Stahl-Tek A.B.C. User Manual

Stahl~Tek

A.B.C.

User Manual

Safety Instructions

The lightning ash with the arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of “dangerous voltage” inside the product that may constitute a risk of electric shock.

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

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, AND/OR DAMAGE TO THE UNIT DO NOT REMOVE
COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL

Read Instructions: Read all the safety and operating instructions before operating this

Retain Instructions: Retain safety and operating instructions for future reference.

Heed Warnings: Adhere to all warnings on the product and in the operating instructions.

Follow Instructions: Follow all operating and use instructions.

Cleaning: Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. Clean the

outside of the product only.

Attachments: Do not use attachments that are not recommended by the product manufacturer; they may be
hazardous.

Water and Moisture: Do not use this product near water.

Accessories: Do not place this product on an unstable cart or stand. The product may fall, causing bodily injury

and damage to the product. A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive
force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart to overturn.

Ventilation: Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation to ensure reliable operation of the
product and to protect it from overheating. These openings must not be blocked or covered. This product should
not be placed in a built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided.

Power Sources: Operate this product only from the type of power source indicated on the label. If you are not
sure of the type of power supply to your home, consult your dealer or local power company. This product is
equipped with a three-prong grounding plug. This plug will only t into a grounding power outlet. If you are
unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat
the safety purpose of the grounding plug.

Power Cord Protection: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or
pinched by items placed upon or against them.

Lightning: Unplug the unit from the wall outlet for added protection during a lightning storm and when it is left
unattended and unused for long periods of time. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and
power line surges.

Overloading: Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords. This can result in a re or electric shock.

Inserting Objects into Unit: Never push objects of any kind into this product through any openings; they may

touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in re or electric shock.

Servicing: Do not attempt to repair or service this product yourself. Opening or removing covers may expose
you to dangerous voltage and other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel.

Stahl~Tek A.B.C. Page 2

Damage Requiring Service: Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualied service
personnel under the following conditions: a) If the power-supply cord or plug is damaged. b) If liquid has been
spilled into the product. c) If the product has been exposed to rain or water. d) If the product does not operate
normally by following the operating instructions. e) If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way. f)
If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance.

Replacement Parts: When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement
parts specied by the manufacturer. Unauthorized substitutions may result in re, electric shock, and other
hazards.

Safety Check: Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to per- form
safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition.

Wall or Ceiling Mounting: Mount the product to a wall or ceiling only as recommended.

Heat: The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, and other

products (including ampliers) that produce heat.

Compliance Information

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions;

This device may not cause harmful interference, and ►

This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired ►
operation.

Additional Safety Information

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

Caution

To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove
cover (or back). No user-servicable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualied service personnel.

Warning

To reduce the risk of re or electric shock, do not
expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

Marking by the “CE” symbol (shown
left) indicates compliance of this device
with the standards of the European
Community.

The lighning ash with arrowhead
symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is
intended to alert the user to the presence
of uninsulated “dangerous volage” within
the product’s enclosure that may be of
sufcient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.

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

Stahl~Tek A.B.C. Page 3

Introduction

Your Expectations of Sound Quality...

hen approaching digital audio, approach it as you would a connoisseur of ne wine. At Stahl~Tek,
we approach the A.B.C. in a similar way: as a nely grown and cared-for vintage. Our expectations

W

providing a signal clear, and true to its source. The A.B.C. will output true, 24-bit audio les and supports a
variety of sample rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, and 192kHz.

Digital processes may represent a sound exactly. Just as a professional taster might select the exact vintage after
careful inspection, so the computer will read, and re-read a disc as many times as it needs to, to ensure it has the
“exact” sound. This process is more accurate than a CD player may achieve: the player will read through only
once. It does not have the benet, as the taster does, to go back and resample.

The A.B.C. is nely designed to t effortlessly within your digital system. Your digital system will function
together as parts of an instrument. Your A.B.C. is built to match to your system, becoming a “bridge” between
your computer and your DAC.

are high, as yours should be. The A.B.C. streams bit perfect audio data up to 24-bit @ 192kHz,

Keep for Your Records

Please ll in the information below for your records (The serial number is located on the back of the unit.):

Ownership Information: Stahl~Tek A.B.C.

Stahl~Tek Dealer:

Date of Purchase: / / Dealer Phone: ( ) -

If You Want to Contact Us

Mailing P.O. Box 125

Address: Clute, TX 77531

Stahl~Tek A.B.C. Page 4

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Website: www.stahltek.com

Email: [e-mail]

Contents

Safety Instructions .............................................................................................................................................2

Compliance Information ...........................................................................................................................3

Additional Safety Information ..................................................................................................................3

Caution ......................................................................................................................................... 3

Warning ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................4

Keep for Your Records ..............................................................................................................................4

If You Want to Contact Us.........................................................................................................................4

Unpacking the Unit ............................................................................................................................................6

Directions ....................................................................................................................................................6

Contents ......................................................................................................................................................6

Setting Up Your Digital Music Collection ....................................................................................................... 7

What are the Goals of a Digital Music Collection? ............................................................................. 7

How do I Rip Archival Quality? .......................................................................................................... 7

What File Format Should I Use? .................................................................................................7

Is My Ripping Software Up to the Job? .......................................................................................8

Do I have a secure place to store the les when I am done? ......................................................8

Do I have enough space to store the les? ..................................................................................9

Getting to Know Your A.B.C. ..........................................................................................................................10

Putting It Together ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Set Up Your Storage ........................................................................................................................... 11

Set Up Your A.B.C. ............................................................................................................................12

Connect Your A.B.C...........................................................................................................................14

Connecting the A.B.C. to the DAC ............................................................................................ 14

Option: Using Passthrough Mode .............................................................................................. 14

Set Up Your Computer .......................................................................................................................15

Select Your Audio Output ..................................................................................................................15

Technical Specications ................................................................................................................................... 17

Minimum Computer Hardware Requirements .....................................................................................17

A.B.C. Specications ................................................................................................................................17

A.B.C. Features ........................................................................................................................................17

A.B.C. Supported Protocols .................................................................................................................... 18

Maintenance and Repairs................................................................................................................................19

Cleaning the A.B.C. ..................................................................................................................................19

Repairing the A.B.C. ................................................................................................................................19

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................................................20

Glossary ............................................................................................................................................................21

Warranty ...........................................................................................................................................................22

Stahl~Tek A.B.C. Page 5

Unpacking the Unit

Directions

Please remove all jewelry to keep from scratching the unit. 1.

Make sure the box is positioned with the “This Side Up” label.2.

Carefully lift the front ap to open the box.3.

Remove the top foam piece.4.

Remove the package containing the Quick Start Guide and the Driver Disks, and set aside.5.

Remove the small white box containing the charger.6.

Remove side foam.7.

Remove back foam.8.

Lift the unit carefully from the box. 9.

Save all boxes and pieces of foam for transport.10.

Remember to note the Serial Number (located on the back bottom right of the unit) in the front of this manual.11.

Contents

Stahl~Tek A.B.C. ►

DC Power Adapter ►

Quick Start Guide ►

Windows Drivers CD ►

Setting Up Your Digital Music
Collection

What are the Goals of a Digital Music Collection?

A wine may be perfected over generations; the equipment an audiophile employs should be as nely tuned. A
well-built interface, such as possessed by the A.B.C., does not interfere with the rened quality of the audio, yet
passes it along faithfully to its destination.

Care is given to the preservation of wine, from the angle it is stored at to the proper temperature of the room.
When dening goals for a digital audio collection, so too must the audiophile pay attention to such details.
When storing music, the music should be transferred from analog to digital in a precise manner. And just as the
wine connoisseur has a carefully crafted storage, so should the digital audio system’s hard disks be well-kept
and operated.

The music should be reproduced faithfully to its source, and stored in a safe, secure manner for years to come.
Because so much depends on the quality of the le, in addition to the quality of the equipment, part of the goal
should be to “do it right the rst time.”

How do I Rip Archival Quality?

When ripping to an archival collection, your motto should be, “Do it right the rst time.” As this is a relatively
new technology for many, this manual will seek to cover its basics, and to direct you to places where you may
nd additional resources.

When ripping, there are a number of important considerations. These are:

Consideration Why It’s Important

What le format should
I use?

Is my ripping software
up to the job?

Do I have a secure
place to store the les
when I am done?

Do I have enough space
to store the les?

Different le formats have different benets. We will get into these in
a moment.

A computer is able to read a disc multiple times when ripping. Ripping
software with good error-checking can check yet more often, and
potentially recover music from partially damaged discs. In addition,
some ripping software only rip at a lower rate, or only into certain
formats.

By secure we mean, will it last, and is it protected against such things
as hard drive failure?

Audio les can be quite large, so ensure you have plenty of space.

What File Format Should I Use?

Ripping at rst may seem as though it is a simple thing. That is, most computers will rip a disc with a fair
amount of ease. The concerns of an audiophile, however, are different than the average computer user.
Audiophile seeks to preserve and appreciate a higher-quality sound. The goal when ripping and storing the
music then, should be approached with care and art.

Stahl~Tek A.B.C. Page 7

The audiophile will choose le formats and software best suited to this goal.

When choosing a le format, many audiophiles go with AIFF, WAV, or FLAC for long-term storage. The below
table summarizes some benets of each.

In addition to a “working copy,” Stahl~Tek recommends having an “archival copy.” That is, a master set of les
preserved carefully in the highest quality digital format. All working copies then, will be made from this digital
master, which is to be set aside and preserved.

File
Format

AIFF

WAV

FLAC

Some Benets Some Potential Issues

Subtle differences introduced into the
AIFF works well with Macintosh computers,
devices, and iTunes. It is a non-compressed
and lossless format.

WAV has been with Windows for years and is
well-supported throughout a number of devices
aside from Windows, although it will not
always work on Apple products. It is typically
(though not always) non-compressed.

FLAC is an open source audio format. It stores
metadata very well, and can be converted
easily into WAV or AIFF without altering the
original data. It is also more standardized than
the other two formats.

format over time can cause a risk of

loss of metadata (that is, information

such as title tracks, album names, and

so forth).

Subtle differences introduced into the

format over time can cause a risk of

loss of metadata (that is, information

such as title tracks, album names, and

so forth).

While supported on many devices,

it is less prevalent than AIFF or

WAV. In addition, it uses lossless

compression, which may be a turnoff

for some users.

Is My Ripping Software Up to the Job?

When you begin to rip, there are a number of software packages available to you. Some of them have a better
interface, others offer more features. As you explore the digital side of audio, you will try different software and
develop favorites, preferences. Here are a few you might begin your journey with.

Operating System Ripping Software Why We Like It

Mac Max Good overall features, easy to use
Mac iTunes Nice integration over a number of devices

PC dBpoweramp Strong features, easy to use

PC

Jriver Media
Center

Do I have a secure place to store the les when I am done?

Because preservation of one’s collection must be approached as an art, storage must be approached similarly.
When preparing your collection, you will want at least two copies, an Archival (or “master” copy), and a
Working copy. The Archival copy will be invaluable should an experimental edit go awry, or should you wish to
convert to a different format for use on different devises.

Other guides suggest as many as three, though two should be considered the minimum.

Many guides will also point you towards the use of RAID systems. RAID stands for Redundant Array of
Stahl~Tek A.B.C. Page 8

Nice interface, works across a multitude
of devices; runs on your PC with
“controller” software for a Mac portable
device, such as an iPad