Musical Fidelity M8x Vinyl Installation Guide

Safety Information

This unit is supplied in the U.K. with a mains lead fitted with a moulded 13-amp plug. If, for any reason, it is necessary to remove the plug, please remove the fuse holder and dispose of the plug safely, out of reach of children. It must not be plugged into a mains outlet.

The wires in the mains lead supplied with this appliance are coloured in accordance with the following code:

• Green and yellow: Earth
• Blue: Neutral
• Brown: Live

WARNING - This appliance MUST be earthed.

The colours of the wires of the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in the plug. Proceed as follows:

• The wire which is coloured green and yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter E or coloured green or green-and-yellow, or by the earth symbol: [earth symbol]
• The wire which is coloured brown must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured red.
• The wire which is coloured blue must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured black.
• If connecting to a BS1363 plug, a 13-amp fuse must be used.

This new M8x VINYL is designed and built to provide trouble-free performance. As with all electronic devices, it is necessary to observe a few precautions:

• Heed all warnings shown on the back of the product.
• Only connect the M8x VINYL to a mains outlet having the same voltage as marked at the back of the unit.
• Always ensure that when disconnecting and reconnecting your audio equipment, the mains supply is switched off.
• Position the mains lead and signal interconnects where they are not likely to be walked on or trapped by items placed on them.
• Do not use near water, or place water-filled containers on the M8x VINYL, for example, a flower vase or potted plants. If water does spill inside, immediately pull out the mains plug from the wall socket and inform the dealer, who should then check the unit before further use. Entry of liquid into the M8x VINYL is dangerous and may cause electric shock or fire hazard.
• Do not place the unit near direct heat sources such as radiators, direct sunlight, or other equipment.
• Do not remove any covers or try to gain access to the inside. There are no user adjustments or fuses to change without qualification. Refer all service work to an authorized Musical Fidelity agent.

Note: Unauthorized opening of the equipment will invalidate any warranty claim.

The electronics in modern hi-fi equipment are complex and may, therefore, be adversely affected or damaged by lightning. For protection of the audio system during electrical storms, remove the mains plugs. If after-sales service is required, to help the dealer identify the M8x VINYL, please quote the serial number located on the rear panel of the unit.

Precautions & User Information

WARNING: Any modifications to this product, not expressly approved by Musical Fidelity, who is the party responsible for standards compliance, could void the user's authority to operate this equipment.

Installation

Introduction

This unit will deliver the ultimate performance possible from any phono source.

Cleaning

Before cleaning the unit, switch off power at the mains switch and remove the mains plug from the wall socket. Clean the cabinet and remote-control unit using a moist cloth. Using solvents, white spirit, or thinners is not advised, as they could damage the surface finish.

Placement

Position the M8x VINYL on a stable, horizontal surface where there is no risk of it being knocked or subjected to vibration such as from loudspeakers.

Power Connections

The M8x VINYL is supplied with a standard IEC mains cable which plugs into the IEC socket at the back of the unit.

Audio Output Connections

• RCA audio outputs: Use good quality RCA phono audio cables (fully connected signal and ground) for optimum signal transfer.
• XLR audio outputs: Use good quality XLR audio cables (fully connected hot and cold signals and ground) for absolute optimum signal transfer.

Interconnects

If necessary, please refer to the dealer who can advise on quality cables for any setup. Musical Fidelity does not endorse any other manufacturer's cables.

Cartridge characteristics

For setting the various loading characteristics, the cartridge manufacturer's data sheets or setup information should be consulted. In a lot of cases, the settings are not critical and may even be changed to suit personal preference if any audible differences are apparent. No damage will occur to an "incorrectly" loaded cartridge; at worst, a slightly impaired or non-optimal frequency response and/or slightly increased distortion, both most likely to be inaudible, may result.

Facilities & Connections

The front and rear panels of the M8x VINYL feature various controls and connection points.

Front Panel Controls:

Diagram shows a horizontal unit with two large rotary knobs on the sides and several buttons and LEDs in the center.

1. Power/Standby button and LED's
2. Input/Source Selection buttons
3. MM/MC Selection button
4. MM Loading LEDs
5. Loading Selection button
6. Inputs LEDs
7. Equalization Selection buttons
8. Subsonic Filter Selection button
9. MC Loading LEDs
10. Gain LEDs
11. Gain Selection buttons

Rear Panel Connections:

Diagram shows various input and output connectors on the rear panel.

• 12. XLR 1 & 2 Balanced Phono Inputs with Ground Pin
• 13. RCA 1 & 2 Phono Inputs with Ground Pin
• 14. RCA Output
• 15. XLR Balanced Output
• 16. 115/230V Switch
• 17. Mains IEC socket

Standard XLR Balanced Input/Output Lead Connections:

Diagram shows a female and male XLR connector with pin assignments.

Pin functions:

• 1: Ground, 0V
• 2: Normal polarity ("hot" or "+")
• 3: Inverted polarity ("cold" or "-")

(For reference only, no XLR signal leads supplied)

Operation

Once the M8x VINYL unit is correctly wired up and plugged into mains, the orange STBY LED should be lit. In this mode, the M8x VINYL is consuming a minimal amount of power.

To switch the unit on, press the Power button (1) on the front of the unit. The blue PWR indicator will light along with the red MUTE indicator. After a few seconds, when it has stabilised, the MUTE function will switch off, and the unit is ready for use.

MM/MC selection

Press the MM/MC button (3) to switch between MM/MC cartridges.

Cartridge loading

Press the loading button (5) to cycle through loading options.

Gain

Turn the gain selector (11) to increase the amplification gain for your cartridge by 3, 6, or 9dB. Base gain on the MM Cartridge setting is 40dB and on MC Cartridge setting 60dB. Choose the setting that sounds best to you or volume match your turntable to your other sources.

Note: A great deal of effort has gone into making sure that the unit exhibits no loud noises through the system during switching options or on/off. However, once installed into a hi-fi system, it is still a very high gain (amplification) amplifier at the beginning of a high amplification chain. Therefore, increasing the main amplifier volume to maximum and listening for clicks/thumps is neither recommended nor sensible. It is strongly recommended that the option buttons are only pressed when the volume is turned down (or muted), to avoid any accidental loud transients getting through to the speakers. Once options are set, the volume should then be turned back to normal listening level.

Input selection

The M8x VINYL has a total of four phono inputs available. From the front panel, you can cycle through the inputs by using the [previous input] and [next input] buttons (5). Pressing [next input] while on input 4 will cycle back to input 1. Whilst on input 1, the [previous input] button will take you to input 4 again.

When each input is selected, the M8x VINYL will remember the last settings applied.

Subsonic Filter

Press the Subsonic button (8) to reduce the subsonic output of the phono amplifier caused by disk warp and turntable rumble. OFF disables the Subsonic filter. ON enables it. MILD selects a filter with a less steep cut-off, retaining more subsonic content than ON.

Outputs

On the rear of the unit are 2 sets of outputs: RCA (single-ended) and XLR (balanced). Both can be used simultaneously. XLR (balanced) is recommended for greater dynamic range and lower noise, while RCA (single-ended) is recommended for compatibility with other devices. You can connect the M8x VINYL to your amplifier using whichever is more convenient.

Troubleshooting

If none of these actions affect a cure, please contact the dealer, or an authorised Musical Fidelity service agent. Remember: never open the case of the M8x VINYL, as this will invalidate the warranty.

Specifications

MM Inputs

MC Inputs

Subsonic Filters

• Mild
• Standard

Equalization Curves

RIAA, Columbia, DECCA

Outputs (RCA/XLR)

• 1 pair RCA (unbalanced)
• 1 pair XLR (balanced)

Power requirement

Weight

Unit dimensions

Standard accessories

• Mains lead (10 Amp IEC)

Musical Fidelity reserves the right to make improvements which may result in specification or feature changes without notice.

Item Disposal Information for Europe

The crossed-out wheeled bin label on the product indicates it must not be disposed of as normal household waste. To prevent possible harm to the environment, please separate this product from other waste to ensure it can be recycled in an environmentally safe manner. Please contact your local government office or your retailer for available collection facilities.

This information is provided in multiple languages in the original document, but is summarized here in English.