Sutherland Ph.D. User manual

OWNER’S MANUAL
Hear the music, not the noise.

Congratulations! You now own the quietest phono
preamp you’ll ever hear. Please take a few minutes
to review the specifications, setting options and
highlights for your easy-to-operate Sutherland Ph.D.
Although designer Ron Sutherland had already
achieved Class A performance with the AcousTech
Ph-1 phono preamp, he knew there was room to
improve while still keeping the manufacturing cost rea-
sonable. In designing the Ph.D., Sutherland focused on
improving the purity of the power source and on lowering
the background noise floor. Both
goals are interrelated.
An amplifier does not make the input signal “bigger.”
Instead, it uses the input signal to control the delivery
of power from a power supply. So the size of the
output signal comes entirely from the power supply.
The quality and purity of the power supply is an
essential foundation for creating a high-quality output
signal. Still, in many designs, the power supply is given
only casual consideration.
Consider that one of the noisiest components in your
home stereo is the incoming AC power. Even if it were
delivered to your home as idealized 60 Hz sine wave,
it would not stay that way long. One of the biggest
polluters is the audio power amplifier. It does not draw
current from the power line evenly. There is a large
current spike drawn when the sine wave reaches its
voltage extremes, while at other times current draw is
essentially zero. High-frequency harmonics and noise
are introduced into the same power line used for
sensitive phono preamplification. There are, of course,
many other factors that contribute to power line
distortion and noise.
While several preamplifier designs have aimed to
isolate the AC power line with varying degrees of
success, ultimate power supply purity cannot be
achieved without absolute elimination of the AC power
line. In the case of the Sutherland Ph.D., there is no
connection to the AC power line at all — period.
Instead, the power for the Ph.D. is 16 alkaline D cells.
In this application, the batteries have a useable lifetime
of over 800 listening hours. As they age, low-power
supply impedance is maintained by high-value storage
capacitance. And unlike designs that use rechargeable
batteries, the Ph.D. is not compromised and encum-
bered with battery-charging circuitry. In fact, one of the
surprising features of the Ph.D. is the absence of ANY
power connections on the back panel. It is totally isolat-
ed from any outside power noise.
To bring the sonic advantages of primary battery
power into a practical product required the development
of a sophisticated power management system. If
a conventional power switch were used on the Ph.D., it
is almost certain that it would sometimes accidentally
be left in the on position thereby draining the battery
life much faster than necessary. Instead, Sutherland
designed a power manager that monitors for a signal
from the turntable, or specifically the stylus. Once a
signal is detected, such as anytime the stylus is
stimulated by cleaning or contacting a record, the
Ph.D. will power-up for 30 minutes at which time signal
monitoring is inhibited to again avoid any impact on
the low-noise environment. From there, the unit
automatically looks for a signal every half-hour
(indicated by a yellow light flicker) for just a fraction of
a second. If it doesn’t find a signal, it will stay on for an
additional half-hour with a yellow light indicating that it
is preparing to turn off.
In designing the Ph.D., Sutherland concentrated on
eliminating needless power consumption. So as very
little power is used, very little heat is generated within
the components. There is essentially no temperature
rise and no need for “warm-up” time. The design also
has very little or no dc voltage across the signal-carrying
capacitors, so that dielectric forming is not an
issue. If you do prefer to power-up (notice, we did not
say “warm-up”) the Ph.D. before listening, simply tap
the cartridge headshell or brush the stylus. The unit
will power-up, and you'll be set to jam!
Hear the music, not the noise.
YOUR SUTHERLAND Ph.D.

Supplied loading values:
• 100 ohms
• 200 ohms
• 1k ohms
• 47k ohms
Supplied gain values:
• 45 dB
• 50 dB
• 55 dB
• 60 dB
CONFIGURATION
INDICATORS
Front panel indicators show the status of the power
management circuit. When a music signal is detected,
both green lights will illuminate, indicating that the unit
is operating properly. Within a fraction of a second,
the Ph.D. is powered-up and stable.
Every 30 minutes, the yellow light will briefly illuminate,
indicating that the unit is checking for a continuing musical
signal. If a signal is detected, power is extended for an
additional 30 minutes.
The red lights indicate that the batteries are running low.
If you want loading or gain values that are not included
in these stock values, blank configuration boards and
custom configured boards are available.
Conventional designs use inexpensive, low-quality
computer rocker switches. Their design is inadequate
for configuring the low-level signal from a phono
cartridge. To offer the user a wide range of
configurations while maintaining signal integrity,
the Ph.D. incorporates a unique plug-in configuration
circuit board.
Each channel of the Ph.D. has two configuration
boards: One to select cartridge loading and a second
to select gain. Each board is square, and each side
of the square has an associated configuration value.
Settings are easily adjusted by unplugging the board
and rotating it to the desired value. This approach
gives the highest-quality connections with the
shortest and most direct signal path. The correct
orientation that the configuration board is set
at is indicated by reading the board when you
are facing the front of the Ph.D. unit. It will
be the only number that is readable or
right-side-up.
The Sensitivity Control sets the threshold of the
signal monitor. It is set at the midpoint when shipped.
Since there is quite a variance in the output voltage of
phono cartridges, some adjustment may be necessary.
If the Ph.D. sometimes turns itself on when there is
no musical signal, reduce the monitor sensitivity by
turning the control clockwise. If the Yellow light stays
on while music is playing, increase the monitor
sensitivity by turning the control counterclockwise.
NOTE: This control does not affect the audio circuit.
Location of two configuration boards and sensitivity control.
sensitivity
control
The Ph.D. is built within a 12-gauge steel case for extreme
levels of rigidity and magnetic shielding. To maintain signal
integrity, the Ph.D. uses a gold-plated printed circuit board
that provides a lifetime of undiminished performance.
The physical component design uses a dual mono layout
so that each channel sees the same signal path, thus
enabling subtle gain and phase balance between channels.
The Ph.D.’s signal path is built upon experience derived
from the Sutherland PH-2000 and the AcousTech PH-1P
(both Stereophile Class A components). Refinements
were made to reduce the noise level in the established
musicality of those designs.
CONSTRUCTION
The rear panel includes inputs, outputs and a ground
lug, as well as the LED indicator guide and instructions
for removing the Ph.D.'s cover.

1000 W. Elm, P.O. Box 1905, Salina, Kansas 67402
785.825.8609 • Fax [phone] • www.acousticsounds.com
Smart Circuitry
Gain Settings
Cartridge Loading
Noise
THD + noise
Indicators
Size
Weight
Power Requirements
Battery Life
Ph.D. SPECIFICATIONS and OPTIONS
45 dB
50 dB
55 dB
60 dB
100 ohms
200 ohms
1k ohms
47k ohms
Noise: Less than 150 uV
‘A’ weighted
47k ohms
50 dB gain
Less than 400 uV
‘A’ weighted
200 ohms
60 dB
Less than 0.02%, ‘A’ weighted
Green: Power On
Yellow: Signal Monitor
Red: Low Batteries
17" wide
4 " high
14" deep
38 lbs. net (with batteries installed)
41 lbs. shipping
16 Alkaline ‘D’ cells
Greater than 800 hours
Sutherland Engineering products, like those of AcousTech Electronics,
are designed by Ron Sutherland for exclusive distribution through Acoustic Sounds, Inc.