Construction
The unit is ruggedly built but still maintains an aire of sophistication with a sleek faceplate with minimalist controls. Weighing in at about 24 kilograms this unit with its copper plated chassis and ample heatsinking is a sight for sore eyes when one lifts the lid to see what lies beneath the exterior housing. Measuring 430mm in width x 173.5mm in height x 453mm deep this unit matches the Sony TA-E9000ES AV Control Pre-Amplifier and the TA-P9000ES SACD / 5.1 Bypass Adapter width wise in addition to the cosmetic layout and design of the facia.
The first thing you notice is the massive mains transformer sporting the ES logo. A copper shield protects the power supply from RF interference and stray eddy currents. Two large high current bridge rectifier assemblies, each mounted on their own independent heatsinks convert the AC secondary supply from the transformer to dual voltage differential DC supply rails that in turn are filtered by two massive electrolytic capacitors which provide smoothing and current reserves. The five identical amplifiers have special output transistors developed by Sony which are mounted on two multi finned heatsinks that have an unusual design that Sony claims reduces resonances within the unit. Sony have adopted a short signal single point earthing system within the amplifier's design which reduces distortion and simplifies the printed wiring board (PWB) design. Conventional shielded and twisted multi-stranded cables service the signal and power supply lines.
The input signals enter the amplifier via gold plated RCA (phono) connectors mounted on the rear panel. An extra pair of connectors is fitted which are designated "EXTRA 2CH" which allows an alternative signal source (selectable from the front panel control) to be directed to the front left and right channel amplifiers. Large gold plated binding posts are provided for connections to the speakers. Slider switches on the back panel allow the user to configure the operation of the amplifier for BTL mode and select speaker load impedance setting. Remote power on / off switching is possible when linked to a compatible Sony product that uses the Sony S-LINK Control A1 system. For example, if hooked up to the TA-E9000ES Pre-amp or the TA-P9000ES Bypass Adapter with the S-Link cable (supplied with the TA-N9000ES) turning on and off of the TA-N9000ES is possible using the remote control supplied with the former mentioned units.
Features
The TA-N9000ES can be
operated in the following modes which are selectable from the front panel
control.
|
|
|
| 2ch | Front (L / R) |
| 3ch | Front (L / R) + Centre |
| 4ch | Front (L / R) + Rear (L / R) |
| 5ch | Front (L / R) + Centre + Rear (L / R) |
| EXTRA 2ch | Front (L / R) with input signal only from EXTRA 2ch inputs |
| BTL 2ch | Signals from Front or Rear inputs are output to Front (L / R) BTL speaker connections. |
| BTL 2ch + 1ch * | Signals from Front or Rear
inputs are output to Front (L / R) BTL speaker connections.
Signals from the Centre input is output to the Centre speaker connections. |
| BTL EXTRA 2ch | Signals from EXTRA 2ch inputs are output to Front (L / R) BTL speaker connections. |
* When operating
in this mode, the centre channel output will be 6dB lower than the front
channels.
BTL = Balanced TransformerLess
mode (which also requires that a switch be set on the rear panel to engage
this mode of operation).
Performance Specifications
These are Sony's published
performance specifications for the TA-N9000ES.
|
|
|
|
| Power Output | Normal mode | Front : 140 + 140 W (8 ohms,
DIN)
Centre : 140 W (8 ohms, DIN) Rear : 140 + 140 W (8 ohms, DIN) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Front : 130 + 130 W (4 ohms, DIN) Centre : 130 W (4 ohms, DIN) Rear : 130 + 130 (4 ohms, DIN) |
| 4 | BTL mode | Front : 210 + 210 W (8 ohms,
DIN)
Centre : 140 W (8 ohms, DIN) |
| Speaker Load Impedance range | Normal mode | 4 - 16 ohms |
| 5 | BTL mode | 8 - 16 ohms |
| Harmonic Distortion | At rated output (5 x 115 W @ 4 ohms) | < 0.013% (20Hz ~ 20kHz) |
| Input Sensitivity | At input impedance of 45 Kohms | 1.0 V +/- 1dB |
| Frequency Response | Measured at 1W output | 20Hz ~ 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
10Hz ~ 100kHz +0 / -3dB |
Links :
The Sony TA-E9000ES Information and Index page
Review of the new V2.01 firmware upgrade for the TA-E9000ES AV Control Pre-Amplifier.
Technical information and pictures of the inside of the TA-E9000ES
Frequently Asked Questions about the TA-E9000ES
The Sony TA-P9000ES Multi-Channel Analogue Pre-Amplifier
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This page was updated on the 6th May, 2002 and is still under development.
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