  • Page 36 allow you to choose “YES” if you do want to name the input. Again press the same input source number to continue. If you chose to assign a name, then “1._INPUT 1” will be displayed in the right display with a blinking cursor in the name’s first character. Rotate the center control until the desired character appears.
  • Page 37 After the desired level is reached, or if no change is desired, press the same input source number. “1. BALANCE?” will show in the left display and “0.0 dB” in the right. Rotate the center control until the desired balance offset is obtained as indicated in the right display.
  • Page 38 “1. MODE?” will now show in the left display and “NORMAL” will show in the right display. Rotating the center control will change the mode to “!THEATER!.” Theater mode sets the gain of the 2010 to unity and the balance to centered, allowing easy integration of the 2010 into a surround sound system.

  • Page 39: Volume Control

    VOLUME CONTROL Controlling volume in the Boulder 2010 Preamplifier can be easily set to your preference for scale and resolution over its 1,000 step, 100 dB range. From “PROGRAM MODE” press the DISPLAY pushbutton. “VOL SCALE?” will show in the left display, and “-100 TO 0” will show in the right display.
  • Page 40 “UNIT ID?”will show in the left display and “UNIT IS 16” in the right display. This indicates the current Boulderlink address of the 2010. The Boulderlink address can be set from 16 to 31 by rotating the center control. For more more information, see the Boulderlink section.

  • Page 41: Output Balance Offset

    Some listening situations call for having a “permanent” output balance offset. This could be due to inconsistent speaker sensitivity or an asymmetrical room. The Boulder 2010’s output can be adjusted to always be offset, even though the display shows “BAL CENTERED.”...

  • Page 42: Mute Level

    MUTE LEVEL The mute feature allows for temporary level reduction without losing the original setting. Because everyone’s use of this feature varies, the actual level reduction is adjustable. From “PROGRAM MODE” press the MUTE pushbutton. “MUTE LEVEL?” will show in the left display and “MUTE -60.0dB” will show in the right display.

  • Page 43: Main Outputs Polarity

    MAIN OUTPUTS POLARITY The polarity of the main outputs may be adjusted to match the power amplifiers used. If you are using a Boulder 100, 250 or 500 series, this should be set to “PIN 3 HIGH.” For Boulder series 2000 amplifiers, it should be set to “PIN 2 HIGH.”...

  • Page 44: Record Outputs Polarity

    RECORD OUTPUTS POLARITY The polarity of the record outputs may be adjusted to match the recording equipment used. Consult the respective owners manual. From “PROGRAM MODE” press the R POLARITY pushbutton. ”REC OUT POL?” will show in the left display and “PIN 2 HIGH” will show in the right display.

  • Page 45: Restore To Factory Defaults

    To leave all settings as they currently are, press the TWO pushbutton. To reset all settings, press the ONE pushbutton. All other pushbuttons are inoperative during this time. The 2010 Preamplifier will then return to normal operating mode. WARNING: All settings which you have programmed in will be lost, including the names of each input.

  • Page 46: Programming From The Remote Control

    PROGRAMMI NG FROM T HE REMO TE C ONT ROL Programming may also be conveniently done from the remote control. Similar to programming from the front panel, all programming is done by pressing the PGM button which causes “PROGRAM MODE” to be displayed in the left display.
  • Page 47 If you make a mistake repeatedly press the SRC button until all ten characters are passed by and then continue until the other settings are passed through and the name assignment display reappears. After the tenth character is assigned, “1.LEVEL?” will show in the left display and “0.0dB”...
  • Page 48 ”1.MODE?” will show in the left display and ”NORMAL” will show in the right display. Pressing the UP button to display “! THEATER !” and the DOWN button to display ”NORMAL”. Mode changes do not take affect until after the programming mode is exited. WARNING: Theater Mode sets the selected input to unity gain with no control of the volume.

  • Page 49: Volume Control

    VOLUME CONTROL From “PROGRAM MODE” press the DISPLAY button. “VOL SCALE?” will show in the left display, and “-100 TO 0” will show in the right display. Use the UP and DOWN buttons to change the lowest setting now shown to a maximum of “0 TO 100” or anywhere in between. Press the DISPLAY pushbutton again.
  • Page 50 “UNIT ID?” will show in the left display and “UNIT IS 16” in the right display. This indicates the current Boulderlink address of the 2010. The Boulderlink address can be set from 16 to 31 by pressing the UP and DOWN pushbuttons, see the Boulderlink section.

  • Page 51: Output Balance

    OUTPUT BALANCE From “PROGRAM MODE” press the LEFT or RIGHT buttons. “BAL OFFSET?” will show in the left display, and “0.0dB” will show in the right display. Press the LEFT and RIGHT buttons until the desired output balance is obtained as indicated in the right display. A maximum of -20.0dB may be set.

  • Page 52: Mute Level

    MUTE LEVEL From “PROGRAM MODE” press the MUTE button. “MUTE LEVEL?” will show in the left display and “MUTE -60.0 dB” will show in the right display. Press the UP and DOWN buttons until the desired mute level is reached as displayed in the right display. Then press the MUTE pushbutton again to return to the program mode starting point.

  • Page 53: Boulderlink

    PRE- POWER POWER AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER initiation of power amplifiers and other products when the 2010 MASTER SLAVE SLAVE Preamplifier is turned on. Power amplifiers can send messages to the 2010 which are then shown on its display. CONNECTING THE BOULDERLINK Turn off all products are to be linked before connecting Boulderlink cables and setting Boulderlink ID and Master/Slave switches.

  • Page 54: Setting Boulderlink Switches

    SETTING BOULDERLINK ID NUMBERS Each component is required to have a unique Boulderlink ID number. The 2010 ID is preset to 16 at the factory and/or when a master reset sequence is executed. If multiple preamplifiers are connected together, see pages 4-5 through 4-6 for instructions on how to change the ID numbers of the additional units.

  • Page 55: Power Up Via Boulderlink

    2010’s STANDBY pushbutton will initiate the turn on sequence of all components. The first time a “MASTER” 2010 is powered up, it will diplay ”SCANNING...” in the left display as it searches for any Slave units connected to it.
  • Page 56 When a 2010 set to “SLAVE” is turned on, it will display “THIS UNIT IS” ”SLAVE 16”. If there is no component set to “MASTER”, the 2010 will display “ERROR:” ”NO MASTER”. In this case, the 2010’s MASTER/SLAVE switch should be set to MASTER. It may take up to 30 seconds for the 2010 to recognize the switch change.

  • Page 57: Boulderlink Messages

    BOULDERLINK MESSAGES Each component in the system can send a message to the 2010 which is then shown on the display. This is particularly helpful in confirming the operating status of each power amplifier in a multiple amplifier system. “AMP 1 ERROR” means that an internal power supply has failed and amplifier #1 has turned itself off to protect the speakers from damage.

  • Page 58: Using A Recorder

    USI NG A RECORDER CONNECTING A RECORDING DEVICE One or more recording devices may be connected to the Boulder 2010 Preamplifier. You may use balanced or unbalanced connections for both input and outputs as previously described in the sections on connecting sources and power amplifiers.

  • Page 59: Record Source Selection

    RECORD SOURCE SELECTION Any one of the 6 inputs may be routed to the record outputs. Select an input by pressing the RECORD pushbutton on the front panel, and then one of the pushbuttons labeled ONE through SIX. The respective input will be displayed in the left display.

  • Page 60: Programming For Recording

    PROGRAMMING FOR RECORDING Instead of having hardware-dedicated inputs for playback (tape) monitors, any input may be chosen for this purpose through software selection. Connect the outputs of these recorders to any of the 6 inputs you choose. Then for each chosen input, follow the instructions in the programming section for “INPUTS”...

  • Page 61: Appendix

    LISTEN SELECT INPUT 3 MAIN 200K OHM BALANCED INPUT 4 INPUT BUFFER OUTPUT INPUT 5 (RELAYS) INPUT 6 200K OHM INPUT BUFFER RECORD SELECT RECORD 200K OHM BALANCED INPUT BUFFER OUTPUT (RELAYS) BOULDER 2010 ISOLATED PREAMPLIFIER AUDIO BLOCK DIAGRAM APPENDIX...

  • Page 62: Specifications

    BOULDER 2010 BALANCED ISOLATED PREAMPLIFIER SPECIFICATIONS Balanced Inputs Main Balanced Outputs Record Balanced Outputs Maximum Input Level 7 Vrms Maximum Output Level 28Vrms THD+N, 2V Output, from 20 Hz to 5 kHz 0.0008% (-102 dB) at 20 kHz 0.001% (-100 dB) Output loaded with 150Ω...

  • Page 63: Troubleshooting

    TROUBLESHOOTING SYMPTOM CAUSE REMEDY No power indication Power switch is not on Turn on power switch Preamplifier is not plugged in Connect to an AC outlet Home circuit breaker is tripped Reset circuit breaker Red power indication Low mains voltage Have line voltage tested Power supply’s breakers tripped Reset breakers on rear panel...
  • Page 64 Amber power indication, but sound is not No signal from source Check source controls, cables heard from either channel and connections Input level is attenuated in program mode Go to program mode, select input, go to level and correct No signal out to power amplifier Check connections to power amp No power supply to audio channels Check power supply cables...

  • Page 65: Notes

    NOTES APPENDIX...

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