Metronome AQWO User manual

D/A CONVERTER & CD / SACD PLAYER
Owner’s Manual


Jean Marie CLAUZEL
Owner and Designer


Table of Contents
1Unpacking................................................................................................................................................... 1
2Safety Instructions..................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Warnings............................................................................................................................................. 2
2.2 Safety................................................................................................................................................... 2
3Quick Start .................................................................................................................................................. 3
4Use the AQWO DAC and SACD hybrid................................................................................................. 4
4.1 Connecting the AQWO...................................................................................................................... 4
4.2. Start and read CD/SACD on your AQWO...................................................................................... 4
4.3 Touchscreen functionalities.............................................................................................................. 5
4.4 Use your AQWO as a D/A Converter ............................................................................................. 6
5Tube Output Option................................................................................................................................... 7
6Remote control........................................................................................................................................... 8
7Technical Specifications........................................................................................................................... 9
8Warranty.................................................................................................................................................... 10
9Legal Notice.............................................................................................................................................. 10


1
1 Unpacking
YourAQWOispackedinaspecificcartonboxandprotectedfromtheshocksbyacoupleofspeciallydesigned
foams.
Carefullyunpackthemachineandbecarefulabouttheweight.Formoresecuritythehelpofasecondoperator
may be useful.
Please keep the packaging and protectionfoamswhich must be used forsending the unit back in case of
maintenanceorrepairs.TheMétronomeWarrantywillbeconsideredascancelledifthereturnedunitsarenot
correctly packed.
Make sure to read the Safety Instructions chapter before continuing.
Your AQWO box contains:
- 1 x AQWO main unit
- 1 x main electrical cord
- 1 x Standard Métronome remote control
- 1 x Delrin® CD clamp
- 1 x Owner’s Manual, including Certificate of Origin and Warranty Document

2
2 Safety Instructions
2.1 Warnings
Inordertoavoidanyrisksoffireorelectricalshocks,maintaintheunit inadryplace.Donotexposetohumidity.
Before connecting and operating the product, please read attentively the present manual.
The power supply generates dangerous voltages for the human body:
- Do not introduce any metallic object through the top cover or on the airings, nor on connectors
- Never dismantle the top cover if the unit is not unplugged. For any intervention, please contact your retailer
Install the product onto a stable surface
During operation, never touch the vacuum tubes if there are
Product characteristics, specifications and conception are subject to changes without prior notice
2.2 Safety
AlwaysdisconnectyourentiresystemfromtheACmainsbeforeconnectingordisconnectinganycables,orwhen
cleaning any component.
A three-conductor AC(IEC)main power cableincluding agroundconnectionmustbeused.Topreventshock
hazard all three connections must always be used.
Never use flammable or combustible chemicals for cleaning (especially on the touchscreen).
Never operate the device without the top cover in place.
Never wet the inside of the device with any kind of liquids.
Never block the air flow through ventilation slots.
Never by-pass the fuses, not replace the fuse with other type than specified.
Never try to repair the product: contact the factory or your retailer.
Never expose the product to extremely high or low temperatures.
Always unplug all sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.

3
3 Quick Start
TheAQWOinternalpowersupply isadjustedatthe factoryforanominalvoltagecorrespondingtotheelectrical
network of your country.
Install the AQWO unit on a Hi-Fi rack or on a stable and strong support.
Do not install the unit directly on a carpet or flammable material.
Do not put any object on the top of the unit.
Before starting open the remote control and insert the provided batteries.
A. Plug the unit to the AC with the supplied power cord or compatible cord
B. Start the unit with the main power switch, the screen lights up
C. Open the drawer and put a CD and the CD clamp
D. Press on Play on the touchscreen
Should it fail to operate:
- Turn off and unplug the unit
- Check the fuses
- Start again the Quick Start procedure
- If there is no difference, please contact Métronome Technologie Factory.
The touchscreen should be alight when the unit operates.
Thepowersupplycanbeswitchedonduringalongperiod.Betweenlisteningsessions,pleaseputthedeviceon
stand-by. For a prolonged absence, it is advised to switch it off and unplug the unit from the AC network.
The powersupplyisprotectedbyinternal electroniccircuitsandbyageneralfuselocatedintheblock nearthe
maincordbesidetheswitch.Tochangethefuse,itismandatorytounplugthemainpowercablebeforeopening
the fuse compartmentwith a screwdriver.Thenreplacethefuseby thesamemodel: 1A, temporised fuse(eq.
slow burn). NEVER CHANGE THE FUSE VALUE.

4
4 Use the AQWO DAC and SACD hybrid
4.1 Connecting the AQWO
Take a look at the back of the AQWO :
1 : Power switch 2 : Power cable connector
3 : Digital Outputs 4 : Digital Inputs
5 : Analog Outputs
Métronomedonotadvisespecificconnexioncables.Thecablesmayinfluencethesoundrestitutionandshould
be tested before use.
4.2. Start and read CD/SACD on your AQWO
After havingcarefullypluggedallnecessaryconnexions,startyourAQWOusingthemainswitch[1].Ifthetop
drawer is open, the screen will read [OPEN].
How to play a CD or SACD
Open the top drawer and put a CD or SACD on top of the reading mechanism.
Carefully put the clamp onto the disc and check it is well centred and fixed by the magnet.
Closethedrawer:theinitialisationbegins,andafterafewsecondsthescreenwillshowthediscinformation(total
time, number of tracks, type of disc).
1
2
3
4
5

5
4.3 Touchscreen functionalities
Your AQWO is equipped with a capacitive touchscreen of 6.5 inches diagonal.
NEVER clean the touchscreen with any detergent or cleaning liquids.
ONLY use a microfiber or soft cloth slightly moistened.
All the functions of your AQWO can be activated by the touchscreen.
NOTE : when the function is active, the corresponding pictogram is coloured (otherwise grey).
Repeat functions (repeat album/repeat track)
Random function
Readsthetypeofdisc.Pressheretochangetheinput
(when using AQWO as a DAC)
From left to right: previous track / fast backward / stop / read pause / fast forward / next track
DIMMING: short press on the logo zone
ACCESS TO THE SETTINGS: long press on the logo zone
Output gain (3 levels)
Filters
Screen colour

6
ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE INPUTS: click on Input ON/OFF and select on the screen
4.4 Use your AQWO as a D/A Converter
AQWOhasahigh-resolutionasynchronousUSBinputallowingtoreaddigitalfilesupto32bits/384kHzandDSD
filesuptoDSD512(DSDx8=22.5MHz).TheUSBinputacceptsallformats,unlikethestandarddigitalinputs,
which only accept files up to 24 bits / 192 kHz.
Many transports and media players can be used to play music on AQWO. Most of them have been tested,
including JRiverandAudirvana+,butMétronomeTechnologiecannotguaranteeacompletefunctionalityonall
the media players existing on the market.
Important note about computer drivers:
AQWO is automatically recognized by all systems operating under MacOs (Apple) or Linux.
For systems operated by Windows, a driver needs to be installed on your computer. The drivers can be
downloadedfromour website(Products/Downloads).Oncesavedonyourcomputer,unzipthefileandclickon
the .exe file. Once the setup complete, select Combo 384 ASIO in the settings of your media player.
AQWOhasonedigitaltoanalogprocessorperchannel,decodingnativefilesincludingDSD(nofiletransformation
toDoPordownsampling).CheckthesettingsofyourmediaplayertobesuretheDSDfilesarereadintheirnative
form.

7
5 Tube Output Option
TheAQWOismanufacturedwithhigh-endOPAoutputs,butatubeoutputoptionisavailable.Thisoptioncanbe
assembled at the factory, or later by your local technician.
The specificdesign ofMétronome tubeoutputallows toswitchfromOPAtotube,andthustoadaptthe sound
profile to your personal tastes and the type of music you are listening to.
When the tube section is installed in AQWO, the main screen ads a specific pictogram:
When coloured, the tube section is activated
(press once to change and switch to OPA)

8
6 Remote control
Carefully unpack the Métronome standard remote and insert the provided LR03 AAA batteries
Thisinfra-redremotefunctionsunderRC5protocol,soitmayinterferewithyourotherdevicesfunctioningunder
the same transmission protocol.
Functions accessible after clicking on [CD] touch :
[1] to [9] : access to the tracks
: PLAY
: NEXT TRACK
|| : PAUSE
: STOP
[REPEAT] : one time for CD repeat, twice for track repeat
[VOL+]/[VOL-] : dimming
: STAND-BY
Functions accessible after clicking on the [AMP] touch :
[1] [2] [3] : change the output gain (resp. 1.4V, 2.5V, 3V)
[4] to [9] : change the DAC filters
[0] : activate/deactivate the tube output
: display settings menu on screen

9
7 Technical Specifications
Pickup Mechanism
D&M SACD transport
D/A Conversion
1 x AK4497 conversion processor per channel
Digital Inputs
1 x USB
2 x AES EBU
2 x S/P DIF
2 x Optical
Digital Outputs
1 x AES EBU
1 x S/P DIF
1 x Optical
1 x HDMI (audio only, I²S signal)
Analog Outputs
Unbalanced RCA 1.4 to 3 V RMS
Balanced XLR 1.4 to 3V RMS
Tube Output Option
Class A polarization, 1 x 6922 tube per channel
Touchscreen
6.5 inches, 21/9
Power consumption
60 VA max
Available Voltage
100VAC 50/60Hz / 120VAC-230VAC 50/60Hz
Dimensions (W x H x D)
425 x 130 x 415 mm
Weight
15 kg

10
8 Warranty
MétronomeTechnologieguarantees thecomponents ofyour MétronomeAQWO for2 yearsfromthedateof
purchase.
Intheeventofaproductfailure,MétronomeTechnologiewillrepair,readjustandshouldtheeventarise,replace
the units providing that all the clauses contained in the Warranty are met.
In orderto initiate serviceof anykind, it isnecessarytoget thedistributorordealerauthorizationandthen ship
the defective unit.
Please note that any of the following conditions will cancel the Warranty :
-Operating not in accordance with this Manual
-Abuse, accident or unauthorized modifications of the device
-Removal of serial numbers, defacing or falsifying
-Shipping without the complete original boxes and foams
MétronomeTechnologieshallnotbeliableforanyaccidentaldamagesduringoperation,failure,trouble-shooting
or repair of your AQWO.
9 Legal Notice
Métronome®and AQWO®are Registered Brands of ABSOUND S.A.S.
METRONOME TECHNOLOGIE S.A.S.
Sociétépar Actions Simplifiée au capital de 38,250 euros,
enregistrée au registre du commerce d’Albi
sous le numéro 387 912 710 –APE 2640Z
Métronome Technologie is a subsidiary of ABSOUND S.A.S.
ZA Garrigue Longue
166 Rue du Castellet
81600 MONTANS
France




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