Musical Fidelity V-DACII - Digital To Analog Converter Manual

Front and back connections

Introduction

We sincerely hope that it will bring you many years of outstanding listening pleasure.

Installation Precautions

Your new V-DAC is designed and built to provide trouble-free performance, but as with all electronic devices, it is necessary to observe a few precautions:
Do not use the V-DAC near water. The unit must not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, must be placed on the unit. Keep the V-DAC away from heat such as radiators. No naked flame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the unit.

Power Supply Note

Only use approved Musical Fidelity DC power supply. The use of other adaptors or supplies could seriously damage the V-DAC.
This Hi-fi product has been tested to ensure that its operation is not adversely affected by normal background levels of Radio Frequency Interference (R.F.I.), and that it does not itself generate excessive amounts of interference. However, if a problem persists, please contact your Musical Fidelity agent.
Never open the case of the V-DAC yourself, as this will invalidate the guarantee.
Place all connecting cables where they are not likely to be walked on or trapped by items placed on them.
The V-DAC will operate in accordance with its specifications within the following environmental range:
Temperature 5 to 45 degrees Celsius
Humidity 10 to 90% non condensing
There are no user adjustments inside. Please refer all service work to an authorised Musical Fidelity agent.

Connections

All connections must be made before the mains adaptor is plugged in, and before any amplifier connected is switched on. Always switch off the equipment attached to the V-DAC before connecting/disconnecting power, changing leads or inputs.

Digital optical or coaxial inputs
Using good quality RCA leads (not supplied), connect the digital coaxial or optical output from a CD player or other digital audio source to the V-DAC SPDIF or COAXIAL sockets.
Set the input select switch to "coaxial" if using either of these inputs.

USB input
A good quality USB A to B cable is required to connect the unit to the computer.
Plug the B (square) end into the socket in the back of the V-DAC Plug the A (rectangle) end into a free USB socket on your computer. Set the input select switch to "USB".
Once the unit is plugged in and powered, the computer should detect the new hardware and install a generic driver automatically (No setup or driver disk required). The V-DAC is then ready to play V-DAC, CD or any other form of music file recognised by the computer.

Outputs
Connect the V-DAC left and right outputs to the line level inputs of the amplifier system. It is advisable to have the amplifier turned off at this point.

Power
Plug the DC connector lead from the power supply unit into the VDAC's power inlet socket, and plug the adaptor itself into a convenient wall mains outlet. The blue LED will light to confirm the unit is ready for use, and the green LED should also be lit indicating presence of digital signal.

Use
Turn the volume on amplifier to normal listening levels, sit back and enjoy the music.
These products have been designed so that they may be left on indefinitely, but please note the mains adapter may become warm to the touch - this is normal.

Additional USB information

On the host computer, a new mixer will be available, which is the default mixer whenever the DAC is plugged in. Use this mixer to select the source or adjust levels if required. CD, MP3, WAV files played on any software should now play through the DAC. This device has been designed to work with Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP.
The computer drivers for the USB input of the V-DAC should install automatically. To check correct installation follow these steps:

PC users
Check the computer has picked up the device and is currently using it by clicking: (most Windows versions)

• Start
• Settings
• Control panel
• Sounds and Multimedia
• Audio

Check "USB audio device" appears under PREFERRED AUDIO DEVICE tab

Mac users
Check the computer has picked up the device and is currently using it by clicking: (MAC OS X)

• System preferences
• Hardware
• Sound

Check that "USB audio DAC" is selected under the OUTPUT tab. If the computer's warning sounds/chimes are to played through the DAC, make sure it is selected under the SOUND EFFECTS tab too.
This device is a high speed serial data processor, and by its nature, requires a very high volume of USB bandwidth. It will benefit greatly from being the only device connected on its USB 'port'. Sharing the same port with other devices may cause unwanted artefacts such as dropouts or temporary loss of signal. This especially includes the use of the DAC on a USB hub/splitter alongside other USB components.

Troubleshooting

Specifications