leema-acoustics AGENA User manual

HANDBOOK
AGENA PHONOSTAGE
LEEMA ACOUSTICS
CONSTELLATION SERIES
LEEMA ACOUSTICS Issue 1

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PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK

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Index
EC Declaration of Conformity ....................................................................... 4
Introduction .................................................................................................. 5
Safety Advice ................................................................................................. 6
Agena Overview ............................................................................................. 7
Rear Panel Connections ............................................................................... 9
Front Panel …………………………………………………………….…………. 10
Front Panel Controls..……….…………………………...………………….. 11/12
Connection and Setup ................................................................................. 13
Setup Menus ................................................................................................. 14
WEEE Scheme............................................................................................... 15
Environmental, Made in the UK……...…..………………… 7
Contact Us……………………….…………………………… 7

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EC Declaration of Conformity
In accordance with EN ISO 17070-1:2004
We Leema Electro Acoustics Limited of Severn Farm Industrial Estate Welshpool Powys UK in accordance with the following Directive(s): 2006/95/EC The Low Voltage Directive 2004/108/EC The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive hereby declare that: Equipment: Agena Phono Pre Amplifier, is in conformity with the applicable requirements of the following standards Standard. No. Name International Equivalents BS EN60065; 2002 Electrical Safety Requirements EN60065; 2002 / IEC60065; 2001 BS EN 55020; 2002 EMC Immunity EN55020; 2002 / CISPR 20; 2002 BS EN 55013; 2001 EMC Emissions EN55013; 2001 / CISPR 12; 2001 BS EN 61000-3-2; 2001 EMC Limits for Harmonic Emissions EN61000-3-2; 2000 / IEC61000-3-2; 2000 BS EN 61000-3-3; 1995 EMC Limits for Voltage Fluctuations EN61000-3-3; 1995 / IEC61000-3-3; 1994 I hereby declare that the equipment named above has been designed to comply with the relevant sections of the above referenced specifications. The unit complies with all applicable Essential Requirements of the Directives and Standards. Signed by: .......Mallory Nicholls.......................................................................................................................................... Name: Mallory Nicholls Position: Technical Director Done at: Leema Electro Acoustics Ltd. On: 31/11/2014
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Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of Leema’s class-leading Agena phono stage
The Leema range of products has been painstakingly engineered in the United Kingdom to
offer genuine state-of-the-art performance.
Partnered with suitable equipment, Leema products will provide audio performance far
beyond that of their competitors and will equal or better the performance of products
costing many times their purchase price.
Leema’s Agena provides extensive flexibility for vinyl users. Please follow this simple in-
struction manual to install and setup your new phono stage.
Agena was created by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. We wish you many years of enjoyment
from your record collection.... Move Your World!
With best regards………….The Leema Team.

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VERY IMPORTANT
Before connecting your new Leema Agena to the rest of your system, please ensure all
required input/output cables are connected BEFORE inserting the mains power lead and
powering for the first time.
User installation and safety advice
Please ensure that the mains voltage of your new Libra Agena is correct for your region.
The setting is displayed on a label above the mains power inlet.
The mains voltage setting is not user adjustable, therefore the Agena must be returned to
the manufacturer if any changes are required.
Ensure the mains supply is switched off at the wall socket, or unplugged before installing
or moving the Agena.
Do not use near water, for example do not place a potted plant on top of the unit or allow
drinks to be placed near the unit. If liquid is spilt in to the cabinet, remove the mains lead
from the wall immediately.
The Agena should then be returned to your dealer for safety testing before re-use.
Failure to do so may result in electric shock or even fire!
Do not use the Agena in damp conditions, e.g. outside of the house.
Keep away from direct sunlight and other heat sources and ensure adequate ventilation
around the Agena to maintain proper cooling. Units MUST NOT be stacked directly on top
of each other.
Never attempt to open the cabinet. There are no user adjustable parts inside and doing so
will invalidate the product warranty.
In the event of an electrical storm, remove the mains power lead from the wall outlet.

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Overview
Agena is a state of the art Multi input phono stage, capable of precisely matching almost
any commercially available cartridge parameters.
It is the ideal choice for those using two tonearms or multiple cartridges.
In addition a USB output is provided to allow simple archiving to computer.
Environmental Issues
All waste materials generated as part of the manufacturing process are recycled.
The power drain from all Leema electronics, in standby or power off modes, has been
optimised to a negligible level.
All Leema products have been designed to attain full operational specifications and
sound quality within a few minutes of switch-on.
Made in the UK
Leema electronics are entirely designed and manufactured in the UK.
Contact Us
Leema may be contacted via our website: www.leema-acoustics.com
or by telephone: [phone]

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Rear Panel
POWER
INLET
UNBALANCED
1 AND 2
BALANCED
(OPTION)
S/PDIF
& USB
ANALOGUE
OUTPUTS
DIGITAL
OUTPUTS
INPUTS
TONEARM
EARTH STUD

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Rear Panel Connections
TONEARM INPUTS
Two unbalanced cartridge inputs are available on the rear panel. By default, if only using a
single arm/cartridge, connect the cartridge cable to Input 1.
A balanced input option is available at extra cost.
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS
Two outputs (plus USB monitor) are provided on the rear panel. Choose either the RCA
unbalanced or XLR balanced outputs and connect them to a line level amplifier input using
good quality inter-connect cables. Typically the amplifier input to use would be 'Aux'.
USB/MONITOR OUTPUT
The USB port allows the user to record to a computer for ripping, archiving or restoration.
With modern operation systems such as Windows 7, Windows 8 or Mac OS-X, no special
driver is required. The device will be recognised automatically and will be ready to use im-
mediately. Any good audio recording software may then be used to record from Vinyl.
The Monitor output RCA connectors and SPDIF output will then carry the replay output
from the computer. The monitor outputs would typically be connected to the amplifier
'Tape' inputs to enable monitoring of the recording.
CABLES
Never underestimate the importance of good quality interconnecting cables. The higher
the system resolution, the more easily the differences between cables can be discerned.
Leema recommend Leema Linx cables for optimum system synergy.
NOISE
Due to the very high sensitivity of the Agena electronics, the unit must be positioned away
from any source of magnetic field.
Do not place the unit in a rack with a power amp immediately above or below – doing so
will cause hum on Agena's output.
If possible, place Agena to the left or right of power amplifiers. Where this is not possible,
keep as much distance between Agena and other units as possible.

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Front Panel
STANDBY
SWITCH
NAVIGATION
AND SELECT
INFORMATION
DISPLAY
INPUT SELECT
FILTER ON/OFF
MONO SELECT
MUTE ON/OFF
SLEEP
LOCK

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Front Panel controls
Navigation
To navigate around the menu systems, use the cursor keys and OK button. To move up
and down to menu items use the UP and DOWN cursor keys. To change a selection with-
in a menu option use the LEFT or RIGHT cursor keys
Note that changes are not actioned until OK is pressed. At this point the unit will go
through a MUTE cycle while the settings are configured.
Input 1, 2 and 3
These buttons select which input connections are used on the back panel. Input 3 is only
functional when the balanced input module (option) is fitted
Low Filter
The Low filter may be used to remove low frequency 'warp' and 'rumble' signals. The filter
operates at 15Hz and should not degrade the normal audio signal in any way.
We recommend that the Low filter is used at all times to ensure maximum protection from
loudspeaker cone over excursion.
High Filter
The high filter may be used to remove hiss or reduce the level of clicks on poor quality or
damaged discs.
The filter operates at 15kHz and will therefore cause minimal degradation to the normal
audio signal.
Mono
Mono combines the cartridge signals to produce a mono signal. This is useful when a
mono recording is replayed. In this mode, any surface noise and clicks are also produced
in mono and are therefore less objectionable. If mono is not used, mono recordings will
be replayed with 'stereo' noise which can be annoying.
Mute
Mute silences the output. This is useful when cleaning the stylus or when changing arms
or headshells etc.

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Sleep Lock
The signals produced by the microprocessor and LCD screen can degrade the audio path
if running all the time. To avoid this, by default the processor will turn off the LCD and then
power itself down after a delay of around 4-5 seconds. When sleeping, the unit will look
'dead' but this is normal. Pressing any button will wake up the processor and allow normal
operation.
If the user wishes to keep the processor and display awake, this can be achieved by press-
ing the Sleep Lock button. When the button's LED is alight, the unit will not 'sleep'.
Front Panel Controls cont’d

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Connection and Setup
Two cartridge inputs are available on the rear panel. By default, connect the cartridge
cable to Input 1 if only using a single cartridge.
Two outputs (plus USB monitor) are provided on the rear panel. Choose either the RCA
unbalanced or XLR balanced outputs and connect them to a line level amplifier input
using good quality inter-connect cables. Typically the amplifier input would be 'Aux'.
Apply power to unit and switch on using the power switch on the rear panel. The unit
will enter standby (standby button lit on front panel).
Power the unit ON from the front panel standby button.
After the welcome screen appears, press ‘Sleep Lock’ to keep the processor and dis-
play awake.
On the front panel select Input 1 (it may already be set like this!).
Press ‘OK’ to enter menu system and navigate up to INPUT SETUP.
Adjust the gain, input resistance and capacitance for the cartridge that you are using.
The recommended resistance and capacitance should be specified by the car-
tridge manufacturer and is normally found in the specification sheet packed with
the cartridge or on the manufacturers web site. The gain should be set to the
next higher number than the output of the cartridge i.e. if the cartridge is 300uV,
use 340uV setting etc. This maintains maximum headroom.
These settings are associated with the input and headshell in use and may be
different for each combination. If a different input or headshell is selected, the
settings must be adjusted as required for each combination.
Press OK to save the set-up and exit the menu. At this point, the settings will take ef-
fect.

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Menus
Change Headshell
This menu function allows multiple arms or headshells to be used. All input settings are
associated with the input and headshell in use and may be different for each combination.
The menu automatically mutes the audio and allows selection of the required headshell.
The input can be selected using the input buttons at the same time.
Welcome
The welcome screen is displayed at power-up and may also be displayed from the Wel-
come menu. This screen shows the current software version in the unit.
Initialise
This menu option may be used to return the unit to factory defaults and reset the internal
memory. Use with caution as all user settings will be lost.
USB Port
The USB port allows the user to record to a computer for ripping, archiving or restoration.
With modern operation systems such as Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS-X, no
special driver is required. The device will be recognised automatically and will be ready to
use immediately.
Any good audio recording software may then be used to record from Vinyl.
The Analogue Monitor output RCA connectors and SPDIF output will then carry the replay
output from the computer. The monitor outputs would typically be connected to the amplifi-
er 'Tape' inputs or to a DAC to enable monitoring of the recording.
Record Level
The record level may be adjusted in the computer recording software but clipping may oc-
cur in the Agena if an inappropriate gain setting is chosen for the cartridge. This clipping
cannot be reduced in the computer and therefore a different gain setting should be chosen
in Agena to achieve optimum performance.

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WEEE Scheme
Disposal of Electronic Equipment in the European Union and other countries with collec-
tion procedures:
The wheelie bin symbol on this product indicates that it shall not be treated as household
waste.
It should be disposed of via a collection point for the recycling of electrical and electronic
equipment. Leema is fully registered under WEEE/HK 0757 ZX

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Leema Electro Acoustics Limited
16, Severn farm industrial estate, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, Wales, UK, SY21 7DF
email: [e-mail] Web: www.leema-acoustics.com