Channel D Lino C 2.0 Leitfaden

Channel D Lino C 2.0

Balanced, Current Mode Direct-Coupled Wide Bandwidth

Low Distortion Low Noise Precision Phono Preampliﬁer

For Low Output Moving-Coil Phono Cartridges

Installation and Use Manual

Revision 1b1

QUICK START

1. Allow your Lino C to fully acclimate to ambient temperature

before removing it from the inner plastic bag.

2. Current mode phono preampliﬁers use balanced input wiring.

Balanced wiring consists of a twisted pair of two independent

conductors inside a shield, for a total of three independent

conductors. Current mode phono preamps may exhibit audible

hum with unbalanced (coaxial conductor with shield) wiring.

RCA to XLR adapters are included, but a properly wired bal-

anced interconnect is needed to guarantee no audible hum.

3. Unmodiﬁed Rega turntables and tonearms cannot be connect-

ed to balanced preampliﬁers because Rega connects the chassis

ground to a cartridge signal connection, preventing making a

balanced signal connection, resulting in noise and hum.

4. Connect the turntable and output connections. Connect the

power adapter to the Lino C. The barrel connector of the power

adapter will easily slide into the power input jack on the rear of

the Lino C. If it seems to not slide in easily, verify the alignment

of the plug and try again. It can be damaged by using excessive

force. Next, plug the line cord into utility power.

5. Two green indicator lights on the bottom of the chassis will

illuminate when the Lino C has power and is operating.

6. It’s best to keep the Lino C continuously connected to utility

power. Unplugging the power adapter from the utility line will

place the Lino C into “Off the Grid” mode. Read the manual for

important information before using Off the Grid mode.

7. Disconnect the power adapter from the rear of the Lino C to

fully power down the Lino C.

Channel D Lino C 2.0 Installation and Use Manual

www.channel-d.com

/QPVHPVU/QRTLKV)/KDPPHN0-NNLKVUHUHTXHG

Table of Contents

Page

Getting Started 1

Signal Connections 2

Power Up 2

Power Down 3

“Off the Grid” Mode 3

About the AGM Rechargeable Battery and Power Supply 3

Lino C Configuration and Preamplifier Gain 4

AGM Rechargeable Battery Operation and Charging 6

Opening the Lino C Chassis 8

Specifications 10

APPENDIX - Sample RIAA Accuracy Graph 11

Page 1

Congratulations on your purchase of a Lino C phono preampliﬁer! The Lino C is a low noise, low

distortion fully balanced current mode preampliﬁer featuring a wide frequency bandwidth. This provides

you with the key to obtaining stunning, three-dimensional music reproduction from your LP records.

The Lino C is speciﬁcally designed to deliver extremely high quality music reproduction from low output

moving-coil cartridges.

The Lino C incorporates newly available power supply components that enable circuit design strategies

delivering power supply performance very closely approaching that of our ﬂagship Seta® rechargeable-

battery phono preampliﬁers. Like our ﬂagship Seta models, modern manufacturing methods are used,

including low-noise, four-layer circuit boards and precision, surface mount components. Surface mount

components provide the shortest signal paths and highly optimized circuit layouts, with low stray

inductance, capacitance, improved unit to unit consistency and performance all eclipsing old-fashioned

through-hole designs. The result is a phono preampliﬁer with exquisite performance far exceeding

expectations, especially considering its relatively modest price in the arena of most high end components.

The high precision (better than ± 0.1 dB) RIAA EQ accuracy provides standard RIAA-corrected phono

preampliﬁer outputs with outstanding quality. The Lino C also is perfect as a preampliﬁer for connecting

to high resolution (192 kHz / 24 bit), balanced-input analog to digital converters (ADCs). The Lino C’s

selectable Flat output used in conjunction with Channel D’s Pure Vinyl™ software providing RIAA EQ

correction combines the strengths of the latest cutting-edge analog and digital technologies, delivering

superb, high deﬁnition transparent vinyl playback.

The beneﬁt of having the availability of selectable Flat and RIAA outputs can facilitate linking analog LP

playback with the performance and ﬂexibility of high resolution digital audio, should you desire to do so

later in the future.

Getting Started

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

and operation of your Lino C.

Important: If the package you received from your shipper is substantially above or below ambient

temperature, please allow your Lino C to acclimate at room temperature for a few hours before opening

the plastic bag containing your Lino C, to avoid causing condensation on cold internal surfaces (if colder

than ambient temperature), and to allow the internal battery to come to temperature equilibrium for

optimal operation.

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

d 7LPQ/;THDORNLILHT

d 1VHTPDNXQNVRQHTUWRRNOOVLRRQULVLXHVQAQNV45PRWVGQOHUVLFVQFQPGWFVQT

RQHTFQTGFDPEHWUHGLVKLPVHTPDVLQPDNDGDRVHTU

d a-NNHP6H

d 9QPFQPGWFVLXHUVNWUIQTUHVVLPFQPILWTDVLQPULVFKHU

d -FFHUUQTTLKVDPNHOOEDTTHNRNWLVKUVTLRRHGDPGVLPPHGRLVDLN

d /-IHODNHVQC7ODNHDGDRVHTURLPQRHP

d ;HTIQTODPFH8HDUWTHOHPV3TDRKUKQLPQWTQP7LPQ/UOHDUWTHG5--1DFFWTDF9QVHVKHUHTLDNPWOEHTQI

VKH5--FLTFWLVEQDTGLPULGHQWT7LPQ/LUVKHUDOHDUVKHUHTLDNPWOEHTQIQWT7LPQ/

Before making any signal connections, disconnect the power supply from the rear of the Lino C.

If using Channel D Pure Vinyl™ software: 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.

Page 2

Signal Inputs

•The Lino C, as a current mode MC preampliﬁer, requires balanced (shielded twisted pair, which is

two conductors inside a shield for a total of three independent conductors; as contrasted with

coaxial unbalanced cable which is one conductor plus a shield) connections to the turntable.

Turntables with RCA jacks can be used with an RCA to XLR cable. Important: Pin 1 of the

XLR connector must not be connected to either of the signal conductors, or hum/noise/

distortion will result. Pin 1 should only be connected to the cable shield. If you detect any

hum/noise/distortion please detach and check your input connection cable using a continuity

tester or ohmmeter to insure that Pin 1 of the XLR is not internally connected to Pins 2 or 3.

Balanced cable and signal connections provide better noise immunity (because of common mode

noise rejection) than conventional shielded (single conductor plus coaxial shield) cable. They are

also a requirement for a current mode preampliﬁer, or hum/noise/distortion will result.

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 Lino C. If your turntable doesn’t have a grounding

connection, leave this terminal disconnected. Important: only connect the ground to a turntable

chassis or ground wire, not to a ground connection on any other equipment.

Balanced Outputs

•The low impedance, balanced XLR outputs are conﬁgured by the factory to supply conventional

RIAA corrected output.

The balanced outputs also can be conﬁgured to bypass the RIAA EQ for connection to the

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

(for Mac computers) for applying RIAA compensation. (Consult the Pure Vinyl software User

Guide for more information.)

If necessary, XLR output pin 3 may safely be connected to circuit common / ground (Pin 1),

because the Lino C has servo balanced (ground sensing) outputs.

Single-Ended Outputs

•The single-ended / unbalanced outputs supply conventional RIAA corrected output for use with

single ended / unbalanced outputs for a line preampliﬁer lacking balanced inputs. This corresponds

to a standard phono preampliﬁer (with RIAA EQ curve) output signal.

The RCA phono outputs are true, single ended (unbalanced) connections derived by differentially

summing the balanced signal “legs,” rather than taking the unadvisable shortcut of only using the

positive polarity signal leg of the balanced circuit, which would deliver poor performance.

Also, the standard RIAA EQ compensated signal appearing on the RCA output connectors is

generated from a signal side chain independent of the XLR / balanced outputs, and may be used

simultaneously with the XLR outputs without compromising the performance of the Lino.

Power Up

•Connect the 5 volt power adapter to the power input jack on the back of the Lino C, and then

connect the line to utility power. A faint click may be heard as the internal relays are engaged.

Insert the barrel connector into the rear panel receptacle with gentle, minimal force. If it seems to

not insert into the receptacle, please insure it is correctly aligned with the connector. Do not apply

Page 3

excessive force or the receptacle may be damaged. Two green power indicators will illuminate on

the bottom of the chassis.

Power Down

•Disconnect the 5 volt power adaptor from the power input jack on the back of the Lino C.

•“Off the Grid” Mode: The Lino C may be operated entirely from the internal battery by

disconnecting the wall plug from utility power and leaving the barrel connector inserted in the

back of the Lino C. This can be conﬁrmed by the power indicators on the bottom of the chassis,

and of course, the Lino C’s operation. Reconnect the Lino and power adapter to utility power

after using this mode to maintain the battery charge and to insure optimum battery life.

Rechargeable Battery

•Keep the Lino C continuously connected to utility power for maximum battery life. The

resulting quiescent power draw is low, less than 2 watts. Battery charging is automatically

managed. The charging adapter is disconnected internally when an input signal is detected.

Then, the Lino C is galvanically isolated. The charging adapter will be automatically reconnected,

recharging the battery, when an input signal is absent for approximately 10 minutes.

•The 9 ampere hour AGM battery will provide over 24 hours of continuous operation. Having the

battery sited inside the chassis with the circuitry insures that it serves as a noise sink instead of

antenna, if it were housed externally and connected via an umbilical. The beneﬁts of its low

impedance are also realized because the battery is physically close to the circuitry being powered.

Important note: Do not replace the power supply with a different one. The two-

wire power supply has been very carefully selected for galvanic isolation and low

noise. If replaced with a linear supply or a three-wire supply even of exactly the

same rating, the internal circuitry may be damaged. This will void the warranty.

In answer to user inquiries: the performance of the Lino C will not be improved by

substituting a battery for the power adapter. The Lino C depends on having a relatively

stable 5 volt (within ± 0.2 volt) DC input. This is not possible to achieve with any type

of battery chemistry without also providing additional voltage regulation. Input supply

voltages above 5.2 volts will damage the Lino C. Voltages below 4.8 volts will result in

diminished performance and battery life and the Lino C may not even operate.

Power Adapter: The external, brick style supply adapter provides a galvanically

isolated (a key consideration) raw DC voltage. The output is not used "straight"

from the adapter, but stepped up inside the preampliﬁer to split supplies and then

very highly ﬁltered in multiple stages.

The circuitry employs a 4 layer circuit board with separate and continuous low

inductance, low impedance internal ground and power planes congruent with the

preampliﬁer circuitry. The resulting power supply rails have much lower noise

and ripple and tighter regulation than a linear DC supply setup can provide. This

is borne out in the signal to noise performance. A welcome additional beneﬁt is

very low idle power consumption and negligible heat production.

This kind of design wasn't even possible as recently as just 10 years ago. Howev-

er, we now have a plentiful palette of new components to pick and choose from,

thanks to the burgeoning consumer electronics industry's continuing quest for

increasing miniaturization and reduced power consumption.

Page 4

Lino C Conﬁguration

The internal signal routing of the Lino C is conﬁgurable. The factory “out of the box” settings are

preconﬁgured for the most common usage scenario, or can be changed to suit your preferences.

Disconnect the power supply from the jack on the back of the Lino C before changing any

conﬁguration settings.

Use the supplied nonconductive stylus to actuate the conﬁguration switches. A ﬁne tipped screwdriver

also may be carefully used.

When making conﬁguration settings, place the Lino on a ﬂat surface covered by a soft cloth to avoid

marring the ﬁnish.

(1) Preampliﬁer Gain: The gain is adjustable via two four-pole DIP switches. There are 0 dB and +6 dB

settings, plus maximum (+12 dB) gain by placing both of the two four-pole switches in the right-most

position. The factory setting is for medium gain (6 dB). Only select the highest gain if needed for

matching the level to other components in your system. The gain settings are not cumulative; that is, the

only settings are 0 dB, 6 dB and 12 dB.

Information for Pure Vinyl™ users: The Pure Vinyl User Guide includes complete information on setting the

proper preampliﬁer gain for transferring LPs to digital ﬁles (with an external ADC - not included). Brieﬂy, you

should aim for “Dry” signal level peaks in Pure Vinyl between -12 and -2 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.”

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 Lino.

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

Page 5

•If the levels are too low, increase the gain on the Lino C. (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.)

(2) Balanced Output Signal Connectors - Signal Source

Balanced Output Phono Stage (factory setting): slide the two two-pole DIP switches according

to the diagrams on the cover for RIAA. Standard RIAA output is the factory conﬁguration unless

Channel D is advised in advance of shipment that you intend to use the Lino with an external

ADC.

Flat Phono Preampliﬁer for using with an external ADC and Pure Vinyl: slide the two DIP

switches according to the diagrams on the cover for FLAT.

Do not set the switches to any other setting than shown, or severe distortion will result.

(3) Cartridge Loading: As a current mode phono preampliﬁer, the Lino C doesn’t require setting the

cartridge load. All of the signal current produced by the cartridge is fully used with this design, which also

insures that the cartridge’s mechanical and electrical characteristics are fully damped and optimized.

(4) Charging / On Grid Signal Port: A 2.5 mm barrel jack is provided on the bottom of the preampliﬁer.

When the Lino C is playing music (signal present) the port will have 0 volts. When the Lino C is in

charging mode, 5 volts is supplied at the port (tip positive) via a small signal relay inside the Lino C. The

5 volts is referenced to chassis ground (circuit common).

This is a useful feature that can be used in conjunction with the Lino C’s “off the grid” mode.

Though the charging supply is automatically disconnected internally when a signal is present, some audio

enthusiasts express additional concern about external power supplies putatively affecting the quality of

the utility line power delivered to other components in the audio system. This “off the grid” mode allows

operating the Lino without having the power brick energized or connected to utility power.

- MANUAL “off the grid” mode: Disconnect the power supply two prong plug from the utility

power line. The power supply barrel must remain inserted in the Lino. Unplugging the barrel

connector will power down the Lino.

The disadvantage to manual mode is that you must remember to reconnect the power supply to

avoid over-discharging the battery.

- AUTOMATIC “off the grid” mode: An optional, isolated power switching relay is required

(not supplied). These can be obtained from vendors like Amazon. Example:

https://www.amazon.com/Iot-Relay-Enclosed-High-Power-Raspberry/dp/B00WV7GMA2

or search for “AC / DC Control Relay”

These use a trigger input, such as the 5 volt charging signal supplied on the Charging / On Grid

Signal Port to activate the power line.

The charging signal port can be used to automatically connect and disconnect the Lino C power

supply from the utility power. When a signal is present and the preampliﬁer is in operation, the

power supply is completely disconnected from the utility line. When a signal is not present, the

power supply is automatically reconnected, charging the battery.

Page 6

AGM Rechargeable Battery Operation and Charging

The Lino C should always be kept powered, to maintain 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 2

watts. If necessary, the Lino C may be disconnected from the power supply for several months without

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

garage.

The Lino C must be connected to the external power supply to initially power up. 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, which connect the battery to the Lino C circuitry, and the charging

supply to the battery. When a signal is detected (also true of the power-up state), the second relay is

deactivated, disconnecting the charging supply from the battery (and the Lino C preampliﬁer circuitry).

The battery voltage monitoring and power management are automatic. A new battery, when fully charged,

is capable of supplying power for well over 24 hours of continuous operation.

The AGM type lead/acid rechargeable (“secondary”) battery is superior to all other battery types for high-

end audio. Audio doesn’t require the low mass of lithium (such as automotive or aircraft). The charging

electronics of Li-ion are troublesome, and such batteries can fail in spectacular and hazardous ways.

AGM will not leak electrolyte if the case is damaged / cracked because the electrolyte is contained by the

sponge-like ﬁberglass battery plate separators. AGM is also about one-ﬁfth the cost of a Li-ion battery

with the same energy storage capacity. “Primary” (throw-away or non-rechargeable) batteries such as 1.5

or 9 volt alkaline cells are unsuitable for high quality audio applications because of their very high

internal resistance and resulting susceptibility to electromagnetic noise pickup.

The battery is capable of supplying over 20 amperes of peak current. The battery is conditioned and kept

ﬂoat-charged by a proprietary circuit developed by Channel D, rather than use an "off the shelf"

microprocessor based conditioning and monitoring circuit (which is necessary for Li-ion), which would

introduce unwanted noise. Locating the battery inside the preampliﬁer chassis also insures that the battery

is in the same electrical environment as the sensitive circuitry, eliminating many sources of noise pickup.

The Lino C will automatically activate Charge mode (with the power adapter connected and connected to

utility power) under either of the following two normal conditions:

•A signal resulting in an output level of less than -20 dBV isn’t detected for about 10 minutes.

•The AGM battery has exhausted its charge.

Battery Life / Battery Replacement

Typical battery life will be between 3 and 5 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

shorten the battery life

(2) the number of deep discharges, deﬁned as continuous operation with a signal connected (or in

100% battery mode) for more than 24 hours, or until the battery switches to charging mode

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

and the battery fully charged. The idle power consumption is less than 2 watts.

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

recharge cycles.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Andere Channel D Verstärker Handbücher

Channel D

Channel D Seta Piccola Mk2 Betriebsanleitung

Channel D

Channel D Seta Nano Betriebsanleitung

Channel D

Channel D SETA L Bedienungsanleitung

Channel D

Channel D Lino Betriebsanleitung

Channel D

Channel D Seta Betriebsanleitung

Channel D

Channel D Lino C 3.0 Leitfaden

Beliebte Verstärker Handbücher anderer Marken

ASTRO

ASTRO HVO V40 P Bedienungsanleitung

Marantz

Marantz SUPERSCOPE BLA-545 Montageanleitung

NAD

NAD CI980 Bedienungsanleitung

Technics

Technics SE-CH770 Bedienungsanleitung

Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon HK6300 Bedienungsanleitung

NAD

NAD T975 Bedienungsanleitung

McIntosh

McIntosh MA6850 Bedienungsanleitung

Electro-Harmonix

Electro-Harmonix ENGLISH MUFF’N Bedienungsanleitung

Viatron

Viatron Autrix Bedienungsanleitung

GME

GME GA9800 Bedienungsanleitung

Atlas

Atlas CP700 Bedienungsanleitung

Roland

Roland KC-1000 Bedienungsanleitung

Pyle

Pyle PFMRA350BW Bedienungsanleitung

Advantage

Advantage S-250 Bedienungsanleitung

IRT Electronics

IRT Electronics DVA-3007 Bedienungsanleitung

Dimavery

Dimavery BA-100 Series Bedienungsanleitung

Sony

Sony XM-S400D Bedienungsanleitung

Schertler

Schertler ROY X Bedienungsanleitung