Krell Industries SBP-32X Quick start guide

KRELL SBP-32X
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SBP-32X
32 KHZ
~
DIGITAL POWER
44.1 KHZ ANALOG POWER
48 KHZ 32 Times Oversampling Digital Processor
---SOFTWARE BASED PROCESSOR"--
OWNER’S REFERENCE

A. INTRODUCTION
Welcometo the Krell family of audio components. You
have joined a select group of discriminating listeners who
enjoy the finest in musicreproduction. Krell Digital
(KDI)is dedicated to thee developmentof technoIogically
~
advanced componentstor the reproduction of digitally
recorded music. These designs continue the KreI1 tradi-
tion of uncompromisingperformance through leading-
edge technology.
In the unlikely, event that your SBP-32Xshould require
service you will be pleased to knowthat it is backed by a
comprehensive Customer Satisfaction policy and one of
the most advancedservice facilities in the industry. For
detailed information on the terms and conditions of ser-
vice please consult your warranty registration card or
your authorized KRELLDistributor.
This Owner’sReference is divided into several sections,
each designed to perfo .rm a different function. AQuestion
and Answersection anO a Technical Assistance Glossary
are included where answers to commonquestions are
provided. Should you have any questions or suggestigns
~lease feel free to contact your authorized dealer or the
KRELLstaff for assistance.
B., TABLEOF,,CONTENTS
2
3
3
5
7
9
11
13
FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLY
BASIC INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS
OPERATION
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GLOSSARY
SPECIFICATIONS
WARRANTYAND SERVICE INFORMATION

C. FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
WARNING:Changes or modifications to this unit not
expressly_ approvedby t_h,e party responsible for compli-
ance could void the user s authority to operate the equip-
ment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to com-
ply with the fimits for a Class Bdigital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of the FCCRules. Theselimits are designed to
provide reasonable .protection against harmfulinterfer-
ence in a residential-installation. This equipmentgener-
ates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and if
not installed and used in accordance with the instructions
maycause harmful interference to radio communications.
However,there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipmentdoes
cause harmful interference to radio or television recep-
tion, which can be determined by turning the equipment
off andon, the user is encouragedto try to correct the
interference by one or moreof-the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.
Connectthe equipmentinto an outlet on a circuit
different fromthat to whichthe receiver is
connected.
Consult your dealer or an experienced radio~V
technician for help.
The user mayfind the following booklet prepared by the
Federal Communications Commission helpful:
"Television Interference Handbook"
This booklet is available from the U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington DC20402.
Stock No. 004-000-00450-7
WARNING:The use of non-shielded analog output
cables and non-shieldeddigital input’ cables if coax is
used for the digital input (fibre optic interconnect need
not be shielded) will invalidate the FCCCertification of
this device and maycause interference levels which
exceed the limits established by the FCCfor this type of
device.
2

D. UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLY
1. Openthe box and removethe top layer ofprotective
foam. Thefollowing items will nowbe visible:
1 SBP-32Xprocessor
1 ACpower cord
1 Packet containing,~the OwnersReference and warranty
card ~i~
Note: If any of these items are not included please con-
tact your authorized dealer immediatelyfor assistance.
Save all packing materials. If you must ship your
SBP-32Xin the future rep.ack the unit in its original
packaging to prevent transit damage.
E. BASIC INSTALLATION
AND CONNECTIONS
Before you install the SBP-32Xinto your system we
recommendfollowing these guidelines in choosing the
location. This will facilitate a clean, trouble-free installa-
tion.
CAUTION:Whenmaking connections to this component
or any other, makesure ttie poweramplifier is OF1
~ and
the preamplifier is in the MUTEor STANDBYmode.
1. Althoughwell shielded, the processor should not be
placed in close proximity to hum-sensitive components
(i.e. PREAMPS,TURNTABLES,TUNERS,etc.)
2. As with any high quality component,ensure that the
vent openingsin the chassis are i~ree fromobstruction,
allowing the processor to dissipate heat created by,!ts
highly regulated power supply and high bias class A"
output stage.
3. Run the male end of the ACcord from the processor
location to a nearby wall socket. This will be easier to
accomplishno, w, as the componentitself is not in the
way. Donot plug the ACcord into the wall socket at this
time!
dNOTE:While the SBP-32Xhas superb regulation and
oes not require a dedicated ACcircuit, westrongly
advise against any connections through extension cords
or multiple ACadaptors. High quality 15 ampgrounded
ACstrips are acceptable.
3

CAUTION:Do not remove or bypass the ground pin on
the end of the ACcord. This maycause RFI (radio fre-
quency interference) to be induced into your playback
system.
4. Connect the Digital Output from a Krell CDTurntable
or any digital source to the Digital Input on the back
paneI of your processor..Ygur SBP-32Xwill accommo-
~late digital input fromeitlaer the coaxial or fibre optic
outputs of any CD,DATor Satellite broadcast source.
Note: Care should be taken in selecting the type of cable
used to link the digital source to yourprocessor. If co-
axial cable is to be used it should be non-capacitive and
have a bandwidth in excess of 10MHzto prevent drop-
out errors.
Note
i I.f a fibre optic cable is selected westrongly recom-
menclthat it be a-high quality quartz fibre cable. An
additional benefit ot~ filSre optic cable is a reductionof
ground loop problems that often occur in audio systems.
5. Connect the appropriate OUTPUTof the SBP-32Xto
the line level INPUTofyour preamplifier’ The red
banded connector indicates the right channel and the
whiteindicates the left.
The SBP-32Xis equipped with two output configura-
tions: Single-ended via RCAconnectors and Balanced
via XLRconnectors. If your preamplifier has high level
balanced inputs we recommendthe balanced outputs of
the processor be used. There are considerable sonic
benefits associated with balanced operation.
NOTE:both outputs can be used to simultaneously feed
two different systems.
4

E OPERATION
1. Plug the processor’s ACcord into the wall socket.
2. Turn ONyour digital signal source. Whetherit is CD,
DATor Satellite is not important. The following should
occur in this particular sequence¯
A. The two LED’sddgignating Dig.ital and Analog power
will illuminate simultaneously. Ttiis is your assurance
that the individual powersupplies are dperating and
stable.
B. After a period of 5 to 20 secondsthe digital input
circuits will stabilize and the LEDindicating the input
source frequency will be illuminated.
,,N, OT,E:The input source componentmust be turned
ON’in order for the processor to indicate the input
source frequency.
CAUTION:Should you have any major deviation from
this sequence do not attempt to play the unit. Disconnect
it prior to powering up any other componentsand contact
your Krell dealer immediately.
3. Besure that your preamplifier’s volumecontrol is
completely turned to the OFF(lowest volume) position.
4. Turn ONyour components, rememberingthat the last
componentto be energized should be your amplifier. The
amplifier should only be turned ONafter all other com-
po.nents in the systemhave been on for at least two(2)
minutes.
5. Switchthe Input selector of your preampto the po.si-
tion correlating to your choseninput connection for tlae
SBP-32X.
6. Youmaynowstart playing your DAT,CDor satellite.
7. Slowl), turn the volumecontrol up to the lowest level
you can near. Checkto see that both channels are work-
ing correctly before advancing the volume.
5

Note: While your SBP-32Xwill perform beautifully from
the momenty_ou turn it on, it requires a minimumwarm-
up period of 8 hours before it will reach its full sonic
potential. Discrete componentsare utilized in the analog
output stage and the warmup period allows them to
reach thermal equilibrium.
Yourinstallation is nowcomplete. Should you have any
further questions whichare not covered in the remainder
of this manualcontact your authorized Krell dealer. We
wish you manyhours of listening fulfillment.
6

G. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q. MyCDplayer has both fiber optic and coaxial out-
puts. Whichone should I use?
A. Givena choice, weprefer the optical link due to its
ability to completely isolate the grounds betweenthe
digital source componentand the processor. This mini-
mi-zes the possibility.of groundloops in the digital com-
ponents.
Q. I ownboth a CDand DATplayer. DoI have to change
mycables every time I listen to a different digital source?
A. No. Your SBP-32Xwill accommodateboth the fiber
optic link and coaxial input. Simplyconnect both sources
using the separate inputs.
NOTE:.Whenthe SBP-32Xsenses two live inputs simul-
taneously, it will default to the fibre optic link. Therefore,
whenyouwish to listen to the source linked with coaxial
cable, you mustturn the other (optically linked) source
off.
a~Will I damage mySBP-32Xif I leave the power "ON"
i the time?
A. No. The Class"A" discrete analog circuits perform
moreconsistently once they reach thermal equilibrium.
Theprocessor has been designed to be left on at all times.
The SBP-32Xdraws less than 25 watts out of the AC
mains socket.
NOTE:For the protection of your processor we recom-
menddisconnecting the ACcord fiom the wall outlet
before any electrical storms or if you plan on being away
from your homefor prolonged periods of time.
Q. DoI have to switch the Sampling Frequency whenI
~
o between myCDand DAT?
¯ No. Your SBP-32Xautomatically senses the input
frequency and does all necessary switching.
Q. Sometimeswhile listening to myDATthe 44. lkHz
LEDis illuminated. I thought DATused 48kHz. Is my
processor malfunctioning?
A. SomeDigital AudioTape recorders can record an.d
playbackin either 44. l kHzor 48kHzdependingo.,n tlae
sour.c,e the tape was recorded from. The SBP-32Xs
LEDs are informing you of the frequency it is receiving,
and as a consequence, the sampling frequency at which
the tape wasrecorded in.
7

Q. I amnot getting any sound through the processor.
A. Mostlikely there has been a simple mistake in instal-
lation. Checkall connections IN ana OUTfrom the
t
~erOCessor. Checkall powerconnections. Haveyou se-
cted the correc,t source on your preamp?Checkthe
front panel LEDs forpower supply stability. If you still
have no sound, turn off the powerand contact your
dealer.
Q. I have somevery fine audiophile interconnect cable
whichhas superior sonic characteristics. CanI use this
for mycoaxial digital input?
A. Youmayexperiment with any high quality cable. Do
note, however,that most audio interconnect cable is not
designed to carry the ultra high frequency information of
the digital bit stream.
NOTE:For the SBP-32X, we recommend non-capacitive
coaxial cable which has a bandwidth in excess of 10MHz
and excellent shielding properties.
Q. While listening to mySBP-32XI experience occa-
sional periods of silence through myspeakers. Is my
processor malfunctioning?
N. Drop-outs can be caused by two primary reasons, both
of whichhave to do with the corruption of data received
by the processor. This corruption in the data maybe due
to a poor input connection, damagedor dirty source
material, or interconnects which/lo not have a wide
enough bandwidth. The second item that causes the
processor to reset is the presence of a transient spike on
the incoming ACpowerline. The processor is resetting
all of its digital processingcircuits so that it can be as-
sured that all its circuits are properly synchronized.Try
changing your source material and check your connec-
tions. Iftlaese are not the cause, speak with your dealer
about obtaining different cabling. If youare using fibre
optics, and source material and connections are not the
problem, speak with your authorized dealer.
. Since I installed the processor in mysystemI have a
owlevel humthat increases as I turn up the volume.
There was no humin mysystem until I added the proces-
sor. Is the processor malfunctioning?
A. Thefact that there wasno humin your system until
you added the processor indicates that you have a
ground-loop problem. Often changing the interconnect to
a fibre optic.cable will eliminate this problem. Theway
the digital processor and digital source are connectedto
the ACmains often can be mecause of grounding prob-
lems. Consult your dealer or Krell if this humpersists.
8

H. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
GLOSSARY
The following glossary provides definitions or explana- ,
tions of key words andphrases encountered in the course
of this manual.
32.0 KHzThe samplii~g frequency of Satellite broadcast.
44.1 KHzThe sampling frequency of CompactDiscs.
48.0 KHzThe sampling frequency of Digital Audio Tape.
BIT
The fundamental building block of digital information.
Theterm, expressing the smallest part of a digital word,
is derived from the words Binary DigiT.
BOOT
Bootingis a term.loosely referring to initializing the
startup sequence in a computer.
BYTE
Agroup of 8 bits. The primary componentin a digital
word.
CLOCK SPEED
Thespeed at whichthe processor operates, usually ex-
pressed in MHz.
COAXIAL
Atype of cable design wherea center conductor is sur-
rounded by an insulator whichis then wrappedwith a full
metallicsl~ield.
D/A
Digital to Analogconversion.
DAC
Digital to Analog converter. The device which converts
the digital information into an analog signal for playback
in your audio system.
DISCRETE
In this text, Discrete circuit designutilizes individual
components(i.e. FETs,Transistors...) as opposed
integrated circuits or op-amps.It is generally accepted
that correctly executeddiscrete circuits are superior soni-
cally in performanceto the less expensive ICs.
9

DROP-OUT
In this usage, drop-out is a term referring to periods of
silence during digital audio playback.
DYNAMIC HEADROOM
Theability of a componentto correctly duplicate high
speed, high level transient signals in excess of those
normally encountered in audio playback. If a comp,onent
does not have sufficient DynamicHeadroom,it will
either fall short of the actual intensity andaccuracyof the
transient, or possiblydistort it.
FIBRE OPTIC
Aninterconnecting link through whichdigital data is
transmitted via a beamof light.
INSTRUCTION CYCLE
Aperiod of time in whicha processor completes a single
or series of operations.
OVERSAMPLING
A methodby which additional samples are plotted in
betweenthe original recorded samplesin order to in-
crease the time domainresolution of the playback wave-
form.
~,h
UANTIZATION
e process by which analog music is converted into
digital data.
RFI
Radio-frequency interference. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency en.ergy whichcan
cause interference to radio communications.
SAMPLES
Adigital sampleis a quantized coordinate representing a
specific amphtudeat a specific time. Thousandsof
samples per second are quantized during recording to
digitally represent the original music.
SAMPLING RATE
Thefrequency at whichanalog data~:~is sampledin the
recording process (ex. a Sa~m,l~],ing Rate of ~4.1KHz
whichis used in recording CDs represents 44,100 quan-
tized samples per second).
10

I. SPECIFICATIONS
Outputs Analog Single ended via RCA
Balanced via male XLR
InputsDigital 1 via female RCAconnector
1 i~dustry standard fibre optic input
auto switching between inputs
(defaults to fibre optic)
Processors 2 Motorola DSP-56001, one per
channel
DACs 18 bit, one for each channel,
individually trimmed.
Software WAVEFORM DUPLICATOR
updatable in socketed EPROMs
Dimensions
Weight
19" wide,
14.,2,5" deep,.
2.5 high with feet
26 pounds in shipping carton
22 pounds without packing
11

.l. WARRANTYAND,,SERVICE
INFORMATION
There are no user-serviceable parts inside the SBP-32X.
The SBP-32Xhas a limited warranty of five years parts
and labor on electronic parts. Return freight is included
in the warranty. The warranty period begins on the date
of purchase and is activated with the return of the en-
closed WarrantyCard and a copy of the Sales receipt.
Please return the warranty cardimmediately after suc-
cessful installation and operation are completed.
The warranty for Krell products is valid ~ in the coun-
try to whichthey were originally shipped and at the
factory. If you think there are problemswith your unit
please contact your dealer, distributor or the factory
~mmediately.
Please do not return any unit to KRELLfor repair with-
out first calling to discuss the problemandto obtain a
Return Authorization number.-Freight to the factory or
distributor is yourresponsibility. Returnfreight to you
will be paid by the factory or distributor.
13

DIGITALINC.
1 KRELL DIGITAL INC.
35 HIGGINSDRIVEMILFORDCT 06460
SALES203-874-3139 FAX[phone]
COPYRIGHT1991 KRELLDIGITAL INC.
(SBP32X9105)