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12

Installation

The ‘ambient’ operating temperature should 

never exceed 120° F or 49° C. Improper 

installation will cause premature tube 

failure and will affect your warranty, 

as well as the service life of the unit.

It is normal for a vacuum tube component 

to run quite warm, and if used for 

prolonged periods, hot to the touch. 

All components within are, however, 

operated at safe, conservative levels 

and will not be improperly affected 

thereby, providing the requirements 

outlined above are adhered to.

A Note about Vacuum Tubes

The vacuum tubes in your Reference 

DAC have been burned in, tested and 

electrically matched to provide the 

best performance and reliability of your 

DAC. That said, vacuum tubes must be 

replaced from time to time. The 6H30 

tubes in the Reference DAC should have 

an expected life of approximately 4,000 

hours, while the 6550WE tube in the power 

supply should have a life expectancy of 

approximately 2,000 hours. These life 

expectancies are only approximate. 

In your system 

To insure normal component life and safe 

operation this unit must be operated 

only in an upright position.  Adequate 

airflow and proper cooling can occur 

only if there is no restriction above and 

behind the unit and on either side. 

The special non-marring elastomer feet 

provide adequate spacing and stability 

only on a smooth, hard surface, and 

also assist to isolate the DAC from 

spurious vibrations. For upright stability 

and best performance, never operate 

the unit while it is sitting on a soft 

surface such as a thick rug or carpet.

Due to its weight, this DAC must be 

supported on a surface specifically 

rated for such a load.  Check with the 

manufacturer of your support system to 

be sure it is rated to handle this weight.

If the unit is to be operated in an enclosure 

such as an equipment rack, make certain 

that adequate airflow above and to 

each side of the unit is provided.

Summary of Contents for reference dac

Page 1: ...Reference DAC H I G H D E F I N I T I O N ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...tand you are eager to begin listening however please take a few minutes to read through this guide for useful information concerning the operation of your new DAC Once installed please allow an appropriate break in period to fully appreciate the benefits this amplifier will provide to your system After reading the user guide if you have any further questions regarding your DAC contact your dealer ...

Page 4: ...3 13 13 Operation Start Up Shut Down Break in Front Panel Controls Settings Menu Input Operation Troubleshooting Guide Software Installation Windows PC Software Installation Note to Mac OS Users Removal of Previous Driver Versions 14 14 14 15 16 19 21 22 22 29 Maintenance Vacuum Tubes Servicing Cleaning Disposal and Recycling Guidelines About Fuse Replacement Warranty Commpatibility and Connectivi...

Page 5: ... hazard replace the fuse only with the same type and rating as specified at the fuse holder If the unit is to be operated in an enclosure such as an equipment rack make certain that adequate airflow above and to each side of the unit is provided and ensure that the ventilation fans on the back panel are not obstructed The appliance coupler at the rear of this unit must be accessible for emergency ...

Page 6: ...HICH MAY BE HAZARDOUS 12V REMOTE TRIGGER OUT VOLTS SERIALt 140W MAX 50 60 HZ CAUTION FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE HAZARD REPLACE FUSE ONLY WITH SAME TYPE AND RATING WiFi ANTENNA TOS AES EBU BNC RCA USB2 0HS ETHERNET iPod RS 232 IR INPUT RIGHT CHANNEL LEFT CHANNEL PLYMOUTH MINNESOTA MADE IN U S A REFERENCE DAC DIGITAL MEDIA BRIDGE DIGITAL INPUTS ANALOG OUTPUTS EXIT BAL L BAL R INVERT MONO ...

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Page 10: ...r iPod Internet Radio MEM USB Stick HS USB 2 0 HS Toslink 1 Repeat One Balance Left Balance Right Invert Sharp Filter Soft Filter Mono Repeat All Shuffle Selected Loading Music File Album Song Station Settings Status Bar Main Menu Functional Icons ...

Page 11: ...ng socket holes Do not attempt to install or remove any vacuum tubes unless this unit is turned off and disconnected from the A C power outlet Unit should be connected to the A C outlet and turned on only after all vacuum tubes have been installed and appropriate panels have been replaced and fastened See owner s manual for installation instructions Before replacing vacuum tubes turn off unit disc...

Page 12: ...the 6550WE tube in the power supply should have a life expectancy of approximately 2 000 hours These life expectancies are only approximate In your system To insure normal component life and safe operation this unit must be operated only in an upright position Adequate airflow and proper cooling can occur only if there is no restriction above and behind the unit and on either side The special non ...

Page 13: ...edia Server interface and to supply access to the internet for Internet Radio service iPod Connect the USB end of a cable with the Apple 30 pin connector for use with an iPod iPad or iPhone NOTE This connection is designed for use with an iPod iPad or iPhone only USB Mem Insert a USB memory stick into the front slot on the Reference DAC to access music files loaded on the memory stick NOTE This co...

Page 14: ...ume to a static location and use the volume control on the preamplifier A volume setting of 66 is equivalent to Line Out on most components Shut Down 1 Activate Mute function 2 Set Volume level to 0 3 Turn off power amplifier s and preamplifier 4 Press Power switch to off Turn off input sources Break in All quality stereo equipment benefits from a break in period during this time the various compo...

Page 15: ...election Function also on remote control Left and Right arrows on navigation pad Operation Mute When activated electrically mutes all output of the DAC indicated by Mute in display window This control should be activated before switching inputs changing connections or shutting down your audio system to help protect your amplifier and speakers from unexpected signal pulses When deactivated Mute dis...

Page 16: ...ger based upsampling Ethernet client board Media server iPod internet radio USB stick max is 88 2 and 96kHz SPDIF inputs max is 176 4 and 192kHz and USB2 0HS upsampling is selected in the computer not done in hardware Invert Inverts absolute phase of the output signal Input Toggles through the different digital inputs Repeat Toggles the Reference DAC between Repeat All and Repeat One track and no ...

Page 17: ...f you need the Reference DAC to have a constant fixed IP address on your network For a wireless setup once you have selected wireless the following screen will give you the option for Scan or WPS Wi Fi Protected Setup Scan will reveal any existing wireless networks accessible by the Reference DAC To sign in to any network on this list scroll to it and select it If a password is required the follow...

Page 18: ... appropriate time out and press the center navigation button The currently selected timeout will have a check next to it Playback Control shuffle and repeat Two options Repeat and Shuffle are in the Playback section Select Repeat to choose to repeat one all or no tracks Select Shuffle to choose to shuffle tracks or albums or no shuffle The currently selected item will have a check next to it Note ...

Page 19: ...ck Press the center navigation button or Select on the front panel 1 Navigate through the menu structure to choose the desired folder s selecting each folder of your choice Once you have reached the song level of the menu you will see notes appear next to each song title 2 Select the song of your choice The Reference DAC will begin to play music from this point assuming there are other songs follo...

Page 20: ...le from your source to the Reference DAC Ensure the cable is seated firmly at both connections 2 From the main menu use the navigation buttons on the remote or the Input knob on the front panel to scroll to the appropriate Input Press the center navigation button or Select on the front panel 3 Begin music playback from source component Internet Radio 1 From the main menu use the navigation buttons...

Page 21: ... should be set to about 0 0dB for both channels The Mac computer allows the customer to increase the digital volume of the music past 0 0dBm consequently the Mac can overdrive the Reference DAC and cause distortion This is not an issue with the Windows PC where 0 0dBm is the maximum volume setting The audio intermittently distorts when running with the USB input Check to make sure you are using yo...

Page 22: ...nce DAC is disconnected from the PC system You will be prompted to connectthe CD player at the proper time during the update installation procedure Perform the following operations with theReference DAC disconnected from the PC Note If you have had another Audio Research driver installed on your PC please see page 29 for instructions to uninstall any previous driver versions before installing the ...

Page 23: ... Open unzip the new USB DAC driver folder and install the new driver using the setup exe program highlighted in the previous illustration Follow the installation steps when prompted Software Installation ...

Page 24: ...24 Software Installation ...

Page 25: ...ort and power on the Reference DAC The PC system will acknowledge the presence of the CD player and complete installation of the DAC USB device driver This driver attachment can be found in the Windows Control Panel under Hardware and Sound Devices and Printers The device should be shown as USB DAC 2 0 or depending upon the operating system it may appear as USB DAC 2 0 192 Please note that you wil...

Page 26: ... driver that is needed to format the audio output for Reference DAC The system will prompt when completed DAC USB WDM AUDIO device driver software installed successfully After the audio output driver is installed your system drivers are configured and ready to play audio source files Also when the Reference DAC is connected and powered up within the Windows Control Panel Device Manager you will be...

Page 27: ...27 If you open the window for that device you will see the DAC USB device properties Click on the DRIVER tab to see the current revision of the driver software installed Software Installation ...

Page 28: ...ed in the pop up window in the bottom right corner of the PC master window Finally verify in the Windows Control Panel under Devices and Printers that your Windows Speaker Volume option is able to see and select the external Audio Research USB DAC 1 2 audio output path Alternatively you may need to select this path in the Windows Speaker Mixer popup Select the MIXER and then choose the USB DAC 1 2...

Page 29: ...isting Audio Research Corp system Drivers Windows OS Using your PC system find and open the Windows Control Panel features Find and open the Uninstall Programs for your particular computer This may be named Programs or Programs and Features Software Installation ...

Page 30: ...AC USB Driver or similar whose Publisher name is AudioResearch AudioResearchCorp or RigiSystems AG or similar Select Uninstall for each program found with this identity and follow the directions to complete this process Software Installation ...

Page 31: ...31 After you click Finish you should see an updated Program listing with the driver s removed Software Installation ...

Page 32: ... them Packing and shipping materials may be disposed of in a normal manner Cleaning To maintain the visual appearance of your Reference DAC occasionally wipe the front panel and top cover surfaces with a soft damp not wet cloth to remove dust A mild non alkaline soap solution may be used to remove fingerprints or similar smudges Cleaners containing abrasives should not be used as they will damage ...

Page 33: ...e the United States the authorized importing retailer or distributor has accepted the responsibility for warranty of Audio Research products sold by them The specific terms and remedies for fulfillment of the Limited Warranty may vary from country to country Warranty service should normally be obtained from the importing retailer or distributor from whom the product was purchased In the unlikely e...

Page 34: ... 11b g n USB 1 1 FS Host UPnP digital media renderer DMR WiFi 802 11 compliant USB 2 0 HS Host Twonky compatible Infrastructure mode Asset UPnP compatible SSID Site Survey Internet Services Windows Media Player WMP 11 Vista XP WPA vTuner and WMP 12 Windows 7 compatible WPS Philips Media Manager 3 3 compatible Intel Media Server compatible IP Mediatomb compatible DHCP Simple Centre compatible Auto ...

Page 35: ...t 1kHz 192kHz sample rate Digital Sample Rates 44 1kHz to 192kHz SPDIF USB 2 0 HS and Wired Ethernet 96kHz max over Wireless Ethernet Master Oscillator 22 579mHz 20Hz for 44 1 88 2 176 4kHz 24 576mHz 20Hz for 48 96 192kHz sample rates Intrinsic Jitter 10ps Controls Rotary volume selector 104 steps and rotary input selector Push buttons Power Select Exit Mute Power Supplies Electronically regulated...

Page 36: ...arch Corporation Reproduction of this document in part or whole is expressly forbidden without written consent from Audio Research Corporation H I G H D E F I N I T I O N 3900 Annapolis Lane North Plymouth MN 55447 www audioresearch com There is only One Reference ...

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