WEISS MAN301 User manual

MAN301
Operating Manual
WEISS HIGH-END AUDIO
V 1.2.1

Congratulations on the purchase of the MAN301! I am sure you will enjoy the ergonomics and sonic quality of
the Weiss MAN301 Music Archive Network player system. It can be easily tailored to your exact needs.
This operating manual guides you through the setup and operation of the MAN301 on a step by step basis.
Enjoy! Daniel Weiss, President, Weiss Engineering Ltd.
CHAPTER 1
1
Welcome and first steps

SECTION 1
Note: Many of the words in bold typeface lead to a glossary
entry when tapped.
The MAN301 system consist of the following items:
•the MAN301 Base Station (called MAN301 in this manual),
•an iPad with iOS 5.0 or higher with the free „Weiss MAN” app
(available from the Apple app store),
•a storage device preferably a NAS unit (Network Attached
Storage) for the storage of the music files. Or alternatively a
USB drive.
•A quick start guide
•This manual, as an iBooks book
The MAN301 can be operated in two modes, one is the „nor-
mal” playback mode where music is played from a storage de-
vice. The other mode is the Pre-amplifier mode which is de-
scribed in section 5 of this chapter.
The MAN301 itself does not have any internal storage facility
for music files. Ad hoc storage devices (e.g. the memory stick
brought by your guests) can be plugged into the USB port of
the MAN301 for immediate playback.!
!
The MAN301 fetches the music files from the NAS (many for-
mats supported) and feeds the data to the built-in D/A con-
verter (option) and also to the digital output interfaces (AES/
EBU, S/PDIF, USB, FireWire). In addition external digital audio
signals can be fed to the MAN301 for playback via the built-in
D/A converter. The MAN301 has a volume control built in (which
even works for external digital sources) and thus can be directly
connected to a power amplifier or active speakers.!
!
The „Weiss MAN” iPad app is used to control the MAN301. The
features include:
•playback of a plethora of audio formats including DSD file for-
mats
•maintaining the music library
•ripping of Albums in a variety of formats
•editing of Album metadata (artist names, album names etc.)
•fetching of Album artwork
•generating and maintaining playlists
•listening to Internet radio stations
•listening to all kinds of Internet based streaming services
System features and requirements
2

•broadcasting the played files via the local network to other
playback devices
•searching the music library according to various criteria
•supporting several users, each with individual playlists etc.
•supporting several NAS units
•supporting several MAN301 units!
The NAS unit is used to store the music files, cover artwork files
and more, like e.g. accompanying text files.
The playlists generated are stored within the MAN301 unit. The
iPad itself is not used for any storage. Thus it is easily possible to
use any iPad with the Weiss MAN app installed and control a
MAN301 system right away.!
Using the MAN301 as a Album Player only
Maybe you have bought the MAN301 just for high quality Album
playback with no intention (yet) to use its capabilities as a net-
work player.
In that case the setup is fairly simple: Connect the iPad directly
to the WiFi of the MAN301, no need to connect the MAN301 to a
network (except you would like to see Album track information
the MAN301 gets from the Internet), no need to connect a NAS
storage unit. Just read these sections of this manual:
Chapter 1, Section 2, Configuration 6
Chapter 4, Section 1
The frontpanel LED and power switch operation
The LED on the MAN301’s front panel is a three color LED which
shows the following:
- After switching on the unit via the power switch the LED lights
blue and stays like this throughout the operation
- After switching othe unit via the power switch the LED
flashes green and eventually turns o. During the green flash-
ing phase the MAN301 is closed down. During that phase the
mains supply to the MAN301 must not be interrupted.
- If the MAN301 has crashed, i.e. is not responsive to any com-
mands anymore, even the green LED does not stop flashing
when trying to switch othe unit. In this case the unit can be
forced to switch oby pressing and holding the power switch
for a few seconds. During that phase the LED flashes green and
red and eventually will turn o. The MAN301 then also is turned
o.
The next pages show the content of the MAN301 Quick Start
guide.
3

MAN301 Quick Start Guide
Page 1
e
ee
e
MAN301 Quick Start Guide
MAN301 Quick Start GuideMAN301 Quick Start Guide
MAN301 Quick Start Guide
Congratulations on purchasing the MAN301 Music Archive Network Player!
Congratulations on purchasing the MAN301 Music Archive Network Player!Congratulations on purchasing the MAN301 Music Archive Network Player!
Congratulations on purchasing the MAN301 Music Archive Network Player!
Here are the first steps to set up the MAN301 system. For all the powerful features of the MAN301 refer the MAN301
manual mentioned below.
Check the last
Check the lastCheck the last
Check the last
page of this guide for some iPad tips. page of this guide for some iPad tips.page of this guide for some iPad tips.
page of this guide for some iPad tips.
1.)
1.)1.)
1.)
Download the free iBooks app from the Apple app store to your iPad. Download the free iBooks app from the Apple app store to your iPad.Download the free iBooks app from the Apple app store to your iPad.
Download the free iBooks app from the Apple app store to your iPad.
Tapping on the App Store icon connects the iPad to the app store.
Search for iBooks to find the appropriate app quickly. Note, you need to have an app store
account in order to access the apps. This is the case even if you do only get free apps.
2.)
2.)2.)
2.)
Download the free Weiss MAN app from the Apple app store to your iPad. Download the free Weiss MAN app from the Apple app store to your iPad.Download the free Weiss MAN app from the Apple app store to your iPad.
Download the free Weiss MAN app from the Apple app store to your iPad.
3.)
3.)3.)
3.)
Download the MAN301 manual from this link: Download the MAN301 manual from this link:Download the MAN301 manual from this link:
Download the MAN301 manual from this link:
http://www.weiss.ch/downloads/man301/WeissMAN.ibooks
with the help of the Safari browser on your iPad.
Open it in the iBooks app.
Note, the download will not work if the iBooks app is not installed.
Alternatively you may download the PDF version of the manual from this link:
http://www.weiss.ch/downloads/man301/WeissMAN.pdf
4.)
4.)4.)
4.)
Setting up the MAN301 hardware Setting up the MAN301 hardwareSetting up the MAN301 hardware
Setting up the MAN301 hardware
Carefully unpack the MAN301 unit. The following items should be included:
- The MAN301 unit
- This quick start guide with a warranty card
- The WiFi antenna
After unpacking the MAN301, screw on the antenna onto the appropriate socket on the
back of the unit.
The antenna can be rotated to the position you like best. Usually it is not critical in terms
of signal reception.
MAN301 Quick Start Guide
Page 2
5.)
5.)5.)
5.)
Mains power on / off switchin Mains power on / off switchinMains power on / off switchin
Mains power on / off switching
ggg
The MAN301 will automatically accommodate for the mains voltage, so there is no
mains voltage selector to set. The fuse rating is the same for all mains voltages.
To switch on power to the MAN301 press the “on” switch on the front panel. The blue
LED will light. After about a minute or so the MAN301 has booted and is ready to
connect to the iPad and the NAS. (But wait with switching on the MAN301 right now).
The MAN301 can be switched off from within the iPad app or via the power switch on
the front panel. If switched off from the front panel, the LED turns green and starts to
flash until the MAN301 has shut down and switches off itself. If the green LED does not
stop flashing for more than 5 minutes you may force a power down by pressing and
holding the power switch (LED toggles between red and green) until the LED goes off.
NOTE:
NOTE:NOTE:
NOTE:
N NNNever everever
ever
switch off the MAN301 by cutting power, always switch it off via switch off the MAN301 by cutting power, always switch it off viaswitch off the MAN301 by cutting power, always switch it off via
switch off the MAN301 by cutting power, always switch it off via
either the Weiss MAN app or via the front panel power switch.
either the Weiss MAN app or via the front panel power switch.either the Weiss MAN app or via the front panel power switch.
either the Weiss MAN app or via the front panel power switch.
6.)
6.)6.)
6.) Connections
ConnectionsConnections
Connections
There are different system architectures possible, e.g. with or without an Ethernet connection to the MAN301 or with
music stored on a USB hard disk or on a NAS (Network Attached Storage, i.e. a bunch of hard disks) etc. (Note, the
MAN301 requires an external device to store music on. It has no internal storage for music.)
First connect the MAN301 according to your requirements, e.g. connect it to the Ethernet network you may have (where
you may have a NAS connected to as well), and/or connect a USB or Firewire hard disk to the MAN301. Also connect the
audio outputs, lower the volume on your amplifier to be on the safe side for a start.
It is also possible to have the MAN301 operated “standalone”, i.e. not connected to an Ethernet network, just having
connected a USB disk and the iPad talking to the WiFi in the MAN301 directly.
4

MAN301 Quick Start Guide
Page 3
7.)
7.)7.)
7.)
Booting, WiFi
Booting, WiFiBooting, WiFi
Booting, WiFi
After having connected all necessary devices to the MAN301
(including the power cord), switch on the MAN301 and wait
about a minute until it has booted. Make sure the iPad is
connected to the WiFi network (either your own local WiFi or
the WiFi of the MAN301, its SSID password is WeissMAN301).
8.)
8.)8.)
8.) Connecting to the MAN301
Connecting to the MAN301Connecting to the MAN301
Connecting to the MAN301
Then start the Weiss MAN app on the iPad. It now should
show an icon of your MAN301 device. Tap on that icon which
leads you to the page where user accounts are shown. This
page is empty yet.
9.)
9.)9.)
9.) User setup
User setupUser setup
User setup
Set up a user account by tapping on the + pad in the lower left. Enter user name and password as you like plus the
administrator password at the bottom which is wh10admin.
MAN301 Quick Start Guide
Page 4
10.)
10.)10.)
10.) NAS
NASNAS
NAS
Tap on the newly created user avatar, enter the
user password you just generated. This leads
to the main screen of the app. In the menu list
on the left there is an entry “Storage”. Tap on
this and wait a while for the “Available Servers”
to show up. Your NAS (or your hard disk)
should show in the list under the title “Available
Servers”. Tap on the entry of your NAS.
11.)
11.)11.)
11.) Music folder mounting
Music folder mountingMusic folder mounting
Music folder mounting
There may be a window shown which asks for a user name and password. If your NAS has user accounts set up, you may
need to enter the credentials here. If you use just a guest account on your NAS or if you have a new, yet unused NAS you
may leave both Username and Password fields empty and proceed with tapping on OK. Now the folder structure on the
NAS shows. Navigate to the folder where your music is (or will be) stored. Navigate until the folders with the artist names
are shown, then tap on the “Add mount” pad. Next a larger window shows asking whether that folder should also be the
destination for ripping CDs. You may want to tap on OK here.
5

MAN301 Quick Start Guide
Page 5
12.)
12.)12.)
12.)
Library importing
Library importingLibrary importing
Library importing
Now the music is added to the library database of the MAN301. This may take minutes to hours, depending on the size of
your library. Tap on the Artists entry in the upper left to view the first artists added to the library.
13.)
13.)13.)
13.) Playlists
PlaylistsPlaylists
Playlists
Tap on one of the album cover arts. This puts that album into the default playlist and starts playing right away. Be careful
with the volume control in the lower right corner on the iPad. The album may not yet be complete (all tracks), but once the
whole library is read in it will be complete. Also cover artwork may lack at first.
The dividing line between the white (upper) and the black section of the screen can be moved up and down. The upper
section shows the library, the lower section shows the playlists. Tap and hold your finger on the upper edge of the black
section and move it up to reveal the playlists.
This is it for a start. T
This is it for a start. TThis is it for a start. T
This is it for a start. There are many more functions to discover. Remember, the MAN301 manual is your friend.
here are many more functions to discover. Remember, the MAN301 manual is your friend.here are many more functions to discover. Remember, the MAN301 manual is your friend.
here are many more functions to discover. Remember, the MAN301 manual is your friend.
Enjoy! Daniel Weiss
MAN301 Quick Start Guide
Page 6
Some notes on the iPad:
Some notes on the iPad:Some notes on the iPad:
Some notes on the iPad:
In iBooks it is easy to get back to the contents list with the help of the pinch
gesture:
The Weiss MAN app is designed for the Portrait mode of the iPad display.
Thus when the Weiss MAN app is started, the iPad display is automatically
rotated to Portrait mode. The iBooks manual on the other hand is written in
Landscape mode and thus the iPad display is automatically rotated to
Landscape mode when the manual in the iBooks app is started. These
rotations work independently of the “Lock Rotation” switch setting of the
iPad.
When putting the iPad in standby mode (with the switch in the upper right
corner) then the connection to the MAN301 is maintained for about 10
minutes. Thus when re-activating the iPad again within 10 minutes, the
connection to the MAN301 is active immediately. If re-activation of the
iPad happens after more than 10 minutes (or if the iPad has been switched
off completely) one has to tap on the Weiss MAN app and select the server.
After that the currently logged in user is automatically logged in again. The
music continues to play in any case.
The automatic standby mode of the iPad can be switched off in settings /
General / Auto-Lock.
Standby switch
Double click on the home button allows to switch between tasks quickly. Home button at the bottom
6

SECTION 2
There are a few dierent MAN301 system configurations possi-
ble. Which one is preferred depends on your existing computer
and Internet setup or the setup you would like to implement. An
Internet connection is recommended / required if:
•Albums are going to be ripped via the MAN301
•You would like to do maintenance on existing Album meta-
data
•The iPad and/or the MAN301 software should be updated
!
Basically an Internet connection is highly recommended. Of the
configurations on the following pages, configuration 1 may be
the most common, but others work equally well. In terms of
sonic performance there isn’t any configuration preferred over
the other ones.
WiFi: This denotes a wireless network connection
Ethernet: This denotes a wired network connection
Select your preferred configuration from the following
pages.
Typical system configurations are:
(Note: Ethernet link: WiFi link: )
Configuration 1: !
You use a WiFi Router with Internet access. The iPad is con-
nected to the WiFi Router: Proceed to Section 3.
MAN301
Router
NAS
Internet
iPAD
System architectures
7

Configuration 2: !
You have a Router with Internet access, but no WiFi. The iPad is
connected to the MAN301 access point: Proceed to Section 4.
MAN301
Router
NAS
Internet
iPad
Configuration 3:!
You do not have any (WiFi) Router but you have got Internet ac-
cess: In this case add a Router (or a WiFi Router) to your system
to get a configuration as in Configuration 1 or Configuration 2
above.
Configuration 4:!
You have a WiFi Router with Internet access, but you would not
like to connect the MAN301 system via Ethernet to the Router,
but rather via a WiFi connection. The iPad is connected to the
MAN301‘s access point (or to the WiFi Router) and the
MAN301‘s uplink is connected to the WiFi Router: Proceed to
Section 5.
MAN301
Router
NAS
Internet
iPad
8

Configuration 5:!
You do not have any Router or Internet access: !
Proceed to Section 6.
!
MAN301
NAS
iPad
Configuration 6: !
You use the MAN301 for Album Playback only:
This configuration can be as simple as shown above, but option-
ally it can be used with an Internet connection for fetching the
metadata of the Album played. I.e. it then shows the track infor-
mation and cover art of the Album you are playing.!
Select one of the Configurations 1 through 5 which resembles
your setup most closely. Then read Chapter 4 / Section 1.
9
iPad
MAN301

SECTION 3
MAN301
Router
NAS
Internet
iPAD
Configuration 1 connects the MAN301 to the Router via an Eth-
ernet connection. The NAS also is connected to the Router. (You
could also use e.g. a USB hard-drive connected to the
MAN301‘s USB port instead of or in conjunction with the NAS).
The iPad is WiFi connected to the Router. The iPad could also be
WiFi connected to the MAN301 if this is more convenient, e.g.
because of limited WiFi reach. That then would be Configuration
2, i.e. proceed to Section 4 in that case.
After you have wired the system as shown on the left and all
units are powered, the next task is to establish a connection be-
tween the iPad and the MAN301 unit.
As you see in the configuration picture on the left, the iPad talks
to the WiFi router. So if not already done:
Open the „Settings” app on your iPad
and select the WiFi Settings.
System setup, Configuration 1
10

A screen with some resemblance to the one below shows up.
Make sure the Wi-Fi is set to the ON position. If you have a WiFi
router working, then you should see its SSID in the table. (The
SSID of the WiFi router in this example is „white“). Connect to
that network. You will need to know the password for the router‘s
SSID to connect.
Once the iPad is connected to the WiFi you are ready to start the
Weiss MAN app. At first startup a screen showing the MAN301
unit(s) on your network should appear. It looks like this:
11

If you have more than one MAN301 unit on the network they will
all be shown on the screen above (provided they are connected
to the same network). If you do not see any MAN301 then tap on
the pad in the lower right corner of the screen to re-
fresh the screen. Eventually the MAN301 unit(s) should show up
with its appropriate serial number. If your MAN301 unit still does
not show up try to close the iPad Weiss MAN app and restart it.
(Closing is done via a double click on the iPad’s Home button
and then tap and hold the finger on the Weiss MAN icon until the
icon wiggles. Then close the app.)
By tapping and holding the finger on one of the MAN301 icons
that unit can be made the preferred unit.
If you tap on the pad the following screen shows up:
This shows the current version of the „Weiss MAN Frontend”
(this is the Weiss MAN app). You may also chose to automati-
cally submit any crash reports of the Weiss MAN app to us at
Weiss Engineering. These reports do not contain any personal
data from your iPad, they contain data from the Weiss MAN app
at the time of the app crashing and thus help us to solve the
problem which has led to the crash. We suggest to allow your
Weiss MAN app to send that information to us.
Now tap on the MAN301 symbol to select that unit for playback
etc.
This will show an empty screen like this:
12

The shut down pad in the lower right corner lets you switch
othe MAN301 from within the app, switching on the MAN301
has to be done via its front panel switch though.
The indicator in the lower right shows whether there is
any uplink to a WiFi network active. The uplink is disabled in Con-
figuration 1 as the MAN301 is connected to the Router via an Eth-
ernet cable.
The pad enters a setup page for a few very basic
setup items.
If the Preferences pad looks like this: then there
is a new firmware for the MAN301 available for download.
Tap on the Preferences pad and then enter the Admin password
which is wh10admin.
NOTE: MAN301 Admin default password: wh10admin
13

This brings up a screen as follows:
•The „Admin Pass” lets you select a dierent administra-
tor password. Note: If you decide to change the administra-
tor password, make sure not to forget it!!
•The „Auto user log on” allows to set the MAN301 such
that it logs on the most recent user automatically. This comes
handy if there is only one user set up. The main advantage is,
that the library / playlist display is refreshing quicker if auto
user log on is enabled.!
•The „Networking” entry allows to set up the MAN301 de-
pending on the system architecture you have chosen in Sec-
tion 2. Tapping on Networking reveals a page similar to this:
14

Usually you do not need to change anything on this page. The
Uplink is disabled in Configuration 1, it can not be enabled.
Here are the details to this page:
1. The „Wireless Uplink” entries are explained in the sections
where the Configurations with Uplink enabled are described.!
2. The „Access Point” entries show the SSID and password of
the MAN301 access point. You need those if you set up the
system such that the iPad is connected to the MAN301 di-
rectly. The entries are described in the appropriate sections.!
3. The „Ethernet IP address” shows the IP address the MAN301
has got from the DHCP server, i.e. typically this is the router it
is connected to. !
4. The „factory reset” resets all network settings to the original
settings when the MAN301 left the factory.!
The next entry in the Server Preferences is the „Audio De-
vices” pad. Tapping on it reveals a screen similar to this:
Here the firmware of the audio device can be updated. „Audio de-
vice“ means the currently active audio interface for playback
from the MAN301. This normally is the audio interface internal
to the MAN301 with its AES/EBU and S/PDIF and (optionally)
analog connections. But it could also be e.g. a Weiss DAC202 D/
A converter connected to the MAN301 via Firewire. This DAC202
would show up in the window above and could thus be updated
with new firmware via the MAN301. The window „Latest Re-
lease“ on the right hand side above reflects the currently avail-
able firmware on our web server. I.e. the MAN301 has to be con-
nected to the Internet to be able to fetch the firmware. With the
release of a new MAN301 base station software, any possible
change in the firmware for the MAN301 internal audio device will
be automatically installed. But a firmware update can also be
15

done manually by tapping on the pad. After updat-
ing, the MAN301 has to be rebooted in order to reflect the new
firmware version.
•The next entry in the Server Preferences is the „Update”
pad. Tapping on it reveals a screen similar to this:
This allows you to update the MAN301 software via a download
from the Weiss server. See Chapter 6, Section 1 for details. Do
not proceed with updating before you have read Chapter 6, Sec-
tion 1.
•The next entry in the Server Preferences is the „BS Crash
Auto Submission”.!
This allows the BS (Base Station = MAN301) to report any pro-
gram bugs to us at Weiss. These reports do not contain any
personal data from your iPad or MAN301, they contain data
from the MAN301 at the time of the occurrence of the soft-
ware crashing and thus help us to solve the problem which
has led to the crash. We suggest to allow your Weiss MAN app
to send that information to us.
•The next entry is the „System Messages“, where system
messages are shown in case there was a severe error de-
tected. Such a message can look like this:
16

In this case the MAN301 was not closed properly and thus the
databases may be corrupted. The MAN301 then restores the
data bases automatically. No user can log in until the databases
are restored. The restoring process may take a few minutes. If an
attempt to log in is made before the restoring has finished, this
message is shown:
Simply wait and try again later.
The pad allows to delete the system message.
•The last entry is the „Customer Support“, where it is pos-
sible to set up a support channel to Weiss Engineering via the
Internet. Such a channel allows us to analyze your MAN301
and the associated system in order to trouble shoot the setup.
This feature is meant for use with severe problems which can-
not be solved via email or phone communication. The associ-
ated window looks like this:
The configuration of the customer support is straightforward
once required.
Now that we have done the basic system configuration, user
accounts can be added. This is described in Section 7.
17

SECTION 4
MAN301
Router
NAS
Internet
iPad
Configuration 2 connects the MAN301 to the Router via an Eth-
ernet connection. The iPad is WiFi connected to the MAN301 ac-
cess point.
After you have wired the system as shown on the left and all
units are powered, the next task is to establish a connection be-
tween the iPad and the MAN301 unit.
As you see in the configuration picture on the left, the iPad talks
to the MAN301. So:
Open the „Settings” app on your iPad
and select the WiFi Settings.
System setup, Configuration 2
18

A screen with some resemblance to the one below shows up.
Make sure the Wi-Fi is set to the ON position.
To connect the iPad to the MAN301 directly, tap on the MAN301
entry in the table. In the example below it is the MAN301-DW-
TEST_LAN entry. (The SSID of your MAN301 you can set on a
setup page described further down if you prefer to have another
SSID for the MAN301). The default SSID is MAN301-xxxx_LAN,
the xxxx denotes the serial number of your MAN301 unit minus
1000. Of course the MAN301 unit has to be switched on in order
to appear in the list. You will be asked for the password, which is
factory set to WeissMAN301. Make sure to type in this pass-
word exactly as given, including proper upper/lower case.
NOTE: MAN301 default SSID: MAN301-xxxx_LAN
default password: WeissMAN301
Once the iPad is connected to the proper WiFi you are ready to
start the Weiss MAN app. At first startup a screen showing the
MAN301 unit(s) on your network should appear. It looks like this:
19