BlueTube Audio Vacuum Tube Amplifier Owner’s & Operator’s Manual BT-4 BT-6
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO A QUALIFIED SERVICE 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.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Read these instructions. Keep these instructions. Heed all warnings. Follow all instructions. Do not use this apparatus near water. Clean only with dry cloth. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
NOTES ON USE WARNINGS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Avoid high temperatures. Allow for sufficient heat dispersion when installed enclosed in a rack. Handle the power cord carefully. Hold the plug when unplugging the cord. Keep the unit free from moisture, water, and dust. Unplug the power cord when not using the unit for long periods of time. Do not obstruct the ventilation holes. Do not let foreign objects into the unit. Do not let flammable substances come into contact with the unit.
INSTALLATION Wall * For proper heat dispersion, do not install this unit in a confined space, such as a bookcase or similar enclosure. • A minimum of 24 in. (0.6m) is recommended above the unit. • Do not place any other equipment on this unit.
Table of Contents SAFETY PRECAUTIONS I NOTES ON USE III INSTALLATION IV Table of Contents 1 Getting Started 3 What’s In the Box 3 Difference Between BT-4 and BT-6 3 Features 4 First Setup 5 Installing Tubes 5 Cautions on Handling 6 Controls 7 Front Panel 7 Turning Unit On 8 Changing the Volume 8 Switching Inputs 8 Connections 9 Rear Panel 9 Connecting an Audio Device (RCA Cables) 10 Connecting an Audio Device (1/8” Headphone Jack) 11 Connecting a Phono
Switching Voltage 19 Connecting Headphones 20 Audio 21 Vacuum Tube Break-in 21 Bluetooth® Noise 21 Volume Level 21 Care of BlueTube Products 22 Service 22 Cleaning 22 Additional information 23 Troubleshooting 23 Limited Warranty 25 © 2013 BlueTube Audio, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. iPod, iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Getting Started What’s In the Box Check that the following parts are supplied with the product. ① Getting Started/Owners Manual ② Power Cord ③ Speaker Cable ④ 1/8” to RCA Cable ⑤ RCA Cable ⑥ 4x 10GV8 Vacuum Tubes (BT-4) 4x 6005W and 2x 5670W Vacuum Tubes (BT-6) Difference Between BT-4 and BT-6 The only difference between the BT-4 and the BT-6 is the number of tubes and the voltage capabilities. The BT-4 takes advantage of a combination style tube where the single tube contains the pentode and triode.
Features Solid 3/4” walnut and cherry hand-rubbed, waxed enclosures The 3/4” thick walnut and cherry enclosures are hand rubbed with linseed oil, then waxed and are reminiscent of audio equipment built 50 years ago by craftsman. True stereo output (8 watts per channel) Class A push-pull amp for outstanding sound reproduction.
First Setup 1. Unbox and verify contents. 2. Switch the voltage on the back to your appropriate voltage (BT-6 only) if unsure about your voltage consult a licensed electrician. 3. Plug in power cable. 4. Connect input devices. 5. Connect speakers. (Do not operate without speakers connected) 6. Connect sub-woofer (optional). 7. Install tubes (See below for instructions). 8. Turn unit on. 9. Enjoy! Installing Tubes Installing the tubes is a quick and simple procedure.
Cautions on Handling Before turning the power on Check once again that all connections are correct and that there are no problems with the connection cables. Power is supplied to some of the circuitry even when the unit is set to the OFF mode. When going on vacation or leaving home for long periods of time, be sure to unplug the power cord from the power outlet.
Controls Front Panel 1. Power Switch - ON/OFF Positions. Blue LED ring indicates power is on. 2. Volume Knob - Controls volume level, turn clockwise to turn the volume up, reverse direction to reduce the volume. 3. Input Selector Knob - Selects which input you want the amp to output. Aux 1 and 2 are on the back of the amp. The third symbol is for Bluetooth®. (see page 13 for Bluetooth® operations) 4. Auto-switching Headphone Output Jack - 1/4” headphone jack.
Turning Unit On Press power button until you hear a click, release. Power button will now be flush and is in the ON position. To turn unit off press power button until you hear a click and release. The power button will be slightly protruding in the OFF position. Changing the Volume Turn the large volume knob in the center clockwise to turn the volume up. Turn the knob counter clockwise to turn the volume down. NOTE: You should always have the volume knob in the halfway position when turning the unit on.
Connections Note: • Do not plug in the power cord until all connections have been completed. • When making connections, also refer to the operating instructions of the other devices being connected. • Be sure to connect the left and right channels properly (left with left, right with right). • Do not bundle power cords together with other cables. Doing so can result in noise. Rear Panel 1. Sub-woofer Output 6. Left Speaker Output 2. Aux 1 input 7. 115V/230V voltage selector (BT-6 only) 3.
Connecting an Audio Device (RCA Cables) Using one of the supplied RCA cables, connect the red connector to the right output of your device and the white connector to the left output on the your device. On the other end of the cable, connect the red connector to the right input of Aux 1 or Aux 2 on the BlueTube Audio Amplifier and connect the white connector to the left input of Aux 1 or Aux 2 of the BlueTube Audio Amplifier.
Connecting an Audio Device (1/8” Phone Jack) Using a cable with RCA plugs on one end and an 1/8” headphone plug on the other, connect the headphone plug to your device. On the other end of the cable, connect the red connector to the right input of Aux 1 or Aux 2 on the BlueTube Audio Amplifier and connect the white connector to the left input of Aux 1 or Aux 2 of the BlueTube Audio Amplifier.
Connecting a Phono Player Using an External Preamp NOTE: if your phono player does not have a built in preamp, you will need to use an external pre-amp. (Not included) If your turntable has a built in pre-amp and you don’t need to use an external pre-amp, this page does not apply. Instead follow the directions on connecting an Audio Input Device. Using one of the supplied RCA cables, connect the red connector to the right output of your pre-amp and the white connector to the left output on the your preamp.
Connecting to Bluetooth® Syncing Bluetooth® 1. Turn on amp and allow to warm up before selecting Bluetooth® input. 2. Enable Bluetooth® on your device. This is usually located in the “Settings” or “Options” area of your phone. You may also need to find the setting that allows Bluetooth® devices to find your phone. Enable this setting. 3. Turn the input selector switch to Bluetooth®. 4. Follow the voice commands. 5. The BlueTube Audio Amplifier will show up as “BT-1A” on your devices menu. 6.
Connecting to the USB Charging Port The USB port on the back of the amplifier is for charging devices only and has no ability to transmit data. To use, simply connect your USB cable to the USB port. The smart charging circuitry will take care of feeding the proper current to your device. • Unit will charge devices up to 1 Amp of current. • Output will be automatically shut down to protect itself if more than 1 Amp of load is applied.
Connecting the Speakers 1. Strip back about 1/2” of the insulation on each of the speaker wires on both ends. 2. Connect the wire with the white stripe to the red binding post on right speaker output. 3. Connect the wire with no stripe to the black binding post on the right speaker output on the back of the amplifier. 4. On the other end of the cable, connect the wire with the white stripe to the red binding post on the back of the right speaker. 5.
For Optimum Speaker Performance • Use only quality speaker cable. • Speakers should have input impedance of 4-16Ω, DO NOT connect speakers of less than 4Ω. • The higher the db rating of your speakers, the louder the volume will be. NOTE: Higher wattage does not automatically translate to louder volume. • Do not touch the speaker cone. BlueTube speakers utilize a thin sheet of titanium as the speaker cone and can easily be dented. • There are no serviceable parts inside the BlueTube Speakers.
Sub-woofer Inputs and Controls (optional) INPUT/OUTPUT CONNECTIONS 1. Low-Level Inputs (Left/Right) - RCA style jacks that will accept standard line level inputs from a pre-amp level source. They will accept a stereo signal and internally combine it into mono. (Note: Both left and right input jacks must be connected to the source in order to drive the amplifier to full output). 2. High-Level Inputs - Speaker level inputs using spring clip type jacks to permit connection with bare wire.
The impedance “seen” by the full-range source amplifier will be that of the connected speakers only. 4. Power input - This unit features a hardwired AC power cable and externally-accessible fuse. It is supplied with an 0.75 A, 250V fuse and USA type polarized 2-pin plug. This unit is not suitable for 230V applications. CONTROLS/INDICATORS 5. Power/Gain Knob (“Gain”) - This control will match the amplifier’s input sensitivity to the output of the pre-amp source.
Connecting Sub-woofer to BlueTube Amplifier 1. Using the supplied RCA cables, connect the cable to the sub-woofer output on the back of the amp. 2. Connect the RCA cable to the Low Level Input on the back of the sub-woofer. 3. Recommended setting for frequency when connected to BlueTube Amp is 100-120 Hz. 4. Recommended setting for gain is between 10:00 and 1:00 positions. Switching Voltage The unit is set at the factory for 115V U.S.
Connecting Headphones To connect your headphones to the BlueTube Audio Amplifier, use headphones with a 1/4” headphone jack or use a 1/8” to 1/4” headphone jack adapter. Connect in the port on the front of the amplifier labeled “PHONES”. The unit will automatically switch outputs to the headphones and you will no longer hear sound from the speakers.
Audio Vacuum Tube Break-in Vacuum tubes require a break-in period of approximately 100 hours to reach their optimal performance. After 20 hours you will begin to notice a large difference in the quality of sound over the brand new tubes. Also every single time you turn your BlueTube amplifier on you will notice the sound will gradually improve over the first 20 minutes until the tubes have reached their normal operating temperature.
Care of BlueTube Products Service BlueTube Audio products are designed and manufactured in Franklin, Indiana. For service or warranty support contact us at: BlueTube Audio 2001 N Morton St. Franklin, IN 46131 You can also call us at: 1-800-445-5058 (International call +1 317-738-4474) For warranty see Page 25. Cleaning To keep your BlueTube Audio Products looking like new some periodical cleaning is necessary.
Additional information Troubleshooting If a problem should arise, first check the following: 1. Are the connections correct? 2. Is the set being operated as described in the owner’s manual? 3. Are the other devices operating properly? If this unit does not operate properly, check the items listed in the table below. Should the problem persist, there may be a malfunction. In this case, disconnect the power immediately and contact your store of purchase. Symptom Solution Only 1 Channel Works 1.
Symptom Solution Unit will not power up 1. Check power cable plug is firmly plugged into the back of the amplifier. 2. Check that power cable is firmly plugged into wall outlet. 3. Check the unit on another wall outlet in another room. 4. If using the BT-6 be sure the voltage selector switch is displaying the voltage for your country. (North America should be 115V Most of Europe should be 230V). If unsure switch voltage is correct for your country consult a licensed electrician.
Limited Warranty Limited Warranty BlueTube Audio provides a 30-Day Return Window (see Return of Non-Defective Products below) and the following limited warranty. This limited warranty extends only to the original purchaser. Please note that any warranty services or questions must be accompanied by the order number from the transaction through which the warranted product was purchased. The order number serves as your warranty number and must be retained.
from date of issuance. Returns will not be accepted without an RMA. Manufacturer restrictions do apply. Procedures for Obtaining Warranty Service RMA (Returning Merchandise Authorization) Policy: If repairs are required, the customer must obtain a RMA number and provide proof of purchase. RMA and services are rendered by BlueTube Audio only. Any shipping costs after 30 days (starting from the original date of purchase) on any item returned for repair is the customers’ responsibility.
BlueTube Audio 2001 N Morton Street Franklin IN 46131
