Asus Essence One Series User manual

Essence One Series
Hi-Fi USB DAC (Digital-to-Anolog Converter)
User Guide

E9117
First Edition
February 2014
Copyright © 2014 ASUSTeK Computer Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be
reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any
language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for
backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
(“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied
or altered, unless such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS;
or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL“AS IS”WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
(INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR
DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS
MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED
FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT
NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS
ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT
MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED
IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered
trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for
identication or explanation and to the owners’benet, without intent to infringe.

Contents
Safety Information ...................................................................... 4
Voltage Selection ......................................................................................4
Repairs ......................................................................................................4
Fuses ..........................................................................................................4
Other Safety Information .........................................................................5
Philosophy ................................................................................... 6
Design Story ................................................................................ 6
Feature Summary ....................................................................... 7
Product Line Up .......................................................................... 9
Design Highlights ....................................................................... 9
Package contents....................................................................... 11
Driver installation...................................................................... 12
Functionality.............................................................................. 13
1. USB DAC ( Digital-to-Analog Convertor) ....................................... 13
2. Stand alone DAC .............................................................................. 14
3. Headphone amplier ...................................................................... 14
Front Panel................................................................................. 15
Rear Panel .................................................................................. 16
Connections ............................................................................... 18
Input........................................................................................................ 18
1. NB/PC-USB connections ........................................................................18
2. Toslink and Coaxial S/PDIF audio input connections .........................19
Output..................................................................................................... 20
1. With Amplier and Passive Speaker System .......................................20
2. With Active Speaker directly.................................................................21
3. With Headphone/Headset.....................................................................21
Specications............................................................................. 22
Opamp Swap Guide................................................................... 24
1. Disassembly ..................................................................................... 25
2. Swap Guide ...................................................................................... 25
Audio Precision Test Report...................................................... 28
Appendix: Glossary .................................................................. 32

4ASUS Essence One Series
Safety Information
For your own safety please read the following important safety instructions carefully
before attempting to connect this unit to the mains power supply. They will also enable
you to get the best performance from and prolong the life of the unit.
Voltage Selection
The rear panel includes a voltage selection switch with two settings:‘115’ and‘230’.
Check to see that it is properly congured for your location before connecting AC
power. Actually, the AC input has a very wide input voltage range and can operate
over a frequency range of 47.5 to 52.5 or 57 to 63 Hz. At 115, the Essence One Series
will operate normally over a range of 95 to 132 VAC. At 230, the Essence One Series will
operate normally over a range of 190 to 264 VAC.
CAUTION: Always insure that the voltage setting is correct for your locality.
Incorrect conguration may blow fuses or cause erratic operation.
230
230V 115V
115
VOLTAGE SELECTOR VOLTAGE SELECTOR
Repairs
Do not service or repair this product unless properly qualied. Only a qualied
technician should perform repairs.
Fuses
The fuse holder is built into a drawer next to the IEC power connector.
CAUTION: For continued re hazard protection always replace the fuses with
the correct size and type (1A 250V, 5 x 20 mm).
Use tools to replace the fuses.

5ASUS Essence One Series
Other Safety Information
1. Read and keep these instructions for future reference.
2. Follow all instructions and take note of all warnings.
3. Do not use this apparatus near water or expose the device to moisture.
4. Clean machine surface with a cloth. Avoid using detergent or cleaning uid.
5. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including ampliers) that produce heat.
7. The polarized or grounding-type plug is for user safety. A polarized plug has two
blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and
a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong is provided for your
safety. If the provided plug does not t into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the outlet.
8. Protect the power cord from being stepped on or compressed particularly at the
point where it exits from the apparatus.
9. Only use attachments/accessories approved by the manufacturer.
10. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specied by the manufacturer,
or sold with the apparatus. When using a cart, take care to avoid tipping over the
load when moving the device.
11. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when not in use for a long period
of time.
12. Refer all repairs to qualied service personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as when the power-supply cord or
plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus,
the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or
has been dropped.

6ASUS Essence One Series
Philosophy
We at ASUS, recognizing that computers and digital devices are the major platforms
for audio entertainment, started out with consumer-sound cards in 2007 to build the
ASUS brand in the audio industry. This gives our ASUS brand a more stable foundation
through gradual growth, making it possible to move into the Hi-Fi/audiophile market.
In 2009, we launched Essence ST/STX, one of our mid-range products that covered a
wide variety of applications, from high-end music applications to games. Essence ST/STX
was very popular in forums and user communities, leading us to conclude that the time
was right for more upscale audiophile products.
We then started work on a prototype which eventually became the Essence One Series,
with its greater exibility, more spacious PCB and higher power delivery – all attributed
to Essence One Series being an external device rather than an internal card.
ASUS now has a large team dedicated to designing and engineering audio products.
We have been able to expand our audio product range into more diverse categories in
recent years, and have met considerable success. In 2010 we partnered with Sennheiser
on a headset-soundcard set, which conrmed our level of expertise as partners of one of
the world’s leading audiophile brands.
Design Story
ASUS has an eclectic group of visionaries and acoustic engineers coming from the
art, user experience, and the entertainment industry with a shared passion for music.
Knowing that digital media constantly changes and evolves based on our personal
experience, the ASUS team constantly evaluates the design segments with dierent
outlook and perspective, striving to provide new and better experience for music lovers
and audiophiles.
Being Present
Instead of dening hard-stoned desired results, we believe that sound is about
appreciating the present. Top-grade component is just one tiny part of the puzzle
that we mold and build to bring you the“essence of sound”. Through our meticulous
testing and product performance checks, we examine our design rules and layout
with excruciating detail because any misstep could lead to a misrepresentation of the
originality of sound.
Made for You
Across all our products, you will nd that the Essence of Sound is sublime rather than
overdominating, composed yet powerful. The Essence series follow the Confucius
thinking of “Respect”and “Harmony” – we respect that personal taste for music may
vary and hence we’ve included swappable op-amps for further customization. We
recognize that beautiful sound is about being in harmony with the surrounding and the
environment. Hence having an independent volume control for audiophiles’smooth
volume switching experience becomes crucial.

7ASUS Essence One Series
Aesthetically Pleasing
ASUS is well known for its quality control, but beyond the hard and cold facts of
humidity storage and drop test, there’s the soft appeal and the intrinsic properties
that we look into when it comes to material selection. Whether it is sweat-proof and
nger print free surface nish, an elegant color palette or smooth curvatures, it is our
commitment to bring a state-of art audio with innovative material application and
usage.
Feature Summary
• NativeDSDSupportviaDOP
• World’srst8Xsymmetricalupsamplingtechnologyrestoreslosslessaudio
• Built-in600ohmheadphoneamplierdrivesallheadphonesonthemarket
• Ultra-high120dBSNRforthepurestsound
• Usercustomizabletonecharacterswith11swappableOP-amps
• Dedicatedinternallinearpowersupplyensuresthecleanestaudio
Ultimate audio enjoyment with native Direct Stream Digital (DSD) support via DOP
Digital Stream Digital (DSD) is an encoding technology at 1 bit representation of the
audio waveform, allowing high reproduction of the original audio. With native DSD
support via DOP, the DSD container bypasses operating system through ASIO PCM,
hence allowing audiophiles to enjoy high-delity audio.
384kHz/24Bit 8X Symmetrical Upsampling Technology to restore lossless audio
The Essence One Series series can support up to 384kHz for multiples of 48kHz and
352.8kHz for multiples of 44.1kHz. This ensures that all sample rates are symmetrically
upsampled without any loss of resolution that provides pure representation of audio
content.
Built-in 600ohm headphone amplier drives all headphones on the market
Supports up to 600ohms impedance, allowing headphone enthusiasts to enjoy the
best of their favorite headphones without any additional amplication needed. The
headphone amplier powers up all Hi-Fi headphones with high performance and low
distortion.
Ultra-high 120dB SNR for the purest sound
The SNR of normal USB DAC is about 110dB. With the extremely high SNR (>120dB),
the Essence One Series provides audiophiles clearer sounds with every details with
signicantly reduced noise level.
User customizable tone characters with 11 swappable OP-amps
Op-amp is the key part that amplies the analog signal in your soundcard and aects
tone characters (darker, brighter, sound image etc..) We respect your personal taste and
preferences and on our model you will nd 11 swappable op-amp sockets. The Essence
One Series allows easy customization to swap in your favorite op-amps for a fully
customized audio experience.

8ASUS Essence One Series
Dedicated internal linear power supply ensures the cleanest audio
A clean power source is crucial for ensuring minimal supply contamination and
consistent power delivery. The toroidal comes with a specially designed silicon strip to
prevent hysteresis loss The internal power supply supports all international voltages and
has generous margins for over and under voltage conditions. It provides cleanest power
for cleanest sound with excellent immunity to noise on the AC line.
Minimal Clock Jitter with Asynchronous Data Transfer:
Most USB audio uses Synchronous Data Transfer mode to adjust internal clock to
compensate dierent data transfer rate between PC and USB Audio Device.
However, the jitter is worse if the transfer rate is a lot dierent between PC and Device.
For the Essence One Series, the USB DAC monitors the PC clock transfer speed and
adjusts the data transfer speed accordingly based on a buer status to the system.
When the PC clock is ring too fast, this is regulated and the data transfer feed is
adjusted to slow down and vice versa. This greatly improves the precision of digital
audio and provides more detail with less listening fatigue.
Bit-perfect with ASIO 2.2 driver:
Bit-perfect mode allows user to use ASIO or similar function while doing audio playback,
avoiding any sample rate conversion being done by PC’s operating system. This feature
keeps audio contents of all resolutions being played as its original sample rate without
any potential quality loss during sample rate conversion.
The ASIO 2.2 driver simplies the process of multiple audio streams, bypassing latency
issues in Windows, to deliver a low-latency, high delity sound le that is identical to the
original audio le.
Dedicated volume controls:
Most USB DACs on the market only comes with one or no volume control for both
headphone and speaker. This prevents user from keeping their favorite volume level and
has to keep adjusting volume when switching between devices. Not to mention that a
careless move can easily cause damage to your headphones.
The Essence One Series has an independent volume control for headphone and speaker
such that user can keep their favorite volume level without switching back and forth
when listening to dierent output devices.
Toslink and Coaxial S/PDIF inputs:
The Essence One Series is tted with both Coaxial and Toslink inputs, enabling
connection of multiple sources. The digital inputs accept data formats at sample rates up
to 192 kHz.
Balanced XLR output:
Essence One Series also features balanced (XLR) outputs. This is a higher quality output
that is useful for eliminating unwanted noises and interference. Since a balanced line
contains two signal carrying conductors of equal magnitude but opposite polarity,
noises induced along the cable path cancel each other out when they reach the
destination load. This makes balanced lines the professional applications for long cable
connection which induced noises might be a problem. XLR connectors should be wired
as follows:
Pin 1- Ground; Pin 2- Hot (in-phase); Pin 3- Cold (phase-inverted).

9ASUS Essence One Series
Product Line Up
Essence ONE Essence ONE
PLUS EDITION
Essence
ONE MUSES
EDITION
Essence ONE
MKII
Essence ONE
MKII MUSES
EDITION
Key Audience Entry-level
audiophiles
Op-Amp
lovers and DIY
adventurers
HI-FI
adventurers
Entry-level
audiophiles
HI-FI
adventurers
Key Focus
Desire to enjoy
high delity
music on both
headphone
and speaker
Desire to DIY
and customize
sound based
on personal
preferences
Desire to
experience
high delity
music with
world known
Muse01 Op-
Amp
Desire to enjoy
high delity
music on both
headphone
and speaker
Desire to
experience
high delity
music with
world known
Muse01 Op-
Amp
Audio Clarity 120dB SNR Hi-Fi audio clarity
Audio Precision Ultra jitter-free delity with asynchronous USB audio interface
Op-Amp
Selection & Tonal
Customization
Customizable
tone characters
with 11
swappable Op-
Amps, focusing
on 6 key Op-
Amps
Op-Amp
Tweaking Kit
with additional
TI-2132 (4 pcs)
and NS-4562
(2 pcs) and
tweaking tool
set
Unimaginably
heart-touching
and spacious
sound powered
by MUSES 01
Op-Amp (6
pcs)
Customizable
tone characters
with 11
swappable Op-
Amps, focusing
on 6 key Op-
Amps
Unimaginably
heart-touching
and spacious
sound powered
by MUSES 01
Op-Amp (6
pcs)
Powerful
Headphone
Amplier
Headphone amplier for up to 600ohm headphone impedance
Clean Power Dedicated linear power supply
Additional
Features
8X Upsampling to 384kHz
-- -- --
Native DSD
Support via
DOP
Native DSD
Support via
DOP
Design Highlights
Power Management
• High-delityLDORegulation
Using the highly regarded LDO regulators, the power source is regulated twice to
reduce heat energy and ensure stable power.
• RobustCapacitor
WIMA FKP2 capacitor serves as a stable water reservoir for stabilizing power source,
hence reducing ripples.
• Toroidaltransformer
Specially designed toroidal transformer to reduce hysteresis loss and prevent easy
worn-out.

10 ASUS Essence One Series
Signal Management
• 4-LayerHypergroundingwithbalanceddesign
4 layer PCB board for separating Digital and Analog signals on dierent grounds
and heat source. Not only are the analog and digital signals are on dierent layers,
it is sandwiched in between multiple ground layers to further prevent signal
interferences.
• Asynchronousdatatransfer
PC uses a dierent clock system than E3 and hence a buer will monitor the data
speed such that when the PC clock is ring too fast, this is regulated and the data
transfer feed is adjusted to slow down. This greatly improves the precision of digital
audio and provides more detail with less listening fatigue.
• 384kHz/24Bit8XUpsamplingTechnology
While common upsampling USB DACs just transfer whatever audio source to
192kHz indistinguishably, Essence One Series upsamples 44.1/88.2 /176.4kHz input
to 352.8kHz and 48/96/192kHz input to 384kHz in a symmetrical way, preserving
the originality of your music collection. It also upsamples bit-rate to 32bit
corresponding to the original contents. (Note: 44.1x8=352.8kHz; 48x8=384kHz)
NOTES:
• Samplerateisthenumberofsamplesofaudiocarriedpersecond,
measured in Hz or kHz (one kHz being 1,000 Hz). The more samples per
second (the higher the "sample rate"), the better the quality.
• Bitratemeasureshowmuchdataistransmittedinagivenamountof
time. The higher the bit rate, the higher the quality of the audio playback
and the larger the le.
• Upsamplingistheprocessofincreasingthesamplingrateofasignal.
For instance, upsampling raster images such as photographs means
increasing the resolution of the image.
• Therefore,upsamplingbothsamplerateandbitratewillmakeyour
audio source sound clearer.
• CustomResistorwithhightemperatureandheattolerance
0.1% tolerance and high tolerance for temperature changes with +/-0.5ppm/Celsius
with ultra-low noise and better stability.
• DCServotoreducingDCbiasing:
The DC servo design helps to reduce decoupling and this helps to extend bass
performance with richer and deeper sounds.
Ease of Use & Customization
• DSDSupport
DSD Support for USB 2.0

11ASUS Essence One Series
• BitPerfectMode
Bit-perfect mode allows user to use ASIO or similar function while doing audio
playback, avoiding any sample rate conversion being done by PC’s operating
system. This feature keeps audio contents of all resolutions being played as
its original sample rate without any potential quality loss during sample rate
conversion.
NOTE: When you run bit-perfect in Windows, the “BIT PERFECT” LED in the
front panel will light up.
Component Selection
• DAC:TIPCM1795:Excellentdynamicperformance(123dBdynamicrange)and
improved tolerance to clock jitter
• DSP:ADIADSP-21261High-performanceaudioprocessingcapabilitiesandstrong
reliability for handling upsampling and DSD support
• WIMAFKP2/FKS2:Hightemperaturetolerancewithrobustperformance
• SwappableOp-amps:NE5532
• SwappableOp-amps:LM4562(forSpeakerout)
• SwappableOp-amps:LME49720NA(forHeadphoneout)
• HeadphoneAmplier:NSLME49600TS(forHeadphoneout)
Package contents
This package should contain the following:
• EssenceOneSeriesHi-FiUSBDACx1
• USBcable(‘B-A’type)x1
• Powercordx1(Someversionsmayhave2powercordsfordierentcountries)
• 6.3mmto3.5mmadaptorx1
• Quickstartguidex1
• Userguidex1
• AudioPrecision(AP)testreportx1
• InstallationdriverCDx1
NOTE: The package contents vary with models. Refer to the package
contents for each model on ASUS website at www.asus.com

12 ASUS Essence One Series
System requirements
To ensure a successful installation of the ASUS Essence One Series USB DAC, your
computer must meet the following requirements:
• IBMcompatiblePCwithoneUSB2.0(orhigher)compatibleportfortheUSBaudio
device
• Microsoft®Windows®XP/7/8/8.1 (32/64 Bit) / MacOSX 10.6
• Intel®Pentium®4 1.4GHz or AMD Athlon 1400 CPU or faster CPU
• 256MBDRAMsystemmemory
• 60MBavailableHDDspacefordriverinstallationpackage
• CD-ROMdrive(orDVD-ROMdrive)forsoftwareinstallation
• High-qualityheadphonesorpoweredanalogspeakerstoenjoytheultra-high
delity sound of the card
Driver installation
After connecting ASUS Essence One Series with your computer by the bundled USB
cable, you need to install the device driver that enables the Essence One Series to work
with Windows operating system.
NOTES:
• ThedriverisonlyneededwhenyouconnectASUSEssenceOneSeries
with PC/NB.
• TheversionandcontentofthesupportCDaresubjecttochangewithout
notice.
To install the device driver:
1. Insert the ASUS Essence One Series support CD into your optical drive. If Autorun
is enabled, the ASUS Essence One Series driver screen appears automatically. Go to
step 4. If Autorun is not enabled in your computer, perform step 2.
2. Click My Computer on your desktop and double-click the optical drive icon.
3. Double-click the setup.exe icon located on the optical drive.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Read the END USER
LICENSE AGREEMENT in the process and make sure that you understand and
accept it before continuing the installation.
5. When the installation nishes, you may be prompted to restart your computer. You
can choose to restart the computer later if desired.

13ASUS Essence One Series
Functionality
1. USB DAC ( Digital-to-Analog Convertor)
Clear, detailed, life-like sound for your digital music collection in PC/NB, with all the
connection(XLR, RCA) you need for end devices.
Steps:
• ConnectPC/NBwithanUSBcable
• NeedtoinstalldriverinyourPC/NBtowork
• Select“USB”infrontpanelastheinputsource
USB
or
NBPC

14 ASUS Essence One Series
2. Stand alone DAC
With S/PDIF in and input select, it also serves as an independent DAC which connects
with digital inputs such as CD audio source and then plays to the end devices.
Steps:
• ConnectwithotheraudioresourcewithS/PDIFinput(byCoaxial/Opticalcable)
• SelectCOA(coaxialinput)orTOS(opticalinput)inthefrontpanelastheinput
source
3. Headphone amplier
Grants 100% performance of ALL hi-end headphones, even with impedance up to
600ohms, providing extra dynamics and sound details.
Steps:
• Connectwithhigh-qualityheadphones/headsets
UNBALANCED
OUTPUT
BALANCED OUTPUT DIGITAL INPUT
USBLRR
L
TOSLINK
COAXIAL
VOLTAGE SELECTOR AC IN
230
S/PDIF
CD/DVD player

15ASUS Essence One Series
Front Panel
Xonar Essence One
HEADPHONE
VOLUME
VOLUME
BIT PERFECT
192
96
88.2
48
44.1
176.4
_+_+
MUTEINPUT
USB
TOS
COA
UPSAMPLINGPOWER
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
99
1. Power On/O
Press to turn on and again to turn o.
2. Upsampling function on/o
(1) Press to turn on the upsampling function which increases sample rate to 352.8 or
384kHz symmetrically and bit rate to 32bit
(2) When the upsampling function is turn on, the LED light of Bit perfect / sample
rate indicator will light o.
NOTE: For models EONE MKII/ EONE Muses MKII , the upsampling LED
indicator turns red when the DSD function is on. Under the DSD mode, the
upsampling mode is disabled.
3. Input selection
Press to select among USB, Toslink or Coaxial Inputs. The corresponding LED will
light up to show which source has been selected.
4. Mute
Press to mute headphone and speaker output; again to unmute.
5. Speaker Volume control
The Volume Control controls the output level of the balanced XLR and unbalanced
RCA analog outputs.
6. Bit perfect / sample rate indicator
(1) The relevant LED will light up to indicate the sample rate of your audio source
(44.1kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz)
(2) Bit perfect: light on under ASIO model
7. Headphone Volume control
The Volume Control is used to control the output levels of the headphone jacks.
8. 1/4” Headphone output
Connect your high-quality headphones/headsets with 6.3mm connector (Please
use the attached 6.3mm to 3.5mm connector if your headphones/headsets are of
3.5 mm ports)

16 ASUS Essence One Series
9. Set screws
These 4 screws are used to hold the machine bed (including PCB board and power
module) and machine housing together. For repair’s sake, ASUS technicians may
need a small screwdriver to loosen the 4 screws to remove the front panel and then
draw the machine bed out for checking PCB board (or power module).
UNBALANCED
OUTPUT
BALANCED OUTPUT DIGITAL INPUT
USBLRR
L
TOSLINK
COAXIAL
VOLTAGE SELECTOR AC IN
230
1 2 3 4 6 75
1. Unbalanced RCA Output (line-out)
Conventional stereo outputs for connection to the line-level phono/RCA inputs of a
speaker
NOTES:
• Mostaudioequipmenthasunbalancedaudioinputsandoutputs.This
means that the audio output (left, right, or mono) appears on a single
wire, and is referenced to“0V”or “Ground”. Typical connectors used are
RCA “phono”connectors and 1/4”(6.3mm) or 1/8” (3.5mm) jack plugs/
sockets.
• Unbalancedaudioworkswellforshortcablerunsinlownoise
environments. For long distances connection or complex setups where
RF noise may be a problem, Balanced XLR Output is recommended to
eliminate unwanted noises.
2. Balanced XLR Output(line-out)
ASUS Essence One Series also features true balanced (XLR) outputs. Connect
Essence One Series with equipment such as speakers of Balanced XLR connections.
NOTES:
• Alotofprofessionalequipmentwillhavebalancedaudioinputsand
outputs, usually on 3-pin“XLR” connectors. The line is said to be balanced
since the two signal carrying conductors are of equal (though opposite)
potential.
• BalancedXLROutputisahigherqualityoutputthatcanrejectnoiseand
interference with equipment with balanced inputs, especially perfect for
long cable runs or anywhere that induced noises might be a problem
Rear Panel

17ASUS Essence One Series
3. Coaxial S/PDIF Input
Connect your digital source, such as CD/DVD players or computer with S/PDIF
output, to digital input. Use either S/PDIF coaxial or Toslink optical type, each being
of equal quality.
4. Toslink Optical Input
As mentioned in point 3, this port is for Toslink Optical Input.
NOTES:
• BothCoaxialandToslinkInputscanbeusedtoconnectandrun
equipment at the same time
• Thisunitonlyacceptstwo-channelLPCMdigitalaudio(e.g.DolbyDigital
2.0). You cannot connect a Dolby Digital 5.1 or a DTS signal as they will
not be recognized. If you wish to connect a DVD or similar device, please
ensure that the sound output of your player is set to two-channel PCM.
5. USB port
Connect a PC via a Type B to Type A USB lead.
NOTES:
• TheEssenceOneSeries’soperationisindependentofyourPCsoundcard-
it will operate whether your PC has a soundcard or not. Please select
Essence One Series as the default audio playback device in your system.
This can be conrmed in the Control Panel’s Sounds, Speech and Audio
Devices properties window under the Volume tab.
• YouneedtoinstallthedevicedriverthatenablestheEssenceOneSeries
to work with Windows operating system.
6. Voltage selection (115/230V)
Always insure that the voltage setting is correct for your locality. See page 4
“Voltage Selection”for more information.
7. Power port (AC in)
Plug the supplied power adaptor into the Essence One Series once you have
completed all connections.

18 ASUS Essence One Series
Connections
Input
1. NB/PC-USB connections
NOTE: Do not turn on the machine until all connections have been made.
(1) Connect a USB ‘B–A’type lead (as illustrated at left) from the Essence One Series’s
USB input to one of the USB ports on the PC/NB.
(2) Turn on the Essence One Series using the front panel On/O switch and make sure
that the USB input is selected (USB LED lit).
(3) Install the device driver that enables the Essence One Series to work with Windows
operating system.
USB
or
NBPC

19ASUS Essence One Series
NOTES:
• ThePC’spreviousaudiooutputdeviceshouldnowbetemporarily
disabled and the Essence One Series becomes the default audio playback
device for the PC/NB. This can be conrmed in the Control Panel’s
Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices properties window under the Volume
tab.
• IfyouwishtodisconnectyourEssenceOneSeriesandreturntousing
your previous soundcard, etc., simply disconnect it or switch o the
power on the front panel. If the PC fails to disable the Essence One Series
and automatically re-enable your default soundcard, you can manually
disable the Essence One Series in the hardware device manager. To do
this, navigate to the Device Manager (click Start — Control Panel —
(Vista: Performance and Maintenance —) System — Hardware— Device
Manager in Windows XP). Scroll down the device manager window
and expand the heading Sound, Video and Game Controllers to display
a list of the connected devices. The Essence One Series will be listed
as“ASUS Essence One Series”. Click on this description to highlight in
blue and then click on the Disable icon at the top of the window. A
warning message will appear: “Disabling this device will cause it to stop
functioning. Do you really want to disable it?”Click Yes to disable the
Essence One Series. The previous audio playback device will now be re-
instated by Windows.
2. Toslink and Coaxial S/PDIF audio input connections
UNBALANCED
OUTPUT
BALANCED OUTPUT DIGITAL INPUT
USBLRR
L
TOSLINK
COAXIAL
VOLTAGESELECTOR AC IN
230
S/PDIF
CD/DVD player
(1) Connect your digital source (ex. CD/DVD players or some PC/NB with SPDIF output)
to Digital Input. Either S/P DIF Coaxial or Toslink optical types can be used, each
being of equal quality.
NOTE: Both Coaxial and Toslink Inputs can be used to connect and run
equipment at the same time.

20 ASUS Essence One Series
Output
1. With Amplier and Passive Speaker System
(1) Use either the unbalanced (RCA/Phono) or balanced (XLR) outputs of the Essence
One Series to connect unbalanced or balanced inputs of an amplier.
(2) Connect the amplier with a Passive Speaker System.
NOTE: It is possible to use the RCA phono connections and the XLR balanced
connections at the same time, e.g. for connecting to dierent ampliers or
multi-room operations. However, no same audio quality is guaranteed as
using RCA and XLR output non-simultaneously.
Amplifier
Passive Speaker System
LR
L
R
Unbalanced
Input
Balanced
Input
UNBALANCED
OUTPUT
BALANCED OUTPUT DIGITAL INPUT
USBLRR
L
TOSLINK
COAXIAL
VOLTAGE SELECTOR AC IN
230
Option #2: XLR connectionOption #1: RCA connection