MANLEY LABORATORIES, INC. Neo-Classic 250 & 500 WATT AMPLIFIERS OWNER'S MANUAL TUBES RULE brought to you by the clever folks at: MANLEY LABORATORIES, INC. 13880 MAGNOLIA AVE. CHINO, CA. 91710 USA TEL: (909) 627-4256 FAX: (909) 628-2482 email: emanley@manleylabs.com website: www.manleylabs.
CONTENTS SECTION PAGE INTRODUCTION 3 MAINS CONNECTIONS 4 CONNECTING YOUR AMPLIFIER 5 TOP VIEW & TUBE LOCATION 6 FRONT & REAR VIEW 7 OPERATIONAL NOTES 8 BIAS PROCEDURE 9 REPLACING TUBES 10 TROUBLESHOOTING 11 SPECIFICATIONS 12,13 WARRANTY 14 WARRANTY REGISTRATION 15 PACKAGING 16
INTRODUCTION Tried and true: The Manley Neo-Classic 250 and 500 Watt Monoblocks have been refined over years and years of development. Reliability that you can depend on combined with musical accuracy and emotional authority is what these amplifiers promise and deliver. They are able to switch operation modes allowing the listener to choose between the sonically seductive qualities of triode and the more powerful tetrode configuration.
MAINS CONNECTIONS Your 250's or 500's have been factory set to the correct mains voltage for your country (well, that is what we intended to do when we knew where it would be initially shipped). There is NO voltage changeover switch inside! The serial number sticker badge will proclaim the voltage we initially set when the unit first shipped from the factory. Additionally there might be a yellow 120V sticker or a red 230V sticker placed near the IEC power inlet.
CONNECTING YOUR AMPLIFIER Setting up your amplifiers is rather easy. 1. Connect all source components (turntable, CD, Tuner, Tape DAT, etc.) to your preamplifier. 2. Connect the interconnects from the output of the preamplifier or switching center to the RCA input on the top rear of the amplifiers. IF your source has a truly BALANCED output, connect TO the XLR input and select the balanced input on the switch. If using a standard UNBALANCED source, select and use the unbalanced RCA connector.
OVERHEAD VIEW INPUT RCA INPUT XLR OUTPUT 2 12BH7/ 12BH7/ 6414 6414 4 3 9 7 EL34s/KT90s 1 FUSES: IEC MAINS IN B+ MAINS BAL/UNBAL. SWITCH EL34s/KT90s 12AT7 6 5 8 10 Tube Location & Type OUTPUT TUBES: 10 x EL34 (250W) or 10 x KT90 (500W): The EL34 types we recommend are the Sovtek EL34G, EL34G+, EL34WXT, Electro-Harmonix EL34EH or the JJ EL34GT as supplied to us by our pals at Groove Tubes. For the 500W model, we recommend using the KT90EH by Electro-Harmonix.
FRONT VIEW MANLEY TRIODE MUTE TETRODE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 GROUND FRONT VIEW OF AMPLIFIER WITH INSERT REMOVED OPERATE STANDBY EVER-WARM SOFT START SWITCH SHOWING BIAS MEASUREMENT POINTS AND BIAS ADJUST POINTS MAINS POWER ON / OFF SWITCH REAR VIEW ce N9512422 MAINS IN IEC MAINS B+ FUSE BALANCED/ RCA XLR FUSE SLO-BLO UNBALANCED INPUT BALANCED SLO-BLO SWITCH INPUT 7 SPEAKER OUTPUT BINDING POSTS
OPERATIONAL NOTES SWITCHING ON -- SOFT START The MANLEY NEO-CLASSIC 250's & 500's are equipped with a SOFT-START circuit which reduces the cold-start current draw which makes things easier for your house breakers and the poor tubes and capacitors in the amps. We recommend that you use this soft start turn-on feature sequence whenever you turn the amplifier on and especially when you turn it on from cold. 1.
BIAS PROCEDURE The Manley 250 & 500 watt Amplifiers use a fixed bias system that requires very little attention. The term "bias" as used here refers to an externally adjustable voltage applied to each of the output tubes grids. This voltage sets the correct current draw for each output tube. Proper adjustment ensures the best sonic performance and longest tube life. We recommend that you check the bias upon initial receipt of the amps, and every 2 or 3 months thereafter.
REPLACING TUBES (Also refer to page 6) How long will these tubes last? We can't say for sure. Some die prematurely and some tubes last more than 30 years. The average for the tubes in the 250's & 500's seems to be 4 to 5 years depending on usage. As with all tubes, their quality degrades with age. This is due to decreasing cathode emission, a natural process found in all tubes.
TROUBLESHOOTING It is rare that any of these problems occur but if they do here are some things to try. HUM - Try a mains ground adapter if they are legal in your country. They are also called 3 pin to 2 pin adapters or "cheaters" and are available in hardware stores. There should be one ground in your system and only one. If two or more pieces of gear have 3 pin AC cables a ground loop can occur which will usually cause hum.
SPECIFICATIONS (250W) ALL-TUBE monoblock design: uses 10 x EL34JJ output tubes Driver Stage: High current double 12BH7EH (x2) Input Tube: 12AT7WA Ei large plate BALANCED & UNBALANCED inputs: RCA and XLR jacks (switchable) MUTE switch: on front panel TRIODE / TETRODE switching: on front panel SOFT-START turn on mode: minimizes in-rush current by first powering up amplifier to half voltages EVER-WARM mode: for standby keeps tubes warmed up at half voltages MANLEY Precision Output Transformer: designed and wou
SPECIFICATIONS (500W) ALL-TUBE monoblock design 10 x KT90 or 6550C output tubes High current double 6414W driver stage 12AT7EH large plate Electro-Harmonix Russian input tube BALANCED & UNBALANCED inputs MUTE switch TRIODE / TETRODE switching S0FT-START/ EVER-WARM standby mode MANLEY Precision output transformer Factory set for 5 ohms nominal Front panel bias measurement and adjust (hiding under the black insert) Large filter / reservoir capacitors 3800uF x 2 Angled rear of chassis provides for easy connect
Manley Laboratories, Inc. WARRANTY STATEMENT effective 1/2006 All Manley Laboratories equipment is covered by a limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 90 days from date of purchase to the original purchaser only. A further optional limited 5 year transferrable warranty is available upon proper registration of ownership within 30 days of date of first purchase.
WARRANTY REGISTRATION We ask, grovel and beg that you please fill out this registration form and send the bottom half to: MANLEY LABORATORIES REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT 13880 MAGNOLIA AVE. CHINO CA, 91710 USA Or you may FAX this form in to: +1 (909) 628-2482 or you may fill in the online warranty registration form found in the Tech Support section of our website www.manleylabs.
PACKAGING Amplifier Pre-packing Instructions: Step 1: Remove the perforated top cover. Use a #2 Phillips screwdriver to remove nine philips 6-32 screws: Three per side, two on the top, and one in the back of the cage, in front of the two big B+ capacitors. Step 2: Install the protective soft grey foam that surrounds the output tubes, one piece per bank of five tubes, two per amplifier. Do not install this foam if the tubes are hot. Make sure they are cool or you will have a mess of melted foam.