Audio Note DAC 0.1x Owner's manual

DAC 0.1x
D/A CONVERTER
OWNER’S INFORMATION

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! IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION !
HUMIDITY: DO NOT STORE OR OPERATE THIS UNIT IN AREAS OF HIGH HUMIDITY, OR IN
CLOSE PROXIMITY TO WATER/DAMPINESS. DO NOT EXPOSE THE UNIT TO LIQUID.
EARTHING: THIS PRODUCT MUST BE EARTHED – ENSURE THAT THE MAINS SUPPLY CABLE
IS EARTHED.
SHOCK: INTERNAL OPERATING VOLTAGES ARE LETHAL! DO NOT REMOVE THE TOP
COVER. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE FUSE WITHOUT DISCONNECTING THE UNIT
FROM THE MAINS SUPPLY.
SAFETY COMPONENTS: INTERNAL FUSES AND OTHER SAFETY COMPONENTS ARE
LOCATED INSIDE THIS UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH BS 00 5 REQUIREMENTS.
IN THE EVENT OF SAFETY COMPONENT FAILURE, THEY MUST BE REPLACED WITH THE
SAME PART TYPES ONLY. SUCH REPLACEMENT MUST BE CARRIED OUT BY A QUALIFIED
SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
PRECAUTION
Never touch the power cord with wet hands.
Always pull the power cord out by the plug, not by the cord.
Never expose the system to rain, moisture, excessive heat and magnetism.
Never let an inexperienced person repair or reassemble the unit.
Never put anything, especially metal, into the unit.
Never place excessive weight on the unit.
POWER REQUIREMENTS
Power requirements for electrical equipment differ from area to area. Please
ensure that your unit meets the power requirements in your area. The power
requirement for your unit is marked on the serial number plate on the rear panel.
If you are in doubt, please contact your dealer before plugging the unit into the
mains supply!
CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We declare under our sole responsibility that this product is in conformity with the
following standards or standardized documents:
BS EN 00 5 in accordance with the regulations 73/23/EEC, 89/33 /EEC (from 1
st
January
1997).
CE 94
Peter Qvortrup
Director
Audio Note (UK) Limited
25 Montefiore Road,
Hove,
East Sussex
BN3 1RD
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 TECHNOLOGY, UNPACKING & INSTALLATION
4 CONNECTIONS
5 OPERATION
COMPUTER SETUP FOR USB INPUT
7 SPECIFICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY
Extensive research into the fundamental properties of the data stream itself have
shown beyond doubt that regardless of the theoretical and measurable advantages of
the signal manipulation employed in all currently available digital products, such as
higher over sampling, noise shaping, re-clocking or jitter reduction, the result is this: all
these corrective measures greatly interfere with the critical time domain requirements
of the signal. Current theory is based on an assumption that music is similar to book
keeping data which of course it is not. Music is a time continuum from beginning to end,
which when broken is irreparably damaged and no amount of clever manipulation can
ever restore it to its original time-frequency-amplitude duration or relationship,
regardless of what the theorists may tell you.
The DAC uses the revolutionary and currently exclusive Audio Note digital
technology dubbed 1x oversampling™ direct from disc™ circuit topology. The
technology in essence dispenses with all the correction measures inherent in all other
D/A converters and presents the digital signal directly to the converter after
reformatting. In other words, all products in the Audio Note DAC range have no
oversampling, no jitter reduction, no noise shaping and no re-clocking. Having removed
all the digital filtering that is part of the oversampling, we have also dispensed with all
filtering in the analogue domain to further retain good wide band phase-frequency and
dynamically coherent behaviour. The end result being a reproduction more reminiscent
of master tape in quality, with greater differentiation and contrast between different
recordings.
DAC0.1x converter uses a Philips TDA1543 stereo D/A converter chip and features
a 111WA valve zero feedback output stage.
UNPACKING & INSTALLATION
Please take care when unpacking the DAC0.1x. We recommend that you store the
packing materials in case the unit requires shipping at a later date.
Next, select a suitable location for the unit, ensuring that adequate ventilation is
provided (the valves generate a fair amount of heat). In the interest of safe, reliable
operation, situate the DAC0.1x well away from dampness or direct sunshine.
Worthwhile sonic improvements may be obtained by locating the unit on a specifically
designed audio component support system; we tend to prefer natural materials such as
wood.

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CONNECTIONS:
Please ensure that the DAC0.1x and any source equipment is switched off before
making any connections.
NOTE: It is important that all connections are firm, secure and airtight; any oxidisation of
the interconnects will result in loss of performance. Always use high quality
interconnects; Audio Note interconnects are recommended, as they are manufactured to
the same exacting standards as all of our products.
Inputs:
The DAC0.1x provides two digital inputs; a 75Ω RCA unbalanced input and ‘B-type’
male USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 connector. Optical inputs are not provided as we have found
optical transmission to sound far inferior to transmission via a standard coaxial cable.
Connect the unbalanced input to your CD transport or other digital source and/or
USB input to your computer.
Outputs:
The DAC0.1x has one unbalanced analogue output. This consists of a stereo pair of
RCA connectors, colour-coded red for right channel and black for left channel. Connect
the output to a suitable pre-amplifier.
Mains power connector:
An IEC power connector is located on the back of the DAC0.1x. Use the supplied
power cable to connect the DAC to the mains supply. Ensure the power is off at the
switch when you do this.

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OPERATION
Press button on front panel for short time to select digital input, USB or COAX.
Selected input will be indicated by red light.
Using th DAC0.1x with d dicat d CD transport:
Once all the connections are complete, turn on the digital source. Next turn on the
DAC0.1x by using the rocker switch located on the back panel above mains inlet socket.
The red led on the front panel confirms that the unit is on.
The DAC0.1x will improve over time and will start to sound increasingly well
balanced. This is because of the “bedding in” time taken by new electrical components
inside the unit. Also, the DAC’s sound quality improves as the unit reaches its normal,
stable operating temperature. Only a rear panel on/off switch is provided as the unit is
designed for continuous operation. The DAC0.1x need not be switched off each time
after use. It is interesting to note that continuous operation not only results in optimum
sonic performance (since the unit is maintaining a constant operating temperature) but
also causes less electrical stress and so extends component and valve life.
All our DACs have been designed to run into impedances of 100kOhms or greater.
Many preamplifiers both active and passive have low input impedances. We do not
recommend less than 50kOhms as this causes problems with bass roll off. If you are in
any doubt consult your dealer. Audio Note offer a modification to customers who own
pre-amplifiers with a low input impedance, which is fully refundable if at any time an
Audio Note pre-amplifier is purchased as a replacement.
Using th DAC0.1x with a PC/MAC comput r:
Th comput r MUST BE PROPERLY GROUNDED.
The USB interface acts as a ‘native’ USB audio device and does not require the
installation of any custom drivers. List of compatible operating systems is below:
- Microsoft™ Windows™ 98SE/Windows Me Japanese/English edition (For Windows 98SE
and Windows Me, the HID function is not fully functional with the default class driver.)
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Japanese/English edition
- Microsoft Windows XP Home/Professional Japanese/English edition (For Windows XP,
use the latest version of the USB audio driver available from the Windows Internet site,
or apply Service Pack 1 or later. See the Q310507 white paper available from Microsoft.)
- Microsoft Windows Vista™ Business Japanese/English edition
- Apple Computer Mac OS™ 9.1 or later Japanese/English edition
- Apple Computer Mac OS X 10.0 or later English edition
- Apple Computer Mac OS X 10.1 or later Japanese edition SP (For the Mac OS X 10.0
Japanese edition, plug and play does not work appropriately for USB audio devices.)

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Please note:
This device is a high speed serial data processor, and by its nature, requires a very
high volume of USB bandwidth. It will benefit greatly from being the only device
connected on its USB ‘bus’. Sharing the same bus with other devices may cause
unwanted artefacts such as dropouts or temporary loss of signal. This especially
includes the use of the DAC0.1x on a USB hub/splitter alongside other USB components
Comput r s tup for USB input
A good quality USB A to B cable is required to connect the unit to the computer
(not supplied).
Plug the B (square) end into the socket in the back of the DAC0.1x
Plug the A (rectangle) end into a free USB socket on the computer.
The computer should detect the new hardware and install a generic driver
automatically (No setup or driver disk required).
CD, MP3, WAV files played on any software should now play through the DAC0.1x.
PC
Check the computer has picked up the device and is currently using it by clicking:
(most Windows versions)
- Start
- Settings
- Control panel
- Sounds and Audio Devices
- Audio
Check that “USB audio device” appears under PREFERRED AUDIO DEVICE tab.
A second mixer will now be available which will be the default mixer whenever
the DAC0.1x is plugged in. Use this mixer to select the source or adjust levels if required.
Mac
Check the computer has picked up the device and is currently using it by clicking:
(MAC OS X)
- System preferences
- Hardware
- Sound
Check that “USB audio DAC” is selected under the OUTPUT tab.
If the computer’s warning sounds/chimes are to played through the DAC0.1x,
make sure it is selected under the SOUND EFFECTS tab too.
Note: USB may also be selected as an output in some individual programs.

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SPECIFICATIONS
Power source: AC 100-120V or 220-240V 50/ 0 Hz
Output impedance Less that 2 kohm
Reference output 2. V RMS (approx.)
Channel balance Less than 0.25dB
Fuse: 220/240V - 800 mA Anti-surge
100/120V - 800 mA Anti-surge
Dimensions: 300 (W) x 9 (H) x 270 (D) mm
(incl. connectors)
Weight: 3kg
Max power consumption: 48W