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Raleigh Audio Standard Extreme RAKK dac Mark III Assembly Manual

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RAKK dac
raleigh
audio
Mark III
Standard
Extreme RAKK dac
Assembly Manual
Version 1.1
© 2014 Raleigh Audio

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Summary of Contents for Raleigh Audio Standard Extreme RAKK dac Mark III

  • Page 1 RAKK dac raleigh audio Mark III Standard Extreme RAKK dac Assembly Manual Version 1.1 © 2014 Raleigh Audio...
  • Page 2   This completed Extreme RAKK dac has a silver face plate and knobs. A black faceplate and knobs is available.  ...

  • Page 3: General Information

    This kit is relatively straightforward to build, but assumes some prior skill with a soldering iron and some knowledge of electronic components and assembly. Kit version Use this manual with the Standard Extreme RAKK dac Mark III • Use the applicable on-line manuals for component sub-assemblies.
  • Page 4 Warnings and Cautions Warning — a high voltage power supply (200VDC) is required to make the kit operate properly. These voltages can be lethal. If you are not familiar with safe techniques for completing the installation of this kit with a high voltage power supply, then you should seek someone who is qualified to help you construct this kit safely.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents  General Information ..............................2   Table of Contents................................4   Component Parts ................................5   Assembly Instructions ..............................6   Assemble the Printed Circuit Boards ......................... 6   Pre-assemble Standard (single input) I2S Adapter with the RAKK dac ..............7  ...

  • Page 6: Component Parts

    Component Parts  Depending upon the feature mix that you have chosen, the boards that you will assemble will vary. In all cases your project will include a RAKK dac, an Active Differential Output board, a Low-Voltage Power System Standard Regulator and a Low-Voltage Power System Standard Power Supply.

  • Page 7: Assembly Instructions

    Assembly Instructions  Before you start, read through the instructions completely to the end. Inventory the kit contents to become familiar with the parts and to make sure you have everything. The assembly sequence is as follows: 1. Assemble all of the printed circuit boards 2.

  • Page 8: Pre-Assemble Standard (Single Input) I2S Adapter With The Rakk Dac

    Pre­assemble Standard (single input) I2S Adapter with the RAKK dac  ———————————————————————————— Skip this section if you do not have a Standard (single input) I2S Adapter. ———————————————————————————— Wire the I2S Output on the I2S Adapter 1. Mount four 1” standoffs on the bottom of the I2S Adapter and secure with 6-32 screws. 2.
  • Page 9 9. Insert the three violet wires from the bottom of the board into the following three locations: • DATA + • LRCK + • BCK + 10. Solder and trim the leads. ———————————————————————————— Mount the I2S Adapter to the RAKK dac Steps preceded by a “note”...

  • Page 10: Pre-Assemble (Three-Input) I2S Adapter With The Rakk Dac

    Pre­assemble (three­input) I2S Adapter with the RAKK dac  ———————————————————————————— Skip this section if you do not have a (three-input) I2S Adapter. ———————————————————————————— Wire the I2S Output on the small adapter board The three-input I2S adapter has a connector on its I2S output. This connector will plug into a small adapter board, which in turn will be soldered onto the RAKK dac.
  • Page 11 5. Insert the three black wires from the bottom of the small adapter board into the following three locations: • DATA - • LRCK - • BCK - 6. Solder and trim the leads. 7. Insert the three violet wires from the bottom of the small adapter board into the following three locations: •...
  • Page 12 Mount the I2S Adapter to the RAKK dac Steps preceded by a “note” (♪) deal with components which must be oriented properly. 12. Mount four 1” standoffs on the bottom of the I2S Adapter and secure with 6-32 screws. ♪ 13.

  • Page 13: Pre-Wire The Printed Circuit Boards

     Pre­wire the printed circuit boards  In the following steps, the wires should be inserted into the solder side of the board. “Preparing a wire” means to strip ⅛” of insulation from both ends of the wire and tin the ends. Because each wire has a “from” end and “to” end, and only one end is pre-wired, some pads are not wired in this section.

  • Page 14: Pre-Wire The 10V Regulator (For The Rakk Dac)

    Pre­wire the 10V Regulator (for the RAKK dac)    Note that even though the power input on the RAKK dac Mark III is labeled “12V,” it has been determined that 10V power provides better sonic quality. ———————————————————————————— 1. Prepare a 20” #22 red/black twisted pair. • Connect the red wire to the DC Output “+” pad. •...

  • Page 15: Pre-Wire The 8V Regulator (For The Usb Adapter)

    Pre­wire the 8V Regulator (for the USB Adapter)    Skip this section if you do not have a USB Adapter. ———————————————————————————— 5. Prepare a 16” #22 red/black twisted pair. • Connect the red wire to the DC Output “+” pad. • Connect the black wire to the DC Output “-” pad. ————————————————————————————...

  • Page 16: Pre-Wire The 12V Power Supply (For The Active Output)

    Pre­wire the 12V Power Supply (for the Active Output)    ———————————————————————————— 8. Install a 10K resistor in location R4. ———————————————————————————— 9. Prepare an 11” #22 red/black twisted pair. • Connect the red wire to the DC Output “+” pad. • Connect the black wire to the DC Output “-” pad. ————————————————————————————...
  • Page 17 14. Wire the AC cable that you just fabricated: • Strip and tin the end of the 4½” part of the black/white twisted pair. • Observing the same black/white orientation as the 5” black/white twisted pair that you just connected, connect this twisted pair to the outer-most “AC Input” pads. ————————————————————————————...

  • Page 18: Pre-Wire The Active Output

    Pre­wire the Active Output  ———————————————————————————— Wire the “From RAKK dac” inputs on the Active Output 1. Prepare a 4” #22 black wire. • Connect it to the “REF” pad. 2. Prepare a 4” #22 orange/black twisted pair. • Connect the orange wire to the “R+” pad. •...
  • Page 19 Wire the Ground on the Active Output 8. Connect a 13” #20 green wire to the “chassis” pad. ———————————————————————————— The Line Input pads are not used.  ...

  • Page 20: Pre-Wire The Rakk Dac And I2S Interface Adapter (If Used)

    Pre­wire the RAKK dac and I2S Interface Adapter (if used)  ———————————————————————————— Wire the Input Select on the RAKK dac and I2S Interface Adapter The RAKK dac offers four inputs: three SPDIF or AES/EBU inputs and one I2S input. Inputs 1 through 3 are the SPDIF or AES/EBU inputs and Input 4 is always the I2S input, even if you are using only a single input.
  • Page 21 1. If you have chosen to use only a single input, install a jumper wire between the Input Select pad for that input and the adjacent “com” pad on the RAKK dac. 2. If you have chosen to use multiple inputs, you will prepare a cable. Two lengths are given for each input: the first is used if the input is on the RAKK dac and the second (in parentheses) is used if the input is on the I2S Adapter.

  • Page 22: Pre-Wire The Power Transformer

    Pre­wire the Power Transformer  For the following steps, refer to the LL1683 Data sheet. ———————————————————————————— 1. Wire the transformer for your Mains line voltage: 115VAC: • Connect pin 2 to pin 12 with a #20 black wire. • Connect pin 4 to pin 10 with a #20 black wire. 230VAC: •...
  • Page 23 5. Wire the AC power for the 10V Regulator • Make a twisted-pair from two pieces of #20 grey wire, one 4½” long and one 6¾” long. Align the wires evenly at one end. • Connect the longer wire at the uneven end to pin B7 on the power transformer. •...

  • Page 24: Panel Preparation

    Panel Preparation   Cut one 10” x 2” piece of damping material into two pieces: 10” x 1”. Cut another 10” x 2” piece of damping material into three pieces: Two, 8” x 1” and one, 2” x 2”. Cut the remaining 10” x 2” piece of damping material into four pieces: Two, 4”...

  • Page 25: Back Panel Preparation

    Top Panel Preparation  1. Place the top panel such that the inside surface of the panel faces up and the edge with the lip (front) is away from you. 2. Install one piece of 10” x 1” damping material on the inside of the top panel, centered between the vents and the lip.

  • Page 26: Side Panel Preparation

    Side Panel Preparation  1. Install an 8” x 1” piece of damping material centered on the inside of the left panel. 2. Install an 8” x 1” piece of damping material centered on the inside of the right panel. ———————————————————————————— Front Panel Preparation  The position of damping material for the front panel will vary depending upon the switches and controls that you have chosen.

  • Page 27: Panel Assembly

    Panel Assembly  Bottom Panel Assembly  Steps preceded by a “note” (♪) deal with components which must be oriented properly. TIP – To ease the alignment of the mounting holes with standoffs, slightly loosen the standoffs from the board, install the screws through the bottom panel into the standoffs and then re-tighten the standoffs.
  • Page 28 ————————————————————————————...
  • Page 29 Mount the 8V Regulator for the USB adapter. Skip this step if you do not have a USB adapter ♪ 16. Place the 8V Regulator for the USB Adapter in its location, in line with the transformer, but close to the rear of the panel. Orient the board such that the AC Input is closest to the edge of the panel.
  • Page 30 Mount the 10V Regulator for the RAKK dac ♪ 19. Place the 10V Regulator for the RAKK dac in its location, between the transformer and the USB Regulator (if present.) Orient the board such that the AC Input is closest to the edge of the panel.
  • Page 31 Mount the 5V Regulator for the I2S Adapter ♪ Skip this section if you do not have an I2S adapter. 22. Place the 5V Regulator for the I2S Adapter in its location, on top of the 10V Regulator. Orient the board such that the AC Input is closest to the edge of the panel. Do not secure the board yet.
  • Page 32 Mount the Active Output board ♪ 26. Place the Active Output board in its location in the center of the chassis. Orient the board such that the power input pads are closest to the power transformer. Do not secure the board yet. 27.
  • Page 33 Mount the 12V Power Supply board 31. Dress the red/black twisted pairs from the 10V and 5V Regulators directly to the Active Output and then towards the front of the panel. ♪ 32. Place the Power Supply board in its location between the Active Output board and the transformer.
  • Page 34 35. Locate the 11” red/black twisted pair that is connected to the 12V DC Output. • It will be connected to the 12V pads on the Active Output output board. • Connect the red wire to the “+” pad. • Connect the black wire to the “-” pad. 36.
  • Page 35 Wire the I2S Adapter power Skip this section if you do not have an I2S Adapter. 40. Locate the red/black twisted pair that is connected to the 5V Regulator DC Output. • It will be connected to the 5V pads on the I2S Adapter. •...

  • Page 36: Back Panel Assembly

    Back Panel Assembly  You may have as few as one or as many as six input jacks. There are several types of input jacks and here are some general guidelines for mounting the jacks: • Mount the jacks from the inside of the panel. •...
  • Page 37 Mount the jacks and hardware: 1. Install the digital input jacks that you will be using. Do not install a USB Adapter or an I2S cable or Adapter at this time. 2. Install a male XLR connector in each of the two output locations. Mount an RCA jack in each of the two output locations.
  • Page 38 Wire the chassis ground connections: 9. Connect a 5” #20 green wire from both center pins on the “RCA/XLR” switch to the ground buss. Solder both ends and dress the wire along the bottom edge of the panel. 10. If you have an I2S Adapter, prepare a 20” #20 green wire. Connect it to the ground buss. The next three steps deal with XLR jacks.
  • Page 39 Wire the output jacks: 14. Connect the output jacks with #22 wire as follows: • Strip the insulation from a 3” black wire so that it is bare and tin just the tips. - Connect one end to pin 3 of the left XLR output jack. - Feed the wire through the tab on the RCA/XLR switch that is closest to the left XLR output jack.
  • Page 40 Wire the input jacks: 15. Wire the SPDIF input (RCA jack) as follows: • Make a twisted pair from an 8” piece of violet #22 wire and a 10” piece of black #22 wire. • On the uneven end, strip 1¾” from the black wire and tin just the tip. •...
  • Page 41 ————————————————————————————  ...

  • Page 42: Front Panel Assembly

    Front Panel Assembly  Suggestion: You may want to place a towel on your work surface to ensure that you don’t scratch the panel. ———————————————————————————— Skip the steps involving the select switch and volume control if you do not have those options. 1. Notice that the LED has one lead that is longer than the other. This identifies the functions of the leads –...
  • Page 43  ...

  • Page 44: Final Assembly And Wiring

    Final Assembly and Wiring  ———————————————————————————— Wire the Bottom Panel to the Back Panel  ———————————————————————————— Position the back panel on the back of the bottom panel and secure it with three 6-32 screws. Trim the length of these wires as needed in the following steps. Wire the AC Power and Ground 1.
  • Page 45 ———————————————————————————— Wire the Outputs 7. Connect the orange/black twisted pair from the Right Output XLR jack to the “Right Output” pads on the Active Output. Connect the orange wire to the “R+” pad and the black wire to the “R-” pad. 8.
  • Page 46 Wire the RAKK dac Inputs 9. If you have chosen to have an SPDIF or AES/EBU Input 1, connect the violet/black twisted pair from that jack to the Input 1 pads on the RAKK dac. Connect the violet wire to the “+” pad and the black wire to the “-”...
  • Page 47 Wire the USB Adapter and connect it to the RAKK dac Skip this section if you do not have a USB Adapter. Skip this step if you do have an I2S Adapter. 16. Locate the red/black twisted pair from the 8V Regulator and connect it to the 8V pads on the USB Adapter.
  • Page 48 Secure the RAKK dac 28. Secure the RAKK dac with four 6-32 screws. ————————————————————————————      ...

  • Page 49: Wire The Bottom Panel To The Front Panel

    Wire the Bottom Panel to the Front Panel    Trim the lengths of the wires as needed in the following steps. Lay the front panel down adjacent to the bottom panel where it will be installed. ———————————————————————————— Wire the Select Switch Skip this section if you do not have a select switch 1.
  • Page 50 Wire the Volume Control Skip this section if you do not have a volume control 2. Connect the twisted pairs from the “volume control” pads on the Active Output board to the volume control as follows: Connect the orange/black pair to the set of pins closest to the front panel. •...
  • Page 51 Wire the Power-on LED 3. Locate the violet/white twisted pair from the 12V power supply board. 4. Solder the wires to the LED leads. • Connect the violet wire to the anode. The anode is the longer of the two leads. •...
  • Page 52 Mount the Front Panel 8. Mount the front panel onto the bottom panel. • Install five 8-32 x ½” setscrews in the holes in the panel. • The setscrew in the center bottom of the front panel fits into the hole in the lip of the bottom panel.

  • Page 53: Assemble The Panels

    Assemble the Panels    The back panel has been temporarily mounted on the bottom panel so that the two panels could be wired together. Likewise, the front panel has been temporarily mounted on the bottom panel. You will now permanently mount and adjust all of the panels so that they fit together nicely. You will tighten the screws in a specific order.
  • Page 54 Position the Front panel 1. Tighten the KEP nut in the middle of front panel while lifting the front panel so it contacts the tops of the mounting holes. This ensures that it's straight with respect to the shelf it will be sitting on. 2.
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  • Page 57  ...

  • Page 58: Final Adjustments

    Final Adjustments   Adjust the Constant Current Sources  1. Install a 6N6P tube in locations V1 and V2. ———————————————————————————— 2. Power on the Extreme RAKK dac and allow it to warm up for about one minute. ———————————————————————————— The adjustments that you are about to make interact. Therefore, the first time you may have to alternate adjustments to get them in range.

  • Page 59: Final Assembly

    Final Assembly  1. You may optionally choose to apply a tiny drop of Loctite to the screws that hold the circuit boards in place – both top and bottom. This will ensure that the screws will not work loose over time or during shipment. Screws and nuts that have star lock washers do not need Loctite.

  • Page 60: Parts List

    Parts List   Circuit kits  Refer to the parts list for each of these kits. The following kits are provided. • RAKK dac Mark III • Active Differential Output • Standard Low Voltage Power System Regulator (10V) • Standard Low Voltage Power System Power Supply (12V) Front Panel Options ...

  • Page 61: Input Options

    Input Options  The back panel will be customized for the options that you have chosen. SPDIF Input Part Description RCA jack 1, 2 or 3 LL1572 pulse transformer 1, 2 or 3 AES/EBU Input Part Description XLR jack female, with tab 1, 2 or 3 Screw 4-40 x ⅜”...

  • Page 62: Extreme Kit Contents

    Extreme Kit Contents  In addition to the parts in the circuit kits and options listed above, these parts are provided: Mechanical Parts Part Description Chassis set Top, bottom, front, back frame, two sides Back Panel custom Power switch Rotary, Knob For power switch AC inlet module Black with three prongs Fuse...
  • Page 63 Wire List From this, twisted pairs and individual pieces are called out in the individual assembly steps. Twisted wires are best made using a small electrical drill to do the twisting. Between 4 and 5 twists per inch is good. Be sure not to twist all the wire of a given color as some individual pieces are needed as well as twisted ones.
  • Page 64 Hardware List Part Description Screw 4-40 x 0.375” button head 10 for the back panel plus 2 for each connector Screw 6-32 x 0.25” button head Screw 6-32 x 0.5” button head Screw 6-32 x 0.25” Phillips head Screw 4mm x 8mm button head setscrew 8-32 x 0.5”...

  • Page 65: Document Version History

    Document version history   Version Description Original document change select wiring colors...

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