Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 User Manual Download

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In USB Audio 1.0 mode the Stream Magic 6 will work with most Linux distributions,

allowing the playback of audio up to 24-bit/96kHz.
Newer Linux distributions (e.g. Ubuntu 10.04) support USB Audio 2.0 for which

the Stream Magic 6 should be switched to USB Audio 2.0 to accept audio up to

24-bit/192kHz.
For both cases because Linux distributions vary according to their creators' choice

of software components, including drivers, it is not possible to guarantee operation

and Audio drivers may need to be loaded.
‘Class drivers’ for generic support of USB Audio Class 1.0 or USB Audio Class 2.0

devices may be available from the Linux community, we do not supply these.

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The Stream Magic 6 USB interface hardware and software support bit perfect

transfer.
Whether or not the audio sent to the Stream Magic 6 is bitperfect (i.e. not resampled

or mixed etc. by the PC) is actually a function of the playback application and the

operating systems audio engine.
By default the standard windows audio drivers (often called WDM drivers) included

in Windows XP support MME or DirectSound transfer, both of which include a

kernel mixer and re-sampler stage.
One way round this is to use ASIO to bypass this. Another is to use a playback

application that supports its own form of kernel streaming, i.e. if has its own way of

outputting the audio without invoking the kernel mixer.
For Windows Vista and Windows 7 a new method of audio transfer is supported

called WASAPI. This has two modes; Shared and Exclusive. Shared mode is similar

to MME or DirectSound but in Exclusive mode the kernel mixer/re-sampler is

bypassed and bit perfect transfer is possible with only one audio playback program

directed to the soundcard at a time (for instance system sounds are not mixed in).
To ensure bit perfect transfer use a playback application that supports ASIO,

WASAPI in Exclusive mode (if you have Windows Vista or Windows 7) or some form

of kernel streaming.
This is a fast moving area so we would encourage you to check the web for the

latest media players to support these more audiophile playback options.
To use ASIO you will need the Cambridge Audio Sound Driver installed and the

Stream Magic 6 switched to USB Audio 2.0.
No further settings are required as the driver automatically supports ASIO transfer,

all that is required is to load and setup suitable ASIO enabled playback software.
ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output) is a non Microsoft audio driver protocol for

Windows originally invented by Steinberg ltd ASIO bypasses some of the normal

audio path from the playback application through the Windows audio system

(including the Kernel Mixer) for a more direct path to the Stream Magic 6.
You will need to install and use a suitable playback application that supports ASIO

output either natively or via a plugin. One example of such an application with a

suitable plugin is Foobar, see

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for more details.

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The Stream Magic 6 is compatible with the optional BT100 Bluetooth adaptor

from Cambridge Audio.

When a BT100 is plugged into the rear USB socket an extra menu item called

Bluetooth appears in the Digital Inputs menu.

Selecting this allows the Stream Magic 6 to receive wireless Bluetooth audio

from most phones/tablets and laptops.
Both the standard SBC CODEC and newer high quality AptX CODEC are

supported (if the sending device supports it).
Contact your dealer for details.

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When connected to your Stream Magic 6 this adaptor allows the Stream Magic 6 to

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A2DP). Contact your dealer for details.
The BT100 supports Bluetooth A2DP using either the original SBC encoded form or

the latest higher quality apt-X encoded form.
SBC and apt-X refer to the encoding used over the wireless Bluetooth interface only

and not the format your music may be in, which can be any type that your phone/

laptop or other playing device supports.

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it to the BT100 in one of these two formats.
Many phones and laptops now feature Bluetooth with A2DP. SBC should be

supported by all such devices (it is the madatory format for A2DP).
apt-X is optional, so check if your sending device supports it, if you wish to achieve

the highest quality audio transfer.

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The BT100 declares that it can handle both SBC and apt-X to the sending

device which will then use whichever version it supports.

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apt-X is a high quality CODEC (CODer/DECoder) i.e. a way of compressing audio

data so it can be sent over a link such as Bluetooth then decompressed on the

other side (if both devices support it).
If your Bluetooth audio source does not support apt-X, the BT100 will fall back to

using the standard SBC CODEC that is supported by all Bluetooth audio devices.

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Button performs pairing and related functionality. Integrated LED indicates BT100