Luxman SQ-N150 User manual

VACUUM TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
SQ-N150
Owner`s Manual

Contents
Precautions ············································································································· 1
Features of This Unit································································································ 2
Names and Functions······························································································ 3
Connections ············································································································ 6
Operations··············································································································· 8
How to Use Remote Control···················································································· 9
Block Diagram······································································································· 10
Specifications ········································································································ 11
Before Asking for Repair Service············································································ 12

1
VACUUM TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER SQ-N150
Precautions
Installation place
Install this unit in a location where good ventilation and heat
radiation are assured.
Especially, installation of this unit where direct sunlight is
present, where the temperature rises excessively high such
as close to a heater, or where it is humid or dusty may
cause a malfunction even if heat is efficiently released.
Therefore, do not install this unit in such places.
Ventilation holes
Do not block the ventilation holes of the top and bottom
panels. If the amplifier is installed on a rack or the like, se-
cure ample space for cooling and leave the door open. Do
not pile up other things on the amplifier and never put arti-
cles on it. Failure to observe this may cause a malfunction.
Note:
For heat dispersal, do not install this equipment in a con-
fined space such as a book shelf or similar unit.
Wall
*Note
* *
*
Precautions in connecting with other
components
When connecting this unit to input devices such as a CD
player, an SACD player, an analog record player , a tun-
er, and a recorder, be sure to turn off the power of this
unit and all other connected devices. Failure to observe this
may generate a strong noise resulting in speaker damage
or cause a malfunction.
The pin-plug to be inserted in each input terminal of this
unit shall be pushed in firmly. If the grounding terminal is
inadequately connected, noises including hum may be gen-
erated, resulting in an adverse S/N ratio.
Cautions in connecting speakers
When making speaker system connections, exercise extra
care not to short-circuit between (+) and (–) of the speaker
terminals and speaker input terminals of this unit.
If a large signal is applied to the amplifier with its circuit left
short-circuited, a large current may be passed through the
output circuit and cause a malfunction.
The sound is not generated shortly after
the power supply is turned on.
This amplifier is equipped with a time muting circuit in order
to separate the output circuit. Therefore, no sound will be
generated shortly after the power supply is turned on.
If the volume control is at a high level when the time muting
circuit is canceled, a large sound will suddenly come out.
Please be advised that the volume control shall be set to a
low level at first and adjusted after the sound comes out of
the speakers.
Repair and adjustment
When repairs or adjustments are needed, please ask the
dealer where you bought the unit.
Cleaning
For cleaning, use a piece of soft cloth to wipe the unit such
as cleaning cloth. When the dirt is hard to remove, use a
small amount of neutral detergent to wipe, and then wipe
the unit with dry cloth. Do not use a solvent like benzine or
thinner because such a substance can damage the exterior.
Batteries
Warning: Batteries used for the remote control shall not be
exposed to excessive heat such as sunshine, fire or the like.
Safety caution
Caution
• This unit is heavy. Be careful when unpacking, carrying, and
installation.
• This unit is a vacuum tube amplifier. When the unit is in oper-
ation, the main body gets hot. Be careful not to touch it with
your bare skin. For safety, do not use this product in a place
where children or unchained animals are present.

2
Features of This Unit
Compact chassis design
A4 paper size (210 x 297 mm) and housing made of 5mm
thick aluminum.
Analog meters
This unit is equipped with needle-type analog meters for
output level monitoring.
Push-pull output stage
Push-pull configuration with EL84 pentode connection.
Phono amplifier
This unit is equipped with a phono amplifier that is com-
patible with the MM/MC cartridge to achieve analog record
playback in a high-grade level without adding a dedicated
phono amplifier.
Headphone output terminal
This terminal allows you to casually enjoy sound with head-
phones.
Selector switch IC
Selector switch IC of high sound quality, which is used in
LUXMAN top-end control amplifier, C-900u, improves the
separation and crosstalk performances.
Machined aluminum knobs
Knobs of vintage design with a heavy feel.
18 mm pitch RCA terminal
18 mm pitch RCA input terminals allow even a high-perfor-
mance line cable with large plug to be connected.
Highly reliable design
Prolonged life and highly reliable design have been achieved
by providing operating conditions of vacuum tubes with
some allowance.
Remote control
Volume can be controlled by the accessory remote con-
trol RA-25 or RD-27 provided with D-N150, compact disc
player.

3
VACUUM TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER SQ-N150
Names and Functions
1. Operation switch (OPERATION)
Toggles the power on and off.
When wiring or connection is performed, be sure to turn off
this switch. When turning on the OPERATION switch again
after turning the unit off, wait for more than one minute.
2. Operation indicator (OPERATION)
Lights orange when the OPERATION switch is on.
3. Line straight switch (LINE STRAIGHT)
Enhances the purity of the sound quality by bypassing the
balance control circuit, tone control circuit.
OFF : Line straight off/bypass off
ON : Line straight on/bypass on
When the line straight switch is set to on, the balance con-
trol and tone control cannot be adjusted.
4. Analog meters
Indicate the levels of outputs with illumination.
5. Display switch (DISPLAY)
Turns the back light of the analog meters on and off.
6. Headphone jack (PHONES)
Insert the headphone plug into this output jack. When the
plug is inserted, the signal to the speaker terminal is inter-
rupted. When the plug is pulled out, the signal output is
supplied to the speaker terminal again.
Caution:
Before pulling out the plug, be sure that the volume control is at
a low level to prevent loud sound from coming out of speakers
suddenly.
7. Volume control (VOLUME)
Adjusts the sound volume.
Sound is not generated when this control is rotated coun-
terclockwise to the end and the sound volume level grad-
ually becomes higher when the control is slowly rotated
clockwise.
Volume can also be controlled by the accessory remote
control RA-25 or RD-27 provided with D-N150, compact
disc player.
8. Sound volume indicator
Indicates the sound volume level.
Blinks in the muting mode when the operation switch is
turned on and lights up when the operation state is activat-
ed afterward. This indicator blinks also when the volume is
adjusted with the remote control.
9. Remote sensor (R)
Receives signals from the accessory remote control. Do not
block the front of the receiver.
Front panel
1
2
3
4 5 6 97 8

4
10. Input selector (INPUT SELECTOR)
Selects an input device from the devices such as a CD play-
er, an SACD player, and a tuner connected to each input
terminal.
There are five positions which are PHONO MC, PHONO
MM, LINE-1, LINE-2 and LINE-3. Select an input source to
be played from them.
As for PHONO, select as follows since the gain of the equal-
izer amplifier differs according to the cartridge in use.
PHONO MC : Select when using a low output voltage MC
(moving coil) type cartridge. When “MC” is
selected during use of the MM type car-
tridge, be aware that the sound volume be-
comes higher and unbalanced sound with-
out high frequencies is generated owing to
the impedance.
PHONO MM : Select when using a high output voltage MM
(moving magnet) type cartridge.
11. Tone control for bass (BASS)
Controls the frequency characteristics of the low-frequency
range.
When this control is set to the center position, flat frequency
characteristic is obtained. Rotating this control clockwise
makes the low-frequency range enhanced, and rotating this
control counterclockwise makes the low-frequency range
attenuated.
When the line straight switch is set to on, this switch does
not function.
12. Tone control for treble (TREBLE)
Controls the frequency characteristics of the high-frequen-
cy range.
When this control is set to the center position, flat frequency
characteristic is obtained. Rotating this control clockwise
makes the high-frequency range enhanced, and rotating
this control counterclockwise makes the high-frequency
range attenuated.
When the line straight switch is set to on, this switch does
not function.
13. Balance control (BALANCE)
Adjusts the balance of sound volume between right and left
channels.
Rotating the control counterclockwise gradually cuts the
volume of the right channel, rotating the control clockwise
gradually cuts the volume of the left channel.
This knob shall be set to the center position under normal
conditions, and rotated to make adjustment if necessary.
When the line straight switch is set to on, this switch does
not function.
Names and Functions
Top view
10 11 12 13

5
VACUUM TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER SQ-N150
14. Signal ground terminal
(SIGNAL GROUND)
A signal ground terminal for devices to be connected to this
unit. This is used to reduce noises when other devices are
connected, and is connected to an analog player or a tone
arm. This terminal is not designed for safety.
15. Phono input terminals (PHONO)
Input terminals to connect RCA pin-plug cables from an an-
alog record player or a tone arm.
Some analog players have internal phono equalizers. If that
is the case, turn off the equalizer amplifier within the player.
Do not connect a CD player or other devices whose output
level is high to this terminal. Normal playback cannot be
provided due to sound crack.
* The short pin plug that prevents noise is inserted at the
time of shipping. Remove the short pin plug when starting
to use.
16. Line input terminals
(LINE-1, LINE-2, and LINE-3)
For high-level signal inputs from a CD/DVD player, an SACD
player, a tuner, a video deck, a TV, and other such devices.
These input terminals offer the same functions.
17. Speaker terminals (SPEAKERS)
Connects a speaker system.
The right speaker terminal shall be connected to the right
side (R), and the left speaker terminal shall be connected to
the left side (L) in consideration of the polarity.
General type
terminal
18. AC inlet (AC IN)
Connects the accessory power cable. Connects the acces-
sory power cable to supply the power from the AC outlet
on the wall.
Rear panel
141516
1718

6
Connections
SPEAKER SYSTEM
+
L R
–
+–
ANALOG PLAYERCD PLAYER

7
VACUUM TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER SQ-N150
Before connecting
Before connecting other devices, connect the jack side of the
accessory power cable to the AC inlet of this unit.
Before connection is made, turn off the OPERATION switch
of this unit and the power of all other connected devices to
prevent accidents due to noises generated unexpectedly.
How to connect power supply
Use the accessory power cable and insert the AC plug in the
outlet on the wall in the room where the unit is installed.
How to connect a CD player, SACD player,
D/A converter, tuner, or other devices
Connect between the output terminals of a CD player, an
SACD player, a D/A converter, a tuner, or other input device
and the LINE-1 input terminals of this unit with 2 (R and L)
pin cables.
For LINE-2 and LINE-3 input terminals, connection in the
same fashion as the LINE-1 terminals provides the reproduc-
tion likewise.
How to connect analog record player
Connect between the output terminals of an analog record
player and the PHONO terminals of this unit with 2 (R and L)
pin-plug cables.
For some types of players, the ground wire from the phono
motor or the tone arm should be connected to the ground
terminal of this unit.
An MM or MC cartridge can be used with the embedded
phono equalizer of this unit. When a low output voltage MC
cartridge is in use, set the input selector to PHONO MC.
When a high output voltage MM cartridge is in use, set to
PHONO MM.
The output from an analog record player equipped with a
phono equalizer or from an independent phono equalizer
shall be connected to the line input terminals of this unit.
How to connect speakers
Connect the left-channel speaker to the L terminal of this unit
and the right-channel speaker to the R terminal.
Securely connect the !terminal of the speaker system to the
speaker terminal !(red) of this unit, and the @terminal of the
speaker system to the speaker terminal @(black) of this unit.
If the !and @terminals are reversely connected to either of
the right and left speaker systems, the acoustic phases of the
sound reproduced from the right and left speaker systems
are also reversed. In such a case, be aware that the sound
level in the low range will be reduced and the acoustic stability
will worsen, thus failing in normal stereo playback.

8
Before operation
1. Ensure that the connections are correctly made. (Normal
playback cannot be achieved with wrong connections of
R, L, !, or @.)
2. When the power is toggled between on and off or the in-
put selector is changed over, set the volume control to the
minimum position in advance.
Playback
1. Press the operation switch to turn on the switch after en-
suring that the volume control is set to the minimum posi-
tion.
2. Select a source to be reproduced with the input selector.
3. Adjust the sound level with the volume control.
4. Operate the line straight switch, balance control, and tone
control according to your taste.
Volume can also be controlled by the accessory remote con-
trol RA-25 or RD-27 provided with D-N150, compact disc
player.
Line straight switch
The line straight switch is used to play sound with the short-
est signaling route for enhancing the purity of the source se-
lected with the input selector. When this switch is set to on,
the balance control and tone control are bypassed.
Balance control
The balance control allows users to adjust the balance of
sound volume between right and left channels.
When the balance adjustment is not required, the balance
control is set to the center position.
When the line straight switch is set to on, the balance control
does not function.
Tone control
This unit has the tone control function for the low-frequency
range (BASS) and for the high-frequency range (TREBLE).
By setting each control to the center position, flat frequency
characteristic is obtained. Rotating the BASS control clock-
wise makes the low-frequency range enhanced, and rotating
it counterclockwise makes the low-frequency range attenu-
ated.
In the same manner, rotating the TREBLE control clockwise
makes the high-frequency range enhanced, and rotating it
counterclockwise makes the high-frequency range attenuated.
For both the low-frequency and high-frequency ranges, the
right and left channels interlockingly function.
When the line straight switch is set to on, the tone control
does not function.
Operations

9
VACUUM TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER SQ-N150
How to Use Remote Control
19. Volume control (VOLUME, i, o)
Adjusts the sound volume. The sound volume is lowered
with oand raised with i.
The volume control of the main unit rotates.
20. Mute (MUTE)
Mutes the sound temporarily. Pressing this switch activates
the mute function and the sound volume indicator blinks
resulting in no sound generated. Pressing this switch again
sets the mute function to off, and sounds are generated.
21. CD/SACD player operation switch
(CD PLAYER)
This switch is used to control the corresponding CD/SACD
players.
The corresponding CD/SACD players are the following models:
D-N150, D-380, D-08u, D-06u, D-05u, D-08, D-06, D-05, D-10,
D-7, D-600 and D-700S as of January 2019.
Accessory remote control (RA-25)
20
19
21
Remote control
The remote control shall be aimed at the remote sensor of
this unit within the specified angle range shown in the illus-
tration.
Dry cell
[How to load dry cells]
1. Put your finger on the battery cover claw on the rear of the
remote control, and slide the cover downward while holding
the claw down to open the cover.
2. Put the provided AAA batteries in the battery case as shown
in the illustration in the battery case.
3. Close the battery cover.
Effective distance:
approx. 5 meters
30° 30°
• Do not use a new battery and an old one together.
• There may be a case in which the voltages are different be-
tween two batteries even though their shapes are the same.
Do not use the batteries of different types together.
• If the remote control is not used for a long time (more than 1
month), the batteries shall be removed from the case. If the
battery liquid is leaking, wipe away the liquid from the case
before inserting new batteries.
• To discard exhausted batteries, follow the instructions of
each local authority.

10
Block Diagram

11
VACUUM TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER SQ-N150
Specifications
Rated output 10 W+10 W (6 Ω)
Total harmonic distortion Less that 1 % (1 kHz, 10 W/6 Ω, LINE STRAIGHT “ON”)
Input sensitivity/input impedance PHONO (MM) : 3.0 mV/47 kΩ
PHONO (MC) : 0.33 mV/100 Ω
LINE : 180 mV/47 kΩ
S/N ratio PHONO (MM) : 84 dB or more (IHF-A correction, 3.0 mV input)
PHONO (MC) : 64 dB or more (IHF-A correction, 0.33 mV input)
LINE : 95 dB or more (IHF-A correction, input shorted, line straight on)
Frequency response PHONO (MM) : 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (within ±0.5 dB, line straight on)
PHONO (MC) : 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (within ±0.5 dB, line straight on)
LINE : 20 Hz to 80,000 Hz (within –3 dB, line straight on)
Tone control BASS : ±8.0 dB at 100 Hz
TREBLE : ±8.0 dB at 10 kHz
Supplied functions [Front panel]
• Operation switch
• Input selector
• Analog meter
• Tone control
• Headphone jack
[Rear panel]
• Input terminal
• Signal ground terminal
• Volume control
• Balance control
• Display switch
• Line straight switch
• Speaker terminals
• AC inlet
[Remote control function] (when using RA-25 or RD-27 (provided with D-N150))
• Sound volume (up/down) • Mute (only when using RA-25)
Circuit Driver: P-K split phase inversion circuit, Output: Pentode connection
Vacuum tube used 4×EL84, 2×ECC83
Accessories • Power cable • Remote control RA-25
• Owner’s Manual (This document)
• Safety cautions
Power supply 230 V〜(50 Hz)
Power consumption 98 W
Max. external dimensions 297 (W) x 188 (H) x 251 (D) mm
(front side knob with 20 mm and rear side terminal with 21 mm included in depth)
Weight 12.4 kg (main unit)
* Specifications and the appearance are subject to change without notice.

12
Before Asking for Repair Service
While in use, this unit may display phenomena which may be confused as malfunctions. Before contacting your country’s official
LUXMAN distributor for repair services, please read the operating instructions and operating instructions for any connected input and
through output devices and check the troubleshooting table below. If the cause of the malfunction cannot be identified, please con-
tact your dealer. After LUXMAN’s representatives have accepted your request for repair services, inspection fees and transportation
expenses may be claimed, even though the unit may be found to be operating normally.
Problem Cause Solution
No power is supplied even
though the operation switch is
pressed.
• The power plug is disconnected from the
wall outlet, or it is not completely inserted.
• Insert the power plug in the wall outlet com-
pletely.
• The power jack is disconnected from the
AC inlet, or it is not inserted completely.
• Securely insert the power jack in the AC
inlet completely.
No sound is generated.
(for both left and right channels)
• The headphone is connected to the PHONE
terminal.
• Turn the volume level down and disconnect
the headphone.
• The volume is muted. • Cancel the MUTE mode.
• The input selector is not set to the source
to be reproduced.
• Set the input selector correctly.
• Cable connections are incomplete. • Make cable connections securely.
• The output level of the input device is set to
the minimum position.
• Adjust the output level.
No sound is generated on one
side.
• The connecting cable is not connected on
one side only.
• Make cable connections securely.
• The balance control is fully rotated. • The balance control shall be set to the cen-
ter position under normal conditions.
Humming sound (boon or zzz
noise) is generated.
• The ground side of the pin-plug cable has
no contact with the terminal.
• Make connections securely so that the
ground side of the pin-plug cable can be
connected.
• The ground wire of the analog player is not
connected.
• Connect the ground wire of the analog play-
er to the SIGNAL GND terminal.
• Connections or mounting conditions are in-
complete between the cartridge and shell,
or between the shell and tone arm of the
analog player.
• Connect (or mount) the cartridge, shell, and
tone arm securely.
• The connecting cables are too close to the
power cable.
• Keep the connecting cables away from the
power cable.
• Induction noise is picked up from a power
transformer of another device.
• Install it distant from other devices.
No effect of tone control or
balance control is observed.
• The line straight switch is set to on. • When tone control or balance control is used,
the line straight switch shall be set to off.
The lights of the power meters
are not turned on.
• The display switch is set to off. • Set the display switch to on.

LUXMAN CORPORATION, JAPAN
AG00987E81A
Printed in Japan
1-3-1 Shinyokohama, Kouhoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 222-0033, Japan