Beresford Capella User manual

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BeresfordCapellaHeadphoneAmplifier
Owner’sReferencemanualREV‐1.7
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Introduction
TheCapellaisahigh‐endheadphoneamplifierdesignedforaudiophilelistening.It
canacceptaudiosignalsfromananaloguesource.AuniquefeatureoftheCapella
arethevariousrotarycontrols.Togethertheyhelpyoutoadjustyourheadphones
forthemostpleasantlisteningexperience.TheCapellaissuitableforusewith
headphonesfrom12Ohmsto600Ohms.
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BoxContent
Thefollowingitemsareincluded:
UserManual
PowerCord
ACtoDCpowersupply
BeresfordCapellaHeadphoneamplifier
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ImportantSafetyInstructions
ReadtheseinstructionsHeedallwarningsFollowallinstructions
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‐Toreducetheriskoffireorelectricalshock,donotexposethisapparatustorain
ormoisture.
‐Protectthepowercordfrombeingwalkedonorpinched.
‐UnplugtheCapellafromthemainsduringlightningstormsorwhenunusedfor
longperiodsoftime.
‐SwitchOFFyourequipmentbeforeconnectingtheCapellatoanything.
‐Therearenouser‐serviceablepartsinsidethisproduct.Referallservicingto
qualifiedservicepersonnel.Thereisauserreplaceableinternalfuseinsidethe
Capella.However,thisfuseshouldnotbereplacedwithoutfirstconsultingthe
factoryservicecentreforadvice.
‐SwitchofftheCapellawhenitisnotbeingused.
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Cautionlisteningtooloudly
Notethatlisteningtoheadphonesatextremelyloudlisteninglevelsmaydamage
yourhearing.Enjoyyourmusic,enjoytheCapella,butprotectyourears.
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UsageNotes
SwitchONtheCapellabeforeswitchingONanyotherequipmentconnectedtothe
LINEOUToftheCapella.Thisistoavoidanyrelayswitchonnoises.
Waitatleast20secondsbeforeyoupowerontheCapellaafterpoweringitoff.
Waitanother8secondsfortheprotectionrelaytodisengage,beforeanyaudiowill
beaudible.Inthecaseofamalfunction,pleasepowertheunitoff,waitfor20
seconds,andthenpoweritbackon.Iftheissuepersists,pleaseconsultthe
troubleshootingtableorcontactus
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WhatvoltagescanIruntheCapellaon?
TheincludedpowersupplyistheonerecommendedforusewiththeCapella.Ifyou
dodecideorneedtousetheCapellawithadifferentpowersupply,donotusethe
CapellaonaDCvoltagehigherthan15Voltsregulated.Failuretoobservethis
cautionarynotewillvoidyourwarranty.TheCapellaisalsocapableofoperating
froma12Voltsbatterypack.Contactusforfurtheradviceifrequired.

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FrontPanelControls
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1.PowerON/OFFSwitch
2.PowerStatusIndicator
3.GainAdjustmentKnob
4.LowFrequencyDampingAdjustmentSelector(4positions)
5.HighFrequencyAdjustmentKnob
6.6.35mmHeadphoneSocket
7.DepthAdjustmentKnob
8.BalanceControlKnob
9.VolumeControlKnob
10.PeakDetectorLEDs
11.3.5mmINPUTSocket
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1.PowerOn/Off
LiftingthePowerSwitchtotheupwardspositionswitchesONtheCapella.
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2.PowerLED
ThePowerStatusIndicatorturnsgreenwhenthepowerswitchisintheupwards
position,andthepowersupplyiscorrectlyconnected.
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3.Gain
InordertooptimallysetthegainoftheCapella,usetheGainControltoadjustthe
signalleveloftheaudioonInput‐1orInput‐2.TurntheGainControltowardsthe
leftforlessgain,ortowardstherightformoregain.
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TheGainControlcentrepositionissetfor32Ohms,whilstthemaximumsettingis
setfor600Ohms.Youcanalsoadjusttheheadphoneamplifiergaintoproperly
driveheadphonesthatareverysensitiveorrequireadditionalpower.
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4.Damping
Differentheadphonesizesandmaterialconstructionrequireadifferentlevelof
dampingoftheconesinordertogetthebestbasspossible.The4‐positionrotary
Dampingswitchoffersfourpossibleoptionstogetabettercontrolledbasssound.
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5.HF
Someheadphonesareeithertoobright,ornotbrightenoughintheHFrange.
TurntheHFControltotheleftiftheforalesspronouncedhighfrequencyoutput.
TurntheHFControltotherightifyourequireamoredetailedHFoutput.
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6.HeadphoneOutputConnection
ConnectyourheadphonestotheCapellausingastereo6.35mmplug.Usea3.5
mmto6.35mmstereoadapterifyourheadphonesterminateintoa3.5mmplug.
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7.Depth
Someheadphonesareeithertoolaidback,ortooforwardsounding.TheDepth
Controlallowsyoutoadjustthedepthofthesound.
TurntheDepthControltotheleftifyourequireamorelaidbacksound.
TurntheDepthControltotherightifyourequireamoreforwardsound.
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8.Balance
TheBalanceControlvariesthesoundoutputlevelbetweentheLandRchannels.
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9.Adjustingthevolume
RotatingtheVolumeKnobclockwiseorcounter‐clockwisewillincreaseordecrease
thevolumelevel.Theactualheadphonevolumeleveldependsontheheadphones’
sensitivity,theinputsignallevel,andtheHeadphoneGainsetting.
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10.PeakDetectorLED
TherearetwoPeakDetectorLEDsbehindtheVolumeControlknobthatwilllight
upwhentheinput‐1orinput‐2signalisreachingclippinglevel.Turndownthelevel
ofthesignalcomingintotheCAPELLAinputswherethatispracticallypossibleifthe
PeakDetectorLEDsareconstantlyON.
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11.Input‐1
Youcanconnectaportableaudiodeviceviaitsheadphoneoutputsockettothe
3.5mmInput‐1byusinga3.5mmto3.5mmstereocable.Theanaloguesignalwill
beamplifiedandsenttotheheadphoneandVariableLINEOUToutput.
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BackPanelConnectors
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1213141516
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12.GroundConnection
13.StereoRCAInputSocket
14.VariableRCAOutputSocket
15.DCInputSocket
16.DCpass‐throughOutputSocket
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12.Ground
TheseparateGroundconnectionpointonthebackoftheCapellacanbeconnected
totheGroundterminalofasourcedeviceoraudioamplifier,ifthereisone
provided.Thismightberequiredinsomeinstallationswhereanoticeablehumis
presentintheaudiosignal.

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InputSignalConnections
TheCapellasupportstwodifferentkindsofanalogueinputconnections.Depending
onyourintendedusage,pleaseconnecttherequiredoutputsourcestotheCapella.
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13.AUXIN(Input‐2)
YoucanconnectanaudiodevicewithRCAanalogueoutputsintotheCapellaAUX
INusingapairofRCA/PHONOcables.Theanaloguesignalwillbeamplifiedand
senttotheheadphoneandVariableLINEOUToutput.
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Notes:
The3.5mmInput‐1socketandtheRCAInput‐2socketcannotbeused
simultaneously.Whenastereo3.5mmconnectorispluggedintotheInput‐1
socket,theInput‐2socketismuted.Whenpluggingandunplugginga3.5mm
connectorintotheInput‐1socket,donotleavetheconnectorpartiallypluggedin.
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14.VariableLINEOUT
TheCapellacanbeusedasapre‐amplifierbyconnectingtheLINEOUTtoapower
amplifierorapairofactivespeakers.TheoutputleveliscontrolledbytheVolume
Knob.Theoutputismutedwhenaheadphoneispluggedin.
Note:OnlytheVolumeControlandBalanceControlareactiveontheLINEoutput.
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15.DCinputsocket
InserttheDCplugfromtheCapellapowersupplyintothisDCsocket.
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16.DCoutputsocket
Inserta2.1mmto2.1mmDCplug‐to‐plugflyleadinthissocketandconnectthe
otherendtotheDCinputsocketofoneofourrecentDACsifyouwishtoshareone
powersupplybetweentwounits.Allofourpowersupplieshaveenoughheadroom
topowertwoofourowndevices.
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Installation
InserttheCapellaintoyouraudiosystembyfirstconnectingtheCapellatoan
analogueaudiosource.AnalogueaudiosourceswouldincludetheRCAsingle
endedoutputofaCDplayer,DVDplayer,tuner,phonopreamplifier,oroutputsof
apreamplifier.YoucanintegratetheCAPELLAintoanexistingconnectionbetween
youraudiosourceandanadditionaldevice.Bywayofexampleofanamplifieras

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anadditionaldevice,thischapterdescribeshowtointegratetheCAPELLAintoan
existingconnection.
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PullouttheplugofthestereoRCAcablefromtheinputINontheamplifier.
ConnectthisplugtotheAUXINontheCAPELLA.
ConnectasecondstereoRCAcabletotheinputINontheamplifierandtotheLINE
OUTontheCAPELLA.
UsetheVolumeControlontheCAPELLAtoadjusttheaudiolevelofthesignal
goingtotheamplifier.
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QuickStartGuide
Pluginyourheadphonestothefrontpanel,makingsuretheVolumeControlis
turneddown.
PlugtheCAPELLApowersupplyintoanACpowerpoint.
OncetheCAPELLAhasbeenswitchedON,wait8secondsforthemutingrelayto
switchoffbeforeturninguptheVolumeControl.
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HeadphoneGainSelection
Foroptimalsoundquality,youcanadjusttheGainsettinginordertoproperly
matchthesensitivityandimpedanceoftheheadphonesinuse.Theruleofthumb
forselectingthepropergainlevelistofindacomfortablelisteningvolumethat
utilizestheupperrangeoftheVolumeKnob.Itisgenerallybettertohavethe
VolumeKnobsettoahighvolumelevelwhenadjustingtheGainControl.
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NOTE:whenadjustingtheGainControlwithoutasignalbeingpresent,thegain
biasingvoltagemightbeaudibleasafaintscratchingnoise.Thisisquitenormal.
Ifthegainissetfartoohighincomparisontotheactualgainneededfora
particularheadphoneimpedance,circuitnoisewillbeover‐amplifiedandmight
becomeaudible.Turnthegaindowntoamoreappropriategainlevelinthatcase.
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Atthispointyoushouldbereadytoenjoythebenefitsofhighendaudioplayed
throughtheCAPELLAHeadphoneAmplifier.
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‐Pleasecontact[email protected]ifyouhaveanyquestionsnotaddressed
inthisreferencemanual.