User manual TAG MCLAREN AUDIO DAC20

power LED source button input button status indicators power button source coaxial optical input 1 2 3 aes 32kHz 44kHz 48kHz mute lock demp contents 0 2 welcome 0 8 key features 1 0 getting started 1 2 input types 1 4 selecting an input 1 5 muting 1 6 HDCD® decoding 1 7 sampling frequency 1 8 jitter reduction 1 9 de-emphasis 2 0 outputs 2 1 running in and warming up 2 2 care and maintenance 1 2 ® mute button fuse carrier analog output sockets optical input sockets coaxial input sockets AES/EBU input socket 220-240V ~ 50-60Hz Fuse: T1A L 250V OUTPUT OPTICAL INPUT eiaj left 1 2 3 1 COAXIAL INPUT spdif 75 ohm 2 3 COAXIAL OUTPUT spdif 75 ohm XLR INPUT aes/ebu 110 ohm bal right 2 4 technical data 2 8 international standards made in United Kingdom serial number DAC 1234567 is a registered trademark of Pacific Microsonics Inc. ac supply socket digital output socket Specification shown may var y for different countries welcome to a new partnership . . i n h i - p e r fo r m a n c e , h i - f i d e l i t y All TAG companies perpetually strive for, and achieve, excellence and highperformance in every area of their business. These qualities are demonstrated in the fastidious standards that make TAG Heuer Derek Scotland (on the left) ­ Technical Director Peter Stevens ­ Chief Industrial Designer Dr. Zucker ­ Chief Executive TAG McLaren Audio has been created with celebrating a TAG McLaren victor y one aim in mind: to produce the best highfidelity audio and audio-visual systems available. Now the first fruits of that Now, this blend of talent and expertise has been combined with the award-winning experience of Audiolab to create a company with a technical advantage and access to resources second-to-none in the high end audio industry TAG McLaren Audio. Throughout the F3 Series development process, quality, performance and reliability have been paramount, resulting in unparalleled performance, operational excellence and sheer listening pleasure. alliance are ready ­ a unique new range of audio products. watches some of the world's most admired; in the teamwork that makes TAG McLaren's motor racing team one of the most successful in Formula One; and in the advanced electronics technology that makes TAG Electronic Systems the first choice for many Formula One constructors and high-performance car makers. 03 welcome welcome accurate reproduction digital filtering Digital recording is quite insensitive to data losses, such as a scratch on a disc or a drop out on a tape. However, rebuilding the recorded music exactly, even from a perfect digital recording, is a complex task which is often not appreciated and has only recently been fully understood. Thank you for purchasing the TAG McLaren Audio digital to analogue converter DAC20. very high resolution We are convinced it will give you many hours of listening pleasure. Digital methods of recording music have many advantages, such as very low noise, high dynamic range and fast searching but, until now, you may have been disappointed by the sound quality when you play digital recordings. At TAG McLaren Audio, we understand exactly what needs to be done to get the best sound from a digital recording. 04 The digital signal represents the original music as rapidly changing groups of bits (i.e. the `zeros' and `ones' understood by computers). More bits in each group allow a more accurate representation of the music information during its processing. The DAC20 uses 24 bits (eight bits more than a CD's original recording), which results in higher signal resolution and more precise sound details. By its nature, digital data generates unwanted, high-frequency noise when it is converted back to the analogue domain (which is what our ears can hear). Even though the noise frequency is way above the threshold of human hearing, it has unpleasant effects on the sound due to what audio engineers call `intermodulation'.To remove this noise, the DAC20 uses a digital filter which is made more effective by oversampling and noise shaping the data. This technique reduces the high frequency noise by using an 8 times digital oversampling filter.The data from the filter is further oversampled, using noise shaping, to produce a 192 times single bit data stream for conversion back to analogue. 05 welcome welcome stable internal clock The timing of the data is as important as the data itself.Timing inaccuracy, known as `jitter', is responsible for a wide range of subtle distortions. In the DAC20, jitter is reduced to an absolute technical minimum by a very stable electronic clock which is synchronised to the incoming digital data stream to provide accurate timing.The retimed output is sent to a digital 75 coaxial SPDIF output for digital recording purposes, as well as to the analogue section of the converter. HDCD decoding ® resolution and quality than on a standard CD. A digital to analogue converter with an HDCD® facility, such as the DAC20, is necessary to make use of this higher resolution.The DAC20 recognises recordings made with HDCD® encoding and applies the appropriate decoding to make use of the improved music information. multiple input formats automatic detection of sampling frequency and pre-emphasis The DAC20 automatically detects the sampling frequency of the incoming digital data stream and switches its internal circuits to match. If the original recording was made with pre-emphasis, the DAC20 will automatically switch on de-emphasis to take advantage of it. high-quality analogue output excellent sound quality.The analogue output terminals are duplicated for your convenience. The DAC20 combines digital precision with analogue purity. HDCD® (High Definition Compatible Digital) is a proprietary technique developed by Pacific Microsonics Incorporated. Using HDCD®, the recording engineer can record the music at a higher 06 The DAC20 accepts digital data in three different formats: SPDIF 75 coaxial using both phono and BNC connectors; optical EIAJ using TOSLINK connectors and, for optimum noise rejection, AES/EBU 110 , balanced, transformercoupled using XLR connectors. Input can be selected from one of the three optical inputs, one of the three coaxial inputs or from the AES/EBU input. TM With all our effort on the digital side (and we have only listed a few topics here), we have not forgotten the analogue music reproduction, which is as important as the recovery of the music from the digital domain.The analogue circuit in the DAC20 is a `no-compromise' design using highquality, high-stability components to send a smooth, clean signal to your amplifier for 07 key features key features · · · HDCD® compatible with automatic switching 24 bit data processing · Linear phase output filters with high-quality, high-stability active and passive components Three coaxial SPDIF inputs with phono and BNC sockets AES/EBU balanced input with XLR socket Three optical EIAJ inputs Two low-impedance analogue stereo outputs to allow long cable runs Coaxial SPDIF digital output with precisely retimed signal for high-quality digital recording Sorbothane® sonic isolation feet, specially designed by TAG McLaren Audio(1) · Single bit digital to analogue converter with 20 bit resolution and 192 times oversampling Ultra linear, low-noise, low-distortion single-bit conversion `Straight Line Technology' links the digital to analogue converter to the audio output Very low noise master clock synchronises with the digital data input to minimise jitter Automatic sampling frequency selection Automatic de-emphasis Microprocessor control Automatic and manual muting Immunity to electromagnetic interference enhanced by double layer, epoxy glass printed circuit board technology · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1. For the very best performance we recommend that our units are placed on individual shelves and are not stacked one on top of another 08 09 getting started getting started We know you are keen to get your DAC20 working. This section will have you listening to your favourite music as quickly as possible. If you fold out the front cover of this manual you will locate diagrams which will help you find your way around your DAC20(1). power connection before you start Make sure that all the components of your audio system are disconnected from the AC supply whenever you change any connections. Make sure the amplifier's volume is turned down and the CD input is selected. Check that the power button is out so that power is off when you plug in(4). Using the cable supplied, connect the socket on the back of your DAC20 to an AC supply outlet. For the best sound quality, we recommend that you do not use multi-plug adaptors. sound source connection You will need a source of digital signals to feed into your DAC20, (such as our CD transport CDT20R), a CD player with a digital output (such as our CD20R), or a DAT player. Use a good-quality, screened digital cable to connect the coaxial SPDIF digital output socket of your sound source to the coaxial SPDIF socket marked COAXIAL INPUT spdif 75 ohm 1 on the back of your DAC20(2). The cable should have a phono plug for the DAC20 at one end and the appropriate plug for your digital signal source at the other end. COAXIAL INPUT spdif 75 ohm 1 2 3 switch on Press the power button in. The blue power LED will come on. Start playing your sound source. Turn up the volume, sit back and enjoy the music. 1. 2. Throughout this instruction manual (except in titles), bold print indicates the lettering that you will find on the panels of your DAC20 To enable you to get started easily, we suggest you use a phono-phono digital cable. However, you will get better results with the BNC or the AES/EBU output. If you want to use the BNC, the AES/EBU or the optical inputs please see page 12 If your amplifier does not have an input labelled CD, you can usually connect to an input labelled AUX or LINE input instead The power button is a latching switch. One press will hold it in, the next will release it amplifier connection Use a good-quality screened, phono-phono audio cable to connect the phono sockets marked OUTPUT left and right on the back of your DAC20 to the corresponding CD inputs of your amplifier(3). 3. 4. 10 11 input types input types Your DAC20 has three types of digital input(1) : AES/EBU, coaxial SPDIF and optical. If you have a choice of outputs from your signal source, we recommend that you use the coaxial SPDIF via a BNC connector, followed in preference by the AES/EBU connection, then the coaxial SPDIF via a phono connector and finally the optical EIAJ. All the inputs are on the back of your DAC20. Please ask your retailer for advice on selecting the best input format. Always use high-quality digital cables for connecting inputs. optical input XLR connectors are latched so you will hear a click when the plug is fully inserted. You have to press the button on the socket to remove the plug. Suitable 110 , balanced, digital interconnecting cables are available from your retailer. coaxial input The coaxial inputs conform to the SPDIF format and are intended to be used with 75 cable. Three independent coaxial inputs are provided. For your convenience two types of connector are used. COAXIAL INPUT 1 and 2 have phono sockets while INPUT 3 has a BNC socket. COAXIAL INPUT spdif 75 ohm 1 2 3 Optical inputs are provided to allow you to use your DAC20 with equipment which only has an optical output, such as certain models of MiniDisc and LaserDisc player. The optical inputs conform to the EIAJ RC-5720 format for optical cable(2). Three independent optical inputs are provided. The sockets are the rectangular TOSLINKTM type. Suitable interconnecting cables are available from your retailer. OPTICAL INPUT eiaj 1 2 3 aes/ebu input The AES/EBU format was developed for professional use in broadcasting and recording studios. It is transformer-coupled and uses balanced output to allow the use of long cables. An XLR socket is provided for this input. XLR INPUT aes/ebu 110 ohm bal 1. 2. The digital signal carries both stereo channels so only one connection is needed Avoid using the TOSLINKTM optical connection if you can. Limitations inherent in the optical standard mean that the full capability of your DAC20 will not be used 12 13 selecting an input muting Your DAC20 has seven digital inputs: Three coaxial, three optical and one AES/EBU. Using the input and source buttons you can choose any one of these digital inputs to convert to analogue(1). Your DAC20 has a microprocessor-controlled muting system to prevent switching noises (which could damage your equipment) from being sent to your amplifier and loudspeakers. The LED on the front panel labelled mute will light when the output is muted. selecting an input The input button allows you to select the AES/EBU input or one of the other three inputs (either coaxial or optical). The input you have selected is shown by a series of LEDs on the front panel marked 1, 2, 3 and aes. Pressing the input button steps through 1, 2, 3, aes and back to 1. automatic muting The DAC20 turns off the analogue output for a short time whenever you change the input using the input or source buttons. input 1 2 3 aes manual muting source coaxial optical Press the mute button on the front panel to turn off the analogue output. Press it again to turn the sound back on. mute selecting source The source button allows you to select the coaxial or the optical inputs. The source you have selected is shown by one of two LEDs on the front panel marked coaxial and optical. Pressing the source button switches the input from coaxial to optical and back(2). If you are using the aes input, the source button has no effect. 1. 2. The DAC20 remembers the input and source settings even when power is disconnected The source setting remembers the input setting so, for example, if you want to change from coax 1 to opt 3, you first have to change input to 3 and then select optical 14 15 HDCD ® decoding sampling frequency HDCD® (High Definition Compatible Digital)(1) is a proprietary technique developed by Pacific Microsonics Incorporated and made available to you by TAG McLaren Audio. Using HDCD® the recording engineer can record the music at a higher resolution and quality than on a standard CD. HDCD®encoded CDs have genuine 20 bit resolution, as compared with the 16 bits of ordinary CDs. This gives a greater dynamic range, a more focused, spatial image and a more natural musical timbre. A digital to analogue converter with an HDCD® facility, such as the DAC20, is necessary to make use of this higher resolution(2). A digital recording consists of a rapidly changing stream of digital data representing the music. The sampling frequency is the number of times the data is updated in a second(1). automatic selection of sampling frequency The DAC20 detects the sampling frequency of the incoming digital data and automatically switches to the matching frequency. Three sampling frequencies are in common use for digital recording: 32, 44 .1and 48 kHz(2). The active sampling frequency is indicated by one of three LEDs on the front panel marked 32kHz, 44kHz and 48kHz. 32kHz 44kHz 48kHz automatic HDCD® decoding The DAC20 recognises recordings made with HDCD® encoding and applies the appropriate decoding to make use of the improved music information. The LED on the front panel marked HDCD® illuminates when a recording with HDCD® encoding is being played. 1. 2. HDCD ® is a registered trademark of Pacific Microsonics Incorporated Ordinary CD players can play HDCD ® encoded discs but without the enhanced sound quality 1. 2. The sampling frequency is defined during the recording of your CD, DAT, etc. and cannot be changed by the listener In this case, 1 kHz represents 1000 samples per second 16 17 jitter reduction de-emphasis The incoming digital information may have slight inaccuracies in the timing. An extremely stable and accurate clock in the DAC20 synchronises with the incoming data and ensures that any timing errors are minimised, thus reducing `jitter'. automatic de-emphasis detection Some recordings are made using a noise reduction technique called pre-emphasis. internal clock synchronisation The LED on the front panel marked lock shows when the clock is properly synchronised. This may take a second or so depending on the type of signal source. If the timing of the incoming data is very erratic, the clock in the DAC20 may be unable to synchronise. In that case, the LED will go out but the music will still be played using timing from the recording(1). lock The DAC20 automatically recognises recordings with preemphasis and applies de-emphasis to take advantage of the noise reduction(1). The LED on the front panel marked demp (short for de-emphasis) illuminates when a recording with pre-emphasis is being played. demp 1. The most likely cause of erratic data is a fault in the signal source equipment or connecting cable, either of which may need servicing. Please contact your retailer if you have problems with synchronisation 1. Pre-emphasis is used in some recordings to improve the potential playback quality but it is not often used 18 19 outputs running in and warming up analogue audio output OUTPUT 1 and 2 are used to connect your DAC20 to an amplifier, and can also be used for analogue tape recording. The low-impedance (100 ) output is buffered and will drive long cables or several inputs in parallel if required. OUTPUT 1 and 2 are connected together in parallel. OUTPUT left TAG McLaren Audio equipment is designed to give optimum performance for many years. right 1 2 running in output for digital recording The digital output is provided in order to allow connection of your DAC20 to equipment with a digital input, such as a DAT recorder, thereby allowing recording in the digital domain without any loss of quality. The digital output is accessible via a phono socket(1) on the back panel of the DAC20 marked COAXIAL OUTPUT spdif 75 ohm. The output conforms to the SPDIF format and is intended to be used with 75 cable. The digital output is retimed by the precise internal clock in the DAC20 (see page 18). COAXIAL OUTPUT spdif 75 ohm Just like a high-quality car, the performance of your DAC20 will improve during the first few hours of operation. The electronic components will then have reached and settled down to nearperfect specification. warming up Every time you switch on your DAC20, the performance will improve until the components reach their optimum operating temperature. 1. A phono socket, rather than the technically superior BNC connector, was selected to be compatible with most DAT recorders 20 21 care and maintenance care and maintenance fuses There is a fuse in the power socket on the back of your DAC20. To change the fuse, unplug the power cable and pull out the fuse carrier drawer(1). The fuse carrier contains a spare fuse; this is the first one that you see when you open the carrier. There are no other user-serviceable parts inside the DAC20. service The only service you should do to your DAC20 is described on the left. All other servicing should only be carried out by one of our authorised service agents. If service is required, please contact your authorised TAG McLaren Audio retailer. If your DAC20 is still under guarantee, please refer to the guarantee card which gives you details on how to claim against the guarantee. Please keep the original packaging and use it whenever your DAC20 is transported. cleaning In order to maintain the appearance of your DAC20, you can clean it as follows: before cleaning, always disconnect your DAC20 from the AC supply. any grease or dirt on the case may be removed with a soft, lint-free cloth moistened slightly with a mild solution of warm water and detergent or washing-up liquid. Do not use any other solutions. Do not use any solvents or abrasives. take great care not to get any liquid inside the case. If this happens, you should have your DAC20 serviced. 1. You cannot open the fuse carrier drawer while the plug is in the socket 22 23 technical data technical data This section is for those of you who really want to know the `insides' of your DAC20. You will not miss out on any of the functions or performance of your DAC20 if you choose not to read any further. digital output connector phono socket digital input format Coaxial XLR Optical SPDIF AES/EBU consumer format EIAJ RC-5720 digital output impedance 75 ± 10% digital output level Coaxial digital input connector XLR Optical 1 and 2: phono socket 3: BNC female XLR female rectangular TOSLINKTM 500 mV pp ± 10% (75 load) audio output connector phono socket digital input impedance Coaxial XLR 75 ± 5% 110 ± 5% (balanced) audio output impedance 100 nominal digital input level Coaxial and XLR greater than 200 mV pp Optical ­27 to ­14.5 dBm audio output level 2.0 V rms ± 0.5 dB (full scale output for all sampling rates - non HDCD® encoded material). Up to 4.0 V rms for HDCD® encoded material digital output format Coaxial SPDIF digital filter 24 bit 8 times oversampling Passband ripple ± 0.0001 dB Stopband attenuation greater than 120 dB 25 24 technical data technical data HDCD® detection and decoding of HDCD® encoded material is automatic. HDCD® provides enhanced amplitude resolution and corrects for sample rate limitations channel separation greater than 110 dB at 1 kHz operating temperature range digital to analogue conversion 192 times oversampled pulse density modulated single bit DAC (oversampling and noise shaping used to convert 8 times oversampled word data, from digital filter, to 192 times single bit data) 10 ­ 35 °C ac supply frequency 50 ­ 60 Hz signal to noise ratio greater than 100 dB (A-weighted) ac supply voltage 110 ­ 120 V or 220 ­ 240 V The voltage is marked on the rear of the unit frequency response (+ 0.2 / -- 0.8 dB) 2 Hz ­ 20 kHz power consumption less than 25 W dimensions total harmonic distortion + noise (0 dB full scale) less than 0.003% at 1 kHz (including feet, terminals and controls) 445 mm wide 75 mm high 320 mm deep The rated and typical performance applies when the mains supply voltage is either channel balance less than ± 0.5 dB at 1 kHz 230 V AC for 220 - 240 V units or 115 V AC for 110 - 120 V units We reserve the right to alter design and specification without notice Specification may vary for different countries 26 27 international standards Your DAC20 meets or exceeds all the legal requirements listed below: directives 89/336/EEC 73/23/EEC EMC Directive (as amended by 93/23/EEC) Low Voltage Directive (as amended by 93/23/EEC) safety IEC65: IEC65 A2: IEC65 A3: EN60065: EN50081 -1: EN55022 Class B: EN60555 -2: EN61000 -3-2: EN61000 -3-3: FCC Part 15 Class B: 1985 1989 1992 1993 1992 1994 1987 1995 1995 1997 emc emissions emc immunity EN50082 -1: IEC801 -2: IEC801 -3: IEC801 -4: EN61000 -4-2: EN61000 -4-4: EN61000 -4-5: EN61000 -4-11: 1992 1991 1984 1988 1995 1995 1995 1994 ± 3 ± ± ± ± 8 kV V/m 1 kV 8 kV 1 kV 2 kV air discharge AC power, ± 500 V other ports air, ± 4 kV contact discharge AC power, ± 500 V other ports common mode, ± 1 kV differential mode 28