Krell Industries S-1500 User manual

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
S–1500 MULTI-CHANNEL
AMPLIFIER
Owner’s Reference

©2007 by Krell Industries, Inc. All rights reserved P/N 309582-W
S–1500
Multi-channel Amplifier
Instructions for Use
v07.0
This product is manufactured in the United States of America. Krell®is a registered trademark of Krell
Industries, Inc., and is restricted for use by Krell Industries, Inc., its subsidiaries, and authorized agents.
Krell Current Mode™ is a trademark of Krell Industries, Inc. All other trademarks and tradenames are reg-
istered to their respective companies.
CONTACT
INFORMATION
This product complies with the
EMC directive (89/336/EEC)
and the low-voltage directive
(73/23/EEC).
Krell Industries, Inc.
45 Connair Road
Orange, CT 06477-3650 USA
TEL [phone]
FAX [phone]
E-MAIL [e-mail]
WEBSITE http://www.krellonline.com
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read Instructions.
2. Keep these Instructions.
3. Heed all Warnings.
4. Follow all Instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with a drycloth.
7. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
8. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long
periods of time.
9. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as a power-
supply cordor plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have
fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
10. The S–1500 amplifier must be placed on a firm, level surface where it is
not exposed to dripping or splashing.
11. The ventilation grids on the top and bottom of the S–1500 amplifier must
be unobstructed at all times during operation. Do not place flammable
material above or beneath the S–1500 amplifier.
12. Before making connections to the S –1500 amplifier, ensure that the power
is off and other components are in mute or stand-by mode. Make sure all
cable terminations are of the highest quality, free from frayed ends, short
circuits, or cold solder joints.
13. THERE ARE NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE AN S–1500
AMPLIFIER.
Please contact Krell if you have questions not addressed in this guide.

Contents
Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier 3
INTRODUCTION 5
DEFINITION OF TERMS 6
UNPACKING 7
PLACEMENT 8
AC Power Guidelines
FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTION 10
BACK PANEL DESCRIPTION 11
CONNECTING THE S–1500 AMPLIFIER TO YOUR SYSTEM 13
Input and Output Connections
OPERATING THE S–1500 AMPLIFIER 15
On/Off and Operation
TROUBLESHOOTING SYSTEM NOISE 16
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 17
WARRANTY 18
RETURN AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURE 20
SPECIFICATIONS 21
Page

4Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier
FIGURE 1 The S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier
Front Panel 9
FIGURE 2 The S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier
Back Panel 9
Illustrations
Page

Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier 5
Thank you for your purchase of a Krell S –1500 Multi-channel
Amplifier.
The S–1500 amplifier is a flexible design that delivers five, six,
or seven channels of amplification. All three configurations include
input and output connections for all seven channels. The amplifiers
differ only by how many channels are housed within the amplifier.
The S–1500 / 5 includes five amplifier channels, the S–1500 / 6
includes six amplifier channels, and the S–1500 / 7 includes seven
amplifier channels. The S–1500 / 5 and S–1500 / 6 may be
upgraded with additional channels, up to seven.
Please contact your authorized Krell dealer or distributor for infor-
mation on upgrading your amplifier to six or seven channels.
The S–1500 amplifier has balanced and single-ended inputs for
compatibility with other components. The amplifiers can be oper-
ated using the 12 VDC power on/off (12 V trigger) signals from
other components. The S–1500 amplifier is versatile, fitting a vari-
ety of installations including rack-mounted and inside cabinetry.
This reference manual contains important information on place-
ment, installation, and operation of the S–1500 amplifier. Please
read this information carefully. A thorough understanding of these
details helps ensure satisfactory operation and long life for your
S–1500 amplifier and related system components.
Please contact your authorized Krell dealer, distributor, or Krell, if
you have any questions about the S–1500 not addressed in this
owner’s reference.
Introduction

6Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier
Following are the definitions of key terms used in this owner’s ref-
erence.
Balanced
Asymmetrical input or output circuit that has equal impedance
from both input terminals to a common ground reference point.
The industry standard for professional and sound recording instal-
lations, balanced connections have 6 dB more gain than single-
ended connections, and allow the use of long interconnect cables.
Balanced connections are less susceptible than single-ended con-
nections to induced noise from the system or the environment.
Single-ended
Atwo-wire input or output circuit. Use care when using single-
ended connections as the ground connection is made last and
broken first. Turn the system off prior to making or breaking single-
ended connections. Single-ended connections arenot recom-
mended for connections requiring long cable runs.
Off
When the AC power cordis not plugged into the wall, the front
panel LED is not illuminated and the component is off.
Stand-by Mode
When the AC power cord is plugged into the wall, the front panel
stand-by and power LED (2) illuminates red, indicating that the
component is in the stand-by mode. This low power consumption
status keeps the audio and circuits at idle. Krell recommends leav-
ing the component in the stand-by mode when it is not playing
music.
Operational Mode
From the stand-by mode, when the power button on the front
panel is pressed and the front panel stand-by and power LED (2)
illuminates blue, the component is in the operational mode and
ready to play music.
Krell Current Mode
Aproprietary Krell circuit topology in which the audio gain stages
of a component operate in the current domain, rather than the
voltage domain. This unique technology provides the component
with exceptional speed and a wide bandwidth.
Definition of Terms
INPUT AND OUTPUT
CONNECTIONS
OPERATION
TECHNOLOGY

Unpacking
Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier 7
1. Open the shipping box, and remove the top layer of foam. The
following items are visible:
1 S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier
1 Accessory Kit containing:
1AC power cord
1 12 VDC output (12 V trigger) cable
1 12A 1/4-inch slow-blow fuse for 100 –120 VAC
1 6A 1/4-inch slow-blow fuse for 220 –240 VAC
1Packet containing the owner’s reference manual and the
warranty registration card.
Two people are needed to remove the amplifier from the shipping
box.
2. Grasp the underside of the amplifier and lift it straight out of
the shipping box.
3. Place the amplifier in a safe location and remove the protective
plastic wrapping.
If any of these items are not included in the shipping box, please contact
your authorized Krell dealer, distributor, or Krell for assistance.
Save all packing materials. If you ship your amplifier in the future, repack
the unit in its original packaging to prevent transit damage. See Return
Authorization Procedure, on page 20, for more information.
IMPORTANT
NotesNotes

8Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier
Before you integrate the S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier into your
system, review the following guidelines to choose the location for
the component. This will facilitate a clean, trouble-free installation.
The S–1500 amplifier requires at least two inches (5 cm) of clear-
ance on each side, and at least two inches (5 cm) of clearance
above and below the component to provide adequate ventilation.
The S–1500 amplifier does not require any type of special rack or
cabinet for installation. For the dimensions of your amplifier see
Specifications, on page 21.
Place the amplifier as close to the loudspeakers as possible and
keep the loudspeaker cable length to a minimum. Loudspeaker
cable adds impedance to the load that the amplifier must drive,
regardless of the cable’s gauge. Krell amplifiers drive the lowest
impedances with ease, but long loudspeaker cables reduce the
maximum power that is delivered to the loudspeakers.
Krell recommends operating the S –1500 amplifier from a dedicat-
ed 15-amp AC power line. Please contact your Krell dealer,distrib-
utor,or Krell beforeusing any devices designed to alter or stabilize
the AC power for the S–1500.
Placement
AC Power
Guidelines

POWER
12
Figure 1 The S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier Front Panel
Power
1Power Button
2Stand-by and Power LED
Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier 9
INPUT 1 INPUT 2 INPUT 3 INPUT 4 INPUT 5 INPUT 6 INPUT 7
OUTPUT 1 OUTPUT 2 OUTPUT 3OUTPUT 4 OUTPUT 5 OUTPUT 6 OUTPUT 7
NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE
KRELL INDUSTRIES, INC.
45 CONNAIR ROAD
ORANGE, CT 06477-3650
USA
12VDC
OUT IN
30mA
MAX.
4 6 7
589
3
50/60 Hz
MADE IN USA
Balanced Inputs
3Inputs 1-7
Single-Ended Inputs
4 Inputs 1-7
Amplifier Channel Outputs
5Outputs 1-7
Remote Connections
6 12 VDC Remote Power Out
712 VDC Remote Power In
Power
8 IEC Connector
9Fuseholder
Figure 2 The S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier Back Panel

The S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier front panel provides power on
and indicates operating status.
1Power Button
Use this button to switch the S–1500 amplifier power between the
stand-by and the operational modes and also to switch the 12 VDC
output (12 V trigger) on and off.
2Stand-by and Power LED
When the AC power cord is plugged into the wall, the LED illumi-
nates in red, indicating that the component is in the stand-by
mode.
When the power button is pressed, the LED illuminates in blue,
indicating that the component is in the operational mode.
The LED flashes red when the protection circuit is activated.
If the LED flashes red when the amplifier is in the stand-by mode,
unplug the amplifier from the AC wall outlet to reset the protection
circuit. Check the loudspeakers and loudspeaker cables for poten-
tial short circuits before plugging the amplifier back into the wall
outlet.
10 Krell S–1500 Multi-channel Amplifier
Front Panel Description
See Figure 1 on page 9
IMPORTANTIMPORTANT