dCS P8i Upsampling SACD/CD Player User Guide Software Release 1.1x July 2006 © dCS Ltd. 2005, 2006 Price UK £8.00 / Euro 12.00 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of dCS1. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice, and whilst it is checked for accuracy, no liabilities can be accepted for errors. 1 dCS is Data Conversion Systems Ltd. Company registered in England No. 2072115. dCS P8i User Guide dCS Ltd Guide for Software Issue 1.1x August 2006 USING THE dCS P8i FOR THE FIRST TIME Congratulations on purchasing your dCS P8i. Before using your unit, please read this section and the Step by Step Guide. This will enable you to set the unit up quickly and safely with your hi-fi system. From time to time, dCS will release updated software on CD that you can install yourself using the CD Update feature. Please check our web-site occasionally to see if new P8i software is available, or consult your dealer. What's in the box? Check that the box contains the following items: · · · · · · · · dCS P8i Control Summary Power cable 2 spare fuses Remote control unit Remote control guide 3 x AAA batteries 1.5mm Allen Key for the remote control unit Check the contents of the inner carton against the list above. Notify your dealer as soon as possible if anything is missing or damaged. We suggest that you retain the original packaging for possible future use. If this is not possible, replacement packaging can be ordered from dCS or our distributors. Details can be found on our web site at www.dcsltd.co.uk. Safety Notice Your dCS P8i contains no user serviceable parts. DO NOT attempt to open the case as there are potentially dangerous voltages present inside. In the event of the unit developing a fault, please contact your dealer in the first instance. If you need more help, contact dCS. Laser Radiation Hazard The dCS P8i is a Class 1 Laser Product, it complies with U.S. FDA 21CFR subchapter J. In normal use, there is no risk of exposure to laser radiation. IMPORTANT! The metal top cover must only be removed by authorised service personnel. The cover protects the user from indirect exposure to visible and invisible laser radiation, as well as risk of electric shock. Manual filename: dCS P8i User Guide v1_1x~.doc English version Page 2 email: mailto:support@dcsltd.co.uk web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk dCS P8i User Guide dCS Ltd Guide for Software Issue 1.1x August 2006 Removing the Transit Screws The transit screws clamp the mechanism to reduce the risk of shipping damage. They must be removed before the unit is used. Lift the unit out of the packaging, turn it upside-down and place it on a table top. Identify the two transit screws from the following drawing. Using a flat headed screwdriver, unscrew the two transit screws and put them in a safe place. IMPORTANT! If you intend to transport the unit further than the next room, replace the transit screws ­ they need to be secure BUT NOT OVER-TIGHT. Units that are returned for repair without transit screws correctly fitted will be subject to a repair charge. Manual filename: dCS P8i User Guide v1_1x~.doc English version Page 3 email: mailto:support@dcsltd.co.uk web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk dCS P8i User Guide dCS Ltd Guide for Software Issue 1.1x August 2006 Mains Voltage Setting Before connecting the power cable to your P8i for the first time, please check that it has been set to the correct operating voltage for your mains supply. The unit's voltage setting is shown on the label beneath the mains inlet on the rear panel. If this does not match your local supply voltage, DO NOT attempt to use the unit. Contact your dealer to have the unit reset. Using the P8i with the wrong mains setting for your local supply may result in serious damage to the unit and will invalidate the warranty. Do not attempt to reset the voltage yourself. Power Cables If you wish to use a power cable other than the one supplied, please ensure that it is a good fit to the mains inlet, is not too fat, too stiff or too heavy. Mains Conditioners We do not recommend the use of mains conditioners. However, if you do wish to use a mains conditioner with variable voltage and frequency, we recommend that you set the voltage to match your local voltage and the frequency to either 50 or 60Hz ONLY. IMPORTANT! Damage caused to your P8i by misuse of a mains conditioner or by a malfunctioning mains conditioner is not covered by the warranty. Positioning the unit Place the P8i on a firm, vibration free base, allowing convenient connection to the other parts of your system. For best results avoid siting the P8i either directly on or underneath preamplifiers or tuners. To prevent overheating, we recommend that you leave some free space around the unit to allow for ventilation. Manual filename: dCS P8i User Guide v1_1x~.doc English version Page 4 email: mailto:support@dcsltd.co.uk web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk dCS P8i User Guide dCS Ltd Guide for Software Issue 1.1x August 2006 STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE This section guides you through setting up the unit for basic operation. Preliminaries The Control Summary sheet details the menu structure and outlines the use of the front panel controls. A comprehensive user manual will be available free of charge from our web-site at www.dcsltd.co.uk or a bound copy can be ordered from our web site. STEP 1 ­ Connecting the P8i using the Analogue Outputs If you prefer to use an external DAC, go to step 2. Most owners will make use of the P8i's internal Ring DAC to drive the power amplifier directly. The P8i has one pair of balanced analogue outputs on XLR connectors (Left and Right) and one pair of unbalanced analogue outputs on two RCA phono connector (Left and Right). · Connect either the balanced or the unbalanced analogue outputs on the P8i to the matching inputs on your preamplifier / power amplifier with suitable audio cables. Both sets of outputs may be used simultaneously, if required. · Connect the power amplifier to your loudspeakers. STEP 2 ­ Connecting the P8i using the Digital Outputs If you are using the P8i's internal DAC, go to step 3. When playing CDs, 16bit / 44.1kS/s digital data will appear on the AES OUT and RCA OUT connectors, which can be used to drive an external DAC. · Connect one of the AES or RCA digital outputs on the P8i rear panel to the matching inputs of the DAC using suitable screened digital cables. · Press the MENU button and use the arrow buttons to scroll to the Digital Out page. If this is set to Off, press the MENU button to change to On. · Connect the analogue outputs of your DAC to the matching inputs on your preamplifier / power amplifier. · Connect the power amplifier to your loudspeakers. STEP 3 ­ Connecting to the Digital Inputs You can use the P8i's internal Ring DAC to convert digital data from an external source to analogue. In this release, the unit will lock to 32, 44.1 or 48kS/s and process word lengths up to 24 bits. · Connect the external source (such as a DAB radio or DVD player) to either the AES IN or RCA IN connector on the P8i back panel, using suitable screened digital cables. You can use both digital inputs if you wish. · Connect the analogue outputs of your DAC to the matching inputs on your preamplifier / power amplifier. · Connect the power amplifier to your loudspeakers. Manual filename: dCS P8i User Guide v1_1x~.doc English version Page 5 email: mailto:support@dcsltd.co.uk web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk dCS P8i User Guide dCS Ltd Guide for Software Issue 1.1x August 2006 STEP 4 ­ Powering up · Connect the power cable supplied to the power inlet on the P8i rear panel. If you are using a power cord other than the one supplied with the P8i, make sure that it is a good fit to the mains inlet and is not too large or heavy as to cause damage (see "Power cables" on page 4). Plug the other end into a convenient power outlet. Set the power switch beside the power inlet to the on position (I). · Press the Standby button briefly. Wait several seconds while the P8i configures itself. The buttons light up in blue showing that the unit is booting up. After a few seconds the blue lights turn off. Unit displays dCS P8i, Welcome and then Loading. Once booted up, the colour of the buttons changes to green, signifying that there is no disc in the player, and the unit should display No Disc. · Make sure the volume on your P8i and amplifier is set to a low level before operation. The first time you use the unit, it is a good idea to ensure it is set to a known state, as follows: · Press the MENU button and use the arrow buttons to scroll to the Factory page of the menu. Press the MENU button again to select this option. The unit will reset itself. STEP 5 ­ Inserting and playing a Disc · Press the Stop/Eject button. The display will show Opening, the drawer will open and then the display will show Open. · Place the disc onto the tray and press the Stop/Eject button again. The display will show Closing, Loading, Read TOC, Checking and will then build a table of contents displaying 1-5, 6-10, etc. The disc will be identified as CD or SACD. Either the CD or the SACD indicator will light. In this release, the unit will play the SACD layer of a hybrid disc by default. The colour of the buttons changes depending on the type of disc you choose to play, red for a CD layer or lilac for an SACD layer. · Press the Play/Pause button. Turn the volume to a comfortable level. You should have audio. · Press the Play/Pause button to pause playing, press again to resume playing. · Press the Next Track or Previous Track buttons to skip to another track. IMPORTANT! Please be patient, do not overload the unit with commands. If too many Previous Track commands are sent, the unit may freeze at track 1. To correct this, press the Next Track button once to go to track 2. · Press the Stop/Eject button to stop the disc. Press it again to open the tray. · Enjoy the music! Oops! There is a disc stuck inside! If you load a disc that cannot be read (such as a CD upside-down, a DVD or a damaged/dirty disc), don't worry. The P8i will display Reading and will try to read the disc for about 40 seconds. Wait until the display changes to No Disc, then open the tray with the Stop/Eject button. STEP 6 ­ Using an external source If you connected an external source to the P8i in STEP 3, turn it on and select it as follows: · Press the MENU button and use the arrow buttons to scroll to the Source menu page. Press the MENU button again to select either the AES or RCA input. Either the AES or RCA indicator will illuminate. The unit will detect the sample rate of the source (32, 44.1 or 48kS/s only), then display the source word length and sample rate on the left side of the display (e.g. 16/44.1k). · Turn the volume to a comfortable level. You should have audio. · Enjoy the music! IMPORTANT! When using the digital inputs, the CD controls are disabled. Manual filename: dCS P8i User Guide v1_1x~.doc English version Page 6 email: mailto:support@dcsltd.co.uk web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk dCS P8i User Guide dCS Ltd Guide for Software Issue 1.1x August 2006 THE HARDWARE ­ CONTROLS AND CONNECTORS This section briefly explains the layout of the front and the rear panel and what the symbols stand for. Front Panel HI Key to the front panel J ABCDE F G A - Standby Button B - Stop / Eject Button C - Play / Pause Button D - Previous Track / Menu Step Back Button E - Next Track / Menu Step Forward Button F - Menu / Select Button G - Rotary Control H - Remote Control Sensor I - SACD / CD Drawer J - Main Display A ­ Standby · To power up or switch out of standby mode, press the Standby button briefly. · When you have finished listening, press the Standby button briefly to set the unit to standby mode. The Standby button will glow red and the rest of the display will turn off. · To switch off completely, hold down the Standby button for a few seconds until it glows lilac, then release it. Please wait at least 10 seconds before switching on again. B ­ Stop / Eject · When there is no disc in the player, or if the disc is stopped, press this button to open the tray. · When the tray is open, press this button to close the tray. · When a disc is playing, press this button to stop the disc. C ­ Play / Pause · With a disc loaded, press this button to start playing. · Press it to pause and press again to resume playing. Manual filename: dCS P8i User Guide v1_1x~.doc English version Page 7 email: mailto:support@dcsltd.co.uk web-site: www.dcsltd.co.uk dCS P8i User Guide d ...