Playback MPS-5, MPS-3 User Manual

MPS-5

Music Playback System

USER MANUAL

Version 2.5

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!

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER
SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended
to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the
product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.

!

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to
the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

 Read and follow these instructions and keep this manual in a safe place.
 Do not use this apparatus near water.
 Clean only with dry cloth.
 Do not block any ventilation openings.
 Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heaters, or other apparatus

(including pre-amplifiers and amplifiers) that produce heat.

 Do not install this apparatus in a confined space such as book cases or closed

cabinets.

 Unplug this apparatus from the mains during lightning storms or when unused for

long periods of time.

CAUTION

This product is a Class 1 laser product.

There is no hazardous invisible laser radiation during normal operation, because
invisible laser radiation emitted inside this product is completely confined in the
protective housings.
Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those
specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure. The use of optical
instruments with this product will increase eye hazard.

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INFORMATION TO THE USER

Alteration or modification carried out without appropriate approval may invalidate the user’s
right to operate the equipment.

WARRANTY

Playback Designs warrants the MPS-5 product against defects in material and
workmanship under normal use and service for a period of time specified by the product’s
serial number from the date of first delivery to the owner. The warranty time period is for 30
days. If within the first 30 days of ownership you register your Playback Designs product,
by sending us a copy of your sales receipt, your name, address, city, state, zip code, phone
number, email address and your dealer’s store name, we will extend the warranty to 1 year
for the drive unit and 3 years for all other parts. This warranty is limited to the original
owner.

Playback Designs will pay for return shipping charges (domestically) back to the owner
when the product is sent to Playback Designs within the first 30 days after purchase and
the fault can be confirmed by Playback Designs. Otherwise, owner will be responsible for
all shipping charges to and from Playback Designs. International customers must deal with
their local dealer or distributor.

For all warranty claims, a copy of the original invoice must accompany the product.
Opening the product or modifying it in any way by the owner, including but not limited to
cryogenic treatment, will void any warranty.

Please contact Playback Designs for a RA (Return Authorization) number and shipping
instructions before shipping any product to Playback Designs.

Playback Designs products are sold worldwide through authorized dealers with restricted
territories. If any Playback Designs product is purchased from non-authorized dealers or
from a dealer selling outside his / her authorized territory all warranties will be void.

If you purchased this product from a dealer please take a moment and send us an email to

[email protected] so we can register you for the warranty. If this product has

been shipped to you directly from Playback Designs you are automatically registered.

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CDDA:

 12cm or 8cm discs
 16bit / 44.1kHz PCM digital audio

SACD:

 Single layer, dual layer or Hybrid

discs

 12cm or 8cm discs
 DSD digital audio

BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT

 What is in the box: MPS-5 playback system

Remote control unit with mounted batteries
USB-X extension interface
Optical duplex and USB cable used with USB-X
Power cord (110V versions only)
User manual

 Registration If you purchased this product from a dealer please take a moment and

send us an email to [email protected] so we can register you
for the warranty.

 Installation: The AC voltage supplied to the unit should match the voltage rating

indicated on the rear panel.
Do not place the player on the amplifier or any other equipment that
generates heat.

As the player may become warm during operation, always leave sufficient
space around the player for ventilation. Always allow adequate air
circulation around the player.

 Types of discs:

During operation, the disc rotates at high speed. Do not lift or move the
player while the disc is spinning. Doing so may damage the disc or the
player.

When moving the player, make sure to remove the disc and close the disc
tray. Then turn off the power and disconnect the power cord.

CD-R/RW discs recorded in Audio CD format and finalized correctly are
playable. But depending on the quality of the disc and the recording, some
CD-R/RW discs may not be playable. Discs that are not finalized cannot be
played.
The following discs cannot be played: DVD, CD-G, Data part of CD­EXTRA, PHOTO CD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM. Trying to play these discs may
result in loud noises and may damage your speakers and your hearing.

Warning: copy protected discs, DualDiscs and other discs that do not
conform to the CD or SACD standard may not play correctly in this player.
If you use such discs in this player, Playback Designs cannot be held
responsible for any consequences or guarantee the quality of reproduction.

Warning: Never use a stabilizer on the discs as they will damage the
mechanism and cause them to malfunction.

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CONNECTIONS

Analog outputs: XLR: balanced, 4Vrms @ 1kHz full level, pin 2 Hot

RCA: unbalanced, 2Vrms @ 1kHz full level
BNC: unbalanced, 50Ω, 4Vrms @ 1kHz full level

Digital outputs: XLR: AES/EBU formatted for stereo linear PCM data. If playing from disc the

data on this output will be 16bits / 44.1kHz. If playing from a digital input
the data on this output will be up to 24bits and up to 192kHz. This
output is muted while playing SACD discs.

DATA / CLOCK: Proprietary optical link to other Playback Designs equipment such as

the MPD-5 D/A converter or SACD recording and mastering equipment
(Sonoma). This connection supports multiple audio formats and multi
channel configurations. The DATA output can be configured for
PlayLink format (PLink) or for Sonoma format.

Digital inputs: AES: XLR connector for AES/EBU formatted stereo linear PCM data, up to

24bits and up to 192kHz.
S/PDIF: same as AES, but S/PDIF formatted on RCA connector.
TOSLINK: same as S/PDIF, but on optical connector.
PLAYLINK: Proprietary optical link (PLink) to other Playback Designs equipment

such as the MPD-5 D/A converter or USB-X interface. This connection

supports multiple audio formats and multi channel configurations.
PC: Direct USB connection to Windows based computers for sample rates

up to 48kHz. Before connecting to PC, make sure that PC input is

selected on MPS-5 and the PC is turned on, so that the PC can

enumerate the link. Subsequent changes of selected inputs on MPS-5

are then possible without disconnecting the USB cable. However, when

powering down the PC the enumeration is lost and the link has to be set

up again as described above.
AUXILIARY: Used to connect legacy USB-X interface.

System Control: SOFTWARE: This USB connection to a Windows based PC is used to update the

software of the MPS-5 player.
REMOTE: RS-232 wired remote control (see appendix for further details).
BOOT: Used in connection with software update procedure. When pressed

during normal operation it resets the player.

Power: Before connecting the player to the AC mains, please make sure that the rated voltage for

the MPS-5 is set correctly as indicated on the rear panel. Operating the player at the
wrong voltage will damage the unit. The voltage rating of the power supply cannot be
changed by the user.

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FRONT PANEL FUNCTIONS

Buttons:

Open / Close tray

Play / Pause toggle, can also be used to close the tray and immediately
start playback.

Stop playback from disc.
Hold this button and press NEXT TRACK to change the default layer on
SACD discs (multi channel / stereo) and to enable/disable multi channel
playback from SACD. Factory default is set to stereo.

Previous track

Next track

Alphanumeric status display

Time display during disc playback

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REMOTE CONTROL UNIT

MUTE

DISC

AES

COAX

TOS

PLINK

PC

AUX

PHSE

DIM

Mutes the analog outputs, but not the digital ones.

Input Selections:

Selects and activates the drive system.
Selects the AES input for conversion to analog.
Selects the COAX input for conversion to analog.
Selects the TosLink input for conversion to analog.
Selects the PlayLink input for connection to USB-X.
Selects the USB input from PC.
Not used.
During any input selection other than DISC, the drive
system is powered off and requires a few seconds to
boot when selected again.

Open / close tray

The first time this buttons is pressed the alpha­numeric display indicates the absolute phase for the
analog outputs. If it is pressed again within 5
seconds the absolute phase is toggled.

Dims display on front panel.

If these buttons are pressed for less than 1 second
they allow you to jump tracks in sequential order. If
during normal playback they are held for more than 1
second the player enters Scan Mode, in either
forward or reverse direction. Subsequent button
presses (short) will increase the Scan speed.

Scan Mode can be exited by repeatedly pressing this
button until normal playback, or by pressing STOP or
PLAY.

Stops the transport.

Starts playback. Can also be used to close the tray
and immediately start playback.

Toggles pause function on and off.

Playback

Scan 1

Scan 2

Scan 3

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REMOTE CONTROL UNIT (continued)

LAYR

TIME

CLR

This toggles the layer selection for SACD discs. In
order to change the layer the player must be
stopped. This has no effect for CD’s. In order to play
audio through all channels from a SACD MCH the
default playback needs to be set to multi channel
(STOP + NEXT on front panel).

This toggles the time display during playback
between various states:

 Elapsed time
 Remaining time on active track
 Total time on disc
 Total remaining time on disc

The first time this button is pressed it will indicate the
currently selected state without changing it. If during
the next 5 seconds the button is pressed again it will
toggle to the next state.

This toggles through 2 Repeat modes:

 Repeat currently playing track
 Repeat entire disc
 Normal playback

Numeric buttons:

Pressing any numeric button with a single digit will
locate the transport to the beginning of the chosen
track and start playback, unless the transport is in
pause mode when it will stay in pause mode.
The +10 button can be used to access tracks higher
than 9. For instance, track 23 can be accessed by
pressing:

 +10
 +10
 3

Press and hold this button to enter the setup menu
and to display settings. See section "setup menu"
later in this manual for more details.

CDDA

SACD 2CH

SACD MCH

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CHANGING BATTERIES ON REMOTE

hex socket

screws, use

3/32" hex key

to open

-

+

+

-

Back cover removedBackside of remote

AAA Batteries

The remote operates with 2 AAA
size batteries. In order to change
them the back cover needs to be
removed as shown in picture on the
left. Make sure that replacement
batteries are inserted with their
polarities as indicated in the picture.
The screws can be opened with a
3/32” hex or Allen key.

MPS-5 User Manual

CONNECTING THE MPS-5 TO A WINDOWS BASED PC or APPLE MAC

The MPS-5 provides 2 different ways for you to connect to a computer:

1. Via its internal USB connector on the back panel. This connection is limited to 16bits and 44.1 /
48kHz.

2. Via the USB-X interface. This connection supports PCM resolutions of up to 24/384kHz and DSD up
to 5.6448MHz.

1. CONNECTING THE MPS-5 TO A PC VIA ITS INTERNAL USB INTERFACE

Again, the MPS-5 is equipped with an internal USB port that only supports PCM in 16bits and 44.1/48kHz. In
order to guarantee the best sonic performance of the MPS-5 when playing from other sources connected to
other inputs or from its internal transport the USB port is disabled. This makes it necessary that when a PC is
booted the USB (PC) input is selected on the MPS-5 BEFORE connecting the USB cable from the PC. This
allows the operating system on the PC to identify the MPS-5 and configure its audio port. Once the
connection has been established and the PC is not turned off the input selection on the MPS-5 can be
changed freely without the need to disconnect and reconnect the USB cable. However, when the PC is power
cycled the enumeration is lost and the above described procedure is necessary to gain it back.

The following operating systems are supported without any additional driver installation: Microsoft Windows
XP or later (English and Japanese editions), Apple Mac X 10.0 or later (English and Japanese editions).

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2. CONNECTING THE MPS-5 TO A PC VIA THE USB-X INTERFACE

Supported PCM audio resolutions: all sample rates up to 384kHz and word lengths up to 24 bits.

Supported DSD audio resolutions: 2.8224MHz (as on SA-CD) and 5.6448MHz.

Connection protocol and method: USB 2.0 / Audio class 2.0 compliant, asynchronous mode where MPS-

5 generates high precision clock master and computer is clock slaved.

PC requirements: Windows 7 or later

ASIO compatible player software such as JRiver, Foobar,
MediaMonkey etc.
Internet connection for downloading software from

www.playbackdesigns.com.

Mac requirements: OS X (10.6.6 or later)

iTunes with or without plug-in to automate sample rate switching.
Internet connection for downloading software from

www.playbackdesigns.com.

In order for your computer to communicate with the MPS-5 and to exchange audio data custom driver
software needs to be installed before you can connect it to the MPS-5. If your computer is a Mac running OSX

10.6.6 or later you don’t need any driver software as OSX already supports all PCM formats up to 384kHz
sample rate. DSD file playback is supported via the DoP standard using PCM frames which is also supported
by OSX without any additional driver. A driver has to be installed on all Windows based PCs for any kind of
audio playback via the MPS-5.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PC USERS:

The Windows operating system is by design not a real-time system. It is designed to allow certain processes
to take time away from real-time processes such as playing audio. This can result in audible dropouts,
sometimes very short, but sometimes also quite long. Some PCs are pre-configured with drivers and
processes by the manufacturer that cause such dropouts, and others are user-installed with additional
software that do not allow flawless real-time playback of audio. Fortunately, there is a free utility software that
allows you to test your PC for real-time capability:

1. Go to http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon and download the utility program LatencyMon.
There is also a good description of the program and some more technical background on the same
website.

2. Run LatencyMon, leave it running for 10-15 minutes and the software will tell you if you PC is suitable
for playing audio without dropouts.

If you are considering purchasing a new PC, this utility program is small enough and doesn’t require any
installation which allows you to load it onto a flash stick and test it on the PC you are thinking about buying.
Most computer stores will allow this test.

Preparing your MPS-5 for the connection with the USB-X interface

1. Before connecting the USB-X interface to anything check in the Setup Menu (explained elsewhere in
this manual) that the option "PLINK INPUT" is set to USB-X. You should never attempt any changes
in the menu with the USB-X interface connected.

2. Connect the optical cables as outlined in the drawing below. For this you have to remove the
protective caps on all cable ends as well as on the connectors on the rear panel of the MPS-5. If the
optical cables provided with the MPS-5 are not long enough you can easily replace them with much
longer ones. The specifications are ST DUPLEX to ST DUPLEX 62.5/125 multimode fiber optical
cable. They are usually available in computer stores.

3. Turn on power on the MPS-5 and select PLINK input from your remote. Do not connect the USB
cable from the computer yet, until the driver software for your computer is properly installed, if
required.

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Driver software installation and first time connection:

1. Turn on your computer.

2. Windows PC users only: Launch your favorite internet browser and navigate to

www.playbackdesigns.com. Use “USBAudio” for password to enter the software download section.

Download the latest driver:

 akdesigndrv.zip for PC. Unzip it to the desktop.
 No driver software is required for the Mac platform.

3. Windows PC users only: Double click on:

akdesigndrv.exe (PC)

and follow the instructions on your screen. This will install the driver necessary to communicate with
the Playback Designs products via USB.

4. Once your computer is properly configured, power on the MPS-5 and connect the USB cable that was
included with the MPS-5 between USB-X and your computer. Since the USB-X interface is powered
by your computer, but receives the clock signal from the MPS-5 you must always power the MPS-5
first before connecting the USB cable. As soon as the MPS-5 is powered off the USB connection
looses its clock and you will have to unplug and re-plug the USB cable from your computer.

5. Select PLINK input from the remote control if not already done before.

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6. The computer will take a moment to enumerate the MPS-5 on its USB bus and notify you when it is
installed successfully. Do not attempt to play anything before the computer tells you that the device is
ready to use. You can check successful driver installation and connection:

 On the PC in the device manager, where the driver will

show up as AKDesign USB Audio under the Sound,
Video and Game Controllers tab. It will not be listed in
the Sound Control panel.

 on the Mac in the Sound Control panel,

where the USB-X should be listed as an
audio output device.

7. For PC users only: Configure your player software to send audio data to the ASIO interface.
Depending on your player software this may be identified as “AKDesign USB ASIO” or simply as
“ASIO”. Some players may need a plug-in for ASIO compatible playback.

8. For Mac users only: launch iTunes.

9. For best performance and bit perfect reproduction make sure to set all volume controls in the
computer playback software, Windows / OSX control panel to exactly 0db (wide open), turn off all
operating systems sounds, effects or equalizer that might be running in your playback software or
Windows / OSX. Control the volume only with your analog pre-amp.

10. Your system is now ready for high resolution playback.

Re-connection after system has been previously configured:

1. Before powering on the MPS-5 connect the USB-X interface as outlined with the drawing on the
previous page.

2. Power on both computer and MPS-5. Select PLINK input on MPS-5.

3. Connect USB cable.

4. Enumeration should be quick on Windows and about 10 seconds with Mac and may not indicate
anything except with failure. You may hear the relays clicking inside the MPS-5 as the computer sets
the sample rate.

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5. For best performance and bit perfect reproduction make sure to set all volume controls in the
computer playback software, Windows / OSX control panel to exactly 0db (wide open), turn off all
operating systems sounds, effects or equalizer that might be running in your playback software or
Windows / OSX. Control the volume only with your analog pre-amp.

6. Your system is now ready for high resolution playback.

During playback with PC

When changing songs from within your computer player software the USB protocol automatically
communicates all necessary sample rate changes to the MPS-5. The front panel of the MPS-5 always
indicates the true sample rate during file playback. This system will never perform any sample rate conversion
or any signal processing that could adversely affect the sonic performance, but rather use the exact bits from
your file and convert them directly to analog.

During playback with Mac

The native OSX operating system and iTunes do not
understand the needs of audiophile consumers and insist on
sample rate conversion. When connecting the MPS-5 OSX will
automatically select the highest possible sample rate (384kHz)
and convert all your songs to this rate before playing them out
through USB. This will result in degraded performance. You can
manually select the sample rate in the Audio/MIDI Setup utility
to correspond with the native sample rate of the song (as shown
in picture), but this can be a tedious process if your library
contains songs with more than 1 sample rate. Alternatively, 3

rd

party plug-ins for iTunes exist that automate this process and
always select the correct sample rate for bit perfect playback.
Check our website www.playbackdesigns.com for an updated list of supported plug-ins.

Playback of DSD files

The driver software and MPS-5 hardware are designed to support playback of DSD files at 2 sample rates:
the standard 2.8224MHz as used on all SA-CDs and the double rate 5.6448MHz as supported by some
professional recording equipment. You will need a playback software running on your computer that can read
DSD files and play them to the USB driver. On the Mac platform you will have to use a playback software or
iTunes plug-in that supports the DoP standard for playing DSD files. Check our website

www.playbackdesigns.com for an updated list of playback software available.

Testing your system for bit perfect reproduction

Windows / OSX and your player software offer multiple places for volume control, effects processing,
dithering, equalization or sample rate conversion. Generally, these algorithms affect the sonic performance in
a negative way, especially in low volume listening levels. It is therefore recommended that all volume controls
on your computer are set to exactly 0db (wide open) and all operating system souns, effects, equalizers and
other algorithms are turned off. You should only control volume with your analog pre-amp. In order to test
your system to make sure that no hidden control or algorithm on your computer may impact your sonic
performance you can play a special test file:

1. Launch your favorite internet browser and navigate to www.playbackdesigns.com. Use
“USBAudio” as password to enter the software download section. Download the test file
“TestPat352.wav”.

2. The test file contains non audible audio, but it is still a good idea to mute your pre-amp.

3. Launch your playback software and play the test file while the MPS-5 is connected via USB and its
PLINK input is selected.

4. If all the controls on your computer are set correctly then the front panel on the MPS-5 will indicate
this by displaying ”BIT PERF” for 5 seconds at the end of the playback. If it doesn’t show this then at
least 1 control on your computer is impacting the performance of your system.

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General notes

1. For best performance and bit perfect reproduction make sure to set all volume controls in the
playback software, control panel to exactly 0db (wide open), turn off all operating system sounds,
effects or equalizer that might be running in your playback software or Windows / OSX. Control the
volume only with your analog pre-amp.

2. While the MPS-5 has no problem supporting playback via USB while it is switched to a different input
(i.e. disc playback, AES or Coax input) it is a good idea to stop playback on your computer before
selecting another input. The clock management in the MPS-5 may not provide the correct frequency
to the USB port if it is not selected. The computer software may have a problem with that and may
malfunction. So when not listening to the USB input, stop playback on your computer.

When things do not seem to work

The MPS-5 is a hardware device with very little software inside and if it doesn’t show any signs of
malfunctioning in other playback modes, it is relatively safe to assume that the problem is either with the USB
link or the computer. Generally, you should look for any signs of trouble on your computer first, and don’t
assume that because your computer may work with someone else’s USB DAC, but not with the MPS-5, that
the problem is with the MPS-5. The MPS-5 uses different software inside your computer.
Here are a few suggestions for what to do:

1. The USB-X interface is powered by the computer via the USB cable, but the clock signal is coming
from the MPS-5. So every time you turn off the MPS-5 you will have to unplug the USB cable from the
computer and plug it back in once the MPS-5 is powered up again.

2. Make sure that the driver is properly installed (PC only). See step 6 under driver installation above for
instructions for how to check successful installation and connection.

3. Make sure the USB-X is properly connected to the MPS-5 with the included optical cable. Only use
the cable that was shipped with the USB-X. If the front panel indicates “NO LOCK” when the PLINK
input is selected then that points to a broken connection with the USB-X.

4. Make sure you use the USB cable that was shipped with the MPS-5. Other USB cables can be used,
but they need to be USB2.0 compatible.

5. Disconnect the USB cable and restart your computer.

6. Connect the USB cable while the PLINK input is
selected on the MPS-5. On Mac computers it can
take up to 10 seconds to enumerate.

7. On Mac computers it can happen that after successful
enumeration OSX selects the internal audio output
instead of the MPS-5. This can easily be corrected
manually in the sound control panel in System
Preferences as shown in this screen shot.

8. If at this point your PC computer still does not play through the MPS-5 and the driver or USB-X
cannot be identified in the Device Manager (PC) then disconnect the USB cable and try re-installing
the driver following exactly above instructions.

9. If you are a PC user and are able to play audio, but you hear occasional dropouts, please see
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PC USERS above. You should definitely run LatencyMon.

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SETUP MENU

The MPS-5 has several options that can be displayed and set via remote control. By pressing and holding the
CLR button the setup menu is displayed on the front panel. After no further button has been pressed for 5
seconds the display goes automatically back to normal operation. After entering the setup menu the CLR
button can be pressed shortly to advance to the next menu item. Each programmable menu item may be
toggled between 2 settings by pressing the play button.

IMPORTANT: Do not attempt to change any settings while the MPS-5 is connected to any PLINK or USB-X
devices. Always disconnect any optical cables.
The following options are available in sequence:

1. Serial number. This option is not user programmable.

2. Firmware version. This option is not user programmable.

3. Center Mix: Used for multi channel playback and only programmable for the MPS-5.

4. Optical Output Format: the optical data output supports PLINK or SONOMA formats. PLINK is a
proprietary format used to link to other Playback Designs products for multi channel or multi room
setups. SONOMA is used to connect to professional recording equipment. This function is only
programmable for the MPS-5.

5. Optical All Channels: when using PLINK output format set this off for multi channel configuration or on
for multi room configuration. In multi channel configuration only those channels are sent out via
PLINK that are necessary for the next following DAC in the chain. In multi room configuration all
channels are sent out via PLINK output, so that the same audio program can be heard in multiple
rooms. This function is only programmable for the MPS-5.

6. PLINK Input format: The MPS-5 needs to know if the device you are connecting to its PLINK input is
the optical USB-X interface (USB-XII) or any other device that supports the PLINK format.

7. IR Locked / Unlocked: this option is only programmable for the MPD-5 and allows disabling all remote
control commands when the MPD-5 is part of a multi channel setup.

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Displayed Feature

Options

Explanation

CNTR MIX

ON / OFF

When set to ON, configured for multi channel playback, the
OPT ALL CH feature disabled and playing a SACD MCH
disc, the center channel is digitally mixed into LF and RF
channels (output via internal analog outputs) and left and
right surround channels are sent out via the optical PLink
output. This implements the 4-channel configuration
described above.

OPT OUT

PLINK / SONOMA

The proprietary optical output can support 2 different formats:
PlayLink (PLink) for direct connection to other Playback
Designs equipment via a single optical cable (DATA output),
or SONOMA for connection to the professional SACD
recording and editing workstation via 2 optical cables (DATA
and CLOCK).

OPT ALL CH

ON / OFF

When set to ON audio data from all channels (including L and
R) is sent out via the optical PLink output and Center channel
downmix is disabled (override). When set to off the PLink
output contains data for channels 3-6 or 5-6 depending on
the setting of the CNTR MIX feature.

MULTI CHANNEL CONFIGURATIONS

The MPS-5 can be configured for various different applications in multi channel setups and SACD MCH
playback. As the MPS-5 is equipped with 2 internal analog outputs it can be combined with the Playback
Designs companion stereo D/A converter (MPD-5) for external analog processing of the additional channel
data from SACD MCH discs. The possible configurations are:

1. Stereo only playback from SACD MCH: the player will only read the LF and RF channels from SACD
MCH discs. This is the factory default configuration. The user can switch between stereo and multi
channel layers on SACD’s, but the player will only read 2 channels from the selected layer and only
send out 2 channels via the PLink output.

2. 4-channel playback from SACD: the player reads all available channels from SACD MCH discs,
mixes the center channel into left and right front channels for output directly from its internal analog
outputs. The left and right surround channels are sent out digitally via the optical PLink (DATA) for
analog conversion by the Playback Designs companion product MPD-5. All stereo discs are played
normally with analog outputs from the player and muted outputs via the PLink output.

3. 6-channel playback: the player reads all available channels from SACD MCH discs. While only 2
channels are available from its analog outputs (LF and RF), it sends out digital audio data for the
other 4 channels via the PLink output.

The various configurations and corresponding parameters can be set via a setup menu on the front panel:

1. In order to enable multi channel output the player needs to be set into multi channel mode (factory
default setting is stereo) by first pressing and holding the STOP key and then pressing the NEXT key
on the front panel. Each time this key combination is pressed the modes are toggled between stereo
and multi channel. In stereo mode the player will automatically select the stereo program each time a
SACD is put in. Likewise in multi channel mode the player will automatically select the multi channel
program each time a SACD is put in, provided it contains a multi channel layer.

2. By pressing and holding the CLR button on the remote a setup menu is entered that allows the user
to program several features. There are 3 menu items that pertain to the multi channel configuration.
The programming can be toggled by pressing the PLAY button on the remote. After 5 seconds of the
last button press from the user the setup menu is exited automatically and the player can be used
normally again.

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18

Power Supply

North America model……… AC 120V, 60Hz
Europe model……………….AC 230V, 50Hz

Consumption…………………………...100W

Analog Audio Outputs:

XLR: 4Vrms @ 1kHz full level, pin 2 Hot
RCA: 2Vrms @ 1kHz full level
BNC: 50Ω, 2Vrms @ 1kHz full level

Weight…………………………………….. 13kg / 29 lb

Operating Temperature………………+5°C to +30°C

Ext. dimensions (W x H x D) 43.5 x 9.8 x 42.3cm

17.1 x 3.5 x 16.7 inches

Operating Humidity………………………. 5% to 85%

Batteries for remote control unit……………….2x AAA

Mains fuse: 1.6A / 250V slow blow, 20mm

EXTERNAL CLOCK

A unique feature of the MPS-5 is its elaborate and sophisticated clock generator which does not require to be
locked to an external source. It completely shields any incoming digital audio stream from its sensitive internal
clock circuitry through various stages of buffering with unique control algorithms. This removes any incoming
jitter from external sources so well that no complicated setup with master – slave clocking configurations are
needed, as is often the case with other equipment. In fact, the MPS-5 performs equally well with jittery
sources as with higher quality ones. For this reason the MPS-5 does not require an external clock nor does it
require to be set up as a clock master.

BREAKING IN THE MPS-5

Breaking in the Playback Designs MPS-5 is time consuming but well worth the effort. It would be a mistake to
pre-judge the player based on what you might hear at first listen. This is what you can expect to hear at
different intervals during break-in:

1. Out of the box: The player will have good clarity, but the highs can be recessed. Bass might appear to
be a bit muddy and lacking punch. Soundstage might sound closed in.

2. 50 - 150 Hours: The sound will open up a little bit, but can still sound a bit brittle.

3. 150 - 350 Hours: Midrange will start smoothing out and clarity will increase, but highs might continue
to remain recessed. At this point, there probably will not be much change in the bass. You will
probably wonder how the Playback Designs converter will ever sound like others have described, but
we assure you that you will start to hear substantial changes within another week of play.

4. 350 - 500 Hours: The magic will be starting. Highs will be open and airy. Midrange will appear much
more full bodied and natural. Soundstage will be huge and the image presentation will start appearing
very holographic. Bass will be incredibly deep and tight with texture and detail galore.

5. Over 500 Hours: The player will continue to change subtly over the upcoming month of usage, but
you should be recognizing a very life-like and natural sound.

During break-in when you do not listen to music it is best to feed an external digital audio signal into any of
the digital inputs of the MPS-5, rather than loading a disc and setting the drive into REPEAT mode.

SPECIFICATIONS

19

CHANGING THE FUSE ON THE MPS-5

1. Locate fuse compartment on power connector on
rear panel.

2. Use a small screw driver to pry open the fuse
holder.

Fuse Compartment

Prying open with a small screw driver

3. The fuse holder contains 2 fuses. The top one is a
spare and can replace the blown one at the bottom.

4. Replace fuse holder into power connector by
making sure that good fuse is at bottom.
Replacement fuses should be rated: 1.6A / 250V
slow blow, 20mm.

Inside the power connector on the rear panel of the MPS-5 is a fuse that protects the player from dangerous
power surges. If the player fails to power up or no light on the front panel is lit then proceed as follows to
change the fuse:

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20

Char 0 Char 1 Char 2 <CR> Char 0

>100ms

ply

Start playback

pos

Pause playback

stp

Stop playback

opn

Open / close tray

prv

Go to beginning of track, or jump back 1 track

nxt

Go to next track

fsc

Toggles through forward scan modes

rsc

Toggles through reverse scan modes

lyr

Toggles between CD, SACD stereo and SACD multichannel layers of a
SACD disc. The player needs to be in stop mode before the layers can be
switched.

rpt

Toggles between no repeat – repeat track – repeat all

tme

Toggles through various time display modes

phs

Toggles phase inversion on and off

mte

Toggles mute on analog output on and off

don

Turns front panel display on

dof

Turns front panel display off (unit keeps operating)

drv

Selects internal transport for playback

aes

Selects AES input for playback

rca

Selects Coax S/PDIF input for playback

tos

Selects optical TosLink input for playback

plk

Selects optical PlayLink for playback (AES formatted)

usb

Selects USB (PC) input for playback

aux

Selects Aux input for playback

tn0 – tn9

Direct access to tracks 0 through 9 on disc

t10

Increments tens counter for track entry. For instance, to access track 23
send t10<CR> t10<CR> t03<CR>.

Appendix A: Serial Remote Control (RS-232)

The MPS-5 can be remote controlled via a 9-pin RS-232 link. When connecting to a PC the required cable
should be non-crossed and the link parameters should be set to:

 19,200 baud
 8 bits
 1 stop bit
 no flow control
 no parity bit

Commands to the MPS-5:

All commands sent to the MPS-5 consist of 3 ASCII characters followed by a <CR>. Repeating a <CR> will
repeat the last command sent. Received commands are not stored in a stack and, therefore, need to be sent
in intervals of at least 100ms to allow enough time for the MPS-5 to execute a command before receiving the
next one.

21

Status info from MPS-5

Byte 0 Byte 1 Byte 6 Sync

Byte 0

Bit1-0

0: CD
1: SACD 2-channel
2: SACD multichannel
3: no disc

bit 4-2

0: tray open
1: tray closing
2: transport stopped
3: transport playing
4: transport paused
7: undefined state

bit 7-5

0: scan mode off
1: forward scan mode 1
2: forward scan mode 2
3: forward scan mode 3
4: reverse scan mode 1
5: reverse scan mode 2
6: reverse scan mode 3

Byte 1

bit 1-0

0: repeat mode off
1: repeat track mode
2: repeat disc mode
Bit 3-2

0: elapsed track time display
1: remaining track time display
2: total disc time display
3: total remaining disc time display

Byte2

Track number in binary code

Byte 3

Hours in binary code

Byte 4

Minutes in binary code

Byte 5

Seconds in binary code

Byte 6

bit 2-0

0: transport selected for playback
1: AES input selected
2: RCA input selected
3: TosLink input selected
4: PlayLink input selected
5: USB (PC) input selected
6: Aux input selected

bit 6-3

1: 44.1kHz detected on digital input
2: 48kHz detected on digital input
3: 88.2kHz detected on digital input
4: 96kHz detected on digital input
5: 176.4kHz detected on digital input
6: 192kHz detected on digital input
7: 352.8kHz detected on digital input
8: 384kHz detected on digital input
9: DSD detected on digital input
10: DSD 2X detected on digital input
15: no lock

bit 7

1 when audio phase inverted on analog outputs

Byte 7

Sync Byte (xFF)

The MPS-5 continuously sends back 7 Bytes terminated with a unique Sync Byte (xFF).

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22

Appendix B: Upgrading the Software in your MPS-5

Playback Designs is constantly innovating new algorithms and methods for audio processing and from time to
time may release new software for the MPS-5 that may further enhance the sonic performance or add new
features. As new releases become available you will be able to download it to the MPS-5 from a PC via a
dedicated USB connection on the back of the unit. It will be distributed along with a software application
running on the PC that will guide you through the programming steps

First Time Installation and Upgrade Procedure:

1. Do not connect the MPS-5 yet to the PC.

2. Launch the supplied application “PDSetup.exe” on your PC and closely follow instructions on
the screen. Connect your MPS-5 to the PC only when told so. But before then hitting the
NEXT button, wait until Windows confirms that the driver is fully installed and operational.
Only then hit NEXT.

3. When you reach the following screen, make sure to point the field “File to Transfer” to the file
supplied by Playback Designs (use the Browse button to find the location of the file).

4. Hit Update and programming will start automatically. Be patient, because it can take several
minutes to complete as the erase cycle and the file are quite long.

5. When completed, turn off power to the MPS-5 (switch on back panel), wait 15 seconds and
power it back on again. DO NOT POWER OFF BEFORE PROGRAMMING IS COMPLETE
(which can take several minutes).

23

Subsequent Upgrade Procedure:

After you have used the PDUpdate utility for the first time a shortcut PDUpdate is
installed on the desktop of your PC as well as in the START>PROGRAMS>Playback
Designs folder. There is no need to launch the “PDSetup.exe” application anymore.

1. Turn on power to the MPS-5.

2. Connect your MPS-5 to the PC via a USB cable.

3. Launch PDUpdate from the desktop of your PC and you should see the above
screen directly.

4. Proceed from here as for the first time installation.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

THE ENTIRE UPDATE PROCEDURE CAN TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES. IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT INTERRUPT POWER TO THE MPS-5, NOR
DISCONNECT THE USB CABLE, NOR TURN OFF THE PC DURING PROGRAMMING,
OR ELSE YOUR MPS-5 WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BOOT NORMALLY.

In case the programming has been interrupted accidentally, please follow the steps
below:

1. Turn off power to the MPS-5 via its back panel switch.

2. Press and hold the Boot button on the back panel.

3. Turn power back on. Release the Boot button.

4. Proceed as described under “Subsequent Upgrade Procedure”.

MPS-5 User Manual