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ISOLDE
USER GUIDE
Congratulations on your new CONSONANCE!
Opera Audio products are based on a simple philosophy:
The component shall reproduce the original musical sound, purely and naturally.
The products are easy to operate and are manufactured according to the best quality
principles.
All CONSONANCE products are created with acoustical instruments in a concert
situation as point of reference. The music is reproduced exactly like the original and is
limited only by the quality of the recording.
Our aim is to give you the best possible music experience!
CONTENTS
1. ISOLDE Turntable
1) ISOLED Part list p.2
2) ISOLED Assembling the Turntable p.3
3) ISOLED Turntable Technical specifications p.5
2. T8 Tonearm
1) T8 Part list p.6
2) T8 Tone arm mounting p.7
3) T8 Tone arm Technical specifications p.9
3. Warranty p.10
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ISOLDE Turntable
ISOLDE Part List
1. Plinth 2. Platter
3. Strobe disc + Mat 4. Tone arm
5. Feet 6. Allen wrench
7. Dust cover 8. Power cable
9. Lubrication oil 10. Belt
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ISOLDE Assembling the Turntable
1. Open the box and take out the turntable plinth. The bottom of the plinth(Part 1) has 4 holes for
feet (Part 6). Please put the plinth to the feet exactly.
2. Fill the bearing with lubrication oil(Part 10) supplied to a level of approx 1mm above the bottom
bearing.
3. Installing the platter.
Pick up the acrylic platter(Part2) from the package after put on the cotton gloves, hold the platter
level above the bearing house, locate the bearing carefully and gently into the bearing house until
it seats fully and rotate smooth.
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4. Start with the belt(Part11) around the motor pulley, take care the other end clears the centre
spindle and rotate the platter, the belt will track around the platter.
5. Connecting the power cable correctly according to the local power voltage.
Speed change between 33.3 RPM and 45 RPM is effected by manual adjustment of the speed
control knob which on the back of turntable. Staring at a point of Strobe Disc(Part 4) under a
filament lamp then rotate the speed control knob when the platter rotation until the gridon the
Strobe Disc seemed no moving.
6. Strobe disc and Record mat are combination, when adjust speed the side of strobe disc put
upward, other conditions the side of record mat put upward.
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7. After installing the tone arm, if the turntable is not level, the adjustable feet can make the
different height to ensure the level.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Wow and Flutter: Less than 0.02
Rumble: Greater than 80dB down
Speed accuracy: Within 0.01%
Motor speed control AC input :
AC 115V60Hz／230V 50Hz dependent on country.
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T8 Tone arm
T8 Part List
The consonance T8 tone arm is packaged in special designed box to ensure it safety on the
way. Please check the T8 diagram in below picture and in the part list description:
1-①. RCA connector
1-②. Tone arm lift
1-③.Carbon fibre arm
1-④. Headshell
2. Counterweight
3. Anti-skate weight
4. Allen wrench
5. Arm base
6. Protractor
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T8 tone arm mounting
1. The distance from the center of bearing to the pivot point of the tone arm is 214 mm(9”) exactly
measured by the protractor(Part 6). Put the hole of protractor on the bearing, then make the other
end 9” cross center point to the center of arm base (Part 5).
Please note the center point of arm base for T8 is fixing on the plinth of Isolde, the distance is
factory set, but if required, the protractor can help to mount other tone arm.
2. Insert the tone arm to the center of arm base on the plinth, use the allen wrench(Part 4) to screw
the arm base a little loosen and then tighten it after finished VTA adjustment.
3. Fitting and connecting the cartridge.
Make sure the cover of cartridge fixing well firstly to avoid it damaged during fitting and connecting.
Fitting the cartridge on the headshell(Part 1-④) through the special screws which the accessories
of cartridge. Connect the tone arm wire to the cartridge pins as follows:
white(L+),red(R+),green(R-),blue(L-).
The overhang of T8 is 16mm, the correct overhang measured by protractor when the top of needle
above on the circle around the hole, like the below picture shows, the position can be moved by
headshell.
The tangent of an angle is fixing, factory set.
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4. To set tracking force, two counterweights(Part 2) are supplied to enable correct tracking force to
be applied to cartridges of various weights. The general tracking force can be obtained by moving
the counterweight towards or away from the pivot point on the shaft. The final exact tracking force
can be done by stylus gauge after cartridge installation.
5. Put the anti-skate weight (Part 3) down on the support wand of anti-skate and secure it to one of
the three locations (select a best location according to the tracking force of your cartridge)
Note: The anti-skating force is adjusted according to the mass of the cartridge as follows:
T8’s down force: 10-14mN, 15-19mN, 20-35mN (Groove 1st, 2st, 3st from the pivot point of tone
arm).
When tightening the counter-weight, insure that the weight is perfectly vertical otherwise this may
affect your cartridges azimuth settings.
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6. Adjust the tone arm 's VTA.
As mentioned on the point 2 not screw the arm base tighten, raising or lowering oil cup and then
tightening set screws when correct VTA is obtained. Please note that can not be forced in order to
avoid damage the tone arm. Normally the correct VTA is subject to the tone arm centerline
parallels to the LP record, the high or low of VTA is very important for the sound, this is also fun of
LP playing.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Mounting distance arm base 214mm
Tone arm length 9’’
Arm tube made of carbon-fibre
Overhang 16mm
Offset 23 degree
Cartridge weight 4-22g
Down force range 10-35mN
Weight(without counterweight) 37g
Counterweight 65g
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WARRANTY
Opera audio guarantees each product manufactured by us to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship under normal use. Our obligation under this warranty is limited to making good at
our factory any part or parts thereof which shall, within 1 year after delivery to the original
purchaser, be returned to us with transportation charges prepaid, and which an examination shall
disclose to have been thus defective; this warranty being expressly in lieu of all other warranties
expressed or implied and of all other obligations or liabilities on our part. This warranty shall not
apply to any Opera audio product which shall have been repaired or altered outside of our factory
in any way so as to affect its stability, nor which has been subject to misuse, negligence or
accident. Warranties of the vacuum tubes are by the respective manufacturers, usually 90 days.
Please mail or e-mail the Registration Card to the address as follows:
The Opera Audio Co., Ltd.
No.2 JiuXianQiaoLu
ChaoYang District
Beijing, China
Tel: 86 10 59789461
Fax: 86 10 59789265
www.opera-consonance.com
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