MAYFLOWER ELECTRONICS ARC User manual

ARC, the Aural Resonance Cascade
Gaming DAC + Headphone Amplifier

Quick Start
1. Connect power adapter to ①
2. Plug USB cable into PC, Mac, or PS4
and insert USB cable into ②
3. Plug eadp ones into ③
4. Optional: Plug microphone into ④
5. Turn on power and set volume ⑤
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ARC Owner s Manual
Table of Contents
Pg. 3
Introduction........................................4
Features .............................................4
Safety Precautions .............................5
Unpacking + Contents ...................…..5
Connections + Controls .....…..............6
Operation ..............................…..........7
Xbox One Settings……….…………………..9
PS4 Settings……………………………………..9
Troubles ooting ....................…........10
Specifications ...................................13
Warranty ..........................................13

Introduction
T ank you for c oosing t e Mayflower Electronics ARC. T is combination DAC + Headp one Amplifier
is designed to enric your gaming environment wit ig fidelity sound, advanced audio processing,
and integrated microp one amplifier wit noise filter.
T e ARC is fully compatible wit t e PS4 gaming console, Windows, Mac, and most Linux distributions.
In optical input mode it is also compatible wit t e Xbox.
T e Digital-Analog Converter (DAC) in t e ARC as been
developed based on customer response to our ig quality
amplifier products. By bypassing your system's lower
quality internal DAC and keeping t e audio stream digital
until t e OP-amp, sound quality is en anced and noise is
minimized.
Two digital input options are provided to ensure
compatibility wit your gaming system. A USB input
provides connectivity to most systems, w ile an SPDIF
optical input allows connection of equipment t at is not
able to recognize t e ARC as an audio device, suc as t e
Xbox. T e optical input can also be used to connect t e
ARC to your ome audio equipment. Because t is product
is an integrated DAC + Amp, t ere is no analog input.
A microp one jack bot amplifies and conditions t e input signal to ensure t e best communication
wit your team. An analog microp one output can pass t e microp one signal to your own mixing
equipment for custom audio feeds.
T e ARC is made in t e USA from US and global components.
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Features
• Combination DAC + Headp one Amp wit
adjustable digital level control.
• USB and optical (TOSLINK) digital inputs.
• RCA pre-outs for powered speaker systems.
• Microp one amp wit noise filter and analog
output.
• Dynamic Bass and Gaming Surround DSP
modes.
• Automatic eadp one switc over silences
speakers w en eadp ones are connected.

Safety Precautions
•Listen to eadp ones at a comfortable level for moderate periods of time to avoid earing
damage.
•Be aware of your surroundings w en wearing eadp ones, as important external sounds may
be difficult to ear.
•Use a dry towel to clean. Do not allow t e device to come into contact wit liquids.
•T e included AC adapter is designed for 100-240 volt AC service at 50-60 z, wit a 5vDC
output. A plug adapter will be needed if using an outlet ot er t an a Nort American outlet.
Unpacking + Contents
T e ARC DAC + Headp one Amp
Power supply
USB cable
Pg. 5

Connections + Controls
Front:
① DSP Mode Button
② DSP Mode LED
③ Power LED
④ Digital Volume Control + Power Switc
⑤ Microp one Input (3.5 mm)
⑥ Headp one Output (3.5mm)
Back:
⑦ RCA Speaker Pre-outs
⑧ Input Selector Switc
⑨ Microp one Analog Output
⑩ Full-size USB Connector
⑪ Output Gain Selector
⑫ TOSLINK Optical Connector
⑬ Power Supply Connector
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Operation
In most circumstances, t e ARC will only need to be connected to a power source and an available
USB port on your system. Refer to t e illustrations in t e Connections + Controls section to locate t e
items described below:
1. Ensure t at t e volume + power knob ④ is in t e Off position (all t e way counter-clockwise).
2. Remove t e twist tie from t e power adapter and connect it to t e ARC ⑬.
3. Plug t e power adapter into a 100-240vAC, 50-60 z power source. A plug adapter will be
needed if using an outlet ot er t an a Nort American outlet.
4. Remove t e twist tie from t e included USB cable and connect it between your system and t e
ARC ⑩.
5. Connect your eadp ones to t e eadp one output jack ⑥.
6. Optional: Connect your microphone to the mic input jack ⑤.
7. Power t e ARC on by turning t e volume + power knob ④ clockwise past t e point w ere a
click is felt.
Your system s ould recognize t e ARC and begin sending all audio processing t roug t e ARC,
bypassing t e internal sound card. If your system does not recognize t e ARC, see t e Troubles ooting
section.
8. Put on your eadp ones and adjust t e volume to a comfortable level. T e volume knob
rotates nearly 360 degrees, and it is normal to turn t e volume past 12 O’clock to ac ieve
typical listening levels. If t e level is not sufficient, switc t e output gain selector ⑪ to t e Hi
position. For most eadp ones, t e Lo gain setting is adequate.
9. Optional: Test your microphone and adjust the soft are microphone volume on your system to
an optimal level.
Connecting the ARC to your home audio system or Xbox:
Instead of using t e USB input, connect t e ARC's optical input ⑫ to your receiver, pre-amp, or Xbox
using a TOSLINK cable (not included). Move t e input selector switc ⑧ to t e optical position.
If you would like to use t e microp one wit your Xbox, you'll need to connect a standard 3.5mm to
3.5mm aux cable between ⑨ and t e 3.5mm jack on t e Xbox controller.
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Sound mode options:
T e Mode button ① allows for t e selection of two DSP audio en ancement modes to complement
your gaming environment. W en t e ARC is first powered on, t e default mode is selected, w ic
does not alter t e sound and t e mode LED is turned off.
Pressing t e mode button will cycle t roug t e DSP modes, c anging t e color of t e mode LED ②.
Continue to press t e button until t e desired mode is selected:
W en t e mode LED is blue, Dynamic Bass mode is selected, w ic evenly and smoot ly transitions to
a more powerful deep bass response. T is mode may improve sound quality depending on your
preferences, your eadp ones, and t e quality of t e input source.
W en t e mode LED is red, t e Gaming Surround mode is activated, w ic provides wider spatial
separation of t e left and rig t c annels. T is can be useful in a gaming environment to elp localize
sounds, making it easier to distinguis ow far a particular sound is coming from t e left or rig t.
Microphone Options:
T e built-in microp one connection provides a sop isticated line filter to eliminates noise, distortion,
and clipping. If your teammates are aving trouble earing you, you may need to adjust t e
microp one volume on your system.
An analog microp one output ⑨ as been provided for connection to custom mixing equipment.
T is can be useful w en capturing a game's video and audio for later viewing, or ot erwise creating a
custom audio feed (suc as a team music play list). Simply use a 3.5mm cable (not supplied) to
connect to your mixer or podcasting equipment.
Speaker Options:
A pair of RCA pre-outs ⑦ are supplied to connect powered speakers for use w en eadp ones are
not connected. T e ARC will automatically disable t e speakers w en eadp ones are connected.
W en t e RCA pre-outs are in use, volume is controlled using your speaker system’s volume
adjustment.
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Xbox One Settings:
You may need to adjust your Xbox audio settings to use t e ARC. After connecting an optical cable
between t e Xbox and t e ARC, and c anging t e input selector switc ⑧ to t e optical position,
perform t e following setup on your Xbox:
1. Open t e guide (scroll left from Home)
2. Select “Settings”
3. Select “All Settings”
4. Select “Display & Sound”
5. Select “Audio Output”
6. Locate t e Digital Audio settings and select “Optical audio”
7. Use t e arrow to t e rig t of “Optical Audio” to select “Bitstream out” or “stereo
uncompressed”
PS4 Settings:
You may need to adjust your PS4 audio settings to use t e ARC. T e ARC connects to t e PS4 using t e
included USB cable. Make sure t e input selector switc ⑧ is set to t e USB position, t en perform
t e following setup on your PS4:
1. Access t e “Settings” menu
2. Select “Devices”
3. Select “Audio Devices”
4. C ange t e Input Device to t e ARC if you are using t e ARC’s microp one input
5. C ange t e output device to t e ARC
6. Test and adjust t e microp one level if using t e ARC’s microp one input
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Troubleshooting
•T ere is no sound output to t e eadp ones or speakers:
Possible solutions:
1. T e input selector switc ⑧ may be set to t e wrong input source. C ange t e position of
t e switc to see if normal output resumes.
2. Try disconnecting and reconnecting t e power ⑬.
3. Disconnect and reconnect t e USB cable to reinitialize t e USB audio driver ⑩.
4. C eck to see t at t e volume switc is turned on and set to a reasonable volume ④.
5. Your system’s audio format may be set to an incompatible format. C eck your speaker
properties to set t e format to eit er “24 bit, 48000 Hz” or “24 bit, 96000 Hz”. You may need
to restart your system after c anging t is setting (See Figure 1).
6. Your system may be set to use t e built-in sound device instead of t e ARC. C eck your
device manager’s sound properties to ensure t e ARC is set as t e default audio device (See
Figure 2).
•T e speakers do not produce any sound or t e sound is barely audible:
T e ARC only allows t e connection of powered speakers. If your speakers are not self-
powered or t e speaker power is turned off, you will not ave sufficient volume. Use t e
volume control on your speaker system to set t e volume to an appropriate level.
•T e ARC doesn't seem to work wit my Xbox or ot er system:
It's possible t at your system's USB connection is not able to recognize t e ARC as an audio
device. In t is case you will need to use t e optical TOSLINK connection ⑫ instead. Be sure to
move t e input selector switc ⑧ to t e optical position if using t e TOSLINK connection.
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