TacT Audio M/S - 2150 X User manual

Owner’s Manual
M/S - 2150 X
True Digital Amplifier

Blank Page

3Tact Audio
WARNING
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC
SHOCK DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (ser-
vicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
The lightning with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of “Dangerous Voltage”
within the product’s enclosure that maybe of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electrical shock to a person.
M/S-2150 XWARNING

CAUTIONCAUTION
4Tact Audio
1. Read these instructions entirely before installing or operating this equipment.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Do not use this equipment near water or allow it to become wet.
5. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or
other appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat,; doing so may
damage the unit and present a fire hazard.
7. 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. If the provided plug
does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the outlet to
one that is polarized.To protect against electrical shock, match the wide blade
of the polarized plug to the wide slot in the outlet and fully insert the plug.
8. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit the equipment. Do not
use this unit with a damaged cord or plug.
9. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
10. Unplug this equipment during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of
time.
11. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
Important Safety
Instructions
Cleaning and
Maintenance
“Note” symbol
1. Always unplug the unit from the electrical outlet before cleaning.
2. Do not use abrasive cleaners. Simply wipe the exterior with a clean soft cloth.A
small amount of nonabrasive cleaner may be used on the cloth to remove
excessive dirt or fingerprints.
The >note< symbol indicates information very useful or essential to daily
operation.
M/S-2150 XSafety

5Tact Audio
IMPORTANT!
Pleaserecord yourserial numberhere forfuture reference.Youwill needthis for
futureupgrades orshould youeverrequire serviceon yourM/S 2150.
M/S - 2150 X serial number: _____________________
Optional modules installed:
ADC analog input ______________
Registration
©2003TactAudioCorporation.Allrightsreserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means,electronic, mechanical, photocopyingor otherwise, withoutthe prior
writtenconsent ofTactAudioCorporation.
TACT®is aregistered trademark ofTactAudioCorporation.
DYNAMIC ROOM CORRECTION®isa registeredtrade markofTactAudioCorpo-
ration.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without
notice.
Acknowledgments M/S-2150 XAcknowledgments

CAUTIONCAUTION
6Tact Audio
Table of contents
Safetyinstructions 4
Acknowledgments/Registration 5
Unpacking the M/S-2150 X 7
Introduction 8
Dynamic Room Cirrection 9
M/S-2150 X Connections 12
Front Panel Controls 18
Remote Control 19
Front Panel Display 21
Mainscreen 21
MAINmenu 22
SavingMenu Settings 22
DELAYmenu 23
LEVELmenu 23
POLmenu 24
InOutmenu 24
RCSmenu 25
MSRmenu 25
CROmenu 26
PAREQ menu 27
MODEmenu 29
OPTmenu 29
DISPLmenu 30
REMmenu 30
COMMmenu 31
ADDRmenu 31
ADCmenu 32
LOCKmenu 32
GAINmenu 33
TRIGmenu 33
TacT M/S-2150 X Software 34
Connect yourM/S2150 XP
toyour Computer 35
Specification 36
TacT M/S-2150 X Crossover Package 37
M/S-2150 X

7Tact Audio
Unpacking the M/S-2150 X
Carefully remove the M/S-2150X and accessory kit from the carton and check for
shipping damage. Contact both the shipper and TacTAudio immediately if the unit
shows any sign of damage from rough handling.All TacTAudio equipment is carefully
inspected before leaving our factory.
KEEP SHIPPING CARTON AND PACKING MATERIALS for future use or in the
unlikely event that the unit needs servicing. If this unit is shipped without the original
packing, damage could occur and void the warranty.
You should find the following items in the accessory kit:
- oneAC mains cord
-RJ11 datacable
-RJ11-to-RS232adapter
-15’ RS232cable
-CD-romwith software
-remote control
- 2AAAbatteries
-one manual
TheM/S-2150 Xamplifier is configuredfor either110 or220/240 volt operation.The
operating voltage is clearly marked on the outside of the box and also on the rear
panelbeneaththeAC mainsconnector.
BEFORECONNECTING THE POWER,MAKESURE THATTHE LABEL INDICAT-
ING THE VOLTAGE MATCHES THE VOLTAGE FOR YOUR COUNTRY
TheM/S-2150 Xhasthree operatingmodes:
- OFF AC mains power is cut off, either via the front
panelmains switch,or byunplugging the amplifierfrom
the wall outlet.
-STANDBY The unit is powered but all outputs are muted and the
displayis off. Theamplifier usesvery little currentand
is“idling” or“sleeping”. Use theremote “STANDBY”
buttonto toggle betweenON andSTANDBY.
- ON Everythingis poweredand readyto use.
Accessories
Operating voltage
M/S-2150 XUnpacking

CAUTIONCAUTION
8Tact Audio
Introduction
-Ultra highprecisionDA conversion
-Upsampling to384,000Hz beforeconversion
- Full resolution at -30 dB
-Software upgradeableDSPsection
-All floatinfpoint processing
-192kHz/24bitADconverter
-Digital pre-amplification with24-bit resolutionat aplayback level of-39 dB!
- Output of 2x300W into 4 Ohm load, with extreme load tolerance
- NO feedback or feedforward locally or globally is utilized in the signal path
The digital input is taken to the central processor where it is reformatted into a
pulse width modulated signal of extreme precision. The pulse rate is measured at
precisely 384,000 pulses per second. Each pulse can have 256 different widths,
with the narrowest pulse being a mere 10 nanoseconds wide. The clock frequency
therefore is 98 MHz. The central processor uses proprietary patented algorithms
(Equibit) to arrive at exactly the right combination of pulse widths produce a highly
accurate waveform. This is the most fundamental departure from conventional am-
plifiers. TacT defines the waveform mathematically - we are not trying to follow or
emulate a waveform by using feedback or feed-forward.
Once the decision of the duration of the pulse is made the central processor con-
trols FET-switches at the output with extreme precision. Voltage and current are
drawn from the power supply and fed to the speakers.
The level of playback is controlled by adjusting the voltage of the power supply.As
this voltage is switched directly to the speakers, it is of paramount importance that
the power supply be totally free of ripple and noise. ForTacTdigital amplifiers, a
switch mode power supply of extreme precision with ripple rejection of more than
135 dB has been developed.At full volume (voltage) the TacT M/S 2150 X delivers
58 volts, equivalent to 150 Watts into 8 ohms. To reduce the volume the voltage of
the power supply is reduced. This means that the volume control is no longer part
of an active circuit.
How does it work?
Why hasn’t anybody
thought of it before? Why has this not been done before? - Well, try to switch 58 volts DC 384,000
times per second without creating even a whisper of noise at a distance of 1" from
the tweeter! Only in the past few years has it been possible to create a fully digital
“amplifier”.
Congratulations on your purchase of your M/S 2150X. You have now acquired the
mostadvancedstereoamplifierever developed!
Features:
M/S-2150 XIntroduction

9Tact Audio
Dynamic Room Correction
M/S-2150 X is designed to support full range and subwoofer Dynamic
Room Correction (DRC).All software necessary to perform this task is built into
each M/S-2150 X. However M/S-2150 X does not have built in microphone preamp
and it does require an external digital microphone preamp such as BOZ RCS-16M.
With RCS-16M up to 16 channels of DRC can be performed. Each M/S-2150 X
channel can be configured as main (full range) or subwoofer channel.After
measurements are completed RCS-16M is no longer needed and it could be
permanently disconnected from the system.
Dynamic Room Correction (DRC)® is new technology developed byTact
Audio Inc. over past two years. This groundbreaking brings the science and art of
Room Correction, and specifically Tact room correction products, to yet another
level.
When we introduced our first RCS system (the Tact-2.2 in the late 90’s)
we were fully aware that we were embarking on a long term research process in
the new exciting field of room acoustics correction.As a result of this research
effort we brought to the market products such as Tact-2.0 S two channel RCS
preamp, the Tact-2.2 X two channel preamp with RCS on two main and two
subwoofer channels, and the TCS MKII ten channel theater correction system.All
these systems offer RCS technology not found in any other product on the
market. Our continued research combined with enormously valuable feedback
from our customers has resulted in this new technology that we named Dynamic
Room Correction (DRC)®.
M/S-2150 XDRC
Why do we call it Dynamic Room Correction (DRC)?
The reason we call it DRC is that the target curve used to compute correction
filters dynamically changes with the master level control. In another words, for
every 0.1 dB of level change the system uses a new target curve to compute room
correction filters. What makes this dynamic is that all computations and
adjustments are done on the fly without any interruption to the music you listen to.
Why do we need Dynamic Room Correction (DRC)?
It is well known fact that humans do not here all frequencies at the same level. It
is also known that our ears are more sensitive to frequencies between 2000 and
5000 Hz than to frequencies bellow 2000 Hz and above 5000 Hz. In addition to this
our hearing sensitivity changes with sound pressure level (SPL). This human
hearing property was first discovered and experimentally confirmed by Fletcher
and Munson at Bell Laboratories in 1933 and later refined by Robinson and
Dadson in 1956. Their work resulted in a family of equal loudness curves
(contours), widely known as Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves.Asample of
Fletcher-Munson loudness curves is shown in the figure bellow.
On the graph bellow there are 12 curves numbered from 0 to 110. These numbers
represent the loudness level in phons. APhon is a unit used to describe the
loudness level of a given sound. The reason for introducing the loudness unit is
that two sounds with the same SPL (dB) do not necessarily have the same
perceived loudness. Phon is equal to SPL in decibels at 1000 Hz. For example,
80 phons means as loud as 80 dB, 1000 Hz tone.

CAUTIONCAUTION
10 Tact Audio
M/S-2150 XDRC
Equal loudness curves represent the SPL that different frequencies need to have in
order to be perceived as two tones of equal loudness. For example, a 200 Hz tone
at SPL of 50 dB will have the same perceived loudness as a 1000 Hz tone at SPL
of 40 dB. In this case both 200 Hz and 1000 Hz tones have a loudness of 40
phons, and they both belong to the 40 phons equal loudness curve.
Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves
As it can be seen from the graph, in comparison to frequencies between 2000 and
5000 Hz, it is intrinsically harder for us to hear very low frequencies (below a few
hundred Hz) and to a lesser extent very high frequencies (above 7000 Hz).At
higher listening levels this difference gradually becomes smaller and smaller and
curves become flatter.
Traditional Tact room correction systems use one target curve that allows for full
range 20-20,000 Hz room corrections. Once selected, the same target curve
(same set of correction filters) was used at all listening levels. This approach did
not take in account the fact that our sound perception, as described by Fletcher-
Munson curves, is frequency and level dependent. Many of our customers have
realized this fact and they have used the nine correction presets (available on all
our RCS products) to program 2.0 S, 2.2 X and TCS MKII with nine different target
curves each corresponding to a different listening level. In this way they were able
to take into account the equal loudness curve effect by switching to new target
curves as the master level changes.
Thus for a number of reasons it is clear that we need a room correction system
that will perform room acoustics correction and at the same time dynamically
change the target curve (correction filters) as the system listening level changes.

11Tact Audio
How does it work?
Dynamic Room Correction (DRC) offers a very sophisticated way of handling a
multi target curve approach to solving equal loudness curve problem. The system
is based on one reference target curve and eight additional target curves called
dynamic target curves. The reference target curve is used to perform basic
reference room correction. Dynamic target curves are labeled 0, -6, -12, -18, -24, -
30, -36 and –42 dB and are combined with the reference target curve to obtain the
final target curve used to calculate correction filters.
For example, if the master level reads –10.3 dB (89.6 on the relative readout) the
system will use the –6 dB and the –12 dB dynamic target curves and by
interpolation will calculate a target curve corresponding to –10.3 dB.After that the
system will combine the 10.3 dB target curve with the reference curve to obtain
the final target curve that is then used to calculate the correction filters. New
correction filters are loaded into the signal path as the music is playing and the
new correction takes effect in a split of a second. The same process repeats
again for any new master level setting.
What is the purpose of the computer interface?
With a DRC system, a computer is used only as a graphical user interface (GUI)
and serves no other purpose.All calculations are performed inside the DRC
processor. Target curves, measurements and other correction parameters are filed
inside DRC flash memory. This approach will allow us to offer other GUI devices
besides window based personal computers.
After target curve modification is made how long does it take
for the new correction to be engaged?
Another main advantage of DRC technology is the elimination of the correction
filters calculation and programming step. If you are currentTact user you are
aware that, after the room measurement was completed and target curve was
selected, you had to go through relatively long process of programming your RCS
device with correction filters before being able to listen to the new correction. With
the DRC technology when you make a change to the target curve, or select a new
one, you click on the GUI ‘Calculate’ button to instantly calculate and engage new
correction filters.
This new feature allows you to make small adjustment while you are listening to
your favorite track and instantly here the changes you made. In this way without
any interruption to the music you can make your system sound perfect down to
the smallest details.
DRC M/S-2150 X

CAUTIONCAUTION
12 Tact Audio
M/S-2150 X Connections
Digital input TheM/S-2150 Xamplifier has5 digitalinputs:
-three RCA(S/PDIF) (D1, D2,D3)
-oneAES/EBU(XLR) (D4)
-oneTosLink(S/PDIF) (D5)
All of the digital inputs support PCM audio data with sampling rates from 32kHz to
96kHz/16-24 bits,however, theAES/EBU and RCA/coaxial inputs support up to
192kHz.
TheM/S-2150 Xamplifierhas 3stereoanalog inputswhiththe optional ADCmodule
installed:
-two analogstereo singleended (RCA) (A1,A2)
-oneanalog stereobalanced(XLR) (A3)
NOTE: A/D conversion is always performed at 24-bits/96kHz.
Analog input
(optional ADC module)
Digital Input Section
Analog Input Section
NOTE: The optional ADC module is required for analog inputs.
M/S-2150 XConnections

13Tact Audio
Connections
Digital output TheM/S2150 Xamplifierhas adigitalpassthrough. Thedigitalinput signalispassed
to the digital output without processing or volume control. The sampling rate is the
nativesampling frequencyof theinput.
Digital Output
NOTE: that this output is not active when analog input is selected.
RS-232 interface
ports TheM/S 2150X hastwo RS232interface ports:
-INPUT
-AUX
Use the INPUT port for communication with your Tact master controller or Personal
Computer.
Use the AUX port to connect to other TacT products. This port should always be
connectedto INPUTportof anotherdevice.
RS-232 Interface Ports
M/S-2150 X

CAUTIONCAUTION
14 Tact Audio
AC mains input Connect the M/S-2150 X to theAC mains wall socket.
CAUTION:Use the supplied IECmainscable, or a3-pronggroundedcable only.
AC Main Input
Speaker output
(normal operation) TheM/S-2150X amplifierhasonepair ofhighqualityspeaker terminals.Thesetermi- nals will accept both spade- and banana-plugs. When connecting your speakers,
pleasemake surethat the RED/HOTterminal isconnected toyour speakers’POSI-
TIVEterminal andtheBLACK/COLD terminalisconnected toyourspeakers’ NEGA-
TIVEterminal.
RIGHT
SPEAKER LEFT
SPEAKER
+ - + -
TheM/S-2150 Xhas atrigger “IN”and “OUT” toprovide onand standbycontrol
froma triggerdevice and topass thetrigger signalto anotherdevice.
Trigger outputs
Trigger Connectors
Connections M/S-2150 X

15Tact Audio
LOW
HIGH
RIGHT
SPEAKER LEFT
SPEAKER
+ -
LOW
+ -
+ -
HIGH
+ -
Speaker output
(Biamped operation) Ifyou areusingtwoor moreM/S-2150X amplifiers,andyourspeakers allowformulti- amping, you can configure the system to run in biamped, tri-amped or multi-amp
mode.This typeof setupallows foroneamplifier channelto drivea specificdriver or
frequencyregion. Themostcommonly usedsetup isbiamped (twochannelsto each
speaker:high andlowfrequency range).Thefollowing aretwoexamples ofmakinga
biampedconnection:
LOW
HIGH HIGH
LOW
Horizontal Biamping LEFT
SPEAKER RIGHT SPEAKER
Connections M/S-2150 X

CAUTIONCAUTION
16 Tact Audio
LOW
HIGH
+ -
LOW
+ -
+ -
HIGH
+ -
RIGHT
SPEAKER LEFT
SPEAKER
Vertical Biamping
HIGH
LOW
LOW
HIGH
LEFT
SPEAKER RIGHT
SPEAKER
Connections M/S-2150 X

17Tact Audio
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Biamping - continued Whentwoor moreM/S-2150Xamplifiersare configuredinabi-/tri-amped setup,both
the signal and the RS232 TacT System Bus must be daisy chained between the
amplifiers.
Thesame signalflow isapplicable forboth horizontaland verticalbi-amping.
FromRCS2.0S, RCS2.2Xor
TCSmkII*Optional
From source
AMP-1
AMP-2
AMP-3 - ONLY PRESENT IN TRI-AMPED SETUP
RS232
RS232
RS232
Digital signal
(coax/SPDIF)
Digital signal
(coax/SPDIF)
Digital signal (coax/SPDIF)
usuallyCDplayeroutput.
Connections
Withits advancedDSP control, theM/S-2150 Xcan enabledigital crossovers
package(high-pass, low-passand band-pass) makingit possibleto configureM/
S-2150X amplifiersto virtually fitany loudspeakersystem.
Examples of how a TacT active system can be configured:
1)Active two-way. The M-2150 X operates as master amp (control unit) and the
S-2150X operatesasnormal/slave amp.M-2150 Xhas aDSP-basedhigh-pass
filterand drivesthe high-sectionof the2-way loudspeakersystem. S-2150 Xhas
alow-pass filterand drivesthe bass-sectionof both loudspeakers.
2) Active three-way.Amp 3, M-2150 X (master unit) is set to implement a high-
passfilter anddrives thetweeter section.Amp2 (normal/slave), S-2150X isset
toimplement a band-passfilterand drivesthe midrange section.Amp1 (normal/
slave), S-2150 X is set to implement a low-pass filter and drives the bass sec-
tion.
M/S-2150 X
Configurations
M/S-2150 X

CAUTIONCAUTION
18 Tact Audio
Front Panel Controls
ON/OFF Usethe “ON/OFF”switch to togglebetween ONand OFFoperation.
(Standbymode canbeselected onlythrough theremote control)
Master volume Themaster volumeis controlledby turningthe largevolume wheel.The greennum-
bers on the left side of the wheel will change as you turn the wheel - this is your
mastervolume levelindicator. Masterlevelis displayedontheVolume Level display
and on the Main Display. Volume Level display shows master level in relative
numberswith 99.9correspondingto themaximumlevel and0.0corresponding tothe
minimum level. Main Displayshowsmaster levelindB’s with0 dBcorresponding to
the maximum level and -99.9 dB corresponding to the minimum level. The wheel
sensitivity, maximumvolume and othersettings canbe foundin the “OPT”menu.
S-2150X mastervolume canbecontrolled onlyby thesuppliedremote control.M/S-
2150X mastervolume canbecontrolled viaRS232 connection.
Mute Usethe “MUTE”buttonto muteor un-muteduringplayback. Themasterlevel indica-
tor will switch to “--” in Mute mode. You can still adjust the master volume while the
unit is in Mute mode - the master level indicator on the Main Display will show
currentmasterlevel indB’s.
Digital
input selector
Analog
input selector
Press the “DIGITAL” button to select the digital input. This is a toggle switch, and
pressingit multipletimeswill togglethrough allof thefivedigital inputs. Theselected
input will be displayed in the input display portion of the display screen.
Pressthe “ANALOG”buttonto selecttheANALOG input.This isatoggle switch,and
pressing it multiple times will toggle through all of the three analog inputs. The
selected input will be displayed in the input display portion of the display screen.
NOTE: The optional ADC module is required for analog inputs.
The front panel controls on the 2150 X amplifier will allow you to control all of the
amplifiersmain features. Allsecondary options arecontrolled withmenus usingthe
remote control or the supplied software. The exclusive “TacT wheel” is the master
volumecontrol. (Thewheelis onlyavailable ontheM-2150 X)
ON/OFF Switch
MuteMaster VolumeDigital Input Selector
MainDisplay
Analog Input Selector
Input Display Volume Level
M/S-2150 XFront Panel

19Tact Audio
The remote control is used to access the front panel display controls and menus.
Remote Control
4
11
2
9
1
3
5
6
7
10
8
12
Remote Control M/S-2150 X

CAUTIONCAUTION
20 Tact Audio
1- STANDBY
The STANDBY button will turn the M/S 2150 X “ON” or it will place it into
“STANDBY” mode. When in standby mode, the unit is placed into a low power
“idiling” state. The standby button is also used to save changes that were made in
the menu editing parameters. By placing the unit into standby the current settings
aresaved.
2 - DIGITAL
TheDIGITALbuttonwill scroll sequentially,allowing the selectionof oneof the 5
digital inputs.
3- ANALOG
TheANALOG button will scroll sequentially, allowing the selection of one of the 3
analoginputs.
4- CORRECTION block
TheCORRECTION blockbuttons areinactive withthis unit.
5 - MENU
The MENU button will switch the front panel display from the status screen to the
mainmenu screen.
6. VIDEO
The VIDEO button is inactive with this unit.
7. UP
TheUP navigational buttonis usedto selectmenu optionsand/or change their
values.
8. DOWN
TheDOWN navigationalbutton is usedto selectmenu optionsand/or changetheir
values.
9. LEFT
TheLEFT navigationalbutton isused to selectmenu optionsand/or changetheir
values.
10. RIGHT
TheRIGHT navigationalbutton isused toselect menuoptions and/orchange their
values.
11.ENTER
The ENTER button will select the menu option currently marked by the blinking
cursor or is used to enter an edited parameter.
12. VOLUME Block
The VOLUME block consists of three buttons.
The“MUTE” buttonwillmute/un-mute allenabled channels.
The“UP”button willincrease themaster volumelevel
The“DOWN”button willdecreasethe mastervolume level.
Remote Control M/S-2150 X