DCS Vivaldi Upsampler User Manual
© Data Conversion Systems Ltd. 2012 - 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduc ed, stored in or introduced into a retrieval s ystem,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of dCS
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damag es.
dCS Vivaldi Upsampler
Digital to Digital Converter
User Manual
Software Release 1.0x
November 2013
1
. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this
Price UK £8.00 / Euro 12.00
Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notic e, and whilst it is checked for accuracy, no
liabilities can be accepted for errors.
1
dCS is Data Conversion Systems Ltd. Company registered in England No. 2072115.
dCS Vivaldi Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.0x
November 2013
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Contents
Using the dCS Vivaldi Upsampler for the first time ................................................................................ 5
What’s in the box? 5
Positioning the unit 5
Safety Notice 6
iPod® and iPhone® compatibility 7
Step-by-Step Guide ............................................................................................................................... 8
Preliminaries 8
STEP 1 – Connecting a PCM input 9
Connecting to a Single AES or SPDIF source 9
Connecting to an SDIF-2 PCM Source 9
STEP 2 – Connecting an Output 10
Dual AES 10
Single wire PCM 11
STEP 3 - Setting the Sync Source 12
Using a Master Clock 12
Using the Vivaldi Clock’s enhanced clocking system 12
STEP 4 – Using the USB1 interface with a computer 14
Setting the USB Audio Class 14
Loading the Windows driver for USB Class 2 14
Basic setup with a PC 15
A word about Music Playing Software 15
Selecting the Vivaldi Upsampler as your Audio Output device 16
Using the USB input with a Master Clock 16
STEP 5 – Using the USB2 input 17
Playing music files from a USB Flash Drive 17
Playing music from an iPod/iPhone 17
STEP 6 – UPnP Network Connection 18
Set-up 18
Playing music 19
Playlist 19
Advanced options 20
Customising the input configuration 20
Front Panel ........................................................................................................................................... 21
Remote Control Receiver 21
Display 21
Power Button 22
Menu Button 22
Filter Button 22
Input Button 23
Output Button 23
Rear Panel ............................................................................................................................................ 24
Digital Outputs 24
Digital Inputs 24
Word Clock Input / Output 24
Network Interface 25
USB Interfaces 25
Test interface 26
Mains inlet 26
Label 26
The Menu .............................................................................................................................................. 27
Using the Menu 28
INFORMATION Menu 29
UPSAMPLER SETTINGS Menu 30
DISPLAY SETTINGS Menu 32
GENERATOR Menu 32
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Specification ........................................................................................................................................ 33
Maintenance and Support ................................................................................................................... 35
Service and Maintenance 35
Replacing a Blown Mains Fuse 35
Cleaning the case 35
Limited Warranty 36
If you need more help 37
Software History 37
Network Information Sheet 39
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USING THE dCS Vivaldi Upsampler FOR THE FIRST TIME
Congratulations on purchasing your dCS Vivaldi Upsampler.
Before using your unit, please read this section and the Step by Step Guide. This will enable you to
set the unit up quickly and safely with your hi-fi system.
From time to time, dCS will release updated software on CD-R that you can install yourself using the
Update feature. Please check our web-site occasionally to see if new Vivaldi software is available, or
consult your dealer.
What’s in the box?
Check that the box contains the following items:
• dCS Vivaldi Upsampler
• Manual and Menu / Setup Guide
• Power cable
• 2 AES cables
• USB-A to USB-B cable
• Ethernet cable
• BNC cable
• dCS USB Class 2 driver disc
• Spare fuses
Notify your dealer as soon as possible if anything is missing or damaged. We suggest that you retain
the original packaging for possible future use. If this is not possible, replacement packaging can be
ordered from dCS or our distributors. Details can be found o n our web site at www.dcsltd.co.uk
A dCS Premium remote control is supplied with the Vivaldi DAC. The Premium remote control and a
programmable Nevo Q50 colour touch screen remote control configured for Vivaldi are available as
optional extras.
.
Positioning the unit
For best sound quality, the units in the Vivaldi range are designed to be mounted on separate shelves
of a rack, although they may be stacked directly on top of each other if this is absolutely necessary.
Place each unit on a firm, vibration free base, allowing convenient connection to the other parts of
your system. To prevent overheating, we recommend that you leave some free space around the unit
to allow for ventilation.
The unit is supplied with 4 feet fitted. If you prefer a 3-feet layout, unscrew the two back feet, remove
the two black cores using a 2.5mm A/F Allen key, fit one of the cores in the middle position and
replace the foot. Take care not to cross-thread the foot!
With all feet screwed fully home, the unit will sit level on a flat surface. If you need to do
any levelling, you can unscrew any of the feet up to 3 complete turns, to give up to 3mm
(1/8”) of height adjustment.
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Safety Notice
Your dCS Vivaldi Upsampler contains no user serviceable parts. DO NOT attempt to
open the case as there are potentially dangerous voltages present inside. In the event of
the unit developing a fault, please contact your dealer in the first instance.
If you decide to remove safety covers for any reason, disconnect the power cable first.
To maintain protection from electric shock, the unit MUST be connected to mains earth
(ground) via the power cable. Also, unearthed systems do not give the best sonic
performance.
Protect the product from dripping or splashing liquids. Liquid-filled objects such as vases
must not be placed on the product.
This product is lead-free and complies with the RoHS directive.
Before connecting the power cable to the unit for the first time, please check that it has been set to the
correct operating voltage for your mains supply. The unit’s voltage setting is shown on the serial
number label. If this does not match your local supply voltage, DO NOT attempt to use the unit.
Contact your dealer to have the unit reset. Using the unit with the wrong mains setting for your local
supply may result in serious damage to the unit and will invalidate the warranty. Do not attempt to
reset the voltage yourself.
We do not recommend the use of mains regenerators. However, if you do wish to use a mains
regenerator with variable voltage and frequency, we recommend that you set the voltage to match
your local voltage and the frequency to either 50Hz or 60Hz ONLY.
Damage caused to your Vivaldi Upsampler by misuse of a mains regenerator or by a
!
malfunctioning mains regenerator is not covered by the warranty.
Disposal at end-of-life - the symbol indicates that this product should not be treated as
normal household waste. It should be recycled, so please take it to an approved
collection facility.
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iPod® and iPhone® compatibility
The Vivaldi Upsampler is compatible with the iPod and iPhone models illustrated below.
Made for:
“Made for iPod” and “Made for iPhone” mean that an electronic
accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPod or
iPhone respectively and has been certified by the developer to meet
Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the
operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory
standards.
®
, iPhone, iPod and iPod touch® are trademarks of Apple Inc.,
iPad
registered in the U.S. and other countries.
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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
This section guides you through setting up the unit for use in various ways.
Preliminaries
The Menu / Setup Guide sheet details the menu structure.
For digital interfaces, use with cables designed for digital audio:
• for AES/EBU interfaces use 110Ω screened, twisted pair cables fitted with one male XLR
connector and one female XLR connector.
• for SDIF, Word Clock or SPDIF BNC interfaces, use 75Ω coax cables fitted with BNC plugs.
SDIF and Word Clock interfaces require a simple DC-coupled connection. The interfaces
!
• for SPDIF RCA interfaces, use 75Ω coax cables fitted with RCA Phono plugs.
• for TOSLINK optical interfaces, use Toslink fibre-optic cables.
• for the Network interface, use the Ethernet cable provided with the unit.
• for the USB1 interface, use a standard screened USB cable fitted with one type ‘A’ connector and
one type ‘B’ connector. The internal screen must be connected at both ends.
• to connect the USB2 interface to an iPod, iPad or iPhone, use an Apple adapter cable.
• Connect the power cable to the power inlet on the Upsampler rear panel, and plug the other end
into a convenient power outlet. Set the rocker switch on the rear panel to the I position (on).
may malfunction or not work at all if capacitor coupled cables or cables with built-in
networks are used.
Please do not use an excessively heavy or inflexible power cable as this may damage
!
• Press the Power button – the unit will display Vivaldi Upsampler. Wait about 30 seconds while the
Upsampler configures itself.
• If the unit is likely to be set in an unfamiliar state, you can run the Factory Reset routine by pressing
the buttons in this sequence: Menu, ►, Menu, ◄, Menu.
• Wait a few seconds while the unit resets itself.
the power inlet connector.
The cables supplied with the unit are “commercial grade”, because most owners will
have their own “audiophile grade” cables or will prefer to make their own cable choices.
We will start with a basic setup using a standard PCM source.
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STEP 1 – Connecting a PCM input
Switch on the source equipment. If appropriate, load a disk / tape and set the machine in PLAY mode
to ensure it is generating a digital audio data stream.
Choose one or more of the following sections:
Connecting to a Single AES or SPDIF source
Most digital audio source equipment (such as CD transports, DVD players) is fitted with a single wire
digital output, usually on an RCA phono connector.
• Connect your source equipment to the matching input on the Upsampler’s rear panel using a
suitable cable.
• Press the Input button repeatedly until your chosen input is displayed. This will be either AES,
SPDIF1 (RCA), SPDIF2 (RCA), SPDIF3 (BNC) or Toslink.
The Upsampler will lock to the source and display 16/44.1 > 96 for example, if the source is a CD
player.
Connecting to an SDIF-2 PCM Source
SDIF (Sony Digital InterFace) is not the same as SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital InterFace)
!
• Connect the CH1 output on your source equipment to the CH1 input on the Upsampler’s rear panel
and the CH2 output to the CH2 input, using two BNC cables. Connect the word clock output on
your source equipment to the Word Clock In1 connector on the Upsampler’s rear panel. Ensure
the cables are not swapped.
• Press the Upsampler’s Input button repeatedly until SDIF appears on the display.
The Upsampler will lock to the source and display 16/44.1 > 96 for example, if the source is a CD
player.
and the two are not compatible.
Please ensure that you connect to the correct BNC socket.
Set the Settings > Sync Mode menu page to Word Clock 1.
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STEP 2 – Connecting an Output
Choose which output interface you want to use and connect it up as described below. The
Upsampler’s main output is Dual AES. You can connect as many outputs as yo u wish.
Dual AES
Connect the AES1 Out and AES2 Outputs to matching inputs on your DAC. Use the Output button
on the front panel to set the output sample rate to 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8 or 384kS/s or DSD.
Open the menu, scroll to the Settings > Dual AES page and make sure it is set to On.
(The button sequence is Menu, ►, Menu, ►.) If it is not, press the Menu button once.
Use the DAC’s Input button to select the Dual AES input. You may need to open the DAC’s menu
and set it to accept Dual AES.
All dCS DACs are capable of Dual AES operation, older models will be limited to a
!
maximum of 192kS/s. Some other manufacturer’s DACs may have 2 single AES inputs
that are not Dual AES capable. Please check the DAC manual to be sure.
Figure 1 – Connecting the Dual AES output
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Single wire PCM
Connect one or more of the PCM outputs (AES1 Out, AES2 Out, SPDIF1 Out, SPDIF2 Out) to
matching inputs on your DAC. Use the Output button on the front panel to set the output sample rate
to 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192kS/s or DSD.
If you want to use the AES1 and AES2 outputs in single-wire mode, open the menu,
scroll to the Settings > Dual AES page and make sure it is set to Off. (The button
sequence is Menu, ►, Menu, ►.) If it is not, press the Menu button once.
Use the DAC’s Input button to select that input.
If the output sample rate is 352.8 or 384, the two SPDIF outputs will be muted.
!
The Upsampler will not output sample rates that are lower than the input sample rate.
Figure 2 – Connecting a single-wire SPDIF output
Connect the DAC’s outputs to the amplifier & speakers. Start the source playing and set the DAC’s
Volume control to a comfortable level. You should have audio at this point.
Go to STEP 3.
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STEP 3 - Setting the Sync Source
If the Upsampler was reset at the start of this procedure and you have selected the AES
or an SPDIF input, you should see the Sync Mode - Audio icon. The system has been
set up to lock to the clock generated by the source.
This is the simplest arrangement, but it does not give the best sonic performance due to clock jitter.
You can improve the performance by adding a Master Clock to your system.
Using a Master Clock
If you have a Vivaldi Clock (or other dedicated Clock) in your system, lock the source, the Upsampler
and the DAC to the Clock for the best performance. To do this:
• Connect the one of the Clock’s Group 1 Word Clock Outputs to the Word Clock In 1 connector
on the source, Upsampler and DAC.
• Set the Clock Frequency 1 to suit the source and DAC. For a CD Transport as source with the
Upsampler set to output 176.4, 352.8 or DSD, a suitable frequency is 44.1kHz. For a 48kS/s
source (such as a DVD player) with the Upsampler set to output 192 or 384, a suitable frequency is
48kHz.
• Select the required input on the Upsampler and DAC. This is important because these units store a
different Sync Mode setting for each input.
To set the Upsampler to lock to the Clock, open the menu, scroll to the Settings > Sync
Mode page and check it is set to Word Clock 1. (The button sequence is Menu, ►,
Menu.) If it is not, press the Menu button as necessary until the W1 icon is displayed.
• When the menu has closed, the Upsampler will display the W1 icon, provided the clock is
recognised.
If there is no signal at the Word Clock In1 connector or it is not recognisable, the
Upsampler will sync to audio and display this icon to warn you.
• The Vivaldi Transport will automatically lock to the Clock and display a W icon.
• Set the Vivaldi DAC to sync to Word Clock in a similar way to the Upsampler.
Using the Vivaldi Clock’s enhanced clocking system
You may have noticed that the Vivaldi Upsampler has 2 Word Clock inputs, and the Vivaldi DAC has 3.
Word Clock In1 and In2 are intended to be used together for ease of use in situations where the
sample rate of the source often changes. Computer audio is an obvious example of this (the files on
our server were recorded at 7 different sample rates), another example is cycling through the
Upsampler’s output rates to find the best sound. dCS products have featured clock multiplication for
several years, but it is much more difficult to keep the clock free from jitter when you change from
44.1/88.2/176.4 to 48/96/192.
So the Vivaldi Clock’s outputs are split into 2 groups, the idea is that one group is set to 44.1kHz (or a
multiple) while the other is set to 48kHz (or a multiple). A Word Clock connection from each group
connects to Word Clock In1 and In2 of both the Upsampler and DAC.
First, select the input you want to lock to the Clock. Then set the Settings > Sync mode
menu page in each unit to Auto W1/W2, and both units will automatically choose the
clock that is synchronous with the data.
If you are using the Transport also, don’t forget to connect one of the Clock’s 44.1kHz
outputs to the Transport’s Word Clock Input!
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