O W N E R ' S M A N U A L P/ L D -110 0 Line Drive Preampl if ier Congratulations on your purchase of this precision audio component and thank you for your selection of Parasound. Your P/LD-1100 Line Drive Preamplifier has been designed with the latest technology to become the heart of the finest music systems. Premium parts and advanced design by renowned circuit designer John Curl combined with full remote control make the P/LD-1100 one of the finest preamplifier values ever offered. Please take a few moments now to read these instructions thoroughly so you may fully understand the sophisticated capabilities of your new preamplifier. P/LD-1100 Line Drive Preamplifier Power Mute Tape Aux Video Tuner CD Direct Balance Volume Unpacking and Placement Open the carton of your P/LD-1100 carefully and inspect the unit for possible shipping damage. Report any damage to your dealer immediately. You will find the detachable AC line cord packed separately inside the carton. Save your plastic bag, inserts, and carton. You may need these later for transporting the P/LD-1100 or for shipment in the event it ever requires factory service. Record the serial number (on rear panel) here for future reference: ____________________ Locate your P/LD-1100 as close as possible to your source components and power amplifier. Keep it out of direct sunlight, and away from heat sources such as a hot air vent or radiator. If you are stacking your components, avoid placing your P/LD-1100 on top of heat producing components, such as power amplifiers or tube-type preamplifiers. Making Connections Before making any signal connections, make sure your P/LD-1100's volume control is turned fully counterclockwise or its power is turned off. When making connections, make sure there is no strain or tension on any wires that could cause them to pull loose later on. Input connections · · · · · · CD Tuner Video Aux Tape Play Direct Each input has the same input sensitivity and impedance and is compatible with any typical analog line level source: DAT, MD, DCC, output of a Laserdisc or VCR, D-A converter, tape deck or phono pre-preamplifier. It is normal if your CD player or D-A converter sounds louder than any of the other sources and requires a slight volume control adjustment. This is the preferred input to connect the source component for your most critical listening. Direct jacks feed a separately switched line level input with the most direct signal path to your power amplifier. · Tape Record/Playback Jacks Play jacks connect to the Line Output jacks of the analog deck. Rec jacks connect to the Line Input jacks at the deck. Make sure you connect inputs and outputs of the Right and Left channels consistently, otherwise channels will be exchanged when you replay a tape you had recorded through this system. The Tape jacks are not switched as a monitor for simultaneous comparisons of recording to source. Be careful not to set your tape deck to record whenever the Tape input is selected on your P/LD-1100. Otherwise you will create an uncontrolled feedback blast which can quickly damage your speakers. · Main Line Out Connectors There are two pairs of Line Out jacks which can connect to two separate power amplifiers. External Remote Control Input Jack Your P/LD-1100 is compatible with most popular infrared repeater systems for remote control operation from another room or when it is installed in a cabinet where its handset signals cannot reach its front panel remote control sensor. The External Remote Control connector is a standard "mini" size jack. The center conductor is for + and the outer conductor is for - . Your Authorized Parasound Dealer or Custom Installer can recommend a compatible repeater system. DC Trigger This connector provides a +12 Volt DC 350 milliampere capacity trigger whenever you turn on the P/LD-1100. Use this connector to activate equipment such as relays or power amplifiers that can be triggered with DC voltage. Headphone Jack The built in premium high current, low noise headphone amplifier drives any headphones with an impedance of 8 or higher. It is always live, regardless of the operation of the Mute switch. AC Line Cord Receptacle Plug the female end of the AC cord firmly into the AC receptacle and make sure that it is properly seated. Connect the male end directly to an AC wall outlet. Avoid use of an extension cord or power strip since these often degrade sound quality. Operating Your P/LD-1100 Before turning the unit on, recheck all your connections and turn down the volume control to avoid any unpleasant "blasts" that could damage your speakers. · On-Off Switch Push once to turn on. Push again to turn off. The Mute LED will light up during a 3-4 second delay after turn on. After the circuits stabilize, the muting is defeated. · Volume Control Adjust listening level; the knob controls a smooth, precision Alps potentiometer. If your power amplifier has gain controls, they should be adjusted to accommodate a 11 AM - 1 PM setting of your P/LD-1100 volume control knob for your most frequent listening level. The slight resistance you feel when turning the volume control is from the gearing of its remote control actuator motor. · Balance Control Adjust relative left and right volume levels with this precision Alps 4-gang control. If clockwise rotation favors the left channel speaker as you face it, you have reversed Right and Left hookups between your preamp and power amplifier or between your power amplifier and speakers. · Input Select Buttons Press the button for the source you wish to hear. LEDs indicate selection. · Mute This button mutes the signal at the line out jacks, while leaving the headphone jack live. It is a convenient way to listen privately without the need to switch off your power amplifier(s). · Remote Control The remote control handset duplicates every function of the front panel controls with the exception of the balance control. The front panel LEDs above each switch alert you to the operating status of your P/LD1100. The remote control transmitter has a range of approximately 20 feet. Use only AA alkaline batteries in the handset and observe the correct polarity which is marked in the case. Whenever you turn your P/LD-1500 on, it will select the same source and resume the same volume setting you were playing before the last time you turned it off. This feature is dependent upon leaving your preamp plugged into an AC outlet that is always live. Never interfere with the motorized operation of the volume control knob while it is moving by a command from the remote control handset. Your remote control handset also includes controls for the matching Parasound T/DQ-1600 FM/AM Broadcast Reference tuner. The handset Polarity button has corresponding circuitry only in the Parasound P/LD-2000 preamplifier, and it has no function on your P/LD-1100. "Burning-in" Your P/LD-1100 Like many other great high end preamplifiers, your P/LD-1100 requires at least 72 hours of continuous operation after it is first turned on to sound its best. This gives various internal components and wiring a chance to "form" their optimum electron paths and pass complex musical information with greater definition, smoothness and transparency. Although we're certain your P/LD-1100 will sound spectacular when you first turn it on, you will find it worthwhile to reserve your final judgment until you've listened after a more few days. You'll discover additional details you may not have imagined were present in your music. Maintaining your P/LD-1100 Your P/LD-1100 requires no periodic maintenance and has no user serviceable parts inside. Do not remove the top cover to avoid risk of electric shock. To keep it clean use only a soft cloth and never use any solvents or abrasives. Fingerprints may be removed with a soft cloth moistened only with a few drops of clear water. Your P/LD-1100 has corrosion-free gold RCA jacks, but each year it is a good idea to twist the input plugs to preserve perfect signal transfer by removing corrosion which might have accumulated on the connecting plugs themselves. Make sure the unit is turned off while you do this. The remote control handset batteries should be removed whenever it will be unused for an extended period. Remove the batter cover annually to inspect and remove leaking batteries. Power Fuse If this fuse blows, it is an indication of internal parts failure. Do not replace it with any larger value to avoid damage to internal parts. Substitution of a larger fuse will void your warranty. In Case of Trouble If you suspect a problem with your unit, first recheck all your connections. If one channel is inoperative, the trouble may be caused by another component or even a defective hookup cable. If only one channel remains inoperative, try reversing the Left and Right cables to your power amplifier (turn it off before moving wires). If the same channel stays out, it indicates trouble could be other than your preamp itself. We suggest you contact your authorized Parasound dealer or call Parasound Technical Service if you suspect a problem. We will suggest other diagnostic tests you can easily perform and which will save you a lot of trouble. If we determine that your P/LD-1100 should be returned to Parasound for inspection and possible servicing, you must first obtain a Return Authorization number from Parasound. You will be asked to repack the unit in its original carton and cardboard packing plus an additional outer box over its own box for proper protection in transit. You must include your power cord and remote control handset. The Return Authorization number must be clearly marked on the outer carton only. You should ship the unit by UPS with adequate insurance specified. You must include a copy of your purchase receipt to validate your ownership. Units that arrive without your specific Return Authorization number, without a suitable shipping carton or evidence of improper internal packing or collect will be refused. We do not accept collect shipments. After repair under warranty, the unit will be returned to you via prepaid UPS or RPS. If we found no problem with the unit, we will ship the unit by UPS or RPS collect for return shipping charges. In the case of an out of warranty repair, we will advise you repair charges before you ship the unit. The same packing requirements and RA requirement apply. P/LD-1100 Specifications Frequency Response 5 Hz - 135 kHz, +0/-2 dB, full output 5 Hz - 100 kHz, +0/-2 dB, full output -6 dB Total Harmonic Distortion < 0.005%, 1 kHz < 0.007%, 20 kHz IM Distortion < 0.004% TIM Unmeasureable Maximum Output > 10 V before clipping Impedances All inputs 30 k , ±5% Line outputs < 60 Recommended line load 600 Recommended headphone 8 Input Sensitivity All inputs 150 mV, ±5% Maximum Input Level 10.5 V before clipping Signal-to-Noise Ratio > 102 dB, A weighted, full output > 93 dB, A weighted, full output -6 dB > 84 dB, unweighted, full output > 81 dB, unweighted, full output -6 dB Maximum Hum > 0.05 mV, full output > 0.08 mV, full output -6 dB Crosstalk > 100 dB, < 10 kHz, full output > 96 dB, 20 kHz, full output > 90 dB, 20 kHz, full output -6 dB Channel Balance < 0.3 dB Dimensions 19" wide x 3 1/2" high x 12 3/8" deep 4 1/8" high with feet Power Requirements 110 V - 120 V AC, 12 W; may be rewired for 220 V - 240 V, 50 Hz Weight 16 lb. Special Features · · · · · · Complementary MOSFETs CMOS solid-state switching Audiophile-grade capacitors Pure Class A discrete circuit DC servo direct coupled circuit IEC removable AC cord · · · · · · Gold-plated audiophile jacks 4 gold-clad precision relays 44,000 uF filter bank Direct Input function High current design Silver-plated wiring · · · · · · Noted John Curl design FR4 glass circuit boards Dual-mono topology Alps volume control Fully remote controlled Heavy-duty chassis Feature and specifications subject to change or improvement without notice. Rewiring for 220 - 240 V 50 Hz Operation Your P/LD-1100 may be rewired for operation abroad. This involves changing several of the power transformer wires. Please refer this conversion to a skilled electronics technician to avoid personal injury or possible harm to the unit. There are high voltages present inside the chassis even after the power is turned off and the AC plug has been disconnected. As it is supplied for 110 V - 120 V operation, the red and violet transformer primary wires are attached together. The white and gray primary wires are attached together. To convert to 220 V - 240 V operation, the white wire is disconnected from the gray wire. The violet primary wire is disconnected from the red wire. The white and violet wires are then attached together. Parasound Limited Warranty (USA only) Your Parasound P/LD-1100 preamplifier is covered by a limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two years from date of purchase. This warranty ...