Owner’s Manual Nº432 Nº431
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
Important Safety Instructions Please read all instructions and precautions carefully and completely before operating your Mark Levinson power amplifier. 1. ALWAYS disconnect your entire system from the AC mains before connecting or disconnecting any cables, or when cleaning any component. 2. This product must be terminated with a three-conductor AC mains power cord that includes an earth ground connection. To prevent shock hazard, all three connections must ALWAYS be used. 3.
From all of us at Mark Levinson, thank you for choosing a Mark Levinson Power Amplifier. 4 3 Oak Park Bedford, MA 01730-1413 USA Telephone: 781-280-0300 Fax: 781-280-0490 www.marklevinson.com Customer Service Telephone: 781-280-0300 Sales Fax: 781-280-0495 Service Fax: 781-280-0499 Product Shipments 16 Progress Road Billerica, MA 01821-5730 USA Part No. 070-630670 | Rev 4 | 05/04 “Mark Levinson” and the Mark Levinson logo are registered trademarks of Harman International Industries. U.S.
Table of Contents Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Product Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Installation Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unpacking Warning! DO NOT attempt to lift or move the Nº432/431 without adequate assistance. Failure to follow the procedures included in this section may result in personal injuries and/or product damage. The Nº432/431 are massive power amplifiers. The Nº432 ships at 125 pounds (57kg) and the Nº431 ships at 105 pounds (48kg). Rear panel handles are provided for safe, convenient lifting and moving. Proper lifting requires at least two people.
Installation Considerations The Nº432/431 requires special care during installation to ensure optimal performance. Pay particular attention to the precautions included in this section and to other precautions included throughout this owner’s manual. Placement • DO review “Important Safety Instructions” and “Power Requirements” before installing the Nº432/431. • DO place the Nº432/431 on a solid, flat, level surface such as a table, shelf, or floor OR bolt the Nº432/431 into a rackmounting system.
Ventilation • DO select a dry, well-ventilated location out of direct sunlight. • DO allow at least a 2 to 3-inch (5 to 8cm) clearance above the Nº432/431 for proper heat dissipation through air circulation. The Nº432/431 is designed for passive, convection cooling. • DO NOT obstruct the ventilation holes on the top and bottom of the Nº432/431 or reduce airflow through the Nº432/431.
The Nº432/431 is capable of passing remarkable musical signals regardless of signal and loudspeaker demands. On either an instantaneous or continuous basis, these power amplifiers can drive exceptional power levels into most all loudspeaker loads. Depending on listening habits, loudspeaker demands, and the number of power amplifiers present in the system – it is possible for the electrical service to become the limiting performance factor.
Operating States The Nº432/431 has four operating states: 1. Off Power is disconnected from the ~ac mains connector. 2. Sleep Mode Power is connected to a small power supply, communication circuits, and control circuits. When taken out of sleep mode, the Nº432/431 requires a brief warm-up and break-in period. In sleep mode, the Nº432/431 consumes less than 15W of power. 3. Standby Power is connected to the main power supply and voltage gain stages.
Special Design Features Thank you for purchasing the Nº432/431 Power Amplifier. While these amplifiers are straightforward in everyday use, they include several design features that are responsible for their outstanding performance. In particular, these amplifiers defy the accepted wisdom that it is impossible to design a large, powerful amplifier that also has all the finesse of the finest smaller amplifiers. A few of the technical highlights that make this possible are described below.
Extensive Protection The Nº432/431 is designed to shut itself down if it senses any of a number of fault conditions that could cause damage to itself or to associated loudspeakers.
DUAL MONO AMPLIFIER Nº432 standby power 1 2 3 Front Panel The numbers in the front panel illustration shown above correspond with the numbered items that begin below. 1. Indicator LED Indicates the operating state of the Nº432/431 and provides diagnostic information when a fault condition occurs. LED Behavior Description Fully lit Indicates that the power amplifier is powered “on.” Slowly blinking Indicates that the power amplifier is in standby.
2. Power Button Powers the Nº432/431 on and off when the power cord is connected to the ~ac mains connector and an electrical outlet. When the Nº432/431 is powered on, pressing and releasing the power button disconnects power from the ~ac mains connector and powers the Nº432/431 off. When the Nº432/431 is powered off, pressing and releasing the power button connects power to the ~ac mains connector and powers the Nº432/431 on. If the power save mode switch is set to on, the Nº432/431 enters sleep mode.
1 7 3 5 2 8 3 2 1 LEFT CHANNEL RIGHT CHANNEL outputs outputs inputs 1 control control input control trigger trigger in out power save mode on inputs 1 off ~ ac mains 2 4 2 6 9 4 Rear Panel The numbers in the rear panel illustration shown above correspond with the numbered items that begin below. Caution! Never make or break connections to the Nº432/431 unless it and all associated components are powered off and disconnected from electrical outlets.
Caution! NEVER connect power amplifier outputs to any component other than a loudspeaker. NEVER short-circuit power amplifier outputs. NEVER connect power amplifier outputs to another power amplifier’s outputs. For best performance, use high-quality loudspeaker cables. To connect these cables, use a high-quality spade or hook lug soldered to the cable or crimped to the cable with extremely high pressure.
4. Balanced Input Provides left and right-channel audio input. One stereo XLR connector is available to accept balanced input signals from an associated preamplifier. For best performance, use balanced connections whenever possible. Refer to the illustration below and to the associated preamplifier documentation to ensure that Nº432/431 XLR input pin assignments correspond to the associated preamplifier XLR output pin assignments.
7. trigger in and out connectors Provide DC trigger control. One 1/8-inch mini-jack labeled trigger in is available to receive 12 or 5V DC signals from a connected component, and one 1/8-inch mini-jack labeled trigger out is available to pass these signals along to a connected power amplifier. The illustration below shows tip polarity requirements. 5 to 12V, positive tip polarity Connect the trigger in connector on the Nº432/431 to the trigger out connector on a compatible component.
9. ~ac mains connector Provides power to the Nº432/431 through the supplied power cord when the supplied power cord is connected to the ~ac mains connector and the electrical outlet. One IEC-standard AC mains receptacle labeled ~ac mains is available. Note Warning! Before operating the Nº432/431, make sure the ~ac mains connector label indicates the correct operating voltage for the current location. The Nº432/431 has been safety-tested and designed for operation with a three-conductor power cord.
Linking Linking is available for all Mark Levinson components that offer Link or communication ports, including master, slave in, slave out, , input, and control communication ports. These communication ports can be used to “link” compatible Mark Levinson components in a slave chain, allowing them to share Link controls. The Nº432/431 offers two communication ports labeled input and control.
Constructing Link Communication Cables Note Link communication cables can be constructed using an 8-conductor modular telephone cable with the appropriate plug crimped on each end. • Use an 8-pin RJ-45 plug when connecting to a preamplifier. RJ-45 plugs provide an 8-pin connection. • Use a 6-pin RJ-11 plug when connecting to a power amplifier. RJ-11 plugs provide a 6-pin connection in which connector pins 7 and 8 are not used.
• Note Must include components that are connected in a certain order to prevent communication from terminating. Power amplifiers such as the Nº432/431 must be the last components in a slave chain. The slave chains in this section include preamplifiers and power amplifiers. However, slave chains can also include digital audio processors and digital transports. Refer to the appropriate documentation for information about including these Mark Levinson components in a slave chain.
Refer to the table on the previous page and to the illustration below for additional assistance. Nº320S Preamplifier Step A: Connect the (or slave out) communication port on the preamplifier to the input communication port on the first power amplifier. input control Nº432 Power Amplifier Step B: Connect the control communicatio port on the first power amplifier to the input communication port on the second power amplifier.
4. Take the linked preamplifier out of standby. • Link Controls All linked power amplifiers should come out of standby as well. If this does not occur, repeat steps 3 and 4. If problems persist, contact Mark Levinson Customer Service at 781280-0300 or www.marklevinson.com. Linking Mark Levinson components allows them to share certain controls. The table below provides a general description of controls the Nº432/431 shares with other linked components.
Troubleshooting Incorrect operation is sometimes mistaken for malfunction. If problems occur, refer to this section for troubleshooting information. If problems persist, contact Mark Levinson Customer Support at 781-280-0300 or www.marklevinson.com. 1. No audio and the front panel indicator LED is not lit. Danger! • Examine ~ac mains connections to ensure the power cord is connected to the ~ac mains connector and the electrical outlet. • Make sure the Nº432/431 is powered on with the power button.
3. No audio and the front panel indicator LED is blinking slowly. • The Nº432/431 is in standby. To take it out of standby, press and release the standby button. The Nº432/431 will power on. 4. No audio and the front panel indicator LED is blinking rapidly, remaining lit most of the time. • Examine ~ac mains connections to ensure the power cord is connected to the ~ac mains connector and the electrical outlet.
7. No audio and the front panel indicator LED is lit at full brightness. • The Nº432/431 is powered on, but is not passing a signal. Examine signal cables to ensure a solid connection between the Nº432/431 and the associated preamplifier and loudspeakers. 8. The amplifier keeps powering off. • A fault condition may be present at the input (e.g., a DC signal from the preamplifier) or the output (e.g., shortcircuited loudspeaker wires). If this occurs: a. Power the Nº432/ 431 off with the power button.
Care & Maintenance The Nº432/431 requires routine care and maintenance to ensure optimal performance. The bulleted items included in this section indicate maintenance procedures that should be performed on a regular basis. Note Failure to perform the maintenance procedures included in this section may void the manufacturer’s warranty and/or standard repair policies. • Use a feather duster or a low-pressure blower to remove dust from the Nº432/431 exterior surface.
Specifications The correlation between published specifications and performance is unreliable. Measurements of your amplifier yield excellent results by any standards. However, only those specifications that apply to its actual operation are included here. All specifications are subject to change at any time.
Declaration of Conformity Application of Council Directive(s): 89/336/EEC and 73/23/EEC, as amended. Standard(s) to which Conformity is Declared: • EN 55103-1:1996 • EN 55103-2:1996 • EN 60065:1998 Manufacturer: Harman Specialty Group 3 Oak Park Bedford, MA 01730-1413 USA The equipment identified here conforms to the Directive(s) and Standard(s) specified above.
Dimensions, Nº432 17.75" 45.09 cm 6.97" 17.7 cm DUAL MONO AMPLIFIER Nº432 standby 7.65" 19.4 cm power 3.31" 8.4 cm 5.375" 13.7 cm 17.5" 44.45 cm 5.25" 13.3 cm 31 18.5" 47 cm 19.83" 50.37 cm LEFT CHANNEL RIGHT CHANNEL outputs outputs inputs 1 control control input control trigger trigger in out power save mode on inputs 1 off 6.75 " 17.
Dimensions: Nº431 17.75" 45.09 cm 5.22" 13.3 cm DUAL MONO AMPLIFIER Nº431 standby 5.91" 15 cm power 3.31" 8.4 cm 5.375" 13.7 cm 17.5" 44.45 cm 5.25" 13.3 cm 18.5" 47 cm 32 19.83" 50.37 cm LEFT CHANNEL RIGHT CHANNEL outputs outputs inputs 1 control control input control trigger trigger in out power save mode on inputs 1 off 2 2 ~ ac mains 5.8 " 14.
Rack-Mounting If you need or prefer to rack mount your amplifiers, contact your Mark Levinson dealer about the optional rack mount kit. This purpose-designed assembly provides the needed ventilation for the heat sink “chimneys” of the amplifiers, as well as the support required for this heavy component.
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3 Oak Park, Bedford, MA, 01730-1413 USA | Telephone: 781-280-0300 | Fax: 781-280-0490 | www.marklevinson.com Customer Support: Telephone: 781-280-0300 | Sales Fax: 781-280-0495 | Service Fax: 781-280-0499 Product Shipments: 16 Progress Road, Billerica, MA 01821-5730 USA Part No.
