Musical Fidelity A300 User manual

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 1
of 9
INTRODUCTION
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Thank you for purchasing the Musical Fidelity
A300 remote control integrated Amplifier.
Used properly and carefully, it should give you many
years of outstanding musical reproduction.
The A300 operates in Class A/B which in our experience
offers the ultimate in musical accuracy and pleasure.
The A300 is based on ideas and principles developed
in the legendary XA1 Integrated amplifier
but with subtle changes and improvements.
Aesthetically, the A300 is a perfect match for the
A3 CD player and the A3 FM Tuner.
Together, they form one of the finest hi-fi systems
that you can own today.
Dust regularly with a soft duster or soft brush but be
careful using cleaning or polishing agents - they may
harm the surface finish.
If you have any questions about anything in your
audio system, please consult your dealer who is there to
help and advise you.
A300
DUAL MONO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
issue 3/13.07.2000

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 2of 9
SAFETY INFORMATION
IMPORTANT!
This unit is supplied in the U.K. with a mains lead fitted with a moulded 13 amp plug.
If, for any reason, you need to cut off this plug, please observe the following safety precautions.
Please dispose of the cut-off plug safely. It must not be plugged into a mains power supply.
The wires in the mains lead supplied with this appliance are coloured in accordance
with the following code:
Green and yellow..............Earth
Blue...............................Neutral
Brown................................Live
WARNING - This appliance must be earthed
As the colours of the wires of the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the
coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows:
The wire which is coloured green-and-yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug
which is marked with the letter E or coloured green or green-and-yellow, or by the earth
symbol.
The wire which is coloured brown must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the
letter L or coloured red.
The wire which is coloured blue must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the
letter N or coloured black.
If connecting to a BS1363 plug, a 13 amp fuse must be used.
WARNING - Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)
This hi-fi product has been tested to ensure that its operation will not be adversely affected by
normal background levels of RFI. It is possible that if this product is subjected to abnormally
high levels of RFI the unit may be susceptible and not perform as expected. In the unlikely
event of this happening on a regular basis, please contact Musical Fidelity's service department.
The unit has also been tested to ensure that it does not radiate excessive levels of RFI that could
affect other pieces of electronic or electrical equipment.
The electronics in modern hi-fi equipment is complex and hence may be damaged by lightning.
It is possible that during electrical storms the operation of some equipment may be adversely
affected. For complete protection of your hi-fi system during such storms, mains plugs and aer-
ial leads should be disconnected.
Always ensure that when disconnecting and re-connecting your hi-fi equipment the mains
supply is switched off.
issue 3/13.07.2000

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 3of 9
GENERAL ADVICE
INSTALLATION PRECAUTIONS and USER INFORMATION
Your new A300 is designed and built to provide trouble-free performance but as with all elec-
tronic devices it is necessary to observe a few precautions.
Heed all warnings on the back of the unit.
Only connect the A300 to a mains outlet of the voltage marked on the back of the unit.
Position the mains lead, speaker leads and signal interconnects where they are not likely
to walked on or trapped by items placed on them.
Do not use near water.
Do not place the unit near direct heat sources such as radiators or other equipment that
produces heat.
Do not place the unit where it can be subjected to direct sun-light.
Do not remove any covers or try to gain access to the inside. The warranty is invalid if
the unit has been tampered with. There are no user adjustments within. Refer all service
work to an authorised Musical Fidelity agent.
Dust regularly with a soft duster or soft brush but be careful when using cleaning or
polishing agents -they may harm the surface finish.
There are fuses in the A300. In the unlikely event that one blows, take your unit to your
audio dealer. Do NOT try to replace the fuse yourself or you will invalidate the warranty.
The remote control enables you to activate the main functions of the amplifier from the comfort
of your armchair. The following should be noted when operating the amplifier using the remote
control.
- Point the remote control (transmitter) towards the I.R. lens (infra red) on the amplifier.
- Visual contact must exist between the transmitter and receiver.
- If the range of the remote control decreases dramatically, replace the
batteries with new ones.
Before Switching on the Stereo System
Please read carefully the instructions on the following pages. The functional arrangement of
the controls makes the stereo system fairly easy to operate. You should nevertheless study
these instructions to get the best from your equipment.
Important! Unauthorised opening of the equipment will invalidate any warranty claims.
Note: To help your dealer identify your amplifier if after-sales service is required, please quote
the serial number located on the rear panel of the unit.
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A300 Instructions for Use. Page 4of 9
CONNECTIONS AND FACILITIES
AUX SACD
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
A300 front panel layout
1Power on indicator LED
2Power on/off switch
3Volume control
4Infra red receiver
5Phono input select button and LED
6CD input select button and LED
7Tuner input select button and LED
8AUX input select button and LED
9SACD input select button and LED
10 TAPE input select button and LED
11 Tape monitor button and LED
A300 back panel layout
12 RIGHT speaker output
13 Phono earth connection
14 MM/MC selection switch
15 Phono input
16 CD input
17 Tuner input
18 AUX input
19 SACD input
20 TAPE input
21 TAPE RECORD output
22 PREAMP output
23 LEFT speaker output
24 IEC mains inlet
POWER
PHONO CD TUNER AUX SACD TAPE
TAPE MONITORI R RECIEVER
1 2 3 5 4 6 7 8 9 11 10
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CONNECTIONS
A300 Instructions for Use. Page 5of 9
LOUDSPEAKERS
To get a realistic soundstage and full
dynamic range from your A300, use it with
loudspeakers of a reasonable efficiency
and high power handling. We recommend
power handling of at least 150W. An aver-
age rating for a loudspeaker these days is
about 88dB. This should mean that for an
input of 1 watt, measured at 1 metre dis-
tance, the sound pressure output will be
88dB. This is the minimum efficiency that
we recommend you should use.
BEFORE YOU SWITCH ON
You should make all connections to the
A300 before switching on.
Follow this routine before you listen for
the first time, and each time you change
any connections.
1Check all the inputs and outputs to
the A300.
2Then check again.
3Turn the volume control to
minimum.
4Now you can switch on the power
and carefully advance the volume to
the level you want and enjoy the
music.
CONNECTIONS
All connections should be made with the
power OFF.
The A300 has 1 phono input which can be
used for either moving magnet (MM) or
moving coil (MC) cartridges.
The A300 also has 5 line level inputs -
CD, Tuner, Aux, SACD, and Tape.
All line level inputs are electrically identi-
cal and are suitable for use with any source
component with an output voltage in the
hundreds of millivolts (mV). This includes
CD players, Super Audio CD players
(SACD), tuners, tape machines and the
audio outputs of video recorders, televi-
sions, DVD and LaserDisc players etc.
WARNING
THE A300 IS A POWERFUL
AMPLIFIER AND IS DESIGNED
TO SUPPLY HIGH VOLTAGES
AND HIGH CURRENTS
THROUGH THE LOUDSPEAKER
TERMINALS. THEREFORE TO
AVOID ANY POSSIBILITY OF
AN ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT
TOUCH THE SPEAKER TERMI-
NALS WHEN THE UNIT IS
BEING USED.
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OPERATION
A300 Instructions for Use. Page 6of 9
REMOTE CONTROL
The A300 features Infra Red remote con-
trol of volume, input selection and mute
functions via the supplied remote control
handset. The Infra Red receiver is the
small red lens marked I.R.Receiver. situat-
ed on the front panel. It is important to
ensure that when operating the remote con-
trol, the line-of-sight from the remote to
the infra red receiver is not obstructed.
Pressing the volume up or down buttons on
the remote handset will advance the
motorised volume control in the desired
direction.
Input selection can also be controlled with
the remote handset.
The mute button on the remote handset
mutes the output. To show the amplifier is
muted the red LED in the volume control
goes out. Press the mute button again to
switch the mute off, the red led will light
again.
PREAMP OUTPUT
The A300 has a permanently active pre-
amp output situated on the back panel.
This provides extra flexibility for use in
multi-room or surround-sound systems etc.
This signal comes from the A300's internal
preamp and its output level is thus con-
trolled by the front panel volume control.
This output allows easy upgrading by pas-
sive bi-amping with a pair of X-A50s or
X-A200s.
To bi-amp (which requires bi-wireable
speakers) an extra pair of X-ponent ampli-
fiers is attached to this permanent preamp
output.
The A300's built in power amps can then
for instance drive the left and right channel
tweeters whilst the X-A50s or X-A200s
drive the left and right channel bass units.
Passive bi-amping in this way can give
noticeable gains in clarity, imaging and
bass weight.
If you would like further details please
contact your dealer or Musical Fidelity
directly.
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OPERATION
A300 Instructions for Use. Page 7of 9
PHONO
The A300 has a phono input for turntables
fitted with either a moving magnet car-
tridge (MM) or a moving coil cartridge
(MC). Use the MM/MC push button
switch to select the type of cartridge that is
fitted to you turntable.
IMPORTANT NOTE Do not operate
the MM/MC switch with the volume
turned up.
Some turntable/pick-up arm combinations
are fitted with an extra wire called a chas-
sis earth, which should be connected to the
green gold terminal on the back of the
amplifier.
TAPE RECORDING
The A300 has a single tape circuit with
facilities for off-tape monitoring with 3-
head cassette decks.
Connection of your tape machine to the
A300 should be as follows. The tape
machine's Tape/Line outputs go to the
A300's 'Tape' input sockets.
The tape machine's Tape/Line inputs go to
the A300's 'Tape Record' output.
To record, simply select the required
source with the source selector button on
the front panel. The selected source will
now be sent to the 'Tape Record' output for
recording by the attached tape machine.
You will also be able to hear the selected
source through the loudspeakers.
Note - you can adjust the listening level
with the volume control without affecting
the recording level.
OFF TAPE MONITORING
In conjunction with a 3-head cassette deck,
off-tape monitoring allows the user to
compare the recorded to original sound
whilst a recording is made. To do this,
first select the required source in the nor-
mal way and start recording. The Tape
Monitor button on the front panel can now
be used to switch between the source sig-
nal and the recorded signal allowing direct
comparison.
The red LED just above the tape monitor
button indicates that tape monitor is select-
ed.
Note that tape (the recorded signal) is
selected when the LED is lit. On some 3-
head cassette decks there is an additional
'tape/source' switch which will need to be
in the 'tape' position for the above to work
If you are in any doubt consult your tape
machine's manual.
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A300 Instructions for Use. Page 8of 9
TROUBLESHOOTING
Problem Probable Cause Remedy
No power when POWER
is pressed Mains plug not inserted correctly Plug in securely
No sound Volume control is set
to minimum Turn up the volume
Wrong input selected Select correct input
Mute is selected Press mute button on
remote control
Unit has not yet come out
of power-up mute Wait 10-15 seconds on power-up for unit to
un-mute
Tape Monitor button is
depressed Press Tape monitor button
Speakers are not connected,
or are connected incorrectly Check speaker cables
Sound is not precise,
lacking in bass and
stereo image
Speakers are connected
out of phase Make sure that both speakers are connected
correctly
Remote control unit will
not operate POWER switch set to OFF Set switch to ON
Batteries not inserted in
remote control unit Insert batteries
Batteries flat Change batteries
Remote control not pointed at
IR receiver lens Ensure line of sight between remote control
and IR receiver lens is not
obstructed
Range of remote control
has dramatically reduced Batteries running out Change batteries
Basic troubleshooting of an amplifier is similar to troubleshooting of any other electrical or
electronic equipment. Always check the most obvious possible causes first. To give you a few
ideas of what to look for, check the following:
If none of these actions effect a cure, please contact your dealer, or an authorised Musical
Fidelity service agent. Remember, never open the case of the A300 yourself, as this will invali-
date the guarantee.
issue 3/13.07.2000

Power Output 150 watts per channel into 8 Ohms
260 watts per channel into 4 Ohms
THD < 0.008% at 1KHz
< 0.005% at 1KHz (‘A’ weighted)
Frequency response 20Hz - 20KHz +0.5dB
Inputs 1 phono 5 line level
Outputs Speaker outputs, Tape out, Preamp out.
Input sensitivity (line inputs) 300mV (for full output)
Input sensitivity (MM input) 3.5mV (for full output)
Input sensitivity (MC inputs) 350uV (for full output)
Input impedance (line inputs) 100KOhm
S/N Ratio (line inputs) > 83dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 1W)
> 100dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 150W)
S/N Ratio (MM) > 78dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 1W)
> 82dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 150W)
S/N Ratio (MC) > 70dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 1W)
> 73dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 150W)
Power consumption 600W Max
Dimensions Amplifier 440 x 116 x 400mm (W x H x D)
Height includes feet, Depth includes terminals
Power requirements 100/115/230V AC 50/60Hz
(Factory preset)
Weight 16 kg (un-boxed)
A300 Instructions for Use. Page 9of 9
Musical Fidelity reserves the right to make improvements which may result in specification or feature changes without notice.
SPECIFICATIONS
A300
INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
issue 3/13.07.2000