Dan D'Agostino PROGRESSION PREAMPLIFIER, Owner'S Manual

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Initial power-up of the preamplifier
To power-up the Progression Preamplifier, you need to use two switches. One is located on the
back of the power supply; this switch turns the AC power on so the power supply will be active.
The other is the Standby button located on the front of the preamplifier.
First, flip the switch on the back of the power supply to the On position. Then press the Standby
button on the front of the preamplifier. This will power up the preamplifier and illuminate
the volume indicators. After power is switched on, the Progression Preamplifier requires
approximately 30 minutes to reach optimal operating temperature. Although the preamplifier
will sound excellent upon initial listening, the sound quality will improve as it warms up.
Basic operation
The Progression Preamplifier offers basic functions on the front panel: Standby on/off, volume
up/down, zone, and source selection. The remote control adds balance, mute, and polarity
operation to these front panel functions.
Standby:
When the preamplifier is in standby (off) mode, the LED in the middle of the button
will be illuminated. Push the button to turn the unit on. When power is on, the LED in the middle
of the Standby button will go off, the multi-function meters, active source, and active zone(s) will
illuminate. Push the button again to return to standby. The volume indicator meters, source, and
zone LEDs will go out and the LED in the middle of the Standby button will illuminate again.
Volume:
Turn the volume knob clockwise to raise the volume and counterclockwise to lower it,
or use the /- buttons on the remote. The needles in the multi-function meters indicators
will move toward the right as you increase the volume and to the left as you decrease it. We
recommend you turn the volume down when you initially power up the system, and raise it only
when you are assured that all components in the system are operating properly.
Note: The Progression Preamplifier uses a high-accuracy relay-controlled stepped attenuator for
its sound quality and excellent left-to-right gain accuracy. This high-performance volume control
emits a small mechanical click as the volume setting is changed. This is normal operation and once
the changes have been made, no other sounds will be made by the control.
The multi-function meters display three pieces of information. During normal playback, the
meters function as signal level meters indicating average signal level of the music being played.
When volume or balance is adjusted, the meters indicate the settings of each function. The multi-
function meter reverts to signal level operation after volume or balance adjustment.
to a 12-volt input on any device that accepts a 12-volt DC control input and will move the
connected component to/from standby mode.
RS-232 input
This DB9-type input allows the preamplifier to be controlled by home automation systems that
use RS-232 protocol. Consult your D’Agostino Master Audio Systems dealer for more information.
Interconnect cables
We recommend the use of high-quality balanced XLR audio interconnect cables. If you have a
source device that does not offer XLR connections, use high-quality RCA cables. If you need
more adapters, please contact your D’Agostino Master Audio Systems dealer.
Connect the source devices (phono preamplifier, CD player, etc.) to the appropriate inputs.
Connect either RCA or XLR cable to the appropriate jack by pushing the plug into the jack. To
release an XLR plug, push on the small tab atop the jack and gently detach the plug. Never grasp
interconnect cables by the cable itself—you could damage the cable. Be sure to connect left
channel to left channel and the right channel to right channel. Note: The input labeled Phono is
a standard line level input and does not include the circuitry necessary for turntable playback.
You will have to add an external phono stage in order to use the Progression Preamplifier with a
turntable. We recommend our Momentum Phonostage but other phono stages may be used.
Now connect the Progression Preamplifier’s line outputs to your amplifier. Connect each XLR
cable to the input by pushing the cable onto the jack. To release the XLR cable, push on the small
tab on the top of the plug then grasp the cable by the plug and gently pull it out.
Optional DAC module
If the optional DAC module is installed in the Progression Preamplifier, connect the digital
sources to the appropriate input. (See detailed instructions on page 14.)
Power supply connector cable
The Progression Preamplifier is supplied with a special power connector cable that connects the
power supply to the preamplifier main chassis. The connectors are surrounded with a collar. To
connect them, pull back on the collar, push the connector onto the jack on the power supply or
the preamplifier, then release the collar. To disconnect them, slide the collar back to unlock the
connector, then pull the connector loose.
Note: Connect the power supply cable before you plug the power supply into an AC outlet.
Note: Either output on the Progression Preamplifier power supply may be used. They are
identical. The second output is for future development.
AC cord
The Progression Preamplifier power supply is supplied with a high-quality AC cord tipped with a
15-amp IEC connector at the preamplifier end and a three-conductor AC plug at the other end.
You may use a different power cord, as long as it is tipped with a 15-amp IEC connector and a
three-conductor AC plug. After the speaker, interconnect cables, and power supply connector
cable are connected, push the IEC connector on the power cord into the IEC jack on the
Progression Preamplifier. We recommend that you do not plug the Progression Preamplifier or
any other Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems product into a power strip or power conditioner.
12-volt trigger outputs
These 3.5 mm jacks transmit a 12-volt DC control signal. The 12-volt trigger output connects
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO THE PREAMPLIFIER
OPERATION