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Modes of Operation
normal operation The majority of time you spend with your Nº383 will be spent in nor-
mal operation. During normal operation, the display indicates the
name of the input you have selected and the listening volume (in deci-
bels). The volume knob increases or decreases the volume in 0.1 dB
increments above 38.5. The select knob selects the source to be lis-
tened to at any point in time. In short, in normal operation, the Nº383
acts precisely as you would expect an integrated amplifier to act.
There are several refinements which may not be immediately apparent
to the casual user, however. When turned quickly by hand, the effect of
the volume knob will accelerate (i.e., yield a greater change per revo-
lution of the knob) so as to reach your preferred volume more quickly.
Conversely, when the knob is turned slowly, the volume changes at
maximum resolution to facilitate fine adjustments and precise level
control (0.1 dB through most of the range).
However, if the volume knob is spun too quickly (as though it were a
flywheel), the rate of change will decrease again. This design helps
avoid accidental bumps of the preamplifier’s volume knob sending
potentially dangerous signal levels to your loudspeakers.
Lastly, the corresponding buttons on the remote control behave in a
similar fashion when in normal operation. If the volume +/- buttons
are held for more than approximately 1.5 seconds, the Nº383 infers that
you would like to make a larger change in volume, and accelerates the
volume change accordingly.
the balance mode The balance mode gives you extremely fine control over the relative
volumes of the Left and Right channels, by changing the volume of one
relative to the other in increments of 0.1 dB, up to 20.0 dB. (Beyond
this point, the balance control will mute the output of the reduced
channel entirely.) Once set, this inter-channel difference in volume re-
mains the same regardless of output level and selected input, until it is
changed again in the balance mode.
To enter the balance mode from normal operation, press the balance
button. The balance indicator LED will light and the display will
change. When the balance is set to a neutral position, favoring neither
channel over the other, the display will show a double-headed arrow
and “0.0” decibels—that is, that the channels are balanced with respect
to one another.