Antelope Audio Zodiac Plus DAC - Manual (Page 11)

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22. USB Hi-Speed
Hi Speed USB at 480Mbits. Zodiac+ uses the mini b type USB connector and operates up to
192kHz sample rate with native drivers. See also (7) for selecting USB modes.
23. AES Input
Input for compatible equipment using the 110 Ohm AES/EBU connectivity standard. See also (9)
Source Button.
24. AES Output
De-jittered digital output using the 110 Ohm AES/EBU connectivity standard.
25. S/PDIF Outputs
De-jittered digital outputs using RCA connectivity. 75 Ohms.
8. Setting I/O Connections
Connect digital audio cables to the inputs of Zodiac+ from sources such as CD-ROM, DVD,
Computer, etc…
Avoid using standard analog audio cables for digital signals. Even though they might look
the same, they are not designed for digital audio and performance will be compromised.
Proper Digital Audio cables should be used for SPDIF and AES/EBU:
1. AES/EBU Input accepts any AES/EBU 110 ohm.
2. SPDIF inputs accept RCA connections from any 75 ohm SPDIF source.
3. TOSLINK inputs accept any standard plastic or glass fiber optical cable.
Ground Loop Hum and Noise
The design of Zodiac+ minimizes the chances of ground loop hum and noise. However, we
recommend the use of short cables for all the Audio inputs in your system and all power cables of
the system should be connected to a dedicated outlet box or power conditioner unit to avoid ground
current noise affecting the audio signal path. It’s also advisable to keep signal and power cables
separate where possible.
Digital Audio Quality ‒ factors and settings
Guidelines to improve the audio performance of your computer-based Audio system:
● Keep volume controls at 100% on all operating systems.
● Keep word-length settings at 24 bits. Even if you are playing 16-bit audio, it is recommended
to keep 24-bit settings.
● Turn-off operating system sounds.
● Keep all operating system’s DSP and plug-ins turned off. Applications, device drivers, sound
cards, etc., have various DSP effects such as EQ, Bass boost, surround sound, etc.
For best performance disable Any Kind of audio processing.
Additional information regarding Operating Systems, Audio software and media players will be
added to our support area at http://www.antelopeaudio.com/en/support.html