NAD 5080 - User Manual

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5080

Turntable

Date of manufacture : ? - Jan 81

Please note that this document contains the text from the original product brochure, and some technical statements may now be out of date

The NAD 5020A and 5080A turntables are precisely engineered products employing the best in modern

materials technology. They combine first-class record playing performance, long-term reliability,

convenient operation, and an economical purchase price.

THE TONE ARM

In principle the job of a turntable is simple: to suspend the pickup cartridge in mid-air while spinning the

record under it. But since the record may contain groove modulations as small as a wavelength of light,

this job must be executed with extreme accuracy. The tone arm must be stable, rigid, vibration-free,

friction-free, and very low in inertia so as not to alter or impede the tracking of the groove by the stylus.

Both NAD turntables employ the same high-quality tone arm. It is a straight tube, made of black-

anodised low-resonance aluminum alloy, selected for an optimum combination of low mass and high

rigidity. The open-frame plug-in headshell is molded from light-weight resonance-absorbing carbon

fibre. The total effective mass of the tone arm, referred to the stylus tip, is a mere 10 grams-half that of

some well known tone arms. The arm pivots on jewelled bearings whose friction is only a few

thousandths of a gram! These features ensure agile tracking of even the most warped records-and they

guarantee that, regardless of what phono cartridge you choose to use, from a budget model to the

most refined moving-coil pickup, its full performance will be realised in this arm. When a pickup

cartridge is installed in any pivoted tone arm the adjustment of stylus “overhang” is critical to ensure

that the stylus will be tangent to the groove at all points on the record. In the new NAD tone arm this

adjustment has been made easy: the cartridge carrier rides in parallel grooves in the headshell, allowing

the cartridge to be moved back-and-forth with no fear of twisting; and cartridge alignment guidelines

are conveniently molded into the underside of the platter mat.

AUTOMATIC OPERATION, FRONT-MOUNTED CONTROLS

While you may operate the tone arm by hand if you wish, a simple shift of the control lever provides

fully automatic operation: the platter starts rotating, the arm moves to the lead-in groove and lowers

the stylus, then at the end of the record the arm lifts and returns to its rest while the motor shuts off.

The cycling mechanism is made of low-friction Delrin for extremely quiet, smooth operation, and it is

completely disengaged from the arm except during cycling operations. Since there are no linkages

attached to the arm, the convenience of automatic operation is obtained with absolutely no compromise

in the arm’s excellent record-playing performance.

For still greater operating convenience the turntable controls (including the cueing lever for raising and

lowering the arm) are located along the front edge of the base (plinth), making it easy for you to play

records with the dust cover closed.

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The NAD 5080 Turntable is a precisely engineered audio device designed for playing vinyl records with high fidelity. Manufactured around January 1981, it combines advanced materials technology with user-friendly features to deliver first-class record playing performance, long-term reliability, and an economical purchase price.

Function Description:

The primary function of the NAD 5080 is to suspend a pickup cartridge while spinning a record, allowing the stylus to accurately track the record's grooves. This process must be executed with extreme precision, as record grooves can contain modulations as small as a wavelength of light. The turntable is designed to ensure that the tone arm remains stable, rigid, vibration-free, friction-free, and possesses very low inertia, preventing any alteration or impediment to the stylus's tracking.

Important Technical Specifications:

Turntable:

Drive system: Direct drive, which means the turntable's central spindle is the shaft of the motor. This design eliminates the infrasonic rumble often associated with early direct-drive systems by employing a new coreless, slotless, brushless motor that exerts a constant magnetic force throughout the platter's 360-degree rotation.
Speeds: 33.3 and 45.1 rpm.
Speed adjustment: ±3% (Pitch control allows adjustment over a 6 percent range).
Wow and flutter: 0.10% DIN peak.
Signal/Noise ratio: -68dB (DIN B weighted).

Tonearm:

Operation: Fully automatic, including cueing, start, lift, and stop at the end of the record.
Length: 208mm (pivot to stylus).
Effective mass: 10 grams (referred to the stylus tip), which is half that of some well-known tone arms, contributing to agile tracking.
Overhang: 17mm.
Lateral tracking error: 0.38°.
Cable capacitance: 170pF.
Material: Straight tube made of black-anodized low-resonance aluminum alloy for an optimum combination of low mass and high rigidity.
Headshell: Open-frame plug-in headshell molded from lightweight, resonance-absorbing carbon fiber.
Bearings: Jeweled bearings with friction as low as a few thousandths of a gram, ensuring full performance from any phono cartridge.

Physical Specifications:

Dimensions (W x H x D): 450 x 156 x 365mm (cabinet dimensions, excluding feet and terminals). Add up to 18mm for total height.
Net weight: 5.5kg.
Shipping weight: 7.7kg.

Usage Features:

Automatic Operation: While manual operation is possible, a simple shift of the control lever activates fully automatic playback. The platter starts rotating, the arm moves to the lead-in groove, lowers the stylus, and at the end of the record, the arm lifts, returns to its rest, and the motor shuts off. The cycling mechanism, made of low-friction Delrin, ensures quiet, smooth operation and is disengaged from the arm except during cycling, preventing any compromise to the arm's performance.
Front-Mounted Controls: All turntable controls, including the cueing lever for raising and lowering the arm, are conveniently located along the front edge of the base (plinth). This design allows for easy operation even with the dust cover closed.
Stylus Overhang Adjustment: The new NAD tone arm simplifies stylus overhang adjustment, which is critical for ensuring the stylus is tangent to the groove at all points on the record. The cartridge carrier rides in parallel grooves in the headshell, allowing back-and-forth movement without twisting. Cartridge alignment guidelines are conveniently molded into the underside of the platter mat.
Pitch Control and Strobe: A Pitch control is provided for fine-tuning the speed over a 6 percent range, and an included strobe allows for precise setting of 33.3 or 45 rpm.

Maintenance Features:

Durable Construction: The fiberglass-composite base resists abrasion and wear, ensuring long-term aesthetic and functional integrity.
Vibration Resistance: The turntable is supported by spring-loaded, large-diameter rubber feet, which improve resistance to vibration and acoustic feedback, contributing to cleaner sound reproduction and reducing the need for external isolation solutions.
Integrated Platter Mat: The decorative soft-rubber mat is an integral part of the engineering design, effectively suppressing resonant vibrations in the metal platter. This design choice contributes to the overall stability and sound quality, reducing the need for separate damping accessories.