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Instruction Manual
Manual in different languages available from www.musicalfidelity.com
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Contents
Safety Information ............................................................................... 3
Precautions & User Information .......................................................... 3
Installation ........................................................................................... 4
Facilities & Connections ...................................................................... 5
Operation ............................................................................................. 6
Remote Control Handset ..................................................................... 7
Digital Filters…….. ................................................................................ 8
Troubleshooting….. .............................................................................. 9
Technical Specifications .................................................................... 10
Item Disposal Information for Europe ............................................... 11
*Manuals in other languages can be found on the Musical Fidelity website. Please navigate to the
Downloads section of the M3x DAC product page to access them
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Note: Unauthorized opening of the equipment
will invalidate any warranty claim.
Safety Information
This unit is supplied with a mains lead fitted with
a moulded 13-amp plug. If, for any reason, it is
necessary to remove the plug, please remove the
fuse holder and dispose of the plug safely, out of
reach of children. It must not be plugged into a
mains outlet.
The wires in the mains lead supplied with this
appliance are coloured in accordance with the
following code
WARNING - This appliance MUST be earthed.
The colours of the wires of the mains lead of this
appliance, may not correspond with the coloured
markings identifying the terminals in the plug,
proceed as follows:
• The wire which is coloured green and yellow
must be connected to the terminal in the plug
which is marked with the letter E or coloured
green or green-and-yellow, or by the earth
symbol:
• The wire which is coloured brown must be
connected to the terminal which is marked
with the letter L or coloured red.
• The wire which is coloured blue must be
connected to the terminal which is marked
with the letter N or coloured black.
• If connecting to a BS1363 plug, a 13-amp
fuse must be used.
Precautions & User Information
WARNING: Any modifications to this product,
not expressly approved by Musical Fidelity,
who is the party responsible for standards
compliance could void the user’s authority to
operate this equipment.
This new M3x DAC is designed and built to
provide trouble-free performance. As with all
electronic devices it is necessary to observe a few
precautions:
• Heed all warnings shown on the back of the
product.
• Only connect the M3x DAC to a mains outlet
having the same voltage as marked at the
back of the unit.
• Always ensure that when disconnecting
and reconnecting your audio equipment the
mains supply is switched off.
• Positi o n the mains l e ad and sign a l
interconnects where they are not likely to
be walked on or trapped by items placed on
them.
• Do not use near water, or place water-filled
containers on the M3x DAC, for example, a
flower vase or potted plants. If water does
spill inside, immediately pull out the mains
plug from the wall socket and inform the
dealer, who should then check the unit before
further use. Entry of liquid into the M3x DAC is
dangerous and may cause electric shock or
fire hazard.
• Do not place the unit near direct heat sources
such as radiators, direct sunlight or other
equipment.
• Do not remove any covers or try to gain access
to the inside. There are no user adjustments
or fuses to change without qualification. Refer
all service work to an authorized Musical
Fidelity agent.
The electronics in modern hi-fi equipment are
complex and may, therefore, be adversely
affected or damaged by lightning. For
protection of the audio system during electrical
storms, remove the mains plugs
. If
after-sales
service is required, to help the dealer identify the
M3x DAC please quote the serial number
located on the rear panel of the unit.
Green and yellow ................................... Earth
Blue ................................................... Neutral
Brown ............................................................ Live
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Installation
Introduction
This unit will deliver the ultimate performance
possible from any digital source. It is designed to
upgrade CD players, TVs, set-top-boxes, DAB
tuners, USB Streamers and PCs and Laptops and
any other source providing a variety of digital
outputs.
Note: In normal operation, the unit dissipates a
small quantity of power at all times, and it is
important that it is adequately ventilated. The
M3x DAC must be protected from humidity – if the
unit is moved from a cold place to a warm room,
leave the unit for an hour or so to allow sufficient
time for the moisture to evaporate.
Cleaning
Before cleaning the unit, switch off power at the
mains switch and remove the mains plug from the
wall socket. Clean the cabinet and remote-control
unit using a moist cloth. Using solvents, white
spirit or thinners is not advised, as they could
damage the surface finish.
Installation
Position the M3x DAC on a stable, horizontal
su rface where there is no risk of it be ing
knocked or subjected to vibration such as from
loudspeakers.
Power Connections
The M3x DAC is supplied with a standard IEC
mains cable which plugs into the IEC socket at the
back of the unit.
Audio Output Connections
RCA audio outputs: Use good quality RCA phono
audio cables (fully connected signal and ground),
for optimum signal transfer.
XLR audio outputs: Use good quality XLR audio
cables (fully connected hot and cold signals and
ground), for absolute optimum signal transfer.
Digital Input connections
COAXIAL inputs: Connect RCA digital source to
digital input RCA sockets. Use a good quality fully
connected (signal and ground) coaxial digital
cable, for optimum signal transfer.
OPTICAL inputs: Connect optical digital source to
optical input socket. Use a good quality “Toslink”
cable, for optimum signal transfer.
USB input: Connect computer or similar USB
“host” source to USB input socket. Use a good
quality USB 2.0 type cable (not supplied), for
optimum signal transfer. Try to keep USB cable
length to a minimum for best reliability. The USB
standard maximum for a single cable is 5M, after
which repeaters (normally mains-powered USB
hubs) are required. We do however; recommend
avoiding such a setup if at all possible.
Interconnects
Note: Musical Fidelity currently do not make any
interconnecting cables other than those supplied
with the unit. Musical Fidelity does not endorse
any other manufacturer’s cables.
If necessary, please refer to the dealer who can
advise on quality cables for any particular setup.
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Facilities & Connections
1 2 3
4
5 6
1 Power/Standby/Mute button and LED’s
2 IR Receiver
3 Filter selection
4 PCM Sample rate LED’s
5 DSD Sample rate LED’s
6 Input selection
7 8
9 10 11 12 13
7 RCA Analogue output L/R
8 XLR Balanced output L/R
9 USB digital input
10 COAXIAL digital inputs 1,2
11 OPTICAL digital inputs 1,2
12 230/110 V switch
13 Mains IEC socket
Standard XLR Balanced input/output
lead connections:
(for reference only, no XLR signal leads supplied)
Pin functions:
1 Ground, 0V
2 Normal polarity (“hot” or “+”)
3 Inverted polarity (“cold” or “-”)
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Operation
Once the M3x DAC unit is correctly wired up, and
plugged into mains, the orange STBY led should be
lit.
In this mode the M3x DAC is consuming a minimal
amount of power.
To switch the unit on, press the Power button (1) on
the front of the unit. The blue PWR indicator will light
up.
Input selection
The M3x DAC has a total of five inputs available.
These are Optical 1 and 2, Coaxial 1 and 2 and also
USB.
When the power cable is inserted into the Mains IEC
socket 12 the Optical 1 input is selected by default.
When the M3x DAC is taken out of sleep mode, it will
default to the last input selected.
From the front panel you can cycle through the inputs
by using the ◄ and ► buttons (6). Pressing ► while
on the USB input will cycle back to Optical 1. Whilst
on Optical 1 the ◄ button will take you to the USB
input again.
The remote control has direct access buttons for
each input. Simply press the appropriate button to
move directly to that input.
When a valid signal is received on the selected input,
an indicator in either group 4 or 5 will light to show
you the incoming sample rate.
Optical and coaxial inputs
All optical and coaxial inputs are capable of
accepting up to 24 bit 192 kHz PCM stereo data
streams. The incoming data sample rate is displayed
on the front panel LED’s for reference.
Note: The indicators 4 and 5 show the actual sample
rate of the digital data received by the M3x DAC.
Some playback software may have altered this
compared to the original file.
USB Input
The USB input is capable of accepting up to 32 bit
192 kHz PCM and DSD 256 (DoP and native) data
streams.
Computer settings for USB
A good quality USB 2.0 cable is required to connect
the unit to the computer. Normal USB standards
stipulate that this should be 5M or less; and we
recommend keeping it as short as possible.
WARNING: Older USB cables are often heavy and
bulky and must be supported to avoid damage to
the USB socket. Any physical damage caused to this
socket will not be covered by warranty.
The computer should now detect the M3x DAC. A
driver installation is only required on Windows.
• Linux kernel 2.6.33 or later (no driver required)
• Apple OS X® 10.6.4 or later (no driver required)
• Windows 10 Creators Edition or later (driver
found on included CD or on Musical Fidelity
website)
For playing native DSD on Windows a driver
installation is required.
Any device that is compliant to the USB Audio Class
2.0 standard should also operate with the M3x
DAC. However Musical Fidelity are unable to
provide support for operation with anything other
than the system listed above.
CD, MP3, WAV, AAC/+, OGG, FLAC, and any other
audio file types played on suitable playback
software will now play through the unit.
Note: This USB input has 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
‘bus’. Sharing the same bus with other devices
could cause unwanted artifacts such as dropouts or
temporary loss of signal. This especially includes
the use of the unit on a USB hub/splitter whether
alongside other USB components or not. A direct
connection to the host computer by shortest USB
2.0 lead possible is very much recommended.
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Digital Filters
The filters can be set with the buttons 3 on the front
panel. For a detailed description of each filter see
page 10.
During DSD playback, the the DAC's internal DSD
filters are turned on and you can choose between 2
different DSD filters.
Upsampling
Upsampling is always on for PCM data up to 192kHz
on any input. Incoming sample rates up to 192kHz
are resampled to 192kHz.
Outputs
On the rear of the unit are 2 sets of outputs. RCA
(single ended) and XLR (balanced). You can
connect the M3x DAC to your amplifier using
whichever is more convenient.
Remote Control Handset
The remote control shown below enables
functions from this and other units from the
M3, M5 and M6 ranges to be operated from a
convenient distance.
The remote control buttons are split into 3
distinct areas.
The three rows of grey buttons at the b ottom
are used to control the M3xDAC and M6xDAC
(and previous version of M6 DACs) and are
detailed below.
The blue buttons control an amplifier such as
the M6si. Consult the amplifier manual for
more information.
The remaining grey buttons located in the upper
section control a CD player such as M6 scd.
Consult the CD player manual for more
information.
As the handset uses an invisible infra-red light
beam, the front edge must be pointed directly
towards the receiver window at the front of the
player, without visual obstruction between
them. If the range of the remote control greatly
decreases, replace the batteries with new ones.
Do not mix old and new batteries – two are
required, size AAA, LR03 or SUM-4.
Please dispose of used batteries in accordance
to local battery disposal regulations.
OPTICAL 1 selects OPTICAL input 1
OPTICAL 2 selects OPTICAL input 2
COAX 1 selects COAXIAL input 1
COAX 2 selects COAXIAL input 2
USB selects USB input
STBY switch the M3xDAC between standby and
operating mode
FILTER selects digital filter
Only for M6x DAC:
UPSAMPLE enables or disables upsampling
VOLUME ▼▲ controls main output of M6xDAC in
variable mode or headphone level (if headphones
are connected)
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Digital Filters
PCM filters
1. Digital sharp roll-off filter – Cutoff starting at roughly 0.45 x fs (meaning 0.45 times the sample
rate) and stopband at 0.54 x fs at -98dB (meaning at half the sample rate this filter is reducing the
signal by 96dB). Most complete frequency response, avoids aliasing, provides crisp clean highs.
2. Digital slow roll-off filter – Cutoff starting at roughly 0.21 x fs and stopband at 0.73 x fs at -80dB
(meaning at roughly 75% of the sample rate this filter is reducing the signal by 80dB). Less pre and
post ringing than the sharp roll-off filter resulting in tighter, more accurate reproduction of transient
detail at the cost of decreased frequency response and increased aliasing.
DSD filters
1. Analogue FIR-3 filter – Cutoff frequency at 85kHz.
2. Analogue FIR-1 filter – Cutoff frequency at 185kHz.
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Troubleshooting
Problem
Probable Cause
Remedy
No power.
Power plug is not inserted into
socket correctly.
Plug in securely into unit’s IEC socket.
Excessive hum from
system speakers.
Audio connector plug not fully
pushed in. Cable Fault.
Unsuitable Cable (e.g. cable
grounds not connected).
Insert plug securely. Check cable is connected at both ends. Some
“esoteric” cables have internal wiring intentionally disconnected/modified.
For best results on all inputs, please use good quality screened coax; signal
and screen directly connected both ends.
Digital input not
working.
No connection to that
input. Incorrect input
selected. Wrong data
type sent to DAC.
Check connection and cable. Select
correct input. Check source digital
output is set for “16 bit stereo PCM”
or similar. This particularly applies to
some TVs, most DVD players, and
other home theatre type devices that
may give a multichannel digital
output. Refer to the source’s manual
for further information.
No audio output, or
too low level output.
Incorrect or missing
connections. USB Driver not
selected.
Check connections and make sure they are secure. See
the Musical Fidelity website for relevant OS setup
information.
Dropouts in sound.
Digital input lead not
properly connected.
Faulty digital input lead.
Faulty optical lead.
Check input lead is fully secured. Change lead. Please use a good quality
straight-through signal-and-ground phono to phono lead. Optical lead
breakage. This can occur if the optical lead is bent into a radius too small.
Avoid tight corners in routing optical leads.
No audio output from
USB input.
USB Cable not
connected. M6 USB
Driver not selected.
Check connections and make sure they are secure.
See software section for relevant OS setup information.
Please check device is listed in devi ce manager (Windows®) or in Sound,
audio devices for MAC OS X.
Make sure the Musical Fidelity USB audio device is selected as the default
OUTPUT device.
Check USB port functions with another device.
Not detected when
connected to USB.
USB Cable faulty. USB not
working/ enabled on computer.
Correct USB drivers not installed.
Check and replace cable.
Check USB port functions with another device.
Download and install the device driver from the software downloads section
on the Musical Fidelity website.
Dropouts in sound
(USB input).
Shared USB port with another
device. Computer busy with
another application.
Computer low on resources.
Avoid sharing the USB port with other devices, if possible.
At times an application (program) may intervene, sometimes invisibly e.g. a
virus scanner. When this happens, computer resources are temporarily
used up, and playback may suffer. This is not a fault. Try running fewer
applications if possible.
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Technical Specifications
Output (RCA/XLR)
Output impedance
Output, digital 0dB level
< 50 ohms
RCA 2V RMS, XLR 4V RMS
DAC
SRC converter
Total correlated jitter
Linearity
Frequency response
Channel separation
Signal to noise
Total harmonic distortion
Total harmonic distortion + noise
PCM1795 with 2 digital filters (2 for PCM and 2 for DSD).
SRC4392
<48 picoseconds peak to peak
<0.2dB down to -100dB
-0,2dB at 20Hz, 0,1dB at 20kHz, 1,5dB at 70kHz
< -115dB at 10kHz @ 0dBFS
> 107dB „A“-wt. at 1kHz @ 0dBFS
< 0,004% at 1kHz @ 0dBFS
< 0,005% at 1kHz @ 0dBFS
Connections
Line level outputs
Digital inputs
1 pair line level RCA (phono), left and right
1 pair line level XLR (balanced), left and right
2 RCA coaxial SPDIF in (up to 24bit/192kHz stereo PCM)
2 TOSLINK optical in (up to 24bit/192kHz stereo PCM)
1 USB 2.0 in for computer/PDA/other “host” (up to 32bit/192kHz stereo PCM, DSD256
DoP/native), fully asynchronous
(Actual data determined by source file/computer software settings)
Power requirement
Mains voltages
Consumption
110 – 230 V
max. 15W, <0,5W in standby
Weight
Unit only, unboxed
In shipping carton & inc. accessories
6,8 kg
ca. 10,8 kg
Unit dimensions
Wide
High, including feet
Deep (front to back) including terminals
440 mm
100 mm
378 mm
Musical Fidelity reserves the right to make improvements which may result in specification or feature changes without notice. E&OE. Microsoft and Windows®
are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple
Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
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Item Disposal Information for Europe
DISPOSAL
The crossed out wheeled bin label that appears on the
back panel of the product indicates that the product must
not be disposed of as normal household waste. To prevent possible
harm to the environment please separate the product from other
waste to ensure that it can be recycled in an environmentally safe
manner. Please contact your local government office or your
retailer for available collection facilities.
DISPOSITION
La poubelle sur roulettes barrées X, qui apparaît en logo
sur le panneau arrière du produit, indique que celui-ci ne doit
pas être traité comme un déchet domestique commun. Afin de
protéger l’environnement, ce produit électronique devra être géré
séparément et donc recyclé selon les nouvelles normes Européennes
Rohs concernant les déchets d’appareils électroniques. Prière de
contacter les services concernés gouvernementaux ou votre point de
vente pour l’élimination et l’enlèvement de déchets électroniques
équipés de composants électroniques.
DISPOSAL
La etiqueta cruzada hacia fuera del compartimiento que
aparece en el panel trasero del producto indica que el
producto no se debe reciclarse como basura normal de la casa. Para
prevenir daños posible al ambiente separe por favor el producto de
otras basura para asegurarse de que puede ser reciclada de una
manera ambientalmente segura. Entre en contacto por favor a su
oficina gubernamental local o a su minorista para las instalaciones
disponibles de la colección.
RIFIUTI
L’etichetta del cassonetto barrato riportato sul retro
dell’apparecchio indica che il prodotto non deve essere
smaltito tramite la procedura normale di smaltimento dei rifiuti
domestici. Per evitare eventuali danni all’ambiente, separare
questo prodotto da altri rifiuti domestici in modo che possa venire
riciclato in base alle procedure di rispetto ambientale. Per
maggiori dettagli sulle aree di raccolta disponibili, contattate
l’ufficio govenativo locale od il rivenditore del prodotto.
FACHGERECHTE ENTSORGUNG:
Das auf der Geräterückseite angebrachte Label deutet
darauf hin, dass das Produkt nicht mit konventionellem
Hauskehricht entsorgt werden darf. Um Schäden und
Verschmutzungen an Umwelt und Mensch zu vermeiden, muss
das Produkt fachgerecht entsorgt und von anderem Abfall getrennt
werden. Wenden Sie sich bei Fragen hierzu an Ihren Fachhändler
oder an eine öffentliche Informationsstelle.
AFVAL
Het label op de achterzijde van dit apparaat, een
afvalbak op wielen met een kruis doorgehaald, geeft aan
dat dit apparaat niet samen met gewoon huishoudafval mag
worden weggegooid. Om mogelijke schade aan onze
leefomgeving te voorkomen dient dit apparaat, gescheiden van
gewoon huishoudelijk afval, te worden afgevoerd zodat het op
een milieuvriendelijke manier kan worden gerecycled. Neem voor
beschikbare inzamelplaatsen contact op met uw gemeentelijke
reinigingsdienst of met uw elektronica leverancier.
HÄVITTÄMINEN
Yliruksattua jäteastiaa kuvaava tarra tuotteen
takalevyssä kertoo, että tuotetta ei saa käsitellä
normaalina talousjätteenä. Ympäristön suojelemiseksi on tuote
pidettävä erillään muusta jätteestä ja se on kierrätettävä
ekologisesti kestävällä tavalla. Ota yhteyttä laitteen myyjään tai
Pirkanmaan Ympäristökeskukseen lähimmän kierrätyskeskuksen
löytämiseksi.
AFSKAFNING
Logoet med en skraldespand med kryds over på
bagsiden af apparatet indikerer at dette produkt ikke må
kasseres som normal husholdningsaffald. For at forebygge mulig
skade på miljøet, bedes De separere dette produkt fra andet
affald, og sikre at det bliver genbrugt på en miljørigtig måde.
Kontakt venligst de lokale myndigheder eller din forhandler for
oplysning om nærmeste tilgængelige opsamlingssted for
elektronikaffald.
ΔΙΑΔΙΚΑΣΙΑ ΑΠΟΡΡΙΨΗΣ
ΤΟ ΣΗΜΑ ΜΕ ΤΟΝ ΔΙΑΓΕΓΡΑΜΜΕΝΟ ΤΡΟΧΗΛΑΤΟ
ΚΑΔΟ ΑΠΟΡΡΙΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΙΣΩ ΟΨΗ ΤΟΥ
ΜΗΧΑΝΗΜΑΤΟΣ ΔΗΛΩΝΕΙ ΟΤΙ ΤΟ ΠΡΟΙΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΔΕΝ ΠΡΕΠΕΙ
ΝΑ ΔΙΑΧΕΙΡΙΣΘΕΙ ΣΑΝ ΣΥΝΗΘΙΣΜΕΝΟ ΟΙΚΙΑΚΟ ΑΠΟΒΛΗΤΟ.
ΠΡΟΣ ΑΠΟΦΥΓΗ ΕΝΔΕΧΟΜΕΝΗΣ ΕΠΙΒΑΡΥΝΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ
ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝΤΟΣ, ΞΕΧΩΡΙΣΤΕ ΤΟ ΠΡΟΙΟΝ ΑΠΟ ΤΑ ΑΛΛΑ
ΑΠΟΡΡΙΜΑΤΑ ΩΣΤΕ ΝΑ ΕΞΑΣΦΑΛΙΣΘΕΙ Η ΑΝΑΚΥΚΛΩΣΗ ΤΟΥ
ΜΕ ΤΟΝ ΠΡΕΠΟΝΤΑ ΤΡΟΠΟ.
ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΟΥΜΕ ΝΑ ΕΠΙΚΟΙΝΩΝΗΣΕΤΕ ΜΕ
ΤΗΝ ΤΟΠΙΚΗ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑΑΝΑΚΥΚΛΩΣΗΣ Η ΜΕ
ΤΟ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΜΑ ΑΓΟΡΑΣ ΓΙΑ ΠΕΡΙΣΣΟΤΕΡΕΣ
ΛΕΠΤΟΜΕΡΕΙΕΣ.
a Division of Audio Tuning
Vertriebs GmbH
Margaretenstrasse 98
A-1050 Vienna
AUSTRIA
+43 1 544 858 0400
http://www.musicalfidelity.com
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