Burmester 948 User manual

Dear Audiophile,
Thank you for choosing this Burmester audio component. We sincerely appreciate your trust in us.
You have purchased a unit which excels in musical fidelity and combines uncompromising manufacturing
quality with technical innovation and the highest degree of operating flexibility.
We recommend reading this user manual at least once in its entirety before initial operation. This will enable
you to make full use of all capabilities of this outstanding audiophile instrument.
Should you have any further questions, please contact your dealer or us directly.
You decide if we meet the demands of producing high-end components. We offer an additional service,
which also demonstrates high-end quality.
Talk to us about your special requests, even if they seem out of the ordinary. We happily accept technically
reasonable challenges.
Enjoy your enhanced listening pleasure.
Your Burmester Team

C O N T E N T S
THE CONCEPT 1
UNPACKING AND SETTING UP 1
FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW OF FRONT AND REAR PANEL 2
CONNECTIONS 3-4
OPERATING CONTROLS 5
ERROR PROTECTION 5
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 6
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 7

1
THE CONCEPT
•The first high - end power conditioner which completely isolates an audio/video system from high – as well as from
low - frequency power line noises.
•Active DC compensation (patented) eliminates low - frequency line noise, which causes transformer hum.
•8 power outlets for connecting all components of an audio/video system, with all grounds connected to a single
point.
•2 independent AC line filters; allows separation of power supply for digital and analog components.
•Remote on/off possible for entire audio/video system or distributed to selected power outlets.
•Display switchable between indicators for AC voltage or DC portion of mains voltage from the wall outlet.
UNPACKING AND SETTING UP
CAUTION: The power conditioner 948 is very heavy. To avoid injury during unpacking and set-up, this should
only be done by persons who are accustomed to handling such weights.
The power conditioner 948 is shipped inside a plastic protective cover. Make sure that children do not play
with it to avoid the danger of suffocation.
Unpacking To avoid damaging the housing, please do not use pointed or sharp tools to open the box.
Please make sure that the content of the box is complete. If something is missing or you
notice any damage while unpacking, do not hook up the unit. Instead, contact your
authorized dealer.
Content of box The box should contain the following:
•1 Power conditioner 948
•1 AC power cord
•1 Owner’s manual
Packaging We recommend keeping the original packing in case the unit needs to be shipped in the
future.
Setting up Carefully remove the unit from its packaging and set it up in an appropriate location. To
protect the 948 from overheating make sure that the location offers sufficient air circulation
around the unit. Also, avoid excessive exposure to sun, dust and humidity.
Ventilation ducts and openings in the housing serve to keep the unit cool. They must not be
covered up with magazines, tablecloth, curtains etc.
If the 948 has to be operated in an extremely warm environment it may be necessary
to supply additional ventilation. Avoid operating the unit in an excessively humid
environment like bathrooms etc.

2
FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW
FRONT PANEL
(1) Conditioner LED displays conditioner function (7) Power button switches Power Conditioner on
(2) Power LED illuminates when the unit is on and off
(3) Display of AC voltage or DC portion (8) TEMP LED illuminates when max. allowable
in mains voltage temperature is exceeded
(4) Stand-by LED indicates stand-by mode (9) Display button switches numeric display on or off
(5) AC•DC LED illuminates when showing DC voltage (10) AC•DC button switches display from
(6) Conditioner button activates conditioner function showing AC voltage in V to
showing DC portion in mV
REAR PANEL
(11) AC outlet MAINS OUT 1 (17) AC outlet MAINS OUT 3
(12) AC outlet MAINS OUT 1 (18) AC outlet MAINS OUT 3
(13) AC mains switch (19) Remote input terminal to turn
(14) AC mains terminal the power conditioner 948 on remotely
(15) AC outlet MAINS OUT 2 (20) AC outlet MAINS OUT 4
(16) AC outlet MAINS OUT 2 (21) AC outlet MAINS OUT 4
* Picture shows European version, AC outlets may vary for other countries.

3
CONNECTIONS
All terminals for hook up are located on the rear panel. While connecting the power conditioner, all components of
the music system must be turned off.
CAUTION: Before connecting the unit please check, if the input voltage of the 948 is equal to the local voltage of
your wall outlet. Make sure, the ground lead in your power outlet is working correctly. A missing or faulty ground is
extremely dangerous!
In case of doubt, contact a licensed electrician.
AC mains terminal Make sure the AC mains switch (13) is set to OFF. Connect the appliance connector of the
power cord to the AC mains terminal (14). Then plug the power cord into the wall outlet.
In order to attain optimal listening pleasure you should connect the side of the power
cable's power plug, which is marked with a dot, to the 'hot' phase of the wall outlet. The 'hot'
phase is then also marked with a dot on the AC outlets of the Power Conditioner.
Should you encounter difficulties in finding the 'hot' phase of your AC wall outlet or should
you have additional questions on the set - up of the 948, please contact your authorized
dealer.
AC outlets / filters The power conditioner offers eight AC outlets for connecting audio/video equipment, divided
into four groups. The distribution of the filters to the AC outlets is labelled on the rear of the
unit (FILTER). Should you wish a different distribution of the power filters to the AC outlets,
please contact your authorized dealer.
In the standard version, the 948 offers unfiltered mains voltage for the groups MAINS OUT
3 (17, 18) and MAINS OUT 4 (20, 21). The AC outlets of the groups MAINS OUT 1 (11, 12)
and MAINS OUT 2 (15, 16) have separate filters.
The activated DC compensation affects to all eight AC outlets.
The total power consumption of all connected components should not exceed 2000 W.
The maximum power of each AC outlet should not exceed 2000 W.
CAUTION: Don´t touch the AC outlets of the power conditioner during operation,
because the AC outlets have dangerous voltage.
Always use assembled AC cords to connect your audio/video equipment to the power
conditioner.

4
Recommended set-up For optimized operation of the 948 power conditioner we recommend connecting your
audio/video equipment as follows:
MAINS OUT 1 (FILTER1) : Preamplifier, Phono Preamplifier, Turntable, FM Tuner
MAINS OUT 2 (FILTER2) : various digital equipment, like D/A converter, CD player,
DVD player
MAINS OUT 3 und 4: variable amplifiers with larger power handling
Should you be using very powerful amplifiers with a continuous power consumption of more
than 500W, we recommend hooking them up to the wall outlet parallel to the 948. The
conditioner function suppressing DC voltage has a parallel effect on all wall outlets and all
connected components.
Remote input The remote input terminal (19) is located on the rear panel beneath the AC mains
terminal (14). This input offers the possibility to switch the 948 on or off from your preamp
or D/A converter. To use this function, the remote in terminal of the 948 has to be
connected with the remote output terminal of the preamp or D/A converter with a suitable
cable. The units which are connected to their respective AC outlets will be turned on at the
same time.
Please understand that we do not include this remote cable, since each customer requires
individual cable lengths. Of course you may request a cable from us or from any authorized
dealer in the necessary length at no charge when mailing in your warranty certificate.
The distribution of the remote on/off function to the AC outlets is labelled on the rear of the
unit (SWITCHED).
In the standard version only the power conditioner is turned on or off by the remote function.
For other options of remote on/off functions, please contact your authorized dealer.

5
OPERATING CONTROLS
With the exception of the AC mains switch, all operating controls are located on the front panel. To operate the unit it
must be connected to the AC supply.
AC mains switch The AC mains switch (13) which turns AC power to the unit on and off is located on the
rear panel above the AC mains terminal. By switching to the ON position the transformers
are powered up, the AC outlets are switched on and the stand-by LED (4) lights up.
Power button The power button (7) switches the power conditioner on and off. When the unit is switched
on, the power LED (2) will illuminate. While turned off, the stand-by LED (4) lights up,
indicating that the unit is in stand-by mode.
Always use the power button (7) first to switch off the unit before setting the AC mains
switch (13) to OFF.
Conditioner button Pressing the conditioner button (6) switches the automatic DC compensation on and off.
The activated DC compensation is indicated by the conditioner LED (1). If the DC
compensation is activated and the display (3) is switched to show the DC portion of the
mains voltage, the value displayed will decrease to about zero.
AC•DC button Pressing the AC•DC button (10) switches the display (3) of the power conditioner between
showing the AC voltage (AC•DC LED (5) is off) and showing the DC portion of the mains
voltage (AC•/DC LED (5) is on).
Display button The display of the power conditioner can be turned off with the display button (9). All
functions of the unit remain active. Pressing the display button (9)again, turns the display
back on.
ERROR PROTECTION
The power conditioner 948 has a sophisticated protection circuitry which is designed to protect the unit in case of a
failure.
Overheating In the event, that the unit exceeds the maximum allowable operating temperature, the
overheat protection automatically switches off the DC compensation. This will be indicated
by the illuminated TEMP LED (8), while the conditioner LED (1) turns off. When the unit
has cooled off, the conditioner function can be reactivated by pressing the conditioner
button (6).

6
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Operating temperature An operating temperature that is too high or too low may cause malfunctioning. We
therefore recommend letting the 948 sit for a while after unpacking and before connecting
and operating it.
Terminals The pins of the connecting terminals on the back panel should not be touched by fingers
under any circumstances. Static discharges may damage the electronic circuitry inside the
unit.
Heat development Be careful when touching the housing – it may get quite warm during operation.
Reset If the unit does not react when pressing the control keys on the front it may be reset to
normal operation by switching it off and back on using the AC mains switch in the back.
Lightening strikes During the summer months, malfunctions often occur due to voltage spikes in the power
lines after lightning strikes. Completely unplugging the power cord offers the only effective
protection. Merely switching the 948 off does not suffice since voltage spikes are able to arc
over separated contacts.
Interconnects We supply custom-made balanced as well as unbalanced interconnect cables and speaker
cables of any length to ensure highest-quality signal paths for our components. The
impedance of our cables is ideally matched to all BURMESTER components.
For the cleanest power supply we recommend our triple-shielded power cord BURMESTER-
POWER.
Fuses The fuses are located inside the unit and should be changed only by a qualified technician.
Voltage Check before operating the 948 to see if the voltage setting shown on the back panel below
the AC mains input conforms to voltage of your household power supply. Any change
should only be done by an expert.
Warranty We offer warranty for this unit provided the 948 has been hooked-up and operated
correctly, is mechanically undamaged.
Opening the unit, modifying it or dismantling outlets will void the warranty.
Care Never clean the housing with a wet cloth or chemical cleaning agent. Always make sure that
no liquid gets into the housing.
CAUTION Before opening the housing or changing the fuses always unplug the unit from the
wall outlet. DANGER OF ELECTRIC SHOCK!

7

8
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions Width x Height x Depth 482 x 155 x 400mm
(19.0 x 6.1 x 15.7 inches)
Weight 13kg
(28.6 lbs)
Mains voltage and fuses for 200V - 240V 50/60Hz 2 x slo 1A E ; 3 x slo 250mA E
for 100V - 127V 50/60Hz 2 x slo 3.15A E ; 3 x slo 250mA E
Power consumption Stand-by 8W
Power on 10W
Full load (max.) 2000W
PLEASE NOTE: The dimensions do not include the length of binding posts and the space needed for
plugs of interconnect cables.
The technical data and design of this product are subject to change without notice.