VAC Statement 450 Setup guide

TheVACStatement 450
MonoBeam PowerAmplifier
Operation&MaintenanceInformation
ValveAmplificationCompany
Manualissued09/22/2010
Revised01/19/2011
Revised07/26/2011

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CAUTION-SAFETYNOTICE
THEAMPLIFIERANDPOWERSUPPLY CONTAINNOUSERSERVICEABLEPARTS.DONOT REMOVETHE
BOTTOM PLATESORCHASSISCOVERS.LETHALVOLTAGESAREPRESENTWITHINTHECHASSIS.DO
NOT OPERATETHEUNITSIFTHEYAREWET.
VACUUMTUBESBECOME HOT ENOUGHTO CAUSESERIOUSBURNS.NEVERTOUCH ATUBEWHEN
THEUNITISON.ITMAYTAKESEVERALMINUTESFORTHETUBESTO COOLDOWN AFTERTHEUNIT
ISSWITCHEDOFF.ITISSTRONGLY RECOMMENDEDTHATTHETUBECOVERSBELEFTINPLACEATALL
TIMES.
THETUBECOVERSWILL BECOMEHOT INNORMALOPERATION.DONOT SETORSPRAYANYTHING
ONTHEM.
Never touchatubeiftheglass isbroken.Theinternalstructurescarry highvoltageandcouldpresent
aserious,possibly lethalshock.Ifatubebreaks,unplugtheamplifier andwait30 minutes,then
removethetube.
Keepflammable objectsawayfrom theamplifier.
DONOT LEAVETHEAMPLIFIER UNATTENDEDINOPERATION.
THEAMPLIFIERIS HEAVY.ITISADVISABLETO HAVEASSISTANCEINUNPACKING,MOVING,AND
SETTINGUP.BESURETO USEPROPERLIFTINGTECHNIQUESTO AVOIDBACKSTRAINANDINJURY.
BECERTAINTO INSTALL ITINASECURELOCATIONFROM WHICH ITCAN NOT FALL OR TIPOVER.

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INDEX
Introduction
Installation
Installing thefront glass andtopbars
Input connectors
Operation
IlluminatedLogo
Installing NewOutput Tubes
Biasing &Checking Output TubeCondition
Replacement ofLowLevel Tubes
Care OfChassis
Tips andAdvice
Fuses
AWordAbout TubesinGeneral
Output Tubes
LowLevel Tubes
ImpedanceMatching
Grounding
Tuning YourSystem
Specifications
Footnotes
Warranty&RegistrationForm

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INTRODUCTION
TheStatement 450 isauniquepower amplifier,andthemostpowerfulanddetailedinVAC’s
history.Featuringanewdirect-coupledinput &driver circuit,extremely fastandvividsoundis
achievedfrom both single-endedandbalancedsources.
Thefront panel attenuatormaybeselectedforaidinbalancingchannels.Itmayalsobeusedtotrim
spectralbalancewhenbiamplifying.
Thechassisismachinedfrom thickaluminum, finishedinametallicbasecoat/clearcoatfinish.
Theisdesignednottothelatestfadbut tosubstance,forthehighestpossible soundquality.Time
spent familiarizing yourselfwith thismanualwill bewell rewarded.

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INSTALLATION
01)Placethepower supply initsfinallocation.Itisquiteheavy,andwill becomemore sowhen
theamplifier isinstalledontopofit.Consider thelocationcarefully,and useappropriate
helpinlifting, etc., soas toavoidinjury.
02)Placeoneofthemetalballsprovidedineachofthethree cups on
thetopofthepower supply.
03)Carefully placetheamplifier chassisontopofthepower supply,
takingcare toaligntheballsontopofthepower supply with the
cups onthebottom oftheaudiochassis.
004)Install thevacuum tubes.
Eachtubeoritsboxhas
a“V”number,which
corresponds tothe
labelsonthetopplateof
theamplifier;these
indicatewhere each
tubeshouldbeinstalled.
Fiteachtubeintothe
matching socket.
Wheninsertingand
removingtubes,handle
thembytheir bases,not
bytheir glass bulbs.
Notethatthere isa
locatorpinontheoctal
(eight contact)tubesthat
indicatesproper
alignment.

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05)Carefully install thefront glass andtoprails(see detaileddirectionsinthenextsectionofthis
manual). Takecare nottochiporscratchtheglass.
06)SetthetopswitchtoBalanced(forusewith balancedsourceson
XLR connector) orSingle-ended(viaRCAconnector) as desired.
07)Setthefront panel SELECTswitchfully
counterclockwiseforfull volumeinput,orclockwise
ifyouwishtoattenuatevolumeusingthefront panel
VOLUMEcontrol.
08)Install theinput cable inthebackpanel jackthatcorresponds totheswitchsettingsselected
above.
09)Connectthespeaker cables;theblackleadgoesto“-“or“Ground”.Theredleadgoesto
“+” or“Positive”.Followthelabel onthebackoftheamplifier fortheimpedancethatbest
matchesyourloudspeakers.
10)Connect12 volttrigger input cablesintotheappropriatesocketsonthebackpanel if
desired;either will slavetheoff/onfunctiontotheexternalconnection.
11)Provideadequateventilation-allowatleast3inchesaboveandtoeachside.
12)Donotplaceinacompletely enclosedcabinet.Donotstackother equipment ontopofthe
VAC unit.
13)Donotoperateoncarpetoranyother surfacethatmight blockair flow.
14)Thechassisandglass will becomehotinnormaluse.
15)Thepower supply mayproduceasmall mechanicalhum;therefore avoidplacingthesystem
onanysurfacethatcouldactas asoundingboard,oratanylocationintheroomthat
corresponds toaresonanceatyourlocalpower frequency(50 Hz. or60 Hz.).
16)Donotallowthechassistotouchanymetalparts,suchas theframeofanequipment rack.
Thismight createaparallel groundpath thatcoulddegradethesoundofyoursystem.

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17)Connectboth ofthecablesbetweenthepower supply andtheaudiochassis. Notethat
eachhas alocating key andalocking collar. Besure toinserttheconnectorproperly, and
fully tightenthelocking collar.
18)Connectthepower cordtothepower sourceindicatedontherearpanel (will beeither
100, 120, 220, or240 voltsAC).Voltageconversionsmustbedoneatthefactory ofby
anauthorizedVAC importer.
19)Avoidpower conditionersthatfloatthegroundpin.
20)Power requirementsare approximately 1000 watts.Paycloseattentiontopower quality,and
beaware thatdifferent power cords canalter thesound.
21) Checkthebias settingsoftheoutput tubeswhentheunitisfirst
installed andwhenever atubeischanged.Itisalsoagoodideato
verifythesettingsperiodically,suchas onceaweek.Followthebias
procedure outlinedlater inthismanual.
22)Notethatthere isafront panel TESTswitch; thisengagestheeight
blueLEDsusedforsettingormonitoringthebias settingsoftheKT88
tubes.See Biasing&CheckingOutput TubeConditionfordirections.
NOTE:Donotremoveandconnectinput cablesorspeaker cableswhile isamplifier isrunning.
Doing sorisksdamagetoyourloudspeakersortheamplifier.
Donotoperatetheamplifier without aloudspeaker orloadresistorattached.
Donotoperatewithout thefront glass andtoprailsinplace.
Takecare tokeepeveryone,especially childrenandpets,frombeingable toreachand
touchthetubes, whichbecomeextremely hotandcauseseriousinjury.
Never touchatubeiftheglass isbroken.Theinternalstructurescarry highvoltageandcould
present aserious, possibly lethalshock.Ifatubebreaks,unplugtheamplifier andwait30
minutes, thenremovethetube.
Keepflammable objectsawayfrom theamplifier.

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INSTALLINGTHEFRONTGLASS ANDTOPRAILS
Youramplifier has beenshippedwith thefront glass andthetoprailsremoved.
Thefollowing steps showhowtheseare installed.
Laytheprovidedmicrofiber cloth ontopofthefasciaas shown.
Settheglass inplace. Steadyitwith yourhand;donotletgo.
Insertoneoftheprovidedscrew/conewasher assembliesintooneofthe
topholesintheglass.Startthescrew,takingcarethatthethreads align
properly. Tightenas muchas youcanusing only yourfingers.
Insertandtightentheremaining three screw/conewasher assemblies.
UsingtheprovidedAllendriver,tightenthefourscrewstoagentle but firm
pressure
Pull themicrofiber cloth free, starting atonesideas shown

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Thetoptubecagebarshaveaspring pinineachend.
Toinstall,placeoneofthespringpinsintooneofthesmall dimples
machinedintooneofthesiderails.
IntheIllustration, thepinhas beenlocatedintotheleft siderail.
Tocompletetheinstallation,press thebarinthedirectionofthepinalready
inserted, andmanoeuver theother endintothecorresponding dimple in
theother siderail, thenrelease.
Inthisillustration, thebarispressedtotheleft, while theright spring pinis
setintothedimple intheright siderail.
Theamount ofprotrusionofeachpinmaybeadjustedslightly ifneeded.
REMINDER:Donotremoveandconnectinput cablesorspeaker cableswhile isamplifier is
running. Doing sorisksdamagetoyourloudspeakersortheamplifier.
REMINDER:Donotoperatetheamplifier without aloudspeaker orloadresistorattached.
REMINDER:Provideadequateventilationmaynotbesafe.Failure todosomayshortenthe
amplifier’s life,andmayresultintubefailures.Operatingtheamplifier onathickcarpet
will alsocausethis, andisnotsafe.

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OPERATION
Soundwill beginapproximately 45 seconds after turnon.
Aswith all highfidelityproducts,thesoundcharacteristicoftheVACchangessomewhatas itwarms
up.Weadviseagainstleavingtheequipment onatall timesforsafetyreasons,andbecauseofthe
attendant accelerationofoutput tubewearandpower consumption.Lifeoftheoutput tubes
averages3,000 to8,000 hours.Forbesttubelife,turntheamplifier off whenyouare notlistening.
AnytimethattheVACPower Amplifier has notbeenusedforafewweeksthesoundmaybe
different.Thisisalsonormalforhighresolutionaudioequipment.Optimumsoundshouldreturnafter
afewhoursofoperation, preferably with anaudiosignal.
PleasenotethatalthoughyourVAC System has beenrun for48 hoursatthefactory, thebreak-in
timeofhighresolutionaudioequipment isinfuriatingly long. TheStatement soundwill continueto
seasonforapproximately 200 hours.Theearly soundoftheamplifier will beless extended,dynamic,
andcoherent.Thenthesoundwill improvenoticeably,followedbyaperiodofdarker sound,finally
giving waytothedesiredmusicality. Patienceisavirtue.
Alsobeaware thatmanycomponentsdisplaytheneedforanewbreakinperiodafter being
transportedinunheatedcargoaircraft.
ILLUMINATEDLOGO
Theilluminationofthefront VAC logosmaybedimmedorturned
off viaaswitchonthebackpanel ofthepower supply.