NuForce Icon HD User Manual page 6

Windows PC Driver Optimization
ASIO4ALL is a hardware-independent, low-latency ASIO driver for WDM audio devices that employs
WDM Kernel-Streaming and other sophisticated methods.
What You Should NOT Do
Do not tamper with or replace your existing sound-card drivers.
Do not install any kernel-mode components that might affect your system's stability.
Do not "over-clock" or operate your audio hardware in ways that have the potential to do harm. This will
void your warranty. (In certain cases, your hardware's manufacturer states that the use of ASIO4ALL will
void your warranty.)
No software-driver optimization is required for the Apple Mac OS.
S/PDIF Connection
The Icon HDP permits an S/PDIF connection from your computer, if that's your preference. For best
results, use a high-quality S/PDIF cable. Once the connection is made, select S/PDIF in your System
Preferences Audio Device settings.
Analog Connections
You need only connect headphones to your NuForce device's headphone jack and adjust for volume with
the unit's volume control. If connecting to an external amplifier or stereo receiver, you will require a
quality stereo interconnect with a standard male RCA connector for plugging into the NuForce device and
an appropriate connector at the other end (usually, an RCA).
Note on Headphone Use
Headphones present a challenge to amplifier designers. There are two basic types: the over-ear (OE) in
general use in the recording industry and the smaller in-ear (IE), a.k.a. ear-bud, commonly used with
portable devices such as MP3 players. Given the range of available OE and IE headphones, in attempting to
deal with all of them, your computer's headphone output is optimized for none. Your NuForce Icon product
will make a world of difference.
The reason is simple enough. Various OE and IE phones cover an expanse of electrical impedances from
16 to 600 Ohms and differ in other significant ways. Sensitivity is a term that expresses how loud the
headphones will play at a given amount of electrical power, e.g., x number of decibels per milliwatt (0.001
watt) of power, expressed as xxxdB/mW.
Typically, OE types exhibit sensitivities of about 100dB/mW, whereas IE devices can be 10dB higher or
more, e.g., 110dB/mW. Assuming a 10dB difference, the lower sensitivity OE headphones require ten
times more power to achieve the same volume as the IE type. If you're using OE headphones, you'll
appreciate the NuForce Icon Series' power capability. Your headphones will sound clearer and more
natural. If you use IE headphones, owing to their higher sensitivity, you may notice a small amount of
background noise. Conversely, you will hear weak signals more readily than would be the case with lower-
sensitivity OE types.
We are not discussing a product defect. Electrical noise arises from many factors, one of which is the
amount of amplification the Icon product provides. Irrespective of type or design, electrical circuits
introduce noise. If the device amplifies the signal, the noise coming into it will likewise be amplified.
Further, the amount the device itself creates will also be greater. These are facts of electrical life that good
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