Msb technology Dac iv User manual

DAC IV

Users Manual

Rev 3 (9/21)

Si g n Ma g n i t u d e La d d e r daC Sp e C i f i C a t i o n S

in p u t S : BnC, Co a x i a L , to S L i n k , B a L a n C e d aeS/eBu, MSB ne t w o r k a n d aBa L a n C e d a n a L o g

in p u t

rCa ou t p u t S : 2.62 V rMS (7 Vpp)

rCa ou t p u t iM p e d a n C e : 53 o h M S w i t h o u t V o L u M e C o n t r o L S , 38 o h M S w i t h V o L u M e C o n t r o L S

Ba L a n C e d ou t p u t : 5.23 V rMS (14 Vpp)

Ba L a n C e d ou t p u t iM p e d a n C e : 106 o h M S w i t h o u t V o L u M e C o n t r o L S , 76 o h M S w i t h V o L u M e C o n t r o L S

Vo L u M e Co n t r o L (o p t i o n a L ): 1/4, 1/2 o r 1 dB S t e p p e d a t t e n u a t o r Si g n a t u r e , di a M o n d (78, 156 o r 312 S t e p S )

2 dB S t e p S daC iV

Sa M p L i n g fr e q u e n C y : 32 khzt o 384khz

Warning! The DAC IV uses a high current power connector that requires a two step plug in. Push the

connector firmly in about 1/4”, then push harder and it should snap in another 1/8”. When plugged in,

the connector housing extends into the metal back. Check both ends.

DAC IV Users Manual

Unique Product - a Preamp or a DAC?

This product has the option to be a unique combination of a very high performance DAC and

the ultimate passive preamp. It is intended to be used as both for the best possible sound in your

system. Our preamp philosophy is based on the belief that from the moment analog audio is

created, every transition that is made degrades the quality. That means that an active preamp with

many stages if perfect would have no effect and any imperfection would result in degradation of

the music. That is why we offer a passive preamp within the DAC IV, to achieve the simplest,

shortest possible signal path, with the least possible degradation of the true music.

The Volume Control Upgrade

The DAC IV has one analog input with the option for a second, and many digital inputs. It is

designed to be the last component in your system before the ampliers. With its incredibly low

impedance, especially for a passive preamp, it can drive long interconnects and handle any type

of amplier input stage design with optimum performance.

Depending on how many analog sources you have in your system, you may be able to eliminate

your current preamp. If you currently have only CD and vinyl in your system, you would attach

your CD players digital output to the DAC IV and the output of your phono preamp to the analog

input. Your system is now complete, with the shortest possible signal path and the best sound

you can achieve. The same idea applies to use with an SACD player. Since SACD does not

normally come out the digital output, the analog SACD is attached to the analog input on the

DAC IV and the digital output for CD playback. The MSB XPORT upgrade will allow SACD

and Bluray to be output via the MSB network directly to the DAC IV.

If you have a complex system with a preamp with many analog inputs, attach the outputs of your

preamp to the input on the DAC IV. Shift any digital sources over to digital inputs on the DAC

IV and again, you will achieve optimum results. Set your preamp to a volume that matches the

DAC IV output and use nothing but the DAC IV volume control in your system.

The volume control modules can be easily installed or removed by your dealer.

Setup and Quick Start

The front panel is quite simple with few user controls. Input source select

defaults to auto. On power up, the volume is reset to -30 dB. Turn the volume

knob up until you hear music.

Power - The Platinum comes with a range of outboard power supplies. The

supply automatically detects and switches between 240V and 120V. This is not

a switching supply that works at any voltage, but a linear supply with automatic

switching of the transformer leads. Always allow three to ve hours for the

Platinum to warm up and reach thermal equilibrium.

Inputs - The Platinum comes standard with one MSB Network (CAT5), AES/

EBU balanced, coaxial (RCA and BNC) and optical digital audio inputs, as

well as a balance analog input, ranked in order of performance. Connect any

digital input to any active digital audio source. The frequency and bit depth

of the incoming signal will be read out on the front panel and analog audio

will be found on both balanced and single-ended analog outputs.

Outputs

Connect the balanced or single-ended analog outputs to any amplier and audio

should be present. The output level is controlled with the knob or remote.

Burn-In

The concept of burn-in is little understood. Does it take your ears some time to get used to the

incredibly detailed and life-like sound of an MSB product or is something actually changing?

The feedback we receive leads us to recommend at least 100 hours of burn-in on this DAC.

Customers generally recommend one month.

DAC IV

Phono

Preamp

CD, DVD-A

Transport

AMPs

Analog

R/L

Digital

DAC IV

SACD Player

AMPs

Digital

DAC IV

Universal Player

with XPORT

Upgrade

AMPs

MSB Network

Analog

R/L

Analog

R/L

Analog

R/L

Analog

R/L

iLInk II Upgrade

This option adds an iPod dock to the cover of the DAC IV. There are no setup options or controls. Plug in the

iPod and press play. In addition, the square remote buttons can be used to control the iPod.

* The stop button actually turns off the

iLink. This releases the DAC input

when auto select is on. Play will turn the

iLink back on but be patient as it takes a

few seconds for the iPod to reconnect.

* Play / Pause starts and stops

playback.

* Forward and Back jump to the next

track in the playlist.

The iLink II will charge the iPod when

plugged in. It works well with all

Generation 6 or later models including

the classic, touch and nano models. It

also seems to work with the iPhone.

Here is the complete MSB System, available in Matt White or Satin Black.

Unique Technology - the past and the future

In the 1980’s early DACs were all 16 bit ladder DACs, with a precision laser-trimmed resistor

creating the appropriate analog level for each of the bits. The DACs worked well and sounded

good. They were quite expensive as very accurate resistors were required. Then along came

the “single bit” DACs. Rather than using a resistor to create an analog level, pulse width

modulation was used. Basically each bit was created by turning a switch on and off for the

appropriate length of time. The resulting square wave pattern was ltered to create a smooth

output. The expensive resistors were gone, and so was the good performance. Next came

the Delta Sigma DAC. It used the same pulse width modulation but rather than creating a

single large pulse for each data point, the data point was created with many small pulses. This

allows the pulses to be smoothed with a less radical lter, and improves the sound. As you

can see, upsampling the input signal to a higher frequency reduces the ltering requirements

and thus improves the sound.

The Platinum draws from the older, superior ladder technology, but with incredible

improvements. The Basic Platinum contains four 24 bit MSB DAC

modules (seen below). The Platinum is fully balanced so there is

a matched pair of 24 bit DAC modules for the inverted and non-

inverted signals on each of the right and left channels. Finally, each

DAC module contains one R2R ladder DAC with a 23 bit negative

sign and one R2R ladder DAC with a 23 bit positive sign. Together

this makes a true 24 bit DAC. This design allows the quieter moments

in your music to be true to the music, without the linearity errors

near zero that plague normal ladder and delta-sigma DAC designs.

With a dual 24 bits of combined resolution, a 24 bit source gives a

true 24 bit resolution without the losses and errors that make your

normal 16 or 24 bit DAC perform far less than their actual resolution

(normal 16 bit DACs only muster a meager 12 bits of resolution).

The Platinum is carefully designed so as to require no DC correction

in the output stage. This allows direct DC coupling on the output

stage for pure, uncolored sound -- with no output ltering to muck

up your high end or smear your bass attack.

Another major difference in the Platinum is the type of output.

Essentially all ladder DACs produce a current output. This is

converted to a voltage output with a current-to-voltage converter.

This problematic circuit colors the sound and introduces non-

linearity. The Platinum is a true voltage DAC with a voltage output

right from the source. All ampliers have slew rates greater than

1000 Volts/microsecond. The output impedance of the Platinum

is 53 ohms. Original Platinum DAC module

Second Generation Platinum DAC module

Balanced Out

MSB DAC Module (Non-inverted signal)

23 bit positive sign DAC

23 bit negative sign DAC

23 bit positive sign DAC

23 bit negative sign DAC

Coaxial Out

MSB DAC Module (Inverted signal)

BL o C k di a g r a M

Right Channel

Toggle Switch

First DAC III Diamond DAC Upgrade

Here is the current Diamond DAC IV with MuMetal shielded

DAC and Volume Control Modules. The individually

shielded packages further reduce the noise oor. A large

heat spreader is then applied over the DAC modules.

0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0

ho w daCSw o r k

A DAC is a circuit that converts

digital measures of audio amplitude

in discrete steps into a continuous analog

electrical equivalent of the sound to be reproduced. The

amplitude is a digital number (like a 16 bit word) and the

steps occur based on the sampling rate (like 48,000 times per

second). This process is very much like an endless conveyer

belt with empty one gallon jugs on it, moving by a lling

station. The size of the jug is xed, the rate they pass by is

determined by the sampling rate. The goal of the DAC is to

ll each jug to exactly the right level specied by the music.

There are three techniques used to accomplish this; Delta

Sigma, Ladder, and the MSB Sign Magnitude Ladder.

Line speed

is like Sampling

Rate (48,000 per

A “one bit” measuring cup is either

full or empty. With 64 times over-

sampling, the cup is only 1/64th

the volume of the jug. This rather

crude cup does not

come close to

being accurate

enough. The cup

would need to be

1/16,777,216th

the volume of the jug

to be accurate.

Each sample or jug is

filled to the right level

with many measuring

cups, poured to reach

the target level.

By keeping a running tally of the error and by going a little over

and a little under in many many samples, a very accurate average is

reached, but only with an aggressive filter applied to the output.

De l t a Si g m a DaCS(Si n g l e Bit)

A ladder DAC is different

in that instead of a single

measuring cup (or bit), a

whole array of cups are

available, from very

small to very large.

Any combination of cups

can be used to fill each jug

to exactly the right level.

filtering is

required but

the accuracy

is defined by

the cumulative

error of all

The MSB Sign Magnitude

Ladder DAC is like a Ladder

DAC but refined in two ways.

Because the jars are

typically 1/2 full when

finished, we start

with very accurately

1/2 filled containers

instead of empty ones.

From there, we again

use the wide range of

measuring cups to either add

or take away from each jar.

Again each jar is filled exactly so no

filtering is needed, but because we only had to add or subtract a little bit

our accuracy is higher. Because our hearing is most sensitive to low level

sound (sound near the 1/2 full zero crossing) our DAC is most accurate

near 1/2 full where we use the smallest and most accurate measuring cups.

mSB Si g n ma g n i t u D e la D D e r DaC

la D D e r DaC

th e MSB pL a t i n u M daC

No commercial DAC is available with the level of accuracy

we wanted without ltering, so we produce our own using

discrete logic and resistors in a DAC module. MSB is unique

in this respect. The result is a signal-to-noise rating of up to

140 db and THD+Noise ratings near the theoretical limit of

a 24 bit source.

wh a t a B o u t Ji t t e r ?

Jitter is a variation in the speed of the conveyer belt.

With a Delta Sigma DAC, the quantity of water ending

up in the jug is dramatically affected by the speed

change because the whole cycle is occupied with

the application of many small scoops of water. With

either Ladder DAC method, all the water is placed in

the jug at the same time, and even if the jug is a little

ahead or behind in the conveyer belt, the quantity

is still accurate. That is why we never heard much

about jitter until the rst Delta Sigma DACs arrived

on the scene.

wh a t a B o u t up S a M p L i n g ?

Synchronous Upsampling like MSB does just means adding more

jars between the existing jars and moving them faster down the line.

By looking at many jars before and after the new empty one, we

calculate how full to make it. The result is smaller steps as shown in

the waveform.

The DAC STory

Special Features

The DAC IV has many special features. The following sections discuss

these features and how they work. As MSB Technology has developed,

so has our DAC architecture. Our advanced digital lter now replaces the

asynchronous upsampling of earlier models. The 32X Digital lter goes way

beyond our older 16X lter and 4X upsampling. To play a 32 bit/384 kHz

le the Platinum only needs to be plugged into the MSB Data CD IV player

and a DVD with a 32/384 .wav le needs to be played. The new reclocking

feature dynamically buffers and re-clocks all the data and clock signals to

provide a virtually jitter-free source directly to the DACs.

The menu selectable digital lters (from the optional digital lter suite)

permits the user to choose the lter design they prefer. It allows for the

selection of a standard brick-wall lter or a slow roll-off lter, both at half the

sampling frequency. Each provide a distinct, glorious listening experience.

You may favor one or the other, or enjoy changing the lter response to suit

the music you listen to. Music with less high frequencies may benet from

the slow roll-off 16x lter.

To play all kinds of media such as BluRay or SACD, your player needs to

have an MSB Network or XPORT output.

If your player does not have the MSB

Network output, it can be

added.

Upsampling

Upsampling has been in and

out of vogue for many years.

Its benet has been obvious

in one DAC and nonexistent

in another. Here is a simple

explanation of why MSB

feels upsampling is important.

Typically the most processor

intensive task in a DAC is

the digital ltering. A digital

lter takes a look at a window

of the music being played,

and because that music was

received from a digital source,

there are holes in it, between

data bytes. The lter looks at

the shape of the signal in the

window and tries to gure out

what the missing data is. The bigger the window, the better a job it does,

and the bigger processor is needed.

Well depending on the sample frequency of the incoming data, a different

digital lter is run. Each is a little different and each may not sound the

same. As a result, CDs at 16 bit and 44.1 kHz might sound better or worse

than 24 bit 96 kHz les in a particular DAC. But generally, the higher the

sampling frequency, the more processor power can be applied to look at a

bigger window and the better job the digital lter can do. So we recommend

synchronous upsampling, where the original data points are preserved, but

the spaces between them are lled in.

Custom MSB Digital Filter

The DAC IV has a custom DSP based Digital lter. The sine x function is

the ideal shape to apply to the audio lter task, but unfortunately to work

perfectly it must sample an innite number of samples. Our 16x lter

contained 3200 taps, a very large sample and worked well. The 32x Filter

contains and amazing 6000 taps, and the increased size of the lter more

closely approximates the ideal lter. Immediately you can hear the increased

clarity of the music.

MSB has applied noise shaping technology, not directly to the audio as

SACD and Delta Sigma DACs do but to the actual digital lter. This novel

approach reduces that digital harshness without loss of detail or focus.

up S a M p L i n g

ef f e C t

MSB Digital Filter History and Detail

One of our primary goals at MSB is to provide the music

lover with the most accurate musical experience possible.

During years of careful design and improvement of our

custom discrete DACs, which form the heart of your

Platinum DAC, we realized that the Platinums sound

quality was no longer limited by them. We soon narrowed

the problem to the Digital Filter which was feeding our

DACs. While the excellent Burr-Brown (Now owned by

Texas Instruments) DF1704 Digital Filter had served us

well in the past, it had became the bottleneck once we

started using our new Second Generation DAC modules.

After a thorough search of all the available off the shelf

and custom DSP based Digital Filters we realized that

little improvement could be had from any of them. With

no other option in sight we decided to build our own

solution.

Converting the ones and zeros of Digital Audio into

music is an enormously delicate and critical process.

Each individual sample that makes up the audio stream

must be converted into the high resolution, continuous

analog voltage that can be transformed into the sound

that you hear. Any misstep can corrupt the nal result

ending with audio that does not sound anything like the

original recording. Errors in translation can make a harsh,

veiled, muddy, and/or tonally colored result. Minimizing

each potential problem allows the original recording to

shine through.

Audio reproduction starts when the DAC receives the

binary coded information from the source. The rst step

requires recovering the audio samples, which represent

the nal output voltages, and the timing, which tells the

DAC when to output those voltages. Next the sample

rate is raised and the data is digitally ltered. While it is

possible to feed the DAC with the original audio samples

thereby avoiding the use of a digital lter skipping this step

has many unintended consequences.After being digitally

ltered the digital stream is feed to the DAC. The DAC

receives the digital audio samples and converts them into

a continuous analog voltage. Our DACs instantly convert

the data into a precise continuous voltage waveform with

timing determined by the DACs conversion clock.

The digital lter is necessary because mirrored image

frequencies created during the conversion process must

be removed. If the DAC did not have a digital lter, an

analog lter with an aggressive response must remove

these image frequencies. These brick wall analog lters

seriously damage the signal by corrupting the original

phase of the sound and cannot fully remove the high

frequency images. This results in harsh or rolled off high

frequencies and poor soundstage focus.

Traditional digital lter designs consist of cascaded FIR

(Finite Impulse Response) lters, each of which raise

the sample rate by two. The intermediate data between

the lters is usually stored at less than 40 bit resolution.

Since the next lter works with previously computed

data the resolution decreases with each lter pass. This

limits higher quality digital lters to a low oversampling

rate (usually 8x) before the output starts to deteriorate.

The loss in resolution is typically not apparent when

using the best conventional digital lters with standard

DAC chips, but in combination with our high resolution

DACs the problem is very apparent. The sound becomes

muddy, veiled and un-involving when using any off the

shelf digital lter. To counter this problem the MSB Digital

Filter does it’s ltering in one lter stage that raises the

sampling rate by 32.

FIR lters operate by multiplying each sample in the data

by a set of lter coefcients and then summing the result.

Most digital lters round the result of each addition before

Si g n wa V e (0 d B , 19.95 khzt e S t t o n e

SC o p e S e t t i n g S 2 V/d i V , 10 u S e C /d i V )

Just as glasses bring an image into focus for eyes that are not perfect, we

have applied a corrective algorithm to the slight imperfections specically

found in our DAC architecture. This new innovation focuses the instruments

more accurately on the soundstage.

About the Clock / Jitter Control

Jitter control devices (and inputs on most DACs) normally reclock the input

signal in attempt to lessen the jitter of that incoming signal. The DAC IV

does no such re-clocking. We actually pay no attention to the clock on the

input signal. All internal clocks are generated by an extremely accurate

+/- 2.5 ppm temperature compensated clock. Since the input clock is no

longer related to the clock of the Platinum, an intelligent ½ second buffer

is used to maintain data synchronization.

A clock header is a part of the DAC IV that will allow even more accurate

clocks to be installed as they become available.

Custom Software and Temporary Filters

A custom digital lter will allow you to tailor the sound of your Platinum.

Any form of custom FIR lter may be loaded into the MSB Digital Filter.

You may select a custom lter from our library, you may have MSB design

a lter to your specications or you may send MSB a list of Fir Filter

coefcients that we can format into a CD loadable le for you. You cannot

permanently damage your DAC by loading a Temporary Custom Filter, it is

only active until you power down the Platinum. Contact MSB Technology

for details on custom lters.

Step One, Verify Your Equipment Compatibility - To successfully load your

custom lter you must have your Platinum connected to a transport that

will not change the Data. Almost all older CD players are acceptable,

however there are some important exceptions. Upsampling CD transports

will not work. The Upsampling drives are ne for playing audio after the

upload however. DVD players should work ne when they are congured

in a mode that does not affect the Data such as CD pass-through mode. The

iPod is an excellent way to play this le if you have the iLink upgrade.

Step Two, Burn the CD - When burning a CD containing the custom lter

you must burn the .wav audio le directly to a CD without rst converting

it to another audio format such as MP3. Converting the .wav le to another

format will destroy the careful formatting which allows the DSP to load

lters directly from a CD. You may however burn other audio to the CD

as separate tracks. This allows you to create a CD with a custom sound

that differs from the rest of your collection. A suggestion is to place a track

containing the Custom Filter on the CD as track 1 and place the Special

Filter Cancellation Code as the last track. This will allow a CD to play

through with a custom lter leaving your Platinum in the normal lter

mode at the end of the CD. With an iPod, these tracks can be included

in a playlist.

Step Three, Play the CD or iPod - To ensure a proper load of the lter you

must remember to disable any digital processing before the Digital Filter.

This includes turning off processing in DVD players, Upsampling in CD

Players and Upsampling in the Platinum itself. If the Filter Load Fails

because the equipment is not compatible or the track is not played through

the MSB Digital Filter the track containing the Custom Filter will play a

short tone followed by a Update Failed message. A successful load will

just be a short tone followed by a ve-second silence.

the adding next sample. This repeated roundoff results in a

similar problem to the cascaded 2x lter approach, muddy

sound. MSBs digital lter uses bit perfect accumulation in an

80 bit accumulator completely eliminating these debilitating

roundoff errors. Only as the last step do we carefully convert

the audio to the 24 or 26 bits our DACs require. The high

sampling rate of the output allows us to include advanced

ultrasonic dither and noise shaping techniques in this step

to achieve greater than 24 bit effective resolution.

Through extensive listening tests we have found that the

choice of lter coefcients has a great impact on the tone of

the music. We have found that steep, phase perfect “Brick

Wall” lters tend to sound the most neutral but are also the

most difcult to implement without problems. Improvements

we have made in our digital lter, with its single stage design

and 80 bit computation, allow us to use very steep lters

with no compromises.

Custom Filter Options

We recognize that different people often have very different

taste in their music. For those who do not like the standard

choice of lter, or require a different lter response, we

have provided a very easy method for customizing your

MSB Digital Filter. By playing a standard CD containing a

custom lter algorithm you can temporarily change the lter

inside your Digital Filter. This CD lter loading allows you

to load almost any FIR lter quickly and easily. You may

also upgrade your MSB Digital Filter with the latest custom

software just by playing a special Firmware Upgrade CD.

The timing of the DACs conversion clock also has a large

impact on sound quality. Any periodic frequency change

or “jitter” causes a loss of focus in the reproduced audio.

The high power and large memory space of the SHARC

DSP we use allows us to offer a unique Ultra Clock to your

MSB Digital Filter. The Ultra Clock adds two ultra precision,

ultra low jitter TCXO oscillators and custom clock handling

circuitry to your board. This custom circuitry allows us to

do much more than simply reclock the data, as other jitter

reduction boxes do, but completely replace the incoming

clock!

Most jitter reduction schemes rely on Phase Locked

Loops or Asynchronous Sample Rate Converters. The

Phase Locked Loop is able to reduce jitter to a signicant

degree but not eliminate it because the output clock must

be related to the input clock. The Asynchronous Sample

Rate Converter, which completely replaces the data and

clock, seems ideal until you realize that the complex

computation involved harms the data by permanently

imbedding a portion of the clock jitter into the data. Sample

Rate conversion is also detrimental to the sound due to the

complex and sub optimal digital lters involved, which must

change their lter response to track minute changes in the

input to output clock ratio.

The Ultra Clock sidesteps both of these problems by storing

the incoming data in an extremely large buffer (1/2 second

of audio.) The on-board clock then reads out the data

without jitter. The on-board clocks are totally independent

from the input clock so that no jitter is transferred to the

output. True absolute digital silences such as a track skips

are selectively shortened or lengthened by the DSP to

keep the buffer synchronized. This process is carried out

seamlessly by the DSP to assure that all compatible sample

rates have their clocks properly replaced. Compatible

sample rates are 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz,

192 kHz, 352.8 kHz, and 384 kHz. Other sample rates

automatically use the recovered clock from the transport

without user intervention. The large delay caused by the

buffer with 48 kHz sample rate audio from a DVD movie

may cause the audio to be unsynchronized. You can turn

this feature off with the remote.

Step Four, Select the Filter - A custom loaded lter will remain the until the power is cycled. To use the lter, look in the setup menu

for the “temporary” lter and select it.

Loading New Firmware

Loading custom Digital Filter Firmware will permanently change the operation of your DSP. MSB Technology can congure custom

software for your DSP to meet virtually any requirement. Playing a CD track containing the new rmware will erase the current software

in your Digital Filter and replace it with the contents of the update le. This is just as safe as loading a Custom Digital Filter if one

precaution is faithfully observed. The rmware update process takes about 20-30 seconds and you MUST NOT INTERRUPT THE

POWER TO THE PLATINUM while the new rmware is loading. You must wait for the message after the Firmware Update before

interrupting your Platinums power. If the power to the Platinum is interrupted during a rmware update you will have to return the DAC

to MSB for reprogramming. MSB will charge you a small fee for this service. If you have accidentally loaded rmware that you do

not wish to have on your Platinum do not try to cancel it while it is loading, simply wait for the update to complete and then load the

rmware you do wish to have on your DAC.

Step One, Verify Your Equipment Compatibility - To successfully load your new rmware you must have your Platinum connected to

a transport that will not change the Data. Almost all older CD players are acceptable, however there are some important exceptions.

Upsampling CD transports will not work. The Upsampling drives are ne for playing audio after the upload however. DVD players

should work ne when they are congured in a mode that does not affect the Data such as CD pass-through mode. The iPod is an

excellent way to play this le if you have the iLink II upgrade.

Step Two, Burn the CD - When burning a CD containing the new rmware you must burn the .wav audio le directly to a CD without

rst converting it to another audio format such as MP3. Converting the .wav le to another format will destroy the careful formatting

which allows the DSP to load lters directly from a CD. With an iPod, these tracks can be included in a playlist.

Step Three, Play the CD - To ensure a proper load of the rmware you must remember to disable any digital processing before the Digital

Filter. This includes turning off any processing in DVD players, Upsampling in CD players and Upsampling in the Platinum itself. If

the Filter Load Fails (the equipment is not compatible or the track is not played trough the MSB Digital Filter) the track containing

the new rmware will play an introduction and a short tone followed by a Firmware Update Failed message. With a successful load

the tone will just be followed by a 5 to 15 second silence followed by music. The new rmware is loaded but not running at this point,

you need to press any button or change any menu to activate the change.

Step Four, Enjoy Your New Features - Custom Firmware permanently changes the software running on your DSP. This change occurs

immediately following a rmware update. A rmware update will not change the names of your menus, but may change the function

they perform. If you are not happy with your new rmware simply load your old rmware using the instructions above.

Rear Panel Analog Details - (left to right)

Right Analog Single-Ended RCA Output – This is the primary single ended RCA analog output. For optimum performance, select

single-ended mode from menu. This uses both DACs to gain an extra bit of resolution, but disables the Balanced Outputs. The output

impedance is 38 ohms with volume control and 53 ohms without, and output level is 7 Volts PP (2.62 V RMS).

Right Analog Single-Ended RCA Alternate Output – This is the alternative single-ended RCA analog output. When the DAC is set in the

single-ended mode, this output is exactly the same as the primary output. When the DAC is in the Balanced mode, this output becomes

an inverted version of the RCA output. When the DAC is in the multichannel mode, this output becomes the extra channel output.

When the optional Second Analog Input upgrade is installed, this becomes a single-ended analog input. As an input, this line should be

terminated or connected to a source as it is directly connected to the output when the DAC power is turned off.

Right Analog Balanced XLR Output – This is the balanced XLR analog output. The DAC should be set for balanced mode when using this

output. When set to single ended, the differential output will be equal and you will hear nothing. When the DAC is set to multichannel

mode, the primary channel will be heard on the non-inverted output pin and the alternate channel on the inverted output pin. The output

impedance is 106 ohms with volume control and 76 ohms without, and output level is 14 Volts PP (5.24 V RMS).

Right Analog Balanced XLR Input – This is the balanced analog input. This input is passed to the output with no change unless a volume

option is installed. The non-inverted and inverted inputs are also passed to the single-ended and alternate outputs, repectively, regardless

of the mode setting. When the volume control is installed, this input can be either volume controlled or not, depending on the menu

settings. This input is ideal for adding a vinyl input to your system. Minimum input impedance is 2 kohms. For an RCA input, use an

RCA to XLR conversion connector. At 0 dB volume setting, the analog inputs are a direct pass-through.

Left Analog Connections – Same as right above.

Aux One and Two – A second balanced analog input can be installed here, instead of the single-ended option. It can use or bypass the

volume control independently of the rst analog input.

How to Hook Up a Subwoofer

Main AMP Balanced – Set the DAC for a balanced output and attach main amp normally. Use the single-ended output for subwoofer.

(Prefered Conguration)

Main AMP Single-ended – Set the DAC for a single-ended output and attach main amp normally. Use the alternate single-ended output

to connect to the subwoofer.

Rear Panel Digital Details - (right to left)

Power Input – This product must be plugged into a Platinum power base with both analog and digital supplies. It will not work with any

previous MSB power supplies such as the P1000.

RS-232 – The RS-232 optional input is used for controlling the DAC or volume control using a remote system.

Toslink – Although this format has the lowest bandwidth, it is one of the more common outputs on low-end products. It also offers ground

isolation between products and noise immunity over long runs. It is unlikely to work at sample rates over 192 kHz.

Coaxial – A good input for short runs and lower frequencies. Limited to 384 kHz, 24 bit data.

BNC – Same as Coaxial but with a BNC connector. Another digital input.

Balanced digital – The AES/EBU Professional input is the preferred input. The balanced nature of this input allows great cable lengths

as well as total noise immunity. Limited to 384 kHz, 24 bit data.

MSB Network – The MSB Network uses CAT-6 cabling. It provides an input for use with other MSB products. It can handle 8 channels

of data up to 384 kHz and 32 bits. The DAC IV can select which audio channels to decode.

Clock Feature (advanced users only) – A clock link is included in the MSB network connector. It is a clock interface that allows multiple

Platinum products to be synchronized, allows the Platinum Clock to be output and allows an external clock to be input to the Platinum.

See Clock Interface.

Aux 1 and 2 – These are all purpose expansion slots. They can be congured as a USB input, MSB Network2 Input, or extra XLR or

RCA digital inputs. It can also become a second analog input. They will also accommodate anything new that comes along.

In a case where

three single-ended

outputs are desired,

a cable can be made

to extract a single-

ended output from a

balanced output.

Now two single-

ended outputs are

available, even

when the DAC is set

to the single-ended

mode.

Male XLR (output)

Output Cable Power Base Connection Diagram

Single-Ended Analog Input Cable

Connector Details

A single-ended analog input can be made

out of the balanced input.

Clock Interface (advanced users)

Within the MSB Network connection is a clock interface that al-

lows multiple Platinum products to be synchronized, allows the

Platinum Clock to be input or output. The interface is a LVDS

format clock interface with a signal level of 250 mV pp.

Pin Identication - The pins shown in the gure below are identied

as follows:

1. M Clock + (Positive side of balanced Master Clock)

2. M Clock - (Negative side of balanced Master Clock)

Clock Frequencies - The clock can be selected to be either an input,

output or turned off in the setup menu. The output frequencies are

as follows:

· 44.1, 88.2 or 176.4 kHz sampling frequency source outputs or

inputs a clock frequency of 22.5792 MHz

· 48, 96 or 192 kHz sampling frequency source outputs or inputs a clock frequency of 24.576 MHz.

Bit-Perfect Source Testing

Perhaps one of the most useful features of the REV 3 software is the bit-perfect test. The following series of les can be downloaded

from the MSB web site:

16 bit x 44.1 kHz sample rate le (CD standard). 24 bit x 44.1 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 48 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 48 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 88.2 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 88.2 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 96 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 96 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 176.4 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 176.4 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 192 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 192 kHz sample rate le.

They are .wav test les that when played, will be identied by the DAC IV and checked, and will be reported on the display if they are

bit-perfect. If there is a problem with the test, it will play but the display will not indicate any change. Be sure upsampling is turned off in

any transport as this prevents a le from remaining bit-perfect. This system will allow you to easily test your source, especially computer

sources to see if all your settings are correct. There are les at all sample rates for both 16 bit and 24 bit operation. The 16 bit 44.1 test

le can be burned to a CD to test transports.

MSB Network Connector

The MSB Network

One of the most powerful feature of the Platinum is the MSB network.

This network plugs into the balanced input of the Platinum and is

automatically detected and activated. The MSB network has the

following capability:

• Unidirectional communications over any twisted pair

• Simultaneous transmission of 8 audio channels with 32 bit

resolution at 384 kHz sampling rate

• MSB CAN Interbox communication Bus (for volume and trim

data)

• A single serial channel of 384 kbits/sec for control and system

data.

This network is our answer to 384 kHz audio transmission and

multichannel transmission in the same package. We provide network

outputs to our own transport and offer a source upgrade to your

transport as well. In our surround processor upgrade, up to 8 channels

of decoded data can be sent through one wire to separate DACs. The

twisted pair format is very convenient as it has become the standard

for all computer networks. Ethernet networks use CAT5 wire which

contains 4 twisted pairs. This one cable could be used to send 32

channels of 32 bit, 384 kHz audio data! Several cables are available

for connecting MSB transports to the Platinum including CAT5 cable

at any length up to 80 feet.

Front Panel Controls

Although the user interface is very simple and easy to use, in depth menus allow complete control of the DAC.

Menu Button – The square button is single purpose. It will enter the setup mode at the top of the menu tree. If in the setup,

and it doesn’t matter where, this button will exit the setup and return to the normal operational mode.

Input Selection – Each of the six inputs can be selected manually, or the auto mode can be selected. The auto mode is an automatic

priority switching with auto signal detection. The right and left arrows switch inputs. If the AUTO input is selected, the unit will

automatically switch inputs based on a priority (from left to right - Analog = lowest priority, MSB 2 = highest

priority). When a source with a higher priority becomes active, the unit will automatically switch to the new

higher priority input. Toggling through the inputs manually will defeat any auto switching. When

in the setup menu the arrows move right and left through the menu structure.

User Select Button - The star button is user dened. In the default conguration, it does

phase invert. In the setup menu it can be changed to turn upsampling or reclocking On/

Off, or to select the digital lter, upsampler algorithm.

Input/Volume Knob - The large knob will select between inputs if the volume control option is not

installed. The right and left arrow buttons on the front of the unit will also switch between inputs.

When the volume control module is installed, the knob becomes the volume control. This knob

adjusts the volume between +9 dB and -69 dB. Our 0 dB actually equates to a 2.62 V rms output,

just a little high in relation to the industry standard 2 Vrms level.

Display - The display shows the Input in the upper left. The lower left shows the input sample rate

and bit depth. The right shows the volume.

Remote

The MSB remote can be used to operate several MSB products. The top half is primary for the

transport. The center is for the DAC and the lower part for the iLink.

Power – The power button turns on and off the Power Base when the optional front controls have been installed.

If your Platinum Power Base does not have a switch on the front, this button will do nothing. When the power

base is linked to the Ampliers and any other MSB products, this button will turn off the entire system. (see

power base manual for details)

Data CD IV controls – . The keypad, stop and repeat buttons are for the DATA CD IV transport and have no

effect on the DAC IV.

Volume up and down – The center block of the remote has several functions. The volume up and down buttons

change the system remote if the optional volume controls are installed in the DAC. Steps sizes are shown on

the DAC display. The mute button instantly mutes the audio if the volume option is installed.

< > = * and # buttons – These central buttons are also for controlling the DATA CD IV transport, but also can

be used for navigation of the DAC IV menus. See MENU below.

Input – This button toggles directly through the inputs of the DAC IV even if the DAC is set to the auto mode.

Menu – This is equivalent to pressing the menu button on the front panel and puts the DAC IV into the menu/

setup mode. The menus can navigated from the front panel or using the < >, volume up/down buttons on the

remote as left, right, up and down.

1, 2, 3 – These are user dened buttons. They can be programmed in the setup menu to execute any function

you wish from the following options.

Phase Invert - Toggles phase invert on and off.

Upsampling - Toggles Upsampling on and off.

Reclocking - Toggles reclocking on and off. This is especially useful for watching movies, where

reclocking may cause an objectionable audio delay.

Digital Filter Select - Toggles through the installed digital lters.

Upsampler Select - Toggles through the installed upsamplers.

iLink Controls – Provides basic iPod controls when this option is installed.

Batteries – The remote control requires two CR2025 Lithium batteries.

DAC IV Menu Tree

Top level menus are for

operational controls. Setup

menus follow on the next

pages.

Press the menu button on

either the front panel or

remote.

Navigate up and down the

options with the front panel

knob or the volume up down

buttons on the remote.

Use the arrow buttons to

navigate right and left in the

menus on either the front

panel or remote.

Use the * button on the front

panel or the > button on the

remote to select.

The default settings are

shown on the chart in bold

type.

GO TO NEXT PAGE

Operational Menu Options

The high level menu options have to do with operation settings. They are things that you may want to change on the y as you listen to

different music or with different equipment. See the Menu tree for details.

Upsampling on/off - Upsamples all incoming music to either 384 kHz or 352.8 kHz.

Phase Invert - Toggling the Phase Invert will change the absolute phase of the output. There are some recordings that “accidentally”

swap the phase. For those who are phase sensitive, we always include this option. The phase of the outputs is inverted digitally.

Filter Select - This feature lets you select among a number of preloaded lters. There is not right or wrong lter as the best lter depends

on the original recording and the rest of the components in your system. We are always working to develop new and better lters to

compliment different system characteristics.

Upsampler Select - Upsampling algorithms may also be selected from among the preloaded options.

User Button - Denes the function associated with the user button * on the front panel.

Remote User Buttons - Denes the function associated with the remote user button 1, 2 and 3 on the remote control.

About - Displays information about the unit including the version number, serial number, distributor, and year of manufacture.

Setup Menu Options

The second level menu options have to do with setup parameter - things you will only need to set once. In most cases you will not need

to change any of these settings. See the Menu tree for details.

Reclocking - This very important feature of the DAC allow all jitter to be removed from the input source. Data is read into a memory

and then independently read out using a ultra stable clock. When enabled this option will completely replace the incoming clock with

an ultra low jitter TCXO based clock. The DSP monitors the incoming sample frequency and detects standard sample rate signals,

44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, 352.8 kHz and 384 kHz. The on-board clock then completely replaces the

incoming clock. Other sampling frequencies use the incoming clock from the source. The DSP allocates a huge internal FIFO buffer

(1/2 second at 44.1) that stores the incoming audio to decouple the incoming and outgoing data streams. Long absolute digital silences

in the music stream, such as between tracks and during pauses, are selectively shortened or lengthened by the DSP to maintain data

synchronization. This results in a signicant delay between the audio source and the analog audio. You will not normally notice this

delay unless video is synchronized to the audio. For this reason this feature may want to be turned off when watching video, or the

video should be delayed. While using the on-board clock some very long musical performances greater than one hour with no silences,

pauses or track skips may cause a buffer overow when using a standard transport. This will sound like a small CD skip. You will

probably never encounter this case but if you do MSB can install a special ultra high accuracy clock in your transport or other audio

source to totally eliminate this possibility.

Single-ended Mode - This setting optimizes the DAC for single-ended RCA outputs rather than balanced XLR output. In the single-ended

mode, both the non-inverted and inverted DAC are summed to make the very highest quality single-ended output, at the expense of

the balanced output which is then disabled. In the balanced mode, both outputs work, but the single-ended output is simply the non-

inverted output from the balanced output.

DAC Output - This unique feature adjusts the output of the DAC digitally. It is especially useful when no volume control is installed,

for optimally matching the DAC output to a preamp input. Many preamps sound much better with a lower level signal. With MSB

volume modules installed this setting should be left at 0 db.

Output Single-Ended Balanced

+3dB 3.57 Vrms 7.14 Vrms This setting for measurement purposes only

0dB 2.62 Vrms 5.23 Vrms

-3dB 1.79 Vrms 3.57 Vrms

-6dB 1.27 Vrms 2.53 Vrms

-9dB 0.98 Vrms 1.97 Vrms

Display Brightness - Adjustable from 1 to 15.

Display on/off - When turned off, the display pops on for a bit any time anything is adjusted, then turns off again.

Dither on/off - With the dither activated the MSB Digital Filter continuously adds a tiny amount (-110db) of random ultrasonic dither to

the Output. We have found through extensive listening tests that this tiny amount of dither greatly increases the perceived resolution of

the audio without harming the music in any way. The dither is added separately in common mode to the positive and negative DACs

in the Platinum and mostly cancels itself on playback helping to linearize the DACs. The dither is generated by a highly random, non-

repeating white noise generator and is then digitally ltered to remove all dither content close to the audio band. All of the dither between

0 Hz and 40 kHz is removed. Unlike some noise shaping algorithms like DSD the very low level of the ultrasonic dither involved should

never cause system high frequency related problems. MSB highly recommends that you keep the dither enabled. Dither can be turned

off when using our incredibly precise DAC for making measurements.

Restore Settings - Puts settings back to factory default setting.

Startup Volume - This is the volume setting that is set upon power up.

Maximum Volume - This is the maximum volume setting that can be reached. Use this feature to protect your speakers.

Fine Volume Steps - The basic DAC IV volume module has 2 db steps and this feature is not available. With the Signature and Diamond

volume modules, this feature allow half or quarter db steps to be inserted between the standard 1 db steps. In most cases this level of

resolution is not audible.

Input Setups

Analog Input Volume Control - The analog input can either be volume controlled or bypass the volume control.

Alternate Analog Input Volume Control - The alternate analog input can either be volume controlled or bypass the volume control if this

option is installed.

MSB Clock - The MSB clock link on the MSB Network connector can be either an input, output or off.

Switching Mode - When the input selector is manually selected, either all inputs are available or just active inputs. With active inputs

selected, A/B testing is very quick and easy.

MSB Network Channel Select - The MSB Network supports 4 stereo channels of audio. With this feature the DAC can be congured to

decode any of the 4 sets.

U p g r a d e s a n d

Modifications

Removal of the cover - Unplug the AC

power. Work on a clean surface. Start

by removing the 14 screws of the cover.

Carefully remove and set aside the cover.

Removal or Installation of the volume

modules - The volume modules can be

plugged in, or unplugged from the Platinum

mother board. They are held in place

with their two connectors. The boards are

automatically detected, so when unplugged

the DAC will output the same level signal as

it would with them plugged in at 0 dB. The

volume knob will now select the input and the

remote volume buttons will have no effect.

Install the Signature DAC Upgrade -

This upgrade provides hand matched DAC

modules for superior sound quality. These

DACs can run at twice the speed (384 kHz

sampling rate) with 1/2 the settling time. The noise level is cut to 1/3 the normal value and the signal-to-noise ratio is up to 145 db. They are user

installable and come as a matched set of four, replacing the existing DACs. Remove the clamp holding the DAC modules in. Pull each module straight

out without tipping or twisting. Align the new module with the pins and push rmly back in. Take care that each connector is aligned. Do one DAC

module at a time.

iLink II Upgrade - Remove the cover. Plug ribbon cable in “Aux 3”. Install new cover.

Other Upgrades - Check the instructions supplied with the upgrade.

USB Upgrades

The USB upgrades are common enough to include here

rather than make a separate manual. For more detailed

and up-to-date information check our web site. All

three levels of USB input work basically the same,

with the difference being the maximum sample rate

they can receive.

Apple MAC OS

On the MAC the USB is plug and play. The MAC will

recognize the USB DAC and its capabilities and will

allow the output to be set to any sample rate desired. The

bad news is, with certain programs such as iTunes, the

output sample rate has to be set manually when the le

sample rate changes. So if you set the output for 192kHz,

and played a 192 kHz le, it would play perfectly, but

if you then played a 44.1 kHz CD, the MAC OS would

upsample that le to 192 kHz. Computer upsampling is

not too bad, but does not compare at all with the quality

of the upsampling done by MSB. Better to change the

output to 44.1 kHz and play the le bit-perfect. With a

MAC everything plays without effort, but for optimum

sound, you will have to change the output settings. I

hope we will nd or be able to develop a simple plug-in

that will take on this task. If we do, the MAC with the MSB USB 2 will be perfection itself.

The Apple Audio MIDI Setup screen is shown above. Notice that the presence of the MSB USB Signature DAC has allowed 352.8 and

384 hHz sample rates to show up on the menu. Normally they are not present. iTunes will play at whatever sample rate you select in

this setup.

Windows OS

The amazing thing about the MSB USB 2 input with Windows is that once you get it set up it works completely and absolutely perfectly,

with every le playing bit-perfect at its native sample rate up to 384 kHz with no user intervention. Just pick the song and play. The

rest is automatic and works perfectly. This is a rst for any Windows machine I have seen and a dream come true. The bad is that MSB

drivers will have to be installed, and your music must be played with a properly set up player program like Foobar. Its a small price to

pay for perfection, and MSB will help walk you through the process.

First, install the supplied MSB drivers from the included USB 2 drivers CD or

from our website (not necessary for USB 1 operation). So with a PC, there are two

possible play modes. The “advanced speaker properties” window lets you set up

Windows output sample rates up to 192k as shown to the right. Any audio played

by an audio program would be output at this sample rate. Specialty programs

like Foobar can be modied with a plug-in, like ASIO (http://www.foobar2000.

org/components/view/foo_out_asio) which allows Foobar to interact directly

with the MSB DAC to play every music le at its native sample rate bit-perfect.

Foobar over-rides all windows settings and is quite amazing.

Quality Check

Each Platinum is comprehensively tested and the actual outputs measured. Just

a few comments on the example plot shown. The single spike is the test tone

played at -60 db. A properly working DAC will produce a peak at -60. Most

measurement systems cannot measure as low a level as -145 db. That is the noise

oor of our production test system which means the Platinum may measure better,

but we cannot see it. The rise at low frequencies is always present on our test

setup and the right channel always shows a little more noise than the left (the

right cable runs closer to the digital input cable).

Using the DAC IV to test your source

The DAC IV is unique in that gives you a precise read out of both the sample

frequency and bit depth of the incoming signal as well as performing a test for

bit perfect playback. If you are playing a CD, a copy of a CD or a ripped CD le on your computer the display should read 44.1 kHz, 16

bit. Any other output means you are not reading the le bit-perfect and your sound quality will be compromised. This corruption could

be accidental. You may have ripped a CD with a program that does a conversion. This is very bad and you should not do this. You may

have an upsampling transport or have upsampled with software upsampling in your computer. This is also very bad. Nobody can do as

well as we can if we are given the bit perfect original. Turn off the feature and give us the real thing. You will not be disappointed. For

more detailed testing of your source, please refer to the BIT PERFECT SOURCE TESTING section of this manual. MSB provides test

les that the DAC is programmed to recognize and check for bit perfect playback.

Troubleshooting

No Input Frequency indicated on Display (reads “No Signal”) - This means no input is detected. Check input select. Change to auto mode to be

sure. Check for bad cable, or cable plugged into the wrong output on the transport.

No Input Bit Depth indicated on Display (reads “0 bits”) - This means an input is detected but the music is not playing. Check the source to be sure

it is playing.

No sound but Display indicates frequency and bit depth - Check that power cable is plugged in all the way. You may have digital power but no

analog power. Check that source is valid audio source. Change to a standard CD just to be sure. Check that analog outputs are connected properly.

Check that volume is turned up. If using Balanced output, check Single-End or Balanced menu setting. Balanced output will be silent if set to Single-

Ended mode.

Still no sound - connect an analog output from the source directly to the preamp input. Verify that the rest of the system is working. Now move the

same analog cable to the DAC and plug in the analog source to the analog inputs. Verify the DAC pass-through is working. Now plug in a digital

source. You should hear a click and the front display should indicate frequency.

You hear audio clipping (with outboard preamp) - the output level may be too high for your preamp. Check the input specications on your preamp.

(See Platinum specs). If you do not have the volume option, go to the DAC LEVEL setup menu and reduce the DAC output to -9 dB. This reduced

level should solve the problem.

Frequency readout is off - The Platinum shows the actual input frequency as well as the upsampled frequency. Check your source settings.

High sample rate source indicates 48 kHz on front panel - Check setup menu of source. Many products downmix to 48 k.

DVD-A source does not indicates 192k - DVD-A players must be upgraded to provide a true 192K output. Production players downmix to 48K. Many

DVD-A disks are produced in 44.1, 48 and 96 k as well.

DC on output when power is off - If the second Analog input option has been installed, the output is connected to the 2nd input when the power is

turned off. Terminate the input when not used to avoid an open input to the AMP.

USB input not working right - Our USB input is limited to 96K 24 bit sources. Check your many computer settings. This is much harder than you

would think. With many operating systems the input may be limited to 48k.

Warranty

All MSB products carry a one year warranty in the country of origin. No returns accepted without an RMA. All units must be returned to the distributor