Valve Amplification Company Auricle Musicbloc Monoblock Tube Amplifier Instructions 12 November 2004 Please read carefully before installing Copyright 2004 by Valve Amplification Company. All rights reserved.
WELCOME Congratulations on your purchase of the VAC Auricle Musicbloc, and welcome to the family of VAC owners! Your VAC is designed not to the latest fad but to substance, providing the highest quality of sound. Time spent familiarizing yourself with this manual will be well rewarded. It is our goal to provide instruments of the highest quality, be informative to all of our customers, and to provide responsive, effective customer service. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of assistance.
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS & SAFETY NOTES 1. VACUUM TUBES BECOME HOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE SERIOUS BURNS. NEVER TOUCH A TUBE WHEN THE UNIT IS ON. IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES FOR THE TUBES TO COOL DOWN AFTER THE UNIT IS SWITCHED OFF. INSTALL THIS AMPLIFIER IN SUCH A WAY THAT PEOPLE, PETS, AND FLAMMABLE MATERIALS CAN NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE AMPLIFIER. 2. DO NOT EXPOSE CHASSIS TO MOISTURE. DO NOT PLUG INTO AN AC SOURCE UNTIL ALL CONNECTIONS ARE COMPLETED. 3.
INSTALLATION Physical requirements: 1) Provide Adequate Ventilation-Allow at least three inches of free air space above and two inches to either side of amplifier 2) Do not place the amplifier in a completely enclosed cabinet. If equipment cabinet has a solid front door, a “boxer” fan will be necessary to ensure proper airflow. 3) Do not stack other components (or any objects which could impede proper ventilation) on top of the amplifier.
Basic Hookup: 1) Connect a volume-controlled line-level source to the input RCA 2) Connect loudspeaker cables to the five-way binding posts on the rear panel. Make sure that all connections are tight (Do NOT over tighten, or damage to amplifier or speaker cable may result), and that heavy or bulky cables are properly strain-relieved. 4) Connect the AC power cord to the IEC connector on the rear panel.
Output Tube Bias Adjustment: Your amplifier has been shipped with the output tube bias properly set. Nonetheless, it should be checked when you install your amplifier and approximately once every month thereafter. It must also be adjusted each time a tube is replaced. Adjustment of the output tubes is quite easy, and requires only a small screwdriver. On the front panel are two bi-color LEDs, each with an adjacent adjustment control. View the LEDs from directly from above.
CHASSIS CARE Although your amplifier is extremely durable, its finish can be scratched, chipped or damaged if improperly treated. Cleaning with a soft, damp cloth while the amplifier is switched off and unplugged should restore the finish to its original lustre. Never clean with harsh or caustic cleansing agents. When shipping your amplifier, be certain to wrap the amplifier in the cloth, tissue or plastic wrap in which it was originally packaged.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TUBES It is true that each brand of tube sounds different in a particular high resolution circuit. This is because no two manufacturers make a tube type in quite the same way, and the central tendencies of the performance parameters will differ slightly with each maker. This sonic variability may at first seem a liability, but further thought will reveal that it is an advantage.
WARRANTY Your equipment is warranted for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of purchase. In addition, if the registration form is received by VAC along with a copy of your sales receipt from an authorized VAC dealer within this thirty days, a service contract will be extended to cover your equipment for three (3) years (tubes excepted). This warranty applies only to units sold in the United States of America through authorized VAC dealers and operated within the United States by the original owner.
VAC AURICLE MUSICBLOC REGISTRATION FORM mail to VAC soon as possible.
