HEED ABACUS User manual

owner`s manual

precautions
2
All safety and operating instructions should be read and adhered to exactly
as written here or as depicted on the unit. Please retain for future reference
The unit sould not be used near water - that is, near a bathtub, washbowl,
kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or swimming pool, etc.
The unit should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere
with its ventilation. For example, the unit should not be placed on a bed, sofa,
rug, or similar surface, that may block the ventilation openings; or placed in
a built-in installation, such as bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow
of air through the ventilation openings.
The unit should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators,
stoves, etc.
Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked
on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention
to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the unit.
For added protection during a lightning storm, or when left unattended and
unused for long periods of time, unplug the unit from the wall outlet. This will
prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges.
Care should be taken so that objects do not fall into and liquids are not spilled
into the inside of the unit. For this reason, no objects filled with liquid, such as
vases or drinking glasses should be placed on the equipment.
The unit should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
- The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged
- Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the unit
- The unit has been exposed to rain
- The unit does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a change in performance
- The unit has been dropped, or the cbinet damaged
Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization is
not defeated.
All Heed components are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a domestic installation. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If your Abacus does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning off and on, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one
or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna;
- the separation between amplifier and receiver (radio tuner, television set, etc.)
- Connect the equipment into a power outlet on a circuit different from that to which
the receiver is connected;
- your Heed dealer or any experienced radio/TV technician for help.
It is recommended to dust the equipment from time to time with a soft dry cloth.
Instructions
Water and moisture
Ventilation
Heat
Power-cord protection
Lightning
Object and liquid entry
Damage requiring service
The Abacus d/a converter do not have any user serviceable parts. It is essential that repairs and updates
are only carried out by our authorised trade partners - distributors and dealers -, or at the factory by Heed Audio
itself. Many components are custom made, tested or matched and appropriate replacements are often
unobtainable from other sources.
Therefore, users should not attempt to service the units beyond those means described in the operating
instructions, or under any circumstances allow anyone to modify them. Unautrorised repairs or modifications
will invalidate the guarantee of the units.
Grounding or polarization
Maintenance/cleaning
Do not use cleaning solvents or abrasives for cleaning!
Always switch off and unplug he unit from the power supply when cleaning!

controls and connections
6 input selector
pushbuttons
display
mains
input
mains
switch
always turn off the device and wait 2 minutes
before changing any cables in your system
important note
3
fuse
holder
analog
output
optical 1
coax 1
(RCA)
optical 2
coax 2
(BNC)
USB aux
card

installation
4
The installation procedure is straight-forward enough that you may install your new Abacus yourself by
following the instructions contained herein. Should any problems be experienced which are not covered
here, contact your local dealer. If you are unable to do so, or problems persist, however, do not hesitate to
contact our distributor / reseller in your country (see our website) or us directly at Heed Audio.
unpacking
When opening the cardboard and unpacking the unit, you will find following items being supplied with:
Heed Abacus d/a converter, remote control handset, IEC-norm mains power cord, Owner`s manual
placement
In common with all high-quality audiophile equipment, the Abacus performs optimally when positioned on its
own individual mounting surface, ideally a light rigid structure. There are many purpose built examples readily
available from all better dealers.
Always allow adequate ventilation with sufficient airflow around the unit, do not mount on soft surfaces, for
example, carpets or soft fabrics.
connection to mains supply
1. Connect the power cord`s IEC type plug into the power inlet connector of the Abacus.
2. Connect the power cord`s mains plug to your power outlet (mains wall connector).
Before performing any connections or disconnections ensure that the power on/off switch of the unit
is in off position.
Always check that the voltage and frequency of the mains supply corresponds to the
specifications as labeled on the unit.
input connections
The Abacus has 5+1 digital input connectors.
Number 1 to 5 inputs are standard built-in connections. See specifications for data of the inputs.
Number 6 input is dedicated for the expansion card. When no card is fitted, this input is inactive.
The specifications of input 6 are detailed in the manual of the expansion card.
The installation of the expansion card can be made by an authorized Heed dealer only.
Never connect line level analog signal into the coaxial connectors of the Abacus.
line-level output connection
Your Abacus has a pair of RCA line-level analog outputs. This output has no volume control, therefore
do not connect a power amplifier directly to these outputs.

operation
5
When all steps of installation are correctly completed, your Abacus is ready for action!
Turn down the volume control of your amplifier to the minimum setting
Switch on your desired source components.
Switch on your Abacus with the power switch on the rear panel and
allow some time (5-10 minutes minimum) for warming up.
If your unit was transported or stored in cold environment allow it to warm up to room temperature
before switching on!
input selection
The input you`d like to listen to can be selected either with the front panel input selector buttons or with the grey
input up ( ) or input down ( ) buttons of the remote control handset. The numbered front panel buttons are:
menu
Through the menu system you can adjust some extra sound options of the Abacus. The menu is accessible
by pressing the ( ) button of the remote control.
The main functions (upper row) can be chosen by the ( ) and ( ) buttons. By pressing the
button you can access the second level options. These can be selected by the ( ) and ( ) buttons, and
they are taking effect immediately.
You can exit the menu by pressing the ( ) button again. The menu system is the following:
MENU
MENU
MENU
( )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.: : : : : :coaxial 1 (RCA) coaxial 2 (BNC) optical 1 optical 2 USB aux card
display
If the Abacus is locked onto a digital audio signal, the display can show you its actual sampling frequency.
There are three display modes, which can be rotated through with the ( ) button of the remote control.D
1. 2. 3.: input name and frequency : input name and frequncy (shorter) : number of the input only
FILTER MODE
lin.hard:
lin.soft
min.hard
min.soft
linear phase fast roll-off filter
: linear phase slow roll-off filter
: minimum phase fast roll-off filter
: minimum phase slow roll-off filter
DSD PATH
normal:
direct
through the converter
: routed directly to the dac stages
Δ Σ-
The different filter modes will take effect only on PCM signals, while the DSD path option will affect
the routing of the DSD signals only.

troubleshooting
6
no power, no lights
no sound from the output
the display does not show the
sample rate
the sound is OK but
the display is not working properly
rc handset does not work
connect the mains supply chord and switch on the mains
disconnect the mains chord then check the fuse on the back panel
and replace it with the same rated one if it is blown
test your mains socket with an other appliance and if it does not
work either check your household fuse or contact your electrician
contact your heed dealer
turn on your source component, select the corresponding input,
be sure your amplifier is not muted and the correct input is selected,
then apply some volume
check the connections go to and from the d/a converter
contact your heed dealer
check every digital connections and be sure your source device
is turned on and playing
change the display mode to see the the sample rate
make sure that the source format is compatible with the Abacus
contact your heed dealer
change onto another input and back, see if the display works
as it should
do not block the front panel area of your d/a converter
change your RC handset batteries with the same type
contact your heed dealer
still not OK?
still not OK?
still not ?
still not ?
still not ?
still not ?
still not ?
still not ?
OK
OK
OK
OK
still not OK?
still not OK?
still not OK?
still not OK?
OK
OK
switch off the Abacus, wait a minute and switch it on again.
If this solves the problem, you probably connected or disconnected
a cable in your system with the Abacus turned on, or there is a
chance that your system has some grounding issues. Please check it.
contact your heed dealer

specifications
7
inputs:
outputs:
output level:
frequency response:
DSD filter frequency:
sampling frequencies
BNC, RCA, optical:
asynchronous USB:
max consumption:
weight:
dimensions:
1 RCA coaxial S/PDIF input
1 BNC coaxial S/PDIF input
2 Toslink optical input
1 asynchronous USB input
1 auxiliary input for expansion card
1 pair RCA line level analog output
2.1 Vrms
3 Hz - (depens on sample rate)
50 kHz standard Scarlet Book
32 / 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 kHz
max. 24bit PCM
50 VA
4.5 kg
22 x 8.7 x 32.5 cm (W x H x D)
32 / 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 /
352.8 / 384 kHz max. 32bit PCM
and 2.8224 / 5.6448 MHz 1bit native DSD

heed abacus owner`s manual - english v1.0 (05.2017)
heed audio factory contact
Heed Audio Kft. (Ltd.)
Reviczky Gyula u. 9-11
H-1181 Budapest
Hungary
Tel/fax: [phone]
[email protected]
www.heedaudio.com
distributor contact
warranty
Service enquiries in countries with appointed distributor should be addressed
first to the supplying dealer and/or Heed Distributor.
Warranties granted in these countries are entirely at the discretion of distributor.
factory warranty
If within three years of the purchase date your Heed Abacus proves to be defective for
any reason other than accident, misuse, neglect, unauthorised modification or fair
wear and tear, Heed Audio Ltd. will, at its discretion, replace the faulty parts without
charge for labour. This factory warranty is valid only for units sold into countries
with no appointed Heed Distributor.