Wadia 121 User manual

121DecodingComputer
manual

Thank You.
All of us at Wadia would like to say thank you
and ongratulations for pur hasing the Wadia
121De oding Computer. We sin erely believe that
your Wadia 121De oding Computer will bring you
many years of musi al pleasure and satisfa tion.
We understand how eager every new owner is
to begin listening, but we want you to be ome
familiar with the full apabilities of the Wadia
121De oding Computer. Before powering on the
devi e, we en ourage you to read this manual and
pay spe ial attention to the se tions highlighted
with an ◆.

Table of Contents
Installat on
Connect ons
Quest ons
Append ces
Wadia Digital – a Brief History 3
◆Important Safety Instru tions 5
Features 7
Unpa king 8
A essories 8
Installing Battery in Remote Control 8
◆Conne ting to AC Power 9
◆Using Surge Prote tors 9
◆Output Conne tions 10
Ba k Panel 10
◆Input Conne tions 12
◆Conne ting through USB 13
Using the Remote Control 15
Front Panel 16
Headphone Output 18
Optimizing the Output Level 19
Frequently Asked Questions 21
Troubleshooting 23
Warranty 25
Spe ifi ations 26

Wad a D g tal – a Br ef H story
Wadia Digital, founded in 1988, is one of the original ompanies dedi ated
to high performan e digital audio reprodu tion. Wadia was formed by a team
of engineers from the Minneapolis based 3M Corporation (Minnesota Mining
and Manufa turing) who shared many years of experien e in advan ed digital
tele ommuni ations resear h and development. In the early 1980’s, these engineers
be ame intrigued by the emerging ompa t dis te hnology. Disappointed with
the sound quality of early CD players, they examined the workings and designs
of these early omponents and found them to be unsophisti ated when ompared
with the te hnology available in other areas of digital design. In response, they
founded Wadia Digital – a ompany based on the philosophy of applying advan ed
te hnology to improve the performan e of digital audio omponents. Wadia’s
first produ t, the Wadia 2000 De oding Computer, was an absolute breakthrough
in digital audio. For many dis erning listeners, it proved that Digital Audio was
a musi ally responsive, evolving, and engaging format.
Building on a tradition of ex ellen e, Wadia ontinues to develop innovative
te hnology; refining, listening, engineering, and improving along the way. Sin e
the Wadia 2000, new generations of industry-leading designs were introdu ed
and embra ed by listeners around the world. Ea h step of the way, Wadia
onsistently raised the standard for performan e of Digital Audio playba k.
3

Here is a brief list of the technolo ical innovations the Wadia en ineers
have pioneered over the past 20 years:
• DigiMaster™patented algorithm (filter optimized for reprodu ing musi )
• Clo kLink™proprietary jitter redu tion te hnology
• SwiftCurrent™urrent to voltage onversion te hnology
• First outboard Digital-to-Analog onverter
• First to apply glass fiber-opti s to home audio
• First to re ognize jitter as a sour e of audible distortion
• First to perfe t digital volume ontrol
• First high-end CD player ompetitive with expensive separates
• First ompany to provide bit perfe t digital audio output from the iPod
While Wadia’s digital expertise and tra k re ord ex eed those of any audio
ompany, te hnology alone does not guarantee an immersive and aptivating
musi al performan e. Wadia’s designs are born of a deli ate balan e of te hnology
shaped by a passion for musi .
4

◆Important Safety Instruct ons
To et the best performance from your Wadia 121Decodin Computer,
and for your own safety, please read and follow these important
safety instructions.
• Read these instru tions.
• Keep these instru tions.
• Heed all warnings.
• Follow all instru tions.
• Do not use this apparatus near water.
• Clean only with dry loth.
• Do not blo k any ventilation openings. Install in a ordan e with the
manufa turer's instru tions.
• Do not install near any heat sour es su h as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (in luding amplifiers) that produ e heat.
5

• Important noti e for USA type ele tri al plugs. 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, onsult an ele tri ian for repla ement of the obsolete outlet.
• Prote t the power ord from being walked on or pin hed parti ularly
at plugs, onvenien e re epta les, and the point where they exit from
the apparatus.
• Only use atta hments/a essories spe ified by the manufa turer.
• Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long
periods of time.
• Refer all servi ing to qualified servi e personnel. Servi ing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, su h as power-supply
ord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or obje ts have fallen
into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture,
does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
6

Features
• 32-bit/1.4MHz up samplin usin Wadia’s proprietary Di iMaster
al orithm and filterin technolo y
• All inputs accept up to 24-bit/192kHz input data rates
• Asynchronous USB input
• Wadia DirectConnect analo output with 32-bit Di ital Volume Control
• Di ital Inputs: AES/EBU (XLR), Coaxial (RCA and BNC),
Toslink Optical, USB B
• Analo Outputs: one pair balanced (XLR), one pair unbalanced (RCA)
• Analo reference output level is fully adjustable via IR commands
to properly match with system sensitivity
• Sin le ended and balanced analo outputs can be used
simultaneously
• Wadia SwiftCurrent current to volta e output sta e creates a
Class A output
• Headphone output sta e utilizes SwiftCurrent technolo y and
dedicated output amplifiers to drive almost any headphone
• Full featured aluminum IR remote control
7

Installation
Unpack ng
Use are in unpa king your Wadia 121De oding Computer. Inspe t it for any
shipping damage and all your dealer immediately if any is found.
Do not plug your Wadia 121Decoding Computer into an AC outlet if you find
shipping damage.
We advise saving all pa king materials so that the unit an be easily and safely
shipped if the need arises.
Do not tip the unit onto the ba k panel. This an damage input and/or
output onne tors.
Accessor es
Provided with the Wadia 121De oding Computer are the following a essories:
• Power Cord
• Power Adaptor
• USB Thumb Drive
• Remote Control
Install ng Battery n Remote Control
The Wadia 121De oding Computer remote ontrol will ship with the required
battery preinstalled. However, you will have to remove the plasti insert tab
from the battery to allow operation of the remote.
8

Connect ng toYour System
Position the Wadia 121De oding Computer where you would like it to reside. We
re ommend hoosing a solid, non-resonant, level surfa e for best performan e.
Che k to make sure your Wadia 121De oding Computer has the orre t AC plug
for your AC line voltage. Damage aused by improper operation is not overed
by the manufa turer’s warranty. If the in luded able and wall termination is
different from your AC outlet, onta t your Wadia dealer.
◆Connect ng to AC Power
We have designed your produ t with areful attention to every detail. We are
extremely onfident of the performan e obtained when your Wadia omponent is
plugged dire tly into the wall with the power ord provided. Your Wadia produ t
has an overall prote tion s heme designed to meet all safety requirements.
◆Us ng AC L ne Cond t oners and Surge Protectors
External surge prote tors, power onditioners, or aftermarket power ords an
be a mixed bag of benefits and limitations, parti ularly those whi h limit urrent
and/or alter phase relationships of the voltage and urrent (power fa tor) delivered
to the Wadia produ t. In some ases, we have found aftermarket produ ts an
be quite benefi ial, while in other ases we have found that these produ ts an
a tually degrade the soni performan e. If you wish to experiment with any of
these devi es, work losely with your lo al dealer – and most of all, trust your
own ears.
9

◆Output Connect ons
Back Panel
1 Balan ed Analog – XLR Outputs 5 Plasti Opti al TOSLINK Input
2 Unbalan ed Analog – RCA Outputs 6 USB 2.0 Input
3 Coax 2 BNC Input 7 AES/EBU – XLR Digital Input
4 Coax 1 RCA Input 8 Power
Connect ng D rectly to a Power Ampl f er or Powered Speakers
We strongly re ommend that you use your Wadia 121De oding Computer
onne ted dire tly to your power amplifier. Even if you pur hased your Wadia
121De oding Computer with the intention of onne ting it to your preamplifier,
we suggest that you try dire t onne tion to your amplifier. Many listeners are
surprised by the improvement in performan e over even the most expensive
preamplifiers.
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56 7 8

Avoid allowing stati sho ks to be applied to the inputs or outputs. To prevent
stati sho ks, tou h any grounded surfa e, su h as the Wadia 121De oding
Computer hassis, before onne ting or removing a able. It is unlikely that a
stati sho k will damage the unit, but it may ause the Wadia 121De oding
Computer ir uitry to “lo k-up” (see TroubleShooting: Lo k-up – page 23).
Inputs and outputs an be safely onne ted to the Wadia 121De oding Computer:
1 Before the unit is powered up
2 When the unit is in Mute mode (see Mute Modes – page 17)
To onne t your Wadia 121De oding Computer to a power amplifier (or powered
speakers), ensure that your power amplifier is turned off, then onne t your
analog inter onne ts [either balan ed XLR (1) or unbalan ed RCA (2)] from the
Wadia 121De oding Computer analog outputs to the amplifier’s inputs.
Us ng the Wad a 121Decod ng Computer w th a Preampl f er
While the Wadia 121De oding Computer is designed to be used without a
preamplifier, no ompromises were made in its design that will prevent ex ellent
operation in a onventional system with a preamplifier, or A/V re eiver.
When using a preamplifier, set the Wadia 121De oding Computer volume ontrol
to its maximum level.
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◆Input Connect ons
Connect ng to D g tal Sources
Avoid allowing stati sho ks to be applied to the inputs or outputs. To prevent
stati sho ks, tou h any grounded surfa e, su h as the Wadia 121De oding
Computer hassis, before onne ting or removing a able. It is unlikely that a
stati sho k will damage the unit, but it may ause the Wadia 121De oding
Computer ir uitry to “lo k-up” (see TroubleShooting: Lo k-up – page 23).
Inputs and outputs an be safely onne ted to the Wadia 121De oding Computer:
1 Before the unit is powered up
2 When the unit is in Mute Mode (see Mute Modes – page 17)
The Wadia 121De oding Computer has five digital inputs:
AES/EBU with XLR type onne tor
Coax 1 RCA
Coax 2 BNC
Plasti Opti al TOSLINK
USB 2.0
To onne t a digital sour e, install the appropriate digital able between the digital
output of that sour e and a digital input of the Wadia 121De oding Computer.
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The Wadia 121 De oding Computer will automati ally adjust to the supported
data rate. Supported data rates in lude 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz,
and 192kHz with up to a 24-bit word length.
◆Connect ng through USB
Important information about using a USB onne tion to play high performan e
192kHz files.
To play files using a USB onne tion from your omputer to the Wadia
121De oding Computer, a spe ifi driver must be installed in your omputer.
The driver is already installed on MAC omputers (OS 10.6.4 and higher).
Windows PCs require the installation of a spe ifi driver. The set-up program
and driver is on the Wadia thumb drive in luded with your 121De oding
Computer (see a essories). The set-up program and driver is also available
on the Wadia web site (www.wadia. om/produ ts/121).
Please read all of the instru tions and the information on the Wadia 121De oding
Computer driver installation web page before installing drivers that mat h your
spe ifi omputer operating system.
The Wadia 121De oding Computer USB input has the apa ity to handle musi
files up to 192kHz and 24 bits of resolution. The majority of available musi files
are at sample rates of 96kHz or below. Before working with files beyond 96kHz,
please make sure you are omfortable with your system and everything is working
properly with files at 96kHz and below.
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Choos ng a D g tal Cable
Based on our experien e, here is a list of digital interfa e methods in des ending
order of performan e:
USB
AES/EBU using XLR onne tor
Coaxial able using BNC onne tor
Coaxial able using RCA onne tor
TOSLINK plasti -opti al able
The quality of any of these transmission methods depends on the quality of
the able and the sophisti ation of the transmitter and re eiver. Higher quality
ables (espe ially USB) are required to support higher data rates. 176.4kHz or
192kHz data rates an be transmitted via Coaxial, and AES/EBU (balan ed)
digital ables, but one must hoose ables that will transfer higher data rates
without signal loss. Toslink onne tions are not rated for data files ex eeding
96kHz. Again, we highly re ommend that you take advantage of your dealer’s
experien e and, most importantly, trust your ears.
All XLR-type inputs and outputs on the Wadia 121De oding Computer, both
digital and analog, use the standard audio pin onfiguration:
Pin 1 - Ground
Pin 2 - Positive signal
Pin 3 - Negative signal
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Us ng the Remote Control
The Wadia 121De oding Computer remote
ontrol requires a CR2032 battery. The battery
is already inside the remote. You will need to
remove the plasti battery prote tor from the
battery hamber for the remote to work.
Select ng an Input
Any of the five inputs on the Wadia 121De oding
Computer an be sele ted by pressing the Input
Sele t button on the remote ontrol. Ea h
time the Input button is pressed, the next
input is sele ted. For example, if the AES/EBU
input is urrently sele ted, pressing the Input
key on the remote ontrol will advan e to
Coaxial 1 and so on. After the USB input, the
list will begin again with the AES/EBU input.
When the Input button is pressed, the display
will hange to the next input LED. The front
panel displays information about the input
urrently sele ted, in luding the input name and
sampling frequen y.
+
mode input
enter
display on/off
phase mute
track back
volume down volume up
pause play
stop
eject
blance left balance right
track forward
-
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Front Panel D splay
1 3.5 mm Headphone Ja k
2 1/4” Headphone Ja k
3 Volume LEDs
4 Sampling Rate LEDs
5 Phase LED
6 Input LEDs
Adjust ng the Volume
The total range of volume is 60dB and is divided into (120) 0.5dB steps. Those
steps are represented by the 6 LEDs on the front panel. Whenever the Volume
Up or Volume Down buttons on the remote ontrol are pressed, the volume on
both hannels will be in reased or de reased by an in rement of 0.5dB. Not
ever volume control press will result in a corresponding change in the
LED displa .
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2
3

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Adjust ng the Balance
Relative volume of ea h hannel an be adjusted via the balan e ontrol buttons
on the remote. Ea h time one of the balan e buttons is pressed, the volume on
that hannel is in reased relative to the other hannel. As the balan e is adjusted,
one hannel or the other is alternately de reased. This orresponds to a 0.5dB
hange as the overall volume level (the sum of the two hannels) remains onstant
within 0.5dB. When adjusting the balan e, the volume LED display on the front
panel will indi ate the urrent balan e setting. When the upper three LEDs are
illuminated, the balan e is set to the right. When only the lower three LEDs are
illuminated, the balan e is set to the left. The system is balan ed when both of
the enter LEDs are illuminated.
Mute
The Wadia 121De oding Computer has a mute setting that ele troni ally redu es
the output to zero. The mute se tion is also engaged:
• Ea h time the Wadia 121De oding Computer is powered-up
• When the mute button is pressed
When the Wadia 121De oding Computer is in Mute Mode, the front panel will
indi ate this by flashing the bottom volume LED.

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Invert ng the Phase
The Wadia 121De oding Computer has the ability to invert absolute phase in the
digital domain. Pressing the Phase button on the remote ontrol will ause the Wadia
121De oding Computer to invert phase; pressing it again will swit h the phase
ba k to normal. When the phase LED is illuminated phase inverting is a tivated.
Headphone Use and Control
The Wadia 121De oding Computer provides two headphone output ja ks. Both
the 1/4” and the 3.5 mm (mini-ja k) output are driven by Wadia’s SwiftCurrent
Class A amplifi ation stage. Only one headphone output may be used at any
one time. The Wadia remote ontrol volume buttons ontrol headphone volume.
Wadia provides 2 sele table sensitivity adjustments to best mat h the system
with a wide variety of headphones. To optimize headphone output sensitivity
use the following sequen e of ommands:
1 Press the four step ommand PLAY➔PLAY➔PLAY➔PLAY. The USB LED
will begin to flash, indi ating the headphone adjustment mode is a tive.
The Phase LED will show the urrent status of the headphone se tion
output sensitivity. The LED will be on for high sensitivity or off for low
sensitivity output.
2 Press PLAY to hange headphone output to mat h high impedan e
headphones.
3 Press PLAY to hange the headphone output to mat h low impedan e
headphones.

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4 Press PLAY to return to normal remote ontrol operation. The USB
and Phase LEDs will return to their normal fun tions.
Important: If current olume is greater than 50%, it will decrease to 50%
when configuring the headphone sensiti ity. Setting the Headphone output
sensiti ity to the incorrect output for your headphones could lead to damage
to the Headphones.
Opt m z ng the Output Level
Best performan e is obtained when operating the Wadia 121De oding Computer
Volume Control near the top of its range. If needed, the maximum output level
of your Wadia 121De oding Computer an be adjusted to mat h the overall
4v – Maxim m o tp t setting (approx. +12dBV)
2v – Factory defa lt setting (approx. +6dBV)
1v – 0dBV o tp t
The chart indicates the lamp that corresponds to each voltage level.