Celsus Sound Companion One User manual

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Celsus Sound
Companion One
Portable Hi-Res DAC,
Headphone Amp &
Wireless Audio

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For customers in Europe
Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic Equipment (Applicable in the
European Union and other European countries with separate
collection systems)
This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this
product shall not be treated as household waste. Instead it shall be
handed over to the applicable collection point for the recycling of
electrical and electronic equipment. By ensuring this product is
disposed of correctly, you will help prevent potential negative
consequences for the environment and human health, which could
otherwise be caused by inappropriate waste handling of this
product. The recycling of materials will help to conserve natural
resources. For more detailed information about recycling of this
product, please contact your local Civic Office, your household
waste disposal service or the shop where you purchased the
product.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
There are two categories of Safety Instructions included in this manual:
 Product Warnings, (i.e., what must never be done to assure avoiding
those hazards that could cause bodily injury or property damage);
and
 User Directions (i.e., what must always be done to assure the safe use
of your device).
The Safety Instructions contained in this manual have been categorized in
accordance with the seriousness of the potential hazards through the use of Signal
Words. Those Signal Words, and their intended meanings, are as follows:
DANGER: Indicates that a failure to observe the Safety Instructions could result in
death or catastrophic bodily injury.
WARNING: Indicates that a failure to observe the Safety Instructions could result in
serious bodily injury.
CAUTION: Indicates that a failure to observe the Safety Instructions could result in
minor bodily injury or property damage.
NOTE: Designates important information that relates to activities and/or conditions
that might result in loss of data and/or damage to your device.
Safe Use and Operation of Your Device
This equipment emits stray RF energy and will interfere with the reception of signals
by airborne electronic navigational devices or medical devices. Do not operate this
equipment near any sensitive medical devices.
WARNING: Use only grounded AC power cords.
Always immediately disconnect the power to the equipment in the event the device
emits an unusual odor or sound or generates smoke.

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WARNING: Never attempt to disassemble, repair or make any modification to your
device. Disassembly, modification or any attempt at repair could cause bodily injury
or property damage, as well as damage to the device itself.
WARNING: Your device is not a toy. Never allow children to play with your device.
Misuse, rough or improper handling of your device by children could result in
serious bodily injury for any of the enumerated safety warnings in this manual. In
addition, always keep all accessories and components out of the reach of small
children as small parts might present a choking hazard. Seek immediate medical
attention if choking occurs or if any small part has been swallowed.
CAUTION: Never raise the sound volume level too high when using your device
with earphones. An excessive sound volume level could cause damage to your
hearing.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose the unit to
moisture or water.
Read all the instructions before connecting or operating the component. Keep this
manual so you can refer to these safety instructions. Heed all warnings and safety
information in these instructions and on the product itself. Follow all operating
instructions.
Immediately stop using the component and have it inspected and/or serviced by a
qualified service agency if:
 Objects have fallen or liquid has been spilled into the unit.
 The unit has been exposed to rain.
 The unit shows signs of improper operation.
 The unit has been dropped or damaged in any way.

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Introduction
The Celsus Companion One, an advanced and
comprehensive portable High-Res audio
companion, features a high-performance
headphone amp with better than 115dB signal-
noise ratio. The USB DAC, utilizing ESS’s class-
leading ES9018K2M DAC, decodes up to
DSD128 and 32Bit/384 KHz PCM audio formats.
A built-in Wi Fi network allows Companion One
to be used as a media streamer capable of PCM
24bit/192KHz streaming. A digital Toslink S/PDIF
and one 3.5mm analog output connect
Companion One to a wide array of devices.
Unique Market Position
The Celsus Companion One is the world’s first
high-performance DAC that supports both USB
cable and wireless connections to Windows, Mac,
Android (*OTG) and iOS devices. Another world’s
first is the Companion One’s ability to decode
and stream 24bit/192KHz music files. Thus the
user enjoys the highest quality desktop USB audio
playback available and, with the push of a button,
streams music from connected devices with better
than CD-level resolution.
Low Distortion and Jitter

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With asynchronous USB audio clocking via two
internal high-accuracy low-jitter clocks for
44.1KHz (88.2/176.4/352.8) and 48KHz
(96/192/384) sampling, the Celsus Companion
One optimizes USB digital data transmission for
ultra-low-jitter performance with better than
115dB signal-noise ratio.
Build and Sound Quality
The Celsus Companion One’s curved frame,
machined from a single block of aluminum, is a
pleasure to hold. With its top and bottom gorilla-
glass covers, the Companion One’s build quality
surpasses that of any portable DAC on the market
today. The unit’s signal path and headphone
amplifier circuit have been painstakingly
optimized for maximal headphone
performance. Discerning audiophiles are bound
to appreciate the Companion One’s dynamic and
richly detailed music presentation.
Features
USB Audio:
 Supports PCM and DSD audio formats
 PCM audio: 16/24/32-bit audio data,
44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192/352.8/384
KHz native sample rate.
 DSD audio: DSD64 and DSD128 native
decode.

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 Asynchronous USB audio clocking with two
internal low-jitter clocks separately for
44.1KHz (88.2/176.4/352.8) and 48KHz
(96/192/384) sampling.
 Switches between USB High Speed
(480Mbps) and Full Speed (12Mbps)
 Extremely low latency <5ms
 Supports ASIO
 Supports Windows, Mac, Android (*OTG)
and iOS devices
Wi-Fi Streaming:
 Supports PCM format: 16/24-bit, 44.1 / 48 /
88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192KHz
 Supports uPNP network media streaming.
Outputs:
 Digital: Optical/Coaxial (3.5mm JACK )
 Analog: 3.5mm JACK
 Volume Control: 100 steps
 Gain Control: 2 levels, for earphone
impedance of 16 to 300 Ohm
Specifications
Analog:
(@2Vrms,10K Ohm load)
 Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz (+0.05,
- 0.5dB)
 Dynamic range > 115dB

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 S/N ratio: > 115dB
 THD+N: <0.001%
 Crosstalk: <-110dB@1KHz
 Output power: 160mW @ 32 Ohm, 28mW @
300 Ohm.
 Output voltage (0dB): High Gain 3Vrms; Low
Gain 1.5Vrms
Product Illustration

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Functions
1. POWER－A quick half-second press lights up
the battery-power-level LEDs. Pressing for three
seconds toggles power on or off.
a. Charging Mod – Indicator LEDs 1, 2, 3, 4
light up or flash sequentially depending on
power storage levels of 25%, 50%, 75% and
100% respectively. When the battery is fully
charged, all four LEDs light up. After three
seconds Companion One is shutdown.
b. Usage Mod – Indicator LEDs 1, 2, 3, 4
flash or light up depending on power storage
levels. When the power is less than 10%, only
indicator LED 1 flashes. In order to extend
battery life, it is recommended to power up
before the level drops below 10%.
2. AUDIO MODE - Toggle between USB
Audio and WiFi Audio. The default power-on
mode is USB Audio. Press and hold for two
seconds to toggle between USB and WiFi audio
mode.
a. USB Audio - Supports Windows, MAC,
Android (version 4.2 and above with OTG
cable) and iOS (iPhone 4/4s, iPhone 5/5c/5s,
iPhone6/6 Plus, iPad/iPad2/iPad Air/iPad

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MINI) devices. Supports up to
PCM32Bit/384KHz, DSD64 and DSD128
decoding and USB hi-speed and full speed
mode.
b. WiFi Audio – Uses 2.4G wireless network
and supports DLNA, Airplay and Qplay.
Supports all commonly available music file
formats, including FLAC and WAV. Decodes
and streams the highest PCM 24Bit/192KHz
rate over WiFi. Connects via AP（one-to-one
using Companion One WiFi SSID) or Client
(using existing WiFi network)
3. CONNECT MODE – The Connect Mode
functions differently depending on the Audio
Mode.
a. AP/Client - When WiFi Audio Mode is
first turned on, it is in
AP Connect Mode ,
which means that a streaming source has to
connect to Companion One’s WiFi SSID in
order to establish a direct one-to-one
connection. Other streaming-source devices
can still connect to Companion One and take
over the streaming connection by simply
connecting to the same SSID. The last stream
to Companion One takes over the one-to-one
connection. Each of the source devices can
supersede other connections by simply

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streaming to Companion One. Pressing the
Connect Mode button for two seconds will
toggle between the AP and Client modes. In
the Client mode, Companion One is
configured to connect to the home WiFi
network, so that other streaming-source
devices within the home network do not have
to connect to Companion One’s WiFi SSID.
To configure the Client mode , the user first
enters the AP mode and visits the setup URL (it
is http://192.168.10.1 by default: see the
Client Connect Mode setup). After the Client
Connect Mode setup has been completed,
Companion One will be in the Client Connect
Mode. If Companion One is out of range or
gets disconnected from the home network, it
will default to AP Connect Mode and will
store the Client Connect Mode setup in its
memory. In WiFi Audio Mode, it will try to
establish a connection to the Client network. If
unsuccessful, it will default to AP Connect
Mode.
b. FS/HS – When USB Audio Mode is first
turned on, it defaults to HS Mode in USB 2.0
High Speed (480Mbps). Pressing the Connect
Mode button for two seconds toggles
between FS and HS modes. FS mode is
USB2.0 Full Speed (12Mbps).

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4. Mode LED
a. USB Audio – When Companion One is
first powered on without connecting to the
USB Audio source, the Mode LED flashes
between red and green. After Companion
One is successfully connected to the source
device, the LED turns constant green when it is
in HS mode. The Mode LED turns to blinking
green when Companion One is in FS mode.
When it is playing a PCM digital audio stream,
the LED turns to blinking green. When playing
a DSD64 audio stream, the LED turns to
blinking red. When streaming a DSD128 music
source, the LED turns to yellow.
b. WiFi Audio – Indicator LED flashes
between red and blue when it is first powered
and not connected to other devices. A red
indicator means AP mode; B Blue indicator
means Client mode.
5. GAIN – Press for two seconds to switch
between high and low gain. When Companion
One is first powered on, it defaults to low gain
with an output of 1.5VRMS（0dB）. In high
gain mode, the Gain LED is red; Output is
3VRMS（0dB). The Gain LED does not light up
in low-gain mode.

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6. Volume Control – is divided into 100 steps.
Press once to change the volume by one step.
Press and hold changes volume rapidly. Vol+：
Step 1 to 30, press once to increase by 1.5dB;
steps 31 to 100 by 0.5dB. Vol-：Press once to
decrease by 0.5dB from vol 100 to 31 and 1.5dB
from vol 30 to 0.
7. I/O:
a. Power Input – Charging input. Using DC
5V/1250mA, charging the 6000mAh Lithium
Ion battery takes about 8 hours.
b. USB Audio Input – USB audio from
Android, iOS, MAC or PC is decoded for
high-resolution music.
c. Headphone Output – Able to drive 16 to 300
Ohm earphones.
d. Line Output
e. Toslink SPDIF
8. Client Connection procedures:
a. ConnecttoCompanionOneusingAPmode
andSSID“CompanionOne”.ThedefaultIP
addressis192.168.10.1
b. Access the web interface at
http://192.168.10.1 from a browser.
c. Choose the home WiFi network SSID and
configure the password for Companion One
to connect to your home WiFi network when it
is in the client mode. You will hear the voice

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prompt (if your earphones is connected to
Companion One) that it is now connected in
client mode.
9. Reset firmware to factory original version
– in the WiFi Audio mode, pressing the Connect
Mode (AP/Client) button for 10 seconds will
reset the firmware to factory original version.
These are the circumstances where such action
is necessary:
a. User forgets the WiFi password for the AP
mode.
b. Roll back from a new firmware update.

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Celsus Sound’s Limited Warranty and Limitation of Liabilities
ADDITIONAL RIGHTS
FOR CONSUMERS, WHO ARE COVERED BY CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS OR
REGULATIONS IN THEIR COUNTRY OF PURCHASE OR, IF DIFFERENT, THEIR
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE, THE BENEFITS CONFERRED BY THIS WARRANTY ARE
IN ADDITION TO ALL RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CONVEYED BY SUCH CONSUMER
PROTECTION LAWS AND REGULATIONS. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT EXCLUDE,
LIMIT OR SUSPEND ANY RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS ARISING OUT OF
NONCONFORMITY WITH A SALES CONTRACT. SOME COUNTRIES, STATES
AND PROVINCES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON
HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY OR CONDITION MAY LAST, SO THE
LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS DESCRIBED BELOW MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO
HAVE OTHER RIGHTS THAT VARY BY COUNTRY, STATE OR PROVINCE. THIS
LIMITED WARRANTY IS GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF
THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE PRODUCT PURCHASE TOOK PLACE.
LIMITED WARRANTY
For a period of TWO (2) YEARS from the date of retail purchase by the original end-
user purchaser (“Warranty Period”), Celsus Sound warrants (in) this product against
defects in materials and workmanship, and (ii) that each Product, unmodified and
under normal use and conditions, will substantially comply with Celsus Sound’
applicable written technical documentation for the Product. Celsus Sound reserves
the right to make substitutions and modifications from time to time in the
specifications of Products sold by Celsus Sound, provided that such substitutions or
modifications do not materially affect overall Product performance.
If a hardware defect exists and a valid claim is received within the Warranty Period,
at its option and to the extent permitted by law, Celsus Sound will (1) repair the
hardware defect at no charge, using new or refurbished replacement parts, (2)
exchange the product with a product that is new or which has been manufactured
from new or serviceable used parts and is at least functionally equivalent to the
original product, or (3) refund the purchase price of the product. Celsus Sound may
request that you replace defective parts with user-installable new or refurbished
parts that Celsus Sound provides in fulfillment of its warranty obligation. A
replacement product/part assumes the remaining warranty of the original product
or ninety (90) days from the date of replacement or repair, whichever provides
longer coverage for you. When a product or part is exchanged, any replacement
item becomes your property and the replaced item becomes Celsus Sound's
property. When a refund is given, your product becomes Celsus Sound's property.
OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE
If you purchased the product in the U.S., deliver the product, at your expense, to
any Celsus Sound Service Center located in the U.S. If you purchased the product
outside of the U.S., deliver the product to any Celsus Sound Authorized Importer in
the country where you purchased the product. Be aware, however, that not all
countries have Celsus Sound Authorized Service Providers (‘NASP’) and not all
Authorized Service Providers outside the country of purchase have all parts or

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replacement units for the product. If the product cannot be repaired or replaced in
the country it is in, it may need to be sent to a different country or returned to the
country of purchase at your expense for repair or replacement. If you seek service
in a country that is not the country of original purchase, you will comply with all
applicable import and export laws and regulations and be responsible for all
custom duties, V.A.T. and other associated taxes and charges. Where international
service is available, Celsus Sound may repair or exchange defective products and
parts with comparable products and parts that comply with local standards.
You can always deliver the product to Celsus Sound’s U.S. main service center for
obtaining warranty service, however, you may have to pay for return shipping cost.
Celsus Sound may send you user-installable new or refurbished replacement
product or parts to enable you to service or exchange your own product (“DIY
Service”). Upon receipt of the replacement product or part, the original product or
part becomes the property of Celsus Sound and you agree to follow instructions,
including, if required, arranging the return of original product or part to Celsus
Sound in a timely manner.
When providing DIY Service requiring the return of the original product or part,
Celsus Sound may require a credit card authorization as security for the retail price
of the replacement product or part and applicable shipping costs. If you follow
instructions, Celsus Sound will cancel the credit card authorization, so you will not
be charged for the product or part and shipping costs. If you fail to return the
replaced product or part as instructed or the replaced product or part is not eligible
for warranty service, Celsus Sound will charge the credit card for the authorized
amount.
EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS
This Limited Warranty applies only to hardware products manufactured by or for
Celsus Sound that can be identified by the "Celsus Sound" trademark, trade name,
or logo affixed to them. The Limited Warranty does not apply to any non-Celsus
Sound hardware products or any accessories, even if packaged or sold with Celsus
Sound hardware. Non-Celsus Sound manufacturers, suppliers, may provide their
own warranties. Other accessories distributed by Celsus Sound under the Celsus
Sound brand name are not covered under this Limited Warranty. This warranty
does not apply: (a) to damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, misapplication,
liquid contact, fire, earthquake, non-Celsus Sound products, or other external
causes; (b) to damage caused by service performed by anyone who is not a NASP;
(c) to a product or a part that has been modified without the written permission of
Celsus Sound; (d) to consumable parts, such as batteries, or protective coatings
designed to diminish over time unless failure has occurred due to a defect in
materials or workmanship; (e) to cosmetic damage, including but not limited to
scratches, dents, and broken plastic on ports; (f) to defects caused by normal wear
and tear or otherwise due to the normal aging of the product; or (g) if any Celsus
Sound serial number has been removed or defaced.
Important: Do not open the hardware product. Opening the hardware product may
cause damage that is not covered by this warranty. Only Celsus Sound or a NASP
should perform service on this hardware product.

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THIS WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU
OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, REMEDIES AND CONDITIONS, WHETHER ORAL OR
WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. CELSUS SOUND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY
AND ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IF CELSUS SOUND CANNOT LAWFULLY DISCLAIM IMPLIED WARRANTIES UNDER
THIS LIMITED WARRANTY, ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE LIMITED
IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THIS WARRANTY. No Celsus Sound reseller,
agent, or employee is authorized to make any modification, extension, or addition
to this warranty.
CELSUS SOUND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY
OR CONDITION, OR UNDER ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, DOWNTIME, GOODWILL, DAMAGE TO OR
REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND PROPERTY, ANY COSTS OF RECOVERING,
REPROGRAMMING, OR REPRODUCING ANY PROGRAM OR DATA STORED IN
OR USED WITH CELSUS SOUND PRODUCTS, AND ANY FAILURE TO MAINTAIN
THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA STORED ON THE PRODUCT. CELSUS SOUND
SPECIFICALLY DOES NOT REPRESENT THAT IT WILL BE ABLE TO REPAIR ANY
PRODUCT UNDER THIS WARRANTY OR MAKE A PRODUCT EXCHANGE
WITHOUT RISK TO OR LOSS OF PROGRAMS OR DATA.
Some states and provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or
consequential damages or exclusions or limitations on the duration of implied
warranties or conditions, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that
vary by state or province.
Proof of purchase in the form of a bill of sale or receipted invoice which is evidence
that the unit is within the Warranty period must be presented to obtain warranty
service.
REPLACEMENT AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS THE EXCLUSIVE
REMEDY OF THE CONSUMER.
CELSUS SOUND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
WARRANTY ON THIS PRODUCT. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY
APPLICABLE LAW, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ON THIS PRODUCT IS LIMITED IN DURATION TO
THE DURATION OF THIS WARRANTY.

FCC Information and Copyright
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
—Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
—Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
15.19 Labelling requirements.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1)This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
FCC RF warning statement: the device has been evaluated to meet general RF exposure
requirement , The device can be used in portable exposure condition without restriction.