HEED obelisk da User manual

digital to analogue converter
OBELISK DA
Users Manual
Thank you for choosing our product!
The Obelisk DA is our multiple input, remote-controllable flagship Digital-to-Analogue converter. Using
totally separate regulated power supplies and individual toroidal transformers for the analogue and
digital sections with plug in cards for the DAC and USB circuits, we ensure the highest levels of
performance and future proof upgradability.
We have designed the Obelisk DA with music lovers in mind, creating a sophisticated Digital-to-
Analogue converter for people in search of a truly musical component, even by the highest analogue
standards to deliver the highest level of performance by avoiding compromise wherever possible. We
sincerely hope that you will agree and that your Obelisk DA will provide you with many years of
impeccable, trouble free operation.
Happy Listening!
This detailed guide contains advice specifically concerned with using this component as well as more
general advice about the use of domestic high quality audio components.
PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY

Precautions
Instructions — 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.
Water and Moisture — The unit should not be used near water — that is, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink,
laundry tub, in a wet basement, or swimming pool, etc.
Heat — The unit should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, stoves, etc..
Power Sources — The unit should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating
instructions or as marked on the unit.
Power-Cord Protection — 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.
Lightning — or 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.
Object and Liquid Entry — Care should be taken so that objects do not fall into and liquids are not spilled into the
inside of the unit. or this reason, no objects filled with liquid, such as vases or drinking glasses should be placed on the
equipment.
Da age Requiring Service — 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; or the unit has been exposed to rain respectively;
∇ The unit does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a change in performance;
∇ The unit has been dropped, or the cabinet damaged.
The Obelisk DA converter does not have any user serviceable parts inside. 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 co ponents are custo ade, tested or atched and appropriate replace ents are
often unobtainable fro other sources.
Therefore, users should not atte pt to service the units beyond those eans described in the operating
instructions, or under any circu stances allow anyone to odify the .
Unauthorised repairs or odifications will invalidate the guarantee of the units.
Grounding or Polarisation — Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarisation is not defeated.
Radio interference — 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 Obelisk 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;
∇ Increase 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;
∇ Contact your Heed dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Maintenance / Cleaning — It is recommended to dust the equipment from time to time with a soft dry cloth.
Do not use cleaning solvents or abrasives for cleaning!
Always switch off and unplug the unit fro the power supply when cleaning!
!
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front panel
1. Display of selected input 2. Display di ing
3. Input selector “down” 4. Input selector “up”
1 2 3 4
5. Power on/off switch 6. Mains connector and fuse socket
7. Audio line outputs 8. TOSLINK optical digital inputs 3 & 4
9. S/PDIF co-axial digital inputs 1 & 2 10. USB digital input 5
6 7 8 8 105 9
The input control buttons are duplicated on the remote control handset except for the display function (2).
rear panel

Installation
We believe that a Heed Audio component should, optimally, be installed by an approved Heed dealer. Nevertheless, the
procedure is straight-forward enough to enable you to install your new Obelisk DA yourself by following these instructions.
Should any problems be experienced which are not covered here, contact your local dealer. If you are unable to do so, or
problems persist, do not hesitate to contact our distributor/trade partner in your country, (see our website <
www.heedaudio.com > - “Worldwide distributors” - for details), or us directly at Heed Audio .… we're here for you!
When opening the box and unpacking the unit, you will find following items supplied:
∇ 1 x Heed Obelisk DA digital to analogue converter
∇ 1 x OBELISK remote control handset
∇ 1 x IEC-norm mains power cord
∇ 1 x Users Manual
!
In common with all high-quality audiophile equipment, the Obelisk DA performs optimally when positioned on its own
individual mounting surface, ideally a light rigid structure. There are many purpose-built stands readily available from all
better dealers.
Avoid placing the unit on soft surfaces, for example, carpets or soft fabrics. Keep it away from strong magnetic fields.
Before performing any connections or disconnections, ensure that the unit’s power on/
off switch (5) is in "off" position.
Always check that the voltage and frequency of the mains supply corresponds to the
specifications as labelled on the unit!
∇ Insert the power cord's IEC-type plug into the power inlet connector [6] of the Obelisk DA.
∇ Connect the power cord's mains plug to your power outlet.
!
Connection to the mains supply
Placement
Unpacking
Input connections
The Obelisk DA has five dedicated digital (co-axial / optical fibre and USB) inputs that can be selected either by the front
panel up/down selectors [3] & [4] or via the remote control handset. Inputs 1 & 2 are true digital co-axial S/PDI
connectors. Inputs 3 & 4 are true digital optical fibre TOSLINK S/PDI connectors. Input 5 is a digital USB input for devices
that only have USB connectivity.
The Obelisk DA is not only the ideal compliment to our Obelisk DT compact disc transport, it will also extract the very best
from any digital source: computers, media servers, DAB tuners, satellite boxes, etc. Its modular DAC card and USB
interface upgradeability assure future-proof enjoyment for many years to come.
At the DA's heart lies the new Heed Dactil 1.2 DAC module, based on a Wolfson D/A chip and a new Cirrus receiver, it’s
capable of 24bit/192 kHz high resolution signal processing. A deceptively simple module with excellent musical qualities,
the Dactil 1.2 manages to scale new heights in the realisation of the Obelisk DA's 'no compromise' approach, featuring
entirely independent supply rails for its analogue and digital sections.
The Obelisk DA is also fitted with a USB to S/PDI module that allows USB connection from computers, touch pads,
smart phones and similar devices. Refer to the specifications section for the specific data of the inputs and modules.

S/PDIF connection — The standard S/PDI (Sony/Philips Digital Interface ormat) digital connection was originally
designed for test and measurements. It has become the default standard across the industry and requires no special
drivers.
Theoretically, there are no differences between the signals transmitted via optical TOSLINK or coaxial S/PDI connectors
— both carry exactly the same information. Selection of one over the other rests mainly on the availability of appropriate
connectors on the chosen equipment and the preference and convenience of the user. In practice, there are pros and cons
with both. TOSLINK cables do not work well (and may even suffer permanent damage) if tightly bent, and their high (light)
signal attenuation limits their effective cable length to approx. 6 metres (20 ft). On the other hand, TOSLINK cables are not
susceptible to ground loops and R interference, like coaxial cables.
In terms of sonic performance, however, we are convinced that coaxial connections have the edge over optical ones.
As always, please use Premium grade cables for optimum performance, do not use cheap low grade cables.
USB connection — This is a computer and OS industry standard with the following features.
∇ Extremely wide hardware support.
∇ Native drivers in all major operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux).
∇ Allows the use of any music player software and requires no custom device drivers.
∇ Native support for USB Audio 2.0 on Mac, Linux and Unix, Windows driver is available at www.heedaudio.com
∇ Technically, this an excellent low jitter solution.
However, care must be exercised when using USB connection.
∇ Do not use the same USB output port on your computer which you have any hard drives connected as it can
cause considerable noise, jitter and interference, it is better to keep the USB bus free and use ireWire or e-SATA
for external drives.
∇ RAM — Run the maximum your computer will allow. 4GB for Windows 32 bit and 8GB for 64 bit. or Mac, visit
http://www.mactracker.ca.
∇ Use Premium cables. Do not use cheap printer grade cables.
∇ Use a separate Line Conditioner / supply for all your computer equipment, keep it separate from you Hi- i
equipment mains supply.
Cables, connector selection and general advice
Output connections
LINE OUT: The Obelisk DA has two Line Out (RCA) connections [7] available, one with 1.25V output voltage as a direct
connection from the converter, while the other one is boosted to 2.5V by a dedicated preamp section (similar to the
analogue circuit of the Obelisk Pre) making it an ideal source for fans of passive pre-amps.
When connecting the Obelisk DA to the pre-a plifier, ensure that the “L” (left) and “R” (right) channels are
connected correctly.
If you have problems, contact your Heed dealer and seek advice.
It is strongly reco ended to use the highest quality interconnect cables between your digital source devices
and the Obelisk DA and also fro the Obelisk DA to the pre-a plifier and your other hi-fi co ponents.
- The best quality interconnects significantly enhance the perfor ance of your syste .
Your HEED dealer will certainly help you to choose the right connections for your particular set-up.