MSB Technology DAC II User's Manual
Contents
1.2. DAC Il PREAMP USERS MANUAL REV 1 1703 14251 PESCADERO RD LA HONDA CA Sano 650 747 0400 F 650 747 0405 www MSBTECH com SIGN MAGNITUDE LADDER DAC SPECIFICATIONS RCA Outputs OUTPUT IMPEDANCE BALANCED OUTPUT VOLUME CONTROL SAMPLING FREQUENCY DiGrrAL FILTER SLEW RATE SETTLING TIME DvNAMIC RANGE NoisE FLOOR THD N SIGNAL TO Norse Ratio CHANNEL SEPARATION CONTROL FEATURES COAXIAL TOSLINK BALANCED AES EBU 2 MSB NETWORK 192K AND A BALANCED ANALOG INPUT 3 6V RMS 10Vpp 50 onms AT 0dB 7 5 V RMS 20Vpp 2 dB STEPPED ATTENUATOR 32 STEPS 1 5 MHZ ur ro 5 MHz 8 TIMES OVERSAMPLING 21000 V MiCROSECOND 90 NANOSECONDS 136 dBA MEASURED 145 dB 002 140 dB 2130 dB REMOTE DISPLAY DIM MODE PHASE INVERT FILTER OPTION UPSAMPLING VOLUME AND INPUT SELECT DAC II PREAMP USERS MANUAL REV 1 1703 UNIQUE PRODUCT A PREAMP OR A DAC This product is a unique combination of a very high performance DAC and the ultimate passive preamp It is intended to be used as both for the best possible sound in your system Our preamp philosophy is based on the belief that from the moment analog audio is created every transition that is made degrades the quality That means that an active preamp with many stages if perfect would have no effect and any imperfection would result in degradation of the music That is why we have used a passive preamp within the DAC II to a
3. with a precision laser Right Channel trimmed resistor creating the appropriate analog level for each of the bits The DACs MsB pac Module Non inverted signal worked well and sounded good They were quite expensive as very accurate resistors were required Then along came the single bit DACs Rather than using a resistor to create an analog level pulse width modulation was used Basically each bit was created by turning a switch on and off for the appropriate length of time The resulting square wave pattern was filtered to create a smooth output The expensive resistors were MSB DAC Module Inverted signal ee Oui gone and so was the good performance Next came the Delta Sigma DAC It used the same pulse width modulation but rather than creating a single large pulse for each data point the data point was created with many small pulses This allows the pulses to be smoothed with a less radical filter and improves the sound As you can see upsampling the input signal to a higher frequency reduces the filtering requirements and thus improves the sound This is the current state of the art as exemplified in the LINK DAC 4 Balanced Out Brock DIAGRAM The Platinum draws from the older superior ladder technology but with incredible improvements The Platinum contains four 24 bit MSB DAC modules seen below The Platinum is fully balanced so there is a matched pair of 24 bit DAC modules for the inverted and non inverted signa
4. cover Loosen the four screws holding the endcaps on as they may prevent the cover from moving easily Slide the cover toward the front of the unit and lift off Turn and place carefully as a cable is attached Now the upgrades may be installed Removal of the volume modules The volume modules can be unplugged from the Platinum mother board They are held in place with two plastic snaps which can be released by pinching together The boards are automatically detected so when unplugged the DAC will output the same level signal as it would with them plugged in at 0 dB The volume knob will now select the input and the remote volume buttons will have no effect Signature DAC Upgrade Provides hand matched DAC modules for superior sound quality These DACs can run at twice the speed 384kHz sampling rate with 1 2 the settling time The noise level is cut to 1 3 the normal value and the signal to noise ratio is up to 145 db They are user installable and come as a matched set of four replacing the existing DACs These DACs will work in all versions of the Platinum DAC or CD player User installable Signature Volume Control Volume Control Boards Upgrade Provides hand matched high precision resistors for superior sound quality Custom tailored for your system User installable Signature DAC and Volume Control Installed at Factory This signature series upgrade is available for both the DAC II and CD STATION II Factory installed only
5. image frequencies can be reflected into the audible range but the negative energy spread effect of filters is minimized This setting is best for higher sampling rate sources such as 96K or 192K Forlow sampling rate sources the brick wall filter may be desirable as image frequencies are more likely to affect the sound Again these rules of thumb can be dramatically affected by your personal taste Phase Invert This feature allows improperly recorded material to be corrected The phase of the outputs is inverted digitally Volume Knob This knob adjusts the volume between 0 dB and 62 dB When the volume control module is removed the knob becomes an input selector Our OdB actually equates to a 6 dB of gain in relation to the industry standard 2 Vrms level Display Dim Press and hold input on the front panel and press mode on the remote The display is turned off When changes are made the display will show them briefly Repeat the function to turn the display back on or disconnect the power for a moment REMOTE CONTROL Mute Mutes the analog outputs Causes the display to flash the volume setting even in the display dim mode Mode Steps through the 6 inputs This button also turns the display dim mode on and off if you press it when holding the front panel input button in Volume up and down Steps the volume up and down in 2 db steps 4 square buttons Controls for the CD player version of the product Batt
6. DAC can be attached to the same wire at the same time and by selecting Channel 2 will receive and decode the rear channels The 3rd Channel 1 channel is for the front and sub channels if you want to use them The 4th channel is for selected future formats which may come along Move the jumper located on the input board as ME Fronts shown in the diagram to select the channel Because the Platinum has two 192 inputs each can have any channel selected An MSB Network output upgrade provides three identical connectors allowing three DACS to be driven at once each set up for a different channel With the two inputs another possibility would be to hook both up to the same multichannel source Set input one for front and input 2 for rear and you could then toggle between front and rear using the input select Quality Check Each Platinum is comprehensively tested and the actual outputs measured A test plot should be included in your Platinum like the one below Justa few comments on the test plot Most measurement systems cannot measure as low a level as 145 db That is the noise floor of our test system which means the Platinum may measure better but we cannot see it The rise at low frequencies is always present on our test setup and the right channel always shows a little more noise than the left the right cable runs closer to the digital input cable The test date is also always off Samping 48000 Hz Printed by SpectraLAB FFT Spectra
7. and is automatically detected and Twisrep Pair WIRING activated The MSB network has the following capability XLR connecrors AES EBU COMPATIBLE Unidirectional communications over any twisted pair CHO S d Simultaneous transmission of 8 audio channels with 32 bit resolution at 192 kHz sampling rate 8 CONTROL CHANNELS Simultaneous transmission of 8 data channels with 3 Mbs data rate for volume EXTRA SERIAL CHANNEL and trim data A single serial channel of 384 kbits sec for control and system data This network is our answer to 192 kHz audio transmission and multichannel transmission in the same package We provide network outputs to our own transport and offer a source upgrade to your transport as well In our surround processor upgrade up to 8 channels of decoded data can be sent through one wire to separate DACs The twisted pair format is very convenient as it has become the standard for all computer networks Ethernet networks use CAT5 wire which contains 4 twisted pairs This one cable could be used to send 32 channels of 32 bit 192 kHz audio data Several cables are available for connecting MSB transports to the Platinum including CATS cable at any length up to 80 feet ANALOG OUTPUTS Balanced The balanced audio outputs are the preferred output format for those customers with a balanced system As the PLATINUM is fully balanced both the inverted and non inverted outputs are generated directly by separate DACs and sent t
8. ayer does not have the MSB Network output it amp 6 can be added A 192k input will override the upsampling settings nu FRONT PANEL CONTROLS Frequency and Volume Display The actual sampling frequency of the incoming signal is displayed This is not the normal display of the frequency reported by the decoder which for example would always read 44 1 kHz even if the transport was playing at 44 3 kHz The MSB frequency counter displays actual frequency so don t be surprised if some lower cost DVD transports fail to produce an accurate playback speed The volume is displayed whenever the volume is adjusted It is shown as attenuation in dB At 0 dB the volume control is disconnected and the DAC works as if the feature was removed Upsample On The incoming data is upsampled to 4 times the incoming rate but limited to 192 KHz This is a true upsampling not a parallel scheme as found in some DACs The feature can be turned on or off Input Select Each of the six inputs can be selected manually or the auto mode can be selected The auto mode is an automatic priority switching with auto signal detection In either case active sources light up the input LED at half brightness and the selected source at full brightness Filter On This feature adjusts the slope of the digital filter This feature is very much related to the interpolation feature above The Platinum defaults to the gentle filter slope In this case some of the
9. chieve the simplest shortest possible signal path with the least possible degradation of the true music THE PREAMP UPGRADE The DAC II Preamp has just one analog input and many digital inputs It is designed to be the last CD or DVD A component in your system before the amplifiers With its incredibly low impedance especially Transport for a passive preamp it can drive long interconnects and handle any type of amplifier input stage design with optimum performance Depending on how many analog sources you have in your system you may be able to eliminate Digital your current preamp If you currently have only CD and vinyl in your system you would attach your CD players digital output to the DAC II and the output of your phono preamp to the analog input Your system is now complete with the shortest possible signal path and the best sound you can achieve The same idea applies to use with an SACD player Since SACD does not come out the digital output the analog SACD is attached to the analog input on the DAC II and the digital output for CD playback If you have a complex system with a preamp with many analog inputs attach the outputs of your preamp to the input on the DAC II Shift any digital sources over to digital inputs on the DAC II and again you will achieve optimum results Set your preamp to a volume that matches the DAC II output and use nothing but the DAC II volume control in your system SETUP AND QUICK START The fro
10. cond The output impedance of the Platinum is 50 ohms FRONT PANEL FEATURES The DAC II has 4 control buttons on the front panel a knob and a display The buttons toggle on and off When on the LED next to the button is lit UPSAMPLING AND FILTERING The MSB Platinum grants the user the ability to upsample from ANY lower audio standard to four times the rate but limited to 24bit 192kHz so CD is upsampled to 176 4k and everything else is 192k This is a selectable feature and may be turned off To play a 24 192 disc the Platinum only needs to be plugged into a DVD A player with an MSB Network output This upsampling feature also dynamically buffers and re clocks all the data and clock signals to provide a virtually jitter free source directly to the DACs The selectable digital filter response permits the user to choose the filter ax design they prefer Itallowsforthe UpsampuNG selection of a standard brick wall ON filter or a slow roll off filter both at half the sampling frequency Each provide a distinct glorious listening experience You may favor one or the other or enjoy changing the filter response to suit the music you B SIGN WAVE Opp 19 95 KHz TEST TONE SCOPE SETTINGS 2 V piv 10usEC DIV listen to Music with less high frequencies may benefit from the slow roll off filter LP ua we p Lut To play a 24 192 disc the source player P needs to have an MSB Network output If your DVD A pl
11. eries The remote control uses two AAA batteries The same remote works with the Platinum CD player and the Platinum volume control If using the DAC II with a Platinum volume control remove the volume modules from the DAC II so they will not interfere with the operation of the Platinum volume control REAR PANEL DETAILS INPUTS Analog SACD A balanced analog input is provided It is passed through to both the single ended and balanced outputs when selected As well as the volume control if installed This input is ideal for adding an SACD player to your system Minimum input impedance is 600 ohms For an RCA input use an RCA to XLR conversion connector At 0 dB volume setting the analog inputs are a direct pass through Toslink Although this format has the lowest bandwidth it is one of the more common outputs on low end products It also offers ground isolation between products and noise immunity over long runs Coaxial A good input for short runs and lower frequencies Balanced digital The AES EBU Professional input is the preferred input The balanced nature of this input allows great cable lengths as well as total noise immunity Dual MSB Network These dual CAT 5 connectors are actually two inputs One is MSB 5 and the other is MSB 6 THEMSB NETWORK One of the most powerful features of the Platinum is the new MSB network This MSB NETWORK CAPABILITY network plugs into the balanced input of the Platinum
12. l A Svetom FFT size 65536 i E Licensed to Dustin Averaaing 20 EK SOI 7 60dB DAC Dynamic Range Fri Nov 30 16 45 56 2001 Window Hanning Left Channel 20 0 40 0 60 0 80 0 100 0 120 0 140 0 1 150 0 Right Channel 0 0 20 0 Relative Amplitude dB 40 0 LE ER 60 0 EXE D 80 0 100 0 120 0 t4 140 0 150 0 T 5 0k 10 0k 15 0k 20 0k Frequency Hz Troubleshooting No Source indicated on LEDs Check for bad cable or cable plugged into the wrong output on the transport No sound Check that source is valid audio source Change to a standard CD just to be sure Check that analog outputs are connected properly Check that volume is turned up Still no sound connect an analog output from the source directly to the volume control Verify that the rest of the system is working Now move the same analog cable to the DAC and plug in a digital source You should hear a click and the front display should indicate frequency You hear audio clipping with outboard preamp the output level may be too high for your preamp Check the input specifications on your preamp See Platinum specs Turn the volume down to 6 dB This provides the standard 2 V RMS industry specification The unit does not work p
13. ls on each of the right and left channels Finally each DAC module contains one R2R ladder DAC with a 23 bit negative sign and one R2R ladder DAC with a 23 bit positive sign Together this makes a true 24 bit DAC This design allows the quieter moments in your music to be true to the music without the linearity errors near zero that plague normal ladder and delta sigma DAC designs With a dual 24 bits of combined resolution a 24 bit source gives a true 24 bit resolution without the losses and errors that make your normal 16 or 24 bit DAC perform far less than their actual resolution normal 16 bit DACs only muster a meager 12 bits of resolution The Platinum is carefully designed so as to require no DC correction in the output stage This allows direct DC coupling on the output stage for pure uncolored sound with no output filtering to muck up your high end or smear your bass attack And for those who require a balanced analog output the separate positive and negative DACs directly drive the balanced outputs with no analog output stage at all Another major difference in the Platinum is the type of output Essentially all ladder DACs produce a current output This is converted to a voltage output with a current to voltage converter This problematic circuit colors the sound and introduces non linearity The Platinum is a true voltage DAC with a voltage output right from the source All amplifiers have slew rates greater than 1000 Volts microse
14. nel The Platinum will work over a wide voltage range so 80 volts is no problem at the 120V settingand 180V will work at the 240V setting Fuses may blow during unusual power surges or disturbances Protect this product with a good surge protection power supply as changing fuses is quite a big operation Replace fuses with 3A 5mm x 20mm miniature fuses To access the fuses follow these instructions 5 Remove the cover of the Platinum Work on a soft scratch resistant surface like a carpeted floor Three screws are located along the back edge and three screws on the bottom along the front edge With these screws out the cover lifts off Now the power supply must be separated from the DAC Each side panel is attached to both the top DAC part and the lower Power supply part Remove the screws from the lower Power supply part There are also screws between the two parts along the back edge On newer units the circuit board has two notches along the back edge These notches line up with the threaded holes from the cover Remove the screws that can be found in each notch Now separate the power supply part from the DAC part MSB Network Input and Channel Selection The MSB Network supports 4 stereo channels of 192k data at once Any DAC can be configured to decode any of these 4 channels For example when an upgraded DVD player is playing a DTS music CD one DAC can be configured to Channel 1 and will receive the front channels A second
15. nt panel is quite simple with few user controls Set the input source to auto and start with all the other options off No LED lit On power up the volume is reset to 62 dB Turn the volume knob up until you hear music Power The Platinum comes standard with an inboard power supply A switch on the back allows the unit to be switched between 240V and 120V Please check your setting before plugging the unit in Leave the Platinum powered on all the time Inputs The Platinum comes standard with two MSB Network CAT5 AES EBU balanced coaxial and optical digital audio inputs as well as a balanced analog input ranked in order of performance Connect any digital input to any active digital audio source The frequency of the incoming signal will be read out on the front panel and analog audio will be found on both balanced and single ended analog outputs Outputs Connect the balanced or single ended analog outputs to any amplifier and audio should be present The output level is controlled with the knob or remote BURN IN The concept of burn in is little understood Does it take your ears some time to get used to the incredibly detailed and life like sound of an MSB product or is something actually changing The feedback we receive leads us to recommend at least 100 hours of burn in on this DAC Customers generally recommend one month UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY THE PAST AND THE FUTURE Over 10 years ago early DACs were all 16 bit ladder DACs
16. o the balanced outputs without filtering buffering or any analog circuits that could color the music The balanced outputs provide a 20 Vpp at 0 dB 7 5 V RMS Setthe volume at 12 dB to achieve a 2 Vrms output level Coaxial The output impedance is 50 ohms and output level is 10 Volts PP 3 6V RMS Set the volume control at 6dB to achieve the industry standard 2 Vrms level POWER SUPPLIES Each function within the Platinum is provided with its own separate power supply There are 5 power supplies in the digital portion and 6 in the analog The power supplies in the digital section ensure the maximum jitter reduction while the 3 power supplies for each of the left and right DACs allow for the greatest channel separation possible The analog power supplies are the original high speed discrete supplies used in MSB audio products for over 13 years The Platinum includes a built in P1000 Power Base with its high performance triple wound toroidal transformer and rectification It voltage switchable for 120V or 240V and has a detachable cord Also provided is extra DC output that can be used to power another MSB product like a volume control The DIN connector next to the AC power connector is an auxiliary output not an input MSB will supply a DIN to DIN cable upon request VOLTAGE CONVERSION AND CHANGING FUSES yy lt nO The Platinum can be configured for 120V or 240V operation by switching the voltage switch on the back H wui pa
17. owered on 240V unplug power quickly or capacitors may smoke The unit is configured for 120V Check voltage selector on back Frequency readout is off The Platinum upsamples to 4 times a 44 1K source rate which should be 176 4 All other sources upsample to 192K The Platinum reads out the actual precise frequency Some transports are not exactly on the required frequency and the error will be seen Belt drive transports tend to wander With no input a free running oscillator may show a low frequency This is normal 96K source indicates 48k on front panel Check setup menu of DVD player Digital output should be set for 96k output Some models do not support this feature and downmix to 48k DVD A source does not indicates 192k DVD A players must be upgraded to provide a true 192K output Production players downmix to 48K Many DVD A disks are produced in 44 1 48 and 96k as well Warranty All MSB products carry a one year warranty No returns accepted without an RMA Upon receipt MSB will repair or replace any defective product All product shipped FOB La Honda Shipping and shipping damage is the responsibility of the consignee UPGRADES AND MODIFICATIONS Removal of the cover Unplug the AC power Work on a soft scratch resistant surface like a carpeted floor Start with the unit upside down and remove three screws located along the front edge of the cover Then turn the unit over and remove the three screws along the back edge of the
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