Audionet PREI G3 User manual

1
Stereo Pre-Amplifier
User'sManual

2

3
Contents
1Preface......................................................................5
1.1 Included........................................................................................6
1.2 Transport.....................................................................................6
2Overview frontpanel................................................7
3Overview back panel................................................8
4Installation andpower supply.................................9
4.1 Placement.....................................................................................9
4.2 Mainsconnection.........................................................................9
4.3 Orientation of mainsplug.........................................................10
4.4 Additional earth connection.....................................................10
5Inputsand outputs.................................................11
5.1 Inputs..........................................................................................11
5.2 Outputs.......................................................................................11
5.3 Recording devices......................................................................12
5.4 Monitor......................................................................................12
5.5 Phono..........................................................................................12
5.6 Audionet Link............................................................................13
5.7 External power supply EPS.....................................................13
5.8 Trigger output...........................................................................14
6Usage.......................................................................15
6.1 Powering up...............................................................................15
6.2 Switching on and off.................................................................15
6.3 Mainsphase detection...............................................................16
6.4 Using Audionet Link.................................................................16
6.5 Control elementson the front panel........................................17
6.6 Volume control..........................................................................17
6.7 Display........................................................................................18
6.8 Input selection...........................................................................19
6.9 Muting........................................................................................19
7Setup menu.............................................................21

4
7.1 Set Input.....................................................................................22
7.2 Set Monitor................................................................................23
7.3 Set Headphones.........................................................................24
7.4 Set Dim Level.............................................................................25
7.5 Balance Adjust...........................................................................26
7.6 Offset Adjust..............................................................................28
7.7 Set DC Servo..............................................................................28
7.8 Channel name............................................................................29
7.9 Set Out 2 (Sub)..........................................................................31
7.10 Set Autostart..............................................................................32
7.11 Set Channelfor By-Pass Mode........................................................32
7.12 Overview factory defaults.........................................................33
8Audionet SystemRemoteControl.........................34
8.1 Key assignment PRE1 G3.........................................................36
8.2 Screen 1......................................................................................37
8.3 Screen 2......................................................................................38
8.4 Screen 3......................................................................................39
9Special functionBy-Pass Mode.............................40
10 Technical information.............................................42
10.1 Design.........................................................................................42
10.2 Power supply..............................................................................42
10.3 Circuitry.....................................................................................42
10.4 Handling.....................................................................................42
11 Securityadvice........................................................43
12 Technical data.........................................................44

5
1 Preface
The Audionet Team congratulatesyou on your purchaseof thisunit.
But before you start listening to your new Audionet PRE1 G3,please
read thismanual carefully soyou are able touseand enjoy all functions
of thisunit without drawback on music quality.

6
1.1Included
Included you will find the following items:
·the stereo pre-amplifier PRE1 G3
·the user'smanual (that you are currently reading)
·one standard mainscord
·one green-yellow cord for an additional earth connection
1.2Transport
Important
·Please transport the PRE1 G3 only in the included package.
·Alwaysuse the plastic bag to prevent scratcheson the casing.
·Pleaseallowthe PRE1 G3 to adapt to the climatic conditionsin your
listening room before you switchon the unitfor the firsttime after
transport.

7
2 Overview frontpanel
Display
powe
r
key
down
key
IR remote
control receiver
up
key
set
down
power
up
set
key
PRE1G3
Stereo Preamplifier

8
3 Overview back panel
1
Mains switch
2
Additional earth connector
3
Triggeroutput (12 Volt)
4
Headphones output
5
Balanced (XLR)output, left/right
6
Cinch output
OUT 1
,left/right
7
Cinch output
OUT 2
,left/right
orSubwoofer(2x Mono)
8
Monitoroutput, left/right
9
Recording output
REC OUT
, left/right
10
Earth connectorforturntable (phono)
11
Cinch input no. 6, left/right
12
Cinch input no. 5, left/right
13
Cinch input no. 4, left/right
14
Cinch input no. 3, left/right
15
Cinch input no. 2, left/right
1
11
16
7
6
5
4
3
2
12
13
18
14
15
17
10
19
98
22
21
20
16
Balanced (XLR)inputno. 1, left/right
17
Monitorinput, left/right
18
Audionet Link output
OUT 1
19
Audionet Link output
OUT 2
20
5-pin connectorforexternal power supply EPS
21
Marking mains phase
22
Mains input

9
4 Installation and powersupply
Important
·During connecting and removing of sources or amplifiers to the
PRE1 G3 all unitsofyour audiosystemhave to beswitchedoffto
prevent damage of the PRE1 G3 or any of the other connected units.
·Pleasemakesure that all cablesare in absolute bestconditions!
Broken shieldsor short-cut cablescould damage the PRE1 G3
and/or anyother connected unit.
4.1Placement
Important
·It isrecommended to place the PRE1 G3 into ahigh quality rackor
onto a stable table.
·Do not expose the unitto direct sunlight.
·Do not cover the ventilation slots.
·Do not place the PRE1 G3 in closerange to heat sourceslike radiators.
·Do not place the PRE1 on top of other units,especiallynot on top of
power amplifiers,pre amplifiersor similar that produce heat. Both
unitscould suffer damage from thermal overload.
·Do not usethe unit in placeswhere it isexposed to vibrations.
·Do not place theunitcloseto loudspeakersor into the corner of a
room where it isexposed to highlevelsof sonic energy, which might
reduce the sound quality of the unit.
4.2Mains connection
The mainsinput 21 *ison theback panelof thePRE1 G3. Toconnect the
unit to mainsusetheincluded mainscord. Ifyou preferto useadifferent
power cord make sure that it meetsthe specificationsfor your home country.
Important
·The electrical specificationsof your home country mustmeet the
electrical specificationsprinted onto the backpanel.
*see numbers in section 'Overview back panel' on page 8.

10
·The PRE1 G3 isaClass I unit and mustbeearthed. Pleaseensurea
stable earth connection. Phase('hot'pin) ismarked on the backpanel
('phase')21.
·If you connect themainscordpleasemakesure that mainsswitch 1
at the back panel isswitched off.
·Neverpull themainsplug while thePRE1 G3 isswitched on! Before
you pull themainscord off itssocket22 atthebackpanel, power down
the unit to stand-by mode and switch off the unit using mainsswitch 1 .
Only in casesof extended absence–like vacations–or if massive trouble
on the mainspower isto be expected you should switch off the PRE1 G3
from the mainsusing mainsswitch 1 .Todisconnect the unit completely
from mainspull the mainsplug.
Tip
·The useof high quality mainscordscould improve sound quality.
Ask your local dealer for more information.
4.3Orientation of mains plug
The correctpolarizationof mainsisimportant for reasonsof audioclarity
and stability. Pleaseconnect themainscordsothatthehot pin of the wall
outlet isconnected to the pin of the mainsinput 22 marked 'phase'21 .
Your Audionet PRE1 G3 isableto detectawrongpolarization of the
mainsplug during start-up. If the message
Attention: Mains
Phase incorrect!
appearsin the display, switch off the unit and flip the mainsplug in the
wall outlet (see section'Mainsphase detection'on page 16).
4.4Additional earth connection
Included with the PRE1 G3 you will find agreen-yellow cordfor the
additional earth connection. Attach thiscord to the earth connector 2 on
the backpanel of thePRE1 G3 and put theplug intothe mainssocket
right beside the mainscord of your PRE1G3. Thisensuresan additional
and stable earth connection resulting in a better sound.
Note
·We strongly recommend using the additional earth connection!
·Also, astable earth connection isnecessary for the PRE1 G3 detect-
ing the polarization of mainsphase correctly.

11
5 Inputsand outputs
Important
·During connecting and removing of sourcesoramplifiersto the
PRE1 G3 all unitsofyour audio system have to be switched off to
prevent damage of the PRE1 G3 or anyof the other connected
units.
·Pleasemakesure that all cablesare in absolute bestconditions!
Broken shieldsor short-cut cablescould damage the PRE1 G3
and/or anyother connected unit.
5.1Inputs
The PRE1 G3 isequipped with 5Cinch inputs11 to 15 and one bal-
anced (XLR) input 16 for connecting signal sourcesat line level. Addi-
tionally, the monitor input 17 can used asanother line level input.
Pleaseconnect theleftand right input of the same number printed on the
back panel of the PRE1 G3 to the corresponding outputof the source you
would like to connect to the PRE1 G3.
5.2Outputs
The PRE1G3 isequipped with two Cinch outputs OUT 1 6 and OUT 2
7 aswell asone balanced(XLR) output XLR OUTLEFT and
XLR OUT RIGHT 5 for the leftand right channel to connect the unit to
your amplifier(s).
Usethe Cinch output OUT 1 6 to connect the PRE1 G3 to yourpower
amplifier(s)using high quality Cinch cables.Alternatively, you may con-
nect thepower amplifier using the balanced (XLR) outputs
XLR OUT LEFT and XLR OUT RIGHT 5 in caseyour power amplifier
doesnot support Cinch (line) inputs.
Note
·Of courseyou may usethe Cinch output OUT 2 7 to connect the
unit to youramplifier(s). The menu item SET SUB OUT hasto beset
to Left &Right,otherwisetheCinch output OUT 2 7 worksasa
Subwoofer output (seesection 'Set Out'on page 31).

12
Tip
·The pinning of the balanced (XLR) input16 and output 5 is
printed right beside the connectors.
5.3 Recording devices
You can connect up totwo recording devicesor effectprocessorsto the
PRE1 G3 for recording and playback.
Connect therecordingdevices(like DATor tape recorder) to the re-
cording output RECOUT 9 of the PRE1 G3. For playback pleasecon-
nect your recording devicesonlyto input no. 5 IN5 12of the PRE1 G3.
if they are alsoconnected to the output REC OUT 9 of your PRE1 G3.
If you select input no. 5 IN 5 12 the output REC OUT 9 isswitched off
to prevent any feedback loopsbetween your recording device and the
PRE1 G3.
Pleaseuseinputsno. 1 16 to no. 4 13 and no. 6 11 to connect sources
you like to record from. With these inputsthe recording output REC OUT
9 isalwaysactive
5.4 Monitor
The monitor loop of the PRE1 G3 makesit possible toinsert arecording
device (for read after write verify) or an effectsprocessor (e.g. surround
decoders) into the signal path.
Connect monitor output MONITOR OUT 8of the PRE1 G3 to the in-
put of the unit you would like toinsert. Also, connectthe outputof the
unit to the monitor input MONITOR IN 17of the PRE1 G3.
For furtherinformationon how to usethe monitor loop pleaserefer to
section 'SetMonitor'on page 23.
5.5 Phono
The PRE1G3 can be upgraded with aphono pre amplifier. In thiscase
useinput no. 6 IN 6 11 marked PHONO to connectyour turn table to
the PRE1G3. Connect the earth wire of your turn tableto the earth con-
nector GND 2 rightbeside input no. 6. For furtherinformationon the
optional phono module please refer to itsuser'smanual.

13
Important
·If the PRE1 G3 isupgraded with the optional phono module, input
no. 6 IN 6 11 must only be usedto connect a turn table.
5.6Audionet Link
For your convenience,the PRE1G3 can switch on/off all other Audionet
units(e.g. power amplifiers)connected via'Audionet Link'by asimple
touch on the remote control or the power key on the front panel.
You only need asimple optical 'Toslink'cable. Connect the 'Audionet
Link'output OUT 1 18or OUT 2 19 of your PRE1G3 to the 'Audio-
net Link'input of unit to be controlled.
The PRE1G3 isequipped with two 'Audionet Link'outputs OUT 1 18
and OUT2 19 .'Audionet Link'output 1 OUT 1 18 isalwayson
while the PRE1 G3 isswitchedon. However, 'Audionet Link'output
OUT 2 19iscontrolled depending on the settingsfor the headphones
output. Please refer tosection 'Set Headphones'on page 24.
Therefore, use'Audionet Link'output OUT 2 19 in order to connect
power amplifiersto thePRE1 G3 via 'Audionet Link'.Connect unitsyou
would like to control independently from the headphonessettings(e.g.
tuner, CD player etc) to 'Audionet Link'output OUT 1 18 .
Tip
·Audionet source unitsand power amplifiersare usuallyequipped not
only with an 'Audionet Link'input, but additionally with an 'Audionet
Link'output to connect further Audionet devicesto becontrolled via
'Audionet Link'in adaisychain. Connect this'Audionet Link'output
to the 'Audionet Link'input of thenext Audionet unit using asimple
optical 'Toslink'cableallowing you to switch on/off your complete
Audionet system by your Audionet pre amplifier.
5.7 External power supply EPS
In order to usethe optional external precision powersupply Audionet
EPS (External Power Supply) with you PRE1 G3 pleaseproceedasfol-
lows:
1. Makesure bothPRE1 G3 and EPSare switched offanddiscon-
nected from mains.
2. Connect the EPSwith the included cableto input jack EPS 20
on the backpanel ofthe PRE1 G3. The shape of theplug pre-
ventsany wrong polarity. The small 'nose' inside the plughasto

14
face upwards.Now screw the ring of the plug onto theEPSinput
jack20 .
3. Connect both (!!) units(PRE1 G3 and EPS) to mains.
4. First, switch on the EPSon itsbackpanel. Then switch on the
PRE1 G3 with the mainsswitch 1 .
5. Usethe power key onthe frontpanel or the keys PowerOn or
PowerToggle *) ofthe Audionet System Remote Control Har-
mony One to switch on the PRE1 G3. The PRE1 G3 isnow ready
to use and getsitspower from the external power supply EPS.
6. To switchoff the PRE1 G3 into stand-bymode, usethe power
key onthefront panel or keys PowerOff or PowerToggle *)
of the Audionet System Remote Control Harmony One.
Important
·Never switch on or off the EPSon its backpanel while the
PRE1 G3 isoperating.
·For furtherinformationreferring to the external powersupply EPS
pleaseconsult itsuser'smanual.
Tip
·Useahighquality cable (for example the Audionet APC) to connect
the EPS to mains. The sound will improve.
5.8 Trigger output
Usetriggeroutput TRIGGER 3to control (e.g. switch on/off) non-
Audionet devices.If you switch onthe PRE1G3 from stand-by mode, the
trigger ouput 3 providesasignalof 12 VoltsDC. If youpower down the
unit to stand-by mode, the signal of the trigger output 3 will be 0 Volts.
Tip
·Usea3.5 mm telephone mono plug to connect adevice to the trigger
output 3 of your PRE1 G3. The pinning isasfollows:
*) or switched on/off byActivitieson the AudionetSystemRemoteControl;see separateuser's
manual Harmony One
12 Volt DC
Ground

15
6 Usage
All functionsof the PRE1 G3 are microprocessor controlled. Thisguaran-
teeshighestprecision,exclusivefunctions,easyhandling and protection
against operating errors.
6.1Powering up
Firstof all,pleasemake sure your PRE1G3 isconnected correctly to
your signal sources,power amplifier(s)and mains(seesection
'Installationand power supply'on page 9and 'Inputsand outputs'on
page 11).
The PRE1G3 isastand-by unit.Pleaseoperate the mainsswitch1 on
the backpanel. The display showsawelcome message for abrief mo-
ment. After that the PRE1 G3 isin stand-by mode.
Only in casesof extended absence (like vacations)or if massivetrouble
on the mainspoweristo beexpected (e.g. thunder storms)it isrecom-
mended to disconnect the PRE1G3 fromthemains.While the PRE1 G3
isin stand-by mode, operate mainsswitch1 on theback panel. The
display will go dark. Todisconnect the PRE1 G3 frommainscompletely,
you have to pull the mainscordoff the mainsjack 22 .
Important
·Before youswitch off the PRE1 G3 frommains,power down and
discharge completely all unitsconnected to the outputsof the
PRE1 G3.
6.2Switching on and off
Topower up the PRE1 G3 fromstand-by mode, press the power key on
the front panel. The PRE1 G3 issuesthe message Waking up....In
casethemainsplug hasthe incorrect polarization awarning will appear
in the display (seesection 'Mainsphasedetection'on page 16). After that
the unit isin normal operating mode and ready to use.
If you would like to switch off the unit, pleasepressthe power keyon the
front panel. The display showsthe message Going to sleep.. and
unit entersthe stand-by mode.
Note
·Of course, you may switch on/off the PRE1 G3 withthe Audionet
System Remote Control Harmony One.For detailed information
please refer to section 'Screen 3'on page 39.

16
6.3 Mains phase detection
The correctpolarizationof mainsisimportant for reasonsof audioclarity
and stability. Pleaseconnect the mainscordthat the 'hot'pin of the wall
outlet isconnected to the pin marked 'phase'21 of themainsinput 22
on the backpanel. The PRE1 G3 recognizesthe incorrect polarization of
the mainsplug automatically. Right after switchingon the unit from
stand-by mode by pressing the power key on the frontpanel the follow-
ing messagewill appear in the display in casethe mainspolarization is
incorrect:
Attention: Mains
Phase incorrect!
If you read the above message, switch off the unit by pressing the power
key. Please wait until the displayno longer reads Going to sleep....
Disconnectthe PRE1 G3 from mainsby operating themainsswitch 1 .
Now pull the mainsplug and re-insert it intothe mainssocket rotated by
180°.
If you switch on the unit again, the warning should not appear now.
Important
·If the PRE1 G3 issuesthe mainspolarization warning or no warning
at all for both positionsof the mainsplug, check theconnectionto
earth of your mainssocket and mainscord. You haveto ensure a
stable connection to earth forthe mainsphasedetection of the
PRE1 G3 to workcorrectly!
6.4 Using Audionet Link
Your PRE1 G3 isequipped with two 'Audionet Link'outputs OUT 1 18
and OUT 2 19 allowing you to switch on/off further Audionet units
(e.g. power amplifiers,CD player or tuner)connected via 'AudionetLink'
(also see section 'Audionet Link'on page 13).
If the restof your Audionet system isconnected toyour PRE1 G3 via
'Audionet Link',all linked unitswill be automatically switched on/off as
soon asyouswitch on/off your PRE1 G3 using the power keyon the
front panel or the Audionet System Remote Control Harmony One.
Note
·The 'switchon/off'signal of the 'Audionet Link'output OUT 2 19is
issued depending on the headphonessettings(see section 'Set Head-
phones'on page 24).
·Pleasereadsection 'Audionet Link'on page 13. Also, consult the
user'smanual of your Audionet componentsconnectedvia 'Audionet
Link'for further information.

17
6.5Control elements on the front panel
The front panel hasfour keysto control the PRE1 G3 (seesection
'Overview front panel'on page 7). With thesekeysyou can control all
functionsaswell asallsetup optionsto adjustthe unit to your preferences
(see section'Setup menu'on page 21).
power Usekey to switch on/off the unit (see section 'Switching
on and off'on page 15).
set Pushkey shortly to navigate through the setup menu.
Keep key pushed for longer than two secondsto exit the
setup menu(see section'Setup menu'on page 21).
down Pushkey toreduce volume, select previousinput chan-
nel (seesection 'Input selection'on page 19)or change
an option of the setupmenu (see section 'Setup menu'
on page 21).
up Pushkey to increasevolume, select next input channel
(see section 'Inputselection'on page 19) or change an
option of the setup menu (see section 'Setupmenu'on
page 21).
6.6 Volumecontrol
While the PRE1 G3 isin normal operating mode usekeys up and down
on the front panel to adjustthe volume. up increases, down decreasesthe
volume.
The volumecontrol of the PRE1 G3 runsin arange from –80 dB to
+6 dB in real 1 dB stepsrelativelyto the level of the input signal. Differ-
encesin input levelscan beadjusted for eachinput channelof the
PRE1 G3 separately (see section 'Offset Adjust'on page 28.
Note
·Usekeys up and down alsoto change an option from the setup menu
(see section 'Setup menu'on page 21) aswell asto select an input
channel (see section 'Input selection'on page 19).

18
5 INPUT FIVE
LEVEL –46+0dB
6.7 Display
The displayprovidesin the normal operating mode the following infor-
mation:
1number of currently selectedinput channel,correspondsto thenum-
ber printedabove the input jackon the back panel(see section
'Overview back panel'on page 8).
2name of the currently selectedinput channel, fullyuser-definable
(see section'Channel name'on page 29).
3current volume level in dB relative to the input level (see section
'Volume control'on page 17).
4offset for input level of currently selected input channel (seesection
'Offset Adjust'on page 28).
Assoonas you enter the setupmenu by pushing the set key, thedisplay
changestoshow information related to the selected menu item.For fur-
ther displaydetailsrefer to the description of each menu item in section
'Setup menu'starting from page 21.
Note
·After 10 minuteswithout any user interaction the 'display saver'is
invoked automatically. The display then showsonly the numberof
the currently selectedinput channel and the current volume level.
Pleasereferto section'Set Dim Level'on page 25 for further informa-
tion on the 'display saver'mode.
1
4
3
2

19
SELECT INPUT:
5 INPUT FIVE
6.8 Input selection
Pushthe set key on the front panel once forless than two seconds,then
select the desired input channel with the keys up and down.Thedisplay
shows:
The 2nd line of the display providesthenumber and the (user-definable)
name of the currently selected input channel.
The PRE1 G3 featuresa'soft'input selection. During the switching of
inputs,firstthe volumeissteppeddown to –80 dB, followed by switching
off the outputs.Now the input section switchestothe new input channel.
Afterwardsthe outputsare switched on again, and finally the volume is
stepped up to itsoriginal level.
Note
·Leave the input selection function by holding down the set key
longer than 2 seconds.
·Using the Audionet System Remote Control Harmony One,selectan
input channel by simply pressing the corresponding key (see section
'Screen 1'on page 37), or usethekeys Ch+ and Ch- to switchto
the next or previousinput channelwithout using the Select Input
function.
6.9 Muting
Note
·The muting function isonly available through the Audionet System
Remote Control Harmony One.
Press key of the Audionet System RemoteControl Harmony One to
mute or un-mute your PRE1 G3.
Justaswellasthe input selection, the PRE1 G3 uses'soft'muting, i.e.
volume isstepped down gently to -80 dB, then the outputsare switched
off. The display informsthe userof amuted unit with the text MUTE in
the 2nd line. Even if the dim level isset to Off, the text isdisplayed.
To un-mute the PRE1G3 press key again. Here aswell, the volume is
stepped up gently to itsoriginal level after switching on the outputs.

20
Note
·Whiletheunit ismuted, you may of course selectadifferent input
channel asdescribed above. But the PRE1 G3 will stay muted until you
press thekey again to un-muteand restoretheoriginal volume
level.
·If you turnup thevolume by using thekey up or Vol+ ,while the
PRE1 G3 ismuted, themuting function will be deactivated and the
new volume level set.