Mark Levinson 433 User Manual

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Mark Levinson
Extensive Protection
The Nº433 is designed to shut itself down if it senses any of a 
number of fault conditions that could cause damage to itself or to 
associated loudspeakers. 
These fault conditions include:
the presence of DC (direct current) at the output
demand for excessive current at the output, indicating a short-
circuit
over-voltage or under-voltage conditions (+/-10%) at the ~ac 
mains connector
unsafe operating temperatures in any of several critical areas 
within the amplifier
In the case of either significant DC offset or an over-current 
condition, the amplifier will shut down to protect itself and the 
associated loudspeakers. The front panel indicator LED will blink 
rapidly, remaining lit about half of the time. To restore normal 
operation, power-down the amplifier using the power button, 
remove the cause of the fault, and wait five minutes before 
powering the amplifier back on.
If the ~ac mains connector voltage is too high or too low for safe 
operation, the amplifier will automatically enter sleep mode and 
the front panel indicator LED will blink rapidly, remaining on most 
of the time. The amplifier will not come out of sleep mode until the 
~ac mains connector 
voltage is again within the normal operating 
range. For example, a 120V amplifier will operate between approxi-
mately 108-132VAC; a 230V amplifier will operate between 
approximately 207-253VAC. Outside of these generous limits, the 
amplifier will enter sleep mode. Once the fault condition is 
removed, the amplifier can be taken out of sleep mode.
If the amplifier overheats despite its innovative heat sinking and 
cooling system, it will enter and remain in sleep mode until the 
temperature at the output heat sinks drops below 85°C (158°F or 
358K). The front panel indicator LED will blink rapidly, remaining 
unlit most of the time. Once the fault condition is removed, the 
amplifier can be taken out of sleep mode.
In addition, the AC input to each transformer is fused to protect 
against excessive current conditions such as driving shorted 
outputs. Inrush limiting prevents premature aging of power supply 
components during power-up and switches off-line once the power 
supply has been charged.
Finally, the amplifier incorporates a controlled clipping circuit that 
prevents the output devices from saturating. The harsh, high-
frequency harmonics generated by hard-clipped output devices are 
avoided by the wave-shaping action of the controlled clip circuitry.