Parasound D / A C -1500 User manual

D / A C-1500 Dig ita 1/ A n a log Con v er t er
Congratulations onthepurchaseof your new ParasoundD/AC-1500 Digital-to-Analog
Converter.It hasbeendesignedto extractgreatermusicaldetailfrom anydigital source. If you
areusingit to upgradeyour CDplayerI youwill fmdtheD/AC-1500makesaworldof
improvement.You will enjoymoreof thewarmth anddepththathaspreviouslybeenassociated
onlywith thefinestanalogsources.
Your D/AC-1500 setsnewperfonnancestandardsatits modestprice. Its highestquality hand-
selectedcomponentparts,triple powersupplies,high currentdrive analogstages,plus hookupand
operatingflexibility arefar superiortoal1but thefew mostexpensiveD-A converters.To assure
fullestmusicalenjoyment,pleasetakeafew momentsto readtheseinstructionscompletely.
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Unpacking
Openthecartonof your D/AC-1500carefully andinspecttheunit for possibleshippingdamage.
Nowisthetime to reportanydamageto your dealer. You will find thedetachableAC line cord
packedseparatelyinsidethecarton. We donot recommenduseof anyotherline cord. .
Savetheplasticbag,styrofoaminsertsandcarton. You mayneedtheselaterfor transportingthe
D/AC-1500or for shipmentin theeventit everrequiresfactoryservicing. Recordtheserial
number(on rearpanel)herefor referencein caseyour unit is stolen: .
Placement
Youshouldlocateyour D/AC-1500ascloseaspossibleto your digital source. Keepyour unit out
of directsunlight, away from heatsourcessuchasahot air registeror radiatorandawayfrom
windowswhich might beleft opento let in rain.
If youarestackingyour components,you shouldavoid placing your D/AC-1500 on top of heat-
producingcomponents,suchaspoweramplifiers or tube-typepreamps.You shouldkeepit asfar
aspossiblefrom your tuneror receiverto avoid interferencefrom their RF localoscillator circuits.
PARA SOUND
affortiAbkaruiitJfor Ih~critical /islmtr

Whenyoumakeconnections,becarefultoavoid tensiononeitherwires or fiber optic cableswhich
might causedamageto theconnectorsor causethemto pull looselateron. Do notattempttobend
eithercoaxialor opticaldigital cablesatasharpangle,asthismaypermanentlydamagethem. It is
safestto turn off thepowerof your preampandpowerampwhile makingconnections,not only
for theconnectionsyouaremaking,buttoavoidthechanceof disturbingadjacentconnections.As
anadditionalsafeguard,turn your preamp'svolumecontrolto minimum beforemakingnew
connections.
Digital Inputs
TheD/AC-1500hasfour digital inputs:
. Coaxial I:
. Coaxial 2:
. Optical 1:
.Optical 2:
RCA jack - 75a standard
RCA jack - 75a standard
FiberOptic -STmodule
FiberOptic-TOSlink
. Coaxial output connections are provided on most high quality CD players. You should use
only good quality cableswhich have been designed for digital data transmission. Cables designed
for audio frequencies are not suitable and will not give you satisfactory results.
. TOSlink fiber optic connectionsarealsopopularandarefoundonmosthigh qualityvideo
laserdiscplayersaswell asolderCD playersandCD transports.Your dealercanassistyou to
selectanappropriateopticalcablewith TOSlink connectors.Accordingto theTOSlink standard,
you'rerestrictedto rOSHnk cablelengthsfrom 0.2 m (-8") to 10m (-30').
. ST module glass fiber op£ics aceconsideredstate-of-the-art.Theyaresuperiortoeither
coaxialorTOSlink connectorsfor datatransmission.TheSTmoduleemploystheAT&T standard;
bothplasticandglassfiber optic connectorsareavailablefor STmodulesconnectors.
You shouldexperimentamongtheconnectoroptionstodetenninewhich soundsthebestin your
system. You mayfind carefulextendedlisteningrequiredin orderto hearthesubtledifferences
betweenthedifferentinterfacetechnologiesaccomodatedby yourD/AC-1500.
It ispossibletoconnectfour separatedigHalsourcesto yourDIAC-1500andselectamongthem
from thefront panel,howeverRF radiationsfrom theunuseddigital inputsmay"contaminate"the
soundof theselectedinput source.If youhavemorethanonedigital sourceconnected,makesure
youturnofTthepowerof theunusedsource(s)until youarereadytolistentoit.
Outputs
Analog Output jacks connecttoanyline-levelinputonyourpreamplifierorevendirectly to
yourpoweramplifier, providedit is equippedwith levelcontrols. Useonly high quality
interconnectsto preservedetailandclarity. Makesureyour preampis eitherturnedofTor its
volumeis setto minimum whenevermakingor breakingtheseconnections.
There aretwo analogoutputs:Unbalanced: RCAjacksforunbalancedlineoutput
Balanced: XLR connectorsfor balancedline output
Pin 1 Ground, Pin 2 + signal, Pin 3 -signal
Connecting Your D/AC-1500
-2-

A balancedline isanecessityif you aredriving alongline to your preamplifier,andprovidedit is
equippedwith balancedinputs. Balancedlinesalsoreduceannoyinghumin manyareasproneto
RFinterference,where60Hz (USA) or SOHz (mostoverseas)televisionsync.signalscanmimic
ordinaryAC line "hum." In thiscasethetwo wires for the+ and-audio signal are enclosedwithin
athirdseparateshieldwirewhichisthe"floating"ground.
Seriouslistenerspreferthesuperiormusicalityof balancedinterconnections.Thelowernoisefloor
seemsto enhancetheapparentwidth anddepthof thesoWldstageby reducinginterference.
A Digital Output jack passesyour digital source'sdatastream directly to a digital recorder like
aMini Disc, DA T, DCC or CD.R. This is an RCA type connector; useonly digital quality cable.
AC Power
Your DIAC-1500hasanIEC standarddetachablepowercordwhich hasbeenspeciallyselectedfor
its contributionto thesoundqualityof thisunit. Try to connectonly this corddirectly toanearby
AC wall outletandavoid extensioncordsor connectionto accessoryoutletsonyour preamp.
Operating your DIAC-1500
Power On/Off
Pushtheuppersectionof thebuttonto turn on; lower sectionfor off.
Sampling Frequency LEDs
Your DIAC-1500will recognizethedigital signalof whatevertypeof digital sourceyouconnect
andwill switchtothecorrectsamplingtateautomatically. The44.1kHz samplingtateisstandard
for compactdiscs. 32kHz is for digital broadcast;48kHzisfor DAT.
Error/Data LED
In casethereisaninteruptionof datafrom thedigital sourceoramalfunctionof thedigital source
or connection,theErrorIDataLED will illuminate. Thisshowsyouthatyour DIAC-1500isnot
receivingcorrectdigital datatoprocessandconvertto analog. In thiscase,amuting circuitwill
preventa"garbage"signalpassedtoAnalog Outor theDigital Out Recordjacks.
Input Select Buttons and LEDs
Thefour Input Selectbuttonscorrespondto thefour input connectorson therearpanel:
CoaxialI, Coaxial2,Optical I, Optical 2.
Polarity Invert Button and LED

Yourchoiceof 00or 1800polaritywill bestrictlyamatterof taste.It maybeeasiertodetect
differencesbetween00and 1800polarity with somerecordingsthanwith others. Don'tbe
discouragedif you cannothearthedifference. noteveryonecanidentify absolutepolarity.
De-Emphasis LED
Some digital recordings are encodedwith pre-emphasis contouring. ,
ally recognizesandprocessesthem. An LED illuminatesasabeacon
Like mostothergreataudiocomponents,yourD/AC-1500needsto operateforatleast72hours
beforeit will startsoundingitsbest. Thisallowsthematerialsof variousinternalpartsto "form"
sotheycanbetterprocessthecomplexitiesof musicalwaveforms. While your unit will sound
spectacularright outof its carton,you11find it worthwhile to listenagainafterafew days. You11
discoverdetailsin your musicyouwouldn't haveguessedwerethere.
Your OfAC-1500 needsnoroutinemaintenance.Wedorecommendthatyou removeandtwist the
variousRCA connectionsonceayearto removeanycorrosionbuildup onplugsandjacks. Make
surethepower isturnedofTbeforeattemptingthis. It's not abadideato dothis for eachof your
othercomponentswhile you'reat it.
Neveruseanycommercialcleanersor abrasivesonthefront panelor top cover- theywill likely
scratchor disfigure them. Useonly asoftcloth, if necessaryslightly dampto removefingerprints.
In Case of Trouble
If yoususpectaproblemwith yourunit, first recheckall your connections. If onechannelis
inoperative,thetroublemaybecausedby anothercomponentor evenadefectivehookupcable. If
onlyonechannelremainsinoperative,try reversingtheLeft andRight cablestoyourpreamplifier
(turnit ofTbeforemovingwires). If thesamechannelstaysout, it indicatestroublecouldbeother
thanyourD/A converteritself. We suggestyoucontactyourauthorizedParasounddealerorcan
ParasoundTechnicalServiceif you suspectaproblem. Wewill suggestotherdiagnostictestsyou
caneasilyperfonn andwhich will saveyoua lot of trouble.
If wedetenninethatyourD/AC-1500shouldbereturnedto Parasoundfor inspectionandpossible
servicing,you mustfirst obtainaReturnAuthorizationnumberfrom Parasound.You will be
askedto fe-pack the unit in its original carton and cardboard packing plus an additional outer box
over its own box for proper protection in transit. The Return Authorization number must be clearly
marked on the outer carton only. You should ship the unit by UPS with adequateinsurance
specified. You must include a copy of your purchase receipt to validate your ownership.
Unitsthatarrivewithout yourspecificReturnAuthorizationnumber,without asuitableshipping
cartonorevidenceof improperinternalpackingorcollectwill berefused.Wedonotacceptcollect
shipments.After repairunderwarmnty,theunit will bereturnedto youvia prepaidUPSor RPS.
Ifwe foundnoproblemwith theunit, we will shiptheunit by UPSor RPScollect for return
shippingcharges.In thecaseof anout of warrantyrepair,we will adviseyou repaircharges
beforeyoushiptheunit. ThesamepackingrequirementsandRA requirementapply.
Your DIAC-1500automatic-
1for visualconfirmation.
-Burning-in- your D/AC-1500
Maintaining your D/AC-1500
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Frequency Response:
Signal to Noise Ratio:
Channel Separation:
Total Harmonic Distortion:
Amplitude Linearity:
Phase Linearity:
Maximum Jitter (HF):
D-A Converters:
Oversampling
Digital Input:
Digital Filters:
Rate:
Absolute Polarity:
Digital Inputs:
Outputs:
Power Supplies:
Power Requirement:
Dimensions:
NetWeight:
D/AC-1500 Specifications
2Hz -20 kHz, :to.2SdB
> 108dB, 113dB typical
> 100dB @ I kHz
< 0.0015% @ I kHz
>100dB; 102dB typical
:to.l° @20kHz
low-jitter Crystal
<50picosecondsRMS, usingselected
8412Digital InterfaceReceiver
FourBurr-Brown PCM 63P-K (highestgrade)20bit, push
pull for eachchannelandfully balanceddigital operation
.2 Coaxial: 75a RCA
. TOSlink fiber optic: EIAJ StandardCP-340/RC-5720,
660nmtypical wavelength
. ST module fiber optic: AT&T Standard, 820 nrn typical
wavelength
. BalancedAnalog Line Out: 6.0V nominal, 1.2ill,
suitableloadshouldbe~1Oka
. UnbalancedAnalogLine Out: 3.0V nominal, 600at
suitableloadshouldbe~ 10ill
.Digital: 75a RCA coaxial,0.5V peak-to-peak
3 separatetransformersandnineregulatorsfor digital
circuitsandfor eachanalogchannel
120V, 60Hz, 18W; maybere-wired for 220-240V, 50Hz
19"W x 3 318"H x 12"D
12.5lb.
lOST"is aregisteredtrademarkof ATctT Corporation.
Specificationssubjectto changeor improvement without notice.
.5.

Rewiring for 220-240 V 50 Hz Operation
The1),1AC-1500canberewired for operationabroad. Pleasereferthis conversionto askilled
electronicstechnicianto avoidpersonalinjury or possiblehannto theunit. Therearehigh voltages
presentinsidethechassisevenafter thepoweris turnedoff.
Themainpowersupplyprintedcircuit boardhasthreeseparatepowertransformers.Ncarbythe
transformersyou will find jumper wireswhich correspondto thevariousprimary windings of each
powertransformer.
For 120Y operation, atotalof sixjumper wiresareconnectedto thecircuit board:twojumpem
areconnectedneareachtransformer,eachjumperbas "120Y" printedalongsideof it onthecircuit
board.
For220-240V operation,only3jumpersareconnectedtothecircuitboard;onejumperis
connectedneareachtransfonner,eachjumperhas"220V" printedalongsideof it on thecircuit
board.
For220-240V operation,you mustalsodisconnectthesix "120 V" jumpers.
-6.

Your ParasoundDIAC-1500 iscoveredby alimited warrantyagainstdefectsin materialsand
workmanshipfor aperiodof two yearsfrom dateof purchase.Thiswarrantyis providedby the
Parasounddealerwheretheunit waspurchased.WarrantyrepairwiII beperformedonly when
yourpurchasereceiptispresentedto validateyour ownership,dateof purchaseandauthorized
statusof theseIlingdealer. Defectivepartswin berepairedor replacedwithout chargeby your
authorizeddealersstoreor thelocationdesignatedby your dea1erthatis authorizedto service
Parasoundequipment.Additional informationisavailableby callingorwriting to theService
Manager,ParasoundProducts,Inc. at theaddressbelow. Chargesfor unauthorizedserviceand
transportationcostsarenot reimbursableunderthiswarranty.
Thiswarrantybecomesvoid if theproducthasbeendamagedby alteration,misuse,accidentor
neglect.Alteration includesanyremoval,obscurationor defacementof itsserialnwnber. This
warrantybecomesvoid if unit hasbeenconnectedor operatedcontrarytoprintedinstructions.
Thewarrantorassumesnoliability for propertydamageoranyotherincidentalor consequential
damagewhatsoeverwhich mayresultfrom thefailureof thisproduct. Any andall warrantiesof
merchantabilityandfitnessimplied by law arelimited to thedurationof thisexpressedwarranty.
Somestatesdonotallow limitations onhow long animplied warrantylasts,sotheabove
limitations maynot applyto you. Somestatesdonotal1owtheexclusionorlimitation of incidental
or consequentialdamages,sotheabovelimitation or exclusionmaynotapplyto you.
Thiswarrantygivesyou specificlegal rightsandyou mayalsohaveotherrightswhich vary state
by state.
We'dlike to hearfrom you aboutyour experiencewith your ParasoundD/AC-1500. Of coursewe
wanttoassistyou with anyquestionsyoumayhave,butwe'dalsobethrilled to know how much
youareenjoyingtheunit. You don'tneedtohaveaproblemasanexcuseto call us.
ReviewsonParasoundarecomingin from all overtheworld andwe continuallyhaveexciting new
productsin development. If you'dlike usto keepyou advised,just dropaline andaskto receive
updates.Wewelcomeyoursuggestionsandlook forward to hearingfrom you.
Parasound Limited Warranty (USA only)
Please Stay in Touch
7.

Parasouru/Products,In~. 950 &znny Strut, SanFran~isco,CA 94111
800-822-8802/415-397-7100 / FAX [phone]
PARA SOUND
affo"ubk audiofir thi mtit:aJ/istmtr
0 1994ParuouodProducts,Inc.