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Operating Manual Mark Levinson ® Nº 333 Nº 332 Nº 33 1 Dual Monaural Power Amplifiers Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc.
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WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage”...
10. NEVER replace any fuse with a value or type other than those specified. 11. NEVER attempt to repair this product. If a problem occurs, contact your Mark Levinson 12. NEVER expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures.
. At least two strong people are required to unpack these amplifiers safely. Included with your new Mark Levinson amplifier is two pairs of knit, white gloves designed to assist you in the initial unpacking and placement of your new purchase.
For your protection, review “Important Safety Instructions” and “Operating Voltage” before you install your amplifier. Y our Mark Levinson 300-series power amplifier is specifically designed to stand on the floor, and must be used as a freestanding unit. In most installations, locat- ing it near the loudspeakers is best.
The Mark Levinson Nº 333 amplifiers may be factory-set for 100V , 120V , 200V , 210V , 220V , 230V or 240V AC mains operation at either 50 or 60Hz, based on the country for which they are manufactured.
. If you need to change the operating volt- age of your Nº 333 power amplifiers, or if the voltage indicated on the rear panel label is not available in your area, contact your Mark Levinson dealer for assis- tance.
IEC-standard, detachable AC mains cable is provided for use with your amplifier. Mark Levinson power amplifiers may be factory-set for 100V, 120V , 200V, 210V , 220V , 230V or 240V AC mains operation at either 50 or 60Hz, based on the coun- try for which they are manufactured.
. If you need to change the operating volt- age of your power amplifiers, or if the voltage indicated on the rear panel label is not available in your area, contact your Mark Levinson dealer for assistance. Nº 332/33 1 rear-panel label...
True Voltage Source Special Design Features Congratulations on your purchase of a Mark Levinson Nº 300-series Dual Monau- ral Power Amplifier. While your new amplifier is straightforward in its everyday use, it includes several design features which are responsible for its outstanding performance.
test of the Nº333 at maximum power requires about 45 amperes at 120V. (The laws of physics refuse to be cheated. Long-term, you cannot deliver more power into the speaker than you can pull from the wall.) Thirty-two TO-3 output transistors are distributed in the heatsinks of the Nº 333 to conduct and control the flow of its remarkable power capabilities to the loud- speaker.
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In addition, the AC input to each transformer is fused to protect against excessive current conditions such as driving shorted outputs. Inrush limiting prevents pre- mature aging of power supply components during power-up, and switches off- line once the power supply has been charged. Finally , your amplifier incorporates a controlled clipping circuit that prevents the output devices from saturating.
Front Panel STANDBY BUTTON When power is first applied to the power amplifier (if yours is a CE-certi- fied unit, this means plugging it in and turning on the ), the amplifier remains switch will bring the amplifier from allow the power supplies to charge and all circuitry to stabilize), subse- quent pressing of the standby mode and fully...
Audio Engineering Society . Refer to the operating manual of your balanced- output preamplifier to verify that the pin assignments of its output connec- tors correspond to your Mark Levinson amplifier. If not, wire the cables so that the appropriate output pin connects to the equivalent input pin.
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SINGLE-ENDED INPUTS These RCA connectors accept single-ended inputs from preamplifiers with single-ended (RCA) outputs. Single-ended input signals are converted to balanced signals immediately upon being received at the amplifier, and are handled as balanced signals thereafter. If your preamplifier does not support balanced connection to the power amplifier, connect the single-ended output of your preamplifier to the RCA input on the amplifier.
DC signal (more than one second) will force the amplifier into the fully condition (as does a prolonged press of the front panel but- ton.) Y our Mark Levinson dealer can help you take advantage of these de- sign features to maximize your system’s versatility . Fault Condition...
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SPEAKER BINDING POSTS The Mark Levinson 300-series amplifiers are equipped with custom made, gold-plated, high-current binding posts for output termination to a loud- speaker system. To take full advantage of the amplifier’s sonic quality, we recommend using high-quality speaker cable; please see your Mark Levinson dealer.
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(The highest available current rating for an IEC standard three-conductor connector such as is used on most stereo equipment, in- cluding other Mark Levinson products, is 16 amperes.) Instead, the Nº 333 incorporates a high current AC cord which is attached directly to the ampli- fier itself.
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As a result, if you suspect that your AC fuses have blown, disconnect your amplifier from the AC mains and contact your Mark Levinson dealer for as- sistance. Do not attempt to replace these fuses yourself.
Balanced Bridging Kit Bridged Operation Y our Mark Levinson amplifier has been designed to be extremely versatile. Should your needs change or grow over time, you may wish to add additional power by one of two means: Bridging, or Biamping. We will discuss bridged op- eration first.
Failure to establish a common ground reference between the two channels can damage your amplifier by forcing significant currents to flow where they do not belong! To bridge your Mark Levinson amplifier using a balanced input signal, follow these steps: DISCONNECT YOUR AMPLIFIER FROM EVERYTHING Start with your amplifier totally disconnected from inputs, outputs, and AC power.
CONNECT ONE END OF THE BALANCED BRIDGING OUTPUT ADAPTER TO TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE BLACK OUTPUT TERMINALS All Mark Levinson amplifiers have two sets of output terminals per channel, wired in parallel (for convenience when biwiring). You may use either the upper or the lower black output terminals. Connect one end of the Bal-...
This establishs a com- mon reference for the amplifier and completes the circuit that includes the loud- speakers. Important! To bridge your Mark Levinson amplifier using a single-ended (RCA) input signal, follow these steps: Single-Ended Bridging Input Adapter...
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Adapter. Connect the negative/–/black binding post of your loudspeaker to OUTPUT TERMINALS and secure. sent to the loudspeaker. In practice, the most important thing is to be con- All Mark Levinson amplifiers have two sets of output terminals per channel, wired in parallel (for convenience when biwi sistent throughout...
Biamplification In contrast to bridged operation (wherein a two channel amplifier is “fooled” into behaving as a single, larger amplifier), biamplification makes use of a two-channel amplifier to drive different portions of a single loudspeaker. As with bridging, it offers a modular way of increasing the overall performance of your system (if your loudspeakers support biamplification).
Care & Maintenance To remove dust from the cabinet of your amplifier, use a feather duster or a lint- free soft cloth. To remove dirt and fingerprints, we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Dampen the cloth with alcohol first and then lightly clean the surface of the amplifier with the cloth.
Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc., P . O. Box 781, Middletown, CT 06457. The extended warranty for this Mark Levinson product is five (5) years from the Five Year Extended Warranty date of purchase.
We take great pride in our dealers. Experience, dedication, and integrity make these professionals ideally suited to assist with our customers’ service needs. If your Mark Levinson component must be serviced, please contact your dealer. Y our dealer will then decide whether the problem can be remedied locally, or whether to contact Madrigal for further service information or parts, or to obtain a Return Authorization.
IEC-standard high current AC receptacle (Nº332, Nº331) Output impedance Damping factor For more information, see your Mark Levinson dealer, or contact: Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc. P .O. Box 781, 2081 South Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457 USA Telephone (860) 346-0896...
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