EFF100.Operations Manual.

012610
 EHF-100 Operations Manual
Rev A- 12/23/2009

Table of Contents

1. User Cautions and Warnings

2. Quick Start
3. Theory of Operation & Specifications
4. Care and Maintenance
5. Return Procedure

Section 1- User Cautions and Warnings

This amplifier contains components that operate at extremely high voltages

that can cause severe injury or death! Under no circumstances should the
consumer remove the bottom cover or operate the amplifier with any of the
tubes missing or speakers disconnected. These lethal voltages are present
for up to 5 minutes after the power has been removed from the amplifier.
Any user maintenance should be performed with the power cord removed
and the amplifier in a power-off state for at least 5 minutes.
This amplifier is a high power device that produces significant heat and
requires significant ventilation during normal operation. The amplifier
should be located in a position (operation with tubes in a vertical position
only) to allow for ambient air to freely circulate around the entire chassis
and tubes. If the amplifier is to be located in a cabinet that is enclosed, the
cabinet should have doors that can be opened during operation to allow
free air circulation. The normal operation of this amplifier will produce
significant heat in it’s vicinity that could damage finishes of surrounding
enclosures.
This amplifier operates at very high power using vacuum tubes. The normal
operation of the amplifier will have these tubes operating at extremely high
temperatures that can cause severe burns if touched. Position the amplifier
in a location away from pets and children or those unfamiliar with vacuum
tube operation. Allow the tubes to cool in a power-off state for at least 5
minutes before attempting to remove or replace them.

EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
The power cord, tube sockets, speaker connections and fuse holders all
have lethal voltages at their connection points. Do not attempt to replace
tubes or fuses without the power cord being removed and the amplifier in a
power-off state for at least 5 minutes. During normal operation, the speaker
connections can produce momentarily high voltages that can cause injury.
Be sure to connect the speakers using the highest grade speaker
connection wire and be sure the connection points at the amplifier and
speaker are shielded from inadvertent contact.
Your EHF-100 amplifier is constructed of the finest materials available to
the industry. The amplifier weighs 47 pounds and should be stored and
transported in a fashion with this weight in consideration.

Section 2- Quick Start

Carefully unpack your amplifier and save all of the specially designed
packing materials.
After unpacking your EHF-100, position it in a convenient listening location
taking into consideration all of the safety requirements and unit weight
highlighted in the prior section.
Once the amplifier is securely located, install the tubes into their identified
location paying special attention to the tube numbers printed on the
chassis. Each tube number is clearly printed on the tube box and the tube
side and should match at each location. Be careful not to exchange the
EF86 and the 12AX7 tubes—they are similar sizes and have the same tube
socket size. Depending on the production run, the EF86 may be
marked as an EF806 and the 12AX7 may be marked as an ECC83.
Once the tubes have been installed, take a clean, dry cloth and lightly wipe
the tubes to remove any skin oils that may have been deposited while
handling. Install the tube shields on each EF86 and 12AX7; 4 shields in all.
To install the shields, align the two bumps on the socket base with the two
slots on the shield. Slide the shield gently, down over the bumps,
approximately ¼”, and then turn slightly clockwise. You’ll feel the shield
lock into place. To remove, reverse this procedure. Be careful to locate the
shield spring directly over the tube tip. Misalignment will fracture the tube.
See figure 1.

EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
 The two fuses located on the back panel have been installed at the factory
and require no further attention.

Figure 1- Tube Shield Placement

Next, connect your speakers to the output connections on the back panel.
Note that your speakers should be capable of supporting an amplifier with a
150 Watt output and should be connected using the highest quality speaker
cable of at least 14 gauge. Rogers recommends that your speaker cables
be no longer than 25 feet each. Longer lengths will require larger gauge
wire. Contact the Rogers engineering department with installation
questions. NEVER operate your amplifier with one or both of the speakers
disconnected---this will severely damage your amplifier.
Connect your audio source using the two RCA phono jacks on the front
panel.
Now you’re ready to connect the AC power cord. Be sure both switches on
the front panel are in the off position. Use the cord supplied with your
amplifier connecting one side to the amplifier chassis jack on the rear panel
and the other into a wall outlet. Do not use extension cords or longer power
cables.
Power on the amplifier by first switching on the power switch. The internal
light should glow indicating power to the amplifier. You should also see the
tube filaments starting to glow---welcome to the warm glow and beauty of
EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
vacuum tubes! Wait at least 30 seconds before switching the operating
switch into the on position. The operate switch will also glow indicating the
amplifier is now operating and can reproduce sound. This process of
delaying the operation of the amplifier for the tube filaments to heat will
significantly extend your tube life.
You may notice a slight bluish glow on the KT88 tubes in the operate
mode. This is a normal condition resulting from some residual gas left in
the tube during the evacuation process.
You should use the operate switch as a convenient standby or pause mode
for the amplifier when you desire to momentarily turn the sound off. Do not
leave the amplifier in the standby mode for extended periods of time as this
will shorten tube life.
The distortion indication meter uses a power combiner to sample output
power from each channel and combines that to give a relative output power
indication. This relative power level indication can be used to set a
maximum output without tube saturation and hence distortion. This
operating point is a relative indication and dependent on speakers and
music frequency content. The proper way to set the maximum power
output, without distortion, is to play a desired “test soundtrack” into your
speakers. Increase both gain controls equally until saturation is heard in the
speakers. The first indication of this distortion is powerful low frequencies
overpowering higher frequencies. At this point the amplifier is saturated and
clipping of the sound will begin. Note the relative indication of this point on
the distortion indicator and operate the amplifier approximately 20% below
this level. This should guarantee distortion free operation for most music.

Section 3--Theory of Operation for the EHF-100

Your EHF-100 amplifier has been designed to reproduce sound at the

highest quality possible. This section will give you a brief understanding of
how your amplifier functions and some of the design considerations
engineered into your amplifier to make it a valuable investment providing
many years of high quality music enjoyment.
The frequency response range for the EHF-100 amplifier is from 2 Hz to
100 KHz. This is an incredibly wide range of frequencies for an audio
amplifier. Although the human ear is sensitive to sound primarily in the
EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
range of 20 Hz to 20 KHz, we have designed the EHF-100 amplifier with a
much wider range for a very good reason. Certain instruments produce
unique sounds because the instrument creates harmonics of the
fundamental sound by design. Although the harmonics are not necessarily
in the audible range when produce alone, when combined with the
fundamental frequency of that instrument, these harmonics produce mixing
frequencies, beat notes, that provide a crispness and clarity unique to that
instrument. These crisp sounds are special to live performances as most
audio amplifiers do not reproduce these frequencies. For that reason, we
have designed the EHF-100 to reproduce these higher frequency sounds
faithfully.
Your EHF-100 amplifier is a true Class A designed amplifier. This design
means that any and all sound sent to the amplifier input will be faithfully
reproduced at the output in their appropriate relative ratios. This is an
important design consideration for the best audio amplifiers because music
recordings that contain high levels of certain instruments like drums or
bass, may saturate lower quality amplifiers so that lower level sounds in the
recording, like strings or cymbals, may not be heard clearly. In the Rogers
EHF-100 design, the Class A design combined with the extraordinary
frequency response range and 150 Watts of power output capacity
guarantees that all sound produced at the input will be amplified and
presented at the output at the same levels relative to each other as
produced in the recording. This performance is reproduced with less than a
0.1% total distortion produced by the amplifier. This is a truly unique quality
to the EHF-100 and will guarantee virtually real sound reproduction.
The EHF-100 design is unique in that to provide stereo amplification, it
contains two separate and distinct audio amplifier channels. These
channels are designed with the utmost in isolation so that sound produced
in one side will not be heard in the other. This channel isolation exceeds
150 dB.
Each amplifier channel consists of three amplification stages in succession,
or cascade. The amplifier design is based on the use of tubes specifically
designed for high quality, low distortion, low noise audio reproduction.
The input circuit to the first stage is a multi pole filter concept designed to
correct for any frequency response variations caused by other components
in the system; typically the output transformers. There are several
EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
components in this filter circuit that are selected during the custom
alignment of your amplifier at the factory.
The first amplification stage provides the majority of the signal gain for the
amplifier. This stage utilizes an EF86 which is a high gain pentode amplifier
designed with an internal screening system for ultra low noise operation.
This is a critical consideration for the first stage as most of the noise that
would be contributed by the entire amplifier comes from this first stage. The
first stage provides almost the entire gain for the amplifier---approximately
30 dB.
The EF86 stage is coupled to the second stage directly. There are no audio
inter-stage transformers or coupling capacitors used that could introduce
frequency response variations.
The second stage, a 12AX7, is a unity gain, common cathode phase shifter
that provides a wide band phase inversion for the push-pull output stage.
The final stage, the power amplifier is a push-pull design using KT-88,
beam power tetrode tubes. The push-pull configuration was selected to
reduce the overall harmonic contribution of the amplifier and specifically to
cancel any even order harmonic contributions. The power amplifier is self-
biased to produce a maximum power output while avoiding saturation of
the amplifier or output transformer. The output transformer has a multiple
impedance output design, set at the factory to suit your particular speaker
configuration. Because of the design of the bias circuitry, there is no need
to purchase tubes with matched characteristics. The amplifier will perform
optimally with individually replaced tubes.
The EHF-100 is designed with a robust, 500 Watt power supply to provide
ample power for both amplifier channels to reproduce sound over their
entire intended frequency range with zero power supply lag.
The EHF-100 amplifier is designed using an aircraft grade aluminum
chassis for maximum strength and thermal stability. All resistors are of the
metal film style providing excellent temperature and aging stability. All of
the capacitors are military grade poly-propylene or electrolytic,
guaranteeing many years of trouble free service and faithful sound
reproduction. All of the tube sockets are ceramic with silver plated contacts
for excellent aging and thermal stability. All of the wiring is aircraft grade
Teflon coated. The entire amplifier is assembled using aerospace grade
stainless steel hardware.
EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
Always operate your EHF-100 amplifier in a sturdy, dry location that allows
for ample free air circulation yet provides safety from the high temperatures
encountered at the tubes.

Section 4—Care and Maintenance

There is very little maintenance required to keep the EHF-100 operating

trouble free for many years. There are 3 areas of consumer care and
maintenance to be concerned with; tube replacement, fuse replacement
and general cleaning.
Over time, all vacuum tubes age and their amplification characteristic
change. When tube replacement is required, adhere to the same
instructions for the quick start. Remove all power from the amplifier. Wait at
least 5 minutes before removing the tube to be replaced and replace the
tube with the same tube type and quality.
There are two fuses that can be replaced. The 1 amp (slo-blow 3AG style)
high voltage fuse is located on the back panel. To remove and replace this
fuse, press the fuse holder cap slightly and turn it counterclockwise about
1/8 of a turn. The spring tension will release and the fuse will pull directly
out. To reinstall, reverse this procedure. Use only a 1 amp, slo-blow, AGC
style replacement fuse. The second fuse is the overall amplifier power fuse.
This fuse is located under the small white cap inside the power jack. (see
figure 2) Remove the power plug from the amplifier chassis. Inside the jack
is a small white cap with a screwdriver cutout. To replace this fuse, insert a
small, flat blade screwdriver into this cap, depress slightly and turn
counterclockwise 1/8 of a turn. The spring pressure will release and this
fuse will also pull out. Replace this fuse with a GMA style, 4 amp fuse only.
Replacements for both fuses have been supplied from the factory with your
amplifier.

EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
 Figure 2- AC Fuse Location

In general, the EHF-100 is sealed from external debris entering the

chassis. Clean the tube surfaces after handling ONLY when cool.

Section 5—Factory Returns

If it becomes necessary to return your amplifier to the factory for service,
contact the factory first to describe the problem you have encountered and
secure a return authorization.
Pack your amplifier in the same packing container in which it was shipped
to you. Be sure to remove the tubes and replace them into the boxes for
shipment. Pack the amplifier securely, including the use of a poly bag to
protect the paint, as the device is heavy and will damage if loose during
shipment. Rogers recommends that you ship the amplifier with a premium
overnight service and insure it for full value.

EFF100.Operations Manual.012610
Rogers Factory Contact Information:

Rogers High Fidelity

52 Kain Rd.
Warwick, NY 10990

Telephone: 845-987-7744

Replacement Tubes and fuses:

http://www.tubesandmore.com/

EFF100.Operations Manual.012610