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PowerDAC-S
User Guide
1 17
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© 1990-2021 - All Rights Reserved - ECdesigns

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Summary of Contents for ECdesigns PowerDAC-S

  • Page 1 PowerDAC-S User Guide 1 17 © 1990-2021 - All Rights Reserved - ECdesigns...
  • Page 2 Introduction The PowerDAC-S is a digital audio set without -any- amplifiers or buffer circuits in the signal path. The PowerDAC-S is based on discrete multi-bit Power DA converters. Balanced power-supply and resistor attenuator are used to generate the output signal.
  • Page 3 Theory of operation - Block diagram 3 17 © 1990-2021 - All Rights Reserved - ECdesigns...
  • Page 4 31 + 13 = 44 switches in total. This way we can generate highly accurate and consistent audio signals on the speaker without requiring any amplifier or lossy analogue signal path at all. 4 17 © 1990-2021 - All Rights Reserved - ECdesigns...
  • Page 5 So the actual sensitivity at 1W / 1m will be 6 dB less: 87dB - 6dB = 81 dB. But the Teufel Ultima (4 Ohm) is still very usable i.c.w. PowerDAC-S with most albums, but albums that have lower recording output level might not play loud enough.
  • Page 6: Technical Specifications

    >= 90dB 1Watt at 1 meter distance Speaker SPL Load impedance The PowerDAC-S can drive -any- load from dead short to infinity and speaker dips & peaks are no problem either. Steering method The steering method is different from conventional audio systems, the PowerDAC-S offers quasi constant power steering and it combines the best properties of constant voltage steering (semiconductor amps) and quasi constant current steering (tube amps).
  • Page 7 Better than 50uV at the speaker terminals Clipping Unlike amplifiers, the PowerDAC-S does not amplify any noise and it cannot clip. At maximum volume, distortion remains 0.0005% at the speaker terminals and the output signal does not clip (not even 1 LSB). So you have the unusual situation that there is no distortion increase from the PowerDAC-S at full volume setting.
  • Page 8 1000 - 890 - 640 17 ºC 37 ºC 11 12Vpp -3dB 2200 - 2000 - 1400 23 ºC 43 ºC 12 16Vpp 114W 4000 - 3500 - 2600 30 ºC 50 ºC 8 17 © 1990-2021 - All Rights Reserved - ECdesigns...
  • Page 9 Bit-perfect test It is essential to test if the Toslink source that is connected to the PowerDAC-S is setup to pass music without any alterations. Alterations of original music data could cause serious SQ degradation ! Alteration to original (CD) recordings could have numerous causes e.g.
  • Page 10: Jumper Settings

    Jumper settings Below are the jumper settings for PowerDAC-S. The FIXED OUTPUT jumper setting fixes PowerDAC-S output to volume level 9. Carefully remove or place jumpers using tweezers. Note that when updating firmware that single right most jumper must be removed.
  • Page 11: Firmware Update

    Use tweezers to set the red jumpers on rear of PowerDAC-S to PROGRAM configuration (see Jumper settings on previous page). Download and unzip latest pdrs-firmware.zip Now connect a USB cable from the PowerDAC-S to your computer and start the STM32CubeProgrammer. 11 17 © 1990-2021 - All Rights Reserved - ECdesigns...
  • Page 12 Press the OK button on message window. Finally click on the Disconnect button to finish session. You can then close the STM32CubeProgrammer. Remove the USB cable between PowerDAC-S and PC. Set jumpers to the normal positions. After power-up PowerDAC-S the new firmware is used.
  • Page 13 -a 0 --dfuse-address 0x08000000 -D PDRS140.bin If this completes without errors (File downloaded successfully) your firmware should be updated. Disconnect the USB cable from PowerDAC-S and reset jumpers back to normal or fixed. Then connect PowerDAC-S power cable. After power-up PowerDAC-S the new firmware is used.
  • Page 14: Ir Remote Control

    IR Remote Control The IR Remote Control is included with the PowerDAC-S. The IR Remote Control can be used to: • Increase volume • Decrease volume • Mute/Un-mute The IR Remote Control can be recharged with the included USB mini cable.
  • Page 15 The UT96 is an optional USB to Toslink converter that can be used with the PowerDAC-S. It supports USB full-speed 44.1kHz / 48kHz / 88.2kHz / 96kHz Use standard USB cable to connect to PC/Host. 15 17 © 1990-2021 - All Rights Reserved - ECdesigns...
  • Page 16 We use 2 voltages in the PowerDAC-R giving a total of 10 volume steps of 3 dB. We use 5 voltages in the PowerDAC-S giving a total of 13 volume steps of 3 dB. When using the PowerDAC i.c.w. an external (pre)amplifier performance is degraded as any active device in the audio path will degrade performance ! By setting a jumper on the PowerDAC you can set fixed output without using any bit shifts.
  • Page 17 If you are looking for simple music player for stand-alone or even multi-room to use with the PowerDAC-S checkout piCorePlayer. When run from an RPI4 you could connect your music to the RPI4 directly by USB or to NAS via network.