Mark Levinson 390S User manual

Nº390S
CD PROCESSOR

The Nº390S is the successor to the Nº39 CD
Processor and delivers a remarkable improvement
in sonic performance over the original design. The
Nº390S features a complete redesign of the Nº39
Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) and Analog
Output Module. Borrowing heavily from the
design of Nº40 Media Console and Nº32
Reference Preamplifier, the Nº390S incorporates
our latest advances in DAC design, output buffer
and volume control technologies, all implemented
on a four-layer Arlon®circuit board.
Fully Balanced Design
The Nº390S is fully balanced in both the analog
and digital domains. Information from the disc
and single-ended digital inputs are immediately
converted to balanced signals and routed to
balanced DACs by a Low Voltage Differential
Signal receiving circuit. This design technique,
borrowed from Mark Levinson digital processors,
incorporates our Closed Loop Jitter Reduction™
technology to preserve the precise timing of the
digital audio signal.
A four-layer Arlon®printed circuit board provides
the foundation for the critical analog audio circuit.
First used in the Nº32 Reference Preamplifier, this
material offers superb dielectric properties and
helps the Nº390S achieve remarkable perform-
ance with complex, low-level audio signals.
Design of the fully balanced DAC/analog output
module follows the Mark Levinson tradition of
rigorous component selection. An unusual hybrid
design approach incorporating both advanced
surface-mount and “through-hole” technologies,
allows us to utilize the optimum part at each loca-
tion in the circuit, without the constraints on
parts selection normally associated with tradition-
al PCB assembly practices. Every active device has
been painstakingly selected for top technical
performance, with final device selections deter-
mined by numerous, controlled sonic evaluations.
Advanced Digital Filter Techniques
Just as with Mark Levinson Digital Audio
Processors, the Nº390S incorporates advanced
digital filter techniques carefully chosen to opti-
mize the sonic performance of its on-board digital
processor. Whether playing a CD, or decoding a
digital signal received through an auxiliary input,
sample depth is increased to 24 bits and sample
rate increased to 352.8kHz or 384kHz (input rate
dependent) before conversion to an analog signal.
This sophisticated processing of the digital signal
before conversion (often referred to as “upconver-
sion,” “upsampling,” or “oversampling”) is a
fundamental contributor to the excellent sound
achieved by all Mark Levinson digital processors.
The Nº390S confirms its internal conversion rate
on its front panel display each time a disc is
loaded, or an auxiliary input is chosen and locked.
The Nº390S also incorporates High Definition
Compatible Digital®(HDCD) decoding to take full
advantage of the resolution available from HDCD-
encoded 16-bit CDs. By encoding information
more efficiently within the 16-bit space available
on the disc, the HDCD format retains more of the
resolution inherent in modern high-resolution
recordings.
Digital-to-Analog Conversion
Digital-to-analog conversion within the Nº390S
features a Mark Levinson-developed, balanced
implementation of a high-performance DAC. This
multi-bit Sigma/Delta DAC device delivers superb
technical performance. In addition to its unusual
multi-bit architecture and unlike typical Sigma/
Delta devices, this DAC has a differential current
output stage, which allows us to optimize the crit-
Nº390S
CD PROCESSOR

ical current-to-voltage conversion stage with dedi-
cated operational amplifiers possessing superlative
rise time and bandwidth characteristics.
Following this, an active analog filter circuit,
implemented in a differential amplifier, sums both
halves of the balanced signal and provides superb
common mode noise rejection in addition to
outstanding filtering.
This approach to the DAC circuit block yields
extraordinarily low distortion and noise levels and
contributes greatly to the natural sound of the
Nº390S.
Balanced Analog Volume Control
Rather than use the digital attenuator on board
the DAC, the Nº390S incorporates a fully
balanced analog volume control similar to that
found in Mark Levinson preamplifiers. When acti-
vated, the output of the Nº390S can be
attenuated in precise 0.1dB steps through most of
the range. Significantly, the Nº390S maintains the
full performance of its remarkable DACs at all
volume levels — something impossible with
digital volume controls, regardless of what tech-
niques may be employed to mask the sonic
consequences of that design approach.
State-of-the-Art Output Buffer
The balanced discrete output buffer circuitry used
in the Nº390S employs the same topology used in
the remarkable Mark Levinson Nº32 Reference
Preamplifier. A hallmark of Mark Levinson pream-
plifier and digital processor design, this circuit has
proven to be both sonically transparent and
exceptionally immune to adverse interactions
with interconnecting cables and unusual input
impedance characteristics of power amplifiers or
preamplifiers. The Nº390S features an ultra-
compact implementation of the Mark Levinson
output buffer circuit, pushing noise coupling and
parasitic effects to vanishingly small levels. This
exceptionally robust output stage allows the
Nº390S to make the most of any combination of
preamplifier, power amplifier, and cables used.
Sound Quality
The Nº390S successfully builds on the strengths
of the popular Nº39 CD Processor. The name
change is intended to convey the level of sonic
improvement that can be expected. It doesn’t
sound like an improved Nº39 – it sounds like a
completely new and significantly better product.
The many design refinements in the Nº390S have
resulted in a significant reduction in the already
very low noise levels present in the Nº39. Low-
level musical details that were previously masked
are now revealed. High-frequency clarity and
extension are improved. Low-frequency detail
and drive is improved. Imaging and spatial infor-
mation are substantially improved, with a greater
sense of depth and width, providing an almost
holographic quality to the presentation.
All of this musical information was always present
on the CDs. Once again, significant sonic
improvements were attained by better implemen-
tation of an existing technology. The Nº390S
acheives that goal.

Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Mark Levinson®is aregistered trademark of
Harman International Industries, Incorporated.
Not responsible for typographic errors.
Part # 072-16155
Nº390SCDProcessor
Frequency Response: 10Hz - 20kHz, +0dB, -0.3dB
Total Harmonic Distortion:
(THD) 0.002% @ 1kHz, 0dBFS (10Hz - 30kHz)
Dynamic Range: 96dB (10Hz - 30kHz)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 105dB (10Hz - 30kHz)
Channel Separtion: Better than 110dB
Intermodulation Distortion:
(SMPTE IMD) Less than 0.005%
Maximum Output: 4.45V balanced
(0 dBFS signal) 2.225V single-ended
Volume Control:
(attenuation) Range 61.2 to +12dB
Digital-to-Analog
Conversion: Dual differential 24-bit DACs
Conversion Rate: 352.8kHz or 384kHz (input signal dependent), 24-bit
Analog Filter: Bessel-tuned, linear phase to 40kHz
Low-level Linearity: Deviation less than 2dB to below -90dBFS less than 2dB to below -102dBFS w/20-bit input
Output Impedance (analog): 10Ω
Direct Digital Output, XLR: AES/EBU 110Ω, 3.5V
Direct Digital Output, RCA: S/PDIF 75Ω, 0.5V
Mains Voltage: 100V, 120V, 200V, 220V, 240V, factory set for destination country
Mains Frequency: 50 or 60Hz, factory set for destination country
Power Consumption: 36 watts maximum
Overall dimensions: width: 15.75" (40cm)
height: 3.84" (9.75cm)
depth: 14.3" (36.3cm)
20.56" (52.21cm) with loader open
Input Complement: (1) EIAJ digital input
(1) S/PDIF (RCA) digital input
Output Complement: (2) male XLR balanced audio outputs
(2) RCA single-ended audio outputs
(1) AES/EBU (XLR) digital output
(1) S/PDIF (RCA) digital output
Other I/O: (2) RJ-45 modular Communication Links
(1) 3.5mm external IR input jack
(1) IEC AC mains connector
Shipping Weight: 50lbs (23kg)
3 Oak Park, Bedford, MA 01730-1413 USA
Tel: [phone] | Fax: [phone]
www.marklevinson.com