Owner’s Manual No53 Reference Power Amplifier
FCC Notice This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Important Safety Instructions 1. Read these instructions. 2. Keep these instructions. 3. Heed all warnings. 4. Follow all instructions. 5. Do not use this apparatus near water. 6. Clean only with a dry cloth. 7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other apparatus that produce heat. 9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug.
Mark Levinson Safety Terms & Symbols Terms in This Manual These terms may appear in this manual: Warning! Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in personal injury or death. Caution! Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in damage or destruction to part or all of the component.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................ 2 Product Description ................................................................... 2 What’s in the Box ....................................................................... 3 Product Registration ................................................................... 4 Installation Considerations ...................................................... 4 Unpacking ............
Mark Levinson Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Nº53 Reference monaural power amplifier. Totally redesigned and incorporating patented new technologies, the Nº53 outperforms even the esteemed Nº33 in both audio presentation and power performance. Product Description 2 The Mark Levinson® Nº53 Reference monaural power amplifier elevates amplifier performance to an entirely new level of excellence.
Nº53 Power Amplifier to maintain separation while minimizing critical current loop areas. The top compartment contains the control circuitry, also with its own independent regulated supplies and shielding from the heart of the amplifier. Special attention was made to critical signals that need to pass between different boards.
Mark Levinson What’s in the Box The Nº53 Reference monaural power amplifier includes: Item Quantity Nº53 Reference power amplifier 1 Nº53 owner’s manual (this document) 1 Heavy white gloves 2 pairs Cable with 3.5mm mini-plugs (for use with trigger) 1 Detachable AC power cord* 1 *varies by destination country Product Registration 4 Register your Nº53 online at www.marklevinson.com within 15 days of purchase. Retain the original, dated sales receipt as proof of warranty coverage.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Installation Considerations The Nº53 Reference power amplifier requires special care during installation to ensure optimal performance. Pay particular attention to instructions included in this section and to precautions included throughout this owner’s manual. Unpacking DO save all packing materials for possible future shipping needs. DO inspect the Nº53 for signs of damage during shipment.
Mark Levinson DO allow at least 6 inches (15.24cm) of clearance behind the amplifier so that the power cord and cables have space to bend without becoming crimped or strained. DO NOT place the Nº53 on a thick rug or carpet or cover the amplifier with a cloth, as this might prevent proper cooling. DO NOT obstruct the ventilation holes on the top and bottom of the unit or reduce airflow through the Nº53. DO NOT place the Nº53 near low-level components.
Nº53 Power Amplifier If this case occurs, consider installing a dedicated AC circuit for the home theater system. Contact a licensed electrician for assistance. If more than one AC circuit is providing power to the system, contact a licensed electrician to ensure that all components are operating with the same solid, low-impedance ground reference.
Mark Levinson Front Panel The front panel contains one LED and one button, as shown. Status LED Indicates the operating state of the Nº53 and provides basic diagnostic information when a fault condition occurs. Refer to the table below for descriptions of LED behavior. LED Behavior Description Fully lit Indicates that the amplifier is powered on. Slowly blinking Indicates that the amplifier is in Standby mode.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Rear Panel Control The Nº53 rear panel, shown on the left, provides power controls and all of the cable connections for the amplifier. Input The rear panel can be broken into four sections: Binding Posts Power Note • Control – includes connections for ML Net, Link2, and triggers, as well as the Power Save Mode switch. • Input – provides connections for the audio input. • Binding Posts – provide connections for the loudspeaker output.
Mark Levinson Loudspeaker Binding Posts The Nº53 has two pairs of custom-made, gold-plated, high-current “hurricane” loudspeaker binding posts; each pair connected directly to the output of the amplifier. The positive binding posts, labeled + (positive), are red; the negative binding posts are black and are labeled – (negative). Note Ensure when connecting the loudspeaker that at least one positive and one negative binding post is used. There is NO ground reference.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Control The control section of the Nº53 rear panel contains the Ethernet and Link2 ports, the Power Save Mode switch, and the trigger input and output. Trigger Input and Output The rear panel of the Nº53 has two trigger connectors – one input and one output. The trigger input can receive a 3-12Vdc signal from a connected component. The trigger output connects directly to the trigger input connector, enabling a daisy-chain of amplifiers to be controlled by a single trigger signal.
Mark Levinson Ethernet Port This connection is designed for use with proprietary Mark Levinson external controllers, such as ML Net, and for use with a web browser, or it provides serial port control. For a list of available serial commands, refer to the separate document Nº5 Series Power Amplifier Serial Protocol Definitions. The Ethernet port is a standard 10/100BaseT connection for use with external control and networking.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Network Setup The Nº53 reference power amplifier supports network connection through the Ethernet port. The Nº53 can connect to a network through use of a router or directly to a computer. The Nº53 can be: 1. Connected to a router with DHCP active – We highly recommend using this option. Since the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) automatically assigns the IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, setup is much simpler. 2.
Mark Levinson Computer Requirements The PC-compatible computer used to connect to the Nº53 must have the following software installed: • Windows® 2000 or Windows XP • Web browser (Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 or higher preferred) Note If DHCP is not active, then the computer must be set up with a static IP address. Refer to the “Setting Up the Computer” section found later in this manual for instructions.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Internal Web Page When connected to a computer, the Nº53 has an internal Web page that provides access to: • Network Setup – allows the user to modify the network setup parameters. Accessing the internal Web page is the ONLY way to modify the network setup parameters of the Nº53 amplifier. • Display Intensity – allows the brightness level of the Mark Levinson logo on the Nº53 front panel to be adjusted.
Mark Levinson • Connecting With DHCP (Recommended) DHCP – turns the DHCP capability on or off. When activated, DHCP assigns a unique IP address to the Nº53. The factory default value is On. We recommend leaving DHCP set to On. Use this procedure if you are using a router with DHCP active to connect to the amplifier. Otherwise, skip to the next procedure. 1. Connect the amplifier to the router, as described in the earlier “Connecting the Cables” procedure.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Network Setup for Windows XP 1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel. 2. Double-click on the Network Connections option. 3. Double-click on the Local Area Connection option. 4. Click the Properties button to open the Local Area Connection Properties menu. If the computer is not currently connected to an active network, Step 3 has already opened the Local Area Connection Properties menu. 5. Click on the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) line item so that it is highlighted. 6.
Mark Levinson 7. Select the “Use the following IP address” option. The IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway boxes are no longer grayed out and can now be modified. 8. Enter the following values: • IP address: 192.168.50.x – where x stands for a number other than 0, 4, or 255 • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 • Do not enter a value in the Default gateway parameter The computer must have a unique address and be on the same subnet as the amplifier. 9. Click “OK” to save and exit the menu. 10.
Nº53 Power Amplifier 8. Observe that the Status section of the Web page identifies the host name of the amplifier. The host name can be modified, but only the first eight characters are affected; anything after the underscore may not be modified. To change the host name of the amplifier: A. Type the new name into the white box to the right of the parameter. The new name must be made from the capital letters, A to Z, and the numbers, 0 to 9. Underscores may also be used. Only eight characters are allowed.
Mark Levinson 5. The Home tab of the amplifier’s internal Web page is now displayed. The tab is in red text to indicate that it is the current page. 6. Observe that the Status section of the Web page identifies the host name of the amplifier. The host name can be modified, but only the first eight characters are affected; anything after the underscore may not be modified. To change the host name of the amplifier: A. Type the new name into the white box to the right of the parameter.
Nº53 Power Amplifier ML Net The ML Net protocol allows you to control two or more Mark Levinson products simultaneously via the Ethernet port. Note Since ML Net operates through the use of a router and the Ethernet connection, all devices must have networking capability. Refer to the previous “Network Setup” section of this manual to set up the Nº53 for network operation.
Mark Levinson The figure below illustrates a typical ML Net setup: 22 If more devices are desired than the router can handle, connect the additional devices first to a switch, then connect the uplink of the switch to a normal port on the router. Discovering Slaves Before the master device can control any slave device, the slave device must be “discovered” and assigned to the master device.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Status Reporting The Nº53 slave(s) can report the following status information to the master device: • Temp (Temperature) – the current operating temperature of the amplifier(s). • Session Time – the amount of time that the amplifier(s) has been powered on. • Total On Time – the total amount of hours that the Nº53 amplifier(s) has been powered on since its manufacture.
Mark Levinson Link2 MASTER COMMUNICATION PORT AMPLIFIER The main purpose of the Mark Levinson Link2 protocol is to allow a single “master” device to control other “slave” devices. Refer to the product documentation of each Mark Levinson product to verify compatibility and cabling requirements. To use Link2, all devices are daisy-chained together as demonstrated in the figure on the left. Each “chain” can have only one master device; all other devices in the chain become slaves.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Troubleshooting Incorrect operation is sometimes mistaken for malfunction. If problems occur, use this section for troubleshooting information. If problems persist, contact your authorized Mark Levinson dealer. No Power (Standby LED is off) 1. Examine the power cord to ensure that it is connected to both the rear panel connector of the Nº53 and an electrical outlet. 2. Make sure the Nº53 is powered on with the rear panel Power switch. 3.
Mark Levinson rear panel Power switch, wait at least 10 seconds, then turn the Power switch on). If the fault cannot be resolved, contact your authorized Mark Levinson dealer or contact Mark Levinson customer service. Can’t Assign in ML Net No Response to Commands in ML Net You must assign the slave from the master device. Verify that the slave you want to assign is listed in the master device list and check its current state.
Nº53 Power Amplifier 5. Verify that the proxy server in the computer’s network setup is disabled. An active proxy server can interfere with the software upgrade procedure. 6. If the web browser cannot find the host name of the amplifier, verify the following: • Ensure that the local DNS server is properly configured. We recommend configuring the local DNS Server to “DNS Forwarding” mode. To configure the DNS Server, refer to the setup manual of the server.
Mark Levinson Fault Protection The Nº53 is designed to prevent damage to itself and associated components. These extensive features protect both the critical circuitry of the amplifier itself and shield connected loudspeakers from serious damage due to critical high-power levels. Basic protections designed into the Nº53 include fuses on the AC input line for each transformer to protect against excessive current conditions, such as driving shorted outputs.
Nº53 Power Amplifier Care & Maintenance The Nº53 requires routine care and maintenance to ensure optimal performance. The bulleted items indicate maintenance procedures that should be performed on a regular basis. Turn off the Nº53 and unplug the rear AC power cord before performing maintenance to the amplifer. Note Caution! Failure to perform the maintenance procedures included in this section may void the manufacturer’s warranty and/or standard repair policies.
Mark Levinson Specifications All specifications are subject to change without notice. Input & Output Connectors Control Connectors 30 • one balanced XLR input • one unbalanced RCA input • two pairs of “Hurricane” loudspeaker output binding posts with banana-plug sockets (banana-plug socket not available for some models) • two Link2 ports (one input and one output) • one Ethernet port • one 3.5mm mono (tip/sleeve) mini plug trigger input, 3-12Vdc • one 3.
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Mark Levinson Declaration of Conformity Application of Council Directive(s): 2004/108/EC and 2006/95/EC, as amended. Standard(s) to Which Conformity Is Declared: EN 55013:2001 + A1:2003 + A2:2006 EN 55020:2007 EN 61000-3-2:2006 EN 61000-3-3:1995 + A1:2001 + A2:2005 EN 60065:2002 Manufacturer: Harman Specialty Group 3 Oak Park Drive Bedford, MA 01730-1413 The equipment identified here conforms to the Directive(s) and Standard(s) specified above.
