MSB Technology Platinum LINK DAC User manual

Users Manual

PRELIMINARY SPECS:
4 SIGN MAGNITUDE 46 BIT LADDER DACS
INPUTS:COAXIAL, TOSLINK,
BALANCED AES/EBU,
MSB NETWORK (192K),
OPTIONAL ATTGLASS
OUTPUTS:LINE LEVEL 4V RMS
(12VPP)
BALANCED LEVEL 7.5 V
RMS(20VPP)
SAMPLING FREQUENCY: 1.5MHZ
DIGITAL FILTER:BURR BROWN DF1704
SLEW RATE: >1000 V/MICROSECOND
SETTLING TIME: <100 NANOSECONDS
DYNAMIC RANGE: 134dBAMEASURED
NOISE FLOOR: <-145dB
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Thankyoufor purchasing the world famous PLATINUMLINKDAC .We
are sure you will be very pleased with it.
At least 100 hours of burn-in is required on this DAC. Customers generally recom-
mendone month.
Setup and Quick Start
The front panel is quite simple with few user controls. Set the input source to auto and
start with all the other options off (No LED lit).
Power
The Platinum comes standard with an inboard power supply. If it is not labeled other-
wise it can be assumed to be configured for 120 Volt operation. Fuses can be moved
inside for conversion to 220V.
Inputs
ThePlatinumcomesstandardwithMSBNetwork(CAT5),AES/EBUbalanced,coaxial
and optical digital audio inputs, ranked in order of performance. Connect any digital
input to any active digital audio source. The frequency 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 analog outputs to any passive or active volume control and audio should
be present. The output level is quite high so operation with a passive volume control
is possible. If the level is too high for your preamp, an attenuation cable can be ordered
fromMSB.
StandardConfiguration-Asshipped
BalancedInput: AES/EBU MSB Network (192k)
MSBNetworkChannel 1st(Front) 2nd, 3rd, 4th
DataInversion: Normal Inverted
ATTGlassInput: Installed None
Eachoptionis described in detail later in the manual.

46 Bit, 384 kHz ladder DAC with 130 dB Signal-to-Noise and Upsampling!
MSB’sPlatinumDACistheexpressionofanentirelyfreshapproachtoDigital-to-Analogconversion. Theperspectivethe
industryhasadoptedconcerningDACshas beenrevisited…andblownaway! Here isanexplanationofwhatyouhaveto
lookforwardto:
Unique Technology - the past and the future
Over10yearsagoearlyDACswereall16bitladderDACs,withaprecisionlaser-trimmedresistorcreatingtheappropriate
analoglevelfor each of the bits. The DACs worked well andsoundedgood. Theywerequiteexpensiveasveryaccurate
resistorswererequired. Then along camethe“single bit” DACs. Ratherthanusing a resistortocreate an analoglevel,
pulsewidth modulation wasused. Basicallyeachbitwascreatedby turningaswitchonandoffforthe appropriatelength
oftime. Theresultingsquarewavepattern isfilteredtocreatea smoothoutput. Theexpensiveresistorsweregone,andso
wasthegood performance. Next cametheDelta Sigma DAC. Itusedthe same pulsewidthmodulation but ratherthan
creatinga singlelargepulseforeachdata point,thedatapointwas createdwithmanysmallpulses. Thisallows thepulses
tobesmoothedwithalessradicalfilter,andimprovesthesound. Asyoucansee,upsamplingtheinputsignaltoahigher
frequencyreducesthefilteringrequirementsandthusimprovesthesound. Thisisthecurrentstate-of-the-artasexemplified
intheLINKDACIIIwiththeupsamplingoption.
ThePlatinum draws fromtheolder,superiorladdertechnology,but
withincredibleimprovements. The Platinum containsfour46 bit
MSBDACmodules(seenbelow). ThePlatinumisfullybalanced
sothere is a matched pairof 46bit DAC modulesfor theinverted
andnon-invertedsignalsoneachoftherightandleftchannels. Finally,
each DAC module contains one R2R ladder DAC with a 23 bit
negativesignandoneR2RladderDACwitha23bitpositive sign.
Thisdesignallowsthequietermomentsin your music to betrueto
themusic,withoutthelinearityerrorsnearzerothatplaguenormal
ladder and delta-sigma DAC designs. With 46 bits of combined
resolution,a24bitsourcegivesatrue24bitresolutionwithout the
lossesanderrorsthatmakeyournormal16or24bitDAC perform
farless thantheir actual resolution (normal 16 bit DACsonly mustera meager12 bits of resolution). The Platinum is
carefullydesignedsoastorequirenoDCcorrectioninthe outputstage.ThisallowsdirectDCcouplingontheoutputstage
forpure,uncolored sound -- withnooutput filtering tomuckupyour high endorsmear your bass attack. Andforthose
whorequireabalancedanalogoutput,theseparatepositiveandnegativeDACsdirectlydrivethebalancedoutputs,with
noanalogoutputstageatall!
Anothermajor difference inthe Platinumis the typeof output.
Essentially all ladder DACs produce a current output. This is
convertedto avoltageoutputwithacurrent tovoltageconverter.
This problematic circuit colors the sound and introduces non-
linearity. ThePlatinumisatruevoltageDACwithavoltageoutput
rightfromthesource. Allamplifiershave slewratesgreaterthan
1000Volts/microsecond. TheoutputimpedanceofthePlatinum
is75 ohms. A specialdirectionalcablewith75ohmtermination
isavailable. Thisallowsamatchedimpedanceloadindependent
ofthe impedance ofthevolumecontrol.
Front Panel Features
TheMSB Platinumhas6controlbuttonson thefrontpanelanda frequencydisplay. Thebuttonstoggleonand off. When
on,theLEDnextto the button islit.
RightChannel
23 bit positive sign DAC
23 bit negative sign DAC
23 bit positive sign DAC
23 bit negative sign DAC
MSB DAC Module (Non-inverted signal)
Coaxial Out
Balanced Out
MSB DAC Module (Inverted signal)
BLOCK DIAGRAM
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Upsampling, Interpolation and filtering
The MSB Platinum grants the user the ability to upsample from ANY lower
audio standard to 24bit/130.2kHz (just under 3 times the CD rate). This is a
selectable feature and may be turned off. To play a 24/192 disc the Platinum
onlyneeds aninput optioninstalled tobe fullycompatible. This upsampling
featurealsodynamically buffers and re-clocksallthe data andclocksignalsto
provideavirtuallyjitter-freesource directly to theDACs. Interpolationisalso
selectable,with16Xor8X being possible.
Theselectabledigitalfilterresponsepermitstheusertochoosethefilter design
theyprefer. Itallows forthe selectionof a standard brick-wall filteror a slow
roll-offfilter,bothathalfthesamplingfrequency. Eachprovidesthelistenerwith
adistinct,gloriouslisteningexperience. Youmayfavoroneortheother,orenjoy
changingthefilterresponsetosuitthemusicyoulistento.Musicwithlesshigh
frequenciesmaybenefitfromtheslowroll-offfilter.
Front Panel Controls
FrequencyDisplay – The actualsampling frequency ofthe incoming signalis
displayed. This is not the normal display of the frequency reported by the
decoder,which, for example, would always read44.1 kHzeven if the trans-
port was playing at 44.3 kHz. The MSB frequency counter displays actual
frequency so don’t be surprised if some lower cost DVD transports fail to
producean accurateplayback speed.
Upsample On – The incoming data is resampled at 130.2 kHz. This is three
timesthe CD rate. This is a true upsampling, not a parallel schemeas some
DACsdo. Thefeature can be turned on or off, but thejitterreductioninherent
inthisprocessremainsonineithercase. Option– This button toggles betweenthe
4sets ofinput channelsof theMSB Net-
workin thefuturebutisnotcurrently acti-
vated.
InputSelect –Each of thefive inputscan
beselectedmanually,ortheautomodecan
be selected. The auto mode is an auto-
maticpriority switching with auto signal
detection. In either case, active sources
lightup the inputLED athalf brightness,
and the selected source at full brightness. The CAT5 MSB Network input always takes priority regardless of input
settings.
16X Interpolation - Interpolation is like oversampling. You may select either 8X or 16X. This option works with
upsamplingon or off. Interpolationisafunctionofthedigitalfilter. Itis thenumberofdatapointscreatedbetweeneach
actualdatasample. There are no simple explanations, but in general terms,thehigherthesamplingfrequency, the more
artifacts,suchastheimage frequency, arepushedupbeyondtheaudio range. Withthiseffectcomes some detrimental
artifactsas well. The trade-off inperformancedependsonyoursystem,hearingandtastein music. As a rule-of-thumb,
16Xis moreappropriate forlow samplingrate sourcesand 8Xwould bebetter for96K or192K sources.
FilterOn- Thisfeatureadjuststheslopeofthedigital filter. Thisfeature is very much relatedtotheinterpolationfeature
above. ThePlatinumdefaultstothegentlefilterslope. Inthiscasesomeoftheimagefrequenciescanbereflectedintothe
audiblerange,butthenegativeenergyspreadeffectoffiltersisminimized. This setting is best for higher sampling rate
sourcessuch as 96K or192K. Forlowsamplingratesourcesthebrick-wallfiltermay be desirable asimagefrequencies
aremorelikelytoaffectthesound. Again, these rules-of-thumb can bedramaticallyaffectedbyyourpersonaltaste.
PhaseInvert - This feature allows improperlyrecorded material tobe corrected. Thephase ofthe outputsis inverted
digitally.
SIGN WAVE (0DB, 19.95 KHZTEST TONE
SCOPE SETTINGS 2V/DIV,10USEC/DIV)
INTERPOLATION
ON
UPSAMPLING
ON
INTERPOLATION
AND
UPSAMPLING
ON
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Rear Panel Details
Digital Inputs
Toslink–Althoughthisformat has thelowest
bandwidth, it is one of the more common
outputson low-endproducts. It also offers
groundisolationbetweenproductsandnoiseimmunityoverlong runs.
Coaxial –Agood input forshortruns and lowerfrequencies.
ATT Glass – This ST type optical input is robust and high speed, but less commonly used. This input is offered as a
customerinstallableoption.
Balanced–TheAES/EBUProfessionalinputisthepreferredinput. Thebalancednatureofthisinputallowsgreatcable
lengthsaswellastotalnoiseimmunity. ItisusedforbothdigitalaudioandtheMSBNetwork. ThePlatinumisconfigured
connectornext to the AC powerconnector isan auxiliary output,not aninput. MSB will supply a DINto DIN cable
uponrequest.
DualMSB Network – Thesedual CAT-5 connectorsare actually abridged input and
provideasecondMSBNetworkinputoroutput. MultipleDACscanbedaisychained
togetherusingoneconnector as aninputandtheother as anoutput.
The MSB Network
Oneof the mostpowerfulnew features ofthe Platinum isthatit is thefirst product to
incorporatethenewMSBnetwork. Thisnetworkplugs into the balanced inputofthe
Platinumandisautomatically detected andactivated. TheMSBnetworkhas the fol-
lowingcapability:
* Unidirectionalcommunicationsoveranytwistedpair
* Simultaneoustransmission of 8audio channelswith 34 bitresolution at 192
kHzsamplingrate
* Simultaneoustransmissionof8datachannelswith3Mbsdatarate(forvolume
andtrimdata)
* Asingleserialchannelof384kbits/sec for control and systemdata.
Thisnetwork is ouranswerto192kHzaudiotransmission andmultichanneltransmis-
sioninthesamepackage. We provide network outputs to our owntransport andoffer
asourceupgradetoyourtransportas well. In our next generationsurroundprocessor
upgrade,upto 8 channelsofdecoded data canbesent through onewire. Thetwisted
pairformatisveryconvenientasithasbe-
come the standard for all computer net-
works. Ethernetnetworks use CAT5 wire whichcontains 4twisted pairs.
Thisone cable could be used to send 32 channels of 34bit, 192kHz audio
data! Several cables are available for connecting MSB transports to the
PlatinumincludingCAT5cableatanylength upto80feetandCAT5toXLR
cables.
Analog Outputs
Balanced– Thebalancedaudiooutputs are the preferredoutputformatfor those customerswithabalancedsystem. As
thePLATINUMisfully balanced, both the invertedandnon-invertedoutputsaregenerateddirectlyby separate DACs
and sent to the balanced outputs without filtering, buffering or any analog circuits that could color the music. The
balanced outputs provide a 20 Vpp at 0 dB (7.5 V RMS).
Coaxial – We combine the inverted and non-inverted DAC outputs in a high-speed summing amplifier. The output
impedance is 75 ohms and output level is 12 Volts PP (4 V RMS). This rather hot output can be attenuated using a
specialcableincludedthatreducesthe outputtostandardlinelevel. Use thiscablewhenahighgainpreampispart ofthe
system. Usestandardcables when a lowgainor passive volumecontrolisused.
MSBNETWORK CAPABILITY
TWISTED PAIR WIRING
XLRCONNECTORS (AES/EBUCOMPATIBLE)
EIGHT 34 BIT 192 KHZAUDIO CHANNELS
8 CONTROL CHANNELS
EXTRA SERIAL CHANNEL
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Power Supplies
EachfunctionwithinthePlatinumis providedwithitsownseparate powersupply.Thereare5
power supplies in the digital portion and 6 in the analog. The power supplies in the digital
sectionensurethemaximumjitterreduction whilethe3powersupplies foreachoftheleftand
right DACs allow for the greatest channel separation possible. The
analog power supplies are the original high-speed discrete supplies
usedin MSB audioproductsforover13years. ThePlatinum includes
abuilt-inP1000Power Base, withitshighperformancetriple wound
toroidaltransformerandrectification. Itcanbeconfiguredinternallyfor120Vor240Vandhasa
detachable cord. Also provided is extra DC output that can be used to power another MSB
productlike a volume control. TheDINconnectornexttotheACpowerconnectoris an auxiliary
output,not an input. MSBwill supply aDIN to DINcable upon request.
Voltage Conversion and Changing Fuses
Removethe cover ofthePlatinum. Workonasoftscratchresistantsurfacelike a carpetedfloor. Three screwsarelocated
alongthebackedgeandthreescrewsonthebottomalongthe front edge. Withthesescrewsout,thecoverliftsoff. Now
thepowersupply must beseparatedfrom the DAC. Eachsidepanel is attachedtoboth the topDACpart and thelower
Powersupplypart. Removethe screws fromthelowerPowersupply part. There arealsoscrewsbetweenthe two parts
alongthebackedge. Onnewer units, the circuitboardhastwonotches along the back edge. Thesenotcheslineupwith
thethreaded holes fromthe cover. Removethescrews that canbe found ineach notch. Older Platinumsmay not have
notches. Inthat casethe maincircuit boardmust beremoved togain accessto thesescrews. Now separatethe power
supplypartfrom the DAC part.
ThePlatinumcanbeconfiguredfor120Vor240Voperationbychangingthelocationoftwofusesinternally. For100to
120Voltcountries, fuses are placed inF2 and F3. For 230V to240V countries,the fuses areremoved fromF2 and F3
andone fusein insertedin F4. Allunits canbe assumedto beset upfor 120Voperation unlessa 240Vgold stickeris
attachedtotheback of theunit. Replacefuseswith3A 5mm x20mmminiature fuses. Fusesmayblow during unusual
powersurgesordisturbances. Protectthisproductwith a good surge protectionpowersupplyaschangingfusesisquite
abigoperation.
MSBNetworkInputandChannelSelection
The MSB Network supports 4 stereo channels
of 192k data at once. Any DAC can be config-
uredto decode any of these 4 channels. For ex-
ample,when an upgradedDVDplayerisplaying
aDTSmusicCD,oneDACcanbeconfiguredto
Channel1andwillreceivethefront channels. A
secondDACcan be attachedtothe same wireat
thesame time and byselectingChannel2willre-
ceiveanddecodetherearchannels. The3rdchan-
nel is for the front and sub channels if you want to use them. The 4th
channelis for future formatswhichmaycomealong. Movethejumper
locatedontheinputboardasshowninthe diagramtoselectthechannel.
More than one DAC can be attached to the same cable by taking ad-
vantage of a DAC with both an input and output like the Platinum to
DACMODULES
INPUT DECODER MODULE DIGITAL FILTER MODULE
NormalBalanced
input
Move both down
forMSBNetwork
input
Channel 1 selected
(Fronts)
Channel 2 selected
(Rears) 6

createadaisychainconfiguration. AnMSBNetworkoutputupgradeprovidesthreeidentical connectors allowing three
DACsto be drivenat once, eachset up fora different channel.
Theotherjumperson the inputboardaretochange the balancedinputtoanMSB Network input. Notethetwojumpers
are moved toward the center of the board. In this mode, when the balanced input is selected, the presence of an MSB
NetworksignalwillcausetheNetwork LEDtolightandthe Networksignaltobedecoded. ThischangedefeatstheCAT5
input. Thisoptionshouldonlybeconsideredwhenfrontpanelswitchingoftwoactivesourcesmustbeaccomplished. The
CAT5isa superior input connectionandshouldbeusedif possible.
Troubleshooting
No“Source” indicatedon LEDs -Check for bad cable, or cable plugged into the wrong output on thetransport.
Nosound- Check that sourceisvalidaudio source. Change toastandardCDjust to besure. Checkthatanalog outputs
areconnectedproperly.
Stillnosound-connectananalogoutputfromthesourcedirectlyto the volume control. Verifythattherestofthesystem
isworking. Now move thesame analogcable to theDAC and plugin a digital source. You should heara click andthe
frontdisplayshouldindicatefrequency.
Youhear audioclipping - the output level may be too high for your preamp. Check the input specifications on your
preamp. (SeePlatinum specs).MSBoffersanattenuationcable whichdropsthePlatinumlevels tothestandard2VRMS
industryspecification.
Theunitdoesnotworkpoweredon240V-unplugpowerquicklyorcapacitorsmaysmoke. Theunitisconfiguredfor
120Vunless clearly labeled.
Ifyoususpectyoumayhavea240Vunit,itwillworkat120V. CallMSB for a procedure to verify the voltage configura-
tion.
Frequencyreadoutisoff-ThePlatinumupsamplestoalittlelessthan3timesa44.1Ksourcerate. Upsamplingalways
convertsany input to 130.2. Wehaveselected this frequency asanoptimumratethatwillaccommodateallsources. This
isnormal.
TheMSBNetworkinputmayoutputtwofrequencies,dependingonthesource material. With44.1and88.2sourcesthe
frequencyreads176.4kwhichisfourtimes the sampling rate. Withallothersources,the frequency will read 192k.
96Ksource indicates48kon frontpanel - Check setup menu of DVD player. Digital output should be set for 96k
output. Somemodels do notsupportthis feature anddownmix to 48k.
DVD-Asourceindicates48k- DVD-Aplayers must be upgraded to provide a true 192Koutput. Production players
downmixto48K.
Warranty
AllMSB productscarry a one year warranty. No returns accepted without an RMA.Upon receipt,MSB willrepair or
replaceany defective product.AllproductshippedFOBLaHonda. Shippingandshippingdamageistheresponsibilityof
theconsignee.
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