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4

INSTALLATION - STEREO USE

01)

Install the vacuum tubes. Each tube or its box has a “V” number, which corresponds to the
labels on the top plate of the amplifier; these indicate where each tube should be installed.

Fit each tube into the matching socket.

When inserting and removing tubes, handle them by their bases, not by their glass bulbs. 

Note that there is a locator pin on the octal (eight contact) tubes that indicates proper
alignment.

02)

Connect input cables, either RCA types for unbalanced sources, or balanced XLR types for
balanced sources.

03)

Verify that the two “Balance / Single-Ended” switches are set to the same desired position.
Set the input type switch to XLR (for balanced input) or RCA (for single-ended input).

04)

If your amplifier is fitted with a MONO SWITCH, ensure that it is set to “STEREO”.

05)

Connect the speaker cables; the black lead goes to “-“ or “Ground”. The red lead goes to
“+” or “Positive”. Follow the labels for the impedance that best matches your loudspeakers.

06)

Connect a12 volt trigger cable into the socket on the back panel if desired; this allows the
amplifier to be turned on and off by an external device.

07)

Provide adequate ventilation - allow at least 3 inches above and to each side.

08)

Do not place in a completely enclosed cabinet. Do not stack other equipment on top of the
VAC unit.

09)

Do not operate on carpet or any other surface that might block air flow.

10)

The chassis will become hot in normal use.

11)

Do not allow the chassis to touch any metal parts, such as the frame of an equipment rack.
This might create a parallel ground path that could degrade the sound of your system.

12)

Connect the power cord to the power source indicated on the rear panel (will be either
100, 120, 220, or 240 volts AC).  Voltage conversions must be done at the factory of by
an authorized VAC importer.

13)

Avoid power conditioners that float the ground pin.

14)

Power requirements are approximately 600 watts. Pay close attention to power quality, and

Summary of Contents for ?200 Phi Two Hundred

Page 1: ...F200 The VAC Phi Two Hundred Stereo Beam Power Amplifier Operation Maintenance Information Valve Amplification Company Manual issued 01 02 2009 Revised 03 11 2009 01 21 2010...

Page 2: ...y high voltage and could present a serious possibly lethal shock If a tube breaks unplug the amplifier and wait 30 minutes then remove the tube Keep flammable objects away from the amplifier DO NOT LE...

Page 3: ...nstalling New Output Tubes Biasing Checking Output Tube Condition Replacement of Low Level Tubes Care Of Chassis Tips and Advice A Word About Tubes in General Output Tubes Low Level Tubes Impedance Ma...

Page 4: ...r circuit extremely fast and vivid sound is achieved from both single ended and balanced sources The Phi 200 may be used as a 100 watt channel stereo amplifier or can be connected as a 200 watt monoph...

Page 5: ...d goes to or Positive Follow the labels for the impedance that best matches your loudspeakers 06 Connect a12 volt trigger cable into the socket on the back panel if desired this allows the amplifier t...

Page 6: ...age to your loudspeakers or the amplifier Do not operate the amplifier without a loudspeaker or load resistor attached Do not allow anything to touch the tubes in normal operation they become very hot...

Page 7: ...s MONO CONNECTION without Mono Switch option early production units For 200 watt mono operation 1 Connect identical input signals to the two input jacks It is possible to use a Y adapter to do this or...

Page 8: ...amplifier off when you are not listening Any time that the VAC Power Amplifier has not been used for a few weeks the sound may be different This is also normal for high resolution audio equipment Opti...

Page 9: ...plifier first turns on at 60 seconds 90 seconds two minutes and five minutes In the earliest checks set the bias so that the meter read a bit to the left of center Final setting should be made after 1...

Page 10: ...lightly Do NOT touch the tubes themselves as they are hot enough to cause serious burns NOTE Some versions of KT88 will evidence a dull orange glow over a small percentage of the tube s anode see phot...

Page 11: ...ement tubes are available from VAC and other sources For further information refer to Tips Advice A Word About Tubes in General and Tips Advice A Word About Low Level Tubes CARE OF CHASSIS VAC chassis...

Page 12: ...of a tube amplifier can select those tubes which sound like the real thing in his her specific system Of course if the manufacturer you prefer is rare you may want to purchase a few spare tubes for th...

Page 13: ...er and driver tubes in the Phi is the 6SN7 medium mu octal twin triode Your amplifier is fitted with the current production VAC Tested 6SN7 from China which we find superior to the NOS types we have t...

Page 14: ...vary over a wide range experimentation is essential Most speakers have a rated impedance of 4 or 8 ohms We recommend starting with the 8 ohm connection after you know the sound if that connection try...

Page 15: ...z using the normal RCA input jack there are several steps you can take 1 Use the shortest interconnects possible 2 Use interconnects with good shielding properties 3 Keep the audio cables as close tog...

Page 16: ...it measures good and sounds bad it is bad If it measures bad and sounds good you ve measured the wrong things For those concerned with test bench performance the following describes typical measured p...

Page 17: ...___________ ________________________________________________________________________ Telephone _______ _______ _____________ e mail __________________________________ Dealer name _____________________...

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