Audio Note P3 Silver Technical manual

P3
Silver
STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER
OWNER’S INFORMATION

1) IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
2) CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
DISPOSAL
POWER REQUIREMENTS
3) INTRODUCTION
4) OVERVIEW
5) UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION
6) VALVE INSTALLATION
8) CONNECTION
10) OPERATION
11) TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
12) WARRANTY INFORMATION
13) CONTACT INFORMATION
CONTENTS

S
UCH REPLACEMENT MUST ONLY BE CARRIED OUT BY A
QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
Do not attempt to replace any fuses without first disconnecting the unit
from the mains electricity supply.
! IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION !
RISK OF SHOCK OR ELECTROCUTION! INTERNAL OPERATING
VOLTAGES ARE LETHAL!
Do not remove top cover, unless specifically instructed to do so in the user
manual.
This unit contains fuses and other safety components in accordance with
BS60065 requirements.
In the event of failure, replacement fuse or safety component must be of
the same part type and value.
This product generates high levels of heat. Adequate ventilation must
be provided. Do not restrict airflow through any ventilation slots or
place the unit on any surface that may restrict airflow.
Valve equipment operates at extremely high temperatures;
KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN AND ANIMALS.
Do not store or operate this unit in areas of high humidity or in close
proximity to water / moisture.
Do not expose or immerse the unit in liquid of any kind.
This product must be earthed –ensure that the mains supply cable earth /
ground is correctly connected.
OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: -
Never touch the power cord with wet hands.
Always remove the power cord by grasping the plug, not the cable.
Never expose the unit to excessive heat or magnetism.
Never let an inexperienced person repair or reassemble the unit.
Never put anything, especially metal objects, inside the unit.
Never place excessive weight on the unit.

POWER REQUIREMENTS
Power requirements for electrical equipment vary depending on your geographical
location. Please ensure that your unit meets the power requirements in your area.
The power requirement for your unit is marked on the serial number plate, located on
the rear panel.
If you are in doubt, please contact your dealer before plugging the unit into the mains
supply.
CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
DISPOSAL
This product must not be disposed of as normal household waste. To
prevent possible harm to the environment please separate the product
from other waste to ensure that it can be recycled in an environmentally
safe manner. Please contact your retailer or the appropriate local
government office for collection facilities.
We declare under our sole responsibility that this product is in conformity
with the following standards or standardized documents:
BS EN 60065 in accordance with the regulations 73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC
(from 1 January 1997)
CE 94
Peter Qvortrup,
Director
Audio Note (UK) Limited
Viscount House
Star Road, Star Trading Estate
Partridge Green
West Sussex
RH13 8RA
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Thank you for purchasing this Audio Note (UK) product. With the correct care it
should give you many years of pleasure and enjoyment.
Please take the time to read all of the information in this manual before connecting
your new component to an electrical supply or your system, to ensure both your
safety and satisfaction.
Please note that due to our desire to continually improve products, specifications are
subject to change without notice. Therefore it is important to refer to the manual that
is supplied with your product for the most accurate information; manuals downloaded
from our website or obtained from other sources may no longer fully apply to your
product.
If you have any questions regarding the information contained within this document
or your new component, please feel free to contact us: -
Audio Note (UK) Limited
Viscount House
Star Road, Star Trading Estate
Partridge Green
West Sussex
RH13 8RA
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of the Audio Note (UK) P3 Silver stereo power
amplifier.
It is a Pure Class A Singled Ended amplifier that uses the highly regarded 300B
direct heated triode valve, producing a level of performance that is radically superior
to the vast majority of current designs.
It has been specifically engineered for sonic performance rather than technical
specification, and fulfills all Audio Note (UK) Level 3 criteria: -
Pure Class A operation
Zero Negative Feedback
Single Ended Output Stage
Valve Rectification
Directly Heated Triode operation
Materials and component quality
The Silver version builds upon the already superb performance of the standard
Meishu, and features the following additions: -
Audio Note Silver wiring
Audio Note Copper Foil signal capacitors
Audio Note (UK) Tantalum film resistors
Audio Note (UK) IHiB Double C Core output transformers, with copper primaries and
copper secondaries.
P3 STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER

Please take care when unpacking your P3 Silver amplifier. Choose a clean, clear
location to unpack it, and be aware that the amplifier is very heavy; before attempting
to unpack or lift the unit, check the weight and if necessary use more than one
person so that it can be moved safely and easily.
We recommend that you retain and carefully store all of the original packing
materials, in case transportation / shipping is required at a later date.
Select a suitable location for the amplifier. This should be a dry, dust free and level
area, preferably shielded from direct sunlight and free from vibration. Also ensure
that the location is stable and capable of supporting the weight of the unit.
A suitable mains power outlet must be close to the location; power cords must not be
pulled or stretched tightly in an attempt to reach a wall socket. If the power cord will
not easily reach the socket, choose a closer location!
Please ensure that adequate ventilation for the amplifier is provided, and that airflow
through any ventilation slots in the casework is not restricted. We recommend a
distance of at least 20cm free space is maintained above the amplifiers, and
preferably they should be sited in free space or on the top shelf of your equipment
rack or table. Please also remember that valve equipment operates at extremely high
temperatures, so a position that is inaccessible to any children or animals is
essential.
UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION

The amplifier is shipped without several of its valves installed. It is necessary to
install the valves before operation.
It is essential that the valves are installed correctly or serious damage that is not
covered by the warranty will result. We recommend that your dealer perform
this procedure for you if you are in any way unsure.
FIRSTLY, ENSURE THAT THE AMPLIFIERS IS NOT CONNECTED TO A MAINS
ELECTRICAL SUPPLY, AND THAT THE POWER CORD IS NOT CONNECTED TO
THE AMPLIFIER.
Remove the top cover from the amplifier. There are a total of 20 screws used to
secure this cover.
Now remove the valves that are packed separately and carefully unwrap them. Also
inspect the amplifiers to check that nothing has become damaged or dislodged
during transit.
In the above drawing, the positions of the valves are marked in RED.
VALVE INSTALLATION
300B
valves
5U4GB
valve
Mains Input
Transformer
FRONT OF AMPLIFIER
REAR OF AMPLIFIER
RCA INPUTS
MAINS INPUT

You should find the following valves: -
2 x 300B output valves
1 x 5U4GB rectifier valve
Once again, please understand that it is absolutely vital these valves are fitted
correctly.
Looking from the front of the amplifier install the 300B valves first. Inspect a 300B
and you will notice that two of the metal pins located at the bottom of the valve are
larger than the other two; this is to help ensure that the valve can only be inserted
one way.
Now examine the large valve sockets located at the rear of the central circuit board
of the amplifier (refer to drawing on previous page). You will notice that two of the
four holes in each valve socket are larger than the others. Line up the large pins on
the bases of the 300B valves and the large holes in each valve socket, and with
gentle but firm pressure insert each valve into its socket.
Next, examine the remaining 5U4GB rectifier valve. You will see that there is a rib on
the central pin of the valve base, which ensures that it can only be inserted into the
valve socket correctly. Locate this rib and align with the corresponding aperture in
the centre of the valve socket, located on the right hand circuit board of the amplifier,
in front of the mains inlet transformer (refer to drawing on previous page). With gentle
but firm pressure, insert the valve.
Check one more time that all of the 3 valves are correctly fitted!
VALVE INSTALLATION continued…

Line inputs Being a stereo power amplifier, the P3 Silver is fitted with a single pair
or RCA / Single Ended inputs. Looking from behind the amplifier, they
are located at the lower right hand side of the rear panel. They are
marked „R‟ for the right channel input and „L‟ for the left channel input.
Connect the outputs from your preamplifier to these inputs.
Speakers Each channel is equipped with 3 colour coded binding posts for
connection to your speakers.
Looking from the rear of the amplifier, the 6 binding posts (three per
channel) are located at the centre of the rear panels.
Connect the amplifier‟s black speaker output binding posts marked as
“0” to the black / negative terminal (also marked “ – “) on the
loudspeakers.
Connect the amplifier‟s red speaker output binding posts marked “8
Ohm” to the red / positive terminal (also marked “ + “) on the
loudspeakers. The other red output binding post is marked “4 Ohm”
and may be used with 4 Ohm speakers. If you are uncertain whether
your speaker system is specified as 4 or 8 Ohm, try the following test
once all other connections are made and the amplifier is operational.
Compare the sound quality using a familiar recording with the
speakers connected to the 8 Ohm connections and then the 4 Ohm
connections respectively. The combination that produces the best
frequency balance and maximum dynamics should be used.
Mains The P3 Silver is equipped with an IEC 320 mains inlet socket, located
at the top / left hand side of the rear panel. Use the supplied mains
cable to connect the unit to the local mains supply. The two fuses are
located in the two fuse holders, located on the rear panel to the right
of the main power switch.
Special Note –Make sure that all connections are tight and clean. For
best results use good quality audio interconnects. Although it is
perfectly acceptable to use cables manufactured by other companies,
for best results and performance, we recommend our own Audio Note
(UK) range of interconnects and loudspeaker cables. For further
information, please consult your nearest Audio Note (UK) dealer, or
alternatively please feel free to contact us directly.
CONNECTION