Rupert Neve Designs Fidelice RNDAC User manual

Operations Manual
Serial Number:
Fidelice: RNDAC
Precision Digital-to-Analog Converter

1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with a dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type
plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other.
A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the
provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the
apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with
the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution
when moving the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-
supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have
fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
15. This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and no
object filled with liquids, such as vases or beer glasses, shall be placed
on the apparatus.
16. Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a
risk of fire or electric shock.
17. This apparatus has been designed with Class-I construction and must
be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing
connection (the third grounding prong).
18. This apparatus has been equipped with a rocker-style AC mains power
switch. This switch is located on the rear panel and should remain
readily accessible to the user.
19. The MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is used as the disconnect
device, so the disconnect device shall remain readily operable.
20. NOTE: 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
generates, 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 the
receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this device not expressly
approved by Rupert Neve Designs LLC, could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment under FCC rules.
21. This apparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B (whichever is
applicable) limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as
set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department
of Communications.
ATTENTION — Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits
radioélectriques dépassant las limites applicables aux appareils
numériques de class A/de class B (selon le cas) prescrites dans le
réglement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par les ministere des
communications du Canada.
22. Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing
loss. Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced
hearing loss, but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed to
sufficiently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specified
the permissible noise level exposures shown in the following chart.
According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of these permissible limits
could result in some hearing loss. To ensure against potentially
dangerous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recommended
that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high
sound pressure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment
is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the
ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent
permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth
here:
Important Safety Instructions
CAUTION AVIS
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE.
AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L'USAGER.
CONFIER L'ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.
AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D'INCENDIE OU D'ELECTROCUTION, N'EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE
A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE
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.
Le symbole éclair avec point de flèche à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral
est utilisé pour alerter l'utilisateur de la présence à l'intérieur du coffret de
"voltage dangereux" non isolé d'ampleur suffisante pour constituer un risque
d'éléctrocution.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the
user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
Le point d'exclamation à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral est employé
pour alerter les utilisateurs de la présence d'instructions importantes pour le
fonctionnement et l'entretien (service) dans le livret d'instruction
accompagnant l'appareil. WARNING — To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not
expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.
Duration,
per day in
hours
Sound Level
dBA, Slow
Response
Typical Example
8 90 Duo in small club
6 92
4 95 Subway Train
3 97
2 100 Typical music via head phones
1.5 102
1 105 Siren at 10 m distance
0.5 110
0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert
PORTABLE CART
WARNING

Table of Contents
Introduction
Block Diagram
Front Panel
Rear Panel
RNDAC Features
USB Audio Setup
DSD Playback
Digital Filter Options
Micro-USB Firmware Update
Specications
Frequency Response Graphs
Limited Warranty
1
1
2
3
4
7
10
10
11
15
17
21

Rupert Neve Designs Fidelice RNDAC: Precision DAC
Thank you for purchasing the Rupert Neve Designs Fidelice RNDAC: Precision Digital-to-Analog Converter. We hope you
enjoy using this product as much as we have enjoyed designing and building it. The RNDAC features custom Rupert
Neve Designs transformer-coupled outputs, Class-A analog signal paths, high-quality AKM Digital-to-Analog Conver-
sion and a precision reference headphone amplier.
Guided by the Rupert Neve Designs engineering philosophy, we were able to produce wide-bandwidth, low-noise and
low-distortion analog signal paths that compliment the RNDAC’s Digital-to-Analog Conversion, ultimately providing
the listener with true high-delity reproduction.
1
RNDAC Block Diagram
A
R
+
2
3
XLR BALANCED LEFT RCA ANALOG LEFT
2
3
XLR BALANCED RIGHT
+
RCA ANALOG RIGHT
COAX S/PDIF
+ +
+ +
CW
VOLUME
CW
GND GND
+ +
+ +
- -
VAR/FIXED
+ +
GND GND
2
3
BALANCED OUT LEFT
2
3
BALANCED OUT RIGHT
+ +
UNBALANCED OUT LEFT
UNBALANCED OUT RIGHT
+
+
+ + + +
GAIN
T
R
S
TRS UNBALANCED
GND
1 2 3
4
G
front
XLR BALANCED
R2
B
R3 R1
T S
TC
T
R1
S
R2
R3
PENTACONN BALANCED
GND
GND
LO HI LO HI
+ +
+9.28dB +9.28dB
+ +
+4/-10
+4 -10
Headphone Amplifier L Headphone Amplifier R
OPTICAL S/PDIF
USB
RCA
BALANCED
COAX
USB
LINE OUT
GND GND
DIT
USB I/F
MUX
OUT_L+
OUT_L-
DAC
DIG
OUT_R+
OUT_R-
+4 -10
XLR
ANALOG S/PDIF
OPTICAL
S/PDIF

RNDAC Front Panel
2
LINE OUT
Toggles rear-panel RCA and
XLR Line Outputs ON/OFF
GAIN
Toggles between LO (default)
and HI gain settings to better
match dierent headphone
sensitivity ranges TRS Unbalanced
1/4”TRS Unbalanced Headphone Output
XLR BALANCED 4-Pin XLR Balanced Headphone Output
PENTACONN BALANCED 4.4mm TRRRS Balanced Headphone Output
SOURCE Press corresponding button to select rear panel input source. Input is select- ed when button is illuminated. Analog: RCA Unbalanced, XLR Balanced Digital: S/PDIF Coaxial, S/PDIF Optical, USB
Sample Rate LED Indication LED indication for digital source sample rate. PCM Playback: 44.1k, 48k, 88.2k, 96k, 176.4k, 192k, 384k DSD Playback: Native and DoP 2.8M (DSD64), 5.6M (DSD128), 11.2M (DSD256), 22.4M (DSD512)
PCM / DSD Mode LED Indication
LED indication for PCM or DSD decoding
VOLUME High-quality ALPS volume control for Headphone and Line Outputs (Line Output level is controlled when rear-panel toggle switch is set to VARIABLE)
HEADPHONE OUTPUTS
To guarantee specied performance, use only ONE Headphone Output connector at any time

RNDAC Rear-Panel
3
XLR BALANCED OUTPUT
Class-A, Transformer-coupled
Stereo Line Output utilizing
custom Rupert Neve Transformers
Nominal Output Level: +4dBu
FIXED / VAR Toggles Line Outputs (RCA and XLR) between FIXED output volume and VARIABLE output volume. When VARIABLE output level is selected, use the front panel VOLUME knob to control the output level. CAUTION: When FIXED output level is select- ed, the RNDAC will output full-scale program level. Use appropriately (see pg. 5). Note: If in doubt, set this toggle switch to VARIABLE output
RCA UNBALANCED OUTPUT
Class-A Unbalanced Stereo Line Output
Nominal Output Level: -10dBV
RCA ANALOG INPUT
Class-A Unbalanced Stereo Line Input Nominal Input Level: -10dBV
+4 / -10 Toggles XLR input level standard: UP: +4dBu Nominal (default) DOWN: -10dBV Nominal
COAX S/PDIF
Digital S/PDIF Coaxial Input 44.1kHz - 192kHz PCM Playback
OPTICAL S/PDIF Digital S/PDIF Optical Input 44.1kHz - 192kHz PCM Playback
USB DIGITAL Digital USB-B Input 44.1kHz - 384kHz PCM Playback DSD64 - DSD512 DSD Native and DoP Playback
FILTER OPTION
Five-position dip-switch for DAC Digital Filter options and mode selection
FIRMWARE UPDATE Micro-USB Firmware Update Port
XLR / TRS ANALOG INPUT Class-A Balanced XLR Combo Jack Stereo Line In Nominal Input Level: +4dBu (toggle up - default) -10dBV (toggle down)
POWER IEC Mains AC Power Inlet 100 - 240VAC Input 45W MAX AC Power Consumption

4
RNDAC Front-Panel Features
Line Out
The LINE OUT switch toggles the RNDAC’s rear-panel BALANCED XLR and UNBALANCED RCA line outputs ON or OFF.
Gain
The GAIN switch toggles between LO and HI gain output for the headphone amplier to allow the user to better opti-
mize their listening setup for the variance in headphone impedance and eciency between manufacturers.
Precision Headphone Amplier
The RNDAC Precision Headphone Amplier oers three (3) headphone output jacks: 1/4” TRS Unbalanced, XLR 4-Pin
Balanced and 4.4mm TRRRS Pentaconn Balanced.
TRS (1/4”) Unbalanced is one of the most common types of headphone connector. If your headphones are equipped
with the smaller 3.5mm TRS standard, then you will need to use a 3.5mm to 1/4” TRS adapter to connect to the RNDAC’s
Unbalanced Headphone Output.
The Balanced headphone outputs are reserved for the XLR 4-Pin and 4.4mm TRRRS Pentaconn standards. If you are
unsure about what connector you have on your headphones, please contact [e-mail] for further infor-
mation before operating the RNDAC headphone amp.
NOTE: All three headphone outputs are in parallel, so the user should take care to connect only one pair of headphones
at a time. In addition, the lowest recommended headphone impedance is 16Ω. This will ensure the specied head-
phone amplier performance and provide the best possible listening experience.
Source Select
The front-panel SOURCE selection buttons allow the user to randomly select between the ve (5) available RNDAC in-
puts: RCA Analog, XLR Balanced, COAX S/PDIF, Optical S/PDIF, and USB Digital. When rst powering on the RNDAC, the
front panel will run through it’s startup sequence and then SOURCE selection will become active. After the RNDAC boot
sequence, only one (1) SOURCE select button should be illuminated.
Sample Rate Indication
Sample Rate Indication is provided on the RNDAC front-panel for the user. The indicated PCM Sample Rates include:
44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, and 384 kHz.
The RNDAC’s indicated DSD rates include: DSD64 (2.8 MHz / Single), DSD128 (5.6 MHz / Double), DSD256 (11.2 MHz /
Quad), and DSD512 (22.4 MHz / Octa).
PCM / DSD Mode Indication
PCM and DSD mode LED indication is provided on the RNDAC front-panel for the user. When playing back PCM content
at one of the RNDAC’s indicated PCM Sample Rates, the corresponding PCM LED will illuminate. When playing back DoP
(DSD over PCM) or Native DSD, the DSD LED will illuminate.
Volume
The RNDAC utilizes a stereo ALPS potentiometer for VOLUME control. The VOLUME knob allows the user to adjust the
output volume of the RNDAC headphone amp. If the RNDAC’s rear-panel FIXED / VAR toggle switch is set to VARIABLE,
then the VOLUME knob will additionally control the output level of the rear-panel BALANCED and UNBALANCED LINE
OUTPUTS (see pg. 5 for more detail).

RNDAC Rear-Panel Features
XLR Balanced Output
The stereo XLR line outputs on the RNDAC are balanced by a pair of custom-wound Rupert Neve Designs transformers,
achieving very low distortion while still maintaining the musical, harmonic character for which Rupert Neve is known.
The XLR path is calibrated to the +4dBu nominal level standard and is capable of a maximum output level of +23.5 dBu.
RCA Unbalanced Output
In addition to the functional utility that this second stereo analog path serves, the RCA path provides very transparent
reproduction of music. The RCA output is calibrated to the -10dBV nominal level standard and is intended to connect
to other RCA inputs (consumer CD Players, Home Entertainment Receivers, etc.)
FIXED / VAR Toggle Switch
The Fixed / Variable rear-panel toggle switch is located in between the RNDAC RCA and XLR outputs. When this switch
is set to the VARIABLE (Down) position, the line output volume is controlled by the RNDAC front-panel VOLUME knob.
This mode of operation is most useful when the user doesn’t have an external volume control between the RNDAC line
outputs and their speakers.
The FIXED (Up) position should only be utilized when the user has an external volume control connected between the
RNDAC line outputs and their active speakers or power amp inputs.
NOTE: In FIXED mode, the RNDAC will output FULL-SCALE PROGRAM LEVEL, which could potentially damage speakers
or your hearing if there is no inline external volume control. If unsure about what operational mode best ts your listen-
ing setup, please contact [e-mail] for more information.
RCA Analog Input
The stereo RCA analog inputs are available to connect to other common RCA output sources such as CD players, home
entertainment receivers, computer sound cards, TV analog audio outputs, etc. The RCA inputs are calibrated for the
-10dBV nominal RCA standard and can accept a maximum input level of +19 dBV.
+4 / -10 Toggle Switch
The +4 / -10 toggle switch on the RNDAC rear-panel allows the user to adjust the RNDAC Balanced stereo input to match
the nominal output level of a driving source (+4 dBu or -10 dBV standard).
For example, if the user has a balanced output from a CD player that is calibrated to the -10 dBV standard, they can sim-
ply set the +4 / -10 toggle switch to the -10 setting. The more common level standard for a balanced output is typically
+4 dBu nominal, so the +4 switch setting should be considered the DEFAULT position for the XLR Balanced inputs.
XLR / TRS Analog Input
The XLR / TRS stereo analog inputs are tted with combo jack input connectors that can accept a 1/4”TRS cable in addi-
tion to the standard 3-Pin Male XLR cable for user convenience. The Balanced analog inputs can accept the two dierent
nominal level standards of +4 dBu and -10 dBV. This input level calibration is controlled by the position of the +4 / -10
toggle switch on the RNDAC rear-panel.
COAX S/PDIF Input
The Coaxial S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format) digital input is one of three (3) digital inputs available on
the RNDAC. This single RCA jack is designated yellow to avoid confusion with the analog RCA inputs and outputs. This
connection supports PCM playback up to 192 kHz at 24 bit resolution. When a proper COAX S/PDIF connection has
been made, the RNDAC will indicate the current playback Sample Rate in PCM mode on it’s front-panel.
5

Optical S/PDIF Input
The Optical S/PDIF digital input is the second of three digital inputs available on the RNDAC rear-panel. Similar to the
Coaxial S/PDIF connection, the Optical connection supports PCM playback up to 192 kHz at 24 bit resolution. The Opti-
cal S/PDIF connection is a common alternative found on consumer products such as home entertainment systems and
televisions.
USB Digital
The USB Audio digital input is the third of three digital inputs available on the RNDAC, made available on the USB-B port
on the RNDAC rear-panel. The USB audio connection supports the following PCM and DSD rates:
PCM: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, and 384 kHz (up to 32 bit resolution)
DSD (Native and DoP**): DSD64 (2.8 MHz / Single-Rate), DSD128 (5.6 MHz / Double-Rate), DSD256* (11.2 MHz / Quad-
Rate), and DSD512* (22.4 MHz / Octa-Rate).
*High-rate DSD256 (Quad) and DSD512 (Octa) are only available for playback on Windows OS.
**MAC OSX can play DSD les using DSD-over-PCM (DoP) and the RNDAC supports up to DoP128 (Double-Rate DSD).
Filter Options
The RNDAC has a ve (5) position dip-switch on its rear-panel that allows the user to have control over the digital l-
ter sets and modes internal to the AKM 4497 DAC. In the up position, the individual switch feature is INACTIVE. The
dip-switch must be ipped to the DOWN position to make the DAC feature ACTIVE. The RNDAC DEFAULT setting is all
dip-switches in the UP position.
While we spent a signicant amount of time listening and evaluating the DAC lter options to choose a DEFAULT mode
that we thought sounded best, we highly encourage the listener to experiment with dierent dip-switch settings to nd
the sonic character that best suits their individual taste and listening environment.
The functions of each of the 5 individual dip-switches are as follows (see pg. 10 for more detail):
ALL SWITCHES UP: Slow Roll-O Filter, Standard Group Delay (RNDAC DEFAULT)
SWITCH 1: Super-Slow Roll-O Filter* RNDAC FILTER OPTION (Rear-Panel View)
SWITCH 2: Short Group Delay Mode*
SWITCH 3: Sharp Roll-O Filter*
SWITCH 4: AKM “High-Quality” Sound Mode**
SWITCH 5: DSD Low / High Filter Pole***
*Switches 1-3 only aect PCM playback
**Switch 4 aects PCM and DSD playback
***Switch 5 only aects DSD playback
Micro USB Firmware Update
NOTE: The Micro USB port on the RNDAC is solely intended for Firmware Updates. This port is NOT intended for stream-
ing USB audio at any point from any device. See pg. 11 for more detail on RNDAC rmware updates.
AC Power Entry
The AC Mains Power Entry receptacle on the RNDAC rear-panel is designed to accept a standard IEC 3-Pin power cable.
The Power ON/OFF switch is located just above the AC power inlet on the RNDAC rear-panel.
6

7
RNDAC USB Audio Setup
RNDAC Initial USB Connection for Windows
The rst time the RNDAC is plugged into your Windows PC, you will need to install the necessary drivers to properly
enable the RNDAC features.
1. Visit delice.com and download the RNDAC Windows driver installer listed on the RNDAC product page.
2. Once the driver download is nished, run “rndac_driver.exe” to install the drivers on your PC.
3. After installation is complete, Windows should notify that the driver is“Ready to Use.”
4. Click Finish. The RNDAC should be ready to stream USB audio. If you are still experiencing playback issues, please
contact ser[email protected] for support.
RNDAC Initial USB Connection for Mac
There is no necessary driver install for Mac OS. Connect the RNDAC to your Mac using the included USB-A to USB-B
cable and enjoy!

8
USB Playback Sample Rate Conguration
It is important to understand that some media players (such as Tidal and JRiver Media Center) output the correct USB
control transfer data to notify the RNDAC to change sample rate based on the source le. However, some media players
do not output this data. In this case, the user can manually adjust the RNDAC sample rate. Windows and Mac OS have
dierent methods:
Sample Rate Conguration (Windows)
1. Navigate to Windows “Sound” Preferences (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound). Shortcut: Right-click on the
speaker icon in the Windows task bar (lower right corner of your screen). Click on “Playback Devices”in the pop-up
menu.
2. Windows “Sound” Preferences will open. Double-click on the “(Digital Output) 2- RNDAC” under the “Playback” tab.

9
4. Navigate to the“Advanced”tab. The“Advanced”menu allows the user to manually congure the sample rate. Select
a Sample Rate from the drop-down list and then click “OK.” Playback may be momentarily interrupted.
Sample Rate Conguration (Mac)
1. Navigate to Go > Utilities on the Mac Finder Menu Bar (or press Shift-Command-U). Double-click on Audio MIDI
Setup. The Audio Devices Window should pop-up (if not press Command 1 to unhide the Audio Devices Window).
2. Click on the RNDAC in the audio device sidebar to select it’s properties. Under the “Format” drop-down menu, the
user can manually select the Sample Rate. Playback may be momentarily interrupted.

10
The RNDAC is capable of PCM and DSD playback. PCM (Pulse-Code-Modulation) is by far the most common form of
digitally encoded music, however, DSD (Direct-Stream-Digital) is enjoying increased attention from the hi- community.
Both formats approach audio encoding with dierent methodologies, and each format has its supporters. It was im-
portant that we built in the capability for high-quality PCM and DSD playback within the RNDAC, ultimately allowing the
user to decide which format they prefer.
Based on our testing, we recommend using JRiver Media Center for DSD playback. We found, overall, that JRiver Media
Center performed most reliably on Windows and Mac at all DSD rates, in most cases requiring minimal additional soft-
ware conguration. Other media players may require additional preference conguration for DSD playback.
The RNDAC’s Filter Options are available on the rear-panel ve (5) position dip-switch. The feature is ON when the dip-
switch is in the DOWN position. There are three separate lter options: Slow Roll-O, Super-Slow Roll-O and Sharp Roll-
O (see frequency response graphs on pg. 19-20). In addition to three lter modes, Switch 2 allows the user to switch
between two dierent Group Delay modes (short vs. standard). Switch 4 allows the user to toggle AKM’s “High-Quality
Sound” mode ON/OFF and Switch 5 picks between the low or high-pole lter for DSD playback. The RNDAC’s available
digital mode combinations are shown below:
Slow Roll-O Slow Roll-O Sharp Roll-O
Standard Group Delay Super-Slow Roll-O Short Group Delay Standard Group Delay
All Switches UP (Default) Switch 1 DOWN Switch 2 DOWN Switch 3 DOWN
Sharp Roll-O
AKM “High-Quality Sound” DSD High Pole Short Group Delay
Switch 4 DOWN Switch 5 DOWN Switches 2 & 3 DOWN
All Switches UP (Default): Slow Roll-O Filter, Standard Group Delay (PCM Only)
Switch 1: Super-Slow Roll-O Filter (PCM Only)
Switch 2: Short Group Delay (PCM Only)
Switch 3: Sharp Roll-O Filter (PCM Only)
Switch 4: AKM DAC “High-Quality Sound” Mode (PCM and DSD)
Switch 5: Low / High Pole DSD Filter (DSD Only)
DSD Playback
Digital Filter Options

11
In the event that the RNDAC needs to have its rmware updated, follow this procedure:
1. Start with the RNDAC powered OFF.
2. Connect a USB-Micro to USB-A cable between your computer and the RNDAC rear-panel USB Firmware Update port
but DO NOT power ON the RNDAC.
3. BEFORE turning on the RNDAC, open the Device Manager in Windows (or System Report for Mac OS). Locate“Ports
(COM & LPT)” in the device manager list and click on the drop-down arrow to show the available COM ports.
4. With Device Manager still open, power ON the RNDAC and wait for a new COM port to show up in the drop-down
list. Note the COM port number (in this example COM7) for reference.
Micro-USB Firmwate Update

12
5. Now that we know what COM port to use, visit delice.com and download the RNDAC Firmware Bootloader and the
latest RNDAC Firmware le. Depending on your computer conguration, you may also need to download the Java
Runtime Environment from www.java.com/en/download to run the RNDAC Bootloader.
6. Once Java runtime is installed, open the RNDAC Bootloader: UniedHost-0.1.14. A window will pop-up.
7. Click on the“Device Architecture”drop-down box and select 8-bit. Once 8-bit architecture is selected, the Bootload-
er window will refresh with more conguration options. You may need to resize the window at this point to see the
full conguration window.
8. Click on File > Open/Load File (*.hex). Navigate to the directory where you saved the image hex le and click OK.
Once the image hex le has been loaded, it will be indicated in the RNDAC bootloader under“Selected Hex File.”

13
9. Navigate to the“Settings”tab. Click on“Serial” within the settings drop-down menu. A new panel will pop-up.
10. Click on the COM Port drop-down menu. Select the COM Port Number you referenced in Step 4 (in this example:
COM7). Next, click on the “Bits per second” drop-down menu and select “57600.” After both of these parameters
have been selected, click“Apply”. Double-check the “Conguration” section to conrm correct settings.

14
11. Manually change the “Bootloader Oset (Byte Address)” to read: xA
12. Click on the“Program Device”button in the bottom right corner. If a successful connection is made, you will see the
“Status” change to “Device Connected Successfully” and the rmware update will commence. Once complete, the
Status will change to “Disconnected after Programming was Successful.” At this point, close the bootloader, power
OFF the RNDAC, disconnect the Micro USB cable, power ON the RNDAC and resume normal use.

15
RNDAC Specications
Analog Path Specications
Balanced XLR Input to Balanced XLR Output (FIXED Volume) ZSOURCE= 40 Ω Balanced with 30 ft Output XLR
Input Impedance 10 kΩ
Output Impedance 40 Ω
Maximum Input Level (+4dBu Selected) +23.5 dBu
Maximum Output Level +23.5 dBu
Noise @ FIXED Volume (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) -101.2 dBV typical
Frequency Response (5 Hz to 116 kHz) +/- 0.1 dB typical
THD+N @1 kHz (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) 0.0005% typical
Unbalanced RCA Input to Unbalanced RCA Output (2V RMS Redbook) ZSOURCE= 470 Ω Unbalanced
Input Impedance 10 kΩ
Output Impedance 33 Ω
Maximum Input Level +19.2 dBV
Maximum Output Level +19.2 dBV
Noise @ FIXED Volume (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) -109 dBV typical
Frequency Response (5 Hz to 112 kHz) +/- 0.1 dB typical
THD+N @1 kHz (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) 0.0003% typical
Balanced Input to Unbalanced Headphone Output ZSOURCE= 40 Ω Balanced
Input Impedance 10 kΩ
Output Impedance 0.01 Ω
Noise @ Max Volume (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) -98.2 dBV typical
Frequency Response (5 Hz to 200 kHz) +/- 0.2 dB typical
THD+N (1W into 36 Ω Load @1 kHz, BW 10Hz - 22 kHz) 0.003% typical
THD+N (1W into 16 Ω Minimum Load @ 1 kHz, BW 10Hz - 22 kHz) 0.006% typical
Digital Path Specications
Coaxial S/PDIF Input to Balanced XLR Output (FIXED Volume) 192 kHz SR with Slow Roll-O Filter
Noise (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) -96.2 dBV typical
Frequency Response (5 Hz to 23 kHz) +/- 0.1 dB typical
Passband (0.5 Hz to 90 kHz) -3dB typical
THD+N @1 kHz (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) 0.0004% typical
Coaxial S/PDIF Input to Unbalanced RCA Output (FIXED Volume) 192 kHz SR with Slow Roll-O Filter
Noise (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) -107 dBV typical
Frequency Response (5 Hz to 20 kHz) +/- 0.1 dB typical
Passband (0.5 Hz to 90 kHz) -3dB typical
THD+N @1 kHz (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) 0.0004% typical

16
Coaxial S/PDIF Input to Unbalanced Headphone Output 192 kHz SR with Slow Roll-O Filter
Output Impedance 0.01 Ω
Noise @ Max Volume (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) -95.2 dBV typical
Frequency Response (5 Hz to 20 kHz) +/- 0.1 dB typical
Passband (0.5 Hz to 90 kHz) -3dB typical
THD+N (1W into 16 Ω Minimum Load @1 kHz, BW 10 Hz - 22kHz) 0.006% typical
Coaxial S/PDIF Input to Balanced Headphone Output 192 kHz SR with Slow Roll-O Filter
Output Impedance 0.02 Ω
Noise @ Max Volume (10 Hz - 22 kHz BW) -89.2 dBV typical
Frequency Response (5 Hz to 20 kHz) +/- 0.1 dB typical
Passband (0.5 Hz to 90 kHz) -3dB typical
THD+N (1W into 16 Ω Minimum Load @1 kHz, BW 10 Hz - 22 kHz) 0.008% typical
Shipping Weight 12 lbs (5.5 kg)
Shipping Dimensions 21.75” (55.2 cm) x 16.42” (41.7 cm) x 5.63” (14.3 cm)
AC Power Cord Type IEC Standard 3 Pin 18 AWG Type
AC Power Consumption 45W Max

Analog Frequency Response - Balanced In to Balanced Out (ZSOURCE = 40 Ω Balanced, 30 ft. Output XLR
Analog Frequency Response - Unbalanced In to Unbalanced Out (ZSOURCE = 470 Ω Unbalanced)
17