Clearaudio Concept MC User Manual - User Manual

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Hi-Fi Components

clearaudio electronic

GmbH

Spardorfer Str. 150

●

D-91054 Erlangen

●

Tel. +49(0)1805/059595

●

FAX +49(0)09131/51683

www.clearaudio.de

●

info@clearaudio.de

●



2011

Made in Germany

Version1_Musical Surroundings_E

[

]

Concept

User manual

Concept

User manual

Page 1



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

Dear

clearaudio

customer,

Thank you for purchasing the

clearaudio

Concept

– turntable.

The

clearaudio

Concept -

turntable sets a new standard in turntable manufacturing.

Precision German engineering combined with the latest technology and timeless design
signal a New Era in analogue playback.
The

Concept

is equipped with the innovative

Verify-

tonearm using a friction free magnetic

bearing technology.
Optionally, a high quality Clearaudio moving magnet or moving coil cartridge is available to
complete this set up. All parameters have been adjusted at the

clearaudio

factory,

including the tracking and antiskating force.

This genuine, timeless, and modern design guarantees flawless musical enjoyment for
decades.

Please read this instruction manual carefully to avoid any damage or loss of warranty.
This manual will help you properly set up the turntable so it can be enjoyed for a long time
to come.

We wish you a lot of listening pleasure with your new

clearaudio

Concept

- turntable.

clearaudio

electronic GmbH

This section must be read before any connection is made to the mains supply.

CE-MARKING

The

clearaudio

Concept

meets the regulations concerning electromagnetic disturbance

(EMC) and low-voltage appliances.

EQUIPMENT MAINS WORKING SETTING

Your clearaudio product has been prepared to comply with the household power and safety
requirements that exist in your area.

This product can be connected to INPUT: 100 V – 240 V

~/ 50 – 60 Hz / 150 mA; OUTPUT: 12 V= / 450 mA

COPYRIGHT

Recording und reproduction of any sound-material may require the consent of the creator. Please
acknowledge the information given in the

Dramatic and Musical Performers Act 1958,

Performers Protection Acts 1963 and 1072,

any more recent legal regulations.

Concept

User manual

Page 2



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

Contents

Page

1. Packing overview

2. Parts list

3. Set up

4. Cartridge mounting

5. Service

6. Technical data

Warranty information

Concept

User manual

Page 3



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

1. Packing overview

clearaudio

has developed a special and secure packing for your

Concept (MC)

- turntable

that ensures safe transportation.
Please keep this original packing, in case you need to ship the turntable.

2. Part list

Accessories: Level gauge, Smart Stylus
Gauge, screwdriver, wrenches (No. 2&
2.5), drive belt, power supply (incl.
adaptors: EU, UK; US, AUS), User
manual, Quality Card

Turntable - platter

Turntable chassis with tonearm and
cartridge (optional MM or MC)

Accessories-box,

user manual,

warranty card,

clearaudio

Quality Card

Turntable -

Platter

Concept

turntable chassis

incl. integrated
motor unit and

tonearm with

cartridge

(optional)

2. Second layer

1. First layer:

Concept

User manual

Page 4



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

3. Set up

The set up of the

Concept (MC)-

turntable is easy as the turntable and tonearm are pre-

assembled. If you chose the model with included cartridge, it has been mounted and all
parameters have been already adjusted and tested at the

clearaudio

factory. If not, refer

the section 4 on cartridge mounting and tonearm adjustment.

The

Concept

- turntable requires a space of at least 17” x 14” for setup.

1.)

Please take the

Concept

(MC)

- turntable chassis out of the package and place it on a

suitable surface. After that, please take the accessory box out of the package.

2.)

Please remove the adhesive security tape from the sub-platter.

3.)

Take the drive belt out of the accessory box and place it around the sub-platter and around
the motor pulley.

)

Take the platter out of the package and place it carefully with both hands onto the shaft.

5.)

Now carefully remove the adhesive security tape
from the tonearm and the cartridge (optional).

Pic. 2

: Removing the security tape

Pic. 3

: Set up of the platter

Pic. 4

: Removing the tapes

Concept

User manual

Page 5



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

6.)

The following adjustment is very important:

Place the clearaudio level gauge on the platter as in picture 5.

Should the bubble of the level-gauge not be in the center of the black circle, please check
that that the surface under the turntable is level. You can achieve the perfect level position
by adjusting the feet of your

Concept (MC)

– turntable. First loosen the lock screw and turn

the feet clockwise or counter clockwise till you reach the level position. Please fix the ideal
position of the spikes by tightening the lock screw again.
Only if the turntable is in the ideal level position you will get the best sound out of your

Concept MC-

turntable.

7.)

Connect the one side of the supplied external Power supply to the socket on the backside of
the

Concept

(MC)

– turntable and the other side to a live AC outlet. After that connect the

tonearm to your phonostage.(More information on phono-preamplifiers can be found on our
Website:

www.musicalsurroundings.com

Your

Concept (MC)

- turntable is now completely set up and ready to play.

We wish you a lot of listening pleasure!

Pic. 5

: Alignment of the turntable

Pic. 6

: Height adjustment of the feet

Pic. 7

: Connecting the Power supply

Lock srew

Concept

User manual

Page 6



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

4. Cartridge mounting

Please pay attention during every step to avoid damaging the cartridge!
Please refer to the cartridge manufacturer’s manual during installation
and follow the appropriate instructions.

1.)

Physically mount the cartridge using mounting hardware supplied
with your cartridge. Locate and rotate it as pictured. Fine
adjustments will follow later.

2.)

Connect the headshell wires carefully using tweezers or fine
needle-nose pliers. The headshell wires (cartridge connection leads) are colour coded
according to the international standard:

3.) VTF

Now adjust the tracking force of the cartridge. Please follow the instructions provided:

4.) VTA

For the next step, place an LP (180 gram preferred) on the platter. Remove the stylus
protector from your cartridge.

Next, using the cuing lever, lower the cartridge onto the middle of the turntable platter.
When looking from the side, check to see that the upper edge of the tonearm tube is parallel
to the surface of the record. If necessary you can adjust the height of the tonearm. To do
this, hold the tonearm and use the key to loosen the arm locking screw on the side of the
black circular tonearm mounting plate. Adjust the height of the tonearm accordingly and re-

Colour code of the Concept tonearm wire:

Signal left channel (L+)

→

white

Signal ground left channel (L -)

→

blue

Signal right channel (R+)

→

red

Signal ground right channel (R -)

→

green

Pic. 8

: Cartridge mounting

Pic. 9

: VTF

This

position

the

diamond correlates to a
tracking force of 20 mN
(2,0g)



tracking force to high!

tracking force to low!

Concept

User manual

Page 7



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

tighten the screw. Please recheck the tracking force after making any adjustments to the
arm height.

5.) Azimuth

Next, use the cueing mechanism to lower the cartridge and check that the upper edge of the
cartridge is parallel to the record surface as viewed from the front. This adjustment has been
pre-set at the Clearaudio factory. Although it is rarely necessary, you can adjust the
cartridge azimuth. Carefully loosen the small screw on the bottom side of the tonearm tube
near the headshell (Caution: don’t unscrew the screw completely!). Now you can twist the
headshell to adjust the azimuth of the cartridge. When you find the right position, carefully
lock the small screw while holding the headshell steady.

Don’t adjust the headshell when the cartridge is lowered onto the surface of the record.
It is necessary to lift the cartridge from the record before you can make adjustments.

6.) Overhang & Offset

For the final set-up of the tonearm, you need a cartridge
alignment gauge. Place the gauge over the spindle of the
turntable platter and
turn the platter into the position as shown in picture 10.

Lower the cartridge and place the stylus tip of the cartridge on
the reference point on the alignment gauge. Make sure that the
cartridge cantilever is absolutely parallel to the marking lines
printed on the cartridge alignment gauge.

To adjust the position of the cartridge, loosen the screw on the top of
the headshell and move the cartridge into the correct position
(picture 11) by sliding forward or back and rotating. Make sure the
stylus tip of the cartridge is on the reference point on the alignment
gauge, the cartridge cantilever is absolutely parallel to the short
marking lines printed on the cartridge alignment gauge and that the
front edge of the cartridge is parallel to the long marker lines on the
cartridge alignment gauge. Hold the cartridge in the proper position
and tighten the screw on the top of the headshell. While making the
final adjustments to the tonearm and cartridge, always look down at
the alignment gauge from directly above

Picture 11:

Fine alignment

to avoid any optical parallax errors.

If the installation has been done correctly, the diamond tip
should be on the reference point, the cantilever should be
parallel to the short marking lines on the gauge, and the front
edge of the cartridge should be parallel to the long lines on the
gauge (as in picture 12). Re-check your tracking force as this
may have changed during alignment.

7.) Anti-skating

The

Concept

tonearm comes factory pre-adjusted for medium anti-skate. Underneath the

turntable, at the base of the tonearm, is a knob for further adjustment if needed. Observe
the calibration marking as a reference point. From underneath the turntable, turn the knob

Picture 10:

Alignment of the cartridge

Picture 12:

Correct installation

Concept

User manual

Page 8



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

clockwise to increase, counter-clockwise to decrease anti-skate. Do not turn more than 1
complete rotation from reference point to avoid damage to tonearm bearing (not covered by
warranty).

The general set-up is now finished.

Concept

User manual

Page 9



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

5. Service

If any service or repair on a

clearaudio

product is necessary, service for should be done by

authorized personal only. Please contact your dealer first then the US distributor: Musical
Surroundings at 510 547-5006 or

info@musicalsurroundings.com

In case any repair is needed, the clearaudio

Concept

-turntable may need to be sent to your

authorized dealer or directly to Musical Surroundings. Please contact your dealer to begin the
process of obtaining assistance and, if needed, a Return Authorization (RA) number.

Transportation advice:

If any transportation of the

Concept MC

- turntable should be necessary, please always

remove the turntable platter and fix the sub-platter as well as the tonearm and the cartridge
stylus protection. Otherwise serious damage can occur!

PLEASE RETAIN ALL ORIGINAL PACKAGING.

You will need it if your turntable needs to

be transported and/or shipped. The 2 year warranty can only be honoured if the turntable is
returned in the original Clearaudio packaging. If you repackage the turntable, please pack
the parts in the reverse order that they were taken out of the box.

Any further questions you may have about this turntable should be directed to

Musical Surroundings Inc.

5662 Shattuck Ave Oakland, CA 94609

tel 510 547-5006, fax 510 547-5009

www.musicalsurroundings.com

info@musicalsurroundings.com

or directly to

clearaudio

at:

clearaudio electronic GmbH

Spardorfer Str 150

91054 Erlangen

Germany

Tel/Phone: +49-(0)1805/059595

www.clearaudio.de

info@clearaudio.de

Concept

User manual

Page 10



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

6. Technical data

Concept - Turntable:

Construction:

Resonance-optimised chassis

Speed ranges:

33 1/3 45 and 78 RPM

Drive unit (motor):

Decoupled DC motor with low noise bearings

Bearing:

Polished and tempered steel shaft in a sintered bronze

bush, runs on a mirror of Teflon

Platter:

POM, 30 mm thickness

Speed variation:

+- 0.04 %

Weight:

approx. 7.5 kg incl. motor, tonearm and cartridge

Dimensions:

mm approx. 420 mm x 350 mm x 140 mm

inch approx: 16,.54 x 13.78 x 5.51

Warranty:

2 years

Tonearm:

Construction:

Friction free tonearm with magnetic bearing technology

Tonearm weight:

280 gram

415 gram (incl. counter weight)

Cartridge balance range:

2.5 gram – 17 gram

Null points:

Inner: 66,00 mm

Outer: 120.9 mm

Audio lead:

Clearaudio

directwire 1.2 m from tonearm:

Cable-capacity: 156pF/m
Cable – induction: 0,52

H/m

Cable – resistance: 0,46

Overhang:

17.31 mm

Overall length:

302 mm

Effective length:

9 inches (exact 239.31 mm)

Distance from pivot:

222 mm

Offset angle:

23,00°

Maximum offset angle according to the radius:

0.123 °/cm

Anti-skating factor at a radius of 62.9 mm and

126.9 mm:

0.43

Mounting style:

Linn / clearaudio

Warranty:

2 years

MC Cartridge / Pick-up:

Output Voltage (1kHz, 5cm/s):

0.4 mV at 5 cm/s

Channel Separation (1kHz):

> 30 dB

Channel Balance (1kHz):

< 0.5 dB

Tracking Ability:

Tracking Force:

2.0 gram (+/- 0.2 gram)

Load Resistance:

100 Ohm

Load Capacitance:

100 pF

Cantilever:

Boron

Weight:

8.0 gram

Warranty:

2 Years

clearaudio

electronic is not responsible for typographical errors in descriptions. Technical specifications subject to change or

improvement without prior notice. Availability as long as stock lasts. Copies and imprints- also only in extracts – require written

conformation through

clearaudio

electronic GmbH; Germany

May 2011

Concept

User manual

Page 11



clearaudio electronic GmbH 2011

Warranty

To achieve the full

clearaudio

2 year warranty, it is necessary that you fill out and send the warranty

registration certificate /card and a copy of your sales receipt back to Musical Surroundings, within 30
days after purchase.

Musical Surroundings Inc.

5662 Shattuck Ave Oakland, CA 94609

tel 510 547-5006, fax 510 547-5009

www.musicalsurroundings.com

info@musicalsurroundings.com

Otherwise

clearaudio

provides the legal warranty of 1 year.

In the case of return for service, only if the product is returned in it’s original packing can

clearaudio

provide the warranty.

WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Musical Surroundings warrants the product designated herein to be free of manufacturing defects in
material and workmanship, subject to the conditions herein set forth, for a period of 1 year from the
date of purchase by the original purchaser. If the purchaser registers the unit with Musical
Surroundings by mailing in the warranty card, together with a copy of the bill of sale, within 30 days
of the date of purchase, said purchaser will be registered for an extended service contract. The
extended service contract extends to a period of 2 years from the date of purchase by the original
purchaser or no later than 3 years from the date of shipment to the authorized Musical Surroundings
dealer, whichever comes first.

2. CONDITIONS

This warranty is subject to the following conditions and limitations. The warranty is

void and inapplicable if the product has been used or handled other than in accordance with the
instructions in the owner's manual, abused or misused, damaged by accident or neglect or in being
transported, or the defect is due to the product being repaired or tampered with or modified by
anyone other than Musical Surroundings or their authorized repair stations. To obtain warranty
service, you must first contact Musical Surroundings at 510 547-5006 or

info@musicalsurroundings.com

to obtain a Return Authorization (RA) number. The

product must be packed in its original carton and returned to Musical Surroundings or authorized
repair station by the customer at his or her sole expense.  A returned product must be accompanied
by a written description of the defect and a photocopy of the original purchase receipt.  This receipt
must clearly list model and serial number, the date of purchase, the name and address of the
purchaser and authorized dealer and the purchase price.  Musical Surroundings reserves the right to
modify the design of any product without obligation to purchasers of previously manufactured
products and to change the prices or specifications of any product without notice or obligation to any
person.

3. REMEDY

In the event the above product fails to meet the warranty, and the above conditions

have been met, the purchaser's sole remedy under the limited warranty shall be to return the product
to Musical Surroundings where the defect will be rectified without charge for parts or labor.

4. LIMITED TO ORIGINAL PURCHASER

This warranty is for the sole benefit of the original purchaser

of the covered product and is NOT TRANSFERRABLE.

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