Transfomatic Audio EVOLUTION LINE ONE User manual

www.trafomaticaudio.com Rev. 1
EVOLUTION
LINE ONE
EVOLUTION
LINE ONE
Stereo Tube Line
Preamplier
Stereo Tube Line
Preamplier
www.trafomaticaudio.com Rev. 1

Table of Contents
Section Page No.
Safety Precautions 02
Getting Started 05
 AboutYourAmplier     05
 ConstructionandTesting    05
 Packaging/Unpacking     05
 OperatingProcedures     06
Controls and Their Functions 08
Servicing 11
Technical Specications 12
Table of Contents
Section Page No.
Safety Precautions 02
Getting Started 05
 AboutYourAmplier     05
 ConstructionandTesting    05
 Packaging/Unpacking     06
 OperatingProcedures     06
Controls and Their Functions 08
Servicing 11
Technical Specications 12

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY ALL THE
FOLLOWING IMPORTANT SAFE-
GUARDS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO
YOUR EQUIPMENT
CAUTION!
TO REDUCETHE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE SCREWS. NOUSER SER-
VICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
SAFETY
1) Read the User’s Manual and refer to it frequently during use of this product -Allthe
safetyandoperatinginstructionsshouldbereadbeforetheproductisoperated.
2) Retain the User’s Manual -Thesafetyandoperatinginstructionsshouldberetainedfor
futurereference.
3) Follow Instructions-Alloperatingandinstructionsforuseshouldbecloselyfollowed.
4) Power Sources-Thisproductshouldbeoperatedusingonlythetypeofpowersourceindi-
catedonthemarkinglabel.Ifyouarenotsureofthetypeofpowersupplyinyourhome,con
sultyourproductdealerorlocalpowercompany.
5) Grounding-ThisproductisequippedwithathreeprongIECconnector.Alwaysusepower
cordwithadequatewirecrosssectionandanelectricaloutletthatisgrounded.Ifyoudonot
knowwhethertheoutletisgrounded,consultyourelectricianorlocalpowercompany.
6)Power Cord Protection–Powersupplycordsshouldberoutedsothattheyarenotlikely
tobewalkedonorpinched.Payparticularattentiontocordsatplugs,conveniencerecep-
taclesandwheretheyexitfromtheproduct.Alwaysusepowercordswithadequatecurrent
ratingsandsafetycertications(UL,CE,TÜV,CSA,etc.)
7) Fuses-Forcontinuedprotectionagainstrehazard,replacefuseswiththesametypeand
ratingofthefusesspecied.Whenchangingfuses,completelyunplugtheACcordfromthe
walloutlet.
8) Turn-off when not using-Turnofftheunitassoonasyoustopactivelyusingit.Unplugthe
powersupplyfromthewallduringalightningstormorwhentheproductistobeleftunattend-
edandunusedforlongerperiodsoftime.
02
EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

ENVIRONMENT
1) Water and Moisture.Donotusethisproductnearwater-i.e.nearabathtub,ashbowl,kitch
ensinkorlaundrytub;inawetbasement;ornearaswimmingpoolorthelike.Dampbase-
mentsshouldbeavoided.
2) Heat.Theproductshouldbesituatedawayfromheatsourcessuchasradiators,heatregis-
ters,stovesorotherappliancesthatproduceheat.Alsoavoidputtingtheunitinthedirectrays
ofthesun.
3) For indoor use only.
PLACEMENT
1) Accessibility.Itisnormalforanaudiodevicetorunwarmifusedforprolongedperiods.
Alwaysplaceyourdeviceawayfromchildrenandpetstopreventburns.
2) Ventilation.Properventilationiscriticalforsafeandreliableoperationofallvacuumtube
basedequipment.Thisproductshouldnotbeplacedinabuilt-ininstallationorrackunless
properventilationisprovidedorthemanufacturer’sinstructionshavebeenfollowed.Never
placeanythingontopofyourpreamplierthatcouldobstructairowandcausevacuum
tubestooverheatanddamagetheunit.Donotplaceyourpreamplierinaclosedbookcase;
overheatingcouldoccur.Ensurethatthereisatleast6”(150mm)ofopenspaceabovethe
preamplier.
3) Surface.Placetheunitonaatlevelsurface.Careshouldbetakentopreventobjectsfrom
fallingandliquidsfromspillingintotheunit.Donotsubjecttheunittoexcessivesmoke,dust,
vibrationorshock.
MAINTENANCE
1) Cleaning.Unplugthisproductfromthewalloutletbeforecleaning.Donotuseliquidcleaners
oraerosolcleaners.Useadryclothforcleaning.Donotuseanytypeofabrasivepad,scour-
ingpowderorsolventsuchasalcoholorbenzene.
2) Tube replacement.Vacuumtubeshavelifeinthe5000hourrange.Werecommendreplac-
ingthetubesafter24-36months,dependingonyourlisteninghabits.Thatwillensurethatthe
preamplieralwaysperformsatitsbestandtubefailurewillnotoverstressotherpartsoftheunit.
3) Biasing the amplier.BiasingoftheEvolutionLineOneisnotrequired.
SERVICE
1) Replacement Parts.Whenreplacementpartsarerequired,besurethattheservicetechni-
cianusesreplacementpartsspeciedbythemanufacturerorpartswiththesamecharacter-
isticsastheoriginalpart.Unauthorizedsubstitutionsmayresultinre,electricshockorother
hazards.
2)Tubereplacement.Shoulditbecomenecessarytoreplacethevacuumtubes,removethe
ACpowerplugfromthewallandallowthirtyminutes(30min)forthehighvoltagecapacitors
todischarge.Followinstructionsoutlinedbelowinthesection“Handlingvacuumtubes”.
3) Modications.Modicationstotheamplierarestronglydiscouraged.Theunitwasde-
signedbyexperiencedengineersandtestedforsafeandreliableoperation.Anymodication
mayposessafetyriskandresultinreducedlifetimeoftheproduct.Anyremovalofthecover
willvoidwarranty.
04
EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

GETTING STARTED - ABOUT
YOUR PHONO PREAMPLIFIER
Your Evolution Line Onewasdesignedtoprovideahighvaluebasedonitshighperformance,
whichisaresultofacarefullydesignedcircuitandoptimizedcomponentselection.
Thedesignutilizesminimumnumberofactivepartsandtopqualitypassiveelements.Itisa
perfecttwithinTrafomatic Audio’s Evolutionproductlineup.
The design is based on an excellent ECC88 vacuum tube and high capacity power supply
employingoversizedtoroidaltransformerandC-L-Clter.TheECL82vacuumtubeisusedto
stabilizepowersupplyvoltageforthegainstage.
TheEvolutionLineOnehasve(5)lineinputs,onestereooutput,subwooferoutputandxed
TAPEoutput.
HANDLING AND REPLACING VACUUM TUBES
Manypeoplehave never had experiencehandlingvacuumtubes. Process is verysimilarto
handlingincandescentlightbulbs.Aswiththelightbulbs,youshouldnottouchavacuumtube
whenitisoperatingsinceyoucanburnyourself.Similarly,ifatubeisdroppedonahardsurface
itmaybreakorchangecriticaloperatingparameters.
Whenreplacingthetubesandremovingthepreamplier’scover,allowsufcienttime,minimum
30minutes,fortubestocooldownandinternalcapacitorstodischarge.
BeforeyouinsertatubeyoushouldmakecertaintheunitisdisconnectedfromtheACoutlet.
Inspectthetubeforcracksandphysicaldamage.
Makesurethatthepinsarestraight.Ifyouneedtostraightenthepins,beverycarefulasitmay
causetheglassenvelopetobreak,causingthetubetolosethevacuumandfailassoonasthe
preampliferispoweredon.Carefullyalignthepinswiththesocketandgentlyinsertthetube.
Never force a tube into a socket.
TheEvolution Line One is designed around the ECC88 vacuum tubeasagainstage.When
thetubesaredueforreplacement,differentbrandsoftheECC88areacceptable,includingRus-
sianversions6N1Pand6N23P.
NOTE: ECC81 (12AT7), ECC82 (12AU7) and ECC83 (12AX7) cannot be used in the Evolu-
tion Line One preamplier.
ShouldyoudecidetobuyreplacementtubesfromTrafomaticAudio,restassuredthattheyare
fullytestedbeforetheshipment.
05 EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual
PACKAGING
Savetheoriginalpackaginginadryplace.Thepackaginghasbeendesignedtoprotectyour
devicefromstressesincurredduringshipping.Usingpackagingdifferentfromtheoriginalin-
creasesrisksofshippingdamages
PREPARATION FOR USE
01)Placeyourpreamplieronaat,stablesurface.
02)Powerswitch,locatedontheleftsideoftheunitshouldbeintheOFFposition.
03)Makesurethatthevoltageselectorswitch(locatedontherearpanel,nexttotheACinlet)is
properlyset:thisswitchneedstobesetsothatthenumberdisplayed(115or230)corre-
spondswiththelinevoltageinyourcountry.
04)Pluginthepowercord.
05)ConnectLINEOUToftheEvolution Line Onetolineinputsofyouramplier.Ifapplicable,
connectsubwooferand/ortaperecordertotheSUBOUTandTAPEOUT,respectively.
06)Connectyouraudiosourcestothepreamplier’sinputs(RCA1throughRCA5).
07)Ifsomeofyoursourcesrequiresignalgrounding(turntabletonearm,forexample),connect
thewiretothegroundinglug(GND)ontherearpanelofthepreamplier.
08)Byusingthefrontpanelinputselectorswitch,selecttheappropriateaudiosource(rca1
throughrca5).
09)Makesurethatvolumecontrolissettominimumposition.
10)TurnontheEvolution Line Onebyusingpowerswitchlocatedontheleftsideoftheunit.
11)Turnonyourpoweramplier.
12)Slowlyincreasevolume,tomakesuretherearenounusualnoisescomingoutofthespeakers.
13)CONGRATULATIONS!YouareallsetandreadytoenjoyhighsoundqualityoftheEvolution
Line One preamplier.
06
EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

CONTROLS AND THEIR
FUNCTIONS
FRONT PANEL
Input Selector:Thevepositions“Inputs”switchisusedtoselectoneoftheve
availableinputs,markedRCA1throughRCA5.
Volume control:regulatesmaximumoutputsontheLINEOUTandSUBOUT
outputs.
Thefrontpanelalsohasthepoweronlightandwindowfortheremotecontrolre-
ceiver.
LEFT SIDE OF THE UNIT
Power ON/OFF switch:TheswitchturnsthepreamplierONandOFF
 -Whenturningonthepreamplier,makesurethatthevolumecontrolisat
itsminimum.Thepreamplierwillbefullyfunctionalafteronly30seconds.
However,asitwarmsupovertherst15minutesofoperation,youmay
noticesubtleimprovementsinthesoundquality.
 -Attheendofyourlisteningsession,makesuretoturntheamplieroff.
Leavingitturnedondoesnotimprovesoundqualityanditreduceslifeof
thevacuumtubes.
 -Thepreampliershouldalwaysbeturnedonandoffviaitsownpowerswitch.
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EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

CONTROLS AND THEIR
FUNCTIONS
REAR PANEL
Theonlycontrolontherearpanelisthelinevoltageselectorswitchlocatednext
totheACpowerinlet(ACINPUT).Thisswitchneedstobesetsothatthenumber
displayed(115or230)correspondswiththelinevoltageinyourcountry.
The rear panel also hosts:
 -Groundinglug(GND)
 -Fivelineinputs(RCA1throughRCA5)
 -Fixedoutput(TAPEOUT)
 -Subwooferoutput(SUBOUT)
 -Lineoutput(LINEOUT)
-Groundliftswitch(LIFTGND):insomecongurations,groundingofthesys-
temcanconguresocalled“groundloops”.Incertainsituation,thiscauses
increasedhuminthesystem.Groundliftswitchisusedtobreakthe“ground
loop”whilemaintainingsafetyaffordedbypropersystemgrounding.NOTE:
neverusethesocalled“cheaterplugs”toremovegroundfromthesystem,
asitcreatespotentiallyhazardousconditions.
-Gainswitch(GAIN):thisswitchhastwopositions,marked22dBand25dB.
ItaddsexibilitytomatchtheEvolutionLineOnepreamplierwithsystems
ofvarioussensitivity.Itissuggestedtostartoperationwiththeswitchinthe
22dBposition.The25dBpositioncanbeusedtoincreasedynamicrange
withampliersthathavelowersensitivity.
REMOTE CONTROL
Evolution Line Onecomeswithitsowndedicatedremotecontrolcircuit.Forthe
sakeofsimplicity,reliabilityandlongbatterylife,basicfunctionalityisprovidedvia
twobuttons:volumeupanddown.
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EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

SERVICING
HighqualitypartsandcarefuldesignofEvolutionLineOneensurelongandreliableoperation
withoutneedforanymaintenanceotherthanthatlistedintheMAINTENANCEsection.Inan
unlikelycasethattheunitdoesnotoperateasintended,pleasecontactfactoryoryourlocal
distributorforassistance.
CAUTION
Lethalvoltagesarepresentinsidetheamplier.Donotremovethepreamplier’scovers.Ser-
vicingoftheunitshouldbeperformedonlybyauthorizedservicepersonnel.
11 EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

EVOLUTION LINE ONE Stereo Tube Line Preamplier - User Manual
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
STEREO TUBE LINE PREAMPLIFIER
Class of operation: Single-Ended(classA)
Tube complement: 2xECC881xECL82(6BM8)
Input impedance: 47 Kohms
Output impedance: 150 ohms
Inputs: 5xRCA
Outputs: RCALineout(150ohmsoutputimpedance),Tapeout(47Kohmsoutputimpedance)
andSubwooferout(22Kohmsoutputimpedance)
Gain : 22dBand25dBselectableatthebackside
THD: 0.3%,1KHz/4Vef
S/N ratio: 85dB
Frequency bandwidth: 12Hz(-1dB)–65kHz(-3dB)
Input voltage: 230V/50Hz–115V/60Hzswitchable
Power consumption: 50VA
Remote controlled volume control
Size: 450x320x105mm
Weight: 10kg
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EVOLUTIONLINEONEStereoTubeLine Preamplier - User Manual

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