PS Audio PerfectWave DAC Mk II Manual

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 1 of 18
Thank you for purchasing the PerfectWave DAC Mk II upgrade kit. The instructions that
follow will assist you through the modifications necessary to upgrade your DAC to the DAC
Mk II. If you have any questions concerning your kit or the instructions please don’t
hesitate to call us at PS Audio.
We recommend you first watch the installation videos and then use this handbook as a
guide. The first video to watch is how to remove the digital input board. It is located here:
http://youtu.be/542U4yTFzJQ This will walk you through identifying if you have the A or B
Analog Output Bboard. From there, watch either the A http://youtu.be/hBWYzjWxYmY or
B http://youtu.be/fX3xCW6YFkA style installation procedure.
PS Audio
4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301
PH: 720.406.8946 FX: 720.406.8967
PerfectWave DAC Mk II Upgrade Kit

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 2 of 18
Your Kit Should Include the Following:
2, 1A, Slow Blow Gold Fuses
1, DAC Mark II Name Plate
1, 1.5” X 0.75 Nylon Washer
1, DAC Mk II Firmware
Hardware images below shown actual size
2, Pieces Copper Tape
2, M2.5 Phillips Pan Head Metric Screws
1, 4-24 X 3/8” Tapping Screw
2, M3-0.5 X 6mm Phillips Pan Head Metric Screws
4, 4-40 X 3/8” Phillips Flat Head Screws
4, 4-40 X 11/2” “All Thread” Screws
3, 6-32 X ¼” Phillips Pan Head Screws

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 3 of 18
1, White cleaning cloth
1, Upgrade manual
1, DAC II Input Board
1, PerfectWave Remote control II
1, Wrist Strap 1, 5/8” wrench
1, 9/16” wrench
1, 1, ½” open end wrench
1, #1 Phillips screw driver
1, Plastic Tweezer

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 4 of 18
The Mezzanine Board
The I2S cables:
Type A
Type B

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 5 of 18
Remove the Top Cover.
1. Unplug your DAC from its power source and unplug the AC line cord from the rear
panel of the DAC.
2. Find or create a padded work surface such as a table with a piece of carpet or rug.
3. Place your DAC upside down on the white cleaning cloth with the rear panel facing
towards you.
4. With the Phillips screw driver, remove the four 4-40 head screws shown in circles
below. No need to save these screws your kit has new ones.
5. Thread each one of the 4 pieces of “All Thread” into the 4 holes 6 turns each.

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 6 of 18
Caution: Be sure your work surface is protected as the “All Thread” screws may
scratch the surface!
6. Flip the unit back over right side up on your protected work surface.
7. Uniformly push down on the sides of your DAC. The top will pop up as shown below.
8. Reach under the top cover and lift it out of the chassis, flip it over to the left and set it
down on the left side of the DAC as shown in the photo below.
9. Unscrew the 4 pieces of “All Thread” from the top cover bracket and set aside.
10.Wiggle and pull the top cover ground wire from the grounding block. (Some DACs
have this ground wire and some do not.)
11.Retrieve any pieces of gasket material that may have
come off the top cover and fallen into the unit. There
should be 9 pieces of gasket material on the top panel in
the locations shown below. Replace any loose pieces by
pressing them back onto the metal where shown below.
Top Cover
Ground
9 Pieces of
Gasket

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 7 of 18
Remove the Original Digital Input Board.
12.CAUTION, anti-static precautions are necessary when handling your new DAC
Mk II board. Remove the wrist strap from the plastic bag, open up the loop and put
it around your wrist and make it snug.
13.Attach the alligator to the center terminal (ground) of the AC inlet module as shown
lower right.
14.Remove the 5 screws that secure the XLR, optical, and HDMI connectors to the rear
panel (circles). No need to save these screws your kit has new ones.
15.Place the 1.5” X 0.755 nylon washer over the outside of the nut on the RCA
connector to prevent the rear panel from being scratched and use the ½” open end
wrench to remove the nut from the RCA connector.
16.Using your thumb and index finger, carefully rock the J10 ribbon cable back and forth
out of the header as shown right.
17.Using the same method, unplug ribbon cable J11.
18.Unplug the ribbon cable from J13 of the old input board and J3 of the Analog Output
Board below. The J13 cable will not be reused.
Use ½” open end wrench

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 8 of 18
19.Remove the three 6-32 screws (squares) that hold the old board to the 3 spacers.
20.Lift the board out of the chassis moving it away from the rear panel. The piece of
copper tape on the USB connector will peel off of the rear panel, this is ok.
Unplug J10
Unplug J11 Remove J13
Copper Tape

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 9 of 18
Identify your Analog Output Board - Type A or Type B?
There are two types of analog output boards. The Analog Output Board is the larger
bottom board. How the Mark II Digital Input Processor board connects to the Analog
Output Board depends on whether it is an A or a B style of Analog Output Board. The
next step is to identify if you have either an A or a B style Analog Output Board. Once
you have identified the style, proceed to the A or B installation section to finish the
installation.
Type A Analog Output Board
21.You’ll note that the Type A Analog Output Board has a small black twelve pin
socket (J3 page12) adjacent to the two large power supply capacitors.
22.If your Analog Output Board has this socket you will use this short (3 inch/7.5cm)
I2S cable.
The I2S cable is labeled with four acronyms.
23.1. MCK (Blue) 2. BCK (Yellow) 3. DAT (Red) 4. LRCK (White).
24. These acronyms will correspond to the colour code on the new MKll Digital Input
Board I2S input coaxial sockets.

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 10 of 18
Type B Analog Output Board
25.You’ll note that the type B board has a 16 pin socket, labeled J2, on the right hand
side (looking from the rear of the unit) between the metal support posts.
26.If your Analog Output Board has this socket you will use the long (6 inch/15cm) I2S
cable shown below.
The I2S cable is colour coded and will correspond to the colour code on the new
MKll Digital Input Board I2S input coaxial sockets.

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 11 of 18
Install the new Digital Input Board.
We recommend that you take a few moments to view the Perfect Wave MK ll upgrade
videos on YouTube these are accessible from www.psaudio.com.
If you have a Type A Analog Output Board, follow the next procedure. If you have a
type B Analog Output Board, skip the next procedure and move to the Type B Analog
Output Board procedure following this section.
Type A Analog OutputBoard Procedure
The following instructions assume you have removed your MK1Digital input board and
have a type A Analog Output Board.
The first step in the process of the Type A Analog Output Board is to connect the new
Mark II digital Input board to the Type A Analog Output Board. To do this you will connect
the supplied short I2S cable between the Digital Input board and the Analog Output
Board. The short I2S cable looks like this:
It is important to make sure the 4 wires are connected properly for the upgrade to work.
Each of the wires are labeled to match the corresponding connections on the new Mark II
Digital Input board.
27.The black plug connector of this cable inserts into the Analog Output Board and
the individual wires connect to the matching connectors on the Digital Input board.
28.The I2s cable has a small tab or key on its plug so it will only insert one way into
the Analog Output Board.
29.Orient the cable so the tab is facing the rear panel.

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 12 of 18
30.Once you get the cable aligned with the header below use the tweezers to push
the cable into the header on the Analog Output Board. This connection is only a
snug fit so you do not need much force to mate the connectors. When you start
to push down if you feel the cable start to rock your alignment is not correct.
31.Nothing more than light pressure will be needed to secure the cable.
32.Plug in each individual coaxial connector to the new MK II Digital Input Board. It is
essential that the coaxial cables are connected to the correct corresponding coaxial
input on the MKll digital Input board.
33.Plug back the two ribbon cables J10 and J11
34.Now reinstall the MKll Digital Input Board using the three 6-32 screws removed
earlier or using the new ones provided with your kit.
35.Install Copper Tape per photograph on page 14. Take one piece of copper tape,
the other is a spare, and peel the backing off the self-sticking adhesive copper
tape, form the tape to an “L” shape, and press the tape into the gap between the
USB connector and the rear panel as shown below to ensure the gap is sealed.
Caution: the edge of the copper is sharp, be careful not to cut yourself!
The Internal installation is now complete.
This photograph shows a correctly installed I2s coax cable.
Move on to the “Final Assembly Procedure” section and bypass the “Type B Analog
Output Board Procedure”.
J3 Polarizing Tab

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 13 of 18
Type B Analog Output Board Procedure
The following instructions assume you have removed your MK1 Digital input board and
have a type B Analog Output Board.
The first step in the B analog model is to connect the I2S coaxial cable and mezzanine
board assembly between the type B Analog Output Board and the new Mark II Digital
Input board. The proper cable assembly for this process looks like this:
36.Step 1. Locate the 16 pin socket J2 on the Analog Output Board and insert the
long cable and mezzanine board into the socket. Make sure the board is correctly
seated and that the coaxial connectors face in toward the unit rather than toward
the side of the unit.
37.Nothing more than light pressure will secure the cable.
38.Now reinstall the MKll Digital Input Board using the three 6-32 screws removed
earlieror using the new ones provided with your kit. Ensure that all of the ribbon
cables are secure.
39.The next process involves plugging in the I2S coax connectors into the correct
sockets on the Digital Input Board. The coax cable is fragile and the space to work
is limited so be patient and take your time with this task. It may take you a few tries
to get them plugged in. Note the color coding on both the I2S cable and the on
the MKll digital input board. These must match when connected.
40.Reconnect the original J10 and J11 ribbon cables so the assembly process
between the two boards is now complete.
41.Install Copper Tape per photograph on page 14. Take one piece of copper tape,
the other is a spare, and peel the backing off the self-sticking adhesive copper
tape, form the tape to an “L” shape, and press the tape into the gap between the
USB connector and the rear panel as shown below to ensure the gap is sealed.
Caution: the edge of the copper is sharp, be careful not to cut yourself!

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 14 of 18
The Internal installation is now complete.
J10
J11
Copper Tape

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 15 of 18
Final Assembly Procedure for Both Type A and Type B Models
Below are the final steps to finishing your Mark II upgrade. These steps apply to both the
type A and the type B installation procedures.
42.Secure the XLR connector to the rear panel with the two M2.5 screws
(pentagons). Do not over tighten, these screws only need to be snug.
43.Secure the optical connector to the rear panel with the 4-24 X 3/8” Screw (circle). Do
not over tighten, these screws only need to be snug.
44.Secure the two HDMI connectors to the rear panel with the two M3-0.5 X 6mm
Phillips screws (diamonds). The tabs on the HDMI connectors are fragile so support
them with your finger on the inside of the rear panel while you start the screw into the
connector tab. These screws only need to be snug.
45.Put the black washer on the RCA connecter followed by the gold nut.
46.Place the 1.5” X 0.755 nylon washer over the outside of the double “D” nut and use
the ½” open end wrench to tighten the nut on the RCA connector; do not over
tighten, it only needs to be snug, about ½ turn.
Change the Fuses.
47.Lift off the fuse cover and fuse with the back of the tweezers shown below left.
Note: Both of the fuses are the same.
48.Locate the fuse F1 and F2 on the power supply board near the AC inlet module.
Use ½” open end Wrench, Snug

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 16 of 18
49.Remove the old fuse by twisting it out from under the latches and insert the gold fuse
by snapping it into the fuse cover latches as shown below right.
50.Replace the fuse by snapping the fuse cover and fuse back into the socket.
Replacing the Top Cover.
51.If your DAC has a top cover ground wire, reconnect it to the ground block in the rear
corner of the chassis near the AC inlet. See photo at the bottom of page 6.
52.Press the EMI foam back onto the rear flange of the top cover if it has lifted. See
photo below on the right.
53.Flip the top cover over and lower it into the chassis rear first to ensure the EMI foam
on the rear of the top cover gets captured inside the chassis as shown below.
54.Press back and down to drop the front of the top cover in place as shown below.
55.Carefully flip the unit over on its top and secure the top cover in place with four 4-40
flat head screws in locations shown in the center photo on page 5.
56.It is now ok to remove the wrist strap from your wrist and the DAC.
EMI Gasket Foam
Inside the Chassis
Press Back
and Down EMI Foam
Rear Flange

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 17 of 18
Place the DAC Mk II Label on the unit.
57.Peel the back from the DAC Mk II label and place it on the rear panel of your DAC in
the location shown below.
Update the Firmware.
58.Plug your DAC back into the power source.
59.Remove the SD card from your DAC if you have one installed. Press to eject. You
will no longer need this SD card.
60.Insert the SD card with the new firmware that came with your kit into your DAC. The
SD card included in your kit contains the latest firmware.
Note: The SD card plugs into the socket upside down with the contacts facing up.
61.Turn the rear panel power switch ON. The logo button will flash for 40 seconds, the
“INITIALIZING” screen with the progress bar will show for 55 seconds, the progress
bar will remain at its end for 6 seconds, then the screen will go blank for 10 seconds.
At this point the DAC will initialize to its operating state. Be patient and do not disturb
the installation process.
SD Card u
p
Side Down
Place Label here

PWD Upgrade instructions v1 1-1e.doc Page 18 of 18
Check System Information.
62.Turn the rear panel switch OFF and then ON again. Once the “INITIALIZING” screen
appears, tap the center of the display to enter the information screen shown below.
63.The “Unit ID:” number should match the unit UID label on the rear panel and your
DAC. You should also see a Bootloader version, a Firmware version, a CPLD
version, a USB version, and a Bridge version if your DAC has a bridge card installed.
The screen below is an example; some of your values will be different.
Your upgrade is now complete. Happy listening!