Synaestec Audio Bivium User manual

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Bivium Preamplifier Owner’s Manual

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Dear Music Enthusiast,
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ThankyouforpurchasingSynaestecAudioBivium,astateoftheartlinestagepreamplifier
utilizingrevolutionarytechnologyandthetopconstructionqualitythatwearesoproudof.When
workingtogetherwiththeVolatus200poweramplifier,theysimplybreakeverygroundinaudio
technology.Preparedtobesurprisedbytheextremerealisminmusicreproduction.
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Pleasetakesometimetoreadthisowner’smanualbeforeusingtheequipmentforthefirsttime.
Youwillfindusefulinformationwhichwillenhanceyourlisteningpleasure.
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StefanStotz
ManagingDirector

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Contents
Warning..................................................................................................................................................3
Unpacking...............................................................................................................................................4
Preamplifier............................................................................................................................................5
Powersupply..........................................................................................................................................6
Remotecontrol.......................................................................................................................................6
Preparations...........................................................................................................................................7
Operation................................................................................................................................................8
SetupMenu...................................................................................................................................8
InputSettings.............................................................................................................................9
GeneralSettings.......................................................................................................................10
SafetyandProtection...........................................................................................................................11
DCprotection...............................................................................................................................11
Shortcircuitprotection................................................................................................................11
Maintenance.........................................................................................................................................12
Cleaning.......................................................................................................................................12
RemoteControlBatteryreplacement.........................................................................................12
Fusereplacement........................................................................................................................12
Specifications........................................................................................................................................12
Warranty...............................................................................................................................................12
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Warning
Topreventtheriskofelectricalshock,DONOTremovethecoverofthepreamplifierorthe
powersupply.
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ThereisnouserserviceablepartinsideBiviumpreamplifierortheBiviumpowersupply.

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4
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Unpacking
YouwillfindintheBiviumpackaging:
‐ABiviumpreamplifier
‐ABiviumpowersupply
‐Aremotecontrolunit
‐AnanalogDCpowercablewith4‐pinLEMOconnector
‐AdigitalDCpowercablewith3‐pinLEMOconnector
‐AnACpowercord
‐Thisowner’smanual
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TheBiviumismachinedfromasolidblockofaircraftgradealuminum,thereforeitismuch
heavierthanitlooks.Lifttheamplifierwithgreatcare,oraskforassistancewhentryingto
removeitfromthepackaging.
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ThepackagingmaterialisspeciallydesignedtowellprotecttheBivium.Werecommendyouto
keeptheoriginalpackagingincaseyouneedtotransporttheamplifierinthefuture.
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5
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Frontview
Rearview
Preamplifier
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1. ON/OFFButton
2. OperateLED(greenwhenoperate,redwhenready)
3. DisplayandIRremotesensor
4. Volumeknobwithintegratedpushbutton
‐Turnthevolumeknobclockwisewillraiseupthevolume;
‐Pressingtheknobwillswitchtheactiveaudiochanneltothenextinput.
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5. DCpowerinput(Digital)
6. DCpowerinput(Analog)
7. Rightaudiooutput‐RCAunbalanced
8. Rightaudiooutput‐XLRbalanced
9. Rightaudioinput‐RCAunbalanced
10. Rightaudioinput‐XLRbalanced
11. Leftaudiooutput‐RCAunbalanced
12. Leftaudiooutput‐XLRbalanced
13. Leftaudioinput‐RCAunbalanced
14. Leftaudioinput‐XLRbalanced

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6
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FrontviewRearview
TopviewBottomview
(Coverremoved)
Power supply
1. MainpowerLED
2. IECpowerinlet,fuseholder,mainpoweron/offswitch
3. DCpoweroutput(Digital)
4. DCpoweroutput(Analog)
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Remote control
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1. Power
2. Mute
3. Menu
4. Select
5. Channelup(‐adjustinMenumode)
6. Channeldown(+adjustinMenumode)
7. Volumecontrol(ScrollinMenumode)
8. Batteryholder

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Pullgriptounlock
Pressring
tounlock
PreamprearpanelPowersupplyrearpanel
Preparations
Biviumisalinestagepreamplifierwithseparatepowersupply.InstallBiviumonarigidandstable
platform.Avibrationfreeplatformwillhelpextractingtheoptimalsonicperformance.
MakesurethemainpowerswitchisintheOFFposition(O)beforeconnectinganypowercable.
ConnecttheBiviumtothepowersupplyunit,usingthetwospecialDCpowercablesenclosedin
thepackage.The4pinDCcableisfortheanalogsupplywhereasthe3pincableisforthedigital
andcontrolcircuitry.BothDCcablesareterminatedwithLEMOconnectorequippedwithspecial
lockingmechanism.Pleasereleasethelockwhenunplug.
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AlwaysuseanACpowercordwithgroundwire.TheBiviumpowersupplymustbeearthed,both
forsafetyandsonicreason.Togetthebestsoundquality,makesurethatallyourHi‐Fi
equipmentsareconnectedintoonemainssocket.
Connectyouraudiosignalsources,forexampleCDplayer,SACDplayer,radiotuner,etc,tothe
audioinputsocketsontherearpaneloftheBiviumpreamplifier.Thenconnectthepreamplifier’s
audiooutputtoyourpoweramplifier.
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Audioinput1to3arebalancedwhileinput4to5aresingleended.TheBiviumaudiocircuitis
fullybalancedallthewayfrominputtooutput.ThereforebalancedXLRcableispreferredforthe
bestsoundquality.Anyaudiosignalwillbeconvertedintobalancedmodeinternallybythe
Bivium,sotheaudioperformanceisnotcompromisedevenwhenunbalancedRCAcableisused.
Thebalancedaudiooutputsarewiredaspin1Ground,pin2hotandpin3cold(Complytothe
AES48‐2005standard).Audiophasecanbeswitchedmanuallytobecompatiblewithsignal
sourcewiredindifferentfashion.TheBalancedoutputandsingleendedoutputaredrivenby
separateamplifiercircuitsandtheycanbeusedsimultaneously.

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8
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Operation
TurnonthemainpowerswitchontherearpaneloftheBiviumpowersupplyunit.
Afterturningonthemainpowerswitch,theLEDonthepowersupplyfrontpanelwillglowgreen.
Atthesametime,theLEDontheBiviumpreamplifierfrontpanelwillglowdimred,indicatingitis
inreadymode.NowyoucanpresstheON/OFFbuttononcetoturnthepreamplifieron
completely.
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*Onlyappearswhenactivated.
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Beforeplayingyourfavoritemusic,turnthevolumedowntotheminimumfirsttoavoid
accidentalhearingdamagebyexcessiveloudness.Turnupthevolumeslowlyuntilitis
comfortable.Thensitdownandenjoy.
Whenyouhavefinishedlistening,pressthepowerbuttononcemoretotoggletheBiviumback
intoreadymode.IfyouplantoleavetheBiviumunusedforalongperiodoftime,usethemain
powerswitchonthepowersupplyrearpaneltoswitchitoffcompletely.
Setup Menu
EntertheSetupManualbypressingtheManualbuttonontheremotecontrol,orbypressingthe
volumeknobonthepreamplifier’sfrontpanelcontinuouslyformorethan2seconds.
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Inputformat
Bal/Unbal
*Phaseinvert
indicator
Volumelevelbar
ChannelnameVolumefigure
*Mute
indicator
*Left–Right
Balanceindicator
*Volumepreset

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9
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Input Settings
InputName,InputPhase,TheaterBypassandVolumePresetarechanneldependentparameters
thatareadjustedseparatelyforeachinputchannel.Adjustmentsoftheseparametersaremade
totheactivechannelbeinglistenedonly.Toadjusttheseparametersonanotherchannel,exit
SetupMenuandswitchtheinputchannel.
Input Name
Chooseyourdesiredequipmentnamefromthelist:AUX,CABLE,CD,DAB,DAC,DAT,DVD,DVDA,
GAME,HDTV,LD,PC,*PHONO,SACD,SAT,TAPE,TUNER,TV,VIDEO.
*RIAAequalizerisnotinstalledintheBivium,externalphonopreamplifierisneededforvinyldisc
playback.
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Input Phase
Biviumisanon‐invertingamplifierthatdoesnotreverseaudiophase(preservessignalpolarity).
Ifitisnecessarytoinvertaudiophasedeliberatelyinordertomatchwithotherequipment,select
Invertedintheinputphasemenu.Thephaseinversionisonlyvalidfortheselectedchannel.A
scrollarrowsignwillappearonthedisplayindicatingphaseinversionisactivated.
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Theater Bypass
TheTheaterBypassallowstheBiviumtobeconnectedtosurroundsoundprocessorandshare
thesamepairofleftandrightloudspeakerwiththesurroundsoundsystem.WhenTheater
Bypassisactivated,theBiviumwillswitchitselftotheunitgainposition(0dBgain)automatically.
Inthiscase,theBiviumwillbehaveasabuffer.Volumecontrolwillbehandledbythesurround
soundprocessorupstreaminthesignalchain.
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Volume Preset
Ifyouhaveasourceequipmentthathasparticularlylower(orhigher)outputthantheothers,
youcancompensatethisbyusingtheVolumePreset.ForexampleifyourTuneris6dBquieter,
youcouldsettheTunerVolumePresetto+6dB.WiththeVolumePresettunedright,thesound
levelwouldremainthesameuponswitchingbetweenTunerandotherchannel.

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10
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General Settings
LRBalance,VolumeControlSpeed,VolumeUnit,MuteVolumeandDisplayBrightnessaregeneral
parametersthataresharedamongallinputchannels.
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LR Balance
TheLeftRightbalanceoftheBiviumitselfisextremelywell(below+/‐0.05dB)whichrequiresnot
adjustmentatall.TheLRBalanceadjustmentfeatureisonlyintendedtocompensatethe
differencebetweenleftandrightvolumecausedbyotherequipment.
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Volume Control Speed
AdjustthespeedofvolumecontrolbychoosingbetweenFineandCoarse.Finemodeoffers160
volumestepsforhighresolutionadjustment,in0.5dBincrement.Coarsemodeoffers80volume
stepsforfastadjustment,in1dBincrement.
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Volume Unit
Numericmoderepresentsvolumeinauserfriendly0to160levelscale.
dBmoderepresentsvolumeinaprofessionalmannerinoveralllogarithmicgain.
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Mute Volume
When‐55dBisselected,thepreampwillattenuatetheoutputtoaverysoftlevelwheneverthe
MUTEbuttonisdepressed.If‐120dBisselected,thepreampwillcutofftheaudiooutput
completelywhenmuted.
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Display Brightness
Thereare5differentlevelsofdisplaybrightnessavailable,level5beingthebrightest.Oryoucan
chooseAuto,whichwillbrightenupthedisplayuponanycontrolcommand,andthendimmedby
itselfafterabout2minutes.
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Restore Factory Setting
PressandholdthePowerbuttononthepreamplifierfrontpanelfor5seconds,theBiviumwill
entertheRestoreFactorySettingmenu.Activatingthiswillerasealluserenteredsettingand
restoreeveryparametertotheoriginaloutoffactorystate.