Mark Levinson 334 335 336 - Manual

Owner’s Manual
Nº334
Nº335
Nº336
Madrigal Audio Laboratories

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO

NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert
the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that
may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence
of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying
the appliance.
Marking by the “CE” symbol (shown left) indicates compliance of this device with the EMC
(Electromagnetic Compatibility) and LVD (Low Voltage Directive) standards of the European
Community.
NOTICE
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by
one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna;

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver;
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected;
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by the manufacturer could
void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
The information contained in the manual is subject to change without notice. The most current version of this
manual will be posted on our web site at http://www.madrigal.com.
Important Safety Instructions
Please read all instructions and precautions carefully and completely before operating your Mark
Levinson® power amplifier.
1. ALWAYS disconnect your entire system from the AC mains before connecting or dis-
connecting any cables, or when cleaning any component.
2. This product must be terminated with a three-conductor AC mains power cord which
includes an earth ground connection. To prevent shock hazard, all three connections
must ALWAYS be used.
3. AC extension cords are not recommended for use with this product.
4. NEVER use flammable or combustible chemicals for cleaning audio components.
5. NEVER operate this product with any covers removed.
6. NEVER wet the inside of this product with any liquid.
7. NEVER pour or spill liquids directly onto this unit.
8. NEVER block air flow through ventilation slots or heatsinks.
9. NEVER bypass any fuse.
10. NEVER replace any fuse with a value or type other than those specified.
11. NEVER attempt to repair this product. If a problem occurs, contact your Mark
Levinson® retailer.
12. NEVER expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures.
13. NEVER operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.
14. ALWAYS keep electrical equipment out of the reach of children.
15. ALWAYS unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.

From all of us at Madrigal Audio Laboratories, thank you for choosing your Mark
Levinson 300-series Dual Monaural Power Amplifier.
4 A great deal of effort went into the design and construction of this precision device. Used
properly, it will give you many years of enjoyment.
Table of Contents
Unpacking Your Amplifier ......................................................... 6

Break-in period ................................................................................... 6
Placement Considerations .......................................................... 8
Ventilation .......................................................................................... 8
Operating Voltage, Nº336 ....................................................... 10
Nº336 AC mains maximum current requirements ........................... 11
Nº336 rear-panel label ................................................................... 12
Operating Voltage, Nº335 & Nº334 ......................................... 13
Nº335 rear-panel label ................................................................... 15
Special Design Features ........................................................... 16
Massive Power Supply ...................................................................... 16
Balanced design ............................................................................... 16
True Voltage Source .......................................................................... 17
Adaptive Biasing of the Output Stage ............................................... 17
Extensive Protection ......................................................................... 18
Front Panel ............................................................................. 19
Rear Panel ............................................................................... 20
PHASTLink® control cable .............................................................. 23
Remote turn-on tip polarity ............................................................ 24
Bridged Operation .................................................................. 28
5
Bridging Explained ........................................................................... 28
Balanced Bridging ............................................................................ 28
Balanced Bridging Kit ..................................................................... 29
Balanced Bridged Input Connection ............................................... 30
Single-Ended Bridging ...................................................................... 31
Single-Ended Bridging Kit ............................................................... 31
Single-Ended Bridged Input Connection ......................................... 32
Biamplification ........................................................................ 34
Balanced Y-adapter ........................................................................ 35
Passive biamping wiring diagram ................................................... 35
Troubleshooting ...................................................................... 36
Care & Maintenance ................................................................ 38
U.S. and Canadian Warranty .................................................... 39
90-Day Limited Warranty .................................................................. 39
Five Year Extended Warranty ............................................................ 39
Obtaining Service .................................................................... 40
Specifications .......................................................................... 41
Dimensions: Nº336 & Nº335 .................................................... 42
Dimensions: Nº334 .................................................................. 44
Unpacking Your Amplifier
Warning! Under no circumstances should you consider

unpacking your amplifier without adequate assistance,
as both personal injury and damage to the product is
likely unless you follow the procedures listed below.
The shipping weight of your Dual Monaural Power Amplifier is over

100 lbs. (45 kg)—the Nº336, for example, weighs in at 150 pounds (68
kg)! Any freight this massive must be handled with extreme care to
avoid injury. At least two strong people are required to unpack these
amplifiers safely.
Included with your new Mark Levinson amplifier are two pairs of knit,
white gloves designed to assist you in the initial unpacking and place-
ment of your new purchase. Please accept them as a token of our ap-
preciation for having purchased one of our products.
6
Caution! Do not attempt to lift your power amplifier from its
packing carton alone.
Never attempt to lift your power amplifier while
bending from the waist.
Always stand as straight as possible and use your leg
muscles to lift your amplifier.
After unpacking your power amplifier, keep all packing materials for
future transport. In the event that you need to ship your amplifier,
only the original, purpose-designed shipping carton is acceptable. Any
other method of shipping this heavy product will almost certainly re-
sult in damage to the amplifier—damage that would not be covered by
the warranty.
Carefully inspect your amplifier for possible damage due to shipping. If

you discover any, contact your Mark Levinson dealer immediately.
Break-in period Although your Mark Levinson 300-series power amplifier delivers out-
standing performance straight out of the box, you should expect to
hear it continue to improve as it reaches its normal operating tempera-
tures and its various components “break-in.” It has been our experience
that the greatest changes occur within the first 25-50 hours, but that
the amplifier will continue to improve in sound quality for about 300
hours, after which time it remains quite constant.
The only exception to this rule is if power is removed from the unit, al-
lowing it to cool down. In this case you should expect a brief warm-up
period before the amplifier’s sound quality is at its best. (Fortunately,
you will never have to repeat the full 300 hour break-in period.)
7
Placement Considerations
PRECAUTION For your protection, review “Important Safety

Instructions” and “Operating Voltage” before you
install your amplifier.
Your Mark Levinson 300-series power amplifier is specifically designed

to stand on the floor, and must be used as a freestanding unit. In most
installations, locating it near the loudspeakers is best. Obviously, this
approach minimizes the length of the speaker wires and necessitates
longer interconnecting cables from the preamplifier to the power am-
plifier. The advantage to this strategy lies in the fact that the intercon-
necting cables carry low-current signals which are more readily trans-
mitted over distances with great accuracy than are the necessarily high
current signals required by loudspeakers.
Note that adequate clearance for the AC cord and connecting signal
cables must be left behind your amplifier. We suggest leaving at least six
inches (15 cm) of free space behind your amplifier so all cables have
8 sufficient room to bend without crimping or undue strain.
If yours is a CE-certified unit (e.g., European market), the amplifier

should also be placed in such a way that the power switch on the rear
panel is easily accessible. This switch disconnects power from even the
supervisory power supply, resulting in effective disconnection of the
amplifier from the AC mains. (Note that under these conditions, the
amplifier cannot respond to remote-turn-on commands, etc.)
Ventilation As a freestanding unit, your power amplifier normally has no problem

with ventilation. Regardless of where you choose to locate your ampli-
fier, we advise locating the amplifier well away from sensitive low-level
components, typically near the floor. (The massive output currents of
which the 300-series amplifiers are capable can generate significant
magnetic fields, which could conceivably induce noise in some sensitive
components.)
The Nº336 dual monaural power amplifier dissipates approximately

350 watts of energy as heat when “at idle.” The Nº335 and Nº334 dissi-
pate about 325 and 260 watts at idle, respectively. It is therefore normal
and perfectly safe for them to run somewhat warm. They do, however,
require free air flow around them to allow adequate heat dissipation
through air circulation. The top plate and heatsinks of the amplifier
must be kept free from any obstruction that would reduce the free flow
of air.
Allow at least 4–6 inches above the amplifier and at least 2 inches to
sides for adequate ventilation. If the amplifier becomes too warm to
touch, the ventilation is inadequate. (Note that your new amplifier is
protected against thermal damage. Inadequate ventilation may cause
nuisance shutdowns, but should not cause permanent damage to the
amplifier.)
Mechanical drawings are included in this manual to facilitate special

installations where necessary (see “Dimensions” at the end of this
manual).
9
Operating Voltage, Nº336
Your Mark Levinson Dual Monaural Power Amplifier is characterized

by its remarkable ability to pass a musical signal with utter integrity,
regardless of how demanding that signal and the loudspeakers used
might be. When called upon to do so, your amplifier is capable of gen-
erating truly prodigious power levels into virtually any speaker load, on
either an instantaneous or a continuous basis.
Depending on the demands placed on the amplifier by your loud-

speaker and your listening habits, it is possible (although unlikely) for
the capabilities of your electrical service to become the limiting factor
in the performance of your system. As a result, the Nº336 has been de-
signed to be capable of taking advantage of dedicated high current AC
mains supplies which cannot limit its performance.
For compatibility with existing household outlets, a standard three

prong, 15 ampere plug is provided on the captive, high current AC
mains cable. If you decide to use a dedicated, higher-current (30 am-
pere) line for your Nº336, the only thing that needs to be changed is
the AC plug itself.
10
Important: When it comes to high current AC wiring such as the

Nº336 is capable of using, building regulations and
electrical codes vary from region to region, and even
from one municipality to the next. For this reason, it is
impossible for us to anticipate the requirements of
your area with regard to high current AC hookups. If
you plan to install a dedicated, high current AC line for
your Nº336, please review this section carefully and
then contact a local electrical contractor for advice.
The Mark Levinson Nº336 amplifiers may be factory-set for 100V,

120V, 200V, 220V, 230V or 240V AC mains operation at either 50 or
60Hz, based on the country for which they are manufactured. Depend-
ing on local electrical codes and regulations, the plug on the supplied
AC input module may need to be replaced by a local, licensed electrical
contractor. The maximum current requirements (in amperes) at these
various voltages under various test conditions are listed in the table
shown below. (Note that only 230V units are sold in the European Union
countries, per CE requirements.)
Nº336 AC mains maximum 100V 120V 200V 220V 230V 240V
current requirements Off 0.12 0.10 0.06 0.05 0.05 0.05
Standby 2.35 1.96 1.17 1.07 1.02 0.98
On, at idle 4.01 3.35 2.01 1.83 1.75 1.68
350w @ 8Ω* 21.25 17.71 10.63 9.66 9.23 8.86
700w @ 4Ω* 36.69 30.59 18.29 16.68 15.99 15.30
1400w @ 2Ω* 62.33 51.98 31.17 28.41 27.14 25.99
* power ratings are continuous (rms) with less than 0.5% THD, from 20-20,000 Hz.
11
It is important to understand that these are worst-case requirements
under severe test conditions, which are extremely unlikely to be en-
countered in normal use.
The power demands that a single Nº336 might conceivably make when
being used to reproduce music with actual loudspeakers are substan-
tially lower, safely within the normal abilities of 100V and 120V, 15 am-
pere lines. Still, for the best possible performance with extremely diffi-
cult loads, we recommend installing a dedicated AC line for the ampli-
fier with 30-ampere capability.
The operating voltage of the Nº336 cannot be changed by the user, and
any attempt to do so will void the warranty. If you need to change the
operating voltage of your Nº336 power amplifiers, or if the voltage in-
dicated on the rear panel label is not available in your area, contact
your Mark Levinson dealer for assistance.
Nº336 rear-panel label
DUAL MONAURAL POWER AMPLIFIER Nº336
S/N
WARNING: BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE THIS DEVICE,
REFER TO OWNER’S MANUAL FOR PROPER OPERATING
12 INSTRUCTIONS AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. HAZARDOUS
VOLTAGE AVAILABLE INSIDE; DISCONNECT AC-MAINS CABLE
BEFORE OPENING UNIT.
No User Serviceable Components Inside

For service, contact Madrigal Audio Laboratories or an Authorized Dealer.
Any modifications to this equipment will void all warranties.
designed and manufactured in USA

Operating Voltage,
Nº335 & Nº334
Your Mark Levinson Dual Monaural Power Amplifier is characterized

by its remarkable ability to pass a musical signal with utter integrity,
regardless of how demanding that signal and the loudspeakers used
might be. When called upon to do so, your amplifier is capable of gen-
erating truly prodigious power levels into virtually any speaker load, on
either an instantaneous or a continuous basis.
Depending on the demands placed on your amplifier by your loud-

speaker and your listening habits, it may use a significant portion of the
total current capability of a standard, 15 ampere household AC mains
circuit. Fortunately, most installations do not require special attention
be paid to the AC mains service. If you have multiple, powerful ampli-
fiers such as you new Mark Levinson amplifier, or other appliances on
the same circuit that use significant current, you may want to consider
having a dedicated AC line installed for your home entertainment sys-
tem.
For compatibility with existing household outlets, a standard three 13

conductor, 15 ampere, IEC-standard, detachable AC mains cable is pro-
vided for use with your amplifier.
Mark Levinson power amplifiers may be factory-set for 100V, 120V,

200V, 220V, 230V or 240V AC mains operation at either 50 or 60Hz,
based on the country for which they are manufactured. Depending on
local electrical codes and regulations, the plug on the supplied AC in-
put module may need to be replaced by a local, licensed electrical con-
tractor. The maximum current requirements at these various voltages
under various test conditions are listed in the tables shown below.
(Note that only 230V units are sold in the European Union countries, per
CE requirements.)
Standby 2.35 1.96 1.17 1.07 1.02 0.98
On, at idle 3.73 3.11 1.86 1.69 1.62 1.55
250w @ 8Ω* 14.72 12.31 7.34 6.67 6.37 6.11
500w @ 4Ω* 25.07 20.93 12.54 11.37 10.88 10.42
1000w @ 2Ω* 43.47 36.34 21.74 19.78 18.98 18.17

Standby 1.24 1.04 0.62 0.56 0.54 0.52
On, at idle 2.99 2.53 1.52 1.38 1.32 1.27
125w @ 8Ω* 8.42 7.02 4.21 3.83 3.68 3.51
250w @ 4Ω* 14.26 11.96 7.13 6.47 6.21 5.95
500w @ 2Ω* 24.73 20.70 12.42 11.27 10.81 10.33
14
It is important to understand that these are worst-case requirements
under severe test conditions, which are extremely unlikely to be en-
countered in normal use. The power demands that a single amplifier
might conceivably make when being used to reproduce music with ac-
tual loudspeakers are substantially lower. Still, for the best possible per-
formance with extremely difficult loads, we recommend installing a
dedicated AC line for your amplifier
The operating voltage of your amplifier cannot be changed by the user,

and any attempt to do so will void the warranty. If you need to change
the operating voltage of your power amplifiers, or if the voltage indi-
cated on the rear panel label is not available in your area, contact your
Mark Levinson dealer for assistance.
Nº335 rear-panel label
S/N
WARNING: BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE THIS DEVICE,
REFER TO OWNER’S MANUAL FOR PROPER OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. HAZARDOUS
VOLTAGE AVAILABLE INSIDE; DISCONNECT AC-MAINS CABLE
BEFORE OPENING UNIT.

15
Special Design Features
Congratulations on your purchase of a Mark Levinson Nº300-series

Dual Monaural Power Amplifier. While your new amplifier is straight-
forward in its everyday use, it includes several design features which are
responsible for its outstanding performance. In particular, your new
Dual Monaural power amplifier defies the accepted wisdom that it is
impossible to design a large, powerful amplifier that also has all of the
finesse of the finest smaller amplifiers. A few of the technical highlights
that make this possible are given below.
Massive Power Supply Each Mark Levinson 300-series amplifier includes two large, com-
pletely independent power supplies—one for each channel. Each sup-
ply includes a high capacity, low noise toroidal transformer, and two
large, low ESR capacitors in each channel. Since these are true, dual
monaural designs, each channel has its own dedicated power supply.
Specifically, the amplifiers use:
Nº336: two 2450 VA transformers four 50,000 µF capacitors

Nº335: two 1338 VA transformers four 50,000 µF capacitors
16 Nº334: two 801 VA transformers four 44,000 µF capacitors
Heavy oxygen-free copper bus bars enhance the efficiency of power dis-
tribution within the amplifier and eliminate variances introduced by
the wiring harnesses, etc. more commonly found even in high perfor-
mance amplifiers. High frequency power supply bypass is accom-
plished on individual PC boards by five components of several film
types. The resulting uniformly low power supply impedance seen by
the various circuits within the amplifier lays the foundation for both
the massive power and the extraordinary finesse that characterizes the
300-series.
Balanced design A truly balanced input topology eliminates the need for an input buffer
amplification stage and allows the first stage differential amplifier to be
driven directly by the source. Matched impedances are presented to the
source and both signals travel through identical circuit paths.
Painstaking attention to layout of the amplifier was essential to mini-

mize magnetic field distortions possible with such a massive power de-
livery system, including careful mirror-imaging of circuits to cancel
magnetic fields. A balanced input signal remains balanced throughout
the voltage gain stages. Rejection of common mode noise and distor-
tion is achieved in the final, current gain stage.
True Voltage Source The 300-series power amplifiers operate as virtually perfect textbook
cases of a “voltage source.” This is to say that they will maintain what-
ever the appropriate voltage might be at any moment (given the de-
mands of the music, and within the rated voltage output of the ampli-
fier) without any particular regard for the current demands of the
loudspeaker.
Because of this “voltage source” characteristic, the 300-series amplifiers

double their power output every time the loudspeaker impedance is cut
by half. For example, the Nº336’s continuous rated power is 350 watts
per channel at 8Ω; 700 watts per channel at 4Ω; 1400 watts per channel
at 2Ω—assuming the electrical circuit in the wall can support these ex-
traordinary power levels. A continuous 2Ω test of the Nº336 at maxi-
mum power requires about 50 amperes at 120V. (The laws of physics
refuse to be cheated. Long-term, you cannot deliver more power into
the speaker than you can pull from the wall.)
Thirty-two TO-3P output transistors are distributed in the heatsinks of

the Nº336 to conduct and control the flow of its remarkable power ca-
pabilities to the loudspeaker. There are eight matched, complementary
pairs of output transistors in each channel of the amplifier. Similarly,
the Nº335 uses twenty-four TO-3P output transistors in six matched,
complementary pairs of output transistors for each channel, and the
Nº334 uses sixteen TO-3P output transistors in four matched, comple- 17
mentary pairs of output transistors for each channel.
No known high quality loudspeaker can absorb the continuous full

power capability of the Nº336. (Nor would you want to be present in
the room were you to find one that could do so.) However, many high
quality loudspeakers may require rather extreme power levels on a
short term basis when reproducing music at realistic levels. The 300-
series amplifiers can answer these needs with impunity, without any
power supply “sag” and without altering their sonic performance in any
way. The resultant imperturbable nature of these amplifiers is reflected
in the authority and control with which they reproduce music. Your
selection of any particular model depends only on the maximum
power you need, based on your loudspeakers, listening room, and lis-
tening habits.
Adaptive Biasing of Magazines and product literature have both contributed to a great deal
the Output Stage of poorly-informed discussion of “class A” operation over the years.
Unfortunately, the thermal management problems of true class A op-
eration in a high-current output stage are severe, and introduce serious
sonic compromises of their own. For this reason, the output stage of
your new amplifier are not class-A biased in a traditional fashion. (All
voltage gain stages of the 300-series amplifiers are biased to operate in a
full class A mode in order to keep the active devices safely within their
most linear, distortion-free range at all times.)
The 300-series amplifiers use a proprietary adaptive biasing scheme de-

veloped by Madrigal (and first introduced in the Nº33 Reference Mon-
aural Amplifiers) that delivers the sonic advantages of a Class A output
stage without incurring the substantial inefficiencies and consequent
thermal problems of pure Class A operation. Uniquely, this adaptive
biasing scheme never allows the output devices themselves to be re-
verse-biased. This approach results in greatly reduced dynamic distor-
tions, and a sweeter sound that exhibits a greater sense of ease at all
volume levels. For more information on Adaptive bias, see your dealer
for our white paper on the subject.
Extensive Protection Your 300-series power amplifier will shut itself down if it senses any of
a number of fault conditions which could cause damage to either itself
or to your loudspeakers. These fault conditions include:
• the presence of DC (direct current) at the output

• either over-voltage or under-voltage conditions on the AC mains
(±10%)
• unsafe operating temperatures in any of several critical ar-
eas within the amplifier
18
If any of these fault conditions is sensed while the amplifier is in either
standby or fully on, the amplifier will shut down completely (off mode,
not merely standby). Moreover, it will not turn on again until the fault
condition is corrected.
In addition, the AC input to each transformer is fused to protect

against excessive current conditions such as driving shorted outputs.
Inrush limiting prevents premature aging of power supply components
during power-up, and switches off-line once the power supply has been
charged.
Finally, your amplifier incorporates a controlled clipping circuit that

prevents the output devices from saturating. The harsh high frequency
harmonics generated by hard-clipped output devices are avoided by the
waveshaping action of this controlled clip circuitry.
2
R
MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES
Nº 333
DUAL MONAURAL
POWER AMPLIFIER
Front Panel
1 Standby Button
When power is first applied to the power amplifier (if yours is a
CE-certified unit, this means plugging it in and turning on the rear
panel AC mains switch), the amplifier remains off. Pressing the front
panel standby button will bring the amplifier from off to standby.
After a delay of ten seconds (to allow the power supplies to charge 19
and all circuitry to stabilize), subsequent pressing of the standby
button will toggle the amplifier between standby mode and fully
on. Power consumption of the Nº336 (the most extreme example)
when at idle is approximately 350 watts—the equivalent of leaving
a few light bulbs on. When in standby, the amplifiers still draw as
much as 200 watts to keep the sensitive voltage gain stages
warmed up and sounding their best at all times).
To turn the amplifier off (as opposed to standby), press and hold
the standby button for approximately one second, until the front
panel indicator light turns off. To turn off even the supervisory
power supply, you must either unplug the amplifier from the wall
or (in the case of CE-certified units only) use the rear panel AC
mains switch. (see below)
2 Indicator Light
The indicator light shows the operational status of your amplifier:
Full brightness indicates that the amplifier is on and ready to be
used.
Blinking slowly indicates the unit is in standby.
Dimly lit indicates that the main power supply is completely off,
leaving only the supervisory supply operational.
Completely off indicates that the amplifier is not connected to the
ac mains, disengaging even the supervisory power supply.
If the amplifier will not turn on, you should check your AC con-
nections, or have your dealer inspect the internal fuses (which are
not user-serviceable). If yours is a CE-certified unit, you may want
to check the rear panel AC mains switch to ensure it is in the on posi-
tion.
2
1
inputs inputs
S/N
WARNING: BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO
OPERATE THIS DEVICE, REFER TO OWNER’S MANUAL FOR PROPER
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
HAZARDOUS VOLTAGE AVAILABLE INSIDE; DISCONNECT AC-MAINS
CABLE BEFORE OPENING UNIT.

20
control ports*
trigger
in
~ac mains
trigger
pass-thru
communication ports
slave out slave in
7
*PHASTLink® compatible
3 4 5 6
Rear Panel
Caution! Turn the volume on your preamplifier all the way down
before attempting to connect anything to your Mark
Levinson power amplifier.
1 Balanced Audio Input
Accepts a signal from a preamplifier with balanced outputs via a
high quality XLR connector. If connection to the preamplifier is
made with a balanced interconnecting cable, it is important to re-
move the shorting plugs from between pins #1 and #3 of the XLR
inputs which were placed there prior to shipment from the fac-
tory. Save them for possible use at a later date (should you want to
listen to a friend’s single-ended cable, for example).
The pin assignments of this XLR-type female input connector is:
PUSH Pin 1: Signal ground

2 1
Pin 2: Signal + (non-inverting)
3
Pin 3: Signal – (inverting)
Connector ground lug: chassis ground
These pin assignments are consistent with the standards adopted

by the Audio Engineering Society. Refer to the operating manual
of your balanced-output preamplifier to verify that the pin assign-
ments of its output connectors correspond to your Mark Levinson
amplifier. If not, wire the cables so that the appropriate output pin
connects to the equivalent input pin.
2 Single-Ended Inputs 21
These RCA connectors accept single-ended inputs from preampli-
fiers with single-ended (RCA) outputs. Single-ended input signals
are converted to balanced signals immediately upon being re-
ceived at the amplifier, and are handled as balanced signals there-
after.
If your preamplifier does not support balanced connection to the

power amplifier, connect the single-ended output of your pream-
plifier to the RCA input on the amplifier. To reduce the chance of
noise pickup at the (otherwise unterminated) inverting input of
the XLR, insert the provided U-shaped shorting strap between
pins #1 and #3 of the XLR connector. (As delivered from the fac-
tory, this shorting strap is already installed.)
3 Speaker Binding Posts

The Mark Levinson 300-series amplifiers are equipped with cus-
tom made, gold-plated, high-current binding posts for output ter-
mination to a loudspeaker system. To take full advantage of the
amplifier’s sonic quality, we recommend using high-
quality speaker cable; please see your Mark Levinson dealer.
Caution! NEVER connect a power amplifier’s output terminals to
any device other than a loudspeaker.
NEVER short-circuit the amplifier’s output terminals.
NEVER connect the output terminals of one amplifier
to the output terminals of another amplifier.
There are two recommended methods for connecting speaker

cables to your amplifier. A high-quality spade lug or hook lug, sol-
dered to the cable (or crimped with extremely high pressure), is
best.
Spade lug Hook lug
Connect a + (positive or red) output post of the amplifier to the +

(positive or red) input terminal of the appropriate loudspeaker. [If
biwiring, repeat using the other + (positive or red) output post of
the amplifier and the + (positive or red) input terminal of the
loudspeaker.]
22
Connect a – (negative or black) output post of the amplifier to the
– (negative or black) input terminal of the appropriate loud-
speaker. [If biwiring, repeat using the other – (negative or black)
output post of the amplifier and the – (negative or black) input
terminal of the loudspeaker.]
Caution! DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN the binding posts on your

amplifier! The unique design of these posts gives far
more leverage than traditional posts. You will achieve
tight, high contact pressure connections with only
modest finger-tightening, and without having to resort
to special tools.
DO NOT FORCE the “wings” up and over a bent or

oversized connector, as this may damage the binding
post. If your connectors obstruct the turning of the
“wings,” slide them into place when the binding post
opening is a snug fit; then apply a final quarter-turn as
needed to tighten the connection.
4 control Ports (Phastlink® compatible)
These two RJ-45 communications ports support the PHAST™ in-
ter-component communications protocols, greatly simplifying the
design and installation of sophisticated home automation systems.
They provide two-way communication with the home automa-
tion controller as to the amplifier’s current status, ensuring reli-
able execution of sophisticated turn-on and shutdown macros.
control ports* communication ports

slave out slave in
trigger trigger
in pass-thru
To use these ports, simply daisy chain the various PHASTLink®-

equipped products together with a PHAST controller. The modu-
lar cable needed for the connection may be purchased from your
PHAST dealer. It may also be easily made to length using two
modular connectors and the appropriate length (up to 100 feet/30
meters) of flat, eight conductor cable.
Modular cables and connectors are used throughout the world for
both telecommunications and computers, and are widely available
23
at low cost. The connectors are crimped on to the ends of the
cable such that pin 1 at one end is connected to pin 1 at the other
end. Such a “straight-through” connection is (counter-intuitively)
made by introducing a 180° twist in the cable between the two
ends, as shown below.
PHASTLink® control cable from PHAST controller To Power Amplifier
Locking tab Locking tab
5 remote turn-on (“trigger’) jacks

Two 1⁄8" “mini” jacks above the AC mains receptacle on the rear
panel allows remote-controlled turn-on (that is, toggling between
operate and standby) of the amplifier.
slave out slave in
trigger trigger
in pass-thru
These remote “triggers” will be operated by the presence of 5–12

volts DC, with tip polarity as shown below:
Remote turn-on
– +
5-12 volts,
tip polarity positive tip
polarity
The presence of a suitable DC voltage will cause the amplifier to

be fully on; the absence of such a voltage will cause it to enter
standby. Your dealer can help you take advantage of these design
features to maximize your system’s versatility.
Since these trigger inputs are wired in parallel, you can go into
24 one and out of the other to facilitate a “daisy-chain” of turn-on
triggers (should you have additional products that need to be con-
trolled in this manner). Your dealer can ensure that your DC trig-
ger can supply enough current to power all devices in the daisy
chain. (The input impedance of this trigger on your amplifier is
1000 Ω.)
Note: If the DC trigger input is used to control the

amplifier(s), the last mini-jack in the chain must be
filled with a dummy 1⁄8" plug [that is, an empty plug
must be inserted into the final 1⁄8" [3.5 mm] jack].
Even if only a single amplifier is controlled in this
fashion, the “extra” mini-jack must be filled with a
dummy plug.
If you are not using these turn-on inputs, you may leave them
both empty of any plugs.
6 Mark Levinson communications links
Your 300-series power amplifier may be controlled by a “linked”
Mark Levinson 30-series preamplifier when the slave in communi-
cations port is connected to the master port of the preamplifier.
Subsequent 300-series amplifiers may be “daisy chained” from the
first amplifier’s slave out to their slave in port, up to a maximum of
six amplifiers total (to support multi-amped systems, for ex-
ample).

slave out slave in
trigger trigger
in pass-thru
A “straight-through,” six conductor Link cable with six-conductor

modular connectors on both ends is used to connect the pream-
plifier to the first power amplifier. Such a cable is made (counter-
intuitively) by incorporating a 180° twist into the cable before ter-
minating it, as shown below:
To Nº380S Master To Nº336 Slave In
25
(The twist is necessary to account for the fact that the connectors
are pointing in opposite directions.)
A different Link connector configuration is used for the “daisy-

chain” of one amplifier to the next, to minimize the opportunity
for mis-wiring. In effect, this cable is identical to the one between
preamplifier and power amplifier except that it uses pins 1
through 6 of an eight-conductor modular connector at one end,
as shown on the next page:
To Nº33x Slave Out To Nº33x Slave In
(Note that the pins are numbered 1 through 8 from left to right
when the locking tab is down and the metal contacts are pointing
away from you.)
When connected in this manner, the power amplifiers will be

toggled between standby and fully on when the preamplifier goes
between standby and fully on.
In addition, should a fault condition cause any amplifier’s protec-
tion circuitry to activate, it can report the nature of the problem
to a linked Mark Levinson preamplifier via this communications
link. If this occurs, the preamplifier will display the number of the
amplifier at fault (AMP1 being the first amplifier in the daisy
chain, AMP2 being the second amplifier, and so on). The pream-
plifier will also indicate the nature of the fault condition with one
of the following codes:
Code Fault Condition

HOT! thermal shutdown
DCO! uncorrectable DC offset
If upon first connecting your Link cables the system does not au-
tomatically toggle the amplifiers from the preamp, you may have
to cycle power (not standby, but actual AC power) once to alert
the system as to the presence of the newly-established Links.
7 AC mains cord and AC mains switch

Conventional IEC standard power cords cannot be used in the
Nº336, due to the potential current requirements of Nº336 when
operating into low impedance loads. (The highest available cur-
rent rating for an IEC standard three-conductor connector such as
26 is used on most stereo equipment, including other Mark Levinson
products, is 15 amperes.) Instead, the Nº336 incorporates a high
current AC cord which is attached directly to the amplifier itself.
Conventional, albeit high-current, IEC standard power cords are

used in the Nº335 and Nº334, since their lower rated power re-
duces their worst-case current requirements when operating into
low impedance loads.
Warning! Your new Mark Levinson amplifier has been safety-

tested and is designed for operation with a three-
conductor power cord. Do not defeat the “third pin” or
earth ground of the AC power cord.
An AC mains switch is located adjacent to the power cord on the
rear panel of the amplifier. This switch may be used to disconnect
the supervisory power supply from the AC mains without having
to actually unplug the amplifier from the wall outlet. Since this
small supervisory supply controls the main power supply’s access
to AC power, shutting down the supervisory power supply also
disconnects the main supply from AC. If you plan to be away for
an extended period, or have any other reason to turn the amplifier
completely off, you may either unplug the amplifier or you may
use the AC mains switch.
Note: When first connected to the AC mains, the amplifier

normally draws a small amount of power which is used
to control the power-up sequence. Turning off the rear
panel switch disconnects even this small power supply;
you must turn this switch back “on” before you can
enter the power-up sequence described in Front Panel,
item #2, or before the amplifier will respond to a
remote turn-on command.
Two fast-acting 30 ampere fuses are located inside the Nº336, on

the AC mains module. The Nº335 uses two 15 ampere slo-blo 27
fuses, and the Nº334 uses two 10 ampere slo-blo fuses. The pro-
tection circuitry has been designed such that only a catastrophic
failure could cause these fuses to blow. As a result, if you suspect
that your AC fuses have blown, disconnect your amplifier from
the AC mains and contact your Mark Levinson dealer for assis-
tance. Do not attempt to replace these fuses yourself.
Danger! Potentially dangerous voltages and current capabilities

exist within your power amplifier, even when
disconnected from AC mains. Do not attempt to open
any portion of the amplifier’s cabinet. There are no
user-serviceable parts inside your power amplifier. All
service of this product must be referred to a qualified
Mark Levinson dealer or distributor.
Bridged Operation
Your Mark Levinson amplifier has been designed to be extremely versa-

tile. Should your needs change or grow over time, you may wish to add
additional power by one of two means: Bridging, or Biamping. We will
discuss bridged operation first.
Bridging Explained Bridging refers to the act of reconfiguring the circuitry in both the left
and right channels of your amplifier to act as though it were a single,
much larger amplifier. (Of course, you will need a second bridged am-
plifier for stereo; more for multichannel sound, as in home theater ap-
plications.)
Bridging is accomplished by sending a normal signal to one channel

and an inverted signal to the other. In this configuration, one channel
will always be “pushing” when the other is “pulling.” By connecting the
loudspeaker leads across the left and right red output terminals, the
amplifier can now deliver twice the normal voltage to the loudspeaker.
Working together this way, the two amplifier channels can deliver al-
most four times the power to a speaker that a single channel could de-
28
liver on its own.
Bridged operation is particularly beneficial with low sensitivity, high-

impedance loudspeakers (8Ω or higher) that have a greater need for
voltage than for current. It is not recommended for loudspeakers that
have an impedance significantly below 4Ω, as the speaker’s impedance
is “split” by the two halves of the amplifier. Thus the bridged amplifier
“sees” a 2Ω load when connected to a 4Ω loudspeaker. Prolonged deliv-
ery of high power levels into such a low impedance creates a great deal
of heat that needs to be dissipated. (Of course, your amplifier is pro-
tected against overheating, but having an amplifier shut itself down
even temporarily can put a damper on the evening’s entertainment.)
Balanced Bridging If your preamplifier has balanced outputs, you should use them. For
this discussion, we will assume that you are using a Madrigal Balanced
Bridging Adapter Kit for each channel to be bridged. (Alternatively, you
may have custom cables built using your preferred wire and connec-
tors, being careful to follow the wiring diagram below.)
Male XLR Output (normal)
Pin 1: signal ground
Balanced Bridging Pin 2: signal + (non-inverting)
Input Adapter Pin 3: signal – (inverting)
(pin configuration)
1 2
Balanced Bridging Kit 3
2 1
3
(do not connect shield)
Female XLR Input 1 2

Pin 1: signal ground 3
Pin 2: signal + (non-inverting)
Pin 3: signal – (inverting)
Male XLR Output (inverted)
Pin 1: not used (floated)
Bridging Output Adapter

(not drawn to scale)
The “normal” leg of the Madrigal Balanced Bridging Input Adapter will
be marked with a red stripe to indicate positive polarity, and the in-
verted leg will be marked with a black stripe to indicate inverted polar-
ity (corresponding to the red and black terminals of your loudspeaker).
The Balanced Bridging Output Adapter is simply a single, heavy gauge

bus bar, used to strap two of the output ground terminals together.
This establishs a common reference for the amplifier and completes the
circuit that includes the loudspeakers.
29
Important! Do not attempt to operate your amplifier in a bridged
mode without first strapping the black output
terminals together. Failure to establish a common
ground reference between the two channels can
damage your amplifier by forcing significant currents
to flow where they do not belong!
To bridge your Mark Levinson amplifier using a balanced input signal,

follow these steps:
1 Disconnect your amplifier from everything

Start with your amplifier totally disconnected from inputs, out-
puts, and AC power. It is always best to power down an amplifier
before changing connections; here you are also changing its basic
configuration.
2 Connect the Balanced Bridging Input Adapter to the amp’s
inputs
Connect the two male XLRs to the inputs of your amplifier, not-
ing which XLR is marked red and which is black. You may want to
standardize on “Red is Right” to avoid confusion, although it
makes no difference to the amplifier. The channel with the red,
normal input will later be connected to the red, positive terminal
of your loudspeaker.
from preamplifier
Balanced Bridged inverting

Madrigal Balanced Bridging Input Adapter
non-inverting
Input Connection
inputs DUAL MONAURAL POWER AMPLIFIER Nº 333 inputs
loudspeaker terminals
communication ports
remote turn-on jacks
~ac mains
Madrigal Bridging Output Adapter
3 Connect one end of the Balanced Bridging Output Adapter

to two side-by-side black output terminals
All Mark Levinson amplifiers have two sets of output terminals
per channel, wired in parallel (for convenience when biwiring).
30 You may use either the upper or the lower black output terminals.
Connect one end of the Balanced Bridging Output Adapter to a
black output terminal on one side of the amplifier, and then con-
nect the other end to a black output terminal on the other side of
the amplifier. (The two connections should be side-by-side rather
than one above the other.) Make sure these connection are snug
and secure.
4 Connect your loudspeaker wire across two side-by-side, red

output terminals
In this case, you may use either the upper or the lower red output
terminals. Connect the positive/+/red binding post of your loud-
speaker to the red output terminal associated with the red (nor-
mal) side of the Input Adapter. Connect the negative/–/black
binding post of your loudspeaker to the red output terminal on
the other side of the amplifier, the one associated with the black
(inverted) side of the Input Adapter.
Following this connection convention preserves the polarity of the

signal sent to the loudspeaker. In practice, the most important
thing is to be consistent throughout the system, as inconsistency
will result in out-of-phase loudspeakers. In turn, this results in
unstable imaging and poor bass reproduction. (The effect is not
dangerous, but neither is it subtle.)
5 Connect one output channel of your preamplifier to the in-
put of your bridged amplifier
The female XLR at the junction of the Balanced Bridging Input
Adapter is now the single input to this bridged amplifier.
6 Power up your amplifier

Remember that your Mark Levinson power amplifier incorporates
inrush protection circuitry that allows its power supply to charge
up gently, enhancing its longevity. Plug the amplifier back into the
AC mains; press the standby button once to bring the amp from off
to standby; wait at least ten seconds; and press the standby button
again to bring it from standby to operate.
7 Repeat this process with your other amplifier(s)
Single-Ended Bridging If your preamplifier has only single-ended (RCA) outputs, a few details
of bridged operation will differ from the discussion above, all pertain-
ing to the connection of the preamp to the bridged amplifiers. For this
discussion, we will assume that you are using a Madrigal Single-Ended
Bridging Adapter Kit for each channel to be bridged. (Alternatively, you
may have custom cables built using your preferred wire and connec-
tors, being careful to follow the wiring diagram below.) 31
Single-Ended Bridging Kit

Male XLR Output (normal)
Single-Ended Bridging Pin 3: signal ground
Input Adapter
(pin configuration)
1 2
3
Female RCA Input 1 2

Skirt: signal ground
Center: signal + (non-inverting) 3
Male XLR Output (inverted)

Bridging Output Adapter

(not drawn to scale)
The “normal” leg of the Madrigal Single-Ended Bridging Input Adapter

will be marked with a red stripe to indicate positive polarity, and the
inverted leg will be marked with a black stripe to indicate inverted po-
larity (corresponding to the red and black terminals of your loud-
speaker).
The Balanced Bridging Output Adapter is simply a single, heavy gauge
bus bar, used to strap two of the output ground terminals together.
This establishs a common reference for the amplifier and completes the
circuit that includes the loudspeakers.
Important! Do not attempt to operate your amplifier in a bridged

mode without first strapping the black output
terminals together. Failure to establish a common
ground reference between the two channels can
damage your amplifier by forcing significant currents
to flow where they do not belong!
To bridge your Mark Levinson amplifier using a single-ended (RCA)

input signal, follow these steps:
1 Disconnect your amplifier from everything

Start with your amplifier totally disconnected from inputs, out-
puts, and AC power. It is always best to power down an amplifier
before changing connections; here you are also changing its basic
configuration.
32
2 Connect the Single-Ended Bridging Input Adapter to the

amp’s inputs
Connect the two male XLRs to the inputs of your amplifier, not-
ing which XLR is marked red and which is black. You may want to
standardize on “Red is Right” to avoid confusion, although it
makes no difference to the amplifier. The channel with the red,
normal input will later be connected to the red, positive terminal
of your loudspeaker.
from preamplifier
Single-Ended Bridged inverting

Madrigal Single-Ended Bridging Input Adapter
non-inverting
Input Connection
inputs DUAL MONAURAL POWER AMPLIFIER Nº 333 inputs
loudspeaker terminals
communication ports
~ac mains
Madrigal Bridging Output Adapter

3 Connect one end of the Single-Ended Bridging Output
Adapter to two side-by-side black output terminals
All Mark Levinson amplifiers have two sets of output terminals
per channel, wired in parallel (for convenience when biwiring).
You may use either the upper or the lower black output terminals.
Connect one end of the Balanced Bridging Output Adapter to a
black output terminal on one side of the amplifier, and then con-
nect the other end to a black output terminal on the other side of
the amplifier. (The two connections should be side-by-side rather
than one above the other.) Make sure these connection are snug
and secure.
4 Connect your loudspeaker wire across two side-by-side, red

output terminals
In this case, you may use either the upper or the lower red output
terminals. Connect the positive/+/red binding post of your loud-
speaker to the red output terminal associated with the red (nor-
mal) side of the Input Adapter. Connect the negative/–/black
binding post of your loudspeaker to the red output terminal on
the other side of the amplifier, the one associated with the black
(inverted) side of the Input Adapter.
Following this connection convention preserves the polarity of the

signal sent to the loudspeaker. In practice, the most important 33
thing is to be consistent throughout the system, as inconsistency
will result in out-of-phase loudspeakers. In turn, this results in
unstable imaging and poor bass reproduction. (The effect is not
dangerous, but neither is it subtle.)
5 Connect one output channel of your preamplifier to the in-

put of your bridged amplifier
The female RCA at the junction of the Single-Ended Bridging In-
put Adapter is now the single input to this bridged amplifier.
6 Power up your amplifier

Remember that your Mark Levinson power amplifier incorporates
inrush protection circuitry that allows its power supply to charge
up gently, enhancing its longevity. Plug the amplifier back into the
AC mains; press the standby button once to bring the amp from off
to standby; wait at least ten seconds; and press the standby button
again to bring it from standby to operate.
7 Repeat this process with your other amplifier(s)

Biamplification
In contrast to bridged operation (wherein a two channel amplifier is

“fooled” into behaving as a single, larger amplifier), biamplification
makes use of a two-channel amplifier to drive different portions of a
single loudspeaker. As with bridging, it offers a modular way of increas-
ing the overall performance of your system (assuming that your loud-
speakers support biamplification).
Since each channel of the amplifier is delivering current into its load
only over a limited range of frequencies (typically bass vs. midrange
and treble), several forms of distortion are reduced as compared to
each channel handling the full range of musical information. For this
reason, many loudspeaker companies frequently design their products
to include multiple speaker inputs (since using multiple amplifiers im-
proves the performance of their products as well). Another common
use of biamplification involves adding a subwoofer (along with an ap-
propriate electronic crossover) to supplement and/or improve the deep
bass performance of your system.
Always refer to the specific directions provided by your loudspeaker

34 manufacturer prior to setting up a biamplified speaker system. Any in-
structions contained herein cannot be substituted for those that are
specific to the loudspeaker in question. In general, however, biamping
is done in one of two ways: active biamplification, or passive
biamplification.
Active biamping refers to the presence of an “active” electronic cross-

over that divides the music into two (or sometimes more) bands of fre-
quencies. These are then forwarded to separate power amplifiers, and
sent on directly to the appropriate drivers in the speakers. The most
common application of this approach is the use of a subwoofer cross-
over to separate the deep bass (below, say, 80 Hz) from the rest of the
program material. It is then amplified separately and sent to a dedi-
cated subwoofer designed to handle those extremely low frequencies.
Apart from adding a subwoofer, the next most common form of

biamping (called passive biamplification) involves merely using a con-
ventional “Y-adapter” (either balanced or single-ended) to provide a
full range signal to two channels.
Male XLR Output
Balanced Y-adapter Pin 3: signal – (inverting)
1 2
3
2 1
3
Female XLR Input

Pin 2: signal + (non-inverting) 1 2
Pin 3: signal – (inverting) 3
Male XLR Output

The outputs of these two channels are then connected to two sets of
binding posts on each loudspeaker. (See below.) The loudspeaker’s in-
ternal crossover continues to divide the frequencies appropriately
among the various drivers.
Passive biamping
wiring diagram
from preamplifier
Balanced Y-adapter loudspeaker terminals
inputs DUAL MONAURAL POWER AMPLIFIER Nº 333 inputs —treble—
—bass—
communication ports
~ac mains
35
“Horizontal” biamping refers to the practice of using one amplifier for

left and right low frequencies, and another for the high frequencies. For
example, one might use a Nº336 for the bass and a Nº334 for the mids
and highs (since the low frequencies typically require the greatest por-
tion of the available power).
“Vertical” biamping (illustrated above) refers to the practice of using a

single stereo amplifier for each loudspeaker (say, a Nº335 driving each
loudspeaker). Vertical biamping allows the amplifier to be placed ex-
tremely close to each speaker, keeping speaker leads as short as pos-
sible.
To facilitate biamping, all Mark Levinson power amplifiers have the

same voltage gain and input sensitivity (for 2.83V out into 8Ω). Be-
cause of this fact, you should not have to concern yourself with adjust-
ing the relative volumes of the bass and treble sections of your loud-
speakers—if they sounded good with a single amplifier, they should
sound better when biamplified.
Troubleshooting
In general, refer any service problems to your Mark Levinson dealer.

Before contacting your dealer, however, check to see if the problem is
listed here. If it is, try the suggested solutions. If none of these solves
the problem, contact your Mark Levinson dealer.
1. No sound, and the LED is not lit at all.

✓ The amplifier isn’t plugged into the AC mains, or the
AC mains are down (circuit breaker, fuse).
✓ A power loss had occurred, requiring the restart proce-
dure (press the standby button, wait ten seconds, press it
again).
✓ The rear panel AC mains switch is in the off position.
✓ One or more fuses is blown in your amplifier (contact
your Mark Levinson dealer: no user-serviceable compo-
nents inside).
2. No sound, and the LED is dimly lit.

✓ The amplifier is connected to AC power and the rear
36 panel switch is on, but it has not been through the ini-
tial powering up procedure. Press the standby button,
wait ten seconds for the power supply to charge, and
then press it again to bring it from standby to operate.
✓ A power loss has occurred, requiring the restart proce-
dure. (Restore power, press the standby button, wait ten
seconds, press it again).
3. No sound, and the LED is blinking slowly.

✓ The amplifier is in standby. Press the front panel
standby button to change to a fully operational mode.
4. No sound, and the LED is on at full brightness.

✓ Check your wiring; the amplifier is on and operational,
but signal is not getting through.
5. The amplifier just shut off.

✓ Disconnect both signal inputs and speaker outputs from
the amplifier and try restarting. If the amplifier comes
up to Operate (LED on), an external problem triggered
one of the amplifier’s protection circuits.
6. The amplifier keeps shutting off.
✓ Disconnect both signal inputs and speaker outputs from
the amplifier and try restarting. If the amplifier comes
up to Operate (LED on), something is wrong with ei-
ther input (e.g., DCO from the preamp) or output (e.g.,
shorted speaker wires). Turn off, reconnect only the
speakers, and try again. If everything is okay, turn off
and connect only the preamp. You should be able to iso-
late the source of the problem.
37
Care & Maintenance
To remove dust from the cabinet of your amplifier, use a feather duster
or a lint-free soft cloth. To remove dirt and fingerprints, we recom-
mend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Dampen the cloth with alco-
hol first and then lightly clean the surface of the amplifier with the
cloth. Do not use excessive amounts of alcohol that might drip off the
cloth and into the amplifier.
Caution! At no time should liquid cleaners be applied directly to

the amplifier, as direct application of liquids may result
in damage to electronic components within the unit.
38
U.S. and Canadian Warranty
90-Day This Mark Levinson® product is warranted to be free from defects in

Limited Warranty material and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety
(90) days from the date of purchase. To extend the warranty of this
Mark Levinson product, return the warranty registration card along
with a copy of the original receipt of purchase to Madrigal Audio Labo-
ratories, Inc., P. O. Box 781, Middletown, CT 06457.
Five Year The extended warranty for this Mark Levinson product is five (5)
Extended Warranty years from the date of purchase. During the warranty period, any Mark
Levinson component exhibiting defects in materials and/or workman-
ship will be repaired or replaced, at our option, without charge for ei-
ther parts or labor, at our factory. The warranty will not apply to any
Mark Levinson component that has been misused, abused or altered.
Any Mark Levinson component not performing satisfactorily may be

returned to the factory for evaluation. Return authorization must first
be obtained by either calling or writing the factory prior to shipping 39
the component. The factory will pay for return shipping charges only
in the event that the component is found to be defective as above men-
tioned. There are other stipulations that may apply to shipping charges.
There is no other express warranty on this component. Neither this

warranty nor any other warranty, express or implied, including any im-
plied warranties of merchantability or fitness, shall extend beyond the
warranty period. No responsibility is assumed for any incidental or
consequential damages. Some states do not allow limitations on how
long an implied warranty lasts and other states do not allow the exclu-
sion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so that the
above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have
other rights which vary from state to state. This warranty is applicable
in the United States and Canada only. Outside of the U.S. and Canada,
please contact your local, authorized Mark Levinson distributor for
warranty and service information.
Obtaining Service
We take great pride in our dealers. Experience, dedication, and integrity
make these professionals ideally suited to assist with our customers’
service needs.
If your Mark Levinson component must be serviced, please contact

your dealer. Your dealer will then decide whether the problem can be
remedied locally, or whether to contact Madrigal for further service in-
formation or parts, or to obtain a Return Authorization. The Madrigal
Technical Services Department works closely with your dealer to solve
your service needs expediently.
Important! Return authorization must be obtained from Madrigal’s

Technical Services Department BEFORE a unit is
shipped for service.
It is extremely important that information about a problem be explicit

and complete. A specific, comprehensive description of the problem
helps your dealer and the Madrigal Technical Services Department lo-
40
cate and repair the difficulty as quickly as possible.
A copy of the original bill of sale will serve to verify warranty status.
Please include it with the unit when it is brought in for warranty ser-
vice.
Warning! All returned units must be properly packaged

(preferably in their original packing material), and the
proper return authorization numbers must be marked
on the outer carton for identification. If the packaging
to protect the unit is, in our opinion or that of our
dealer, inadequate to protect the unit, we reserve the
right to repackage it for return shipment at the owner’s
expense. Neither Madrigal nor your dealer can be
responsible for shipping damage due to improper (that
is, non-original) packaging.
Your dealer can order a new set of shipping materials for you if you
need to ship your component and no longer have the original materi-
als. There will be a charge for this service. We strongly recommend sav-
ing all packing materials in case you need to ship your unit some day.
Specifications
The correlation between published specifications and performance is unreliable. Measure-

ments of the your amplifier yield excellent results by any standards. However, only those
specifications that apply to its actual operation are included here. All specifications are sub-
ject to change at any time, in order to improve the product.
■ Nº336 Rated power output: 350 w/ch continuous rms power @ 8Ω

700 w/ch continuous rms power @ 4Ω
all above power ratings from 20 Hz–20kHz at <0.5% THD (assuming that the
AC mains can deliver adequate current, without its own voltage sagging)
■ Frequency response: within 0.1 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz
■ Signal to Noise ratio (main outputs): better than –80 dB (ref. 1 w)
■ Input impedance: 100kΩ (balanced)
50kΩ (single-ended)
■ Voltage gain: 26.8 dB
■ Input sensitivity (2.83V output): 130 mV (all models)
■ Input sensitivity (full output): 2.419V for Nº336 41
2.044V for Nº335
1.445V for Nº334
■ Power consumption (Nº336): 350W (±5%) at idle, 200W (±5%) in standby
■ Mains voltage: determined by the needs of country for which
the unit was manufactured; cannot be reset by dealer or user
■ Overall dimensions: See “Dimensions”
■ Nº336 Shipping weight: 150 lbs. (68.2kg) each
■ Connector complement: four custom binding posts per channel
one 3-pin XLR balanced input connector per channel
one RCA input connector per channel
two 1⁄8" mini-jacks for remote turn-on
two Mark Levinson communications ports
two PHAST® communications ports
one captive high current AC mains cord (Nº336 only), or
one IEC-standard high current AC receptacle (Nº335, Nº334)
■ Output impedance: less than 0.05Ω from 20–20,000 Hz
■ Damping factor: greater than 800, 20–20,000 Hz @ 8Ω
For more information, see your Mark Levinson dealer, or contact:

Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc.
P.O. Box 781, 2081 South Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457 USA
Telephone (860) 346-0896 FAX (860) 346-1540
Dimensions: Nº336 & Nº335
9.85" 0.425"
3.86" 25 cm 3.86" 1.1 cm
9.8 cm 9.8 cm
Nº 336
DUAL MONAURAL
POWER AMPLIFIER
9.0"
22.9 cm
0.45"
1.14
17.56" 0.425"
44.6 cm 1.1 cm
42
18.83"
47.83 cm
0.257"
6.53mm
3.825"
9.72cm
17.38" 9.91"
44.15cm 25.17cm
1.22"
3.1cm
3.825"
9.72cm
2.73"
8.05" 6.93cm 8.05"
20.45cm 21.1cm
Dimensions: Nº336 & Nº335
(cont.)
18.83"
47.83 cm
17.38"
44.15 cm 0.23"
58 mm
1.25"
3.16 cm
10.3"
26.16 cm
0.45"
1.14 cm
43
19.11"
48.54 cm
Installation Notes: ________________________________________

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______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Dimensions: Nº334
3.86" 9.85" 3.86"

9.8cm 25cm 9.8cm
Nº 334
DUAL MONAURAL
POWER AMPLIFIER
9.0"
22.9cm
0.31"
2.23" .78cm
5.66cm 14.36"
36.47cm
17.56"
44.6cm
44
18.83"
47.83 cm
0.257"
6.53mm
3.825"
9.72cm
17.38" 9.91"
44.15cm 25.17cm
1.22"
3.1cm
3.825"
9.72cm
2.73"
8.05" 6.93cm 8.05"
20.45cm 21.1cm
Dimensions: Nº334 (cont.)
18.83"
47.83 cm
1.25"
3.16 cm
9.31"
23.6 cm
0.45"
1.14 cm
2.23" 2.23"
5.6 cm 5.6 cm
19.11"
48.54 cm
45
Installation Notes: ________________________________________

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc.
2081 South Main Street, P.O. Box 781
Middletown, Connecticut 06457 USA
Telephone: (860) 346-0896

Fax: (860) 346-1540
http://www.madrigal.com/
is a registered trademark of Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc.

a Harman International company
630372-1 © 10/1999 Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

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Owner’s Manual

Madrigal Audio Laboratories

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna;

4. NEVER use flammable or combustible chemicals for cleaning audio components.

5. NEVER operate this product with any covers removed.

6. NEVER wet the inside of this product with any liquid.

7. NEVER pour or spill liquids directly onto this unit.

8. NEVER block air flow through ventilation slots or heatsinks.

9. NEVER bypass any fuse.

12. NEVER expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures.

13. NEVER operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.

14. ALWAYS keep electrical equipment out of the reach of children.

15. ALWAYS unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.

Unpacking Your Amplifier ......................................................... 6

Warning! Under no circumstances should you consider

The shipping weight of your Dual Monaural Power Amplifier is over

Carefully inspect your amplifier for possible damage due to shipping. If

PRECAUTION For your protection, review “Important Safety

Your Mark Levinson 300-series power amplifier is specifically designed

If yours is a CE-certified unit (e.g., European market), the amplifier

Ventilation As a freestanding unit, your power amplifier normally has no problem

The Nº336 dual monaural power amplifier dissipates approximately

Mechanical drawings are included in this manual to facilitate special

Your Mark Levinson Dual Monaural Power Amplifier is characterized

Depending on the demands placed on the amplifier by your loud-

For compatibility with existing household outlets, a standard three

Important: When it comes to high current AC wiring such as the

The Mark Levinson Nº336 amplifiers may be factory-set for 100V,

Nº336 rear-panel label

DUAL MONAURAL POWER AMPLIFIER Nº336

No User Serviceable Components Inside

designed and manufactured in USA

Your Mark Levinson Dual Monaural Power Amplifier is characterized

Depending on the demands placed on your amplifier by your loud-

For compatibility with existing household outlets, a standard three 13

Mark Levinson power amplifiers may be factory-set for 100V, 120V,

Nº334 AC mains maximum 100V 120V 200V 220V 230V 240V

The operating voltage of your amplifier cannot be changed by the user,

DUAL MONAURAL POWER AMPLIFIER Nº335

No User Serviceable Components Inside

designed and manufactured in USA

Congratulations on your purchase of a Mark Levinson Nº300-series

Nº336: two 2450 VA transformers four 50,000 µF capacitors

Painstaking attention to layout of the amplifier was essential to mini-

Because of this “voltage source” characteristic, the 300-series amplifiers

Thirty-two TO-3P output transistors are distributed in the heatsinks of

No known high quality loudspeaker can absorb the continuous full

The 300-series amplifiers use a proprietary adaptive biasing scheme de-

• the presence of DC (direct current) at the output

In addition, the AC input to each transformer is fused to protect

Finally, your amplifier incorporates a controlled clipping circuit that

MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIES

No User Serviceable Components Inside

designed and manufactured in USA

The pin assignments of this XLR-type female input connector is:

PUSH Pin 1: Signal ground

These pin assignments are consistent with the standards adopted

If your preamplifier does not support balanced connection to the