Audio Note P3 Tonmeister Silver Signature Technical manual

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P3
Tonmeister
Silver
Signature
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STEREO POWER
AMPLIFIER
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OWNER’S INFORMATION
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1) IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
2) CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
DISPOSAL
POWER REQUIREMENTS
3) INTRODUCTION
4) OVERVIEW
5) UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION
6) VALVE INSTALLATION
9) CONNECTION
10) OPERATION
11) TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
12) WARRANTY INFORMATION
13) CONTACT INFORMATION
CONTENTS
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! 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.
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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.
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This product must be earthed – ensure that the mains supply cable earth /
ground is correctly connected.
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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.
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SUCH 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.!

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.
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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]
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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 connecting the unit to the mains
supply.
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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 Tonmeister Silver
Signature Stereo Power Amplifier.
It is a Pure Class A Singled Ended valve amplifier that uses the highly regarded 300B
directly 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 P3 Tonmeister Silver Signature is the latest version of our classic P3 300B
Single Ended Triode stereo power amplifier. The circuit has been completely
redesigned and is now a beautiful example of elegant simplification, something that
could only be realised thanks to our ability to create extremely closely matched
transformers in-house, and having our own supply of custom resistors, in-house
made foil capacitors and custom made electrolytic capacitors. These allow us to have
extremely tight control over the performance and voicing of the complete amplifier
from input to output, something that is simply beyond the possibilities of
manufacturers who have to rely on 'off the shelf' components.
The result is an amplifier that maintains the legendary musicality, midrange magic
and glorious tonal colour of the original P3, whilst bringing new and previously
unheard levels of information retrieval and dynamic expression, redefining what is
usually expected of a 300B SET amplifier.
The P3 Tonmeister Silver Signature includes the following components: -
In house designed and manufactured Audio Note (UK) SHiB copper / copper
interstage and output transformers
Audio Note (UK) IHiB copper / copper PSU Choke and mains transformers
Copper internal wiring
Audio Note (UK) AN-Vx silver interconnect cable used for signal wiring
Audio Note (UK) Copper signal capacitors
Audio Note (UK) STD and KAISEI Bi-Polar Electrolytic Capacitors
Audio Note (UK) 2W Non-Magnetic Ni-Chrome Resistors and Carbon Resistors
Audio Note (UK) 36 Step Stereo Resistor Volume Attenuator
P3 TONMEISTER SILVER SIGNATURE

Please take care when unpacking your P3 Tonmeister Silver Signature Stereo Power
Amplifier. Choose a clean, clear location to unpack your unit. 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 unit. 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 carrying 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 unit is provided, and that airflow
through any ventilation slots in the unit is not restricted. We recommend a distance of
at least 30cm free space is maintained above the unit. 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 the 2 x 300B output valves and the 1 x 5U4GB PSU
valve installed. It is necessary to install these valves before the amplifier can be
connected to the mains supply and operated.
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 AMPLIFIER IS NOT CONNECTED TO A MAINS
ELECTRICAL SUPPLY, AND THAT THE POWER CORD IS NOT CONNECTED TO
THE AMPLIFIER.
Using a No.2 pozidrive® screwdriver, remove the 6 x screws for the top and 7 x
screws for each side of the top cover.
Now remove the 3 valves that are packed inside the amplifier. Also inspect the inside
of the amplifier to check that nothing has become damaged during transit, including
the remaining 2 smaller valves, located in valve sockets ‘3’ and ‘4’ (consult the
drawing on the next page). Ensure that these valves are seated correctly in their
valve bases.
For reference, these valves are as follows: -
Socket 3; 5687
Socket 4; ECC82
Carefully unwrap the 3 large valves. You will find the following: -
2 x 300B valves
1 x 5U4GBvalve.
Once again, please understand that it is absolutely vital these valves are fitted
correctly.
VALVE INSTALLATION

VALVE INSTALLATION Continued…
VALVE 1; 300B
VALVE 2; 300B
VALVE 3; 5687
VALVE 4; ECC82
VALVE 5; 5U4GB

Look at the drawing of the internals of the P3 Tonmeister Silver Signature on the
previous page, and familiarize yourself with the positions of the various valves. First
install the 300B valves, which should be inserted into sockets ‘1’ and ‘2’, located at
the rear of the main central circuit board, as in the illustration below: -
Inspect the bottom of a 300B valve and the corresponding valve base on the circuit
board. You will notice that two of the pins are of a larger diameter than the other two;
this is to help ensure that the valve can easily be inserted correctly.
The larger pins must face towards the FRONT of the amplifier when each valve
is inserted into the appropriate valve base.
With gentle but firm pressure insert the valve into its socket. Check again that both
valves are fully inserted correctly.
Next, insert the 5U4GB valve into socket ‘5’, located at the rear of the PSU circuit
board, on the right hand side of the amplifier. Locate the rib on the central pin of the
valve and align with the valve base (it can only be inserted one way due to this
locating rib) and with gentle but firm pressure insert the valve.
Check once again that all valves are correctly installed and then replace the
top cover.
VALVE INSTALLATION Continued…

Inputs Being a stereo power amplifier, the P3 Tonmeister Silver Signature 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 panel.
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 postsmarked “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 Tonmeister Silver Signature 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 connectionsare 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

Once all the connections are completed and checked, ensure that the volume control
of your preamplifier / source is at the minimum setting.
Turn on all components in the signal chain BEFORE the P3 Tonmeister Silver
Signature; it should always be the LAST component to be switched ON, and the
FIRST to be switched OFF.
Turn on the amplifier by using the switch located on the rear top left of the back
panels, just above mains inlet socket.
Volume Control The P3 Tonmeister Silver Signature is equipped with a stereo
volume control, located on the front panel. This can be used to
adjust the overall level of system gain, and allow for the
preamplifier volume control to be used in its best performing
region of travel, which is usually towards the middle of the
control’s rotation. Initially set the volume control to it’s mid
position (12 o’clock) and test to see if this provides enough
adjustment in combination with the preamplifier volume control.
If more gain is required when the preamplifier volume control is
set to its mid position, turn the P3 Tonmeister Silver
Signature’s volume control up.
Bedding in The new amplifier requires about 100 hours of initial use (called
“bedding in”) before the circuitry becomes stable and optimum
performance is realized.
As the amplifier “beds in” the sound will become increasingly
smoother, detailed and open.
Once the amplifier has “bedded in” a warm up time of
approximately 30 to 45 minutes is required each time the
amplifiers are switched on before optimum sonic performance
is reached.
Cleaning No special maintenance is required for the amplifier. Use a
soft, clean lint free cloth to remove any surface marks from the
casework. For finger marks / grease, use a soft, clean lint free
cloth, lightly moistened with a solution of warm water and mild
detergent. Do not use any alcohol or solvent based cleaning
products, as they may damage the finish of the amplifiers.
ENSURE THAT THE AMPLIFIER IS SWITCHED OFF AND
DISCONNECTED FROM THE MAINS ELECTRICITY
SUPPLY BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY CLEANING.
Valve Life The valves supplied with your amplifier should provide
approximately 6000 hours of operation. They are specially
selected by us, and should only be replaced with matched
pairs. Please consult your Audio Note (UK) dealer should your
valves need replacing.
OPERATION

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
INPUT IMPEDANCE
INPUT SENSITIVITY
MAXIMUM OUTPUT
CHANNEL BALANCE
VALVE COMPLEMENT
UNIT WEIGHT
SHIPPING WEIGHT
(ORIGINAL PACKAGING)
UNIT DIMENSIONS
SHIPPING DIMENSIONS
(ORIGINAL PACKAGING)
MAINS INPUT
MAINS FUSE
INTERNAL HT FUSE
MAX. POWER
CONSUMPTION
NOTE
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100k ohm, line level
240mV for full output
8 watts RMS per channel into 4 or 8 Ohm
loads
+/-0.3dB
1 x 5U4G
2 x 300B
1 x 5687
1 x ECC82
32KG
37KG
220mm (h) x 460mm (w) x 530mm (d)
410mm (h) x 660mm (w) x 680mm (d)
AC 100-120V/220-240V 50/60 Hz
2A Anti Surge (110/120V Supply)
1.6A Anti Surge (200/240V Supply)
400mA (110v-240v Supply)
200 Watts
Due to Audio Note (UK)’s ongoing
research and development program,
specifications are subject to change
without notice.
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Audio Note (UK) warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship for two yearsfrom the original date of purchase from an appointed
Audio Note (UK) dealer, and agrees to cover the cost of parts and associated labour
required to correct such defects, subject to terms & conditions.
This Warranty is offered to the first purchaser only.
Any valves supplied with the unit are warranted for three months from the original
date of purchase.
If the product fails in normal domestic use and during the Warranty period due to the
above described faults or defects, Audio Note (UK) will,at its discretion, repair or
replace the item free of charge within a reasonable time once it has been returned to
Audio Note (UK) or an appointed Audio Note (UK) dealer or service engineer.
Audio Note (UK) is not liable for any shipping charges incurred whilst transporting the
product to or from Audio Note (UK) or an appointed Audio Note (UK) dealer or
service engineer, should the item require service or repair during or after the
Warranty period.
If the product must be shipped, please use the original packaging materials and
include a copy of the original sales receipt along with a note explaining, in as much
detail as possible, the problems you are experiencing with the unit.
Only use a reputable Courier Service or Shipping Agent, and ensure that your
product is insured during transit.
Any servicing, repairs or modificationsnot authorized by Audio Note (UK), or
carried out by persons other than appointed Audio Note (UK) service
engineers will invalidate any warranty.
This Warranty does NOT cover: -
Damage sustained whilst in the possession of a shipping agent, retailer or consumer
and not caused as a direct result of defects in materials or workmanship.
Damage caused by normal wear and tear.
Damage or defects caused by abnormal or unreasonable use.
Damage caused by accident, acts of nature, misuse or neglect.
Damage caused by a failure to follow the operating and installation instructions
supplied with the product.
Damage caused by improper or careless cleaning.
Audio Note (UK) reserves the right to refuse warranty for any component of which
the serial number has been removed, defaced or tampered with.
WARRANTY INFORMATION

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]
www.audionote.co.uk
Audio Note (UK) Ltd
CONTACT INFORMATION
If in the future your Audio Note (UK) product
requires servicing, or if you require technical support
or have any questions regarding this or any of our
other products, please contact your local
Audio Note (UK) dealer.
Alternatively, please feel free to contact us directly: -!