Astin Trew AT 3000 Operation Manual

Hambleden Oxfordshire RG9 6SA Telephone: +44 [0]1491 414494 Facsimile: +44 [0]1491 413303 Email: [email protected] Website: www.astintrew.co.uk

up-sampling CD player with valve output amplifier 1. Introduction 2. Unpacking 3. AC mains supply 4. Safe use 5. Set up 6. Operation and remote control 7. Valve and fuse replacement 8. Troubleshooting 9. Specifications 10. Guarantee 11. CE, RoHS and WEEE 1 PAGE SECTION 2 2 2 2 3 3 9 10 11 11 12

the ASTINtrew upsampling valve buffered CD Player. This CD Player has been designed and manufactured to a very high specification making it a true audiophile product. It will give you many years of listening pleasure. The following notes explain all aspects of its functions and will help you get the very best from it. The ASTINtrew AT3000 CD Player uses both valve and solid-state devices within the design to offer an involving musical experience. As with all audio- phile products, the other components you use within the chain will also affect the quality of sound you experience. The AT3000 CD Player requires high quality ancillary components to give its best and works particularly well with other AT range products. 2. Unpacking Included with your ASTINtrew CD Player you will find: One mains lead with plug fitted One remote control One Alan key One instruction manual One spare fuse, located within fuse holder, see section 7 Please retain all packing materials. Re-packing may be necessary to trans- port your CD Player in the future with- out risk of damage to the equipment. 3. AC mains supply This amplifier is designed to work on a 220-240VAC supply only. 4. Safe use This CD Player generates some heat when switched on. Do not place on a carpet or any material where the amplifiers feet may sink into the sur- face, obstructing the ventilation slots on the underside of the unit. Entry of liquids into the CD Player is dangerous and may cause electric shock or fire hazard. The AT3000 should be located in a well ventilated area and kept away from sources of heat, dust, humidity and direct sunlight. Do not open the equipment at any time with the mains cable attached. Do not attempt to change or alter any component or part of this CD Player except for those which are user replaceable (see sections 6 and 7). Unauthorised adaptations will void the warranty and may damage the CD Player. This unit is listed as a class 1 laser 2

attempt to repair any part of the CD draw. Clean the outside surfaces with a dry lint free cloth. Some cleaning and pol- ishing agents may cause marking to the surface finishes. All electronics is susceptible to local lightening strikes affecting the mains cabling in your home. When not in use, the safest option is to remove the mains plug from the wall socket. 5. Set up The mains lead supplied with this prod- uct has an IEC mains socket which plugs into the IEC connector on the rear panel. The other end is fitted with an appropriate mains plug of your country. In the UK this is the stan- dard UK13A plug. The high-quality performance of this CD Player will be impaired if the elec- trical supply to it is in poor condition. We recommend that you use a high quality wall socket directly, or a multi- way socket unit designed for audio use. If you live in an area with very ‘dirty’ or variable mains supply, you may also wish to try a power supply conditioner to optimize fidelity. We recommend that you place the CD Player on a suitable rack, table or plat- form support, offering maximum isola- tion from mechanical vibration. The RCA phono output connections should be connected to an amplifier or audio equipment with an output vol- ume control. We recommend that you use high-quality signal cables for opti- mum performance. The digital signal output can be used into a DAC using a 50 ohm digital signal cable. See illustration on page 4. 6. Operation Control from facia. The CD Player power on-off switch is located on the left side of the front fascia. The blue LED light above the switch is illuminated when the Player is on. Some operating controls are switched from the front facia. See illustration on page 5. We recommend that the CD Player is turned on half an hour or more before use. This is not essential but we think it sounds better once the valve has ‘warmed up’. We do not recommend that you leave it on all the time but it will come to no harm if you do. From new, you will find that the AT3000 will need up to 100 initial hours use to achieve its optimum audiophile sound. Remote control. The remote control offers all the oper- ating functions except the power on/off switch. 3

when using. It will work up to 10Mtrs. from the CD Player and up to a 30 degrees either side of front panel. The remote will also operate the AT1000 pre-amplifier. The buttons will not work with any other equip- ment. See illustration on page 6. CD Player operation and display features. TURN ON: When the power switch is pressed on, the display screen will show ‘READ’ then after a few seconds ‘NO DISK’ or if a CD is in the draw, it will show the number of tracks and total playing time – example: ‘16-16 57:37’ UPSAMPLING: Press 24bit/98khz button on facia or remote to turn upsampling option on. Orange LED will illuminate on facia when in operation. With the upsam- pling on, you should hear an improved level of fidelity. Occasionally an upsam- pled CD may sound harsh, have too much high frequency energy or just sound ‘wrong’. Switch upsampling off in this case to compare. DISC PLAY: Press open/close button on facia or remote, screen display will show ‘OPEN’ and CD tray will open. Place CD onto tray with printed side face up. Press open/close button again, tray will close and screen display will show ‘READ’ then number of tracks and total playing time – example: ‘16-16 57:37’ When the number of tracks and total time is shown, for example: ‘16-16 57:37’ press play/pause button on facia or ➤/II on remote and track one will play, continuing on through all tracks sequentially. If the display then shows ‘NO DISK’ the CD may have been put in upside down, it may be too scratched or dirty to read, or it may not be a compatible CD ie. non compatible HDCD disk or DVD. Most HDCD’s are compatible with CD players, check HDCD instruc- tions on its disk cover. It is rare but possible for condensation to build on the laser lens to prevent its operation if the unit has been moved from a cold to a warm environment. You may note condensation on the CD Player casing as well. In this case, wait for the CD player to warm up and try again. PAUSE: Press play/pause button on facia or ➤/II on remote, display will show ‘II’ graphic and stop. Press again and the CD will continue. 7

mal play, press next button once on facia or ➤➤/➤➤II button on remote. To skip several tracks, press button several times, track selection will be shown on display. BACKWARD SKIP: To skip back to previous track during normal play, press prev button once on facia or II / button on remote. To skip several tracks, press button several times, track selection will be shown on display. FAST SEARCH: To fast forward search, hold down the ➤➤/➤➤II button on the remote. To fast backward search, hold down the II / button. Release the key and normal play resumes. When the player is in stop mode, press the ➤➤/➤➤II button on the remote to go forward one track and press the II / button to go back one. SCAN: Scan function allows you to preview first 10 seconds of each track on the CD in numeric order for selection pur- poses. Press scan button on remote, ‘scan’ will show on the display and scan will start with track 1. TRACK SELECTION: Press the numeric button 1-9 to select a track 1-9. To choose track 10 or higher, first press the button representing the tens place, then press button representing the ones place. Example: To choose track 14, press button 1 then press button 4. REPEATED PLAY: To continuously play the current track, press rep button on the remote once. The letter ‘T’ will show on the dis- play. To continuously play all tracks on the disk, press rep button on the remote twice. The letter ‘A’ will show on the display. To cancel repeat instruction, press rep button three times. SELECTED REPEAT: To repeat any part of the CD, at any time during play, press button A-B on the remote when you wish to start selection, display will show ‘A’. Press again when you wish to finish repeat selection, display will show ‘B’. CD will then continue to repeat selec- tion made, until A-B button is pressed again, retuning back to normal play. PROGRAMMED SELECTION: To programme up to 20 tracks in your preferred order. In stop mode press 8 ➤➤ ➤➤➤➤ ➤➤ ➤➤ ➤➤

period can be carried out by your deal- er or distributor. The high quality dual triode valve fitted in the AT3000 has been selected to offer an audiophile sound. If you wish to experiment with alterna- tive manufacturers’ valves after the warrantee period has expired, ensure that the factory fitted valve is replaced with a 6922 type only. Other valve types may damage the CD Player. If you attempt to replace the valve, the following instructions must be adhered to. Note: Dangerously high voltages are present inside the unit, when powered from the mains supply, that can KILL. NEVER open the CD Player when attached to the mains supply. A.Disconnect the AT3000 from all equipment and the mains supply. Place on a table or work bench with plenty of space around the CD Player. Note: Wait at least 1 hour before opening the top cover to allow the valve time to cool down. B.Undo the 10 x M3 Alan screws holding the top plate in position. Put the screws somewhere safe. C.Remove the top plate, place on a the prog button on the remote. Enter the first track required as per TRACK SELECTION instructions above. If you enter the wrong track, press the I button on the remote and re- enter. Then enter up to 19 more track selec- tions when the display will show ‘FULL’ and flash. Press the play/pause button on facia or ➤/II on remote to play selection. To cancel the programmed selection, press the prog button on the remote again. MUTE: Press the mute button on the remote and the display will show ‘MUTE’. The CD will continue to play silently. Press ‘MUTE’ again and the CD will again play. If you are using the ASTINtrew pre-amplifier, this will also mute as well. STOP: Press the stop button on the facia or I button on the remote to stop the CD. 7. Valve and fuse replace- ment. Replacing the valve in the unlikely 9

pins are not bent on the valve. Locate the pins onto the valve holder correctly by aligning the ‘spacing position’ on both valve and holder. Remove the white teflon valve damper from the old valve and replace on the new valve in the same position. Ensure no items such as tools are left in the CD Player, replace the top plate, not- ing the front and back screw positions are different, re-fit all 10 Alan screws. Take care not to over tighten and damage the screw head or key. Changing the fuse: The fuse holder is located on the back plate within the IEC mains socket casing. A spare 20mm glass 800mA fuse is located within the fuse carrier. The UK 13A plug is also fused. 8. Troubleshooting If the CD Player fails to work or you sus- pect it is not working properly, first check all connections to the amplifier or DAC. Check the power supply is on at wall, amplifier(s) and source components are switched on, loudspeaker cables are fit- ted and secured at both ends. Below are some common problems with suggestions. The list is not exhaustive. If you cannot resolve the problem yourself, please consult your appointed ASTINtrew dealer or distributor. non-scratch surface to prevent marking. You are now ready to replace the valve. Valve replacement. We recommend the valve is replaced every 20,000 hours. This is conser- vative and perhaps represents a two- thirds life expectancy for the quality valve in this design. The CD buffer amplifier uses a 6922 type valve only. There are a number of manufacturers offering this valve type. Spare ASTINtrew valves can be purchased through your dealer or distributor. Changing valves: Valves run HOT when in use. Wait an hour after switching the CD Player off before changing valves. The valve holder is attached to the printed cir- cuit board, and the spring terminals that hold the valve pins are strong, so care has to be taken not to damage the board or valve when removing or replacing them. Do not pull or push the valve straight into the holder. This could bend the circuit board and may result in damage. The correct way to remove / insert a valve is to pull / push gently whilst rocking slightly in a circular way (do not twist). 10

power cable is secure in the back of the CD Player. Remove power cable from CD Player and check the amplifier mains fuse located within the mains input socket housing. No output: Check cable connections to the amplifi- er. Check volume control setting on amplifier. Remote Control does not function: Batteries fitted wrong way round or exhausted. Too far away or at too acute an angle to sensor window. Remote not pointed at Player. Obstacle in front of the sensor window on the player. 9. Specifications Designation: AT3000 up-sampling CD Player with 6922 valve output. Power consumption: 60W Frequency response: - 3db 1-20,000 hz THD: 0.005% at line output (775mV nom) Signal to noise ratio: 110dB Valve 1 x 6922 valve (20,000 hrs recommended replacement period) Mains voltage: 220-240V at 50Hz. UK, mainland Europe and Asia. AT3000 Dimensions: W 430mm D 340mm Ht 110mm inc. feet. Boxed weight: 9.1 Kg ASTINtrew reserves the right to make improve- ments or changes which may result in specifica- tion or feature changes without notice. 10. Guarantee A two year guarantee is given and is valid from the date purchase, against any defect in materials or workman- ship. Retain your receipt as proof of purchase. All claims should be made through your dealer or distributor under this guarantee. The two year guarantee excludes: A. All damage caused by accident, misuse, neglect, incorrect installa- tion, adjustment, non-authorised repair, servicing or valve replace- ment. B. The valve. C. Liability for damage or loss during transit from the retailer or 11

its authorised agent for the purposes of repair or inspection. Carriage costs to ASTINtrew shall be borne by the consignor. If the returned equipment is found not to be faulty, ASTINtrew reserves the right to make a charge for both the examination and return carriage. In the event of a failure, neither Air Audio Ltd. t/a ASTINtrew or its dis- tributor or dealer shall be liable for any injury, loss or damage caused to prop- erty or products other than the prod- uct under warrantee. This guarantee does not affect your consumer rights under English law. 11. CE, RoHS and WEEE All ASTINtrew products comply with CE regulations. When implemented into UK legislation, all ASTINtrew products will comply with the RoHS Directive. When implemented into UK legislation, all ASTINtrew products can be returned after use in accordance with the WEEE Directive. Contact your Dealer for fur- ther information. 12