connected. Pre-filtering the AC line using capacitors and thermistors helps prevent damage from an occasional or prolonged influx of surges and spikes. An AC mains relay can be switched off when called upon by one of the Nº383’s other protection systems.

Thermal protection is controlled by four sensors mounted on each rail of the left and right channel output stages. If a sensor detects excessive heat, it instructs the amplifier to switch itself off. Thermal switches located inside each transformer housing will disconnect power if the transformer overheats.

Soft-clip circuits are used to prevent high-energy, high-frequency ringing artifacts from reaching and damaging loudspeakers if the amplifier is over-driven.

When the amplifier is over-driven for prolonged periods, or if a loudspeaker cable or output device has shorted, over-current protection switches the amplifier off.

DC servos are used to correct for potentially damaging DC-offset from a source component. As with other Mark Levinson components, the correction range is ±1V. If the problem exceeds the servo’s range, the amplifier will be switched off.

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the remote control A newly designed remote offers complete control in a small and elegant

&user experience package. External control by IR is also offered via an eighth-inch mini- jack on the rear panel, should the Nº383 be inside a cabinet where the IR commands cannot reach.

The user interface of the Nº383 is rooted in the advanced design of the Nº32 Reference Preamplifier. Large knobs for volume and input select help the unit retain the tactile benefits and functionality of traditional preamplifier designs. Of particular interest, inputs may be named ap- propriately, and the selector knob cycles only between those inputs that are actually used. In other words, the Nº383 can operate as if it were custom-designed for each source component.

communication The Nº383 features a software-controlled operating system that can be updated via its RS-232 port, located on the rear panel. Full compatibility with older Mark Levinson Linking communications buses makes the Nº383 ideal for customers who use Mark Levinson source compo- nents.

Two eighth-inch mini-jacks are provided to facilitate DC-trigger con- trol. Triggers are set for level input and output.