Harman kardon vtph 1 owners manual

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OwnerÕs Manual Please read the OwnerÕs Manual completely BEFORE operating the unit. OwnerÕs Manual Please read the OwnerÕs Manual completely BEFORE operating the unit. Thank you for your investment in the Herron Audio Vacuum Tube Phono PreampliÞer, a masterpiece of high-precision analog audio play- back equipment. It is designed to be the Þnest product of its type avail- able. The care in engineering and manufacturing of this product anticipates a lifetime of musical enjoyment. The Herron Phono PreampliÞer was created to address the retrieval of musical information from vinyl LPs better than any other unit avail- able at any price. The original design was only intended for use by a few dedicated music lovers in their cut- ting edge audio systems. The design was so good, and demand so high, that the unit was reÞned and engi- neered to meet the requirements for a more durable unit manufactured in larger quantities. In the process, important reÞnements were devel- oped and discoveries were made about tolerances and the threshold of human hearing limits. This product is engineered to be user friendly, and overcomes the fears that many have expressed concerning the use of vacuum tubes in their systems. Its limited produc-tion ensures that the components in each unit are matched to the highest standards in the industry. Manufac- turing of the unit is performed under the tightest of quality controls. Components are hand-matched to exacting standardsÑfar better than the normal 5% tolerancesÑto ensure identical unit-to-unit performance. For example, capacitors in the RIAA equalization stage are hand matched to tolerances of less than 0.1% variation from the design of the prototype. Tubes are burned in, bench tested, and hand-matched both across units and to the original design. These techniques ensure that each unit performs to the high standards established in the develop- ment of the original prototypes. This costly process is reßected in the unprecedented performance and lack of unit-to-unit variations of Herron Audio components. The special power supply in all Herron Audio products reßects the engineering innovation that allows the Herron Phono PreampliÞer to provide the highest musical satisfac- tion without the artifacts produced by most other tube-based compo- nents. This power supply provides a three Welcome! Welcome! Herron Audio Vacuum Tube Phono PreampliÞer two Table of Contents 3Introduction 5Models 5Design Considerations 6Front Panel Information 7Rear Panel Information 8Installation and Operation 9Cartridge Loading 10Power Line Polarity 10Optimum Performance 11Changing Tubes 12Technical SpeciÞcations © 1998 Herron Audio Division of Herron Engineering, Inc. 12685 Dorsett Road Suite 138 St. Louis, MO 63043 314.434.5416 314.434.6629 fax

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OwnerÕs Manual Please read the OwnerÕs Manual completely BEFORE operating the unit. OwnerÕs Manual Please read the OwnerÕs Manual completely BEFORE operating the unit. Þve VTPH-1MMmoving magnet version (use with cartridges above 1 millivolt output) VTPH-1MCmoving coil version (same as the MM version with an addi- tional FET front end ampliÞer) Design Considerations ¥ All-tube signal path (moving magnet version) ¥ Passive RIAA equalization for accurate phase and amplitude response ¥ Star grounding for low interference susceptibility and clean signal path ¥ Zero feedbackÑno feedback loops in the audio circuitry ¥ Low noise ¥ No switches in the signal path ¥ High input signal capacity without overload; see technical speciÞcations ¥ Gold plated TIFF RCA and ground connectors ¥ Audio path capacitors are polypropylene and polystyrene ¥ Hand-picked components for accurate response ¥ Automatic muting at startup and shutdown ¥ 78,000 µF of power supply energy storage capacitance ¥ 4 levels of high voltage regulation ¥ Regulated soft-start DC Þlament supply ¥ Regulated tube bias supply ¥ Toroidal power transformer ¥ RuggedÑ0.10" thick aluminum chassis with 0.25" thick faceplate ¥ Reversing power line (AC) polarity switch for minimizing line-to-chassis reactive currents and noise pickup ¥ Controlled warm-up of tube Þlaments and high voltage for extended tube life ¥ Low plate operating currents for extended tube life and cool operation ¥ Front panel indicators for power, Þlament voltage, and output (mute release) ¥ Each unit is given a 48-hour burn-in, including rigorous bench and listening tests VTPH-1 Models VTPH-1 Models rigid voltage source to the tubes, producing remarkable resolution of musical events in time and sound stage. The circuit board layout was engineered with all of its electrical properties considered, in order to achieve Þne audio performance with greater consistency than hand wiring. Compromise was not an option. The unique design of the Herron Phono PreampliÞer, along with its conservative design and operating parameters, means that owners can expect the industryÕs highest level of performance to be maintained over the extended life of the unit. Operating the Herron Phono PreampliÞer is easy and straight- forward. The unit has been designed to be exquisitely simple and user friendly, with its operational readi- ness easily monitored.During the manufacturing process, every unit is subjected to a battery of quality control checks. Each unit is run through a full forty- eight hour burn-in, and then measurements are made to make sure that it is functioning correctly. Last and most importantly, careful listening tests are made in compari- son to a reference unit, to make sure each Phono PreampliÞer performs up to the strictest Herron Audio standards. The staff of Herron Audio are audiophiles who regard the high- quality reproduction of the performance of music as one of the Þnest pursuits in the engineering arts. We at Herron Audio believe in the pursuit of audio perfection. We hope you enjoy the fruits of our efforts. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, please contact us at 314-434-5416. Herron Audio Vacuum Tube Phono PreampliÞer four