NuPrime DAC-9H User manual

Reference Class DAC With Balanced 4.4mm & 3.5mm
Headphone Outputs Designed For Studio Professionals DAC-9H

01
FCC Notice - Declaration of Conformity Information
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment o and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit di erent from that to which the receiver is
connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
WARNING: Only peripherals complying with the FCC class B limits may be attached to this
equipment.
Changes or modi cations made to this equipment, not expressly approved by us or parties
authorized by us could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. This device complies with
part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not
cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.

02
EU Declaration of Conformity
Hereby, NuPrime Audio, Inc. declares that this device is in compliance with the essential requirements
and other relevant provisions of Directive 2004/108/EC.
The manufacturer of this product is NuPrime Audio, Inc., 1712 Pioneer Ave. Ste 1817, Cheyenne,
Wyoming 82001, USA.
The Authorized Representative for EMC and product safety is NuPrime Audio, Inc., 1712 Pioneer Ave.
Ste 1817, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001, USA.
For any service or guarantee matters please refer to the addresses given in separate service or
guarantee documents.
For customers in Europe
Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic Equipment (Applicable in the European Union and other
European countries with separate collection systems)
This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product shall not be treated as
household waste. Instead it shall be handed over to the applicable collection point for the
recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. By ensuring this product is disposed of correctly,
you will help prevent potential negative consequences for the environment and human health,
which could otherwise be caused by inappropriate waste handling of this product. The recycling
of materials will help to conserve natural resources. For more detailed information about
recycling of this product, please contact your local Civic Oce, your household waste disposal
service or the shop where you purchased the product.

03
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
There are two categories of Safety Instructions included in this manual:
Product Warnings, (i.e., what must never be done to assure avoiding those hazards that
could cause bodily injury or property damage); and
User Directions (i.e., what must always be done to assure the safe use of your device).
The Safety Instructions contained in this manual have been categorized in accordance with the
seriousness of the potential hazards through the use of Signal Words. Those Signal Words, and their
intended meanings, are as follows:
DANGER: Indicates that a failure to observe the Safety Instructions could result in death or
catastrophic bodily injury.
WARNING: Indicates that a failure to observe the Safety Instructions could result in serious bodily
injury.
CAUTION: Indicates that a failure to observe the Safety Instructions could result in minor bodily
injury or property damage.
NOTE: Designates important information that relates to activities and/or conditions that might
result in loss of data and/or damage to your device.
Safe Use and Operation of Your Device
This equipment emits stray RF energy and will interfere with the reception of signals by airborne
electronic navigational devices or medical devices. Do not operate this equipment near any sensitive
medical devices.
WARNING: Use only grounded AC power cords.
Always immediately disconnect the power to the equipment in the event the device emits an unusual
odor or sound or generates smoke.

04
WARNING: Never attempt to disassemble, repair or make any modi cation to your device.
Disassembly, modi cation or any attempt at repair could cause bodily injury or property damage, as
well as damage to the device itself.
WARNING: Your device is not a toy. Never allow children to play with your device. Misuse, rough or
improper handling of your device by children could result in serious bodily injury for any of the
enumerated safety warnings in this manual. In addition, always keep all accessories and components
out of the reach of small children as small parts might present a choking hazard. Seek immediate
medical attention if choking occurs or if any small part has been swallowed.
CAUTION: Never raise the sound volume level too high when using your device with earphones. An
excessive sound volume level could cause damage to your hearing.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of re or electric shock, do not expose the unit to moisture or water.
Do not allow foreign objects to get into the enclosure. If the unit is exposed to moisture, or a foreign
object gets into the enclosure, immediately disconnect the power cord from the wall. Take the unit
to a quali ed service person for inspection and necessary repairs.
Read all the instructions before connecting or operating the component.
Keep this manual so you can refer to these safety instructions.
Heed all warnings and safety information in these instructions and on the product itself. Follow all
operating instructions.
Do not use this unit near water.
You must allow a minimum 10 cm or 4 inches of unobstructed clearance around the unit. Do not
place the unit on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that could block the ventilation openings. If the
unit is placed in a bookcase or cabinet, there must be ventilation of the cabinet to allow proper
cooling. Keep the component away from radiators, heat registers, stoves, or any other appliance that
produces heat.

05
The unit must be connected to a power supply only of the type and voltage speci ed on the rear
panel. Connect the component to the power outlet only with the supplied power supply cable or an
exact equivalent. Do not modify the supplied cable.
Do not route the power cord where it will be crushed, pinched, bent, exposed to heat, or damaged in
any way. Pay particular attention to the power cord at the plug and where the cord exits the back of
the unit.
The power cord should be unplugged from the wall outlet during a lightning storm or if the unit is to
be left unused for a long period of time.
Immediately stop using the component and have it inspected and/or serviced by a quali ed service
agency if:
The power supply cord or plug has been damaged.
Objects have fallen or liquid has been spilled into the unit.
The unit has been exposed to rain.
The unit shows signs of improper operation.
The unit has been dropped or damaged in any way

06
From Hi-Res to Extreme Resolution
High-volume storage has become cheap enough for the proliferation of hi-res music beyond CD
quality (16-bit/44.1kHz). Storing 24-bit/96 kHz or 192 kHz music with PCM encoding in
uncompressed format (typically WAV) or lossless compression format (such as FLAC, M4A, WMA)
has become standard practice for audio enthusiasts.
Music is typically recorded in 24 or 32-bit PCM or DSD format at the recording studio. It is then
converted to lower resolution format for mass-market distribution.
Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is
the standard form of digital audio in computers, compact discs, digital telephony and other digital
audio applications. In a PCM stream, the amplitude of the analog signal is sampled regularly at
uniform intervals and each sample is quantized to the nearest value within a range of digital steps.
A PCM stream has two basic properties that determine the stream's fidelity to the original analog
signal: the sampling rate, which is the number of times per second that samples are taken, and the
bit depth, which determines the number of possible digital values that can be used to represent
each sample. DXD is simply PCM 24-bit/352.8 kHz.
Direct-Stream Digital (DSD) is the trademark name used by Sony and Philips for their system of
digitally recreating audible signals for the Super Audio CD (SACD). DSD uses pulse-density
modulation encoding – a technology to store audio signals on digital storage media that are used
for the SACD. The signal is stored as delta-sigma modulated digital audio, a sequence of single-bit
values at a sampling rate of 2.8224 MHz (64 times the CD Audio sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, but only
The same music in DSD64 (2.8 MHz sampling rate) format takes up about 20% more storage space
than 24-bit/96kHz format. The NuPrime DAC-9 is designed to faithfully reproduce the music
irrespective of the format used.

07
Introduction
With its AES and XLR outputs and decoding capability of PCM 384K & DSD256, the NuPrime
DAC-9 is a reference-class DAC designed for studio professionals. With four digital and one
analog stereo inputs, the DAC-9 is a full-featured DAC and preamp ideally suited for high-end
systems. The DAC-9H differs from DAC-9 with additional balanced 4.4mm 'Pentaconn' socket
and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone outputs that support Single Ended Unbalanced, Fully
Balanced and Active Balanced Ground Driving headphone amplifier.
A Reference LE Class Preamp
To meet the requirement of customers who want to eliminate extra components in their system,
a high-end preamp capable of driving the power amplifier directly is an essential part of the design.
The DAC-9 includes features borrowed from traditional high-end preamps:
State Of The Art Balanced Headphone Amplifier
The DAC-9H headphone amplifier is capable of driving the most demanding headphones, be it
through the balanced 4.4mm 'Pentaconn' socket or the 3.5mm standard stereo socket. The
'Pentaconn' socket (manufactured by Nippon Dics Co.) is the new unified standard for balanced
headphone connection which headphone and cable manufacturers are using in their new and
future products. Audiophile quality components and a fully balanced layout ensures minimal
crosstalk and maximum channel separation. Supplying up to 1.2W of output power, the circuitry
supports Single Ended Unbalanced, Fully Balanced and Active Balanced Ground Driving. Besides
offering a high level of transparency through both types of connection, each offers a slightly
different flavor.
Through the 4.4mm 'Pentaconn' socket balanced output, listeners will appreciate the pristine
background with the absence of noise. The soundstage is wide and possess a strong presence
with a full and extended bass.
Through the 3.5mm socket low impedance output, the sound is clearly outlined and has a sense of
naturalness. The midrange performance is a prominent highlight and imaging is solidly focused.

08
The Heart
As the heart of an audio system, the DAC-9 supports an extensive number of inputs and formats.
Utilizing one of the world’s best performing 32-bit audio DACs, the AK4490, EQ is only a first step
for designing the ultimate DAC. State-of-the-art solutions, readily available to all vendors, along
with the experience and proprietary know-how in creating many Editor’s Choice and Product of
The Year award-winning products elevate the NuPrime DAC-9 well above the competition.
Several notable features:
Single Ended Unbalanced, Fully Balanced and Active Balanced Ground Driving.
hertz before down converted to the targeted sampling rate with ultra-low jitter and distortion.
State-of-the-art DAC with warmer sonic characteristics, supporting USB PCM 384 and DSD256.
coaxial and optical inputs (to support NuPrime Omnia portable device that are able to output
DoP stream in addition to S/PDIF).
volume, with a single resistor in the signal path at any volume setting
i.e., a single resistor in the signal path at any volume setting.

09
Specifications:
Inputs:
Outputs:
and DSD 2.8MHz(64), 5.6MHz(128), 11.2MHz(256)

10
2
1
3 4 5
6
Quick Start Guide
Front Panel
Power / Input Selector:
Briefly press for 3 sec to On/Off standby mode
Turn the knob to switch between inputs
1
3.5mm Standard stereo headphone
2
Remote IR receiver
3
Display
4
5
Volume control:
Turn the knob clockwise to increase volume
Turn the knbo counterwise to decrease volume
Briefly press the knob to Mute / un-Mute
6

11
Display
Rear Panel
PCM Sample rate:
44.1
48
88.2
96
192
352.8
384
DSD Sample rate :
d2.8 (64)
d5.6 (128)
d11.2 (256)
Volume display: Inputs Display:
C1: Coaxial input
O2: Optical input
U3: USB input
E4: Extension port input
A5: AES balance input
A6: Stereo analog input

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Inputs:
C1: Coaxial input for CD/DVD/BD players, TV and any device with a coaxial source.
O2: Optical input for CD/DVD/BD players, TV and any device with an optical source.
U3: USB input for computer (PC/MAC) and for NAS devices.
E4: Extension port for Bluetooth. (Optional)
A5: AES balance input.
A6: Stereo analog for CD/DVD/BD players, TV and any analog source device.
Note: DAC-9H does not guarantee that all NAS will operate and be compatible due to wide
variety of brands and custom specs.
Outputs:
SPDIF OUT: Optical Output (up to 24 bit / 192 kHz) (No output during DSD playback)
ANALOG OUT: Stereo RCA Output (Line out: Subwoofer compatible)
XLR Balance OUT: True balance XLR balance Output.
4.4mm balance headphone
3.5mm headphone
AES / EBU (XLR FEMALE ) Pin define:
Pin 1 : Ground
Pin 3 : Negative (-)
CASE
2
3
1

13
Balanced Stereo Audio Output ( XLR MALE ) Pin define:
CASE
1
3
2
Pin 1 : Ground
Pin 3 : Negative (-)
Pin 1 : Ground
Pin 2 : Negative (-)
AC Inlet:
1
2
3
Pin 1 : Live Conductor : L
Pin 2 : Ground Conductor : PE
Pin 3 : Neutral Conductor : N
AC Inlet Voltage Selector:
115 230
Make sure that the AC voltage selector switch at the bottom of the unit is switched
to the appropriate voltage for your country. All DAC-9H are shipped with the
switch set to 230V AC in order to prevent accidental damage.

14
Remote Control
: Toggle power STANDBY and ON
: Turn off / on display
Note: Press A5 to toggle between A5 & A6 input selection
Battery Replacement:
To change the battery, please remove the rear battery cover
to reveal the battery casing.

15
Mac computer USB input setting
1. Power on NuPrime DAC-9H, select USB input. The device will enumerate as a USB Audio device
on your Mac.
3. The sample rate of the device can be selected using the drop down menu.
4. The audio is also output over SPDIF.
To run the NuPrime DAC-9H on Mac– PCM:
1. Install playback software on MAC.
Ex: Audirvana ( http://audirvana.com )
4. SPDIF output is not working on DSD playback.
To run the NuPrime DAC-9H on Mac– DSD:
Windows computer USB input setting
1. Please visit the official website www.nuprimeaudio.com and download the latest driver.
2. Connect computer to USB DAC and power on NuPrime DAC-9H, select USB DAC input. The device
will enumerate as a USB Audio device on your PC.
3. Install the latest driver just download via NuPrime website.
To run the NuPrime DAC-9H on Windows – PCM:
1. Install playback software on Windows.
Ex: Foobar media player http://www.foobar2000.org/download
To run the NuPrime DAC-9H on Windows – DSD

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2. Download the ‘SACD’ plugin http://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/files/latest/download
b. Click the Install… button
c. Select the zip file
d. Click Apply (foobar will restart)
3. Download the ASIO plugin from http://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_asio
a. Install the plugin
b. Click Apply (foobar will restart)
4. Configure the Output Device
b. Select the Device: ASIO foo_dsd_asio

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5. Configure the ASIO output
b. Select the NuPrime ASIO Driver
c. Select ASIO Native
d. Select PCM to DSD Method: None
e. Select Fs: DSD128

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6. Configure the SACD plugin to play DSD (and not convert from DSD to PCM)
b. Set ASIO Driver Mode to DSD
c. Set PCM Sample Rate to 352800

19
NuPrime’s Limited Warranty and Limitation of Liabilities
ADDITIONAL RIGHTS
FOR CONSUMERS, WHO ARE COVERED BY CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS OR REGULATIONS IN THEIR COUNTRY OF
PURCHASE OR, IF DIFFERENT, THEIR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE, THE BENEFITS CONFERRED BY THIS WARRANTY ARE IN
ADDITION TO ALL RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CONVEYED BY SUCH CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT EXCLUDE, LIMIT OR SUSPEND ANY RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS ARISING OUT OF
NONCONFORMITY WITH A SALES CONTRACT. SOME COUNTRIES, STATES AND PROVINCES DO NOT ALLOW THE
EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG
AN IMPLIED WARRANTY OR CONDITION MAY LAST, SO THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS DESCRIBED BELOW MAY
NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS
THAT VARY BY COUNTRY, STATE OR PROVINCE. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY IS GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER
THE LAWS OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE PRODUCT PURCHASE TOOK PLACE.
LIMITED WARRANTY
For a period of ONE (1) YEAR from the date of retail purchase by the original end-user purchaser (“Warranty Period”),
NuPrime warrants (in) this product against defects in materials and workmanship, and (ii) that each Product, unmodi ed and
under normal use and conditions, will substantially comply with NuPrime’ applicable written technical documentation for the
Product. NuPrime reserves the right to make substitutions and modi cations from time to time in the speci cations of
Products sold by NuPrime, provided that such substitutions or modi cations do not materially a ect overall Product
performance.
If a hardware defect exists and a valid claim is received within the Warranty Period, at its option and to the extent permitted by
law, NuPrime will (1) repair the hardware defect at no charge, using new or refurbished replacement parts, (2) exchange the
product with a product that is new or which has been manufactured from new or serviceable used parts and is at least
functionally equivalent to the original product, or (3) refund the purchase price of the product. NuPrime may request that you
replace defective parts with user-installable new or refurbished parts that NuPrime provides in ful llment of its warranty