Chord PRIMA User manual

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welcome
Thank you for buying a Chord Electronics product
Before you start toenjoy using yourChord Electronics product, please take a couple of minutes
to read howto connect your audio equipment and loudspeakers to your Chord Choral product
and how to maximise your listening experience.
user guide for
pre amplifier
PRIMA

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pre-amplifier
PRIMA
The pre-amplifier is the control centre of your system. By connecting your audio sources to
it you can choose the source you want at any particular time and control it.
You can also adjust the balance and volume before the signal is sent to a power amplifier.
Your pre-amplifiers can be operated manually or via any Chord remote control
background
We want you to be confident using your new Chord Electronics product.
You are probably an audiophile with extensive knowledge of audio equipment.
However, you may not be!
So in the following section we explain a few basics to help you get started, or get you back
up to speed if you are a little rusty.
connecting your equipment
Chord amplifiers are supplied with and designed tobe connected using balanced inputs.Theinterconnecting
cables you use will depend on the available input and output sockets on your other equipment. We have
installed unbalanced inputs on all Chord equipment, thus enabling you to mix Chord Electronics and other
manufacturer’s equipment.
Balanced inputs carry twice the strength of signal of unbalanced inputs and are able to be fed downlong
lengthsofcable with lessdeterioration ofsignal.Theyarealsolesspronetointerferencethan unbalanced inputs.
Balanced inputs have three pins and use Neutric XLR style connectors. Pin 1 is earth, pin 2 is positive and
pin 3 is negative.
UnbalancedinputsuseRCAphonoconnectors,whicharegoldplatedwithteflonhighperformance dielectric
insulators for optimum performance.
2 1
3

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when setting up
To ensure that your Chord product works efficiently and safely, please pay particular
attention to the following issues.
ventilation
Your Chord product should have at least 5cm of clear space all around it to ensure a free
flow of air at all times. We do not recommend that you place your Chord product directly
on a carpet as this can damage the equipment through blocked ventilation.
mains lead and plug
All Chord equipment comes supplied with the correct mains lead and plug. This should be
used at all times.
if you need to fit a plug for UK/Europe
Connect the blue wire to the neutral terminal
Connect the brown wire to the live terminal
Connect the yellow/green wire to the earth terminal
if you need to fit a plug for US/Canada
Connect the white wire to the neutral terminal
Connect the black wire to the live terminal
Connect the green to the earth terminal
earthing issues in Europe
In some European countries a hum may occur if your processor is connected to mains
sockets that do not have an earth. If this is the case please ensure that:
1.Your equipment is connected via a multi-way mains block which contains an earth point
at each socket outlet. This is to ensure that the chassis metalwork of each item is
connected together.
2.We recommend that an earthing method for your building is implemented.
3. Use the connecting points on your Chord unit and connect to an available earth point.

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safety warnings
It is important that your equipment is earthed at all times viaits own mains lead. Failure to
do this may be hazardous. The power supplycomponents within the units are designed to be
operated at lethal voltages and energy levels. Circuit designs that embody these components
conform with applicable safety requirements. Precautions must be taken to prevent accidental
contact with power-linepotentials. Do not connect grounded test equipment.
This unit complies with EN 5008 1-1 and IEC 80 1/2
Caution: The BLU employs a laser that emits both visible and invisible radiation.
Removal of the top cover or tampering with any of the enclosed electronics may result in
exposure to hazardous levels of laser radiation that could cause eye damage. To prevent
injury this product should be returned for qualified service to Chord Electronics Ltd.
There are no user serviceable parts within any Chord Electronics Choral
product. Unauthorised tampering or dismantling of this product will
invalidate the warranty and could cause injury
mains connection
The mains connector of your Choral product is at the back of the unit. Plug the female end
(socket) of the mains cable into the power connector of your Choral product, and the male
end (plug) of the mains cable into mains wall socket or mains extension socket. The mains
connector type will differ slightly for each Choral product. This is due to the highly
compact nature of this range requiring differences in chassis metalwork for each product.
Live Neutral
Mains
Switch
Earth
Mains
connector

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powering up
for the BLU
If you are powering the BLU up from standby mode simply press the STANDBY button on
the top panel controls or the STBY on the remote control .
If you are powering up the BLU from cold then press the bottom part of the power switch
labelled ‘I’. If the BLU has no disc loaded, the top panel display with read “NO DISC”; if a
disc has been loaded then the number of tracks and length of the CD will be shown. Please
allow a short time for the BLU to read the disc’s Table of Contents (TOC). During this
time the display will indicate “-- ----“
For all Choral products except the BLU
Press the bottom part of the power switch labelled ‘I’.
powering down
for the BLU
For everyday use there is no need to power down the BLU completely, you can put the BLU
into standby mode instead. Press the STANDBY button on the top panel controls or the
STBY on the remote control to put the BLU into standby mode. If at this point, you wish to
power down the BLU completely then press the top part of the power switch labelled ‘O’.
For all Choral products except the BLU
Press the top part of the power switch labelled ‘O’.

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outputs on the PRIMA
You need to connect the outputs on the back of your pre-amplifier to a power amplifier in
order to drive your loudspeakers. There is a pair of balanced XLR outputs, which will drive
a 68Ωload.
connecting to your power amplifier
1. Use the XLR style output connectors to connect your PRIMA pre-amplifier to the XLR
style input connectors of your power amplifier.
2. If you are using the PRE AMP REMOTE, then press the button marked O/P 1.
3. If you are using the Chord touch-screen remote control then press the OUTPUT 1 LCD
touch pad, which is on page 3 of the CHORAL SERIES device menu.
Main outputs on the PRIMA

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balanced inputs on the PRIMA
You can connect up to five items of source input equipment, such as CD player, Video, Tuner
etc. to the inputs on your pre-amplifier.
connecting to your source input equipment using balanced connections
1. Use the XLR style input connectors to connect your PRIMA pre-amplifier to the XLR
style output connectors of your source input equipment.
2. If you are using the PRE AMP REMOTE, then press the button marked 1 that is
grouped with main line bus buttons. The main bus buttons are grouped with the button
marked M.
3. If you are using the Chord touch-screen remote control then press the MAIN LINE1
LCD touch pad, which is on page 1 of the CHORAL SERIES device menu.
Balanced inputs on the PRIMA –LINE 1

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unbalanced inputs
on the PRIMA
connecting to your source input equipment using unbalanced connections
There are 4 pairs of unbalanced phono input connections on the PRIMA. These are shown in
the diagrams below.
LINE 5
Unbalanced inputs on the PRIMA
1. Use any of the four pairs of phono style input connectors to connect your PRIMA pre-
amplifier to the phono style output connectors of your source input equipment.
2. If you are using the PRE-AMP REMOTE, then press the appropriate button marked
either: 2, 3, 4 or 5 that is grouped with main line bus buttons, depending on the line
input connectors that you have used. The main bus buttons are grouped with the button
marked M.
3. If you are using the Chord touch-screen remote control then press the appropriate LCD
touch pad, which are on page 1 of the CHORAL SERIES device menu.
Use MAIN LINE2 for the LINE 2 input connectors.
Use MAIN LINE3 for the LINE 3 input connectors.
Use MAIN LINE4 for the LINE 4 input connectors.
Use MAIN LINE5 for the LINE 5 input connectors.
LINE 2
LINE 3
LINE 4

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tape recording
using the PRIMA
You can use the PRIMA to tape record the signal from an input source whilst you are
listening to your main signal from another input source through the main outputs.
connecting to a tape recorder to tape an audio source
use the pair of phono style connectors that are furthest to the right, next to the XLR style
output connectors.
Tape line outputs
assigning an input source line to the tape line output
1. If you are using the PRE AMP REMOTE, press the corresponding numbered button,
for the desired line input. Use the numbered buttons that are grouped with the button marked
T.
2.If you are using the Chord touch-screen remote control, the use the corresponding LCD
touch pad that relates to the line input that you are using. These LCD touch pads are
found on page 2 of the CHORAL SERIES menu and are labelled TAPE LINE1,
TAPE LINE2, TAPE LINE3, TAPE LINE4 and TAPE LINE5.

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everyday use of the PRIMA
controls on the PRIMA
The diagram below shows the controls on the PRIMA
Controls on the PRIMA
Button A:
Main Line Input Select
Button B:
Tape Line Input Select
Infra Red Receiver
Volume Knob Balance Knob

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assigning an input to the main line outputs
Your PRIMA uses the main line by default and the display will read:
To assign the main output with a particularinput signal, press the button Aseveral times to cycle through the 5 line inputs until, the
one you wish to use is displayed. The options are shown in the diagram below:
Cycle of input selection options for the main line outputs

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assigning an input to the tape line outputs
To assign the tape line output with a particular input signal, press the button B several
times to cycle through the 5 line inputs until, the one you wish to use is displayed. The
options are shown in the diagram below:
Cycle of input selection options for the tape line outputs

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viewing the settings for the main line
To view the settings for the main line press and hold button A for two seconds. The first
information that is shown is the current gain setting for the input line that is assigned to the
main lineoutput. ThePRIMAstoresthe gainsettingforeach inputline.Therearesixgain
settings available in total that can be assigned to each input line and these are shown
below. After the gain setting has been shown for a second, the input line that is currently
assigned to the main line is displayed.
viewing the settings for the tape line
To view the settings for the tape line press and hold button B for two seconds. The first
information that is shown is the current gain setting for the input line that is assigned to the
tape line output. ThePRIMA stores the gain setting for each input line. There are six gain
settings available in total that can be assigned to each input line and these are shown
below. After the gain setting has been shown for a second, the input line that is currently
assigned to the tape line is displayed. When you are viewing the tape line settings, the
display will indicate it is the tape line settings you are viewing using the letters ‘TP’. The
number of the input line that is assigned to the tape line is also shown. The diagrams below
show the possible display settings for each input that can be set to the tape line outputs.
Input lines that can be assigned to the tape line outputs
listening to the input assigned to the tape line
Ifyou wish to listen to theinputthatyou have assigned to the tape line, you must assign
the same input to the main line outputs using button A.

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adjusting the volume
Use the volume knob to adjust the volume manually. A clockwise turn of the knob will increase the
volume and an anti-clockwise turn of the knob will decrease the volume. The volume range runs from
0 to 98 and is displayed on the PRIMA as you alter the volume. If the outputs are muted, a volume
change will un-mute the outputs to prevent large changes in volume from damaging your
loudspeakers. The volume level is shown on the display as the word VOL and a two digit level as
shown in the example diagram below.
Volume display
changing the balance
Use the balance knob to shift the balance between the left and right loudspeaker. A clockwise
turn of the knob will shift the balance to the right speaker and an anti –clockwise turn of the knob
will shift the balance to the left speaker. The centre of the balance control knob is at the lowest
position of rotation, this is for product styling.

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input gain control
on the PRIMA
You can adjust the input gain on you input devices so that you can align the volume levels
of your different inputs. There are six settings, which are x0.25, x0.50, x0.75, x1.00, x1.25
and x1.50.
Most modern input devices such as CD players have an unbalanced output voltage of 2V
and a balanced output 4V, which does not require any increased gain amplification. In fact,
to increase the gain on such an output level can lead to distortion of the signal.
However, older audio equipment may have an output voltage of less than 2V, in which
case you may like to adjust the input gain.
increasing the input gain of the input assigned to the main line
1.Press M on the pre amp remote followed by the VOL button marked A or
2.Press the MAIN LINE LISTEN LCD touch pad on the Chord touch screen
remote followed by the mechanical button marked VOL+ .
3. Each time you carry out steps 1 or 2, the input gain assignment will be stepped up
through the available settings.
reducing the input gain of the input assigned to the main line
1.Press M on the pre amp remote followed by the VOL button marked V or
2.Press the MAIN LINE LISTEN LCD touch pad on the Chord touch screen
remote followed by the mechanical button marked I VOL-.
3. Each time you carry out steps 1 or 2, the input gain assignment will be stepped down
through the available settings.
increasing the input gain of the input assigned to the tape line
1.Press T on the pre amp remote followed by the VOL button marked A or
2.Press the TAPE LINE LISTEN LCD touch pad on the Chord touch screen
remote followed by the mechanical button marked VOL+ .
3. Each time you carry out steps 1 or 2, the input gain assignment will be stepped up
through the available settings.
reducing the input gain of the input assigned to the tape line
1.Press T on the pre amp remote followed by the VOL button marked V or
2.Press the TAPE LINE LISTEN LCD touch pad on the Chord touch screen
remote followed by the mechanical button marked I VOL-.
3. Each time you carry out steps 1 or 2, the input gain assignment will be stepped down
through the available settings.

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gain settings
Once you have adjusted the gain setting on an input device your amplifier will remember
the setting, even if it is switched off for many months. The six available gain settings are
shown below as they are displayed on the PRIMA.
Gain settings as displayed

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maintenance of the PRIMA
adjusting the settings
Always remember to make any changes to settings with the volume set low or an instant
burst of sound could damage your loudspeakers
cleaning
To clean finger marks and other blemishes from your amplifier spray clear glass cleaner
onto a soft lint free cloth and then use the cloth to gently clean your amplifier.
When cleaning the Nickel / Brilliant finish please use a cream glass cleaner only
Directions: Shake the bottle of cream glass cleaner thoroughly. Apply sparingly onto a dry, soft
and lint free cloth. Clean the area with the cloth. Polish off again with a new soft dry and lint free
cloth before the cream dries.
changing the batteries in the PRE AMP REMOTE
Simply undo the four small cross head screws on the side of your remote control. You may
need to run a sharp knife along the join to remove the battery casing, then replace with four
new AAA batteries as shown inside the battery compartment.
servicing
There are no user serviceable parts in your Chord amplifier, and it should only be serviced
by Chord Electronics Limited or their expressly approved Service Agents.

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frequently asked questions
about the PRIMA
I’ve connected all the wires up but I can’t hear any sound?
Ensure that you’ve selected the correct input line for your connections.
why is there no display when I’ve turned the amplifier back on?
You need to wait for two minutes after switching the unit off before switching it on again.
why is there humming coming from the loudspeakers?
Check that you’ve earthed the unit. The interconnects need to be properly screened and placed away from
mains cables. Using balanced inputs and outputs instead of RCA phono types can reduce interference.
the sound coming from the loudspeakers is distorted
Check that the speakers are connected properly. It may be that the volume is turned up too high for your
speakers or that you have set the gain for the input device too high.
Note:- If you are using the Chord DAC 64 converter always set the gain to 0.25
the amplifier was in standby mode and has turned itself off
Changing connections while the amplifier is on, for example, dropping the stylus onto a record can cause the unit
to shutdown. Check that the speaker cables have no stray inner core wires touching each other and bridging
across speaker terminals, as this can cause a short circuit.