Samson S Class User manual

4 CHANNEL STEREO HEADPHONE AMP
S Class Signal Processors

Table Of Contents
Introduction and Features 3
Front and Rear Panel Layout 4
Operating the S amp 5-6
Typical Set-Up 6
Headphone Impedance and Sensitivity Ratings 7
Specifications 8
Copyright 2003, Samson Technologies Corp.
Printed January 2003
Samson Technologies Corp.
575 Underhill Blvd.
P. O. Box 9031
Syosset, NY 11791-9031
Phone: 1-800-3-SAMSON (1-800-372-6766)
Fax: [phone]
www.samsontech.com

S amp Introduction and Features
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the S amp miniature headphone monitor system from
Samson Audio! S amp provides an elegant solution for headphone monitoring, either
on stage or in the studio. The S amp is a specially designed headphone amplifier that
allows you to control the level balance between four sets of headphones. Providing
unusually high power levels and superb audio fidelity, the S amp is compatible with
virtually all popular headphone models. And just because this unit is miniature, don’t
be surprised with its great sound and reliability, thanks to the use of high quality com-
ponents and solid build construction.
In this manual, you’ll find a more detailed description of the features of the S amp, as
well as a guided tour through the front and rear panels, step-by-step instructions for
using the S amp, a reference chart that gives impedance and sensitivity ratings for a
number of popular headphone models, and full specifications. You’ll also find a war-
ranty card enclosed—please don’t forget to fill it out and mail it so that you can
receive online technical support and so we can send you updated information about
other Samson products in the future.
Samp Features
•Four channel stereo headphone amplifiers
•Maximum output power on each channel regardless of different headphone
impedances
•Four 1/4-inch stereo headphone outputs
•Individual volume control for each headphone output
•Stereo 1/4 inch input connector
•Rugged aluminum extrusion chassis
•Large rubber bumper feet
•18 Volt AC adapter included
•Three year extended warranty
3

Samp Front and Rear Panel Layout
12345
8
ABCD EF
1LEVEL 1 - Control knob used to
adjust the output level of
Headphone 1.
2LEVEL 2 - Control knob used to
adjust the output level of
Headphone 2.
4
DHEADPHONE 2 - 1/4” output for con-
necting headphone 2.
EHEADPHONE 3 - 1/4” output for con-
necting headphone 3.
FHEADPHONE 4 - 1/4” output for con-
necting headphone 4.
3LEVEL 3 - Control knob used to
adjust the output level of
Headphone 3.
4LEVEL 4 - Control knob used to
adjust the output level of
Headphone 4.
5STEREO INPUT - 1/4-inch TRS (TIP/
RING/SLEEVE) connector to input
main stereo signal.
ADCPOWER INPUT- Connect the supplied
power adapter here.
BPOWER LED - Red LED will illuminate
when power is on indicating the S amp
is ready for operation.
CHEADPHONE 1 - 1/4” output for connect-
ing headphone 1.
Front Panel Layout
Rear Panel Layout

5
Operating the S amp
•Turn the four headphone channel LEVEL knobs to their minimum (fully counter-
clockwise) setting.
•Plug the S amp power adapter into a wall outlet.
•Apply a signal, like the output of a mixer playing a CD, to the S amp’s STEREO
INPUT jack.
•Connect a set of headphones to Channel 1 and slowly turn the channel’s LEVEL
knob clockwise until you hear the desired level.
The basic procedure for setting up and using your S amp is simple and takes only a few
minutes. Remove all packing materials (save them in case of need for future service) and
check to make sure that you remove the supplied AC power adapter.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before you install the headgear, be sure to double check that the MIC and
STEREO level controls are turned to the all the way down (fully counter clockwise position). The S amp
is small, but powerful. It can generate loud signal levels into the connected headphone. We recom-
mend that you exercise extreme caution and care for your ears. They’re your most important tool, and
instrument. Always start with the level controls all the way off and slowly raise the signal to a com-
fortable listening level.
• Connect the output from the device you want monitored to the STEREO INPUT
jacks on the S amp front panel.
• Set the controls to the following positions:

Repeat the previous step for all Channels that have headphones connected, making sure
to start the LEVEL knob completely counterclockwise and then slowly raising it until the
desired level is achieved. If you have connected different models of headphones to the
various Channel Headphone jacks, you may find that some require more gain than others
to achieve the same volume. This kind of disparity will occur if the various headphones
have different impedances. The lower the impedance, the louder the headphone will sound
compared to another, higher impedance headphone at the same VOLUME setting.
Another factor affecting headphone loudness is called sensitivity. This is generally meas-
ured by determining the decibel (dB) level generated by 1 mW of power input. The higher
the dB rating, the louder the headphone. See the Reference chart on page 5 of this manu-
al for more details.
Typical Set-up
The diagram below shows a typical set-up for a small band using the S amp headphone
amplifier with a stereo mixers for a sophisticated personal headphone monitoring system.
6
Operating the S amp

Headphone Impedance and Sensitivity Ratings
7
SAMSON HEADPHONES
Model Impedance Sensitivity /mW
PH60 32 ohm 100 dB
RH100 64 ohm 106 dB
RH300 32 ohm 106 dB
RH600 40 ohm 106 dB
CH70 32 ohm 103 dB
CH700 64 ohm 108 dB
OTHER MANUFACTURER'S HEADPHONES
Manufacturer Model Impedance Sensitivity /mW
AKG K-141 600 ohm 98 dB
AKG K-240 600 ohm 88 dB
Beyer DT-150 250 ohm 114 dB
Beyer DT-801 250 ohm 114 dB
Fostex T-10 50 ohm 91 dB
Fostex T-20 50 ohm 96 dB
Fostex T-40 50 ohm 98 dB
Sennheiser HD-450 (original) 70 ohm 94 dB
Sennheiser HD-450 Series II 60 ohm 94 dB
Sony MDR-7502 45 ohm 100 dB
Sony MDR-7504 45 ohm 103 dB
Sony MDR-7506 63 ohm 106 dB
Virtually all headphones that terminate in a stereo 1/4" plug can be used with the S amp
Headphone Amplifier. This chart provides a partial listing of some of the more popular
models, along with their impedance and sensitivity ratings. As described on page 4 of this
manual, headphones with lower impedances (or higher sensitivity) will sound louder as
compared to other, higher impedance (or lower sensitivity) headphones at the same chan-
nel Volume setting. Samson Technologies has no connection with any of these manufac-
turers, nor do we endorse any particular models for use with the S amp. This is simply a
reference listing for your convenience. For more information about any of these head-
phones, contact the manufacturer directly.

Samson Technologies Corp.
575 Underhill Blvd.
P. O. Box 9031
Syosset, NY 11791-9031
Phone: 1-800-3-SAMSON (1-800-372-6766)
Fax: [phone]
www.samsontech.com
Samp Specifications
Input Impedance: 100K Ωunbalanced
Max Input Level: +19 dBV
Input Connectors: Stereo 1/4” TRS phone
Outputs: (4) 1/4” Stereo 1/4”
Output Impedance: 100 Ωeach output
Max Gain: 20 dB/Channel
S/N Ratio: >90 dB
THD: <.005%
IMD (SMPTE) <.005%
Power: 18 VDC adapter
Dimensions: 5.65” L x 4.13” W x 2” H (144mm L x 105mm
W x 51mm H)
Weight: 16.5 oz., 419 gm.