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Owner’s Manual
o
N 53
Reference
Power Amplifier
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FCC Notice This equipment has been 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 radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
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Important Safety Instructions 1. Read these instructions. 2. Keep these instructions. 3. Heed all warnings. 4. Follow all instructions. 5. Do not use this apparatus near water. 6. Clean only with a dry cloth. 7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other apparatus that produce heat. 9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-t
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Mark Levinson Safety Terms & Symbols These terms may appear in this manual: Terms in This Manual Warning! Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in personal injury or death. Caution! Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in damage or destruction to part or all of the component. Note Calls attention to information that is
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Nº53 Power Amplifier Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................ 2 Product Description ...................................................................2 What’s in the Box .......................................................................3 Product Registration ...................................................................4 Installation Considerations ...................................................... 4 Unpacking ....
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Mark Levinson Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Nº53 Reference monaural power amplifier. Totally redesigned and incorporating patented new technologies, the Nº53 outperforms even the esteemed Nº33 in both audio presentation and power performance. The Mark Levinson® Nº53 Reference monaural power amplifier Product Description elevates amplifier performance to an entirely new level of excellence. After extensive listening tests and exhaustive measurements, the Nº53 demonstrates a phe
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Nº53 Power Amplifier to maintain separation while minimizing critical current loop areas. The top compartment contains the control circuitry, also with its own independent regulated supplies and shielding from the heart of the amplifier. Special attention was made to critical signals that need to pass between different boards. Extensive use of low- voltage-differential signaling (LVDS) for control signals is used to maximize signal integrity while all critical analog signals remain balan
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Mark Levinson The Nº53 Reference monaural power amplifier includes: What’s in the Box Item Quantity Nº53 Reference power amplifier 1 Nº53 owner’s manual (this document) 1 Heavy white gloves 2 pairs Cable with 3.5mm mini-plugs (for use with trigger) 1 Detachable AC power cord* 1 *varies by destination country Register your Nº53 online at www.marklevinson.com within 15 Product Registration days of purchase. Retain the original, dated sales receipt as proof of warranty coverage. 4
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Nº53 Power Amplifier Installation Considerations The Nº53 Reference power amplifier requires special care during installation to ensure optimal performance. Pay particular attention to instructions included in this section and to precautions included throughout this owner’s manual. Unpacking DO save all packing materials for possible future shipping needs. DO inspect the Nº53 for signs of damage during shipment. If damage is discovered, contact your authorized Mark Levinson dealer for assis
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Mark Levinson DO allow at least 6 inches (15.24cm) of clearance behind the amplifier so that the power cord and cables have space to bend without becoming crimped or strained. DO NOT place the Nº53 on a thick rug or carpet or cover the amplifier with a cloth, as this might prevent proper cooling. DO NOT obstruct the ventilation holes on the top and bottom of the unit or reduce airflow through the Nº53. DO NOT place the Nº53 near low-level components. The power amplifier is capable of produ
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Nº53 Power Amplifier If this case occurs, consider installing a dedicated AC circuit for the home theater system. Contact a licensed electrician for assistance. If more than one AC circuit is providing power to the system, contact a licensed electrician to ensure that all components are operating with the same solid, low-impedance ground reference. Caution! Building regulations and electrical codes differ from location to location, making it impossible to anticipate the requirements of o a
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Mark Levinson Front Panel The front panel contains one LED and one button, as shown. Status LED Indicates the operating state of the Nº53 and provides basic diagnostic information when a fault condition occurs. Refer to the table below for descriptions of LED behavior. LED Behavior Description Fully lit Indicates that the amplifier is powered on. Slowly blinking Indicates that the amplifier is in Standby mode. Dimly lit Indicates that the amplifier is in Power Save mode or, when the Power sw
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Nº53 Power Amplifier Rear Panel Control The Nº53 rear panel, shown on the left, provides power controls Input and all of the cable connections for the amplifier. The rear panel can be broken into four sections: � Control – includes connections for ML Net, Link2, and triggers, Binding Posts as well as the Power Save Mode switch. � Input – provides connections for the audio input. Power � Binding Posts – provide connections for the loudspeaker output. � Power – includes the AC input connector a
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Mark Levinson The Nº53 has two pairs of custom-made, gold-plated, high-current Loudspeaker Binding “hurricane” loudspeaker binding posts; each pair connected directly Posts to the output of the amplifier. The positive binding posts, labeled + (positive), are red; the negative binding posts are black and are labeled – (negative). Note Ensure when connecting the loudspeaker that at least one positive and one negative binding post is used. There is NO ground reference. Banana plugs can also b
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Nº53 Power Amplifier The control section of the Nº53 rear panel contains the Ethernet Control and Link2 ports, the Power Save Mode switch, and the trigger input and output. Trigger Input and Output The rear panel of the Nº53 has two trigger connectors – one input and one output. The trigger input can receive a 3-12Vdc signal from a connected component. The trigger output connects directly to the trigger input connector, enabling a daisy-chain of amplifiers to be controlled by a single trig
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Mark Levinson Ethernet Port This connection is designed for use with proprietary Mark Levinson external controllers, such as ML Net, and for use with a web browser, or it provides serial port control. For a list of available serial commands, refer to the separate document Nº5 Series Power Amplifier Serial Protocol Definitions. The Ethernet port is a standard 10/100BaseT connection for use with external control and networking. The Nº53 supports connection to a router or network, and to a PC
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Nº53 Power Amplifier Network Setup The Nº53 reference power amplifier supports network connection through the Ethernet port. The Nº53 can connect to a network through use of a router or directly to a computer. The Nº53 can be: 1. Connected to a router with DHCP active – We highly recommend using this option. Since the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) automatically assigns the IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, setup is much simpler. 2. Connected to a router with DHCP not active – T
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Mark Levinson The PC-compatible computer used to connect to the Nº53 must Computer have the following software installed: Requirements ® � Windows 2000 or Windows XP ® ® � Web browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher preferred) Note If DHCP is not active, then the computer must be set up with a static IP address. Refer to the “Setting Up the Computer” section found later in this manual for instructions. The Nº53 can be connected to the computer in two ways – through Connecting the
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Nº53 Power Amplifier When connected to a computer, the Nº53 has an internal Web page Internal Web Page that provides access to: � Network Setup – allows the user to modify the network setup parameters. Accessing the internal Web page is the ONLY way to modify the network setup parameters of the Nº53 amplifier. � Display Intensity – allows the brightness level of the Mark Levinson logo on the Nº53 front panel to be adjusted. Use the pulldown menu to select one of the four brightness settings
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Mark Levinson � DHCP – turns the DHCP capability on or off. When activated, DHCP assigns a unique IP address to the Nº53. The factory default value is On. We recommend leaving DHCP set to On. Use this procedure if you are using a router with DHCP active to Connecting With connect to the amplifier. Otherwise, skip to the next procedure. DHCP (Recommended) 1. Connect the amplifier to the router, as described in the earlier “Connecting the Cables” procedure. Make sure that everything is powered
