Balanced Audio Technology VK-55 Owner's Manual - page 5
Operating the VK-55
Normal operation of the VK-55 requires simply turning the unit on. There are no meters
to connect, bias setpoints to remember, or drifting bias points to adjust. Please read the
Autobias Feature section for more details.
Turning the VK-55 On:
The power switch is located at the front of the unit. As tubes warm up, their green LED
bias indicators will turn ON indicating their readiness. Different tubes can take different
times to get ready, but normally all four LED’s should be ON after about one minute.
Conditions such as low line voltage and tubes’ age can delay the readiness of the tubes.
Turning the VK-55 Off:
The unit can be turned Off at any time (even while playing). If needed, please wait at
least 30 seconds before turning the unit ON again.
Autobias Feature:
The VK-55 implements a sophisticated autobias circuit that automatically compensates
for tube aging and line voltage fluctuations, as well as marginal mismatching of tubes.
The successful operation of the autobias circuit is noted by individual LED’s that glow
visibly next to each output tube when viewed from the top of the chassis. A total of four
LED’s should light up to indicate proper operation of the circuit. If one of the LED’s
fails to light up (after the unit is warm),
there could be two reasons for this problem:
1. The particular output tube is defective. In this case replacing this tube with a
known good one should turn the LED ON.
2. The amplifier was overstressed and the protective fuse inside opened. These
fuses protect output tubes from overloading. There are two fuses accesible
through the top of the unit. Please refer to the section on replacing fuses for
correct ratings.