Pathos Acoustics AURIUM User manual

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Congratulations
Congratulations on your purchase of the Pathos AURIUM
Audiophile-quality headphones, something that we all thought belonged to the ‘70s, are back. Music enthusiasts from all around
the world are upgrading their listening experience by getting rid of earbuds and connecting high-end headgear to their portable
digital players.
With such great stuff on hand, a shame the only available holes are MP3 players’ ones, as most quality amps have lost their jack
sockets since decades. Pathos designers faced this new challenge: can we squeeze our very best quality and technology into a few
cubic centimeters?
The result is the newest Aurium headphone amp.
Pure class A, tube pre stage and MOS-FET power stage, zero feedback, the Aurium performs what audiophiles are used to from
Pathos: exquisite musicality, transparency, dynamics and total lack of listening fatigue. Flexibility is granted by the possibility to
adjust output impedance from 16 to 1,000 Ohm, in order to provide a perfect interface with any kind of headphone.
The volume control — a critical component in every amp — is operated by means of a high precision Burr-Brown device.
Don’t skip the BS*, please
Sure, you know how to connect and operate an amplifier.
You are clearly an audio expert or you won’t have this manual in your hands!
Nevertheless, there are precautions and safety instructions that you should be aware of.
Before connecting, operating or adjusting this product, please read the instruction booklet carefully and completely. Retain it for
future reference.
* Boring Stuff
Serial number is indicated on the box and on the rear panel. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer it
whenever you call upon your Pathos dealer regarding this product.
SERIAL No. _________________________

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Important Safety Instructions
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this anual voids the warranty and your authority to operate
this equipment.
Always disconnect the unit from the AC outlet before connecting or disconnecting any cables
Service should only be performed by authorized Pathos personnel.Users are not allowed to perform any service to this
appliance.
Do not modifify safety device and do not remove ground of power plug.
Make sure that power cord is protected from being bent, or stepped, especially close to the wall plug and on the rear
panel inlet.
AC extension cords are not recommended for use with this product.
Do not place the unit in a confined space, such as a bookcase or built-in cabinet. Do not place the unit on a rug or other
soft surface. Always make sure the ventilation of the apparatus is not covered at any time.
Do not expose the unit to rain, moisture, extremely high or low temperatures.
Also avoid locations subject to vibration and excessive dust.
Avoid placing it in direct sunlight or close to a source of heat.
Do not place bottles, vases, or other objects containing liquids, open flame sources such as lighted candles on the unit.
Should any solid object or liquid fall into the cabinet, unplug the unit and have it checked by qualified personnel
before operating it any further.
Always keep any electrical equipment out of the reach of children.
Always unplug this unit during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
The unit retains AC power as long as is connected to the wall outlet, even when the unit is turned off.
Do not throw away the battery with general house waste, dispose of it correctly as chemical waste.
Marking by “CE” symbol indicates compliance of this device with the EMC (Electromagnetic
Compatibility) and LVD (Low Voltage Directive) standards of the European Comunity.
Limited Warranty
The reference for the guarantee is always national distributor where the machine was sold for the first time.
Pathos warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship (subject to the terms set forth
below). Pathos will repair or replace (at Pathos’s option) this product or any defective parts in this product. Warranty
periods may vary from country to country. If in doubt consult your dealer and ensure that you retain proof of purchase.
To obtain warranty service, please contact the Pathos authorized dealer from which you purchased this product. If your
dealer is not equipped to perform the repair of your Pathos product, it can be returned by your dealer to Pathos or an
authorized Pathos service agent. You will need to ship this product in either its original packaging or packaging
affording an equal degree of protection.
This warranty is void if:
- the factory-applied serial number has been altered or removed from this product; or
- this product was not purchased from a Pathos authorized dealer.
You may call Pathos or your local Pathos distributor to confirm that you have an unaltered serial number and/or you
made a purchase from Pathos authorized dealer.
This warranty does not cover cosmetics damage or damage due to acts of God, accident, misuse, abuse, negligence,
commercial use, or modification of, or to any part of, product.
This warranty does not cover damage due to improper operation, maintenance or installation, or attempted repair by
anyone other than Pathos or Pathos dealer, or authorized service agent which is authorized to do Pathos work.
Any unauthorized repais will void this warranty.
This warranty does not cover products sold AS IS or WITH ALL FAULTS.
REPAIR OR REPLACEMENTS AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY ARE THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY
OF THE CONSUMER. PATHOS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY IN THIS PRODUCT. EXCEPT TO
THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW, THIS WARRANTY EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Some countries and US states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or
implied warranties so the above exclusions may have other statutory rights, which vary from state to state or country to
country.
For any service, in or out of warranty, please contact your dealer.

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About your unit
Content
Package includes following articles:
Aurium, power supply, power cord, user
manual.
In case any of the above items is not included,
please contact shop or authorized Pathos dealer.
Packaging
When unpacking your Aurium, always handle it with care. Store all packaging materials in a dry place for
future shipments. In case of transport or shipment, the original packaging will properly prevent transit
damages.
Placement
Choose the installation location carefully.
Aurium should generally be placed close to your amplifier, thus keeping interconnecting cables short.
Do not place in a sealed area such as a bookcase or in a cabinet. Do not place the unit on an unstable surface
or shelf. The unit may fall, causing serious injury to a child or adults as well as serious damage to the
product.
Heat buildup
Do not place anything on top of the cabinet that might block the ventilation holes and cause malfunctions.
Your Aurium heats up during operation, this is not a malfunction. A suggested distance of at least 10cm on
each side and 10cm from the top will ensure a sufficient air flow to cool down the unit.
Vacuum Tubes
Your Aurium is provided with a pair of ECC88 / 6922 tubes. In case you need to replace vacuum tubes,
always use same type.
In quality of manufacturer, Pathos choose the brands according to their sound quality performance and
availability.
In the market you may find many others brands that can replace pretty well the supplied tubes; NOS, for
military use, with gold pins and so on may improve sonic quality of the amplifier as long as they are
equivalent to the ECC88.
NOTE: is not recommended to leave your Aurium switched on 24 hours a day. This habit for some
audiophiles does not induce benefits in Aurium’s musical performances and will shorten tubes’ life.
Warm-up
For superior sonic performances, a warm-up period of approximately twenty minutes is recommended
before the Aurium is used.
Cleaning
Before cleaning, be sure to turn off and unplug the unit.
Clean the cabinet, panel, and controls with a soft cloth slightly moistened with clean water. Do not use any
type of detergent, abrasive pad, scouring powder, thinner, or solvent such as alcohol or benzine.
Service
In the unlikely event your Aurium should require service, always refer to your Authorized Pathos Dealer or
to the Authorized Pathos Distributor of your country.
Before you get started
Turn off the power to all components before making any connections.
Do not connect the AC power cord until all of the connections are completed.
Be sure to make firm connections.

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Dimensions

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Connections & Controls

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CAUTION:
When connecting your Aurium to other components, make sure all units are off.
NOTE: Pathos Acoustics recommends to use only high quality interconnecting cables. Not using
appropriate cables prevents your amplifier, your sources, and your loudspeakers from delivering their full
potential. The wiring to and from the amplifier should be arranged in a neat way. It is advisable to separate
AC cords from signal and speakers cables, to avoid hums and noise from being introduced into your system.
Serial number.
Serial number is indicated on the box and on the rear panel (11). Refer it whenever you call upon your
Pathos dealer regarding this product.
Power Supply & Swith ON.
Connect the power supply output (B) into the socket on the rear panel of
the unit (1).
Connect the power plug of the power supply input (A) to the power cord
that came with the box and plug the cable into the socket on the wall.
When Aurium is properly powered the power LED (13) will turn red,
indicating that Aurium is on standby mode (standby consumption is less
than 1W).
In addition to the Power LED will light the LED on the input selector
input referred 1 (17).
In standby mode, the input selector is always working to ensure the functioning of the TAPE OUOT.
To turn on simply press the power button (12) on the front panel, the power LED (13) goes from red to green
and starts flashing after about 10 seconds and remain on.
From now Aurium is on and ready to work.
To turn off just hold down the power button (12) for 2 seconds and the power LED (13) goes from green to
red.
Aurium is in standby mode.
Inputs
Aurium has 4 inputs, 1 balanced XLR and 3 unbalanced RCA.
To select the desired input just press the input selector button (14) on the front
panel, for each input corresponds to a LED on the front panel.
Input 1: Balanced XLR (10) corresponds to the LED (17)
Input 2: Unbalanced RCA (9) corresponds to the light (18)
Input 3: Unbalanced RCA (8) corresponds to the light (19)
Input 4: Unbalanced RCA (7) corresponds to the light (20)

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Tape Out
Aurium has two outputs "bypass" calls TAPE OUT, a Balanced XLR (5) and an unbalanced RCA (6) that
replicate the same signal from the input selected.
Even when Aurium is in standby mode, you can select the input.
connecting the “OUT TAPE” to the input of a remote audio amplifier: when selecting a source in the
Aurium, the signal is then by-passed to the plug TAPE OUT and it is as if it was connected directly to the
sources, even if Aurium is turned off
In this way facilitate the connections without having to rewire the system and being able to use high quality
connections. If you want to listen to your domestic set just switch off on standby Aurium and select the
desired source through Aurium, if you want to listen with headphones you can turn off the main amplifier
and turn Aurium on.

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Headphone
On the front panel (16), you can connect a headset with a 6.3 mm jack connection.
The headphone amplifier is equipped with three sound adjustment: Volume, Gain and Balance.
Volume:
using the knob on the front panel (15) you can adjust the volume from the
minimum (mute) to the maximum.
The adjustment is made through the 270 ° rotation of the knob.
Gain:
using the knob on the rear panel (4) you can select the output gain in the headset.
Given the large difference in impedance and sensitivity of the headphones on the
market (from 16 to 1000 ohms) you need to adjust the gain to decrease if you use a
low-impedance headphones, or increase it if you use a headset at high impedance.
For the correct adjustment Volume / Gain Pathos recommend the following
procedure:
- Lower the gain to a minimum before connecting a headset
- Set the master volume at half scale
- Increase the gain in order to perceive a good listening volume.
By doing so you will have the perfect flexibility of using the volume knob on the front panel, preventing
excessive volume
Balance:
using the knob on the rear panel (3) it is possible to balance the output left / right to adapt to all possible
needs.
Remote ON/OFF
Aurium is provided with one connector for switching on/off via remote (2).
Remote ON/OFF OUT: when unit is on, 12VDC are on the connector to turn on
other machines provided with compatible remote.
Attenuators
On the bottom side of the amplifier, there is a component composed of 4
micro switches (21) that manages the attenuation of each input.
With these it is possible to activate a system of attenuation of 6dB within
dell'aurium to allow use of sources with high output.
Moving the lever to the "ON" to activate the front attenuation.
Respectively to the micro switch 1 corresponds to input 1, and so on.
The TAPE OUT output is not affected by this attenuation.

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Tecnical specification:
Aurium is a tube amp specifically designed for headphones. It works in pure class A zero-feedback.
It consists of:
-an INPUT stage with TAPE OUT to bypass the volume control
-one pre-amp tube in a "differential configuration"
-a volume adjusting stage and a digital controller.
-an output stage "white cathode follower" made by MOSFET (unity gain).
-a self bias circuit which maintains a constant working point of the MOSFET.
The volume controls is provided with an high class ALPS potentiometers. Such potentiometer, however,
doesn't manage "directly" the audio signal but it controls the digital stage of the volume control. In other
words the audio signal doesn't pass through that potentiometer.
In order to meet any kind of sources with different output levels, the machine is provided with a micro-
switch for each input so that you can change the sensitivity to avoid signal saturation.
To protect the headphone, it has been implemented an "unorthodox" solution which uses an electronic
intelligent circuit rather than the typical RC-network which generally reduces the damping factor.
The balanced XLR output tape has been desired by Pathos to enjoy and fully appreciate the high quality of
the Aurium. In fact, by using a balance sources, the sound quality will be excellent and the Aurium and other
amplifier connected to this putput, will able to give the best performances.
Output Power: 3,6W @ 32 Ohm
Output impedance: 0,5 Ohm
Max output level: 7V RMS max
Frequency response: 10Hz – 80KHz
THD: < 0,1%
Analogue inputs: 1 stereo balanced XLR & 3 stereo unbalanced RCA line
Analogue outputs: 1 stereo balanced XLR & 1 stereo unbalanced RCA line (bypass from source)
Max inpult level: 3,2 V RMS unbalance
1,6+1,6 V RMS balance
6,4 V RMS unbalance (con attenuatore)
3,2+3,2 V RMS balance (con attenuatore)
Main voltage: 90-250 V 50/60Hz
Power consumption: 30W
Size: 260 x 200 x 90 mm
Weight: 3Kg

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Pathos Acoustics srl
Via Palù 50/52
36040 Grumolo delle Abbadesse
Vicenza
ITALIA
www.pathosacoustics.com