ANK DAC5.1 Signature Instructions for use

DAC5.1 Signature
Construction Manual
Version 2.0 Jan 2016
[e-mail]
1-613-822-7188

Table of Contents
1 - INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1
2 - ABOUT ANKITS...............................................................................................2
3 - EQUIPMENT ...................................................................................................3
4 - TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS.................................................................................4
5 - SKILLS / PREREQUISITES .................................................................................5
5.1 HARDWARE/MECHANICAL................................................................................................... 5
5.2 WIRE –STRIPPING /TINNING................................................................................................ 6
5.3 OHM METER /RESISTORS ................................................................................................... 6
5.4 SOLDERING ...................................................................................................................... 6
5.5 CAPACITOR ORIENTATION .................................................................................................... 6
5.6 VOLTAGE CHECKS .............................................................................................................. 7
6 - DAC5.1 HISTORY & TECHNICAL OVERVIEW.....................................................8
7 - DAC5.1 ASSEMBLY..........................................................................................9
7.1 INSTALL THE FEET............................................................................................................... 9
7.2 INSTALL THE DAC5.1 POWER SUPPLY.................................................................................... 10
7.3 INSTALL THE MAINS TRANSFORMERS .................................................................................... 12
7.3.1 Securing the PCB onto the chassis..............................................................................................................12
7.3.2 Connecting the White wires .......................................................................................................................13
7.3.3 Connecting the White/Grey wires..............................................................................................................14
7.3.4 Connecting the Black wires ........................................................................................................................15
7.3.5 Connecting the Black/Grey wires ...............................................................................................................16
7.3.6 Connecting the jumper cables 120V ONLY.................................................................................................17
7.3.7 Connecting the jumper cables 240V ONLY.................................................................................................18
7.3.8 Connecting the PCB to the Rocker switch ..................................................................................................19
7.3.9 Connecting the Rocker switch to the IEC....................................................................................................20
7.3.10 Connecting the IEC’s to the ground..........................................................................................................21
7.3.11 Final schematics of the 120V and 240V circuits .......................................................................................22
7.3.12 Mount the Mains Transformers into the chassis......................................................................................24
8 - FILAMENT BOARD ........................................................................................25
8.1 BUILDING THE FILAMENT BOARD ......................................................................................... 26
8.1.1 Mount the Filament board into the Chassis...............................................................................................28
8.2 POWER SUPPLY PCB ........................................................................................................ 29
8.2.1 Install a bridge ...........................................................................................................................................31
8.2.2 Install the 8-Pin Valve Base........................................................................................................................32
8.2.3 Install the White EVO Film Caps & the black 47uf TUBE cap .....................................................................33

9 - SUPER REGULATOR BOARD ..........................................................................34
9.1 INSTALL THE RESISTORS ..................................................................................................... 36
9.2 INSTALL THE FIRST CAPACITORS ........................................................................................... 37
9.3 INSTALL THE BRIDGE RECTIFIERS .......................................................................................... 38
9.4 INSTALL THE REGULATORS AND HEAT SINKS ............................................................................ 39
9.5 INSTALLING THE REMAINING CAPACITORS ............................................................................... 40
9.6 FINAL PRODUCT .............................................................................................................. 41
10 - DAC5.1 INTERWIRING.................................................................................44
10.1 WIRING THE PTL4 TRANSFORMER TO THE POWER SUPPLY PCB ................................................. 48
10.2 WIRING THE PTDAC4-1 TRANSFORMER TO THE FILAMENT BOARD ............................................ 49
10.3 WIRING THE CHOKE TRANSFORMERS TO THE POWER SUPPLY PCB.............................................. 51
10.4 WIRING THE 15K MILLS RESISTOR TO THE POWER SUPPLY PCB ................................................. 52
10.5 WIRING THE SUPER REGULATOR BOARD .............................................................................. 53
11 - TESTING THE POWER SUPPLY .....................................................................55
11.1 INSTALL THE 5U4G EH TUBE IN POSITION IN THE 8PIN SOCKET .................................................. 57
12 - DIGITAL BOARD..........................................................................................59
12.1 CONNECTING THE COAXIAL CABLE FROM SPDIF TO THE CON1 PORT .......................................... 60
12.2 MOUNTING THE BOARD INTO THE CHASSIS ........................................................................... 61
12.3 WIRING TO THE SUPER REGULATOR BOARD .......................................................................... 67
13 - ANALOG LINE BOARD .................................................................................69
13.1 INSTALLING THE JUMPERS ................................................................................................ 72
13.2 INSTALL THE COMPONENTS............................................................................................... 73
13.2.1 AudioNote Tantalum Resistors.................................................................................................................73
13.2.2 Valve Bases ..............................................................................................................................................74
13.2.3 4 x 470uf ..................................................................................................................................................75
13.2.4 VCAP Film Caps ........................................................................................................................................75
13.3 WIRING TO THE FILAMENT BOARD ..................................................................................... 77
13.4 WIRING CONNECTIONS TO THE POWER SUPPLY ..................................................................... 78
14 - I/V TRANSFORMER INSTALLATION .............................................................79
14.1 CONNECTING I/V TO DIGITAL BOARD.................................................................................. 80
14.2 CONNECTING I/V TO LINE BOARD ...................................................................................... 81
15 - TRIPLE C CORE OUTPUT TRANSFORMERS ...................................................83
15.1 MOUNTING INTO THE CHASSIS .......................................................................................... 84
15.2 OUTPUT TRANSFORMER (CC-410) CONNECTIONS TO THE POWER SUPPLY .................................... 85
16 - REAR OF DAC5.1 CHASSIS CONNECTIONS ...................................................86

17 - WIRING THE OUTPUT TRANSFORMER SECONDARY’S .................................89
18 - FINAL CHECKS – DAC5.1..............................................................................91
18.1 POWER UP &TESTING ................................................................................................... 91
19 - INSTALLING THE ROTARY ON/OFF SWITCH ( OPTIONAL )............................92
19.1 FRONT AND REAR FACEPLATES .......................................................................................... 95
20 - FINAL THOUGHTS .......................................................................................96
21 - DAC5.1 APPENDIX ......................................................................................97

1 -
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the DIY version of the ANKits DAC5.1. This is very high
end and sophisticated piece of audio equipment that will surely become the showpiece of your
sound system! We are excited you have chosen to join us on the path of audio superiority, and
thus, we have created this manual to help guide you through each step of the assembly process
with as much detail and clarity possible. To facilitate the build process, the manual has been
divided into several chapters, each focusing on a separate aspect of the system; follow through
the chapters in order and we guarantee not only a problem free experience, but a pleasant
time doing so.
If you are new to building kits, or if at any time you feel as though you need help or advice,
feel free to contact us and we will do whatever it takes to get you on the right track.
Enjoy!
1

2 -
About ANKits
AudioNote UK started out in the early 90’s developing several DIY audio kits while they were
building up their finished product business. DIY Audio has a long history and it was a chance for
knowledgeable customers to take advantage of world class designs and components!
AudioNote was focused on using the very finest materials and custom made components to
their specifications across the entire product line – from customer film and electrolytic
capacitors to tantalum resistors, transformers, binding posts, wires, etc… The Kit1 300B Single
Ended integrated amplifier was born during development of the Meishu and it proved to be
extremely popular worldwide. The ANKit business was born! As the finished product business
and dealer network started to flourish, AudioNote eventually broke the kit business off into a
separate division, thus in 2004, AudioNoteKits started up and was supported by a website such
that customers not located near AudioNote dealers could now order kits and have them
shipped direct. Kit development continued in earnest during the 2000’s with development
assisted by AudioNote engineering. AudioNote parts were used throughout the kits depending
on the various levels and budgets. By 2013, ANK AudioKits had a strong product range covering
all the areas of two channel audio: Single Ended 300B product line, EL34 & EL34 classAB and
single ended product line, Digital to Analog Converters, Pre-Amplification, Phono stages and
AudioNote Speaker kits. The end result is that customers worldwide with DIY skills can build an
entire high end audio system to their liking.
With the products getting to higher and higher levels in 2013 with the release of the Level 5
Mentor and DAC5.1, some customers wanted these high end products but wanted a
professional builder to assemble them. ANKits began offering this service for Level 4 & 5
products so that a significant investment in a kit could be turned into a work of art!
Since ANKits was born in 2004, over 2500 kits have been shipped worldwide to all corners of
the globe. There is a good demand for high end audio kits and ANKits has been delivering the
goods now for over a decade. We expect you to have a great experience building your kit and
look forward to hearing from you about your experience.
Regards
Brian Smith – Director ANKits
2

3 -
Equipment
Here is the list of equipment that will be required:
•Philips Screwdriver
•Wire Strippers
•A large, organised work area
•Soldering Iron Station with wet Sponge
•Lead Solder with Tin/Silver
We highly recommend using Leaded solder with some silver content on the build. You can use
Lead free ONLY if you are experienced using it and confident. Lead free solder requires a higher
melting temperature and thus is more difficult to use. We don’t recommend unleaded solder for
first time builders.
3

4 -
Tips and Suggestions
Practice soldering and soldering techniques (such as stripping and tinning) prior to starting the
kit. Have an organized work area where you can work on the kit on a regular basis.
Try not to do too much in one sitting, be sure to review your previous work before moving on
to make sure everything is correct.
Try to work a little bit each day on the kit, if you start to feel tired, take a rest.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
4

5 -
Skills / Prerequisites
We have learned a lot over the last decade from customers and here I would like to share some
tips with you to ensure a successful project. Please read through this section thoroughly, it will
give you a good idea of what is ahead and ensure your success!
5.1
Hardware/Mechanical
Not all of us are mechanically oriented, that is fine. The kit is quite well laid out such that all the
hardware is provided and bagged in individual sections so everything should make sense. Start
thinking mechanically because 30% of the kit is mechanical.
First thing to remember is that good hardware is beautiful; we use all stainless steel Metric
hardware in the kits. It truly is a thing of beauty, don’t rush your hardware!!
A few things we must understand first are:
I. We use the British Metric Hardware (M3 M4 M5 screw size 10mm, 15mm, etc..) as
opposed to the American Imperial system (5/1000th or 50/1000th, 1 inch ¾ inch).
Familiarize yourself with some of the hardware in the kit.
II. The screws will be called M3 or M4 and this is the diameter of the shaft. The length of
the shaft will be in millimeters, so you would need an M4 screw 16mm and then the
option is a PAN head which is a round spherical head or a COUNTERSUNK or FLAT head.
This would be used when a screw head needs to be flush with a surface (for example
under a transformer!).
III. So if you are asked to use an M3 16mm CSK screw, this is a M3 size obviously which is a
thinner shaft diameter than an M4. 16mm is the length of the shaft, and the head type
is CSK which is countersunk or FLAT head.
IV. Once you have the screws handled, we can look at the matching nuts such as M4 nut or
M3 nut and corresponding washers.
V. Standoffs are common in the kits (again, they are either M3 or m4 size). They are
threaded typically so the screw goes into them; we use several different lengths in the
kit.
VI. If any of the hardware is confusing or something is not fitting right, please email us.
Tool: A little patience
5

5.2
Wire – stripping / tinning
When it comes to wires, we use typically 18gauge (thicker) and 22 gauge in the kits. Its PTFE
Teflon silver plated copper wire, but in some other kits, we will use a solid silver wire. Basically
this is classed as Hook up wire, we typically twist wire for you when it needs to be. The other
wire we use would be called shielded cable like an AN-A (AudioNote) or AN-V. This is where you
have two conductors for signal and then a big ground braid wrapped around; this is called
shielding and allows the cable to not pick up noise. You should practice stripping some 18g or
22g wire and then try TINNING this wire; this is the process of adding solder to the bare wire so
that the invisible coating on the wire can be burned off and then allows for easy soldering to a
PCB or an RCA or a transformer terminal. So it is a good idea to practice this a little before
starting on the kit.
Tool: Wire strippers & solder
5.3
Ohm Meter / Resistors
Using the ohm setting on your multimeter is VERY useful when building a kit. First of all, you can
measure resistors (much easier than reading the color codes on the side), the color codes with
practice can also be a good way but the multimeter in OHM mode is the fastest way for a new
builder (and an experienced one).
Tool: Multimeter
5.4
Soldering
We suggest you practice your soldering before embarking on the kit, feel free to request
practice parts with your kit so that you can practice TINNING wires and making nice solder
joints. The key is a reasonable soldering station with sponge, the right temperature, and a good
size tip. Also, tips can wear out so make sure your tip is working. Check out YouTube videos for
soldering examples. The solder should flow freely, if it’s forming balls then there is a problem
with the tip or the temperature or sometimes the surface. Feel free to contact us for HELP!!
5.5
Capacitor Orientation
Any audio circuit is going to be composed of resistors and capacitors. For those who have not
built before, here is a little lesson on capacitors. There are basically two types of capacitors that
we use in the kits, Electrolytic capacitors with PLUS and NEGATIVE side and typically have
values of 100uf 450v, 10uf 160v, or 470uf 35v. These caps have a stripe down one side and that
6