SLP-2002 USERS MANUAL
Congratulations Cary Audiophile!
All of us at Cary Audio thank you for buying an SLP-2002 preamplifier for your home
audio system. This design has many innovative features to offer ease of use and superb
reproduction of your favorite music.
This preamplifier includes fully balanced vacuum tube circuitry with dual triode 6922 and
5814 tubes. The remote volume control uses an Alps four gang motorized volume
potentiometer, chosen for both its intrinsic sound quality and its remote control
convenience. We have XLR balanced or RCA unbalanced connections for the Cinema
bypass and RCA or XLR inputs for the CD player and the main preamplifier outputs.
The circuit uses five fully regulated power supplies. Proper operation of the preamplifier
power supply circuits is confirmed by red or green LED’s that are mounted on the
power supply PCB board, visible through perforations in the top panel.
This is our first balanced circuit preamplifier. As such, we felt we should offer a new way
to mix stereo and home theater surround sound systems together. The Cinema bypass
input allows this to happen. Connect the main Left and Right outputs from your home
theater processor to the Cinema bypass inputs. You can have musical, superb
reproduction of your two-channel source material or surround sound from your
processor in this way. Connect your CD player to the SLP-2002 for 2 channel stereo
playback. We naturally suggest using a Cary Cinema P 8 surround processor due its
XLR analog bypass capability for two channel listening! The Cinema Bypass input will
pass a signal when the SLP-2002 preamplifier is On or Off, exactly as its’ name implies.
For audiophiles with balanced design CD players and power amplifiers, the balanced CD
input on the SLP-2002 allows you to have a balanced system, from the input source to
the power amplifier. Balanced cables offer excellent shielding from external noise
sources, like radio frequency (RFI) interference. In systems where very long runs of
cable are needed, balanced operation is the best way to wire a system. Both the CD-
303/200 and CD-306/200 offer balanced XLR analog outputs.
In extensive listening tests we have come to admire the sound reproduction capabilities
of the 6922 tube. We use it as a driver stage tube in our V-12i and Rocket 88 power
amplifiers. Using the 6922 driver and 5814 buffer stage has the added benefit of creating
a non-inverting preamplifier design. (6H30, 6CG7 or 6FQ7 tubes could be substituted
for the 6922 tubes or 12AU7 tubes for 5814 tubes if you desire.)
We hope you find the extensive input switching, the choice of XLR or RCA inputs and
outputs, a tape monitor loop and Cinema bypass to be all you need for complete
control in your stereo system. Our designs are famous for quality, durability and
musicality. We hope you enjoy the music through your stereo sound system and thank
you again for buying a Cary Audio Design preamplifier for your listening pleasure.