Emotiva Stealth DC-1, User Manual

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Page 21
Stealth DC-1 Stereo D/A Converter - Operator’s Manual
problem: No audio output; display does NoT show
sample rate (UsB input).
Reason: You do NOT have a valid input signal; you may be missing drivers.
• Check your connections.
• Verify that you have the correct input selected on the DC-1.
• Verify that your source component is providing a TWO CHANNEL PCM signal.
(The DC-1 does not accept multi-channel or “bitstream” signals.)
• Verify that you have the correct USB drivers installed, and that they are configured
correctly. Recent Apple computers should work with the built-in UAC2 drivers (part
of the O/S). For Windows computers, you must download the drivers from the
Stealth DC-1 product page on the Emoriva Pro website and install them.
(Some Linux implementations support UAC2, others do not.)
• Try a different USB cable. (USB cables over two meters may not work. Many
“audiophile” USB cables may not work - because some fail to meet basic USB data
standards. A standard two meter commercial USB cable should work well.)
• Confirm that your “source device” is intended to be used with a USB DAC.
(Many media players and other devices have USB ports that are intended to be
connected to USB sticks or hard drives, or that are intended for firmware updates.
Most of these are NOT intended to be connected to a “USB sound device” and will
NOT work when connected to a DAC. Consult the documentation for your device if
you aren’t sure.) The DC-1 will appear to a computer as an “external USB sound
card” or “S/PDIF audio device”. It cannot be connected via USB to devices that are
not designed to work with external USB sound devices.
problem: Distorted sound, occasional “clicks and pops”
or dropouts - possibly at only certain sample rates
(UsB input).
Reason: Dropouts in your source signal.
• Check your connections.
• Try a different cable (especially try a shorter, good quality, commercial USB cable).
• Verify that your source component has enough processing power to deliver
the audio data. (Some computers may be unable to deliver USB audio without
dropouts and errors. This is especially likely if the problem is worse at higher
sample rates, or if it happens with video but not audio files. Some computers may
be able to play simple audio via USB, but be unable to play videos with audio
- because the video processing leaves too little processing power to deliver the
audio without interruption. Sometimes disabling unnecessary programs will fix
this; common causes include antivirus programs, and any program that operates
in the background, such as updaters, streaming news applications, and animated
wallpaper). This is really a computer issue, but feel free to contact Technical
Support at Emotiva Pro; we will be glad to help you try to locate and solve the
problem.