Channel D SETA L Manuale utente

Page 1

Congratulations on your purchase of a Seta phonograph preampliﬁer! The new, ground-breaking

Seta is a low noise, fully balanced design featuring an ultra-wide frequency bandwidth of up to 5 MHz

(Model L), unprecedented for a phono preampliﬁer. This provides you with the key to obtaining stunning,

three-dimensional music reproduction from your phonograph records. The Seta is designed to be used as a

front-end preampliﬁer for connecting to high resolution (192 kHz / 24 bit), balanced - input computer

audio interfaces. In conjunction with Channel D Pure Vinyl software, used for applying the RIAA phono

correction curve, the strengths of the latest, 21st century cutting-edge analog and digital technologies are

brought together, delivering superb, high deﬁnition, transparent vinyl playback.

For those audiophiles insisting on an all-analog signal path, an optional RIAA hardware correction feature

is available for a conventional, RIAA-corrected output signal. The Flat and RIAA outputs may be used

simultaneously (another unique feature), to support the best of the Analog and Digital worlds.

Getting Started

Please take the time to read this Installation and Use Guide, to familiarize yourself with the installation

and operation of the Seta.

Important: If the package you received from your shipper is below room temperature, please allow the

sealed inner carton containing the product to acclimate at room temperature for a few hours before

opening it, to avoid causing condensation on cold internal surfaces.

After unpacking, connect the provided external power supply to an AC power source and plug the barrel

connector into the power jack on the rear panel of the Seta. It will take the Seta at least one hour for the

internal circuitry and solid copper parts to become stabilized to normal operating temperature.

The following items are included. Please check the package and notify Channel D of any shortage:

• SetaPreamplifier,withInternalAGMBatteriesInstalled

• ExternalDCpowersupply,110/220VoltInput,2Wire(Isolated)Input

• PrecisionScrewdriver

• 3/32”AllenL-key(SetaPlus)

The ﬁrst time using your Seta, the internal battery should be fully recharged at least once before operating

the preampliﬁer (playing music). The Seta automatically disconnects the battery charging power supply

when a signal is detected. Therefore, if you would like to immediately use the Seta to play music,

charging should be manually locked in for at least two hours by selecting the Charge Lock front panel

button. This will cause the Charge Lock indicator to illuminate (as well as the Batt indicator, if the Seta

wasn’t already charging). The Charge Lock mode also is useful for component burn-in or noncritical

listening.

It’s safe to make signal connections to the Seta while the power supply is connected. Be sure to mute the

Pure Vinyl application software, if running on the computer, or otherwise mute or power down your

power ampliﬁer(s) while making signal connections, to avoid generating noises which could damage

loudspeakers.

Siting the Preampliﬁer

To avoid premature degradation of the rechargeable batteries from higher than normal temperatures, do

not place the Seta where it may be exposed to direct sunlight. Also, do not place it on top of any

component which is a source of heat. For optimum battery life the Seta should be operated in an

environment with ambient temperatures between 40° F and 75° F. Lower temperatures within this range

will prolong battery life.

Page 2

Signal Inputs

•The RCA inputs may be used with conventional shielded cable (single-ended) phono connections.

They also serve as single-ended to balanced adapters (provided that the turntable ground connec-

tion is isolated). Consult the section of this Installation Guide concerning the proper conﬁguration

of the internal single ended / balanced jumpers (Page 7). The factory setting is with the jumpers

set for balanced operation.

•The XLR inputs are intended for use with balanced (twisted pair or star quad) turntable

connections. For optimum, low noise operation this is the preferred type of connection. Balanced

wiring provides better noise immunity than conventional shielded (single conductor plus shield)

cable.

Signal Outputs

•The low impedance, balanced “Flat” XLR outputs are intended for connection to the balanced

inputs of a professional audio interface, for use with Channel D’s Pure Vinyl software (for

Macintosh computers) for applying RIAA compensation (or other similar software on other

computer platforms). (Consult the Pure Vinyl software User Guide for more information.)

If using an audio interface with single-ended, unbalanced inputs (not recommended), do not connect

either XLR output pin to common/ground. The correct wiring conﬁguration would be to use XLR Pin 2 as

signal and XLR Pin 1 as ground, if using a balanced to single ended adapter.

RIAA Outputs (with Optional RIAA Output Module)

•Balanced and single ended outputs are provided. Use the connection appropriate for your other

equipment. Do not use an XLR to RCA adapter to connect to single ended connections; use the

single ended outputs.

Power

•Connect the barrel connector of the supplied power adapter to the power input jack.

IMPORTANT: Do not substitute a different adapter for the factory-supplied galvanically isolated

two-wire adapter, as this will result in improper operation.

Chassis Ground

•Securely connect the chassis ground wire from your turntable / tonearm (if so equipped) to the

grounding lug on the rear panel of the Seta. If your turntable doesn’t have a grounding connection,

Page 3

leave this terminal disconnected. Do not connect the Ground terminal to anything except the

ground connection from your turntable.

•In lieu of the built-in RIAA Output Module, the Ground will be mounted on the chassis in the

LEFT RIAA output position. The Ground chassis position shown in the ﬁgure will be occupied by

the 5-pin power connector for the optional external RCM (RIAA Correction Module).

Power-Up (Initial) Conﬁguration

•Charge Lock: Initialize indicator by pressing button after ﬁrst connecting power, if not

illuminated.

•Sig indicator: initially on, extinguishing after several minutes. (If the Sig indicator does not

extinguish, be sure to check if an input connection has become loose or dislodged.)

•Gain: must be initialized after connecting power, see below.

Gain Adjustment

Upon connecting the power supply, the gain setting must be initialized by pressing the front

panel Gain button several times, until the Low (Light Blue) indicator appears. The gain setting

will be preserved as long as power is supplied (and, as indicated below, in the AGM Rechargeable

Battery Operation and Charging section, the Seta should normally be maintained in a powered

state).

WARNING! Always make changes to the Gain Setting at a reduced or muted

playback volume, to keep loud transients (thumps) from playing through the loudspeak-

ers. The Seta gain control isn’t meant to be adjusted frequently. It’s designed for ease (in

contrast to having internal jumpers or switches) of setting the phono preampliﬁer gain, to

provide the optimum input signal level for your digital audio interface and phono

cartridge. With that purpose in mind, any circuitry for preventing “thumps” that also

could compromise audio quality was omitted in the Seta design.

Indicator Color / Gain

Light Blue (Low)

Blue (Medium)

Violet (Medium High)

Red (High)

Gain (Flat Outputs)

43 dB

46 dB

49 dB

53 dB

Gain (RIAA Outputs)

55 dB

58 dB

61 dB

65 dB

Page 4

The Pure Vinyl User Guide includes complete information on setting the proper preampliﬁer gain. Brieﬂy,

you should aim for “Dry” signal level peaks in Pure Vinyl between -20 and -4 dBFS, for the music

that you usually play. Provided that peaks usually reach these levels, it’s not necessary to have to adjust

the gain setting frequently, or at all. It’s prudent to allow at least 4 to 6 dB of headroom below full scale,

to accommodate unexpectedly loud modulation levels. (At the low end of the suggested signal range

above, be certain that a signal peak represents music, and not “pops” or “clicks” from defects in or

contamination on the surface of the LP.)

If your audio interface permits setting nominal input signal levels to consumer or professional

format (true of professional audio interfaces from Lynx, RME, etc.),ﬁrst try the consumer (“-10 dbV”)

setting, in conjunction with the minimum gain setting on the Seta.

•If signal levels remain too high, set the input of the audio interface to professional (“+4 dBu”)

format.

•If the levels are too low, increase the gain on the Seta. (For monitoring / playback, if the output

levels of your interface can be adjusted independently of the input levels, use the +4 dBu setting

for the output.)

(The High gain setting on the Seta Model H preampliﬁer is provided as a convenience for using low-

output moving-coil cartridges with the Model H. The desirable audio reproduction qualities of the Seta

are retained, even at high gain settings, because the Seta design insures that bandwidth is independent of

gain. However, for dedicated use with low-output moving-coil cartridges, the Seta Model L is preferred,

because the noise characteristics of the low impedance, high-bias-current devices used in the Model L are

speciﬁcally tailored to offer quieter operation and wider bandwidth with low-output moving-coil

cartridges than is possible with the circuitry used in the Model H. Note: the Model L cannot be used with

high-impedance cartridges such as moving - magnet or “high output” moving coil.)

Note: If you’re accustomed to using conventional phonograph preampliﬁers, the

available “Flat” Seta gain settings may seem somewhat lower than usual. However,

they are tailored to using the Seta with Channel D Pure Vinyl’s digital vinyl

compensation curve. The required gain is about 10 to 12 dB less than needed in a

conventional phono preampliﬁer, because the signal is provided to Pure Vinyl with

treble emphasis (boost) intact. (Note for the technically knowledgeable: this turns

out to be somewhat less than the maximum 20 dB boost of the RIAA compensation

curve at 20 kHz, due to the frequency balance of most music.) For example, if you

would normally use a preampliﬁer gain of 58 dB for your moving-coil cartridge,

then the proper setting on the Seta would be 46 dB. (The Seta with the optional

RIAA hardware compensation module has an overall gain 12 dB higher than the

settings listed in the table.)

Cartridge Balance TRIM Control

The Seta rear panel (optionally front panel mounted) features a unique, precision trim control for

adjusting the inter-channel cartridge balance. The range of the control is 2 dB. The neutral position is with

the slot in the brass actuator oriented vertically. To properly adjust the cartridge balance, use a small

slotted screwdriver while playing a monophonic record (or a record with the music mixed to the center).

Observe the RIAA Balance indicator in the Pure Vinyl application, and adjust the trim control until the

value is close to zero (within ± 0.1 dB is sufﬁcient). This adjustment should only need to be performed

once, and can be left alone, unless or until a new cartridge is later ﬁtted to your turntable. The setting is

not affected by the overall Seta gain.

Page 5

Cartridge Load Adjustment (Model L)

Moving coil cartridge resistive loading is adjusted with rear panel rotary switches. The rotary

switches require the supplied 2 millimeter precision screwdriver for adjustment. To adjust the

load, carefully insert the screwdriver into the receptacle on the rotary switch and rotate to the

desired setting. The setting with the ﬂat side of the receptacle facing up is the 25 ohm setting (the

25 ohm label is underlined on the preampliﬁer as a mnemonic aid). The factory setting is 100

Ohms. The screwdriver also has a black index line on the shaft, to assist in determining the

selector position. Note: the load settings correspond to having the Single Ended jumpers (see

below) set to the factory supplied Balanced position.

25 Ohms 50 Ohms 100 Ohms 150 Ohms

200 Ohms 300 Ohms 500 Ohms 750 Ohms

1000 Ohms 2000 Ohms

Other load settings can be obtained by inserting user-supplied resistors in the sockets provided

on the main circuit board, as described in the next section of the manual. Low impedance traces

are used, to accommodate resistors as low as 1 Ohm. The sockets are connected electrically in

parallel with the switch load resistance setting, so be sure to take account of that when determin-

ing the resulting load resistance:

Total Load = 1 / [(1 / Switch Setting) + (1 / User Installed Resistor Value)]

Page 6

Cartridge Loading (User Installed Components)

Besides external selector switches, the Seta also has user-replaceable internal components, allowing

customization of the load. The sockets are premium, machined gold-ﬁngered, high reliability type. The

sockets are on 0.3 inch centers, and will accommodate the leads of typical passive resistors, and

capacitors with this lead spacing.

Removing Cover (Seta with RIAA Correction Module shown)

Seta Plus: Remove 6 hex screws (inset ﬁgure shows side view)

Seta: Remove 4 Philips screws (inset ﬁgure shows side view)

Page 7

To access the User cartridge loading components:

Unplug the external power supply. Remove the fasteners from the locations indicated (two on each side)

in the above illustration using the supplied 3/32” Allen key L-wrench (Seta Plus), and remove the top

cover.

There are two component locations for capacitive load (marked Con the circuit board) for each channel,

and one resistive (marked R). The components for each channel are connected in parallel; therefore,

capacitor values should be summed (if using more than one capacitor per channel). The minimum

capacitive load (this includes the internal wiring) is 10 pF (by removing all plug-in capacitors). Be sure

components are securely seated in the internal sockets after installing.

Note: capacitor component sockets are only provided with the Seta Model H (high impedance cartridges).

Single Ended / Balanced Operation Jumpers

Two internal, gold contact jumpers (marked on the circuit board as S.E.) are used to conﬁgure the Seta for

single ended or balanced operation. In single ended operation, the negative cartridge terminals are

connected to circuit common. This connection should ONLY be used if noise (hum) is detected, AND the

connecting cable between the cartridge / turntable is the standard, consumer type shielded RCA cable (a

single shielded conductor).

The single ended setting is the jumper “bridging” position. Both jumpers must be conﬁgured the same

way for proper operation. For balanced operation, simply place the jumpers in the “Parking” position

(with one jumper pin open).

The Seta will function noiselessly (no detectable hum) even in single ended mode with most

tonearm / turntable setups, including those with the tonearm “ground” connected to the

cartridge (such as Rega tonearms), using the RCA input connectors. However, for optimum

low-noise operation, it is strongly advised that balanced (shielded twisted pair) cable be used

to connect the turntable to the Seta. This may entail rewiring the turntable. For low impedance

(low output cartridges, such as moving coil, with an internal resistance of 100 ohms or less,

and nominal output voltage around 0.6 mV or less) shielded twisted pair microphone / standard

audio signal cable can be used. For high impedance / high output cartridges (such as moving-

magnet with standard output of about 4 mV or more), “star quad” type shielded twisted quad

audio cable will provide superior immunity to noise (hum) pickup. To use the star quad cable,

the conductors of the same color should be connected together at each end of the cable. While

extremely effective at rejecting electronic interference, the disadvantage of star quad is high

capacitance, 40 pF per foot, or more (consult the manufacturer’s speciﬁcations), and this must

be taken into account when setting the cartridge loading.

The shield should be connected to the XLR connector pin 1; positive cartridge connection to

pin 2, and negative to pin 3. For more information, see the Pure Vinyl User Guide.

Take care to conﬁrm that your turntable / tonearm / cartridge doesn’t connect the chassis

ground or common to any of the cartridge signal leads. Examples of this are Rega tonearms.

The internal circuit connector has the tonearm ground connected to the left channel negative

signal lead. This will cause excessive hum with the Seta. The tonearm output connector must

be carefully disassembled and the negative signal lead disconnected from the circuit connector.

The tonearm ground then should be provided with a separate connection to attach to the Seta

external grounding lug. Another example includes cartridges having a connection or lug that

connects the cartridge housing to one of the signal leads (usually the left channel “negative”

lead). This should be disconnected or removed by gently bending or tugging with ﬁne tip pliers

or other such tool.

Page 8

Ground Bypass Jumper

The internal ground jumper (located above the RIGHT channel load resistor, see illustration) may be used

to bypass (in the bridging position) the 100 ohm local ground isolation resistor directly to common. This

may provide more, or less, “hum” immunity, depending on your other equipment.

AGM Rechargeable Battery Operation and Charging

The Seta should always be kept powered, to maintain both a stable circuit temperature and the condition

of the AGM battery. The power consumption (no signal) when the battery is fully charged is low, less than

5 watts. If necessary, the Seta may be disconnected from the power supply for up to a few months without

adversely affecting the battery life. Do not store the Seta at elevated temperatures, such as in an attic or

garage.

The Seta must be connected to the external power supply for operation. This design insures that the

battery isn’t accidentally over-discharged, which could shorten its life. The power supply is used to

activate two normally-open relays, connecting the battery to the Seta circuitry, and the charging supply to

the battery. When a signal is detected, the second relay is deactivated, disconnecting the charging supply

from the battery (and the Seta preampliﬁer circuitry). The battery voltage monitoring and power

management are automatic.

The battery, when fully charged, is capable of supplying power for well over 24 hours of continuous

operation. The AGM type lead/acid battery is superior to all other battery types used in high-end audio

applications (see http://www.channld.com/seta.html, under the Rechargeable Battery section).

The Seta will automatically activate Charge mode under either of the following two normal conditions:

•A signal resulting in an output level of less than -40 dBV isn’t detected for about 20 minutes.

•The AGM battery has exhausted its charge.

The switching to Charge mode (or from Charge to Battery mode) will be unnoticeable, even while playing

music. A faint, mechanical click may be heard (from an internal relay) if holding an ear close to the

preampliﬁer.

If you want to use the Seta to burn in another component, or use it for noncritical listening, the Charge

Lock selector switch is provided to lock the Seta in Charge mode, overriding the signal level detector.

Battery Life / Battery Replacement

Typical battery life will be between 3 and 6 years; up to 20 years is possible. The battery life is deter-

mined by three factors:

(1) operating environment temperature (temperatures above 80 F should be avoided, as this will degrade

battery life)

(2) the number of deep discharges (deﬁned as continuous operation for more than 24 hours without

activating the Charge or Manual Charge mode)

(3) battery life will be extended by keeping the Seta continuously connected to a power source (the idle

power consumption is less than 5 watts) and the battery fully charged.

The battery capacity also typically will increase slightly (by a few percent) during the ﬁrst few discharge /

recharge cycles.

Page 9

When the Battery indicator illuminates with a continuous violet or red color (the normal indication while

charging is a blue color), AND the preampliﬁer automatically switches into Charge mode in less than

about 6 hours (while continuously playing records), the internal rechargeable batteries should be replaced.

The AGM lead/acid battery is a widely available type, commonly used for security alarm systems or

remote power backup (from solar or small windmill).

Seta Plus: Any sealed type rechargeable 6 volt lead-acid battery with dimensions of 3.7 (h) x 6.0 (w) x

1.3 (d) inches, offset (from centerline) 0.187” spade lug terminals and capacity of 7.0 ampere-hours is

acceptable. For example, McMaster-Carr (mcmaster.com) part number 7448K24 (Power Sonic PS - 670).

Seta: Any sealed type rechargeable 6 volt lead-acid battery with dimensions of 2.4 (h) x 5.3 (w) x 1.3 (d)

inches, offset (from centerline) 0.187” spade lug terminals and capacity of approximately 2.3 ampere-

hours is acceptable. For example, McMaster-Carr part number 7448K13 (Power Sonic PS - 630).

•The batteries must be replaced in pairs, and only sealed lead-acid type batteries can be used. All

other battery types are incompatible with the internal battery monitoring and maintenance circuitry

and Seta power and voltage requirements.

•It’s best to obtain a “fresh” replacement when needed, rather than keeping spares on hand, because

degradation will begin to occur if stored for more than a few months without charging. (The Seta

may be operated continuously, even with degraded batteries, by using the Charge Lock button, so

waiting for replacements to ship shouldn’t be a problem.)

•Replacement batteries should be at ambient room temperature before installing.

The included AGM Battery Replacement Instructions (Appendix 2) provide instructions for replacing the

batteries. If you don’t wish to perform the battery replacement yourself, the Seta can be shipped to

Channel D for battery replacement. Please contact Channel D for shipping information and pricing, and

a Return Material Authorization.

Page 10

Specifications-SetaModelL,forLowOutput/LowImpedance(MovingCoil)Cartridges

•VoltageGain:43,46,49,53dB

•InputLoadResistance:maximum2kΩ;useradjustable

•FrequencyResponse(-3dB):DCto>5MHz,atanygainsetting;slewrategreaterthan500voltsper

microsecond(5voltspeaktopeakoutput,25to75%)

•PhaseShift:ultralinear,lessthan1degree,DCto100kHz,atanygainsetting

•SignalPropagationDelay:lessthan60nanoseconds,inputtooutput

•Distortion:lessthan0.001%,10Hzto40kHz,atanygainsetting,0dBV(3Volts)outputlevel

•CircuitTopology:Fullybalanced,direct-coupled(nocapacitorsinthesignalpath)

•CartridgeFineBalanceTrim:2dBrange,notaffectedbyVoltageGainsetting

•Inputs:Neutrik,PremiumGoldPinXLRBalanced;WBT,premiumwidebandwidthhelicalgoldpinRCA

(RCAinputsfunctionassingle-endedtobalancedadapters)

•Outputs:Neutrik,PremiumGoldPinXLRBalanced

•OutputImpedance:lessthan40ohms

•OutputDriveCapability:Balancedcable,upto33feet(10meters),600ohmsorgreaterloadimpedance

•StorageTemperature(withchargedAGMbatteries):0to78degreesF

•Operatingtemperature:40to75degreesF;batterylifewillbediminishedathighertemperatures

•PowerConsumption:lessthan5wattsidle/maintenanceAGMfloat;lessthan20wattswhileoperating

orwithAGMrecharging

OptionalRIAACorrectionModule

•CircuitTopology:Fullybalanced,directcoupled;secondorder,dual-rangeDCservo(primarytime

constant10.3seconds).PassivehighfrequencyEQ;premium,lowdistortionwidebandwidthFETbased

gainstageforactivelowfrequencyEQ.Independentsingleended(RCA)groundreferencedandbalanced

outputs;lownoise4-layercircuitboardsandsurfacemountcomponenttechnology

•Gain:adds12dBto“flat”signal

•ChannelSeparation:≥80dB,20Hz-20kHz(greaterthan100dBat1kHz)

•FrequencyResponse(-3dB):DCto12MHz,balancedorsingle-endedoutputs

•ChannelMatch:betterthan±0.02dB,10Hz-50kHz

•DeviationfromRIAAStandard:lessthan±0.1dB,10Hz-50kHz

•HarmonicDistortion(20Hz-20kHz):lessthan0.001%

•RIAAOverloadMargin:26dBat1kHz,15dBat20kHz

•High-passfilter:-12dB/octaveat10Hz(canbedisabledwithinternaljumpers)

• “Neumann”setting:50kHzRIAAmodification,canbeenabledwithinternaljumpers

•Outputs:Neutrik,PremiumGoldPinXLRBalanced;WBT,premiumwidebandwidthhelicalgoldpinRCA

•OutputImpedance:lessthan40ohms

•OutputDriveCapability:Balancedcable,upto33feet(10meters),600ohmsorgreaterloadimpedance

•Components:Precision(0.1percent)metalfilmresistors;ultralowdissipationfactorsprayedmetalfilm

polypropylenecapacitors,handselectedtomatchdesignwithin0.1percenttolerance;ultralowESR

powersupplydecouplingcapacitors

Dimensions

• 15.1”X2.4”X6.6”(WxHxD)Weight9pounds(SetaPlus)

• 12”X2”X7”(WxHxD)Weight6.5pounds(Seta)

Warranty

• Oneyearpartsandlabor,limitedwarranty.IntheunlikelyeventyourSetamustbereturnedtoChannelD

forrepair,contactChannelDinadvanceforareturnmaterialauthorizationnumberandshipping

instructions.

Inkeepingwithourcontinuingeffortstoenhanceandimproveourproducts,

wereservetherighttochangespecificationswithoutnotice.

SetaisaRegisteredTrademarkofChannelD

Indice

Altri manuali Channel D Amplificatore

Channel D

Channel D Lino C 3.0 Guida

Channel D

Channel D Lino C 2.0 Guida

Channel D

Channel D Lino Manuale operativo

Channel D

Channel D Seta Nano Manuale operativo

Channel D

Channel D Seta Piccola Mk2 Manuale operativo

Channel D

Channel D Seta Manuale operativo

Manuali Amplificatore popolari di altre marche

ASTRO

ASTRO HVO V40 P Manuale utente

Marantz

Marantz SUPERSCOPE BLA-545 Istruzioni per il montaggio

NAD

NAD CI980 Manuale utente

Technics

Technics SE-CH770 Manuale utente

Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon HK6300 Manuale utente

NAD

NAD T975 Manuale utente

McIntosh

McIntosh MA6850 Manuale utente

Electro-Harmonix

Electro-Harmonix ENGLISH MUFF’N Manuale utente

Viatron

Viatron Autrix Manuale utente

GME

GME GA9800 Manuale utente

Atlas

Atlas CP700 Manuale utente

Roland

Roland KC-1000 Manuale utente

Pyle

Pyle PFMRA350BW Manuale utente

Advantage

Advantage S-250 Manuale utente

IRT Electronics

IRT Electronics DVA-3007 Manuale utente

Dimavery

Dimavery BA-100 Series Manuale utente

Sony

Sony XM-S400D Manuale utente

Schertler

Schertler ROY X Manuale utente