Aesthetix PANDORA DAC User manual

PANDORA DAC
ROMULUS CD Player-DAC
Owner’s Manual
Aesthetix Audio Corporation
5220 Gabbert Rd., Suite A ♦Moorpark, CA. 93021
Phone: [phone]

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle,
is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous
voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of significant
magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance
(servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
WARNING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE
CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT USE THE AC (POLARIZED) PLUG WITH AN
EXTENSION CORD, RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET UNLESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED
TO PREVENT BLADE EXPOSURE.
Extension cords are not recommended for use with this product.
2

3
PREFACE INTRODUCTION
This manual covers the use for both the Pandora DAC and The Romulus DAC/CD Player.
The name Pandora will be used where it applies to both products and the name Romulus will
be used where it applies to the Romulus only.
Thank you for purchasing the Pandora/Romulus CD player-DAC. It has been engineered to
deliver the highest attainable sound quality. This is its sole purpose. Only the highest grade
electronic components are used in the Pandora, including: non-inductive Roederstein metal
film resistors in the signal path; polystyrene, polypropylene, and electrolytic power supply,
bypass, and signal capacitors; low noise matched vacuum tubes; glass epoxy circuit boards;
16 gauge aluminum chassis; custom wound low flux power transformers.
The integration of the personal computer (PC) into the home stereo system has provided a
revolutionary way to purchase, organize, and play your digital music collection. The Pandora
digital-to-audio (D/A or DAC) converter provides an equally revolutionary way to play back
your music files with unprecedented fidelity and realism. Connected via the omnipresent
USB port, the Pandora generates a fixed-frequency master audio clock and requests the data
from the computer at the correct time for jitter-free playback of your music. This is all done
using the standard device drivers (up to 96K for Windows, additional driver required for 192K)
supplied with all recent operating systems, allowing simple installation and operation with
most computers. The Pandora also utilizes opto-couplers to provide total electrical isolation
for the connections between your computer and music system. This minimizes the
introduction of unwanted radio-frequency interference (RFI), generated by all computers.
Note: Avoiding the use of wireless networks (e.g., Wi-Fi) by employing wired connections
instead, will reduce RFI levels in your home and results in improved sound quality for any
music system.
PLACEMENT
The Pandora should be located away from possible sources of hum such as power cords,
power transformers and the like. It should not be located near any other heat source such as
a power amplifier or power supply. It must be kept well ventilated any time it is on. If it is
positioned within an enclosed space then fans may be warranted. All air vents must remain
unobstructed.
BURN IN TIME
This unit has a break in period of about 400 hours during which continuous improvement in
sound quality will be observed.

4
IMPORTANT
Save all packaging in a dry place away from fire hazards. Your Pandora is a precision
electronic instrument and should be properly packaged any time shipment is made. In the
unlikely event that you have to return your Pandora to the factory for service, or if you send it
to us for updating, the original packaging will best protect the unit from shipping damage.
In order to achieve the fullest flexibility and enjoyment from your Pandora, we highly
recommend that you read this manual in full before connecting the unit to your audio system.
Note: It is imperative that the Pandora be operated in a well ventilated environment and the
immediate external temperature be maintained as specified. External cooling fans may
be required in some cases. Do not stack any equipment directly above or below the
Pandora to protect it from overheating, as well as the continued functionality of any
equipment near and around it.
WARNING
United States law prohibits disposition of these commodities to Libya, Laos, North Korea,
Cambodia or Cuba unless otherwise authorized by the United States.
AFTER MARKET and THIRD PARTY MODIFICATIONS
Please note that any after market and/or third party modifications will void the warranty. In
the case of changing the feet on a unit, in order to prevent any damage (which will also not
be covered under warranty), please verify that the screws being used to secure non-Aesthetix
feet do not screw any deeper into the chassis than the original ones. The original screw is
10-32 by 3/8” and extends into the chassis 1/8 inch.
Acknowledgements
©2011-14 Aesthetix Audio Corporation. All rights reserved. Mostly written and Illustrated by
Glenn Buckley
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Aesthetix
Audio Corporation.

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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Please carefully read each item of the operating instructions and safety precautions before installing and using
this product. Use extra care to follow the warnings written on the product itself and/or in the operating
instructions. Keep the operating instructions and safety precautions for future reference.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE ANY OF THE COVER
PANELS.
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER ALL SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL ONLY.
TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT ALLOW LIQUIDS TO SPILL OR OBJECTS TO FALL
INTO ANY OPENINGS OF THE PRODUCT.
THIS UNIT IS SUPPLIED WITH A 3 PIN GROUNDED AC PLUG. ALWAYS INSERT THE AC PLUG INTO A
GROUNDED OUTLET. DO NOT REMOVE THE GROUND PIN OR DISABLE THE GROUND FOR ANY
PURPOSE.
BEFORE MAKING ANY CONNECTIONS TO THE PANDORA, FIRST TURN OFF THE POWER AND THEN
DISCONNECT THE AC POWER CORD.
WHEN INSTALLING THE PANDORA IN YOUR SYSTEM, MAKE CERTAIN TO ALLOW A MINIMUM OF 4
INCHES OF VENTILATION ON EACH SIDE OF THE UNIT. ALSO ALLOW AT LEAST 3 INCHES OF
VENTILATION SPACE ABOVE THE UNIT. IMPROPER VENTILATION OF THE UNIT MAY CAUSE
OVERHEATING, WHICH MAY DAMAGE THE UNIT AND CAUSE A FIRE. PLACE THE UNIT ON A SOLID
SURFACE ONLY. I.E. NOT ON CARPET, ETC.
DO NOT PLACE THE PANDORA NEAR HEAT SOURCES SUCH AS DIRECT SUNLIGHT, STOVES, HEAT
REGISTERS, RADIATORS OR OTHER HEAT PRODUCING EQUIPMENT.
IF REPLACEMENT OF THE AC LINE FUSE AND/OR ANY INTERNAL FUSE BECOMES NECESSARY,
REPLACE ONLY WITH SAME VALUE AND TYPE OF FUSE. NEVER BYPASS THE FUSE.
IF THE AC CORD BECOMES DAMAGED, DO NOT USE IT. IMMEDIATELY REPLACE IT WITH A NEW
ONE OF THE SAME OR BETTER RATING.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE PANDORA BE OPERATED IN A WELL VENTILATED ENVIRONMENT AND
THE IMMEDIATE EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE BE MAINTAINED AS SPECIFIED. EXTERNAL COOLING
FANS MAY BE REQUIRED IN SOME CASES. DO NOT STACK ANY EQUIPMENT DIRECTLY ABOVE OR
BELOW THE PANDORA AS TO PROTECT IT FROM OVERHEATING, AS WELL AS THE CONTINUED
FUNCTIONALITY OF ANY EQUIPMENT NEAR AND AROUND IT.
IF THE TOP COVER HAS TO BE REMOVED, FIRST TURN OFF THE REAR PANEL POWER SWITCH AND
WAIT A MINIMUM OF 15 MINUTES.

6
Table Of Contents
PREFACE............................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................3
PLACEMENT....................................................................................................................3
BURN IN TIME.................................................................................................................3
IMPORTANT ....................................................................................................................4
WARNING........................................................................................................................4
AFTER MARKET and THIRD PARTY MODIFICATIONS..............................................4
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................4
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS....................................................................................................5
The Hand Held Remote.......................................................................................................7
Pandora Front Panel Layout................................................................................................8
Pandora Display Layout.......................................................................................................9
Rear Panel Layout.............................................................................................................10
CONNECTIONS................................................................................................................11
AC Power: ......................................................................................................................11
USB Audio Input Speed..................................................................................................11
OPERATION .....................................................................................................................12
STANDBY.......................................................................................................................12
INPUT Select Buttons.....................................................................................................12
MUTE .............................................................................................................................12
Volume Control (VC) ......................................................................................................12
DISPLAY ........................................................................................................................12
Advanced display functionality.....................................................................................13
REMOTE TRIGGER.......................................................................................................13
RS232.............................................................................................................................13
Memory Buffering...........................................................................................................13
SETUP............................................................................................................................13
Configuring your computer ..........................................................................................13
Romulus.............................................................................................................................. 14
Romulus Front Panel Layout.............................................................................................14
Romulus Display Layout....................................................................................................15
Operation...........................................................................................................................16
INPUT.............................................................................................................................16
CD CONTROL buttons...................................................................................................16
Appendix A Troubleshooting Guide...............................................................................17
Appendix B Specifications.............................................................................................18

The Hand Held Remote
The Pandora/Romulus CD player-DAC can be controlled using either the front panel buttons or the
supplied hand held remote control. Basic functions are selectable from both locations. Additional
functions are accessible only on the remote control. This remote control can also be used with the Rhea,
Calypso and Janus preamplifiers. Functions for these other products will be discussed in their respective
Owner’s manuals. Please note that all CD functions apply to the Romulus only.
1. Standby button. Toggles the Pandora between Standby and Operate.
2. Display. Toggle to turn the Display on and off.
3. Numeric entry and Enter buttons.
4. Information button. Press to view track or disc information.
5. Repeat. Press once to repeat the current Romulus track,
twice to repeat the current disc and 3 times to always repeat
the entire disc, even if the disc has been changed.
6. Random Romulus track play.
7. Up and Down. Press to control volume when the optional
volume controls are installed.
8. Mute. Say no more.
9. Left and Right. Not used.
10. Scan Back. When quickly pressed once, advances to the
previous Romulus track and begins playing. When held, it
scans back through the current track until released. Also
closes the drawer, if open.
11. When pressed once quickly, advances to the next Romulus
track and begins playing. When held, it scans forward
through the current track until released. Also closes the
drawer, if open.
12. Pauses the CD in play. Press Pause again, or play to
continue playing the CD. Also closes the drawer, if open.
13. Stops the disc from playing.
14. Plays the current CD track. Restarts play when paused.
15. Eject. Opens or closes the drawer.
16. Input Select buttons.
17. Toggles absolute phase.
18. Pressing either the left of right Input arrow buttons motions
the unit through its inputs.
19. Used to sync the video from a different device with the audio
output of the Pandora.
20 - 23 N/A with Pandora.
24 – 26. Unit select buttons. Pandora/Romulus must be
selected.
Figure 1 – Hand Held Remote HRC-2
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Pandora Front Panel Layout
STANDBY
AESTHETIX
145 1211 1332678910
PHASERNDM
ALL FOREVER
LOCK
ONE
REPEAT
AES
MUTE
RCA TOS USB AUX
PANDORA
DISPLAY
Figure 2 – Pandora Front Panel Layout
1. STANDBY button. After the rear panel MAIN POWER switch is turned on and the information pages are
displayed, press the front panel STANDBY button to exit the standby mode. Pressing this
button again will put the Pandora into STANDBY and illuminate the Standby LED.
2. Standby LED. Illuminates when the Pandora is in Standby.
3. DISPLAY button. Press to extinguish or turn on the display.
4. DISPLAY. Refer to the next page for a detailed description.
5. Pressing the left side of the DISPLAY will decrement* the volume, when the optional volume control is installed.
6. AES/EBU input select button.
7. RCA S/PDIF input select button.
8. TOSLINK input select button.
9. USB1 input select button.
10. USB2 input select button. This button is inactive if only one USB card is installed.
11. Pressing the right side of the DISPLAY will increment* the volume, when the optional volume control is installed.
12. MUTE button. Toggle to mute or un-mute the Pandora.
13. Mute LED. Illuminates when the unit is muted.
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Pandora Display Layout
Figure 3 – Pandora LED Display Layout
1. Pressing the left side of the Display will decrement* the volume, when the optional volume control is installed.
2. Displays the name of the currently selected input. When a digital signal is present at any of the rear panel
inputs, the sample rate is displayed. In a Signature version, when a DSD or DSD2X signal is detected, this
part of the display will read DSD or DSD2, respectively.
3. When the optional volume controls are installed, the volume level will show while it is being changed, and
remain for 3 seconds after. When a USB input is selected, C1 or C2 will be displayed for approximately 5
seconds, indicating the current position of the Class 1/Class 2 switch on the rear panel.
4. Illuminates when the Output Phase is reversed (minus).
5. Illuminates when the Pandora locks onto a digital input signal.
6. Pressing the right side of the Display will increment* the volume, when the optional volume control is installed.
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Rear Panel Layout
ANALOG OUTPUTS
MADE IN USA
AESTHETIX
RS-232 TRIGGER
LEFT
3
RIGHT
1
2
ON
OFF
TOS
COAX
DIGITAL
INPUTS
AES EBU
DIGITAL
INPUTS
USB
Class 2
Class 1
SERIAL NUMBER
0000
12345 6 7 9 11 1108
Left channel outputs
2
Figure 4 - Rear Panel Layout
1. Right Single-Ended output jack.
2. Right Balanced output jack.
3. MAIN POWER Switch. Disconnects AC to all circuits. It is recommended that this be left ON at all times
during regular use with the exception of whenever cables are connected/disconnected or when the unit is
not going to be used for an extended period of time.
4. AC POWER INPUT including Chassis FUSE. Replace with same type and rating only. (Spare fuse inside).
5. DB9 RS232 connector. Used for connecting a system control device to the Pandora to control and monitor
its functions.
6. Remote TRIGGER jack. When the STANDBY button is pressed to take the Pandora out of standby, the
rear panel TRIGGER jack becomes active with a 5 VDC signal. A compatible receiving device such as the
Atlas Power amplifier will receive this signal and will change its mode from standby to operate. When the
Standby button is pressed again the signal goes to 0V and puts the receiving device into STANDBY mode.
7. Blank jack plate. This slot can be used for an additional Digital Input board.
8. USB type B Input jack. The USB 2.0 standard specifies a maximum cable length of 16 feet (5 meters). It is
not recommended to use extenders or hubs with the Pandora.
9. Push SWITCH selects CLASS 1 or 2. Refer to the “USB Audio Input Speed” section on the next page.
10. TOSLINK Input jack.
11. SINGLE-ENDED (RCA COAX) digital Input jack.
12. AES/EBU (XLR) digital Input jack.
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