triode tube power monoblocs

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2 BALDUR 70 triode triode tube power monoblos ::: mono tube triode power amplifier ::: We ongratulate you with the purhase of this superb AUDIOVALVE HiFi omponent. This handrafted produt has been manufatured aording to your wishes, and will allow you many years of musial joy. AUDIO VALVE guarantees that this amplifier has been produed under the stritest manufaturing guidelines, established through deades of tube amplifier design. Your RKV headphone amplifier has been thoroughly tried and tested in all detail. 2

3 BALDUR 70 triode triode tube power monoblos List of ontents Page PART 1 Overview 1. The BALDUR 70 silver and blak 3 2. Introdution to AudioValve 4 3. Bakground to the BALDUR The 6AS7G Valve and ABR iruit 5 5. The PCB 6 PART 2 Instrution Manual 1. Warnings and preautions 7 2. Unpaking & setup 7 3. Connetion 8 To mains power 9 To/From Preamp (or other soure) 10 To Loudspeakers Operation Power Swith 11 Operate Swith 11 First Startup Daytoday Operation Changing Power Valves IMPORTANT safety warning 12 Automati Bias Regulator funtion & interpretation 12 Tehnial Data 14 Warranty 15 3

4 BALDUR 70 triode tube power monoblos Congratulations on your deision to beome the owner of the AudioValve BALDUR 70 lassa triode power amplifier. This manual has been prepared to help you understand the operation of your amplifier and to provide some information about its design and the variety of ways in whih it may be used. PART 1 OVERVIEW 1. Introdution to AudioValve All AudioValve produts are designed by Helmut Beker and feature advaned, modern iruitry, ombined with the warm sweet sound of valves. Now it is no longer neessary to sarifie one to get the other. Combining the finest in modern valve tehnology with sophistiated smart bias iruitry, AudioValve brings you the best of both worlds and more. With ontemporarilystyled hassis built from 4 & 5 mm laserut steel, every amplifier and preamplifier we manufature utilises double sided PC boards and automati bias regulators to ensure a ontinuously uniform urrent flow to and a perfet math between all the valves throughout their entire life, even as the various valves deay at different rates. Unlike other valve amplifiers, where a ertain amount of guesswork and experiene is required to know when valves need to be replaed, with AudioValve amplifiers not only do valves not have to be removed prematurely (prior to burn out), but when burnt out does our, only the bad valves need to be replaed. The amplifier will automatially adjust and distribute the total urrent flow to optimally math the new onfiguration. AudioValve amplifiers always deliver nothing but the most advaned, eonomial, high quality valve sound. Power output valves in most models may be varied among several different types with no modifiations to the units, so that an appreiable degree of soni system mathing and user preferene may be aommodated. No matter what ombination of valves one uses (differing valves, new valves, old valves), one will experiene at all times the balaned and oherent sound of amplifiers working with brand new, perfetly mathed valves. The bonus is that there is never any need to use a meter or srewdriver to adjust bias on any valve in any ondition of operation. AudioValve s smart bias iruitry is the best and most unobtrusive available! The BALDUR 70 power amplifier represents exeptional value for money. We have designed and manufatured this power amplifier to faithfully and aurately reprodue musi. The high quality of omponents used and advaned valve operational priniples employed in this design ensures that you will enjoy the superb audio performane and pride of ownership, inherent in suh a handrafted produt as this, for many years to ome.

5 triode tube power monoblos 2. Bakground to the BALDUR 70 In 2003 at the CES show in Las Vegas AudioValve s ustomers and dealers made it abundantly lear that there was a requirement for a smaller version of the BALDUR 200 plus. Ideally this would offer the same soni exellene as the 200 plus but in a smaller, less expensive pakage. AudioValve s answer was the baby BALDUR 70 ClassA triode monoblok power amplifier. The development of a baby BALDUR was rapid with its world premiere being at the HighEndShow in FrankfurtGermany later the same year! It ahieves within a whisker the ideal that the ustomers and dealers wanted. As you rarely, if ever, get something for nothing, some ompromises had to be made, but these were surprisingly few. The BALDUR 70 uses half the omplement of 6AS7G valves of the 200 plus whih in turn halves power output to 75 watts per hannel still more than enough power to satisfy the vast majority of users and at a signifiantly lower ost! Damping fator is also redued from the amazing 100 of the BALDUR 200 plus to 20 for the BALDUR 70. Nevertheless, this is a lass leading performane, as the damping fator of ompeting valve amplifiers is not their strongest feature. This ombination of power and damping fator means the BALDUR 70 is happy driving a wide range of loudspeakers whether dynami, eletrostati or hybrid types. The high damping fator ensures strong, lean, taut and sharply outlined bass aompanied by a broad, deep soundstage and deliate, velvety high s that an only be obtained from pure triodes amplifiation. There is a lear family resemblane in the appearane of the two BALDURs. The 70 inorporates all of the design and onstrutional elements of its bigger brother and retains the Audio Valve hallmarks of safety, reliability, durability, low maintenane and ease of use that are familiar to all owners of AudioValve produts sine the first amplifier, the RKV, was launhed over 20 years ago. 3. The 6AS7G Valve and ABR iruit The BALDUR 70 uses four 6AS7G dual triode power output valves. This valve was first used in the BALDUR 100 and is also used in the urrent BALDUR 200 plus. The 6AS7G is an exeptionally high performane triode when it is working optimally. However there are too many adjustments that need to be arried out for optimum performane to be maintained over time using a onventional biasing iruit. As a onsequene the valve is rarely used and is relatively inexpensive. Traditionally, valve biasing is performed with a srewdriver to adjust the bias urrent to the valve. Any suh adjustment an only be optimum for an instant as valves, even seleted ones or a mathed set, annot hold a onsisteny of performane in the long term. Eah valve will deteriorate individually and, if in a set, not neessarily in the same way as others in that set. A mathed pair or quad will therefore only remain mathed for a relatively short period of time!

6 triode tube power monoblos Helmut Beker of AudioValve has developed a unique valve biasing iruit that automatially monitors, biases and ontrols eah valve independently thereby maintaining any number of valves at their optimum performane level. These valves do not even have to be of the same type or ondition. This is AudioValve s Automati Bias Regulator (ABR) iruit, a feature that AudioValve onsiders essential to deliver optimum performane from any multiple power valve amplifier and, in partiular, to get the very best from the stunning 6AS7SG. AudioValve s ABR therefore delivers a long awaited dream to ombine the operational onveniene of solidstate amplifiers with the soni benefits of pure triodes. True 21st entury valvetehnology! 4. The PCB All eletroni omponents of the BALDUR 70 are mounted on one double sided milspe printed iruit board reated from a pure opper overed panel using CAD/CAM software to produe a iruit board ompletely free from solder bridges or pointtopoint wiring. All signal and power traks are separated by grounding traks to minimise rosstalk and noise and the overall onstrution is designed to ensure low mirophony and exellent ondutivity. The advantage of this approah is a onsisteny and reliability of performane and the ertainty that all prodution examples of any AudioValve model will be exatly like its referene sample! This is in stark ontrast to amplifiers that employ hardwired omponents, where the soni outome will depend upon the onstrution tehniian s ability to solder all joints to a onsistent standard and plae the omponents in the same position and orientation as those of the referene sample to ensure onsisteny of interation with other omponents. AudioValve s PCB ensures that all omponents reeive the same auray of assembly and that eletrodynami interations between omponents are onstant in all aspets of the onstrution. Only the use of a well thought out and alulated printed iruit an ahieve this.

7 triode tube power monoblos PART 2 INSTRUCTION MANUAL Please take time to read this manual thoroughly before using your amplifier 1. WARNINGS & PRECAUTIONS The BALDUR 70 amplifier operates in lassa and is therefore apable of generating moderate to high temperatures. This may have an adverse effet on other equipment, furniture and fittings lose by and you will need to position the amplifier arefully to avoid this. Do not remove the top over or the metal grille from this amplifier whilst it is in operation or onneted to the mains supply as you will be exposed to potentially lethal voltages. Do not attempt to onnet any input of this amplifier to any of its outputs otherwise damage to omponents will result. Do not earth any output terminal or onnet any of these terminals together without following the instrutions in this manual or seeking qualified assistane. Do not onnet any voltage soure, short iruit, earth/ground or appliane (other than a suitable HiFi quality loudspeaker) to any output terminal. Repair work should only be undertaken by a suitably qualified servie engineer. 2. UNPACKING & SET UP Ideally your dealer will arry out this proess for you. If you wish to unpak and setup the amp yourself please follow the following steps arefully. Eah BALDUR70 omes in its own wooden rate and weighs 16kg (36lbs) unpaked, so it is advisable to have another person assist you with the following unpaking operations. First remove the lid to the rate using a pozidrive No 2 srewdriver. The power output valves are paked individually inside the rate. Remove all four of these and plae them somewhere safe! To remove the BALDUR 70 from its rate first undo the plasti wrapping. Eah person should then grab the outer rim of the Perspex top and lift the amplifier until it an be rested on the edge of the rate. Any further lifting should be arried out holding the bottom of the amplifier hassis. Do not lift the amplifier using the protetive grille! We suggest you leave all pakaging in the rate and refix the top so you an use it again in the unlikely event that you need to return the unit under warranty (see warranty onditions at the end of the manual) or plae the unit in storage.

8 triode tube power monoblos Next remove the protetive grille and Perspex top plate assembly from the top of the amp so you an fit the power valves. This over is fixed to the Perspex top plate by srews. This top plate is fixed to the amp by 4 round smooth topped bolts, one in eah orner of the top plate. To remove the assembly, undo these bolts, not the srews. It is possible that the driver valves already on the iruit board may have been vibrated loose in transit, so first hek that they are seurely in plae if not, push them firmly home. One you have done this, remove the power valves from their paking one at a time and fit them into the vaant sokets. Take are to align the pins orretly before pushing them fully into position otherwise the soket may be damaged requiring a return of the unit to the fatory for repair. One all four power valves have been installed, lean any finger marks off them and the driver valves with a tissue or lintfree loth and replae the top plate assembly. This assembly is deoupled from the amplifier s hassis by plasti washers. When you refit the over do not overtighten the knurled nuts or the deoupling will be redued. It is suffiient to tighten the nuts until they touh the top plate and then tighten one halfturn more only. The amplifier is now ready for onneting into your audio system. Experiene has shown that these amplifiers benefit from resting on a solid surfae rather than arpet. Your AudioValve dealer will be able to reommend a suitable support that ensures adequate airflow around and through the amplifier. Do not plae this amplifier in a position where liquids or any hard objets may aidentally enter it.

9 triode tube power monoblos 3. CONNECTION The rear of the amplifier ontains one IEC 230v AC mains input soket, one RCA phono line level input soket for unbalaned operation, one XLR line level input soket for balaned operation and two pairs of loudspeaker able binding posts, one pair eah learly marked for the use of either 4 ohm or 8 ohm loudspeakers. A basi IEC terminated mains lead is supplied with the amplifier. AudioValve reommends the use of their BMC Pro mains lead, available from your AudioValve dealer, for optimum performane. No other onneting leads are supplied so you will need to soure suitable interonnets and loudspeaker ables to omplete the installation if you do not have them already. To mains power Chek that the mains voltage printed on the rear of this amplifier is similar to the mains voltage normally supplied to your area. If in doubt, please onsult your AudioValve dealer. Ensure the POWER swith is OFF and the OPERATE swith is set to STANDBY mode. Connet the IEC power lead plug to the IEC soket on the rear of the amplifier and the mains plug into the mains soket. Do not turn on the power to the amplifier until you have ompleted all other onnetions. A mains rated fuse is fitted in a small drawer within the IEC mains soket on the rear of the amplifier. If you need to hek or replae this fuse first remove the IEC power lead from the amplifier and then lever out the drawer with a flat blade srewdriver. The fuse fitted should be rated no higher than 10 amp slowblow. In the unusual event that this fuse should blow, you must first establish the ause of this failure, ure the fault and then replae the fuse with one of the same type. Do not fit a fuse with a higher rating.

10 triode tube power monoblos To/From Preamp (or other soure) Attah either a RCA phono plug terminated interonnet able from your preamplifier output to the phono soket on the BALDUR 70 OR an XLR terminated interonnet from your preamp to the XLR soket on the BALDUR 70 Do not operate the amplifier with both RCA phono and XLR ables onneted at the same time. It is possible to onnet any line level soure diretly to the BALDUR 70 using either RCA phono or XLR inputs as long as that soure has some means of ontrolling its output level (volume). Always redue the volume of suh a soure to minimum before swithing the BALDUR 70 to OPERATE mode (see below). AudioValve reommends balaned operation using XLR terminated interonnets wherever possible for optimum performane. The AudioValve EKLIPSE preamp is an ideal partner for the BALDUR 70 in this respet. To Loudspeakers Determine whether your loudspeakers are nominally of a 4 ohm impedane or 8 ohm impedane. If in doubt, you should onsult your loudspeaker handbook or manufaturer. Connet the loudspeaker + ive terminal via a suitable loudspeaker able to the appropriate 4 ohm or 8 ohm + ive terminal on the amplifier. Do the same thing for the ive terminal of the loudspeaker and amplifier. This ensures that the orret polarity is used at both the loudspeaker and amplifier terminations. If you get this wrong no harm will ome to the loudspeaker or amplifier but the sound will be out of phase resulting in poor sound quality with vague imaging and wooly sounding bass. If you suspet that you have onneted your system in this way, reverse the onnetions at the terminals of one l oudspeaker only. Alternatively ontat your AudioValve dealer to obtain one of the system setup reordings available on LP or CD whih will help you to identify and orret this problem. Finally, examine the quality of the onnetions to ensure optimum performane and reliability of operation. In partiular, hek that the onnetions are tight, but do not over tighten with exessive use of spanners et. If bare wires are used, make sure that no loose strands of wire short aross to the other terminals or the amplifier hassis. When using plugs, suh as Banana plugs, be sure to use those of good quality with a firm fit. The BALDUR 70 is now ready for operation

11 triode tube power monoblos 4. OPERATION The front panel of the Baldur power amplifier inorporates two swithes and two LEDs. The swithes ontrol the day to day funtion of the amplifier as follows: Power Swith This heavy duty roker swith is at the right side of the front panel and swithes the mains power of the amplifier ON or OFF. The LED immediately beside the swith illuminates to indiate that the power is ON. The BALDUR 70 draws a moderately high urrent when swithed on so it is inadvisable to repeatedly and rapidly swith between ON and OFF. Operate Swith This swith is on the left of the front panel and swithes the mode of the amplifier between STAND BY and OPERATE. OPERATE is engaged with the swith in the up position with the LED immediately beside the swith illuminated. STANDBY is seleted with the swith in the down position and the LED immediately beside the swith is not illuminated. The BALDUR 70 is more or less indestrutible, even if you shortiruit the output, or inadvertently, leave it running without load. This resiliene applies to all AudioValve amplifiers. Having said that, we do not reommend that you make a habit of areless operation! In fat to maximize the life of the omponents, partiularly the valves, we reommend that you follow the operational proedures below.

12 triode tube power monoblos First start up Ensure that the POWER swith is OFF and the amplifier is in STANDBY mode. Connet the power lead and swith on at the mains soket. Swith the POWER swith on the fae plate to ON. Let the amplifier warm up for about an hour. Now swith the STANDBY swith to OPERATE. As the valves and iruit omponents heat up you may notie the smell of hot eletrial omponents (but should not see smoke!). This is normal and an persist for a number of days, getting less in extent as the time passes. Daytoday operation When you have finished using the amplifier for the day turn the OPERATE swith to STANDBY mode. If you are planning to not use the amplifier for some days it is advisable to turn the POWER swith to OFF also. When you return, swith the POWER swith to ON. Let the amp warm up for at least 15 minutes before swithing from STANDBY to OPERATE. This method of operation minimizes thermal shok and will maximize the life of your BALDUR 70s. Please note that the OPERATE swith has to be in OPERATE mode before you attempt to listen to musi. Some preamplifiers and soure omponents produe large swithing pulses when turned on whih auses a loud lik through the loudspeakers. For this reason, you should turn on all other equipment in your system before swithing the BALDUR 70 into OPERATE mode. The BALDUR 70 does not ause this problem itself. For similar reasons, do not disonnet any input or output onnetion while the amplifier is operating. 5. CHANGING POWER VALVES IMPORTANT before hanging a valve you must remove the mains lead from the IEC soket and allow the valves to ool down. Touhing a hot valve an ause very serious burns. Standard valve type: 6AS7G dual triode SOVTEK or SWETLANA The BALDUR 70 will only aept the 6AS7G as power tube.

13 triode tube power monoblos Automati Bias Regulator (ABR ) funtion and interpretation Eah power valve is ontrolled by an ABR for eah iruit within the valve. There are two iruits in eah 6AS7G valve. There are three LEDs beside eah power valve iruit. These LED`s indiate the status of the valve when the amplifier is in OPERATE mode and will light if the valve malfuntions in some way. There are two LEDs for eah iruit within the valve (numbers 1 & 2 in the photo below) plus one to indiate standby mode (number 3 in the photo below). In total there will be six LEDs surrounding eah valve as there are two triode iruits per valve. If a power valve in the BALDUR 70 falls in performane to the point where it needs to be hanged, the appropriate ABR iruit will indiate this by lighting LEDs 1 & 2 next to the valve that needs replaing. Exhange the faulty valve for a suitable replaement from the list above. You need only exhange the faulty valve as the ABR automatially adjusts the interrelationship between the valves to give optimum sound. AudioValve will supply individual replaement valves (or omplete sets valves) through its distributors at an extremely ompetitive prie. of One you have hanged the faulty power valve the LEDs should go out. If this or any other of the LEDs remains lit, turn the amp off at the POWER swith and ontat your AudioValve dealer. Under normal operating onditions none of the LEDs are lit, athough: o if the amplifier is in STAND BY mode, LED number 3 will light up, and o when the amplifier is being driven to very high output levels it is normal for the LEDs 1 & 2 that monitor the valve iruits to simultaneously light dimly.

14 triode tube power monoblos 6. TECHNICAL DATA Power supply: Volt Power onsumption /amp: 250 Watt Valves: 4 x 6AS7G, 1 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 2 x 6N6P PushPull Conept: lass A Max Output / h: THD 75 Watt (8 ohm load, 1% dist.) at rated output: Power 0.3% ( 50Watt/100Hz 1KHz 10KHz) bandwidth: 10Hz 50KHz (8Ohm load) Damping fator: 20 (output Z= 0.4 Ohm) Input sensitivity: 0 dbm ( 775 mv) Automati Bias Regulation: Yes, on all power valvetriodes Version Standard Blak. Also Silver edition available Weight: W: 325 mm x D: 385 mm x H: 300 mm Dimensions with pakaging: 16 Kg W: 450 mm x D: 525 mm x H: 500 mm:

15 triode tube power monoblos monoblos WARRANTY AUDIO VALVE warrants its produts for a threeyear period on all eletronis and a 90day period on the valves from the purhase date. This warranty is restrited to the original purhaser. In the event of a failure of your amplifier, AudioValve will repair or readjust this unit or, should the oasion arise, will replae it provided that all warranty onditions are met. In order to initiate servie of any kind it is neessary to obtain distributor or dealer authorisation prior to shipping the unit to AudioValve or one of its distributors. Any of the following onditions shall void the warranty: Operation not in aordane with this manual. Abuse, aidental damage or unauthorized modifiations, determined by AudioValve or its agents exlusively. Removal, defaing or falsifying of the serial numbers. Shipping without the original omplete fatory rates. WARRANTY REGISTRATION Please fill out, detah and return this warranty form to the distributor within fifteen days of the purhase date or register online at our website, oval ve.info MODEL : SERIAL NUMBER : PURCHASE DATE : AUTHORIZED AUDIO VALVE DEALER: PURCHASER`S NAME : STREET ADDRESS : POSTAL CODE : Send to your dealer:

16 triode tube power monoblos CE Confirmity Delaration Of Conformity Manufaturer: AudioValve, Germany, KASSEL, Umbahsweg 70, Produt Name: CONDUCTOups, das ist heftih Produt Type: Audio Amplifier Complies with Standards: LVD: 92/31/EEC, 93/68/EEC, & 73/23/EWG Safety: EN60065 EMC: EN55013, EN55020, EN55022, EN55103, EN , & EN The offiial Delaration of Conformity for this produt is kept on file at: AudioValve, Kassel,Umbahsweg 70, Tel info@audiovalve.info Fa. Helmut Beker Produktion Marken: AUDIOVALVE & BETEC Umbahsweg KASSEL Germany USt.Ident.Nr.: WEEEReg.Nr.: DE Gerihtsstand: Kassel

17 triode tube power monoblos :: AUDIOVALVE ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE of tehnial and sound testing :: CLIENT: Modell: BALDUR 70 Datum: Ser.Nr. Mehanishe Baugruppen Gehäuseaufbau / FrontTeile fest?! lakierte Teile alle ohne Kratzer gedrukte Blenden fehlerfrei Pfosten im Winkel Prüfer: Börger Markgraf Tehnishe Baugruppen Optishe Leiterplattenprüfung vor Einbau Sitz aller Kabel, zugfest und isoliert Prüfer: Börger Markgraf Alle Gleihspannungen gemessen Signale linker & rehter Kanal Geräushe am Sop gemessen Balane (nah rehtsrehts mehr) log. Lautstärke ok? Knöpfe einwandfrei und rihtig vor Skala? Eingänge / Ausgänge, Cinh/XLR/rossfeed Relais und Empfindlihkeiten Fernbedienung Rehtek anshauen unter 100 Ohm Last Lautspreherklemmen testen Prüfer: Börger Markgraf Äusserlihe Sihtprüfung lose Teile fehlende Shrauben keine Kratzer, Lak & Oberglas Sitz aller Muttern / Shrauben oben / unten Federleisten, Blenden, Seiten fest Prüfer: Börger Markgraf Elektronik Optishe Endkontrolle Seriennummer, CE Stiker dran? Meßtehnisher Teil: Anode 6AS7, Treiber; Soll VDC Alle Eingänge Ausgang 1+2 Referenz BIAS Spg. Änderungen 1) links rehts alle Kathoden BIAS gemessen Signalspannungen VDC keine Bekannt