Mark Levinson 390S, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...Owner s Manual Nº390S CD Processor ...

Page 2: ... tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to rad...

Page 3: ...e flammable or combustible chemicals for cleaning audio components 5 NEVER operate this product with any covers removed 6 NEVER wet the inside of this product with any liquid 7 NEVER pour or spill liquids directly onto this unit 8 NEVER block airflow through ventilation slots or heat sinks 9 NEVER bypass any fuse 10 NEVER replace any fuse with a value or type other than those specified 11 NEVER at...

Page 4: ... Specialty Group The information it contains is subject to change without notice Harman Specialty Group assumes no responsibility for errors that may appear within this document 3 Oak Park Bedford MA 01730 1413 USA Telephone 781 280 0300 Fax 781 280 0490 www marklevinson com Customer Support Telephone 781 280 0300 Sales Fax 781 280 0495 Service Fax 781 280 0499 Product Shipments 16 Progress Road B...

Page 5: ...15 Digital to Analog Conversion 15 Balanced Analog Volume Control 16 State of the Art Output Buffer 16 Front Panel Nº390S 16 The Extended Pause Mode 22 Sleep Timer 23 Rear Panel Nº390S 24 AC Power Cord Polarity 24 IR Input Tip Polarity 27 Linking Connections 28 Standard Link Cables 29 Amplifier Link Cables 29 Remote Control Nº390S 30 Random Play 32 Analog Input Switching 34 Conditions that Affect ...

Page 6: ...ing a Track from a Play List 44 Adding a Track to a Play List 44 Overriding a Play List 45 Erasing Play Lists from Memory 45 Why Polarity Programming 45 Whole Disc Polarity Programming 46 Track by Track Polarity Programming 46 Overriding a Polarity Program 47 Special Functions 47 SOUND Menu Items 48 Fixed Variable Volume 48 Silent Audible Cueing 48 Balance Control 48 Mute Control 48 Locked Volume ...

Page 7: ...g Remote Controls 52 Teaching Nº390S Front Panel Commands 52 Teaching Other Nº390S Commands 53 Special Commands Table 55 Troubleshooting 56 Care and Maintenance 58 Specifications 59 Dimensions 61 Installation Notes 62 ...

Page 8: ... for having purchased one of our products Remove the Transport Place the Nº390S CD Processor upside down on a soft clean Screw surface Remove the transport screw from the bottom of the unit and save it with the packing materials for future use Warning The transport screw must be removed before operating the Nº390S since it immobilizes the transport mechanism during shipping to prevent damage This ...

Page 9: ...or your location as attempting to operate the Nº390S at an incorrect voltage can damage the unit The Nº390S CD Processor is also set at the factory for operation on either 50 or 60 Hz AC line frequencies as appropriate for the country in which it is to be sold It will not operate if it senses an incorrect line frequency Warning Neither the voltage nor the line frequency setting may be changed by t...

Page 10: ...g on its design 2 Remove the transport screw from the bottom of the Nº390S If you have not done so already remove the knurled transport screw from the bottom of the Nº390S now Be sure to save it and all packing material for possible future use Shipping the Nº390S without proper packing material and without the transport screw in its proper position may cause damage to the unit that would not be co...

Page 11: ...me on your preamplifier Congratulations You should now be able to enjoy your favorite music while reading the rest of this manual Please do read the rest of this manual Break in Period Although your Mark Levinson Nº390S CD Processor delivers outstanding performance straight out of the box you should expect to hear it continue to improve as it reaches its normal operating temperatures and its vario...

Page 12: ...yer designs cannot improve upon this jittery signal lacking a better reference To the contrary the various stages of signal processing between the laser pickup and the actual conversion to analog can only contribute additional jitter of their own The Mark Levinson Nº390S leaps beyond conventional digital audio technology by employing a proprietary closed loop jitter reduction system in conjunction...

Page 13: ...ion circuitry described above In effect they duplicate the functionality and performance of the corresponding outputs on a Mark Levinson Nº37 CD transport All digital interfaces have been carefully optimized to deliver the finest performance each interface standard allows As a direct result the Nº390S performs optimally with any digital processor without having to resort to techniques which would ...

Page 14: ...mplex systems a pleasure to use For example bringing the Nº390S CD Processor out of standby will also bring the Linked preamplifier and power amplifier s out of standby and select the appropriate inputs on the preamplifier so that a CD can be enjoyed Even a sophisticated system with many components can thus offer one button simplicity of operation In short the Mark Levinson Nº390S establishes a ne...

Page 15: ...its internal conversion rate on its front panel display each time a disc is loaded or an auxiliary input is chosen and locked The Nº390S also incorporates High Definition Compatible Digital decoding to take full advantage of the resolution avail able from HDCD encoded 16 bit CDs The HDCD format retains more of the resolution inherent in modern high resolution record ings than can be accommodated b...

Page 16: ...0S features a new ultra compact implementation of the Mark Levinson output buffer circuit pushing noise coupling and parasitic effects to vanishingly small levels This exceptionally robust output stage allows the Nº390S to make the most of what whatever combination of preamplifier power amplifier or cables you choose to use Front Panel Nº390S 1 display intensity Pressing this button varies the bri...

Page 17: ... remote control its own commands from an IR transmitter located in this same area See Using Learning Remote Controls for more information 3 Special Mode Indicator The first character in the display is reserved for indication of special modes of operation For example a P is displayed in this space to indicate a Program a special sequence of tracks is being played A and B alternate while an A B loop...

Page 18: ...e accessed by pressing the mode button to the right of the display until TIMES is shown in the display see 6 below Then use the mode or mode keys to cycle through the four modes of time display using the time on disc and time remaining LEDs to indicate which mode is chosen at any moment 6 mode button The mode button beside the display cycles through the four functions that can be controlled by the...

Page 19: ...n the front panel illustration If opened it may also be closed simply by gently pushing the front edge inward as though you were going to close it manually The Nº390S will interpret this as a request to close the drawer and take over for you smoothly closing the drawer If the Nº390S senses an obstruction during opening of the drawer mechanism it will attempt to re close If successful it will read ...

Page 20: ...nput advance to the next time indication or raise the volume Along with mode and mode the mode button is also used to change the option settings See Special Functions For detailed information on programming the Nº390S see Programming the Nº390S later in this manual 11 disc repeat LED This LED is lit when the Nº390S is set to repeat a disc or a disc s program if it has one endlessly This feature is...

Page 21: ...utton once the disc has stopped or if there is no disc in the transport will cause the drawer to open Pressing the stop drawer button will cause an open drawer to close If it senses a disc in the drawer the Nº390S will confirm its internal conversion rate on the display 24 bit 352kHz and then read the disc s table of contents so that it may display the total number of tracks and the total time on ...

Page 22: ...button Pressing this button once during play will pause the Nº390S at that point within the track the display will show double bars as a reminder that you are in the pause mode Pressing the pause button a second time will resume play The Extended Pause Mode After two minutes in pause the Nº390S will go into an extended pause mode Extended pause stops the disc and turns off the laser against the po...

Page 23: ...son components all their standby lights will blink in unison When the Nº390S is ready to operate that is when it is not in standby mode this LED remains lit continuously Sleep Timer As shipped from the factory the Nº390S will remain on until you deliberately place it in standby If you prefer for it to automatically enter standby after a particular period of time press and hold the standby button u...

Page 24: ...tom of the unit indicates the correct AC operating voltage and frequency for your location before connecting it to AC mains Connect the female end of this cable to the Nº390S Connect the male end of this cable to wall outlet or to an unswitched convenience outlet like those found on some audio components AC Power Cord Polarity Turn on the power by pressing the top of the power switch above the pow...

Page 25: ...quality of all digital transmission interfaces when fully optimized and we recommend its use wherever possible between Mark Levinson components However optimizing any electrical digital interface completely represents a significant engineering challenge It is entirely possible that a different type of input may actually outperform a less than optimized AES EBU implementation on some brands of digi...

Page 26: ...ich calls for a 75Ω transmission of the DAS Use a digital interconnecting cable specifically designed for the 75Ω S PDIF standard when using this input 4 balanced analog outputs These outputs normally provide balanced line level analog audio via cables equipped with XLR type connectors to a preamplifier integrated amplifier or receiver equipped with balanced inputs see Setup and Installation The p...

Page 27: ...n this case you would leave the Nº390S in its factory default setting of having a fixed line level output 6 external IR input The Nº390S incorporates an infrared repeater input to facilitate a wide range of installation options If desired the Nº390S may be placed inside a cabinet or outside the normal line of sight in the listening area with the controlling IR signal being relayed to the Nº390S by...

Page 28: ...in turn serves as the master for the power amplifier s with which it is used See diagram at left for clarification Alternatively if you elect to use the variable output feature of the Nº390S to drive a power amplifier directly it may serve as the power amplifier s master using a special eight to six conductor Link cable described below Using this cable automatically configures the Nº390S as though...

Page 29: ...f flat eight conductor cable Modular cables and connectors are used throughout the world for both telecommunications and computers and are widely available The connectors are crimped on to the ends of the cable such that pin 1 at one end is connected to pin 1 at the other end Such a straight through connection is made counter intuitively by introducing a 180 twist in the cable between the two ends...

Page 30: ...ou to the beginning of the previous track is the international symbol for previous When pressed and held denoted by the bold dot the Nº390S will enter a reverse scanning mode similar to the familiar rewind function of many tape decks allowing a precise location within a track to be found This scan may be silent or audible depending on your setup sound preferences See Special Functions f fwd When c...

Page 31: ...y to accept your designated ending point point B Note that A must precede B on the disc Once this has been done the Nº390S will repeat the segment of the disc between points A and B until you press stop or A B again 4 mode buttons Using these three buttons either of two Nº390S functions can be controlled from the remote control PROGRAM for creating custom play lists TIMES for selecting a time indi...

Page 32: ...tally if you press 0 followed by play the Nº390S will enter a random play mode in which the order of the current disc s play list is scrambled and then played The first character of the display that shows a P when playing a custom program will show R to indicate random play Moreover placing the Nº390S into random play mode while the disc repeat function is engaged will cause it to play the various...

Page 33: ...red This action will illuminate the disc repeat LED Press a second time to enter the track repeat mode repeating a single track ad nauseam A third press will cycle you back to normal operation as will pressing stop mute Pressing this button will engage the mute function of a compatible Mark Levinson preamplifier without stopping the transport Pressing it a second time will restore the volume to it...

Page 34: ...gured to use its own internal volume control in all digital systems lacking a preamplifier See Setup Options input select Pressing this button on the Nº390S remote control will transparently and automatically cycle through its various active digital inputs allowing you to select other digital sources connected to the Nº390S Analog Input Switching Alternatively you may force the input select button...

Page 35: ...ors and smooth walls bounce reflect IR and won t interfere with its transmission When placing the Nº390S it s important to account for potential IR bounce and dif fusion For example in a room with thick carpeting heavy draperies and many pieces of furniture you may need to place the Nº390S closer to where you ll normally operate the Remote Control than you would in a sparsely furnished room with b...

Page 36: ...cting a 120 volt Nº390S to a 220 volt AC outlet is not a good idea Plug the male end of the power cord into the wall outlet and then turn on the power switch located on the rear panel of the Nº390S by depressing the side of the switch that has a single vertical line like this Connecting Digital The Nº390S incorporates EIAJ optical and RCA digital input Audio Sources connectors for up to two additi...

Page 37: ...reviously operating component in order to ensure that all components in the chain are aware of each other s presence Engaging PLAY on the transport once from STOP will complete the Link connection by activating the communications bus between the components When using a preamplifier you must also name the appropriate input No390S as described in the preamp s manual in order to complete the Link To ...

Page 38: ...ton All tracks will play in order Play will stop automatically at the end of the CD To begin play with a track other than the first track 1 Before pressing play press next until the number of the desired track shows on the Display If you pass the track you want to play you can back up by pressing previous You may also select the track using the numbered buttons on the Remote Control 2 Press play t...

Page 39: ... the laser pickup will stop at the end of the last track If you try to search backward past the beginning of a CD or program the laser pickup will stop at the beginning of the first track of the disc or play list Direct Time Access You may use time on the Remote Control to begin play at a specific time on the disc To do this 1 Select the desired track using either next and previous or the numeric ...

Page 40: ...k mimics the double bars used to indicate pause Alternatively extended pause may be engaged by pressing and holding the pause button until the double bars begin to blink Repeat Disc To repeat continuously all tracks on a CD press repeat until the disc repeat LED is lit To return to normal play press repeat or rpt disc trk on the remote again two more times to cycle through track repeat to normal p...

Page 41: ...To do this you create a play list If this is a one time play list it may be used immediately upon being created and will vanish when a new play list is created Alternatively thousands of play lists may be stored in the Nº390S s permanent memory at which point each becomes the default play list for the particular disc with which it is associated until you explicitly change it Before using your Nº39...

Page 42: ... override a previously saved play list click the mode button until PROGRAM is displayed on the front panel and press mode while the CD is loaded but before play has started All of the CD s tracks will subsequently be accessible for normal operations but the original play list will still be retained in the Nº390S s memory You can even create a temporary play list as an alternative to your normal pe...

Page 43: ...rack omitted from the play list Saving a Play List Once you have created the play list you want for a particular disc you may either use it as a temporary play list using it only for that one occasion or save it as the default play list for that disc To save a play list 1 When you ve finished adding selections you can save the new play list by pressing and holding the mode button 2 The Nº390S will...

Page 44: ...Press mode the display will remove the P from the displayed track to indicate that it has been removed from the play list 6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each selection you want to erase from your program 7 If you would like to make this change permanent press and hold mode when you finish erasing selections from your program the display will show REVISED Adding a Track to a You also may add a selectio...

Page 45: ...te that the program has been temporarily overridden The display will show the total number of tracks and the total time on the disc as it would if there were no play list associated with the disc The P that denotes play list will be turned off If you change your mind simply press stop to restore the previously created play list All of the CD s tracks will subsequently be accessible for normal oper...

Page 46: ...ss stop When in stop the Nº390S displays the total number of tracks and time on the disc You must not have a preexisting program if you wish to save a single polarity for the entire disc in one step To erase a preexisting program press and hold the mode button 2 Make sure that the Nº390S is in the programming mode by clicking the mode button until you see PROGRAM in the display 3 Choose your prefe...

Page 47: ...g it to serve a wide range of needs simply and completely These options are grouped in three SETUP menus SOUND LINKS and AUX IN s These three menus are accessed by pressing and holding camping on the mode button until the display changes to show SETUP followed by SOUND Subsequent clicks of the mode button will cycle through the various major menus LINKS AUX IN s and back to SOUND any of these menu...

Page 48: ...See Rear Panel Nº390S and Setup and Installation Silent Audible Cueing The Nº390S also gives you the option of hearing a reduced volume scan of the program material during fast forward or rewind or of having the scan be silent For some the audible cueing helps identify the portion of the track they seek others find the broken up bits of music disconcerting and prefer silence Balance Control If you...

Page 49: ...by button will take all three components out of standby mode making them ready to use If CD processor preamplifier and power amplifier s are on not in standby mode pressing the Nº390S s standby button will place only the CD processor in standby mode presuming that you may wish to use your digital processor with some digital source other than the Nº390S If CD processor preamplifier and power amplif...

Page 50: ...AT Digital Audio Tape DCC Digital Compact Cassette MD Mini Disc CDR Compact Disc Recordable CDI Compact Disc Interactive DBS Direct Broadcast Satellite LD Laser Disc CD Compact Disc ADC Analog to Digital Converter AUX Auxiliary DCA Digital Cable Audio PCD Proceed CD PDT Proceed Digital Transport CDD Compact Disc Drive N U Not Used If while playing the Nº390S you decide to change inputs using eithe...

Page 51: ...inning of the list in case you accidentally pass the option you want to change 3 When the display shows the menu you want to access press and hold the mode button again Subsequent clicks of the mode button will cycle through the various items within that menu 4 When an item you wish to change is in the display use the mode and mode keys either on the front panel or on the remote control to change ...

Page 52: ...ach a learning remote any or all of its pre programmed commands as well as some optional special commands that are available to solve specific installation related problems The Nº390S has two special modes of operation into which it may be placed in order to facilitate the teaching of remote control commands to a learning remote control The first allows you to easily teach the commands for which t...

Page 53: ...how to prepare your remote control for learning new commands refer to the instructions provided with the remote control 3 Repeat the process of teaching new commands to the various buttons on your remote control until all appropriate or desired front panel commands have been learned by your remote 4 When finished exit the Teach IR mode by allowing the Nº390S to time out You may wish to teach your ...

Page 54: ...e for teaching to a learning remote control including some that are designed to solve problems unique to custom installations 3 Press the repeat button repeatedly to advance to the desired function The table on the next page lists the various commands that are available for the Nº390S for which there is not front panel equivalent In some cases they represent positive control alternatives to comman...

Page 55: ...ecial Commands Table Command Display positive control for operate OPERATE positive control for standby STANDBY positive control for stop JUST STOP set display intensity to off DISPLAY 0 set display intensity to medium DISPLAY 2 positive control for unpause UNPAUSE positive control for pause PAUSE positive control for leaving the repeat mode NO REPEAT positive control for open drawer OPEN positive ...

Page 56: ... output The proper digital input isn t selected on the Nº390S The proper analog input isn t selected on your preamplifier The interconnecting cables are connected incorrectly or are faulty The variable output volume adjustment is set to 0 0 off 3 The Nº390S display reads NO DISC There is no disc in the drawer for the transport to read The disc is upside down and therefore cannot be read The disc h...

Page 57: ...st making sure that power is turned off to your receiver integrated amplifier or preamplifier power amplifier Some associated Mark Levinson components may have older versions of the system software that do not fully support all Linked functions Contact your Mark Levinson dealer with the model and serial numbers of your Mark Levinson components If needed new EPROMs will be provided at no charge 7 T...

Page 58: ...rfere with the operation of the Remote Control Avoid placing the Nº390S near fluorescent lamps or in direct sunlight When the Remote Control s batteries need to be replaced use only AA batteries always replace both batteries at the same time If you don t plan to use the Remote Control often remove the batteries When not used for an extended period even leakproof batteries can leak corrosive acids ...

Page 59: ...ss than 0 005 SMPTE IMD Maximum Output 4 45V balanced 0 dBFS signal 2 225V single ended Volume Control 61 2 to 12 dB attenuation Range Digital to Analog Dual differential 24 bit DACs Conversion Conversion Rate 352 8kHz or 384kHz input signal dependent 24 bit Analog Filter Bessel tuned linear phase to 40kHz Low level Linearity deviation less than 2 dB to below 90Dbfs less than 2 dB to below 102dBFS...

Page 60: ... male XLR balanced audio outputs 2 RCA single ended audio outputs 1 AES EBU XLR digital output 1 S PDIF RCA digital output Other I O 2 RJ 45 modular Communication Links 1 3 5mm external IR input jack 1 IEC AC mains connector ...

Page 61: ...61 Dimensions ...

Page 62: ...62 Installation Notes ...

Page 63: ...63 ...

Page 64: ...lephone 781 280 0300 Fax 781 280 0490 www marklevinson com Customer Support Telephone 781 280 0300 Sales Fax 781 280 0495 Service Fax 781 280 0499 Product Shipments 16 Progress Road Billerica MA 01821 5730 USA Part No 070 630457 Rev 1 04 04 ...