ROKSAN K3 Stereo Integrated Amplifier User Manual

K3 Stereo
Integrated Amplifier
Set Up Guide and Product Manualroksan.com

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of the Roksan K3 Integrated Amplifier. This amplifier is designed and manufactured to the highest specification and rigorously tested to reward you with many years of listening pleasure.
Your K3 Integrated Amplifier is an integral part of your Hi-Fi system. Its correct installation, set-up and operation will have a significant influence on the performance of the entire Hi-Fi installation. Please read the contents of this manual thoroughly. It will help you to understand your Hi-Fi equipment better and further enhance your listening pleasure.

UNPACKING

Included in the packing of your K3 Integrated Amplifier you will find:

• One mains lead fitted with the correct mains power plug for your country.
• One Roksan R7 Remote Control and CR2032 battery
• One information pack.

After removing these items please retain all packing material. Correct packing is necessary for future transportation of your K3 Integrated Amplifier.

EU DIRECTIVES

Roksan declares that the apparatus “K3 Integrated Amplifier” complies with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive 2014/53/EU.

AC MAINS SUPPLY

Your K3 Integrated Amplifier is set to operate from a fixed supply voltage which is marked on a label next to the mains input socket. Before connecting the mains lead please check that your mains supply corresponds to this label as below:

230 V Products Voltage Range : 220 – 240 V
115 V Products Voltage Range: 100 – 120 V
100 V Products Voltage Range: 90 – 110 V

The mains lead supplied with this product has an IEC C13 mains plug which is inserted into the Mains Input Socket on the unit’s rear panel. The other end is a moulded plug appropriate to that for your country. In the UK this is the standard UK13A plug.
NOTE : Other international markets will require a different value plug and protection fuses. Please contact us for more details.
This plug should ordinarily not be removed from the lead. If you do remove it, please dispose of it safely so that it cannot be plugged into a mains socket whilst in a potentially dangerous condition. If your lead has been damaged please obtain a complete replacement lead from your dealer.
Should you move to another area where either the mains voltage or the mains plugs are different from those as supplied with your amplifier, please contact the appointed Roksan distributor for assistance.
Please observe correct mains polarity at all times.
The amplifier mains fuse is located on the rear panel below the AC Mains Input Socket.
This must only be replaced by the fuse type and rating as described on the fuse rating label on the rear panel of the unit.
This product requires connection to earth (ground). The earth wire (in the UK this is colour coded GREEN/yellow) of the mains cable supplied with your Integrated Amplifier must be connected to a suitable earthing point established for this purpose by your electricity supply company. If you are in any doubt, consult a qualified electrician.
If the equipment is likely to be unused for some time, unplug it from the mains supply.

MAINTENANCE

After disconnecting the amplifier from the mains supply, the casing and front panel may be cleaned with a lightly dampened lint-free cloth. Avoid using abrasive substances or solvents.

LOCATION

Your amplifier should be located in a well ventilated area and kept away from sources of heat, dust, humidity and direct sunlight.
The amplifier may be positioned either as a free standing unit or alongside other audio/ video product(s). Never place the amplifier on other electronic equipment, carpet or any surface likely to hinder normal ventilation. Never allow liquids or other objects to fall into the unit.
NOTE : This unit contains no user serviceable parts. Do not remove any panels or attempt to service it yourself. Unauthorised servicing will void the warranty.
Surface Heat.
The top surface of the unit will get hot in operation. Do not leave items on the top surface and avoid contact with the top of the unit. A warning label is affixed to the top surface.

FRONT PANEL VIEW

REAR PANEL VIEW

Outputs
4. Bluetooth aptX Antenna| 10. Voltage & Fuse Label
5. Phono Input (Moving Magnet)| 11. AC Mains Fuse Holder
6. Chassis Grounding Terminal| 12. AC Mains Input Socket

R7 REMOTE CONTROL

Integrated Amplifier Functions.

AMP: Puts the R7 Remote Control into Amplifier mode to control the K3 Integrated Amplifier
DAC: Puts the R7 into DAC operating mode
BT: Select the Bluetooth input
INPUT : Scroll through inputs to the left
INPUT : Scroll through inputs to the right
OK: No function for K3 products
MUTE: Reduces the volume by -20dB
VOLUME : Adjusts the volume down
VOLUME : Adjusts the volume up
CD Player Functions.
CD : Stop
CD : Play/Pause
TRACK : Skip to previous track
TRACK : Skip to next track
FAST : Rewind
FAST : Forward
SHUFFLE: When in Stop mode, press Shuffle to play the tracks in a random order. To cancel press Stop
REPEAT : Press once to repeat all tracks

Press again to repeat current track
Press again to cancel repeat mode

CAUTION : Danger of explosion if remote control battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type.
WARNING : Do not ingest the battery, Chemical Burn Hazard.
This remote control contains a coin/button cell battery. If the coin/button cell battery is swallowed, it can cause severe internal burns in just 2 hours and can lead to death.
Keep new and used batteries away from children.
If the battery compartment does not close securely, stop using the product and keep it away from children.
If you think batteries might have been swallowed or placed inside any part of the body, seek immediate medical attention.

CONNECTING MAINS POWER

NOTE : The amplifier uses high current circuitry. Do not unplug the cable while the amplifier is on.
The moulded IEC plug of the supplied mains lead should be plugged into the AC Mains Input socket on the rear of the unit first and then plugged into the mains supply. The Mains Power Switch is on the left front underside of the amplifier. This switch can be left on; if however the amplifier is likely to be unattended for a long period, switch it off and unplug the mains lead from the wall.

SIGNAL CONNECTIONS

In accordance with standard practice, the upper row of phono sockets carries the Left Channel and the lower row carries the Right Channel.
All the inputs and outputs use gold plated RCA Phono connectors and should be connected accordingly:
Left Channel – Black; Right Channel – Red
RCA Input Connections
There are five line level inputs and will accept virtually all currently available source components.
Phono RCA Input Connections
The Phono Input is factory set for Moving Magnet Cartridges to accommodate record players fitted with MM phono cartridges.
If you wish to use a Moving Coil Cartridge, an in-line MC step-up transformer should be connected to the Phono Input. Alternatively a dedicated Phono Stage can be connected to one of the line level inputs.
AV and Bypass RCA Input Connections
The AV Input is like any of the other RCA inputs and should be connected to the source (TV, STB, etc) so that the K3 Integrated Amplifier is used as the volume control.
The Bypass Input should be connected to your AV amplifier’s left and right pre-amplifier outputs. It is directly connected to the power amplifier section of the K3 and bypasses the pre-amplifier. The volume is then controlled via the AV amplifier and not the K3.
You could also use the K3 Integrated as a power amplifier in this mode.
The two inputs are linked via a switch. When the switch is set to Bypass, then the AV Input will be deactivated and the Bypass Input will become activated. Likewise, when set to AV, the Bypass input will be deactivated.
In both instances, when using either of these inputs, the AV input on the front should be selected.
RCA Pre-Out Connections
There is a pre-amplifier output for connecting to a subwoofer or power amplifier.

LOUDSPEAKER CABLE CONNECTIONS

Loudspeakers and their cables can be connected to the amplifier in a number of ways. The following sections guide you through the different options available to you depending on your electronics, cable and personal choice/ preference.
The left and right loudspeakers are connected to the amplifier via the binding posts. The amplifier offers the standard 4mm banana plugs or bare wire connections.
Litz-wound loudspeaker cables or those with a complex plaited construction can present a highly capacitive load to an amplifier and may cause damage to the amplifier and/ or degrade the sound of your system. Choose a cable of simple construction, manufactured from high-quality materials. Your ROKSAN retailer will be able to advise.
NOTE: DO NOT use loudspeaker cable with conductor size less than 16 AWG (1.6 mm diameter) or greater than 12 AWG (2.05 mm diameter).
NOTE: We strongly recommend that you use professionally terminated loudspeaker cables using 4 mm plugs. Any attempt to connect cables which are not terminated may result in damage to the amplifier if not done correctly.
Making a connection using bare wire must be done correctly so that there are no stray strands of wire to touch the opposite terminal. Carefully strip the insulation on each wire exposing about 12 mm (1/2”) of the conductors. If the conductor is stranded, twist the strands together on each conductor.
Unscrew the binding post and feed the bare wire through the cross-hole and tighten the binding post securely making sure that there are no loose strands or bare ends protruding through the post.
Speaker Connection Polarity
Carefully observe polarity ensuring that the black (-) loudspeaker terminal/ cable to the black (-) amplifier terminal and the red (+) loudspeaker terminal/ cable is connected to the red (+) amplifier terminal.
When both left and right loudspeaker outputs are connected to their respective loudspeakers the amplifier is ready for use.

CONNECTING TO LOUDSPEAKERS

There are 3 ways to connect your loudspeakers to the amplifier(s). They are single wire, bi-wire and bi-amp.

What is Single Wiring?
Single wiring is the quickest and simplest way to connect the loudspeakers. In some cases, it can yield better results than bi-wiring. This uses a single pair of loudspeaker cables to connect the amplifier to the loudspeakers sending the full range signal to the loudspeakers along the cable.
What is Bi-Wiring and Bi-Amping?
A loudspeaker’s crossover varies the impedance seen by the amplifier as well as directing the frequencies to the corresponding drivers within the loudspeaker. When a full range audio signal is applied to the terminals of a full range loudspeaker system, the bass driver(s) will only receive low frequency signals, the mid driver receives the mid band frequency signals and the tweeter only gets sent high frequency signals. This means that if separate loudspeaker cables are connected to the low and high frequency terminals, not only have the drive units had the frequency’s directed and divided for them, but if using a bi-wire setup the two separate loudspeaker cables will now also carry different signals due to the impedance.
The effects of bi-wiring can be subtle depending on the cable construction and design.
It could be better to go for one better engineered cable than two for bi- wiring. We recommend experimenting with both configurations to find out which one works best in your system.
Bi-amping adds an additional amplifier (eg. K3 Power Amplifier) to the system so that the one amplifier drives the low frequencies – normally the power amplifier – and the other amplifier drives the high frequencies. Bi-amping can therefore present a ‘cleaner’ signal at both the low frequency and high frequency loudspeaker terminals, and because the high and low frequencies have already been separated, each has a minimal effect on the other – in essence the bass has less effect on the delicate treble. In order to best take advantage of bi-amping the amplifiers should be as independent from each other as possible. For instance, if using two stereo amplifiers you should use one stereo amplifier for the bass and the other for the treble, minimising the impact of the bass on the treble.

Single Wiring The Loudspeakers
When single wiring, connect the loudspeaker cables as illustrated below.

Bi-Wiring The Loudspeakers
Bi-wiring is achieved by using a single amplifier, but splitting the high and low frequency loudspeaker cables at the amplifier. It uses the same principles as bi-amping, but the two sets of cables that feed the high and low frequency terminals on the loudspeaker connect to the single set of terminals on the amplifier. Connect the cables as illustrated below.

Bi-Amping The Loudspeakers
Bi-amping is similar to bi-wiring, but uses an additional amplifier (K3 Power Amplifier) to drive the low frequency terminals. One set of cables goes from the K3 Integrated Amplifier to the high frequency terminals on the loudspeaker and the power amplifier drives the low frequency terminals. Connect the cables as illustrated below.

SWITCHING ON

The power switch is on the left front underside of the amplifier. This switch is the only method of controlling the power to the amplifier.
When switched to ‘on’ the amplifier runs a self-diagnosis. The Mode Indicator LED will change to Red and the last selected input will be selected. The amplifier will then automatically check its input/ output status and after a brief moment, when no problems are detected, the loudspeaker output relays will click on and the amplifier starts in normal operation mode and is ready to use responding to all front panel buttons and the remote control.

USING THE FRONT PANEL CONTROLS

Volume Control
The Volume Control is a precision device. It follows a logarithmic law so that its response approximates that of the human ear. There is an indicator on the Volume Control to clearly show the appropriate volume setting. The level increases in a clockwise direction.
The Mode Button
The Mode button on the front panel of the amplifier has the following functions:

• Pressing the Mode button once with the amplifier activated will attenuate the volume level by 20 dB and the indicator LED will glow ORANGE. The amplifier remains fully functional in this mode.
• A second press returns the amplifier to the unattenuated level and the indicator LED will revert to red.

Input Selector Buttons
The Input Selector Buttons scroll through the inputs one click at a time. They connect each signal source to the amplifier by shifting through the Inputs. Pressing the Forward Button repeatedly will select inputs in this sequence:

Pressing the Backward Button repeatedly reverses the sequence. Whenever an input is selected the appropriate indicator LED will illuminate.
NOTE : To select the Bluetooth input, press the Bluetooth On/ Off button. The Bluetooth LED will flash when selected.

Bluetooth Connection and Pairing
Make sure your source device’s Bluetooth is enabled and discoverable. Press the Bluetooth on/ off button on the front panel of the amplifier, or the BT button on the remote. This will select the Bluetooth source and when your device has  found the amplifier, ‘ROKSAN K3’ will appear on your device.
When paired or connected the blue LED will stop flashing and remain on. You are now ready to stream music to the amplifier from the paired device. If your device is aptX compatible and contains high resolution audio files, then these will be streamed in the original high quality bit rate through the amplifier.
NOTE : If you wish to revert to a line level or phono input, push the Bluetooth on/ off button and it will disconnect and the LED will turn off. You can then select the required input as per normal operation. To reconnect to Bluetooth you must push the Bluetooth on/off button again. You will then have to re-connect the device (at which point the blue LED will stop flashing and remain on) but pairing is not necessary.

PLAYING MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME

When first turning the amplifier on, it is important to follow these simple steps in order to protect it and your loudspeakers.

1. Reduce the volume of the amplifier to minimum
2. Start playing from your chosen source (CD, DAC, Turntable, etc) and increase the volume slowly
3. If connected to the K3 Power Amplifier, the LED indicators on the power amplifier will automatically switch to red and will be activated within a few seconds.

RUNNING IN THE NEW AMPLIFIER

Any new electrical equipment requires a “running-in” period, warming up the components to the optimum working temperatures, acquiring the electromagnetic properties and stability that offers the listeners optimal musical performance. We suggest that after the initial playing period the amplifiers should be left playing at low volumes for up to 40 hours. Clear improvements to clarity and speed will be apparent after the first 10-15 hours of playing with the amplifier reaching its optimal performance after 40 hours.
NOTE: When switched off for long durations the procedure described above may need to be performed again.

KNOW YOUR K3 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

If for any reason the amplifier overheats through overload or lack of ventilation, it will revert to shut-down mode for protection.
Reset the amplifier by switching the mains switch off and on again.
If the output is accidentally shorted the amplifier will revert to shut-down. You can manually re-activate amplifier after the short/fault has been eradicated.
In the unlikely event of an internal fault such as a power supply failure, the Mode Indicator LED will glow GREEN and the amplifier will shut down. If the fault persists, the amplifier will stay in shut-down/ in protection mode and you should consult your Roksan dealer.

WARRANTY

There are no user-serviceable parts inside your K3 Integrated Amplifier. If a fault should develop, refer any servicing to your appointed Roksan dealer, distributor or Roksan approved service agent.
Both the craftsmanship and the performance of this product are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty against manufacturing defects provided that the product was supplied by an authorised Roksan retailer under the consumer sale agreement. For the period of cover please refer to the product page on our website: roksan.com for the product you have purchased.
When purchasing Roksan products, please keep your receipt of purchase safe, as this validates your warranty.
This warranty excludes:

1. Damage caused due to accident, misuse, neglect and incorrect installation, adjustment or repair.
2. Liability for damage or loss during transit from the retailer or purchaser to Roksan or its authorised distributor for the purposes of repair or inspection.
3. Carriage costs to Roksan that will be borne by the consignor.

All claims under this warranty must be made through an authorised Roksan retailer.
If equipment returned for repair to Roksan is found on inspection to not comply with the product specification, Roksan reserves the right to make a charge for examination and return carriage.
NOTE: Unauthorised servicing will void this warranty.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If you suspect that your amplifier is not operating properly, you should check all the connections carefully. Pay particular attention to loudspeaker phasing and channel connections. RCA plugs should be fully inserted – a frequent cause of problems is that RCA plug surrounds do not make proper contact. Below are some commonly encountered problems with suggestions for possible cure. The list is not exhaustive:
If you have any unresolved problems, please consult your appointed Roksan dealer or distributor.

• Switch unit on at front left underside.
• No output on one or both
channels.| • Amplifier in protection mode (Mode LED GREEN)
• Missing or bad input signal connection
• Incorrect loudspeaker connection
• Wrong input selected
• Over heating.| • Check all input connections
• Check loudspeaker output connections on rear panel
• Select correct input, ascertain source is working
• Allow amplifier to cool, increase ventilation or use
at lower volume.
• Very low sound output
• Poor loudspeaker imaging, lack of bass output.| • Loudspeakers connected out of phase
• Amplifier is in the mute position (Mode LED ORANGE).| • Check polarity of loudspeaker connections
(especially important if biwiring, bi-amping)
• Deselect Mute (check volume setting first).
• Hum from loudspeakers.| • Incorrect grounding.| • Check mains polarity and grounding on all
connected equipment.

SPECIFICATIONS

INPUTS
5 x Pairs gold plated, line level RCA
Input Impedance: 47 kΩ
Input Sensitivity: 510 mV
1 x Pairs gold plated, MM Phono RCA
1 x Pairs gold plated, bypass RCA
Bluetooth aptX
OUTPUTS
1 x Gold plated RCA, Pre-Amplifier
1 x 3.5 mm Headphone jack
Power Outputs: Loudspeaker, L & R 4mm binding posts
Output Power: >140 W (8 Ω both channels driven)
Frequency Response: -3 dB, <3 Hz – 100 kHz
Gain: 37.3 dB Overall (Pre & Power)
Harmonic Distortion: 0.005% 1 kHz into 8 Ω

POWER SUPPLY

Power Supply: 550 VA Ultra low noise toroidal transformer 5 Regulated supply rails
Power Source: 100 – 120 V, 50 / 60 Hz 220 – 240 V, 50 / 60 Hz (via Mains inlet filter)
Maximum Power Consumption: <800 W (8 Ω, both channels driven)
Rated Power Consumption: 800W
Dimensions (W x D x H): 432 x 380 x 90 mm 432 x 380 x 102 mm (including feet)
Weight: 12 Kg
All specifications are liable to change without notice. E&OE

Designed and built
in Great Britain.
roksan.com
info@roksan.com
Version 3.1. 2019
ROK-1217| Roksan
24 Brook Road,
Rayleigh, Essex
SS6 7XJ, UK
+44 (0)1268 798900
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References

• Roksan | Hi-Fi, Turntables & Audio Electronics

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