AVM ROTATION R 5.3 User manual

ROTATION R 5.3
Operating Instructions

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Getting started
1.1 Important (1)
1.2 What’s in the box? (2)
1.3 Packaging (2)
1.4 Control and operating elements (3)
1.5 Setup (5)
1.5.1 Feet assembly (5)
1.5.2 Platter, sub-platter and drive belt installation (5)
1.5.3 Speed control (6)
1.5.4 Light control (6)
1.5.5 Output connection (7)
1.5.6 Tonearm setting (7)
1.5.7 Cartridge installation (8)
1.5.8 Counterweight assembly (8)
1.5.9 Vertical Tracking Force setting (VTF) (9)
1.5.10 Vertical Tracking Angle setting (VTA) (10)
1.5.11 Azimuth setting (11)
1.5.12 Anti-skating assembly and adjustment (13)
2. Appendix
2.1 Technical specifications (16)
2.2 Accessories list (18)
2.3 Troubleshooting (19)
2.4 Service (20)
2.5 Warranty (21)


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CHAPTER
1Getting started
1.1 Important
CAUTION
Throughout the manual,
the section labeled
CAUTION will alert you
to potential hazards for
the user or the unit, and
how to avoid possible
misuse.
Your turntable was shipped partially disassembled
in order to avoid damage to sensitive parts. Please
check immediately to make sure neither the packag-
ing nor the device was damaged during transport. If
you miss parts or the unit is damaged, please do not
operate and contact your dealer.

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1.2 What’s in the box?
1.3 Packaging
AVM packaging is carefully designed to protect your
component from damage during transport. We
highly recommend you keep the original packaging
in order to safely ship or otherwise transport your
turntable going forward.
The packaging materials were chosen to be environ-
mentally friendly. In case you need discard the pack-
aging material, please do your part to help protect
the environment and recycle properly.

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1.4 Control and operating elements

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1. Acrylic platter
2. Acrylic lighting panel
3. Aluminium / MDF chassis
4. Speed control buttons
5. Damped adjustable feet
6. Tonearm counterweight
7. Tonearm rest and removable transport lock
8. Tonearm lift
9. Tonearm tube
10.Head shell with finger lift
11.Sub-platter
12.Drive belt
13.Motor with pulley
14.Guide pulley
15.Tonearm flange
16.Hook screw for anti-skating thread
17.Anti-skating mechanism
18.Dustcover hinge
19.Hinge fasteners
20.Dustcover
21.RCA output with earth connection
22.Power supply socket

Getting started
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1.5 Setup
1.5.1 Feet assembly
Remove the three feet (5) from the grey foam insert
which holds the turntable chassis. Carefully lift the
turntable and screw the feet into the thread inserts
on the bottom of the turntable. Balance the turnta-
ble by using a spirit level before next steps.
1.5.2 Platter, sub-platter and drive belt installation
Remove the protective cover from the sub-platter
(11). Install the sub-platter (11), drive belt (12) and
platter (1) as shown in the above illustration.

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1.5.3 Speed control
To start the rotation of the platter for 33 r.p.m.,
press the left speed control button (4). To play 45
r.p.m., press the right-speed control button (4). To
stop the motor of the turntable, press the middle
speed control button and the turntable will switch to
standby mode.
1.5.4 Light control
The turntable is equipped with blue LED diodes
under the platter controlled by a 3-way switch.
Left position – light LED back light
Middle position – no light
Right position – full LED back light

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1.5.5 Output connection
Connect the tonearm cable provided with the acces-
sories to the RCA tonearm output that is located at
the rear of the turntable, behind the tonearm. Con-
nect a grounding cable on the earth connection
screw.
1.5.6 Tonearm setting

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1.5.7 Cartridge installation
Install the cartridge into the aluminium head shell,
using the appropriate hardware included with your
cartridge.
Connect the cartridge as indicated below:
• White: Left channel L+
• Red: Right channel R+
• Green: Right channel R-
• Blue: Left channel L-
If unfamiliar with cartridge setups, please refer to
your dealer.
1.5.8 Counterweight assembly
The counterweight has two separate main parts:

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The first part is the counterweight itself. The sec-
ond part is an additional insert that enables optimal
balancing of heavier cartridges.
The counterweight without the additional insert can
balance cartridges from 5 to 8 g. The weight of the
counterweight itself is 104 g.
The counterweight with the additional insert can
balance cartridges from 8 to 16 g. The weight of the
counterweight with the additional insert is124 g.
1.5.9 Vertical Tracking Force setting (VTF)
Before setting the Vertical Tracking Force (VTF),
confirm the exact weight of your cartridge. Depend-
ing on your cartridge weight, determine whether to
use the counterweight with or without the additional
insert, in accordance with the specifications above.
Pushing carefully, turn the counterweight onto the
rear end of the counterweight support rod as shown
in the illustration above. Place a stylus pressure
gauge (not supplied) onto the platter. To set the
required VTF, lower the tonearm lift lever as indi-
cated in the illustration and place the tip of the sty-
lus on the pressure gauge.

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As viewed from the head shell, turning the move-
ment screw counterclockwise (closer towards the
tonearm) increases the VTF, turning it clockwise
(away from the tonearm) reduces the VTF. Turn the
counterweight appropriately until the VTF shown on
the pressure gauge matches your cartridge’s recom-
mended vertical tracking force specifications.
When the VTF is set for a required value, lock the
counterweight by its locking screw. Please make
sure to lock the additional weight if used.
1.5.10 Vertical Tracking Angle setting (VTA)
To set the Vertical Tracking Angle (VTA), first put a
record (VTF) on the platter. When the needle is low-
ered into the record groove, the tube of the tonearm
should be parallel to the surface of the record. If it
is not, loosen both hexagonal screws in the tonearm
base, just enough to allow vertical movement of the
arm pillar without force, and slide the arm up or
down until it is parallel.
Carefully and evenly re-tighten the hexagon screws
without applying excessive force (which may deform
the arm pillar).

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1.5.11 Azimuth setting
CAUTION
Do not remove the
Azimuth setting
screw completely!
The cartridge needle must be perpendicular to the
record in order to trace the groove wall modulations
correctly.
The azimuth (angle) is precisely set by the factory.
In the event you need to modify this setting, please
follow the instructions below.
Loosen the small Azimuth setting screw using the
1.5 mm hexagonal allen key.
Loosen the screw just enough to be able to gently
rotate the arm tube and set the azimuth to the cor-
rect position. The correct position can be checked
from the front view, preferably with the needle
placed on a mirror placed on the platter. Once the
azimuth setting is correct, gently re-tighten the Azi-
muth setting screw.

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Examples of incorrect and correct azimuth setups:
FALSE: Too much left angle
FALSE: Too much right angle
CORRECT: 100% perpendicular to the record.

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1.5.12 Anti-skating assembly and adjustment
CAUTION
Be careful when hand-
ing the anti-skating
thread in order to avoid
damaging it.
The anti-skating mechanism is shipped partially dis-
assembled to avoid damage during transport. For
correct installation, please follow the steps below.
Step 1
Prepare the following parts supplied from the
accessories bag: Anti-skating sliding mechanism
with anti-skating weight and thread for mounting on
the tonearm.
Step 2
Put the anti-skating sliding mechanism on the end
of the anti-skating support rod.

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Step 3
The anti-skating sliding mechanism is supplied with
a pre-mounted anti-skating weight and anti-skating
thread. Put the eye of the anti-skating thread around
the hole for the HOOK SCREW and screw the HOOK
SCREW into the tonearm through the eye of the anti-
skating thread as shown in the illustration below.
Step 4
Anti-skating force adjustment

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Adjust the anti-skating force by positioning the
weight on the appropriate groove of the anti-skating
sliding mechanism. Anti-skating down force should
be adjusted in correspondence with the tonearm
down force as follows:
Tonearm
Downforce
Anti-Skating
Groove
Lower than 13
mN or 1.3 g
1st groove from
bearing
14-18 mN or 1.3-
1.8 g
2nd groove from
bearing
19-25mN or 1.9-
2.5 g
3rd groove from
bearing

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CHAPTER
2Appendix
2.1 Technical specifications
Table of contents