LiNA Network DAC User manual

Lina Network DAC
Getting Started Guide
dCS LINA DAC Getting Started Guide A5.indd 2 01/12/2021 16:08

2
View the full User Guide
To view the full User Guide for your LINA Network
DAC, visit https://dcsaudio.com/documentation
Document information
Published on: 14/10/2021
Document ID: DCS321681 - Rev1.0
Copyright
Copyright © 2021 Data Conversion Systems Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice, and whilst it is
checked for accuracy, no liabilities can be accepted for errors.
dCS is Data Conversion Systems Ltd. Company registered in England No. 2072115.
This product incorporates the following dCS proprietary technology: Ring DAC™
dCS and Ring DAC™are registered trademarks of Data Conversion Systems Ltd.
Other product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of other
companies, and are the property of their owners. They are used only for explanation,
without intent to infringe.

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What's in the box
dCS LINA Network DAC Power cable (2m) 2x XLR cable (0.5m)
Ethernet cable (2m) Power Link cable
(0.5m) Getting Started Guide
Spotify flyer Welcome letter Display cleaning cloth

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Front
Item Description
1Display Displays menus and information about the current input, for
example, track name and artist.
2Touch
button
Tap to select the option shown in the display above the button.
• On the home screen, tap to use the assigned shortcut.
• In a menu, tap to move up a level or exit the menu.
3Touch
button
Tap to select the option shown in the display above the button.
• On the home screen, tap to use the assigned shortcut.
• In a menu, tap to go to the previous page.

5
Item Description
4
Power
button
To switch on or enter sleep mode, press briefly.
To switch off, press and hold until POWEROFF is displayed.
5Touch
button
Tap to select the option shown in the display above the button.
• On the home screen, tap to use the assigned shortcut.
• In a menu, tap to go to the next page.
6Touch
button
Tap to select the option shown in the display above the button.
• On the home screen, tap to open the main menu. Touch and
hold to change the function of the three shortcut buttons.
►
For more information, see "Changing the shortcut
buttons" on page22.
• In a menu, tap to select a menu item or change a setting.

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Display
05:12 Artist Name
Track Title
384/24
QOBUZ
Description
1Input source
2Status icons
►
For more information, see "Status icons" on the facing page.
3Data rate (word length and sample rate for PCM, or DSD or DSDx2)
4Track title*
5Play/Pause icon and track elapsed time*
6Artist name*
7Menu, settings and shortcuts. To select the option, tap the relevant touch
button.
If an option is not available, the icon is greyed out.
*Displayed only when streaming from network or USB2

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Status icons
Status icons are shown in the top-right of the home screen.
Icon Description
Filter setting when receiving PCM data
Filter setting when receiving DSD data
Clocking sync mode: Master
Clocking sync mode: Audio
/ / Clocking sync mode: Word Clock (Auto, 1 or 2)
Phase is normal
Phase is inverted

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Rear
Item Description
1
UNBAL.LEFT
UNBAL.RIGHT
Stereo unbalanced RCA analogue outputs. Connects
the unit to an integrated amplifier or preamplifier.
2
BAL.LEFT
BAL.RIGHT
Stereo balanced XLR analogue outputs. Connects the
unit to an integrated amplifier or preamplifier.
3
SPDIF1
RCA digital input. Connects the unit to a digital audio
source.
4
AES1
AES2
XLR digital inputs. Connects the unit to a digital audio
source, such as a CD transport or upsampler.

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Item Description
5
SPDIF2
BNC digital input. Connects the unit to a digital audio
source, such as a CD transport or upsampler.
6
USB2
USB-A digital input. Connects the unit to a USB flash
drive.
7
USB1
USB-B digital input. Connects the unit to a computer or
sound server.
8
NETWORK
RJ45 network input. Connects the unit to the local
network or the Internet.
9
POWERLINK
RJ45 input. Connects the unit to other LINA units to
enable Power Link.
10
WORDCLOCK
IN1
Word clock input 1. A 75ΩBNC connector.
Connects the unit to an external clock. Word clock is
only used for synchronisation and does not carry
digital audio data.
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WORDCLOCK
IN2
Word clock input 2. A 75ΩBNC connector.
Connects the unit to an external clock. Word clock is
only used for synchronisation and does not carry
digital audio data.
12
SPDIF3
Fibre optic Toslink input. Connects the unit to a digital
audio source, such as a satellite receiver.
13 Power socket,
fuse, and power
switch
Power is connected via a standard IEC320 connector,
with a power switch and a fuse holder.

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Setting up
1 2
3
Connecting the LINA range
To connect the LINA Network DAC, LINA Master Clock and LINA
Headphone Amplifier together:
1. Position the LINA range.
2. Connect the LINA Network DAC to the LINA Headphone Amplifier.
3. Connect the LINA Master Clock to the LINA Network DAC.

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1. Positioning the LINA range
You can position the units in one of the following ways:
• Place the units side by side.
• Stack the units vertically in the following order:
• LINA Headphone Amplifier at the bottom
• LINA Master Clock in the middle
• LINA Network DAC on top
To prevent overheating, we recommend that you leave some
space around the units to allow for ventilation.

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2. Connecting the LINA Network DAC to the LINA
Headphone Amplifier
You can connect the LINA Network DAC to the LINA Headphone Amplifier
using the balanced XLR sockets.
1. Using two balanced XLR cables, connect the
BAL.LEFT
and
BAL.RIGHT
outputs on the LINA Network DAC to the
BAL.LEFT
and
BAL.RIGHT
inputs on the LINA Headphone Amplifier.
2. On the LINA Headphone Amplifier, choose the unbuffered XLR
input. If the status indicator is not white, press the
Power/Input
button until it changes to white.
3. Connecting the LINA Master Clock to the LINA Network
DAC
You can lock the network and USB inputs on the LINA Network DAC to the
LINA Master Clock.
1. Switch on the LINA Network DAC and the LINA Master Clock.
2. On the LINA Network DAC, choose the network or USB input.
►
For more information, see "Changing the source input" on
page22.

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3. Using two BNC cables, connect the
WORDCLOCK
output
sockets on the LINA Master Clock to the
WORDCLOCK
input
sockets on the LINA Network DAC.
4. Set the clocking sync mode on the LINA Network DAC to Auto .
The LINA Network DAC selects the appropriate clock input and
locks to it.
If you lock an AES or SPDIF input on the LINA Network DAC to
the LINA Master Clock, the source equipment will not be locked
to the Clock, resulting in periodic clicks, dropouts or distortion.
To use the LINA Network DAC in this way, use source equipment
that has a word clock input and a Master Clock with extra
outputs.
Connecting audio source equipment
You can use the input sockets on the rear of the LINA Network DAC to
connect audio equipment to the unit, for example, CD transports, DVD
players, or upsamplers.

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There are two types of input sockets on the unit:
• AES (Audio Engineering Society)
• SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
If you lock an AES or SPDIF input on the LINA Network DAC to
the LINA Master Clock, the source equipment will not be locked
to the Clock, resulting in periodic clicks, dropouts or distortion.
To use the LINA Network DAC in this way, use source equipment
that has a word clock input and a Master Clock with extra
outputs.
Connecting a single AES or SPDIF input
Most digital audio source equipment is fitted with at least one digital
output, which is usually an RCAphono connector. Satellite receivers
usually have a Toslink optical output.
1. At the rear of the LINA Network DAC, connect a suitable cable to
one of the following sockets:
•
AES1
•
AES2
•
SPDIF1
•
SPDIF2
•
SPDIF3
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the source equipment.
3. Switch on the source equipment.
4. If possible, play music on the source equipment to generate an
audio signal.
5. Change the source input on the unit.
►
For more information, see "Changing the source input" on
page22.

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After you have selected the input, the display shows the bit rate
and format of the current music.
Connecting a Dual AES input
Some audio equipment, for example, upsamplers or sound servers, can
output in Dual AES. Dual AES features lower jitter than single AES or
SPDIF.
Some audio equipment has two single AES outputs that carry
identical data. This is not the same as Dual AES, and will not
give a good stereo image if you set Dual AES mode manually.
To avoid this, we recommend using the Auto setting for Dual
AES.
1. Using XLR cables, connect your LINA Network DAC to the source
equipment. Ensure the cables are not swapped.
• Connect the AES1 (or AESA) output on the source
equipment to the
AES1
socket on the unit.
• Connect the AES2 (or AESB) output on the source
equipment to the
AES2
socket on the unit.
2. Switch on the source equipment.
3. If possible, play music on the source equipment to generate an
audio signal.
4. Ensure that Dual AES is enabled on the unit.
5. Change the source input on the unit to DUAL AES.
►
For more information, see "Changing the source input" on
page22.
After you have selected the input, the display shows the bit rate
and format of the current music.

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Connecting integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers
You can connect your LINA Network DAC to integrated amplifiers and
preamplifiers. The unit has two types of analogue output connections:
balanced and unbalanced. These outputs are independent, which
allows you to connect each output to a different amplifier.
Connecting the unit's balanced output to an unbalanced input
using an XLR cable is not recommended, as it results in hissing
noises, unstable levels, and a thin sound.
1. Switch on the amplifier and set it to a low volume.
2. Connect cables to the rear of the unit.
• If you are using the balanced outputs, connect XLR cables
to the
BAL.LEFT
and
BAL.RIGHT
sockets.
• If you are using the unbalanced outputs, connect RCA
phono cables to the
UNBAL.LEFT
and
UNBAL.RIGHT
sockets.
3. Connect the other end of the cables to the amplifier.
The inputs on the amplifier may be labelled CD or AUX.
4. Select the chosen input on the amplifier and play some music.
►
For more information, see "Using the LINA Network DAC" on
page22.
5. While music is playing, slowly increase the amplifier volume to
the desired level.
Connecting to your network
If you connect your LINA Network DAC to a network, you can stream
content from local sources, such as a music server on your network, or
from Internet services.

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Before connecting the unit to your network, ensure you have the
following items:
• A Wi-Fi network router with spare Ethernet sockets. To stream
content from internet services, your router must be connected to
the Internet.
• A mobile device with the Mosaic Control app installed.
►
For more information, see "dCSMosaic" on page21.
• Optional: A music server, such as a Network Attached Storage
(NAS) server. The music server must be UPnP (Universal Plug and
Play) compatible, and must be connected to the router via an
Ethernet cable.
We fully test our products with the MinimServer UPnP server
software. For more information about MinimServer, visit
www.minimserver.com
For more information about configuring your network, contact
your local service centre or a local IT expert.
To connect your LINA Network DAC to your network:
1. At the rear of the unit, connect an Ethernet cable to the
NETWORK
socket.
2. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to your router.
3. On your mobile device, connect to the same network as your
router.
4. On your mobile device, open the Mosaic Control app and
connect to your LINA Network DAC.
5. To stream from internet services, your router must be connected
to the internet.

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Connecting a computer
You can connect a computer to the
USB1
socket on your LINA Network
DAC. For best results, we recommend using a premium music streaming
program instead of software included with the operating system.
1. Using a USB cable, connect a computer to the
USB1
socket on
the rear of the unit.
2. Change the source input on the unit to USB / PC.
►
For more information, see "Changing the source input" on
page22.
3. In your streaming program, select the LINA Network DAC as the
output device.
Clocking
Clock jitter is variation in the digital audio clock frequency, which can
cause a loss of fine detail when listening to music. The unit can run in
different clocking sync modes, which can reduce jitter. To minimise

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jitter, connect the unit to the LINA Master Clock or a compatible Master
Clock.
►
For more information, see "Connecting the LINA range" on page10.
Clocking sync
mode
Inputs Description
Master ( ) Network and
USB
The unit uses its internal clock to control data
delivery from the network, computer or flash
drive.
Audio ( ) AES and SPDIF The unit locks to the data stream from the
source equipment.
Word Clock
• Auto ( )
• 1 ( )
• 2 ( )
Network and
USB
The unit locks to a Master Clock and controls
data delivery from the network, computer or
flash drive.
AES and SPDIF The unit and the source equipment lock to a
Master Clock. The source equipment’s word
clock input must be connected to a Master
Clock output at the correct frequency.
The sync mode setting is stored separately for each input.
Using the unit in Master mode
When using the network or USB inputs, the unit automatically defaults to
Master mode if a Master Clock is not connected. If you prefer, you can
set these inputs to Master mode, ignoring any connection to the word
clock inputs.
Using the unit in Audio sync mode
When using the AES or SPDIF inputs, you can set the unit to lock to the
data stream from the source audio equipment.

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1. Switch on the unit.
2. Switch on the source audio equipment.
3. On the unit, choose the input you want to lock.
►
For more information, see "Changing the source input" on
page22.
4. Set the clocking sync mode on the unit to Audio.
Locking the unit to a Master Clock
To minimise jitter, you can lock the unit to a Master Clock. If the Master
Clock has an available output, you can use it to also clock another
audio source, such as a CD transport.
1. Switch on the unit and the Master Clock.
2. On the unit, choose the input you want to lock to the Master
Clock.
►
For more information, see "Changing the source input" on
page22.
3. Using two BNC cables, connect the
WORDCLOCK
output
sockets on the Master Clock to the
WORDCLOCK
input sockets
on the unit.
4. If you are also locking another audio source to the Master
Clock, switch it on and connect the Master Clock to the word
clock input on the source equipment.
5. Set the clocking sync mode on the unit to Word Clock 1-2 Auto.
The LINA Network DAC selects the appropriate clock input and
locks to it.