Absoluta Sound and Space Partenope User manual

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Partenope
Integrated Amplifier
User Manual

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Important Safety Instructions
1. Read these instructions.
2. Save these instructions.
3. Pay attention to all advice.
4. Always follow instructions.
5. Do not use this unit in presence of water.
6. Clean with a dry cloth only.
7. Do not obstruct venting holes and heat sinks. Install as indicated by the manufacturer.
8. Do not install near heat sources as heaters, heat pumps, stoves or other equipment which produces
heat.
9. Do not alter the functionality of a polarized plug or one provided with an earth connection. A plug is
polarized when it can be fitted in the mains socket in only one way. A plug provided with earth
connection has two prongs for current and a third one for earth connection. The latter is provided for
user’s safety. If the plug provided doesn’t fit your mains socket consult your technician to obtain a
replacement for the obsolete mains socket.
10. The mains cable represents the emergency detachment device for this unit. It is important to grant a
quick access to this cable at any time.
11. Protect the mains cable against trampling and mashing, particularly close to the plug and to the
connector at the input socket.
12. Only use connectors and accessories specified by the manufacturer.
13. Only use the cart, stand, tripod or table specified by the manufacturer or sold with the unit. When
using a cart, pay attention while shifting the cart/unit ensemble to avoid harming people or flipping
the cart upside down.
14. Isolate the unit from mains during lightning storms or when it’s not operated for extended periods of
time.
15. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel. Servicing is required when the unit is damaged due to any
reason, e.g. when mains cable or plug are damaged, when a liquid is spilled on it or when objects
drop on the unit, when the unit is exposed to rain or moisture, or when the unit is not operative or has
been dropped from whatever height. The replacement of the outer shell must be considered a service
operation.
16. Venting must not be impeded by obstructing venting holes and heat sinks with objects like
newspapers, towels, curtains and the like.
17. Do not place any free flame, like a candle or the like, on the unit.
18. Terminals marked with this label must be considered DANGEROUS and the connections external to
these terminals require servicing by a TRAINED TECHNICIAN or the use of factory prepared
cables.
Warning!
To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this unit to rain or
moisture. Do not place objects containing liquids, like bowls or glasses, on this
unit.

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Warning!
Changes or modifications not authorized by the manufacturer can invalidate the
compliance to CE regulations and cause the unit not to be suitable for use any
longer. The manufacturer rejects any responsibility regarding damages to people or
to things due to the use of a unit which has been subject to unauthorized
modifications or due to misuse or to malfunction of a unit which has been subject to
unauthorized modifications.

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Instructions for Recycling
The label on the left, printed on the envelope of the product, indicates that the product,
when no more usable, can’t be treated as generic garbage, but must be disposed of at a
collection point for recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, in compliance with
the WEEE regulation (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
By making sure that this unit is correctly recycled, you will help preventing potential
damages to environment and to human health. Recycling helps saving natural resources.
For more in-depth information about recycling this product, please contact Absoluta
Sound and Space Srl.
“Absoluta Sound and Space” and the logo Absoluta
are registered trademarks of Absoluta Sound and
Space Srl.
© Absoluta Sound and Space Srl. All right reserved.
This manual should not be construed as a
commitment on the part of Absoluta Sound and
Space Srl. The information it contains is subject to
changes without notice. Absoluta Sound and Space
assumes no responsibility for errors that may appear
within this document.
ABSOLUTA SOUND AND SPACE
Via Matteotti, 21bis/A
30032 Fiesso d’Artico (VE)
Ph. : +39.049.8935377
Fax. [phone]
Web: www.absoluta.it
Customer Service
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
P/N: 1234557 – Rev. 1.0 – 03/09

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Safety Terms and Symbols
This document contains instructions on generic safety,
installation and use for Partenope integrated amplifier. It’s
important to read this document before trying to use this
amplifier. Pay particular attention to safety instructions.
Appears on the unit to indicate the presence
of uninsulated, dangerous voltages inside
the enclosure - voltages sufficient to constitute
a risk of shock.
Appears on the unit to indicate important
operation or maintenance instructions included
in the accompanying documentation.
Appears on the unit to indicate compliance
with the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility)
and LVD (Low-voltage Directive) standards
of the European Union.
Warning! Calls for attention to a procedure, practice
condition, or the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could result in
personal injuries, death or damages to the unit
or to other objects.
Note Calls for attention to very important information.

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Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................................................9
Special Design Features...................................................9
Unpacking.......................................................................13
Installation Considerations..............................................14
Power Requirements ......................................................16
Operation.......................................................................18
Front Panel.....................................................................18
Back Panel......................................................................21
Remote Control...............................................................26
Optional Phono Stage.....................................................29
Connections....................................................................31
General Connections scheme........................................34
Bi-amping with external power amplifier .........................36
Use of a signal processor or of an electronic cross-over 37
Troubleshooting and Maintanance..............................39
Troubleshooting..............................................................39
Maintenance ...................................................................43
Technical Specifications..............................................44
Dimensions....................................................................46

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Introduction
Special Design Features Special Design Features
Design Principles
Dear Customer, thank you for purchasing Partenope integrated
amplifier. Partenope combines the performance, versatility,
purity and definition of a great multi-chassis unit with the small
form factor of an integrated amplifier. It delivers the great
sound, that only the best products can deliver, and has an
original and captivating look.
Below you will find a description of all the features that make
Partenope a unique and valued product.
Partenope, like all Absoluta products, features an external
removable shell, that can be easily replaced, to adapt the look of
the amplifier to the furniture style and to better match the
owner’s taste. The shell is available in various standard finishes.
In addition to standard finishes the customer can request custom
versions, choosing amongst several materials and colors.
Partenope is made with first-class components, like the
encapsulated toroidal transformer with reduced stray flux and
large bandwidth, low noise and great linearity selected tubes,
low tolerance polypropylene capacitors and special low noise
resistors for audio use.
The double layer printed circuit boards host specific functions to
grant the maximum separation amongst the various parts of the
circuit. Their structure is optimized for signal path and for
power connections minimization.
Each circuit section is powered by a dedicated regulated supply
section. Each of the double triodes which make the gain stage of
the line and the MM phono amplifiers have their own heat
supply, independent from the transformer secondary winding.
B-rail supplies are separated for each channel and regulated with
discrete components circuits. Additional filter blocks further
reduce ripple and noise.
Absoluta has seen a major sound detriment in the non-linear
operation of capacitors’ dielectric. For this reason, Absoluta
power amplifiers use totally DC-coupled circuits. Much more
difficult has been to implement a DC-coupled tube circuitry
from input to output. Absoluta succeeded by using a “folded
Customizable
external shell
Highest class
components
Extremely refined
power supply
DC-coupled
balanced tube line
stage

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Special Design Features – Design Principles (continued)
cascole” differential pair with common anode output buffer.
This layout allows for automatic signal balancing (be it applied
in single-ended or in differential mode), an ample bandwidth
and a reduced output impedance, all at the same time and with
the sound quality that only tubes give, without feedback.
Thanks to the automatic balancing feature, a single-ended and a
balanced signal are always available on outputs (on RCA and
XLR connectors, respectively), no matter the kind or source
selected. This is obtained without using integrated circuits to
balance the signal. However Partenope is provided with a
balanced input.
Volume control is made with a sophisticated motor-operated
four-section potentiometer. Muting and phase inversion
features, as well as input selection, are implemented with high
quality audio grade relay.
The phono stage allows both high output (MM or high output
MC, “moving flux”, moving iron) and low output (MC) pick-up.
The phono stage is made with a very low noise and very low
distortion operational amplifier. It allows for choosing between
two gain settings so as to optimize the interface with both
normal ferrite magnets MC and AlNiCo magnets MC, which
come with higher efficiency and thus lower output impedance.
Absoluta has chosen, for her power amplifiers, to adopt the
current gain technology for the signal amplification chain,
instead of the traditional voltage gain technology. The
advantages of the choice made by Absoluta are numerous and
can be read within Partenope specs: a very large power
bandwidth (That is the frequency response measured when the
amplifier is delivering
the rated power), a reduced rise time, capable of supporting the
fastest transient at every listening level, and an intrinsic stability
on every load.
The large use of output devices (two 16A Sanken BJT for each
polarity) and the robustness of the power amplifier granted by
the two 410VA transformers allow for an exemplar behavior of
the Partenope with every loudspeaker, even with impedances
less than 4Ω. Actually, The output stage of Partenope behaves
as a real I-V converter, imposing to the load a faithful copy of
the current signal amplified by the signal chain.
Complete and
versatile phono
stage
Current gain
technology