Musical Fidelity A300 User manual

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 1

of 9

INTRODUCTION

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

Thank you for purchasing the Musical Fidelity

A300 remote control integrated Amplifier.

Used properly and carefully, it should give you many

years of outstanding musical reproduction.

The A300 operates in Class A/B which in our experience

offers the ultimate in musical accuracy and pleasure.

The A300 is based on ideas and principles developed

in the legendary XA1 Integrated amplifier

but with subtle changes and improvements.

Aesthetically, the A300 is a perfect match for the

A3 CD player and the A3 FM Tuner.

Together, they form one of the finest hi-fi systems

that you can own today.

Dust regularly with a soft duster or soft brush but be

careful using cleaning or polishing agents - they may

harm the surface finish.

If you have any questions about anything in your

audio system, please consult your dealer who is there to

help and advise you.

A300

DUAL MONO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

issue 3/13.07.2000

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 2of 9

SAFETY INFORMATION

IMPORTANT!

This unit is supplied in the U.K. with a mains lead fitted with a moulded 13 amp plug.

If, for any reason, you need to cut off this plug, please observe the following safety precautions.

Please dispose of the cut-off plug safely. It must not be plugged into a mains power supply.

The wires in the mains lead supplied with this appliance are coloured in accordance

with the following code:

Green and yellow..............Earth

Blue...............................Neutral

Brown................................Live

WARNING - This appliance must be earthed

As the colours of the wires of the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the

coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured green-and-yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug

which is marked with the letter E or coloured green or green-and-yellow, or by the earth

symbol.

The wire which is coloured brown must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the

letter L or coloured red.

The wire which is coloured blue must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the

letter N or coloured black.

If connecting to a BS1363 plug, a 13 amp fuse must be used.

WARNING - Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)

This hi-fi product has been tested to ensure that its operation will not be adversely affected by

normal background levels of RFI. It is possible that if this product is subjected to abnormally

high levels of RFI the unit may be susceptible and not perform as expected. In the unlikely

event of this happening on a regular basis, please contact Musical Fidelity's service department.

The unit has also been tested to ensure that it does not radiate excessive levels of RFI that could

affect other pieces of electronic or electrical equipment.

The electronics in modern hi-fi equipment is complex and hence may be damaged by lightning.

It is possible that during electrical storms the operation of some equipment may be adversely

affected. For complete protection of your hi-fi system during such storms, mains plugs and aer-

ial leads should be disconnected.

Always ensure that when disconnecting and re-connecting your hi-fi equipment the mains

supply is switched off.

issue 3/13.07.2000

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 3of 9

GENERAL ADVICE

INSTALLATION PRECAUTIONS and USER INFORMATION

Your new A300 is designed and built to provide trouble-free performance but as with all elec-

tronic devices it is necessary to observe a few precautions.

Heed all warnings on the back of the unit.

Only connect the A300 to a mains outlet of the voltage marked on the back of the unit.

Position the mains lead, speaker leads and signal interconnects where they are not likely

to walked on or trapped by items placed on them.

Do not use near water.

Do not place the unit near direct heat sources such as radiators or other equipment that

produces heat.

Do not place the unit where it can be subjected to direct sun-light.

Do not remove any covers or try to gain access to the inside. The warranty is invalid if

the unit has been tampered with. There are no user adjustments within. Refer all service

work to an authorised Musical Fidelity agent.

Dust regularly with a soft duster or soft brush but be careful when using cleaning or

polishing agents -they may harm the surface finish.

There are fuses in the A300. In the unlikely event that one blows, take your unit to your

audio dealer. Do NOT try to replace the fuse yourself or you will invalidate the warranty.

The remote control enables you to activate the main functions of the amplifier from the comfort

of your armchair. The following should be noted when operating the amplifier using the remote

control.

- Point the remote control (transmitter) towards the I.R. lens (infra red) on the amplifier.

- Visual contact must exist between the transmitter and receiver.

- If the range of the remote control decreases dramatically, replace the

batteries with new ones.

Before Switching on the Stereo System

Please read carefully the instructions on the following pages. The functional arrangement of

the controls makes the stereo system fairly easy to operate. You should nevertheless study

these instructions to get the best from your equipment.

Important! Unauthorised opening of the equipment will invalidate any warranty claims.

Note: To help your dealer identify your amplifier if after-sales service is required, please quote

the serial number located on the rear panel of the unit.

issue 3/13.07.2000

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 4of 9

CONNECTIONS AND FACILITIES

AUX SACD

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

A300 front panel layout

1Power on indicator LED

2Power on/off switch

3Volume control

4Infra red receiver

5Phono input select button and LED

6CD input select button and LED

7Tuner input select button and LED

8AUX input select button and LED

9SACD input select button and LED

10 TAPE input select button and LED

11 Tape monitor button and LED

A300 back panel layout

12 RIGHT speaker output

13 Phono earth connection

14 MM/MC selection switch

15 Phono input

16 CD input

17 Tuner input

18 AUX input

19 SACD input

20 TAPE input

21 TAPE RECORD output

22 PREAMP output

23 LEFT speaker output

24 IEC mains inlet

POWER

PHONO CD TUNER AUX SACD TAPE

TAPE MONITORI R RECIEVER

1 2 3 5 4 6 7 8 9 11 10

issue 3/13.07.2000

CONNECTIONS

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 5of 9

LOUDSPEAKERS

To get a realistic soundstage and full

dynamic range from your A300, use it with

loudspeakers of a reasonable efficiency

and high power handling. We recommend

power handling of at least 150W. An aver-

age rating for a loudspeaker these days is

about 88dB. This should mean that for an

input of 1 watt, measured at 1 metre dis-

tance, the sound pressure output will be

88dB. This is the minimum efficiency that

we recommend you should use.

BEFORE YOU SWITCH ON

You should make all connections to the

A300 before switching on.

Follow this routine before you listen for

the first time, and each time you change

any connections.

1Check all the inputs and outputs to

the A300.

2Then check again.

3Turn the volume control to

minimum.

4Now you can switch on the power

and carefully advance the volume to

the level you want and enjoy the

music.

CONNECTIONS

All connections should be made with the

power OFF.

The A300 has 1 phono input which can be

used for either moving magnet (MM) or

moving coil (MC) cartridges.

The A300 also has 5 line level inputs -

CD, Tuner, Aux, SACD, and Tape.

All line level inputs are electrically identi-

cal and are suitable for use with any source

component with an output voltage in the

hundreds of millivolts (mV). This includes

CD players, Super Audio CD players

(SACD), tuners, tape machines and the

audio outputs of video recorders, televi-

sions, DVD and LaserDisc players etc.

WARNING

THE A300 IS A POWERFUL

AMPLIFIER AND IS DESIGNED

TO SUPPLY HIGH VOLTAGES

AND HIGH CURRENTS

THROUGH THE LOUDSPEAKER

TERMINALS. THEREFORE TO

AVOID ANY POSSIBILITY OF

AN ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT

TOUCH THE SPEAKER TERMI-

NALS WHEN THE UNIT IS

BEING USED.

issue 3/13.07.2000

OPERATION

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 6of 9

REMOTE CONTROL

The A300 features Infra Red remote con-

trol of volume, input selection and mute

functions via the supplied remote control

handset. The Infra Red receiver is the

small red lens marked I.R.Receiver. situat-

ed on the front panel. It is important to

ensure that when operating the remote con-

trol, the line-of-sight from the remote to

the infra red receiver is not obstructed.

Pressing the volume up or down buttons on

the remote handset will advance the

motorised volume control in the desired

direction.

Input selection can also be controlled with

the remote handset.

The mute button on the remote handset

mutes the output. To show the amplifier is

muted the red LED in the volume control

goes out. Press the mute button again to

switch the mute off, the red led will light

again.

PREAMP OUTPUT

The A300 has a permanently active pre-

amp output situated on the back panel.

This provides extra flexibility for use in

multi-room or surround-sound systems etc.

This signal comes from the A300's internal

preamp and its output level is thus con-

trolled by the front panel volume control.

This output allows easy upgrading by pas-

sive bi-amping with a pair of X-A50s or

X-A200s.

To bi-amp (which requires bi-wireable

speakers) an extra pair of X-ponent ampli-

fiers is attached to this permanent preamp

output.

The A300's built in power amps can then

for instance drive the left and right channel

tweeters whilst the X-A50s or X-A200s

drive the left and right channel bass units.

Passive bi-amping in this way can give

noticeable gains in clarity, imaging and

bass weight.

If you would like further details please

contact your dealer or Musical Fidelity

directly.

issue 3/13.07.2000

OPERATION

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 7of 9

PHONO

The A300 has a phono input for turntables

fitted with either a moving magnet car-

tridge (MM) or a moving coil cartridge

(MC). Use the MM/MC push button

switch to select the type of cartridge that is

fitted to you turntable.

IMPORTANT NOTE Do not operate

the MM/MC switch with the volume

turned up.

Some turntable/pick-up arm combinations

are fitted with an extra wire called a chas-

sis earth, which should be connected to the

green gold terminal on the back of the

amplifier.

TAPE RECORDING

The A300 has a single tape circuit with

facilities for off-tape monitoring with 3-

head cassette decks.

Connection of your tape machine to the

A300 should be as follows. The tape

machine's Tape/Line outputs go to the

A300's 'Tape' input sockets.

The tape machine's Tape/Line inputs go to

the A300's 'Tape Record' output.

To record, simply select the required

source with the source selector button on

the front panel. The selected source will

now be sent to the 'Tape Record' output for

recording by the attached tape machine.

You will also be able to hear the selected

source through the loudspeakers.

Note - you can adjust the listening level

with the volume control without affecting

the recording level.

OFF TAPE MONITORING

In conjunction with a 3-head cassette deck,

off-tape monitoring allows the user to

compare the recorded to original sound

whilst a recording is made. To do this,

first select the required source in the nor-

mal way and start recording. The Tape

Monitor button on the front panel can now

be used to switch between the source sig-

nal and the recorded signal allowing direct

comparison.

The red LED just above the tape monitor

button indicates that tape monitor is select-

ed.

Note that tape (the recorded signal) is

selected when the LED is lit. On some 3-

head cassette decks there is an additional

'tape/source' switch which will need to be

in the 'tape' position for the above to work

If you are in any doubt consult your tape

machine's manual.

issue 3/13.07.2000

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 8of 9

TROUBLESHOOTING

Problem Probable Cause Remedy

No power when POWER

is pressed Mains plug not inserted

correctly Plug in securely

No sound Volume control is set

to minimum Turn up the volume

Wrong input selected Select correct input

Mute is selected Press mute button on

remote control

Unit has not yet come out

of power-up mute Wait 10-15 seconds on

power-up for unit to

un-mute

Tape Monitor button is

depressed Press Tape monitor

button

Speakers are not connected,

or are connected incorrectly Check speaker cables

Sound is not precise,

lacking in bass and

stereo image

Speakers are connected

out of phase Make sure that both

speakers are connected

correctly

Remote control unit will

not operate POWER switch set to OFF Set switch to ON

Batteries not inserted in

remote control unit Insert batteries

Batteries flat Change batteries

Remote control not pointed at

IR receiver lens Ensure line of sight

between remote control

and IR receiver lens is not

obstructed

Range of remote control

has dramatically reduced Batteries running out Change batteries

Basic troubleshooting of an amplifier is similar to troubleshooting of any other electrical or

electronic equipment. Always check the most obvious possible causes first. To give you a few

ideas of what to look for, check the following:

If none of these actions effect a cure, please contact your dealer, or an authorised Musical

Fidelity service agent. Remember, never open the case of the A300 yourself, as this will invali-

date the guarantee.

issue 3/13.07.2000

Power Output 150 watts per channel into 8 Ohms

260 watts per channel into 4 Ohms

THD < 0.008% at 1KHz

< 0.005% at 1KHz (‘A’ weighted)

Frequency response 20Hz - 20KHz +0.5dB

Inputs 1 phono 5 line level

Outputs Speaker outputs, Tape out, Preamp out.

Input sensitivity (line inputs) 300mV (for full output)

Input sensitivity (MM input) 3.5mV (for full output)

Input sensitivity (MC inputs) 350uV (for full output)

Input impedance (line inputs) 100KOhm

S/N Ratio (line inputs) > 83dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 1W)

> 100dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 150W)

S/N Ratio (MM) > 78dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 1W)

> 82dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 150W)

S/N Ratio (MC) > 70dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 1W)

> 73dB ‘A’ weighted (Ref 150W)

Power consumption 600W Max

Dimensions Amplifier 440 x 116 x 400mm (W x H x D)

Height includes feet, Depth includes terminals

Power requirements 100/115/230V AC 50/60Hz

(Factory preset)

Weight 16 kg (un-boxed)

A300 Instructions for Use. Page 9of 9

Musical Fidelity reserves the right to make improvements which may result in specification or feature changes without notice.

SPECIFICATIONS

A300

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

issue 3/13.07.2000

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