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I don't own a Pass amp but the manuals are on the web and they are funny stuff. I hear you thinking, An amp manual that's funny?. Yes!

Best manual? Oh please. You guys are really digging deep now aren't you?

The manual for the Cerwin-Vega D9 speakers. I owned these a long time ago and still remember that the manual was full of humorous references (ie: starting an earthquake, cranking it up 'til the neighbors complain, serious bass from Iron Maiden). It was a fun read—who'd have thought this from an owner's manual?

Well, most audio equip manuals are abysmal ... either because they're viewed as unnecessary or because the tech writers are woefully prepared to blend promo, high-tech info, and low-tech language. We don't really need puffery, but some hard-nosed stats mixed with some muted understatement ... especially for equipment that reflects the productivity claims ... is always welcomed enthusiastically.

Apt Holman preamp. It is an old one, but although I have read good manuals since, it was the first well-written one with some sense of humor. It set a standard which has been followed, thank God.

The service manual for the Panasonic PV-1730 VCR is not just a great manual; it is a work of art. There are exploded views of every nut and screw in the VCR. The schematics are so detailed you can follow the signal through them. Scope photos are spread throughout. Every special tool is pictured. It was obviously a labor of love for some nameless engineer at Matsushita.

Most manuals don't deserve to be read, but the best if not most elaborate I've seen came with my Vandersteen IICEs and it provided a wealth of information on speaker placement that has proven itself again and again. Hats off.

martin logan aeon speakers

Conrad-Johnson, it just reads right.

The last manual I read was on reed parchment.

Sonus Faber Musica. The manual is simple, elegant, and set in a fine wine-menu-like binder.

That's easy. Hands down, the MartinLogan manual for my Aerius speakers. Close second place, but over a decade earlier, was the manual I got for my Nakamichi LX-3 cassette recorder. In contention for best, anything from the Harmon-Kardon Citation series.

In the '80s I bought an Audio Control Phased Coupled Activator—a sort of bass synth to "restore" missing bass. What? Anyway, the manual was hilarious. The funniest part I recall referred to the power LED—it said that if the the LED was lit while the power switch was off then "either you're being visited by an extraterrestrial or you have one heck of a case of static electricity!" Also, in the warranty section the disclaimer about abuse to the product: "Unwarranted abuse is: (a) Physical damage, (our products are not meant to be used as jack stands for your car); (b) Improper connection. We have done the best we can to protect the inputs; however, 100 volts into the jacks can fry the innards of the poor beasty." Oh man, that was a funny read.

Levinson for the No 37 Transport.

ReVox manuals, until the company was sold back in the '90s. They were and are still the best in the world. I'm still waiting to read another brand's manual as good as the ones ReVox did throughout four decades.

Magnepan's

The McIntosh MSD4 Sound Processor. Clear, and in plain English

Jeff Rowland Concentra.

Martin Logan ... any of them. Very well done.

The worst has to be for Yamaha's new CDR machine with 40G hard drive. The manual is terrible and the user interface is worse.

Mark Levinson makes a good manual.

Vandersteen 2Ci's manual was loaded with excellent information which goes far beyond their specific product: bi-wiring vs bi-amping, a very useful primer on speaker power handling, and speaker placement advice. Wow!

Vandersteen Audio's excellent Loudspeaker Operation Manual includes bi-wiring and bi-amp theory and practice, Speaker placement regarding standing waves, useful info on acoustic treatments, listening height set-up, cables, and a thoughtful note on the risk of hearing damage.

Usually they are too brief and for the prices paid for some equipment, they should be far better.

Mark Levinson Nos 39 and 334

Legacy Audio Classis speaker manual... fantastic speakers too!!

Well, the best manual wasn't for audio gear. It was a manual for a novelty watch. It was hilarious!

MCINTOSH HYBRID AMPLIFIER I DON`T REMEMBER THE MODEL NUMBERBUT IT HAD TRANSFORMER COUPLED OUTPUT TRANSISTORS. THE MANUAL HAD ALL THE INFO YOU COULD EVER NEED INCLUDING SCHEMATICS , TEST POINTS WITH VOLTAGES,ETC. AWESOME!!

Mark Levinson No. 335, No. 380S, and Martin Logan Odyssey (best speaker placement info ever seen in a manual).

Z-Systems RDP-1 digital preamp. Very complex product made almost simple to use with well-written, crystal clear booklet that even a digifool like me could interpret. Included were explanations of things I were never able to understand before such as dither.