Saxon P700 User manual

Saxon P700 Power Amplifier
User Manual
SAXON AUDIO THE OLD BARN HIGHER PARK FARM HALEBOURNE LANE CHOBHAM SURREY GU24 8SL ENGLAND
TEL: [phone] E-MAIL: [email protected] website:- www.saxonaudio.com
Saxon Audio’s policy of continued research and development means that the above specification may change without
notice. The power amplifier has been manufactured to conform with the protection requirements of the EC Council directive
89/336/EEC relating to EMC by application of the following standards:
EN50081-1 1992 Emissions Standard
EN50082-1 1992 Immunity Standard
and also the requirements of the EC low voltage directive relating to electrical safety by application of the following standard
BSEN60065: 1994 Safety standard
For the purposes of testing, the power amplifier was used with the mains cables and high quality interconnects supplied by
Merlin Cables. Compliance with the above standards can only be made if the unit is installed as per this manual and using
the correct cables.
Guarantee: 3 Years return to dealer.
To help us provide you with the most efficient service please return your guarantee card promptly. Your power amplifier is
guaranteed against manufacturing and component defects for a period of 3 years. The guarantee does not cover and dam-
age caused by accident, misuse, neglect or through incorrect installation, adjustment or repair by unauthorised personnel
or the cost of collecting the power amplifier from you and returning it to the dealer. The above does not effect your statutory
rights as a consumer. E & OE
SPECIFICATION P700
Maximum Output Power 8 Ohms/20-20kHz 100W
Output Impedance <0.03 Ohms
Frequency Response 10-100kHz */- 3db
Signal - to - Noise Awtd -86dB
Mains Voltage ALL 230V /115V/100V AC ± 10%
Dimensions H.W.D in mm excluding connections 87x440x300
Weight packed 8.5kg
un-packed 7.1kg
Due to recent EU regulation
known as the Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment
directive (WEEE) all units MUST
be returned to ourselves at
the end of their life for proper
disposal or recycling. Items within
the UK will be collected free
of charge by contacting us via
email: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing a power amplifier.
We are confident that it will provide you
with many years of musical enjoyment and
reliable service. However, please take the
time to read this guide thoroughly before
using the amplifier. It explains how to
install and connect it, and suggests how to
ensure that you always enjoy its optimum
performance.
UNPACKING LIST
Power amplifier
Instruction manual
AC power cord
Guarantee card
NOTE: We recommend that the supplied AC power
cord is replaced with a high quality Merlin Cables
power cord for best results.
Please be aware that this unit is not supplied with
interconnects and we recommend the use of the
Merlin series of interconnect cables.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
How t o sit e and connect your Saxon power ampl if ier
f or best per f or mance and saf e oper at ion
Please unpack your amplifier carefully and position
it on a stable, level surface close to a mains socket.
Before attempting to connect it into your system
please read this manual carefully.
The Saxon power amplifier will perform well when
placed on a coffee table or bookshelf but if you
wish to achieve the best performance we suggest
you place it on a specialist hi-fi support. There are
many suitable designs available, which your dealer
will be happy to advise you about.
Position the amplifier so that it will not be
subjected to high ambient temperatures: avoid
sites where it will be in direct sunlight or close to
a central heating radiator. For your own safety
- and your amplifier’s well-being - do not allow
it to come into contact with water. Keep it away
from potted plants to avoid those all-too-common
watering accidents! To clean the amplifier’s case
disconnect it from the wall socket and wipe it with
a barely damp, lint-free cloth or chamois leather. If
you suspect that water has entered the casework,
return the amplifier to your dealer so that he can
examine it.
Once you have installed the amplifier please do
not throw away its packaging. If you move home or
need to return the unit to your dealer or ourselves,
for example for upgrade or at the end of it’s life
- see section on WEEE on the rear of this manual,
the original packaging will protect it and ensure it
arrives undamaged.
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
Using your mains lead of choice, connect the
amplifier directly to a wall socket. We strongly
recommend that you do not use extension blocks
as they degrade sound quality. For the same reason
we also advise against “line filters” and “mains
conditioners”. If your mains supply is noisy or you
have household appliances that generate clicks
and pops that can be heard through your hi-fi
system, have an electrician correct the problem
at its source. We do however recommend the use
of ‘Merlin Cables’ power chords which do not
interfere with the current flow and offer a significant
performance improvement.
Should you need to replace the fuse in your (UK)
mains plug, please fit only the correct replacement
type. This is a standard 5A.
If, for any reason, you wish to replace the plug or
cable, please note that the lead must be connected
as follows. NOTE: These instructions apply in the
United Kingdom only - consult your dealer about
wiring conventions in other countries.
Green and yellow wire connects to EARTH (E or
symbol )
Blue wire connects to NEUTRAL (N)
Brown wire connects to LIVE (L)
This unit must be earthed.

SIGNAL CONNECTIONS
The Saxon Series was developed using high quality
interconnects and speaker cables of our own
brand as well as thoes by Merlin Cables, these will
allow the amplifiers to operate as intended and
deliver their optimum performance. We strongly
recommend that you use these cables for all
connections. You can obtain these from your dealer
or distributor..
Please note that we particularly advise you not to
use any type of high capacitance speaker cables.
We further suggest that you use short cable runs.
Try to keep interconnects to 2 metres/6 feet or
less and speaker cable runs below 10 metres/30
feet. Even though a Saxon amplifier will drive
longer speaker cables you will find its performance
improves with shorter cables. The use of “litz” or
“goertz” type cables may cause your amplifier to
overheat under certain circumstances. These are
best avoided.
REAR PANEL
See diagram 1 below.
MAINS CONNECTIONS
The mains switch is fitted on the right of the rear
panel (when viewed from the rear). Use this to
switch off the amplifier completely. Next to it is an
IEC socket into which the supplied mains lead fits.
If an internal fuse should blow i.e. the blue LED
will not illuminate when the amplifier is not hot but
plugged in and switched on, then the amplifier
should be returned to your dealer for examination.
Any replacement should only be of an identical type
which is written on the main PCB for clarity.
The amplifier, whilst powered ON, will be warm to
the touch even at idle, due to the class A quiescent
current flowing in the output stage. This is perfectly
normal.
INPUT CONNECTIONS
The input sockets for the amplifier are either
RCA phono or XLR balanced. Connect your pre-
amplifier’s main audio outputs to these. Use the
rear mounted switch to select the input type that
you have connected to. The switch points towards
the input type selected. Left and right are clearly
marked, see rear panel diagram.
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS
Gold plated 5-way binding posts are provided for
your speakers. The red terminal is the positive
connection and the black terminal is negative.
If you use bare cables or spade terminals that
require clamping in the binding posts, be sure to
arrange the leads so that they do not short-circuit
the amplifier. Clamp the connections tightly but do
not over-tighten them: do not, for instance, tighten
the binding posts with pliers. Check this sort of
connection periodically to make sure that the wire
is still tightly gripped. Better still, use high quality
cables factory fitted with appropriate plugs! The
uppermost pair is for the left channel, whilst the
lower pair is for the right channel.
Saxon amplifiers are suitable for use with most
current loudspeaker systems with an impedance
rating between 4 and 16 Ohms. Contact
your dealer if you have a particularly unusual
loudspeaker system and are uncertain about how
your amplifier might react to it. Under all normal
circumstances the amplifier is well protected
against encounters with demanding speakers: it
has thermal protection, voltage and current limiting
and DC offset protection.
BI-WIRING
Although there are not two sets of speaker
terminals provided, if you intend to bi-wire - or
tri-wire - your loudspeakers, we recommend that
you use cables correctly fitted with a single pair of
plugs at the amplifier end for four reasons.
1) To bi/tri wire properly you should have a
common ground point.
2) Trying to squeeze two or three individual cables
into a binding post will give a poor connection that
will degrade sound quality.
3) It increases the likelihood of wiring one or more
of the speaker drive units out of phase by reversing
its connections.
4) It invites accidents through wires breaking free
and shorting the amplifier’s output.
MUTE LINK INPUT
This is to allow simultaneous mute control over
the power amplifier when used with a Saxon pre-
amplifier, just connect using the 3.5mm jack lead
provided with your Saxon pre-amplifier.
FRONT PANEL
Although there are no front panel controls
Connecting the mute link cable between your
Saxonpre-amplifier (if you have one) will operate
internal relays that connect the audio signal to the
loudspeakers when the mute button on the pre-
amp’s front panel is pressed once. To un-mute
press it a second time. It does not connect the
mains supply to the amplifier: the actual mains
power switch is on the rear panel.
If you do not have a saxon pre-amplifier then the
amplifier will un-mute itself automatically a few
seconds after being powered on.
Leaving the mains supply permanently connected
and silencing the amplifier with the pre-amp’s mute
switch means your power amplifier will deliver
optimum performance immediately it is brought out
of its “stand-by” state.
PROTECTION MODE
INTERNAL FUSES
If for any reason these are found to have blown
then the protection circuits have identified a
possible fault condition. The amplifier should
immediately be switched off and returned to your
dealer or distributor for examination. There are no
user serviceable parts in your power amplifier. Units
contain lethal voltages, so only qualified personnel
should service your amplifier.
HINTS AND TIPS
Although you can stack a power amplifier with
a pre-amplifier and other components, your
system will not perform at its best if you do. The
power supply in the amplifier can induce hum into
sensitive components.
When using a pre/power combination we
recommend that you place the units side by side or
arrange them on separate shelves of a system rack,
separated by about 15cm. Keep your turntable, if
you are using one, as far away as possible from the
power amplifier.
Don’t be tempted to take a little look inside the
amplifier: there’s nothing very exciting to see and
there are some dangerous voltages floating about
inside its case. Similarly, do not try to modify or
“improve” the design with the latest audiophile fad
components. We know what we are doing and we
chose the most appropriate components for this
design. We certainly will not repair the amplifier
under guarantee if you’ve been fiddling with it!
Diagram 1. Rear panel
Diagram 2. Front panel