Plinius Tautoro User manual

TAUTORO PREAMPLIFIER
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
PLINIUS AUDIO LIMITED
www.pliniusaudio.com

1
CONTENTS
Introduction 2
Design Philosophy 3
Unpacking 4
Placement & Ventilation 4
Precautions 5
Preamplifier Features – Front Panel 6
Preamplifier Features – Rear Panel 7
Preamplifier Features – Remote 10
Installation and Operation 13
Tautoro Features 16
Specifications 19
Index 20
All operational, technical and descriptive material in this publication
is subject to change at any time without notice. For further product
information or queries, please contact your PLINIUS dealer.
PLINIUS products are designed and manufactured by
Plinius Audio Limited, New Zealand.
www.pliniusaudio.com

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INTRODUCTION
CONGRATULATIONS on your decision to become the proud owner of this
PLINIUS Tautoro Preamplifier.
This manual has been prepared to help you understand the operation of your
preamplifier, and to provide information about its design and the variety of ways it may
be used.
We have designed and manufactured this preamplifier to reproduce your favourite
music faithfully and accurately. With a little care and a full understanding of the
operating recommendations in this manual, your PLINIUS Tautoro Preamplifier will
provide years of high-quality, trouble-free performance.
SERIAL NUMBER
FINAL TEST CERTIFIED BY
IMPORTANT: PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS MANUAL
THOROUGHLY BEFORE USING YOUR PREAMPLIFIER.

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DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
From a distance you can see that the design of the Plinius products is more than
an applied styling exercise to the front panel. We have started from the ground up
to produce a casing for our electronics that is unrivalled in its physical strength and
visual simplicity.
Wherever possible we have reduced the number of parts needed and then invested
massively in refining and producing the remaining parts to the highest quality
achievable with state of the art computer controlled machines allied with expert
craftsman. Examples of this approach include the hydraulically formed corners on
the amplifiers giving much greater strength and the one piece housing for the remote
control that looks, feels and genuinely is robust.
As with music that you are not familiar with, truly innovative new designs can take time
to understand and enjoy. How often have you heard music that you were first unsure
of, that over repeated listening, has become a firm favourite.
Our designs are fundamentally different to many other companies, and we hope that
you will take the time to explore their unique character and qualities because we have
not made them different simply to be different. We genuinely believe that their visual
and tactile qualities do improve the experience of listening to music and that is our
design goal!
Ross Stevens
DESIGN DIRECTOR.

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UNPACKING
Open the box from the top and remove the accessories from the foam end caps.
You may now proceed to lift the unit from the box, Once the unit is removed you
can proceed with the removal of the foam end caps. These caps are designed to fit
on the front and back of the unit for maximum protection. Retain the packaging for
future transportation of the Tautoro.
PLACEMENT & VENTILATION
Your PLINIUS Tautoro may operate at a moderately high temperature, especially during
extended listening sessions. The ideal location is upon a rigid stand, away from direct
contact with any temperature sensitive materials, furniture or deep pile carpets. Ventilation
through and around the amplifier should also be kept unimpeded. Please ensure that the
heat vents (slots in the base and lid) are not covered or restricted in any way.
The PLINIUS Tautoro design incorporates a very high level of mechanical decoupling of the
input and output. It can however still be influenced by acoustical feedback in the operating
environment. The use of acoustic cones or a suitably spiked amplifier stand or table may
further enhance the performance of this preamplifier. Consult your Plinius dealer for further
advice if required.

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PRECAUTIONS
PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS BEFORE
OPERATING YOUR NEW PREAMPLIFIER.
This preamplifier operates at hazardous voltage levels. We recommend that any
work requiring removal of the lid be referred to a suitably qualified and experienced
service technician.
DO NOT attempt to connect any input of this preamplifier to its own outputs.
DO NOT earth any output terminal or connect any of these terminals together
without following the instructions in this manual or seeking qualified assistance.
DO NOT place this preamplifier in any position where liquids or any foreign material
may accidentally enter it.
DO NOT connect any voltage source, short circuit, earth/ground or appliance (other
than suitable audio power amplifiers) to the preamplifier output terminals.
DO NOT connect any voltage source, short circuit, earth/ground or appliance (other
than suitable audio source components) to the preamplifier input terminals.

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PREAMPLIFIER FEATURES
– FRONT PANEL
ABOVE: Tautoro front panel layout
DISPLAY LED
An LED on the front panel indicates that the power is on. When first switched on, the unit
will go into standby and the display LED will vary in brightness. When the unit is taken out
of standby and is ready for use, the LED will remain lit. Whenever mute or a remote volume
button is pressed, the LED will dim.
SOURCE SELECTION BUTTONS
The buttons on the front panel allow selection of any of the five different inputs available on
the rear panel. This selection is fed to the outputs of the preamplifier.
SOURCE DISPLAY LEDS
These small white LEDs communicate the current source selection.
NOTE: the Phono/Line 1 input displays the current installed option relating to this input. If you
have a Tautoro with a phono option installed, the phono LED will light to indicate this. If the
phono option is not installed, the Line 1 LED will light.
PHASE DISPLAY LED
This small white LED is ON when the phase of the input signal to the preamplifier is
inverted 180 degrees. This option is selected using the remote control.

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HT BYPASS LED
This small white LED is ON when the current source selection is the HT Bypass Input.
This input can by selected using the remote control, or when the unit is taken out of
standby via the remote trigger input.
HEADPHONE SOCKET
The socket below the volume control is for connection to a set of suitable hi-fidelity
headphones with 6.35mm (1/4 inch) jack.
VOLUME CONTROL KNOB
The volume control is a motorised unit that will accurately convey the selected source
signal to the line stage of the PLINIUS Tautoro. When using the remote control to
alter the volume level, briefly press the button to make small adjustments, or hold the
button down to continuously adjust the volume.
PREAMPLIFIER FEATURES
– REAR PANEL
This panel incorporates all the terminals for connecting the input signals from your
CD player, tuner, etc, the outputs to the power amp and the mains supply.
Please remember that your PLINIUS Tautoro Preamplifier is a high quality electronic
instrument. Be sure that you read and fully understand the section “Installation and
Operation” before you make any connection to this Preamplifier.
ABOVE: Tautoro rear panel layout

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INPUT TERMINALS
The input terminals of your PLINIUS Tautoro Preamplifier are easily accessible along
the rear panel.
RCA INPUTS LEFT & RIGHT: These standard RCA terminals are for use with
unbalanced signals from any line level audio component such as a compact disc
player, tuner, surround processor, VCR, etc.
XLR BALANCED INPUTS LEFT & RIGHT: Also included are balanced XLR inputs for use
with any Line Level component that features Balanced XLR outputs. Balanced signals
are carried via a three way cable that connects all three pins at each end of the
interconnect cable.
The XLR input pin configuration used in all Plinius products is as follows:
PIN 1 to GND
PIN 2 to +Signal
PIN 3 to -Signal
NOTE: Because of the way balanced XLR inputs are configured it is not possible to
connect both XLR and RCA at the same time.
INPUT SELECT SWITCH
This switch located between the RCA and XLR connectors is used to select the pair
of input sockets required, as described above. Up selects the RCA input connections,
while down select XLR input for each individual source.
HT BYPASS INPUT
This input is for use specifically with home theatre processors. In some circumstances
you may wish to use the power amplifier and speakers that the Tautoro is connected to
as the front two channels of a surround or home theatre environment. The processor
input can be used for this purpose, as any signal connected to the processor inputs
can be sent directly to the power amplifier bypassing the Tautoro entirely.
OUTPUT TERMINALS
Connections for power amplifiers are provided on the rear panel. Connections are
available for both single ended RCA and balanced XLR cables. Note that the only time
the outputs aren’t ‘live’ is when the preamplifier is in mute or standby. The XLR output
pin configuration used in all Plinius product is:

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PIN 1 to GND
PIN 2 to +Signal
PIN 3 to –Signal
NOTE: Because of the way balanced XLR outputs are configured it is not possible to
connect both XLR and RCA at the same time.
LINE OUT
These RCA outputs are situated next to main outputs and are provided to interface to
line level recording devices for archiving, or transferring to portable media. The outputs
are always live with the signal of whichever source is selected at the time of recording.
MAINS SWITCH
The heavy-duty rocker switch to the right of the panel turns the Mains/Line Power to the
amplifier ON or OFF. The amplifier draws a moderately high current when switched on,
so it is not good practice to rapidly turn the Mains switch on and off repeatedly.
MAINS POWER CORD IEC SOCKET
This connector is where the mains supply cable from your wall connects to the
preamplifier. A fuse holder is mounted within this connection, and it holds a mains
fuse to provide surge and overload protection for your preamplifier.
REMOTE TRIGGER INPUT SOCKET
In order to integrate more effectively into a home theatre system, the PLINIUS
Tautoro has a remote trigger input socket fitted to the rear panel. By connecting
a processor with a remote trigger signal to this socket, the Tautoro can be put in
and out of standby by the processor to which it is connected. When in standby the
amplifier draws less current and will operate at minimum temperature. This may be of
advantage in a multi-amplifier and/or remote installations. When taken out of standby,
the unit will default to ‘HT Bypass’ mode.
REMOTE TRIGGER OUTPUT SOCKET
The Tautoro also features a remote trigger output socket fitted to the rear panel. By
connecting this trigger output to the power amplifier, the entire system can be put in
and out of standby by the processor.