Nagra HD DAC, Instruction Manual

Page 1: ...P N 2055110151 All rights reserved 2016 HD DAC D A converter Instruction manual ...

Page 2: ...g to a Nagra MPS 6 Front panel 8 Setting your HD DAC 9 Audio settings 14 USB set up with computers 17 LED and Modulometer intensity adjustment 20 Removing the battery protection 21 Remote control 22 Using a universal remote with the HD DAC 22 Burn in period 23 Tube ageing 23 Case cleaning 23 Technical specifications 24 Déclaration de conformité 25 Declaration of conformity 25 ...

Page 3: ...ginal purchaser of new equipment This limited warranty covers the repair and replacement of defective parts excluding any other remedy The absence of a serial number invalidates the warranty We decline any responsibility for damages resulting directly or indirectly from the use of our products As we constantly strive to improve our products we reserve the right to modify them or change their speci...

Page 4: ...s technical innovations and the excellence of its products over the years Among the most prestigious Nagra has been awarded three Oscars and an Emmy Our experience precision and dedication to detail has been implemented to do service to music your music This is why we wish you many hours of listening pleasure and memorable moments enjoying your HD DAC Thank you for your trust Package contents In a...

Page 5: ...terfere with the sonic excellence of your HD DAC Powering the HD DAC The HD DAC has a unique powering system with totally independent supply sources for the digital and analog portions of the electronics This dual powering system was developed to eliminate any interference between the different elements and guarantee an uncompromising audio transparency There are two methods of powering the HD DAC...

Page 6: ... the fluted section of the plug between thumb and index finger as shown in the picture and pull the crown of the connector backwards Connecting to a Nagra MPS The HD DAC will reveal its full potential with the full chassis power supply Nagra MPS which was specifically designed to provide several independent power sources for different NAGRA Hi Fi elements The MPS is connected to the HD DAC using L...

Page 7: ...is a proprietary Nagra input reserved for data connection to future products The USB connector is for receiving digital audio from a PC or MAC computer TOSLINK is a standard optical data connection Two AES EBU XLR inputs conforming to the AES 3 standard Two S PDIF inputs 1 on BNC 1 on RCA 4 DC power inputs Analog powers the analog part Digital powers the digital part Note about the Ground connecto...

Page 8: ...can also be achieved using the remote control 6 Volume adjustment potentiometer 7 This switch selects the routing of the analog outputs OUTPUT is for the line RCA or XLR output PHONES for headphone jack 8 The Main selector is the principal activation switch for the HD DAC In the OFF position the HD DAC is in Standby mode 9 Headphone output jack 10 Infra Red sensor window for the remote control and...

Page 9: ... for 5 seconds to access the menus You can navigate within the menu tree through the different topics by rotating the Controller Press and hold the controller to select the highlighted menu To exit the menu press the Controller twice in quick succession you may also simply wait a few seconds and the menu will close automatically How to operate the Controller knob Controller Normal operation Inside...

Page 10: ...y the selectioins are given below LANGUAGE ENGLISH FRANCAIS DEUTSCH ESPANOL ITALIANO INPUT NAMES AES 1 AES 2 S PDIF 1 S PDIF 2 OPTICAL USB I2S DEFAULT NAMES INPUT ASSIGNMENT AES 1 for every input DISABLED REMOTE A REMOTE B REMOTE C REMOTE D REMOTE E REMOTE F NO REMOTE DEFAULT ASSIGN AUDIO SETTINGS LINE LEVEL LOW HIGH LINE MODE VARIABLE DIRECT ABSOLUTE PHASE NORMAL INVERTED USB POWER MODE ALWAYS ON...

Page 11: ...ontroller until the following display is shown Press the Controller button to go enter this menu AES 1 is the first digital input in the list rotate the controller until the desired input to be named is on the display and press the controller once more An underscore _ will appear beneath the first character of the current name as shown and rotating the controller knob will scroll through the avail...

Page 12: ... hold Controller button for a few seconds the underscore will disappear showing you the name has been stored Note If you wait for a few seconds without making any input your selection will be cancelled and the menu closes automatically AES 1 NAGRA CDT ...

Page 13: ...l be accessible In the Menu go to INPUT ASSIGNEMENT Select this menu Select the input you want to de activate For each input you can select the following DISABLED The input is deactivated REMOTE BUTTON A to F Allocate the remote letter you want of choice for any input NO REMOTE BUTTON The input is active but does not have a remote button assigned to it However you can activate it using the CONTROL...

Page 14: ...utput level DIRECT Should you wish to use its built in volume control you should select a VARIABLE output If you select DIRECT then the signal won t pass through the potentiometer and no control is possible You may select DIRECT or VARIABLE it won t affect the headphone amplifier the latter will always go through the potentiometer allowing the playback level to be adjusted Go to By default VARIABL...

Page 15: ... don t use the USB input you can de activate the USB circuit This way you can save power consumption and avoid powering unnecessary components About This part of the menu will provide you with useful information about your HD DAC Software version You can check that your HD DAC comes with the latest software version Should we release a new software version we will advise your dealer and also Announ...

Page 16: ...firm The counter is reset Serial number This serial number can t be changed or erased Should your HD DAC be stolen please send us your HD DAC serial number we will track this unit if it ever reaches a Nagra dealer or service center DAC Info This information is for Nagra servicing it displays the D A board internal software version as well as its temperature A temperature of 51 C is typical and sho...

Page 17: ...pplied with your HD DAC More information on inputs and formats The HD DAC comes with 7 different digital inputs Please find the format compatibility in the following table Input For Format AES 1 and 2 Professional sources Up to 192 kHz 24 bits S P Dif 1 and 2 Consumer sources Up to 192 kHz 24 bits Optical TOSLINK Consumer sources Up to 192 kHz 24 bits with high quality optical fiber USB UAC2 Up to...

Page 18: ...It is strongly recommended to use high quality cables throughout your system to benefit from the exceptional audio quality available Setting the headphone amplifier level The headphone amplifier output level can be adjusted by the means of jumpers to match the sensitivity of your headset The settings to change your headphone amplifier are inside the HD DAC so your dealer should adjust it upon deli...

Page 19: ...ual level Beware of possible damage to your hearing when listening too loud and make sure to adjust the headphone amplifier accordingly If you are in any doubt please use the Limited power output Also be careful of possible high level differences when switching from the external output to the headphone output and vice versa ...

Page 20: ...ulometer displays the digital input level The 0 dB corresponds to full scale signal meaning the maximum digital level The modulomenter in the HD DAC is a twin pointer digitally controlled instrument Left channel black pointer Right channel red pointer Modulometer and display intensity adjustment This two way toggle switch allows you to adjust the display and Modulometer backlight intensity Pushing...

Page 21: ...emoving the battery protection Two AAA dry cells are already installed in your remote at the factory Removing the plastic strip will connect the batteries and the remote will become active Simply tear the plastic strip ...

Page 22: ... the HD DAC The HD DAC responds to IR Infra Red signals coded in Philips RC 5 format The HD DAC is allocated a system number 17 for preamplifiers Should you wish to program your universal remote control please use the following table Code Function 1 to 6 Input A to F 32 33 Input change step up or step down 16 Volume Up 17 Volume Down 13 Mute 12 Standby Input decrement Increase volume Input increme...

Page 23: ...Their theoretical minimum useful life is 5000 hours Actually some tubes operate consistently for more than 10 000 hours Thus the useful life of the tubes is somewhat unpredictable Rather than replacing the tubes arbitrarily after 5000 hours we suggest that you identify the signs of ageing The distortion gently increases to an audible level Presence of clicks dry and short noise like breaking dead ...

Page 24: ... Internal processing 5 6 MHz 6 2 MHz 72 bits Compatible digital formats PCM 24 bits up to 384 kHz DXD DSD x 2 Analog outputs 1 stereo RCA 1 stereo XLR Symmetrical on optional transformers Output level 1 3 or 2 V rms Analog output Noise level 128 dBr 1 kHz 1 3V linear Distortion 0 02 20dBFS THD N 0 03 192 kHz Frequency Response 5 Hz 40 kHz 0 1 dB Crosstalk 99 dB Inter channel phase 0 1 20 kHz Dimen...

Page 25: ...romagnétiques EN 61000 4 3 Immunity to electromagnetic fields EN 61000 4 3 Immunité aux décharges électrostatiques EN 61000 4 2 Immunity to electrostatic discharges EN 61000 4 2 Immunité aux transitoires électriques rapides en salves sur câble d alimentation EN 61000 4 4 level 2 1000V Immunity to burst on mains line EN 61000 4 4 level 2 1000V Immunité aux transitoires électriques rapides en salves...