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PRIMAVERAHeadphone Amplifier

Table of ContentsSection Page No.

Safety Precautions 02Getting Started 05 AboutYourLinePreamplifier 05 Packaging / Preparation for use 06Controls and Their Functions 08 Front Panel 08 Rear Panel 10Servicing 11Technical Specifications 12

Table of ContentsSection Page No.

Safety Precautions 02Getting Started 05 AboutYourLinePreamplifier 05 Packaging / Preparation for use 06Controls and Their Functions 08 Front Panel 08 Rear Panel 10Servicing 11Technical Specifications 12

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDSPLEASE READ CAREFULLY ALL THE

FOLLOWING IMPORTANT SAFE GUARDS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO

YOUR EQUIPMENTCAUTION! TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE SCREWS. NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PER-SONNEL.

SAFETY1) 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 ratingsandsafetycertifications(UL,CE,TÜV,CSA,etc.)7) Fuses-Forcontinuedprotectionagainstfirehazard,replacefuseswiththesametypeandratingofthefusesspecified.Whenchangingfuses,completelyunplugtheACcordfromthe wall outlet.8) Tubes - During operation, the vacuum tubes get very hot. It is highly recommended that tube cage is always installed to prevent inadvertent contact with the glass. Allow at least 10 min utes after removing power for tubes to cool down.9) Turn-off when not using-Turnofftheunitassoonasyoustopactivelyusingit.Unplugthe 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.

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ENVIRONMENT1) Water and Moisture. Do not use this product near water - i.e. near a bathtub, ash bowl, kitchen sink or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or near a swimming pool or the like. Damp basements 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.

PLACEMENT1) 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 placeanythingontopofyourpreamplifierthatcouldobstructairflowandcausevacuumtubestooverheatanddamagetheunit.Donotplaceyourpreamplifierinaclosedbookcase;overheatingcouldoccur.Ensurethatthereisatleast8”(200mm)ofopenspaceabovethepreamplifier. 3) Surface.Placetheunitonaflatlevelsurface.Careshouldbetakentopreventobjectsfromfallingandliquidsfromspillingintotheunit.Donotsubjecttheunittoexcessivesmoke,dust, vibration or shock.

MAINTENANCE1) Cleaning.Unplugthisproductfromthewalloutletbeforecleaning.Donotuseliquidcleanersoraerosolcleaners.Useadryclothforcleaning.Donotuseanytypeofabrasivepad,scour-ingpowderorsolventsuchasalcoholorbenzene.

2) Tube replacement.Vacuumtubeshavelifeinthe5000hourrange.Werecommendreplac- ing the tubes after 24-36 months, depending on your listening habits. That will ensure that the preamplifieralwaysperformsatitsbestandtubefailurewillnotoverstressotherpartsoftheunit.

3) Biasing the amplifier. Biasing of the Primavera is not required.

SERVICE1) Replacement Parts.Whenreplacementpartsarerequired,besurethattheservicetechni-cianusesreplacementpartsspecifiedbythemanufacturerorpartswiththesamecharacter-isticsastheoriginalpart.Unauthorizedsubstitutionsmayresultinfire,electricshockorotherhazards.

2) Tube replacement.Shoulditbecomenecessarytoreplacethevacuumtubes,removetheACpowerplugfromthewallandallowthirtyminutes(30min)forthehighvoltagecapacitors to discharge. Follow instructions outlined below in the section “Handling vacuum tubes”.

3) Modifications.Modificationstotheamplifierarestronglydiscouraged.Theunitwasde-signedbyexperiencedengineersandtestedforsafeandreliableoperation.Anymodification may poses safety risk and result in reduced lifetime of the product. Any removal of the cover will void warranty.

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GETTING STARTED - ABOUT YOUR HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERYour Primavera Headphone Amplifier was designed to provide a high value based on its high performance,whichisaresultofacarefullydesignedcircuitandoptimizedcomponentselec-tion.The design utilizesminimumnumber of active parts and top quality passive elements. The Primavera’s impressive output power of 9W into 50 Ohms makes it capable of driving the most demanding loads and its sound quality and striking design set it as an icon of a modern high-end audio electronics.

Thedesign isbasedonanexcellentdirectheated triode (DHT)SV811-10 inasingle-endedconfiguration,drivenbyanexcellent6S45P(6C45Π)tube.Highcapacitypowersupplyisdomi-nated by a custom, in-house made power transformer and choke. New generation of Trafomatic Double-C core output transformers ensures maximum linearity and wide frequency response.

ThePrimaverahasbalanced(XLR)andunbalanced(RCA)inputs,andthefollowingheadphoneoutputs:

One Neutrik 4-pin balanced connector,TwoNeutrik3-pinXLRconnectors One ¼” Neutrik connector

Outputimpedancecanbesetinthe25to600Ohmsrange,makingiteasytooptimizesoundquality for multitude of headphones.

HANDLING AND REPLACING VACUUM TUBESMany people have never had experience handling vacuum tubes. Process is very similar to hand incandescent light bulbs. As with the light bulbs, you should not touch a vacuum tube whenitisoperatingsinceyoucanburnyourself.Similarly,ifatubeisdroppedonahardsurfaceitmaybreakorchangecriticaloperatingparameters.Whenreplacingthetubesandremovingtheamplifier’scover,allowsufficient time,minimum30minutes, for tubes tocooldownandinternal 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 glassenvelopetobreak,causingthetubetolosethevacuumandailassoonastheamplifierispowered on. Carefully align the pins with the socket and gently insert the tube.

Never force a tube into a socket.

The Primavera is designed around the 6S45P (6C45Π) vacuum tube as a gain stage and SV811-10 as the power tube.Whenthetubesaredueforreplacement, it isbesttousethesame brand and model number.

ShouldyoudecidetobuyreplacementtubesfromTrafomatic Audio, rest assured that they are fully tested before the shipment.

PACKAGING

Savetheoriginalpackaginginadryplace.Thepackaginghasbeendesignedtoprotectyourdevicefromstressesincurredduringshipping.Usingpackagingdifferent fromtheoriginal in-creases risks of shipping damages

PREPARATION FOR USEPlaceyouramplifieronaflat,stablesurface.

Power switch, located on the left side of the unit should be in the OFF position.

Makesurethatthevoltageselectorswitch(locatedontherearpanel,nexttotheACinlet)isproperlyset;thisswitchneedstobesetsothatthenumberdisplayed(115or230)corre-sponds with the line voltage in your country.

Plug in the power cord.

Connect your audio source to the rear inputs of your Primavera. You may use balanced (XLR)orunbalanced(RCA)inputs.Itisnotrecommendedtousebothsetsofinputsatthesame time.

Ifsomeofyoursourcesrequiresignalgrounding(turntabletonearm,forexample),connectthewiretothegroundinglug(GND)ontherearpaneloftheamplifier.

Connect your headphones by using connectors on the front of the unit.

Make sure that volume control is set to minimum position.

Turn on the Primavera by using power switch located on the left side of the unit.

Slowlyincreasevolume,tomakesuretherearenounusualnoisescomingoutofthehead-phones.

CONGRATULATIONS!YouareallsetandreadytoenjoyhighsoundqualityofthePrimaveraHeadphoneAmplifier.

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CONTROLS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS FRONT PANELVolume control: regulates maximum outputs on headphone outputs.

Impedance selector: optimizesamplifier’sperformanceforwiderangeofheadphones.

As a general rule, select the impedance that is the best match for the headphones that are being used. It is possible to use different impedance setting, as that will result in slight changes in the sound.Whilehighimpedanceheadphonescanbeusedwiththelowimpedancesettings;forexample, 300 ohms headphones can be used with Primavera set to 50 ohms, however, it is not recommended that low impedance headphones are connected to the high impedance setting - using 40ohm headphones with 300 ohm setting will results in loss of resolution and increased distortion.

LEFT SIDE OF THE UNITPower ON/OFF switch: The switch turns the amplifier ON and OFF

Whenturningontheamplifier,makesurethatthevolumecontrolisatitsminimum.Theam-plifierwillbefullyfunctionalafteronly30seconds.However,asitwarmsupoverthefirst15minutes of operation, you may notice subtle improvements in the sound quality.

Attheendofyourlisteningsession,makesuretoturntheamplifieroff.Leavingitturnedondoes not improve sound quality and it reduces life of the vacuum tubes.

Theamplifiershouldalwaysbeturnedonandoffviaitsownpowerswitch.

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Volume control Output Impedance selector knobVU Meter

3 pin XLR connectors

Front view

4 pin XLR connector

6,3mm(1/4’) unbalanced connector

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:

Groundinglug(GND)

Unbalancedinputs(RCAconnectors)

Balancedinputs(NeutrikXLRconnectors)

Groundliftswitch(LIFTGND):insomeconfigurations,groundingofthesystemcanconfig-ure so called “ground loops”. In certain situation, this causes increased hum in the system. Groundliftswitchisusedtobreakthe“groundloop”whilemaintainingsafetyaffordedbyproper system grounding.

NOTE: never use the so called “cheater plugs” to remove ground from the system, as it createspotentiallyhazardousconditions.

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SERVICINGHigh quality parts and careful design of the Primavera 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.

CAUTIONLethalvoltagesarepresentinsidetheamplifier.Donotremovethepreamplifier’scovers.Ser-vicingoftheunitshouldbeperformedonlybyauthorizedservicepersonnel.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:PRIMAVERA-HEADPHONEAmplifier

Class of operation: Single-EndedDHT(classA)Tube complement: 2x6S45P,2xSV811-10Input impedance: 47 K ohmsInput sensitivity: 0.5VeffHeadphone output impedance: 25 – 50 – 100 – 300 – 600 OhmsInputs: XLRandRCAOutputs:

One Neutrik 4-pin balanced connector,TwoNeutrik3-pinXLRconnectorsOne ¼” Neutrik connector

Output Power: 9Winto50OhmGain: 33dBTHD: 0.2%,at0.5Wand1kHzS/N ratio: 88dBFrequency bandwidth: 10Hz(-1dB)–80kHz(-3dB)Input voltage: 230V/50Hz–115V/60HzswitchablePower consumption: 280VASize (WxDxH): 340x480x240 mmWeight: 30 kg

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