Upgrades; Troubleshooting - MSB Technology Select DAC II User Manual

Removal of the cover
- Unplug the AC power. Work on a clean surface. Start by turning over the DAC and removing the 6 large screws of the cover.
Carefully turn back over and lift off the cover and set aside leaving the cables plugged in.
Femto 33 Clock Upgrade
- Remove the mounting screw with the allen wrench supplied. Pull out the old clock and plug the new clock in the clock
upgrade header. Install the clock mounting screw captured within the clock body. Re-Install the cover.
Other Upgrades
- Check the instructions supplied with the upgrade.
Quality Check
Each SELECT is comprehensively tested and the actual outputs measured. A summary of the testing is included.
Using the SELECT to test your source
The SELECT is unique in that gives you a precise read out of both the sample frequency and bit depth of the incoming signal as well as
performing a test for bit perfect playback. If you are playing a CD, a copy of a CD or a ripped CD file on your computer the display should
read 44.1 kHz, 16 bit. Any other output means you are not reading the file bit-perfect and your sound quality will be compromised. This
corruption could be accidental. You may have ripped a CD with a program that does a conversion. This is very bad and you should not
do this. You may have an upsampling transport or have upsampled with software upsampling in your computer. This is also very bad.
Nobody can do as well as we can if we are given the bit perfect original. Turn off the feature and give us the real thing. You will not be
disappointed. For more detailed testing of your source, please refer to the BIT PERFECT SOURCE TESTING section of this manual.
MSB provides test files that the DAC is programmed to recognize and check for bit perfect playback.
Bit-Perfect Source Testing
Perhaps one of the most useful features of the software is the bit-perfect test. The following series of files can be downloaded from the
MSB web site:
16 bit x 44.1 kHz sample rate file (CD standard).
16 bit x 48 kHz sample rate file.
16 bit x 88.2 kHz sample rate file.
16 bit x 96 kHz sample rate file.
16 bit x 176.4 kHz sample rate file.
16 bit x 192 kHz sample rate file.
They are .wav test files that when played, will be identified by the SELECT and checked, and will be reported on the display if they are
bit-perfect. If there is a problem with the test, it will play but the display will not indicate any change. Be sure upsampling is turned off in
any transport as this prevents a file from remaining bit-perfect. This system will allow you to easily test your source, especially computer
sources to see if all your settings are correct. There are files at all sample rates for both 16 bit and 24 bit operation. The 16 bit 44.1 test
file can be burned to a CD to test transports.

Troubleshooting

No Input Frequency indicated on Display (reads "No Signal") - This means no input is detected. Check input select. Change to auto mode to be
sure. Check for bad cable, or cable plugged into the wrong output on the transport.
No Input Bit Depth indicated on Display (reads "0 bits") - This means an input is detected but the music is not playing. Check the source to be sure
it is playing.
No sound but Display indicates frequency and bit depth - Check that source is valid audio source. Change to a standard CD just to be sure. Check
that analog outputs are connected properly. Check that volume is turned up.
Still no sound - connect an analog output from the source directly to the analog input. Verify that the rest of the system is working. Verify the DAC
pass-through is working. Now plug in a digital source. You should hear a click and the front display should indicate frequency.
You hear audio clipping (with outboard preamp) - the output level may be too high for your preamp. Check the input specifications on your preamp.
(See SELECT specs). Set the DAC LEVEL to about 80. This reduced level should solve the problem.
Frequency readout is off - The SELECT shows the actual input frequency. Check your source settings.
High sample rate source indicates 48 kHz on front panel - Check setup menu of source. Many products downmix to 48 k.
DVD-A source does not indicates 192k - DVD-A players must be upgraded to provide a true 192K output. Production players downmix to 48K. Many
DVD-A disks are produced in 44.1, 48 and 96 k as well.
USB input not working right - Check your computer settings. This is much harder than you would think. With many operating systems you may need
to make small changes to the instructions. As ALWAYS with everything computer - Restart. Power off the computer and DAC and start over if anything
is acting strange. Second thing is to change your USB cable. Audiophile USB cables rarely work at high sample rates. Try a cheap printer cable.
PRO Input is not working - Make sure you are not mixing a PRO I2S input and a MSB Network input. They are not compatible and will not work.
Make sure you have the latest firmware.
Analog Input not selectable - This input defaults OFF. Go into the menus and turn on the Analog Input.
Upgrades and Modifications
18
24 bit x 44.1 kHz sample rate file.
24 bit x 48 kHz sample rate file.
24 bit x 88.2 kHz sample rate file.
24 bit x 96 kHz sample rate file.
24 bit x 176.4 kHz sample rate file.
24 bit x 192 kHz sample rate file.