Playback Designs MPD-3 User manual

Version 1.1
MPD-3
Music Playback System
USER MANUAL

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Read and follow these instructions and keep this manual in a safe place.
Do not use this apparatus near water.
Clean only with dry cloth.
Do not block any ventilation openings.
Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heaters, or other apparatus
(including pre-amplifiers and amplifiers) that produce heat.
Do not install this apparatus in a confined space such as book cases or closed
cabinets.
Unplug this apparatus from the mains during lightning storms or when unused for
long periods of time.
!
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER
SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended
to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the
product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.
!
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to
the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.
INFORMATION TO THE USER
Alteration or modification carried out without appropriate approval may invalidate the user’s
right to operate the equipment.
WARRANTY
Playback Designs warrants this product against defects in material and workmanship under
normal use and service for a period of time specified by the product’s serial number from
the date of first delivery to the owner. The warranty time period is for 30 days. If within the
first 30 days of ownership you register your Playback Designs product, by sending us a
copy of your sales receipt, your name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number, email
address and your dealer’s store name, we will extend the warranty to 3 years for all parts.
This warranty is limited to the original owner.
Playback Designs will pay for return shipping charges (domestically) back to the owner
when the product is sent to Playback Designs within the first 30 days after purchase and
the fault can be confirmed by Playback Designs. Otherwise, owner will be responsible for

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all shipping charges to and from Playback Designs. International customers must deal with
their local dealer or distributor.
For all warranty claims, a copy of the original invoice must accompany the product.
Opening the product or modifying it in any way by the owner, including but not limited to
cryogenic treatment, will void any warranty.
Please contact Playback Designs for a RA (Return Authorization) number and shipping
instructions before shipping any product to Playback Designs.
Playback Designs products are sold worldwide through authorized dealers with restricted
territories. If any Playback Designs product is purchased from non-authorized dealers or
from a dealer selling outside his / her authorized territory all warranties will be void.
If you purchased this product from a dealer please take a moment and send us an email to
[email protected] so we can register you for the warranty. If this product has
been shipped to you directly from Playback Designs you are automatically registered.
BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT
What is in the box: MPD-3 playback system
Remote control unit with mounted batteries
USB cable
Power cord (110V versions only)
User manual
Registration If you purchased this product from a dealer please take a moment and
send us an email to suppor[email protected]om so we can register you
for the warranty.
Installation: The AC voltage supplied to the unit should match the voltage rating
indicated on the rear panel.
Do not place the player on the amplifier or any other equipment that
generates heat.
As the player may become warm during operation, always leave sufficient
space around the player for ventilation. Always allow adequate air
circulation around the player.
During operation, the disc rotates at high speed. Do not lift or move the
player while the disc is spinning. Doing so may damage the disc or the
player.
When moving the player, make sure to remove the disc and close the disc
tray. Then turn off the power and disconnect the power cord.

Version 1.1
FRONT PANEL FUNCTIONS AND REAR CONNECTIONS
Analog outputs: XLR: balanced, 4.6Vrms @ 1kHz full level, pin 2 Hot
RCA: unbalanced, 2.3Vrms @ 1kHz full level
Digital inputs: AES: XLR connector for AES/EBU formatted stereo linear PCM data, up to
24bits and up to 192kHz.
S/PDIF: same as AES, but S/PDIF formatted on RCA connector.
PC: Direct USB connection to Windows and Apple based computers for
sample rates up to 24bits/384kHz for PCM and 5.6448MHz for DSD.
Power: Before connecting the converter to the AC mains, please make sure that the rated voltage
for the MPD-3 is set correctly as indicated on the rear panel. Operating the converter at
the wrong voltage will damage the unit. The voltage rating of the power supply cannot be
changed by the user.
Alphanumeric status display

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REMOTE CONTROL UNIT
MUTE
DISC
AES
COAX
PC
TOS
PLINK
AUX
PHSE
DIM
CLR
Mutes the analog outputs.
Input Selections:
No function.
Selects the AES input for conversion to analog.
Selects the COAX input for conversion to analog.
Selects the USB input from PC.
No function.
No function.
No function.
The first time this buttons is pressed the alpha-
numeric display indicates the absolute phase for the
analog outputs. If it is pressed again within 5
seconds the absolute phase is toggled.
Dims display on front panel.
Pressing and holding this button will display the serial
number for about 5 seconds. Pressing it again while
the serial number is displayed will show the revision
number.

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CHANGING BATTERIES ON REMOTE
hex socket
screws, use
3/32" hex key
to open
-
+
+
-
Back cover removedBackside of remote
AAA Batteries
The remote operates with 2 AAA
size batteries. In order to change
them the back cover needs to be
removed as shown in picture on the
left. Make sure that replacement
batteries are inserted with their
polarities as indicated in the picture.
The screws can be opened with a
3/32” hex or Allen key.

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CONNECTING THE MPD-3 TO A WINDOWS BASED PC OR APPLE MAC
Supported PCM audio resolutions: all sample rates up to 384kHz and word lengths up to 24 bits.
Supported DSD audio resolutions: 2.8224MHz (as on SA-CD) and 5.6448MHz.
Connection protocol and method: USB 2.0 / Audio class 2.0 compliant, asynchronous mode where MPD-
3 generates high precision clock master and computer is clock slaved.
PC requirements: Windows 7 or later
ASIO compatible player software such as Foobar, MediaMonkey etc.
USB port, Internet connection for downloading software from
www.playbackdesigns.com.
Mac requirements: OS X (10.6.6 or later)
iTunes with or without plug-in to automate sample rate switching.
USB port, Internet connection for downloading software from
www.playbackdesigns.com.
In order for your computer to communicate with the MPD-3 and to exchange audio data custom driver
software needs to be installed before you can connect it to the MPD-3. If your computer is a Mac running
OSX 10.6.6 or later you don’t need any driver software as OSX already supports all PCM formats up to
384kHz sample rate. DSD file playback is supported via the DoP standard using PCM frames which is also
supported by OSX without any additional driver. A driver has to be installed on all Windows based PCs for
any kind of audio playback via the MPD-3.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PC USERS:
The Windows operating system is by design not a real-time system. It is designed to allow certain processes
to take time away from real-time processes such as playing audio. This can result in audible dropouts,
sometimes very short, but sometimes also quite long. Some PCs are pre-configured with drivers and
processes by the manufacturer that cause such dropouts, and others are user-installed with additional
software that do not allow flawless real-time playback of audio. Fortunately, there is a free utility software that
allows you to test your PC for real-time capability:
1. Go to: www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml and download the utility program DPC Latency
Checker. There is also a good description of the program and some more technical background on
the same website.
2. Run DPC Latency Checker.
3. If you see yellow or red bars, the program will already tell you that most likely your PC will have
dropouts when playing audio. Follow the instruction on the same website for how to identify a driver
or process preventing real-time playback. Leave the program running for 10-15 minutes and if you
see only green bars and no message then your PC is good to go.
If you are considering purchasing a new PC, this utility program is small enough and doesn’t require any
installation which allows you to load it onto a flash stick and test it on the PC you are thinking about buying.
Most computer stores will allow this test.
Driver software installation and first time connection:
1. Do not connect the MPD-3 to the computer yet.
2. Turn on your computer.
3. Windows PC users only: Launch your favorite internet browser and navigate to
www.playbackdesigns.com. Use “USBAudio” for password to enter the software download section.
Download the latest driver:
akdesigndrv.zip for PC. Unzip it to the desktop.
No driver software is required for the Mac platform.

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4. Windows PC users only: Double click on:
akdesigndrv.exe (PC)
and follow the instructions on your screen. This will install the driver necessary to communicate with
the Playback Designs products via USB.
5. Once the driver is successfully installed you can turn on the power on the MPD-3.
6. Select PC input from the remote control.
7. Connect the USB cable that was included with the MPD-3 between MPD-3 (PC on rear panel) and
your computer.
8. The computer will take a moment to enumerate the MPD-3 on its USB bus and notify you when it is
installed successfully. Do not attempt to play anything before the computer tells you that the device is
ready to use. You can check successful driver installation and connection:
On the PC in the device manager (below),
where the driver will show up as AKDesign
USB Audio under the Sound, Video and
Game Controllers tab. It will not be listed in
the Sound Control panel
on the Mac in the Sound Control panel
(below), where the MPS-3 should be listed
as an audio output device
9. For PC users only: Configure your player software to send audio data to the ASIO interface.
Depending on your player software this may be identified as “AKDesign USB ASIO” or simply as
“ASIO”. Some players may need a plug-in for ASIO compatible playback.
10. For Mac users only: launch iTunes.
11. For best performance and bit perfect reproduction make sure to set all volume controls in the
computer playback software, Windows / OSX control panel to exactly 0db (wide open), turn off all
operating systems sounds, effects or equalizer that might be running in your playback software or
Windows / OSX. Control the volume only with your analog pre-amp.
12. Your system is now ready for high resolution playback.

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Re-connection after system has been previously configured:
1. Power on both computer and MPD-3. Select PC input on MPD-3.
2. Connect USB cable.
3. Enumeration should be quick on Windows and about 10 seconds with Mac and may not indicate
anything except with failure. You may hear the relays clicking inside the MPD-3 as the computer sets
the sample rate.
4. For best performance and bit perfect reproduction make sure to set all volume controls in the
computer playback software, Windows / OSX control panel to exactly 0db (wide open), turn off all
operating systems sounds, effects or equalizer that might be running in your playback software or
Windows / OSX. Control the volume only with your analog pre-amp.
5. Your system is now ready for high resolution playback.
During playback with PC
When changing songs from within your computer player software the USB protocol automatically
communicates all necessary sample rate changes to the MPD-3. The front panel of the MPD-3 always
indicates the true sample rate during file playback. This system will never perform any sample rate conversion
or any signal processing that could adversely affect the sonic performance, but rather use the exact bits from
your file and convert them directly to analog.
During playback with Mac
The native OSX operating system and iTunes do not
understand the needs of audiophile consumers and insist on
sample rate conversion. When connecting the MPD-3 OSX
will automatically select the highest possible sample rate
(384kHz) and convert all your songs to this rate before
playing them out through USB. This will result in degraded
performance. You can manually select the sample rate in
the Audio/MIDI Setup utility to correspond with the native
sample rate of the song (as shown in picture), but this can
be a tedious process if your library contains songs with
more than 1 sample rate. Alternatively, 3rd party plug-ins for
iTunes exist that automate this process and always select
the correct sample rate for bit perfect playback.
Check our website www.playbackdesigns.com for an updated list of supported plug-ins.
Playback of DSD files
The driver software and MPD-3 hardware are designed to support playback of DSD files at 2 sample rates:
the standard 2.8224MHz as used on all SA-CDs and the double rate 5.6448MHz as supported by some
professional recording equipment. You will need a playback software running on your computer that can read
DSD files and play them to the USB driver. On the Mac platform you will have to use a playback software or
iTunes plug-in that supports the DoP standard for playing DSD files. Check our website
www.playbackdesigns.com for an updated list of playback software available.
Testing your system for bit perfect reproduction
Windows / OSX and your player software offer multiple places for volume control, effects processing,
dithering, equalization or sample rate conversion. Generally, these algorithms affect the sonic performance in
a negative way, especially in low volume listening levels. It is therefore recommended that all volume controls
on your computer are set to exactly 0db (wide open) and all operating system sounds, effects, equalizers and
other algorithms are turned off. You should only control volume with your analog pre-amp. In order to test
your system to make sure that no hidden control or algorithm on your computer may impact your sonic
performance you can play a special test file:

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1. Launch your favorite internet browser and navigate to www.playbackdesigns.com. Use “SHR” as
login and “USBAudio” as password to enter the software download section. Download the test file
“TestPat352.wav”.
2. The test file contains non audible audio, but it is still a good idea to mute your pre-amp.
3. Launch your playback software and play the test file while the MPD-3 is connected via USB and its
PC input is selected.
4. If all the controls on your computer are set correctly then the front panel on the MPD-3 will indicate
this by displaying ”BIT PERF” for 5 seconds at the end of the playback. If it doesn’t show this then at
least 1 control on your computer is impacting the performance of your system.
General notes
1. For best performance and bit perfect reproduction make sure to set all volume controls in the
playback software, control panel to exactly 0db (wide open), turn off all operating system sounds,
effects or equalizer that might be running in your playback software or Windows / OSX. Control the
volume only with your analog pre-amp.
2. While the MPD-3 has no problem supporting playback via USB while it is switched to a different input
(i.e. disc playback, AES or Coax input) it is a good idea to stop playback on your computer before
selecting another input. The clock management in the MPD-3 may not provide the correct frequency
to the USB port if it is not selected. The computer software may have a problem with that and may
malfunction. So when not listening to the USB input, stop playback on your computer.
When things do not seem to work
The MPD-3 is a hardware device with very little software inside and if it doesn’t show any signs of
malfunctioning in other playback modes, it is relatively safe to assume that the problem is either with the USB
link or the computer. Generally, you should look for any signs of trouble on your computer first, and don’t
assume that because your computer may work with someone else’s USB DAC, but not with the MPD-3, that
the problem is with the MPD-3. The MPD-3 uses different software inside your computer.
Here are a few suggestions for what to do:
1. Make sure that the driver is properly installed (PC only). See step 8 under driver installation above for
instructions for how to check successful installation and connection.
2. Make sure you use the USB cable that was shipped with the MPD-3. Other USB cables can be used,
but they need to be USB2.0 compatible.
3. Disconnect the USB cable and restart your computer.
4. Connect the USB cable while the PC input is selected
on the MPD-3. On Mac computers it can take up to 10
seconds to enumerate.
5. On Mac computers it can happen that after successful
enumeration OSX selects the internal audio output
instead of the MPD-3. This can easily be corrected
manually in the sound control panel in System
Preferences as shown in this screen shot.
6. If at this point your PC computer still does not play through the MPS-3 and the driver or MPS-3
cannot be identified in the Device Manager (PC) then disconnect the MPS-3 and try re-installing the
driver following exactly above instructions.
7. If you are a PC user and are able to play audio, but you hear occasional dropouts, please see
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PC USERS above. You should definitely run the DPC Latency Checker.

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BREAKING IN THE MPD-3
Breaking in the Playback Designs MPD-3 is time consuming but well worth the effort. It would be a mistake to
pre-judge the converter based on what you might hear at first listen. This is what you can expect to hear at
different intervals during break-in:
1. Out of the box: The converter will have good clarity, but the highs can be recessed. Bass might
appear to be a bit muddy and lacking punch. Soundstage might sound closed in.
2. 50 - 150 Hours: The sound will open up a little bit, but can still sound a bit brittle.
3. 150 - 350 Hours: Midrange will start smoothing out and clarity will increase, but highs might continue
to remain recessed. At this point, there probably will not be much change in the bass. You will
probably wonder how the Playback Designs converter will ever sound like others have described, but
we assure you that you will start to hear substantial changes within another week of play.
4. 350 - 500 Hours: The magic will be starting. Highs will be open and airy. Midrange will appear much
more full bodied and natural. Soundstage will be huge and the image presentation will start appearing
very holographic. Bass will be incredibly deep and tight with texture and detail galore.
5. Over 500 Hours: The converter will continue to change subtly over the upcoming month of usage, but
you should be recognizing a very life-like and natural sound.
SPECIFICATIONS
Power Supply
North America model………AC 120V, 60Hz
Europe model……………….AC 230V, 50Hz
Consumption……………………..100W max.
Analog Audio Outputs:
XLR: 4.6Vrms @ 1kHz full level, pin 2 Hot
RCA: 2.3Vrms @ 1kHz full level
Weight…………………………………….. 10kg / 22 lb
Operating Temperature………………+5°C to +30°C
Ext. dimensions (W x H x D) 43.5 x 9.8 x 42.3cm
17.1 x 3.5 x 16.7 inches
Operating Humidity………………………. 5% to 85%
Batteries for remote control unit……………….2x AAA
Mains fuse: 1.6A / 250V slow blow, 20mm

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CHANGING THE FUSE ON THE MPD-3
Inside the power connector on the rear panel of the MPD-3 is a fuse that protects the player from dangerous
power surges. If the converter fails to power up or no light on the front panel is lit then proceed as follows to
change the fuse:
1. Locate fuse compartment on power connector on
rear panel.
2. Use a small screw driver to pry open the fuse
holder.
Fuse Compartment
Prying open with a small screw driver
3. The fuse holder contains 2 fuses. The top one is a
spare and can replace the blown one at the bottom.
4. Replace fuse holder into power connector by
making sure that good fuse is at bottom.
Replacement fuses should be rated: 1.6A / 250V
slow blow, 20mm.