Bel Canto REF1000 User manual

REF1000 mkII
e.One™Series
Mono Audio
ower Amplifier
Bel Canto Design, LTD.
221 1st Street North, Suite 300
inneapolis, N 55401
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.belcantodesign.com
[email protected]
©2008 Bel Canto Design, LTD
User's Guide and Operating Information

page 2© 2008 bel canto design, Ltd.
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
BelCantoDesignStatement..................................................3
DesignFeatures ............................................................4
Unpacking.................................................................5
InitialSetupandOperation ...............................................6&7
Specifications ..............................................................8
The Bel Canto Design e.One Series REF1000 mkII is a perfect example of what
can be accomplished when elegant engineering and depth of empirical knowl-
edge are combined. All components are selected for high sound quality, preci-
sion, technical performance, and material quality. Bel Canto’s circuit designs and
component quality will provide superb performance and years of listening satis-
faction.
REF1000 mkII
Mono Audio ower Amplifier
™
REF1000 mkII User’s Guide 0808 Rev. A

page 3© 2008 bel canto design, Ltd.
Bel Canto Design audio products are designed to bring you closer to the power
and beauty of your music. Our goal is simply to provide the most expressive and
powerful musical experience outside of the live event and bring some of the
greatest musicians and their performances into the intimacy of your home. We
design equipment which is easy to own, use and live with. We fully expect that
your enjoyment and appreciation of your Bel Canto purchase will grow as you
live with it and experience all of the fine audio subtleties that emerge.
Bel Canto Design
Get Closer
REF1000 mkII User’s Guide 0808 Rev. A

Warm Up
The REF1000 mkII’s sonic performance will start to stabilize after approximately
forty (40) hours of continuous power up. We recommend that the REF1000 mkII
remains powered for optimum performance.
The e.One Series REF1000 mkII is a
mono amplifier designed to deliver
over 500 watts into 8 ohm loads and
1000 watts into 4 ohm loads. The
REF1000 mkII has current drive capa-
bility for virtually any loudspeaker
load down to 2 ohms. This is
achieved in a compact and elegant
product through our adaptation of
the latest analog switching amplifier
and power supply technology from
the ICEpower group.
Bel Canto’s new generation of e.One
analog switching audio power ampli-
fiers extend our leadership in this
technology.
These amplifiers incorporate per-
formance enhancing technologies
that bring musicality and perform-
ance to new levels.
• A custom input stage is added for
increased linearity, common mode
rejection and improved input stage
drive to the amplifier. This circuit
results in lower noise in real-world
operation, lower distortion and bet-
ter dynamic performance for the
amplifier.
• This input stage uses the latest
advanced amplifiers and passive
components including: Caddock
resistors, Solid Electrolytic ultra-low
ESR decoupling capacitors and low
noise regulated power supplies.
These devices ensure that the input
section is utterly transparent,
enhancing the performance of the
core amplifier.
• The REF1000 kII and REF500
ono amplifiers also include cus-
tom power supply rectification and
filters that add 45 Joules of energy
storage to the power supply. This
stage results in lower noise in oper-
ation, reduced sensitivity to power
line effects and better perceived
power delivery and dynamics.
Incorporating high speed, low noise
rectifiers, high voltage film filter
capacitors and high energy storage
this filter allows the regulated
power supply to perform at its best.
Design Features
page 4© 2008 bel canto design, Ltd. REF1000 mkII User’s Guide 0808 Rev. A

Warning!
Do not connect power to this amplifier yet!
This amplifier, like any electrical component, can be dangerous and cause injury
unless correct handling procedures are observed and used. Before powering this
preamplifier it is necessary to read and follow proper procedures concerning its
setup and use.
Any tampering of internal parts will immediately void your warranty.
USA customers: For Warranty Coverage complete and mail the Owner's
Registration Papers immediately.
Unpacking
The REF1000 mkII box contains:
1 – REF1000 mkII User's Guide
1 - Power Cable for connection
to utility power [1.85m,
6' long]
1 – REF1000 mkII Amplifier.
1 - Owner's Warranty /
Registration Sheet
Carefully inspect your new unit and
check for shipping damage. If there is
any damage, or if any piece is miss-
ing, please contact your dealer, dis-
tributor or Bel Canto Design.
Save all packing materials as the
packing is specially designed to pro-
tect the amplifier for shipping or
transporting it. If you lose or damage
the packing materials or carton,
please contact your dealer or distrib-
utor before attempting to transport
the preamplifier.
The REF1000 mkII’s power supply is
preset for the proper AC line voltage
before you receive it. The power
cable will have the correct plug for
your local power system. If you
believe this is not true, please con-
tact your dealer immediately. Do not
attempt to alter or change power
settings yourself. This will void the
warranty.
Unpacking
page 5© 2008 bel canto design, Ltd. REF1000 mkII User’s Guide 0808 Rev. A

REF1000 mkII Rear Panel
Rear anel Connections
Never Connect Either the ositive or Negative Speaker Output to Any
Ground Contact!
Connecting any Speaker Output on the REF1000 mkII to Ground will cause the
amplifier to go into protection and could damage the amplifier and void the war-
ranty.
page 6© 2008 bel canto design, Ltd.
1) Power Switch: Power is on when the
switch is toggled to the I position
and off in the O position.
2) Input Connections and RCA/XLR
switch: When using RCA cables for
the input insure that the RCA/XLR
switch is pressed in to the RCA posi-
tion. When using XLR cables insure
that the switch is out in the XLR
position. Do not connect both XLR
and RCA cables to the inputs!
3) Output Connections: Attach your
loudspeaker to the output connec-
tors, insure that the polarity of each
speaker is correct and the same so
that no phase inversion can occur.
Never Connect Either the ositive or
Negative Speaker Output to Any
Ground Contact!
4) IEC power cord jack: Connect a
heavy gauge power cord from
this jack to the wall power supply.
Note the power setting indicated
on the back of the amplifier before
connecting the power.
When all connections to and from the
amplifier have been made then double
check everything, insure that the pre-
amplifier is powered on and set to a
ute setting and power on the
REF1000 mkII.
REF1000 mkII User’s Guide 0808 Rev. A

Front anel Indicator Lamp
What to do if there is hum or ground noise:
The small blue LED lamp indicates that
the power is connected to the REF1000
mkII and that the power switch is in the
ON position. If the amplifier detects a
fault or short circuit in the output con-
nections then it will go into a protec-
tion mode and stop playing. If this
occurs toggle the power switch to the
OFF position and check the speaker
cabling to insure that no speaker out-
put is either shorted together or con-
nected to a ground. When you are cer-
tain that the loudspeaker cabling is
correct, power the unit ON again and
insure that the Blue lamp is lit and that
music will play.
Fuse rotection
There is an internal fuse protection on
the REF1000 mkII. If the power switch
is in the ON position, the power cable
is connected to a functioning power
outlet at the correct voltage and the
Blue lamp is not lit,this indicates that
the internal fuse may have blown. If
this occurs contact your dealer, distrib-
utor or Bel Canto for service. There are
no user replaceable fuses or other
parts. Opening the chassis will void
your warranty.
page 7© 2008 bel canto design, Ltd.
1) Check that the RCA/XLR switch is in
the correct position for the type of
connection being used.
2) Insure that the preamplifier or any
source components are not produc-
ing hum by setting the preamplifier
to a UTE or Standby setting.
3) The design of the REF1000 mkII
reduces the chance for ground loop
induced hum but we still recommend
that you use shorter interconnect
cables to the preamplifier and connect
all power cables to a common outlet
box or power conditioner unit to
reduce the possibility for ground cur-
rent noise being induced into the
audio signal path. If you choose to
power your source and preamplifier
components from a different AC sup-
ply than used for the REF1000 mkII
amplifiers, we recommend that you
use a high quality balanced XLR cable
driven from a true balanced XLR pre-
amplifier output. We do not recom-
mend that you resort to ‘cheater
plugs’ or some other means to dis-
connect the power ground from the
REF1000 mkII as this may lead to dan-
gerous operation and void the warran-
ty.
REF1000 mkII User’s Guide 0808 Rev. A

Specifications
Power Output: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >1000W into 4 ohms, >500W into 8 ohms
inimumLoad: ..........................................................................2ohms
Frequency Response: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +/-0.5dB 20Hz-20KHz, all loads
THD+N: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.007% 1W, 1KHz, 4 ohms
I D (CCIF): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0007%, 1W, 14:15KHz, 4 ohms
Output noise: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90uVR S A-weighted 10Hz-20KHz
Voltage gain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27dB (single ended or balanced input)
Dampingfactor: ..........................................................................>1000
Output Impedance at 100Hz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<8 milliohms
DynamicRange: ..........................................................................120dB
InputVoltagefor axOutput..................................................................3Vrms
Input connections: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Single-ended RCA or balanced XLR
RCAinputimpedance: ...................................................................100Kohms
Balancedinputimpedance: ................................................................200Kohms
Output connections: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-set WBT 5-way safety binding posts
StandbyPower: ...........................................................................15W
Size: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5x3.5x12[inches], 216x88x305[mm] (WxHxD)
Weight:..........................................................................18.5lbs.9Kg.
Features and specifications are subject to improvements and changes without prior notice.
page 8© 2008 bel canto design, Ltd. REF1000 mkII User’s Guide 0808 Rev. A

Bel Canto Design, LTD.
221 1st Street North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
hone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.belcantodesign.com
[e-mail]
©2008 Bel Canto Design, LTD
e.One™ is a trademark of Bel Canto Design, LTD