Musical Fidelity V-DACII - Manual

V-DAC
II
Digital To Analog Converter with 24-bit/96kHz
Asynchronous USB
Instructions
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the V-DAC digital
to analog convertor. We sincerely hope that
it will bring you many years of outstanding
listening pleasure.
Installation Precautions
Your new V-DAC is designed and built to
provide trouble-free performance, but as with
all electronic devices, it is necessary to
observe a few precautions:
Do not use the V-DAC near water. The unit
must not be exposed to dripping or splashing
and no objects filled with liquids, such as
vases, must be placed on the unit.
Keep the V-DAC away from heat such as
radiators. No naked flame sources, such as
lighted candles, should be placed on the
unit.
Power Supply Note:
Only use approved Musical Fidelity DC
power supply. The use of other adaptors or
supplies could seriously damage the V-DAC.
This Hi-fi product has been tested to ensure
that its operation is not adversely affected by
normal background levels of Radio
Frequency Interference (R.F.I.), and that it
does not itself generate excessive amounts
of interference. However, if a problem
persists, please contact your Musical Fidelity
agent.
Never open the case of the V-DAC yourself,
as this will invalidate the guarantee.
Place all connecting cables where they are
not likely to be walked on or trapped by
items placed on them.
The V-DAC will operate in accordance with
its specifications within the following
environmental range:
Temperature 5 to 45 degrees Celsius
Humidity 10 to 90% non condensing
There are no user adjustments inside.
Please refer all service work to an
authorised Musical Fidelity agent.
Front and back connections
Left (white) & right (red) RCA outputs
Power input socket
Power LED (Blue)
Lock LED (Green)
Connections
All connections must be made before the mains adaptor is plugged in,
and before any amplifier connected is switched on. Always switch off
the equipment attached to the V-DAC before connecting/disconnecting
power, changing leads or inputs.
Digital optical or coaxial inputs
Using good quality RCA leads (not supplied), connect the digital
coaxial or optical output from a CD player or other digital audio source
to the V-DAC SPDIF or COAXIAL sockets.
Set the input select switch to “coaxial” if using
either of these inputs.
USB input
A good quality USB A to B cable is required to connect the unit to the
computer.
Plug the B (square) end into the socket in the back of the V-DAC
Plug the A (rectangle) end into a free USB socket on your computer.
Set the input select switch to “USB”.
Once the unit is plugged in and powered, the computer should detect
the new hardware and install a generic driver automatically (No setup or
driver disk required). The V-DAC is then ready to play V-DAC, CD or
any other form of music file recognised by the
computer.
Outputs
Connect the V-DAC left and right outputs to the line level inputs of the
amplifier system. It is advisable to have the amplifier turned off at this
point.
Power
Plug the DC connector lead from the power supply unit into the V-
DAC’s power inlet socket, and plug the adaptor itself into a convenient
wall mains outlet. The blue LED will light to confirm the unit is ready for
use, and the green LED should also be lit indicating presence of digital
signal.
Use
Turn the volume on amplifier to normal listening levels, sit back and
enjoy the music.
ucts These prod have been designed so that they may be left on
indefinitely, but please note the mains adapter may become warm to the
touch - this is normal.
Additional USB information
On the host computer, a new mixer will be available, which is the default
mixer whenever the DAC is plugged in. Use this mixer to select the
source or adjust levels if required. CD, MP3, WAV files played on any
software should now play through the DAC. This device has been
designed to work with Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP.
The computer drivers for the USB input of the V-DAC should install
automatically. To check correct installation follow these steps:
PC users
Check the computer has picked up the device and is currently using it
by clicking: (most Windows versions)
- Start
- Settings
- Control panel
- Sounds and Multimedia
- Audio
Check “USB audio device” appears under PREFERRED AUDIO
DEVICE tab
Mac users
Check the computer has picked up the device and is currently using it
by clicking: (MAC OS X)
- System preferences
- Hardware
- Sound
Check that “USB audio DAC” is selected under the OUTPUT tab.
If the computer’s warning sounds/chimes are to played through the
DAC, make sure it is selected under the SOUND EFFECTS tab too.
This device is a high speed serial data processor, and by its nature,
requires a very high volume of USB bandwidth. It will benefit greatly
from being the only device connected on its USB ‘port’. Sharing the
same port with other devices may cause unwanted artefacts such as
dropouts or temporary loss of signal. This especially includes the use of
the DAC on a USB hub/splitter alongside other USB components.
Digital Optical input
Digital Coax input
Input select switch
USB input socket