AMR PH-77 User manual

PH-77 Reference Class
Dual-Mono Phono Equaliser
Owner’s Manual

2
FCC Declaration of Conformity - United States only
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference,
and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
FCC WARNING:
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
NOTE:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipmentdoes cause harmfulinterference to radioor television reception,which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged
to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Notice (Avis Canadien)
Class B Equipment
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du
Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.
Thisproductscomplies with the EMC Directive(89/336/EEC) and the LowVoltage
Directive (73/23/EEC) issued by the Commission of the European Community.
Compliance with these directives implies conformity to the following European
Norms(inparenthesesarethe equivalent international standards and regulations):
o EN55022 (CISPR 22) - Electromagnetic Interference
o EN55024 (IEC61000-4-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11) - Electromagnetic Immunity
o EN61000-3-2 (IEC61000-3-2) - Power Line Harmonics
o EN61000-3-3 (IEC61000-3-3) - Power Line Flicker
o EN60950 (IEC60950) - Product Safety

3
This component weighs over 40 kilograms. Do not place this component on an
unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table as the component may fall causing
serious injury to a child or adult and serious damage to the unit. An appliance
and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force
anduneven surfaces may causethe component and cartcombination to overturn.
Any mounting of the device on a wall or ceiling should follow the Manufacturer’s
instructions and should use a mounting accessory recommended by the
manufacturer.
Read and follow all the safety and operating instructions before connecting or
using this component.
Allwarnings on the componentand in itsoperating instructions should be adhered
to.
Retain this Owner’s Manual for future reference.
Do not use this unit near water; for example, near a bath tub, washbowl, kitchen
sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user
to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions
in the literature accompanying this component.
WARNINGS
Unplug the component from the wall outlet before cleaning. Never use benzine,
thinner or other solvents for cleaning; use only a soft damp cloth.
Care should be taken so that objects do not fall, and liquids are not spilled into
the enclosure through any openings.
This component should be serviced only by qualified AMR service personnel
when:
A. The power cable or the power input socket has been damaged;
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the
component;
C. The component has been exposed to rain or liquids of any kind;
D. The component does not appear to operate normally or exhibits
a marked change in performance;
E. The component has been dropped or the enclosure has been
damaged.
DO NOT ATTEMPT SERVICING OF THIS UNIT YOURSELF. REFER
SERVICING TO QUALIFIED AMR SERVICE PERSONNEL
Uponcompletion of any servicingor repairs, request the servicepoint’sassurance
that only AMR Authorised Replacement Parts with the same characteristics as
the original parts have been used, and that the routine safety checks have been
performed to guarantee that the component is in a safe operating condition.
REPLACEMENT WITH UNAUTHORIZED PARTS MAY RESULT IN
FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK OR OTHER HAZARDS
!

4
On placement
ThePH-77maybecomewarm during normal operation. Given this, it is imperative
that the PH-77 when installed, its location or position DOES NOT interfere with
its proper ventilation.
For example, it should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug or similar surface that
mayblockthe top or bottomventilation openings; or placedina built-in installation,
such as a bookcase or cabinet, that may impede the flow of air through its top
and bottom ventilation openings.
Do not place the component in a location near heat sources, or in a place subject
to direct sunlight, excessive dust, or mechanical shock. Do not place the
component in an inclined position.
Precautions
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits set out in the
EMC Directive using a connection cable shorter than 3 metres.
On power sources
The mains power cable should be routed so that it is not likely to be walked on or
pinched,especiallynear the plug or backpanelreceptacle.Thecomponentshould
not be disconnected from the AC power source as long as it is connected to the
wall outlet, even if the component itself has been turned off.
If this component is not going to be used for a long time, be sure to disconnect
the component from the wall outlet. To disconnect theAC power cable, grasp the
plug itself; never pull the cable.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
!
It is designed to be operated in a horizontal position only. Do not place heavy
objects on the component.
Keep the component away from equipment with strong magnets, such as
microwave ovens or large loudspeakers.
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not place vessels filled with liquids, such as
vases, on the component.
Touch-Sensitive Buttons
On the front fascia of this AMR component are touch-sensitive buttons. Due to
the wide variance of climes around the world, instances may arise where to
activate a button:
- the touching finger may be required to be in contact with both the button and
the front fascia to register;
- the touching finger may have to touch the chassis to discharge any static
electricity prior to button selection.
Running-In
AMR estimates that the PH-77 may take between 300-500 operating hours for
all of the internal components to be fully-broken in. Please anticipate the sonic
performance of the PH-77 to settle only after it has been used for this approxi-
mate length of time.
Stand-By
Please note that the solid state section needs to find its equilibrium and due to
the (unavoidable) use of electrolytic capacitors (and an effect called soakage)
around 24-48 hours of “standby” (or operation) are required to stabilise
performance. Therefore, “standby”does not shut down the solid-state sections,
only the valves.

5
Thank you for purchasing this AMR reference class component.
We hope you derive as much pleasure from using this component as we have enjoyed making it for you.
1.1 Unpacking
This section refers to the unpacking of the PH-77 and its subsequent setup.
Upon unpacking, please find:
i. PH-77 Reference Class Dual-Mono Phono Equaliser.
ii. RP-77 Remote Commander (with 2 x AAA batteries).
iii. PH-77 Owner’s Manual.
iv. AMR Warranty Card.
v. Professional aluminium flightcase.
Please ensure that all items are present. Should an item be missing, please contact your AMR distributor/dealer.
Please check that
all contents are
present
Section 1 - Setup

6
Default: Direct
input mode
1.2 Setup
Connection
The following diagram illustrates the standard connection of the PH-77 in direct input mode. This is the default factory
setting and is suitable for connection of a single tonearm/cartridge and turntable.
Great Britain
Phono Equaliser PH 77
-
Power
On Off
90V 135V
190V
260V
～
AC IN
Analog
Outputs
Analog
Outputs
R L
SERIAL NO.
USB Output
13
2
L
R
Load
Direct
Input
Input
Normal Direct
CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT
No User Serviceable Components Inside.
,
.
.
For service contact your Authorised
Dealer or Distributor Any modifications to
this equipment will void all warranties
CAUTION ATTENTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE
NE PAS OUVRIR
!
Interconnect Cable Interconnect Cable
Power
On Off
Sync
Balanced
Input
Designed and Engineered in Great Britain
Dual Mono Amplifier AM 77
-
+ +
_ _
90V 135V
190V
260V
～
AC IN
Speaker
Output
Speaker
Output
LR
IR Link
L
R
15
4
3
2
Inputs
No User Serviceable Components Inside.
,
.
.
For service contact your Authorised
Dealer or Distributor Any modifications to
this equipment will void all warranties
CAUTION ATTENTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE
NE PAS OUVRIR
!
,
() .
.
Under normal operation set all switches to
the default position Please refer to
the instruction manual for further details
bold
HiFi Pro
Mode
Int
Amp
Power
Amp
-
Option
SERIAL NO.
LR
MMM
In Out
AM 77-
AM 77-
PH 77-
PH 77-
The RCA output
connection may
also be employed

7
2.1 PH-77 Front Fascia
Section 2 - Component Overview
F1. STANDBY : to place the PH-77 in active or standby mode.
F2. SELECT : to select between the 3 different inputs or to select the different EQ curves (software configurable).
F3. MENU/OK : to operate the Menu system for setting cartridge parameters and other functions.
The plastic
protective film
covering the
display may be
removed
F3
F2
F1
-
PHONO EQUALISER PH 77
PHONO EQUALISER PH 77

8
2.2 PH-77 Rear Panel
Great Britain
Phono Equaliser PH 77
-
Power
On Off
90V 135V
190V
260V
～
AC IN
Analog
Outputs
Analog
Outputs
RL
SERIAL NO.
USB Output
13
2
L
R
Load
Direct
Input
Input
Normal Direct
CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT
No User Serviceable Components Inside.
,
.
.
For service contact your Authorised
Dealer or Distributor Any modifications to
this equipment will void all warranties
CAUTION ATTENTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE
NE PAS OUVRIR
!
R5
R3
R2 R4
R1 R11
R10
R9
R8
R7
R6

9
R1. RCA outputs: for connection of RCA interconnection cables.
R2. XLR outputs: for connection of XLR interconnection cables.
R3. INPUT: to select EITHER Direct (single input) or Normal (multiple inputs) vinyl source/sources respectively.
R4. USB output: to use the built-in USB Analogue-to-Digital Converter.
R5. GROUND post: to connect turntable/phono cable ground wire/s.
R6. DIRECT input: to connect a cartridge bypassing the multiple input switching.
R7. LOAD: RCA connectors to allow custom loads to be attached to the Direct input.
R8. INPUT 1-3: RCA inputs, for signal input from up to three vinyl sources.
R9. GROUND post: to connect turntable/phono cable ground wire/s.
R10. IEC power connector: for the connection of a PC-77 mains power cable to the PH-77.
R11. POWER: to switch on mains electricity to the PH-77.
In the majority of audio systems, the PH-77 is most likely to be operated in direct input mode: please inspect the rear panel
of the PH-77 to verify the following:
- INPUT switch is set to DIRECT
The cable from the turntable MUST be attached to the Direct input.
If more than one turntable is used in the system or more than one tonearm/cartridge combination is mounted on a single
turntable, verify the following:
- INPUT switch is set to NORMAL
The cables from the turntables/tonearms MUST be attached to the numbered inputs and the Direct input MUST remain
unconnected!
WARNING:
Always turn off
power to the
PH-77 before
switching
between direct
and normal in-
puts (R3) or
before making
or changing
any
connections
Note:
Direct AND
Normal inputs
must not be
connected
simultaneously

10
2.3 RP-77 Remote Control
RC1. STANDBY: to place the PH-77 in active or standby mode.
RC2. BRIGHTNESS: to adjust brightness levels of display.
RC3. MENU: to enter Menu mode*.
RC4. OK : to confirm selection in Menu mode*.
RC5. SELECT <: to select between the 3 different inputs or various
EQ curves.
RC6. SELECT >: to select between the 3 different inputs or or various
EQ curves.
RC7. MUTE: to place the PH-77 in mute mode.
* Please refer to Section 4 - Menu Setting for more details
REMOTE COMMANDER
-
PH
77
RC1
RC7
RC3
RC5
RC2
RC4
RC6

11
3.1 Notes on Operation
3.1.1 Power On/Off
Press the ‘POWER’ rocker switch (R11) at the rear of the PH-77 to switch on mains power to the PH-77. To switch
the mains power OFF, press again and release. Always wait at least 30 seconds before switching ON again.
This is to enable the OptiMains® circuit to shutdown properly.The display will light up to indicate the unit is switched
on and ready for use. This should take around 90 seconds as the OptiMains® circuit is verifying and the PH-77 is
warming up.
3.1.2 EQ Adjustment
Depending on the software system selected, either the selection of the EQ curves is assigned to the button or
the / buttons on the front panel or the remote control (see section 4.3). Use the active button(s) to step
through the available EQ curves. To switch between Mono & Stereo EQ curves, press and hold the active button(s).
While selecting EQ curves, there may be a small audible “click” from PH-77 and from the speakers. This is the
normal operation of the relays selecting the EQ curves.
3.1.3 Rear Inputs
At the rear of the PH-77, there are 3 inputs for the connection of different tonearm/cartridge combinations plus one
direct input.
The use of Direct and Normal inputs is exclusive. That is, when using the Direct input, inputs 1-3 must NOT be used.
Equally, when inputs 1-3 are used, the Direct input and Direct input load RCA jack MUST not be connected.
The Direct/Normal switch should also be set in accordance with this use.
Once powered OFF,
always wait 30
seconds before
switching on again
Section 3 - Operation

12
4 Menu Operation and Setting Cartridge parameters
With the PH-77, one may select all the relevant parameters to match any cartridge and label the input with the cartridge
manufacturer’s name (from a list) or type. The flowchart below illustrates the sequence of settings.
4.1 Setting Input/Cartridge Parameters
To enter the Menu, press the Menu Button on the front panel OR on the remote control.
4.1.1 Setting Cartridge Type for Input X
“Set Type Input X” is displayed on the 1st line of display; X is “1/2/3/D” depending on which one of Input 1/ Input 2/ Input 3
is selected or if the Direct input has been selected.
The 2nd line of the display displays the Type as MM / MC Hi or MC Lo using current selection or MM / MC Hi as default. The
abbreviation MM stands for Moving Magnet (also moving iron) cartridges and MC Hi stands for Moving Coil High Output
cartridges while MC Lo stands for Moving Coil Low Output cartridges. One would class a cartridge as “High Output” with an
output of more than 1mV @ 5cm/s. Correspondingly, cartridges with a lower output, would be classed as “Low Output”.
Section 4 - Menu Setting

13
Use the / buttons to select the type of cartridge based upon the specifications and/or type of cartirdge to be used.
After each change of type, the PH-77 will mute for 10 seconds to allow the gain circuit to settle to the new configuration.
Once the desired selection has been made, press the button to confirm the selection and to continue on to the next
item.
4.1.2 Setting Gain for Input X
“Setting Gain Input X” is displayed on the 1st line of display; X is “1/2/3/D” depending on which one of Input 1/ Input 2/ Input
3 is selected or if the Direct input has been selected.
The 2nd line of the display displays the Gain as absolute dB value with four options available for the selected type. The
default setting is for MM/MC Hi is 30dB, for MC Lo it is 54dB.
Use the / buttons to adjust gain downwards or upwards. You can step through several levels off gain by repeatedly
pressing the appropriate button. If the gain is left unchanged, after several seconds, the system will use this as the new
gain.After each change of gain the PH-77 will mutefor10secondstoallowthegain circuit to settle into the new configuration.
Below is the recommended gain settings for a rated cartridge output @ 5cm/s:
Cartridge Output ~13mV ~6mV ~3mV ~1.5mV ~0.8mV ~0.4mV ~0.2mV ~0.1mV
PH-77 Gain 30dB 36dB 42dB 48dB 54dB 60dB 66dB 72dB
Use the nearest lower value of gain for the desired cartridge.As gain settings are applied directly (after a 10 second mute),
one may also set the gain (by ear), to offer a similar loudness as a line level source. Once the selection has been made,
press the button to confirm the selection and to continue on to the next item.

14
4.1.3 Setting Default EQ for Input X
“Setting EQ Input X” is displayed on the 1st line of display; XX is “1/2/3/D” depending on which one of Input 1/ Input 2/ Input
3 is selected or if the Direct input has been selected. The 2nd line of the display depicts the equalisation selected.
Use the / buttons to adjust the EQ curve that is used when this input/cartridge is selected. This is very useful if a
cartridge is dedicated to playing certain types of records only (e.g. a Mono cartridge for Mono LP’s). Changes to the EQ
curve happen in real-time with a brief mute. To switch between Mono & Stereo EQ curves, press and hold either of the
/ buttons. When switching to Mono EQ curves, the PH-77 is automatically switched to Mono.
Once the desired selection has been made, press the button to confirm and to continue on to the next item.
4.1.4 Setting Loading for Input X
“Setting Load Input X” is displayed on the 1st line of display; X is “1/2/3/D” depending on which one of Input 1/ Input 2/ Input
3 is selected or if the Direct input has been selected.
The 2nd line of the display displays the Load in Ohm (MC Mode, load 47 Ohm to 47KOhm) or pF (MM Mode, load 47K +
70pF to 680pF).
Use the / buttons to adjust the loading to that required by the cartridge. Changes to the loading happen in real-
time and are applied immediately without mute. Hence, it is also possible to optimise the loading by playing music and
adjusting the load at the same time to provide the best sound quality.
Once the desired selection has been made, press the button to confirm and to continue on to the next item.

15
4.1.5 Setting Label for Input X
“Labelling Input X” is displayed on the 1st line of display; X is “1/2/3/D” depending on which one of Input 1/ Input 2/ Input 3
is selected or if the Direct input has been selected.
The 2nd line of the display displays the following names in sequence followed by input ID:
MC Lo Blue Elec. Empire Miyabi Shure
MC Hi BlueAngel Einstein Monster Stanton
MM Brinkmann Fidelity Res. Nottingham Sumiko
47 Labs Cardas Garrott Ortofon Supex
Accuphase Cartridge Man Goldring Phase Tech. Transfig.
Allaerts Clearaudio Grado Pickering Tubaphon
Air Tight Crown Jewel Ikeda Rega Van Den Hul
AudioCraft Decca Kiseki Reson Volpe
Audio Note Denon Koetsu Roksan Wilson Benesch
Audio Tech. Dynavector Linn SPJ Win Research
B&O ELAC London Shelter Zu
Benz Micro EMT Lyra Soundsmith ZYX
Use the / buttons to scroll through the various selections.
With the desired selection made, press the button to confirm and move on to the next item.

16
4.2 OptiMains® Protection for Excessive Under/Over-Voltages
The PH-77 is fitted with the OptiMains®system to condition and adjust the incoming mains supply for best operation under
all normal mains conditions (including situations that will cause audible problems without OptiMains®).
In the case of extreme power surges, brown outs or other exceptional/unexpected conditions that exceed the safety
margins, the OptiMains® system will automatically switch off the mains power to the internal parts of the PH-77 to
prevent any damage from occuring.
If the display reads:
AC Voltage Outside
Operating Range!
Power OFF yourAMR component and wait at least 5 minutes. If and when the mains electricity has been deemed to have
returned to normal (such as during a brown out and the lights have dimmed but have returned to normal brightness) then
power up your AMR component as per the manual’s instructions.
Sometimes there are
excessive mains
fluctuations...
...OptiMains® will detect
and protect

17
If there are any
questions, please
contact your
nearest AMR
distributor/dealer
4.3 Special System Setup Menu
With the PH-77, it is possible to select different assignments to the front panel and remote control buttons to best suit each
and every PH-77 user. The / buttons on both the remote and front panel may be assigned to either select different
inputs or equalisation curves. Whichever function is not handled by the / buttons is assigned to the button.
If the PH-77 is used with the direct input only, the / buttons are best assigned to the EQ function. If multiple inputs
are used, the / buttons are best assigned to input selection.
A flowchart of the menu to adjust this setting is shown below.
To enter this special system setup menu, press and HOLD the Menu button on the front panel OR on the remote
control for 5 seconds.
With the desired selection, press the botton to confirm the selection to continue on to the next item.

18
Appendix A - Equalisation Curves
List of EQ curves available with the PH-77
Stereophonic Microgroove LPRecords Monophonic Microgroove LP Records
Display Name Comments Display Name Comments
RIAA Modern stereo LP playback curve Mono RCA 50 RCA, Urania, Lyrichord
eRIAA Modern stereo LP playback curve Mono FFRR 49 Decca & London 1949-1951
but rectifies the high frequency roll-off Mono FFRR 51 Decca & London 1951
and excessive phase shift of the vinyl Mono FFRR 52 Decca & London 1952
cutting lathes (Enhanced RIAA EQ) Mono FFRR 53 Decca & London post 1953
Columbia Columbia LP stereo Mono AES 51 1951AES Standard
DECCA (FFSS) Decca & London stereo and NAB Mono Columbia 48 Early Columbia LP mono
stereo LP’s US Mono Columbia 52 Late Columbia LP mono
CCIR 56 Europe pre appx. 1962, Eastern Mono EMI Early EMI LP
Europe &Asia pre appx. 1975 Mono CCIR 53 Europe pre appx. 1956
Mono CCIR 56 Europe pre appx. 1962, Eastern
Monophonic Microgroove LP Records Europe &Asia pre appx. 1975
Display Name Comments Mono Bartok Bartok LP’s
Mono RIAA also RCA Orthophonic, adopted pro- Mono NAB 1942 also NARTB
gressively after 1954 Mono 78 RCA 38 RCA electrical 78RPM post appx. 1938
Mono eRIAA Same as RIAA, but rectifies the high Mono 78 Columbia 38 Columbia electrical 78 RPM post appx.
frequency roll-off and excessive phase 1938
shift of the vinyl cutting lathes (Enhanced
RIAAEQ)

19
Appendix B - Troubleshooting
Symptom Possible Cause Solution
With power ON • poor/no power plug connection • insert the power plug firmly into the AC
no power is registered at mains power point
• blown fuse at mains plug • check and change mains plug fuse
No sound • incorrect audio cable connections • connect the PH-77 correctly
• incorrect amplifier operation • make sure that the input selector on the Amplifier is set
to the desired source
Remote control does • remote control batteries have • replace 2 x AAA batteries
not work expired
• object obscuring remote sensor on • remove any objects directly in front of the PH-77
the PH-77, no “line of sight”
A “humming” sound • loose cable connections • re-attach the loose cables correctly
can be heard
Button does not react • skin resistance too high • place your fingertip across the gap between button and
front panel
Front switches “jump”/ • static electricity • “Touch” the chassis prior to pressing a sensor to dis
enter Standby charge. Then press the desired sensor
Other problems • go to the Contents section and re-trace the procedure
or contact your nearest AMR distributor/dealer

20
Inputs: 3 x RCAselectable,
1 x RCA direct,
1 x RCA custom load
Gain: MC Lo: 72, 66, 60, 54dB;
MM Hi: 48, 42, 36, 30dB + Mute
Load: MC: 47KOhm to 47Ohm in 32 Steps
MM: 47KOhm + 70pF to 680pF in 32 Steps
Frequency Response (-3dB): 12Hz - 95kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio “A” weighted: > 90 dB
Total Harmonic Dist. + Noise (THD+N): < 0.3%
Outputs: 1 x XLR L/R,
1 x RCA L/R,
1 x USB
Output impedance: RCA < 200 Ohm, XLR < 400 Ohm
Analog to Digital Converter: 24Bit/96KHz
Thermionic Electron Valves 2 X ECC81/12AT7 (NOS), 2 x 5687/6900 (NOS): amplification
EZ80/6V4 (NOS): rectifier stage
Power Transformers: Custom Double C Core 150W: Audio Circuit
Custom Double C Core 40W: Digital Audio Section
Custom EI Core 18W: MicroProcessor
Appendix C - Specifications