THDA-500T v.2
USB DAC HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER
Edition 05-18
Instruction Manual
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing this TAGA Harmony headphone amplier.
The THDA-500T v.2 is a hybrid vacuum tube/solid state headphone amplier which
utilizes discrete MOSFET outputs and a 12AX7 vacuum tube.
Pure Class A, single ended and robust design provides a high quality and power
sound.
The THDA-500T v.2 uses only fully discrete circuits with audiophile-grade Wima
coupling and Rubycon power supply capacitors.
You can connect the amp directly to your computer through a USB port and a premium
high-resolution 24bit/192kHz USB-DAC will change your digital music to a thrilling
music experience.
Thanks to a 3.5V stereo preamp output you can connect your THDA-500T v.2 directly
to a power amplier or powered speakers.
A precisely made, extremely quiet and stable, linear internal power supply supports
high-end sound performance.
High-end solid machined brass RCA sockets ensure the best signal transfer.
The removable IEC power cable gives you an option to upgrade your system with a
premium audiophile power cable in any time.
Cleaning
Do not use strong or abrasive cleaners. Use a dry, soft cloth for cleaning.
Specications
Full technical specications are available on the www.TagaHarmony.com website.
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Contents
Safety Instructions 4
Important Safety Instructions 5
Controls and Displays 6
Hooking Up the Amplier 7
Operation 8
USB Connection
Additional information 11
Specications 12
Kit Content 12
3
Safety Instructions
IMPORTANT
READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT TO
RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE CHASSIS (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The triangle containing a lightning symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence
of uninsulated dangerous voltages within the product’s enclosure that may be of
sucient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
An exclamation mark in a triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence
of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE, AND OBJECTS FILLED WITH
LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON THIS APPARATUS.
CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO
WIDE SLOT, FULLY INSERT.
CAUTION: FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION AGAINST RISK OF FIRE, REPLACE
THE FUSE ONLY WITH THE SAME AMPERAGE AND VOLTAGE TYPE. REFER
REPLACEMENT TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
WARNING: UNIT MAY BECOME HOT. ALWAYS PROVIDE ADEQUATE
VENTILATION TO ALLOW FOR COOLING. DO NOT PLACE NEAR A HEAT
SOURCE, OR IN SPACES THAT CAN RESTRICT VENTILATION.
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Important Safety Instructions
1. Read Instructions – All the safet y and operating instructions
should be read before the product is operated.
2. Retain Instruc tions – The safety and operating instructions
should be retained for future reference.
3. Heed Warnings – All warnings on the product and in the
operating instructions should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions – All operating and use instruc tions
should be followed.
5. Cleaning - Unplug this product from the wall outlet before
cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners.
Use a damp, soft cloth for cleaning.
6. Water and Moisture - Do not use this product near water
- for example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sing or
laundry tub; in a wet basement; or near a swimming pool;
and the like.
7. Accessories - Do not place this product on an unstable
cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table. The product may fall,
causing serious injury to a child or adult, and serious
damage to the product. Use only with a cart , stand, tripod,
bracket or table recommended by the manufacture, or sold
with the product. Any mounting of the product should fol
low manufacture’s instructions and should use a mounting
accessory recommended by the manufacture.
8. Ventilation - Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided
for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, and these openings
must not be blocked or covered. The openings should
never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa,
rug, or other smimilar surface. This product should not be
placed in a built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack
unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacture’s
instructions have been adhered to.
9. Power Sources - This product should be operated only from
the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If
you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home,
consult your product dealer or local power company. For
products intended to operate from battery power, or other
sources, refer to the operating instructions.
10. Grounding and Polarization - This product may be
equipped with a polarized alternating-current line plug (a
plug having one blade wider than the other). This plug will
fit into the power outlet only one way. This is safety feature.
If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try
reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact
your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not
defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug.
11. 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, paying particular
attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and
the point where they exit from the product.
12. Lightning - For adde d protection for this product during a
lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused
for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet and
disconnect the antenna or cable systems. This will prevent
damage to the product due to lightning and power-line
surges.
13. Overloading - Do not overload wall outlets, e xtensions
cords, or integral convenience receptacles as this can
result in a risk of fire or electric shock.
14. Object and L iquid Entry - Never push objects of any kind
into this product through openings as they may touch dan
gerous voltage points or short-out par ts that could result
in a fire or electric shock. Do not ex pose this apparatus to
dripping or splashing, and ensure that no objects filled with
water, such as vases, are placed on the apparatus.
15. Servicing - Do not attempt to ser vice this product yourself
as opening or removing covers may expose you to
dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to
qualified service personnel.
16. Damage Requiring Servic e - Unplug this product from wall
outlet and refer servicing to qualified personnel under the
following conditions:
• When power supply cord or plug is damaged;
• If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into
product;
• If the product does not operate normally by following the
-
operating instructions. Adjust only those controls that
are covered by the operating instructions as an improper
adjustment of other controls may result in damage and
will require extensive work by a qualified technician to
restore the product to its normal operation;
• If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way;
• If the product exhibits a dis tinct change in performance
- this indicates a need for service.
17. Replacement Parts - When replacement parts are required ,
be sure the technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics
as the original part. Unauthorized subsitutions may result
in fire, electric shock, or other hazards.
18. Safety Che ck - Upon completion of any service or repairs
to this product, ask the service technician to perform safe ty
checks to determine that the product is in proper operating
condition.
19. Wall or Ceiling Mounting - The product should be
mounted to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the
manufacturer.
20. Heat - The product should be situated away from heat
sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
products (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
21. [Refers to products equipped with vacuum tubes] Tube
Cage - For your safety and to protect the vacuum tubes
this product may be equipped with the factory installe d
vacuum tube cage.
It is not recommended to remove the cage unless it is
required to change the vacuum tubes.
When the cage is removed - do not touch the vacuum
tubes - they may be hot and burn the skin!
-
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Controls and Displays
1
2 3 4
5 76 8
Front Panel:
1. Power Button (ON and OFF)
2. Headphones Output
3. Volume Regulator
4. Input Selector
Rear Panel:
5. AUX Input
6. USB Port (for computer)
7. PRE Output (preamplier output)
8. Power Cable Input and Fuse Box
Note! A blown fuse should be only exchanged for exactly the same type as indicated
on the rear amplier panel. The Power Cable should be disconnected!
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Hooking Up the Amplier
Headphones
A-to-B USB 2.0
digital cable
RCA interconnect cable
RCA interconnect cable
PC / Laptop
Satellite Tuner etc.
External Power Amplier,
Powered Speakers etc.
FM/AM Tuner etc.CD Player etc.
1. Make sure the amplier is turned o (the Power Switch is in the top position OFF
and the Power Cable is removed).
2. Turn the Volume Regulator to MIN (max counter clockwise).
3. Connect the headphones to the Headphones output (check “Headphones connection” for
more details).
4. If you want to play music from an analog audio device (CD player, FM tuner etc.): using RCA
interconnect cables (not supplied with this product) connect it to the analog input (AUX IN).
5. If you want to play music from a computer: using a A-to-B USB 2.0 digital cable connect the
computer to the USB input port (check “USB connection” for more details).
6. Preamplier Output (PRE OUT): this amplier is equipped with a preamplier output. Using
an RCA interconnect cable (not supplied with this product) you can connect to it external
audio equipment (Power Amplier, Powered Speakers, Active Subwoofer etc.).
The PRE OUT level is variable controlled according to the Volume Regulator.
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Operation
1. Plug the Power Cable to the amplier and into the electrical outlet.
2. Turn on the amplier – press the Power Switch (the Power Switch should be in the
down ON
3. Select input you want to play by switching the Input Selector. Make sure the audio
source (analog device or computer) is properly connected to the rear panel inputs.
4. Switch on your audio source and start playback.
5. Regulate volume on the amplier to adjust the level of sound.
Note! Check “Additional Information” for other useful operating instructions.
Headphones connection:
The volume of the headphones is regulated by the Volume Regulator.
Note! Listening at high volume can cause hearing damage.
Volume Regulator:
Using the Volume Regulator you can adjust the sound volume from minimum (the knob
– max counterclockwise) to maximum (the knob – max clockwise).
Note! Distortion and sound quality worsening may occur when the knob is in the
maximum position. It may damage the amplier, external equipment connected to the
PRE OUT or headphones. This may void your warranty.
position).
USB CONNECTION
Computers with Windows
1. Install the BRAVO-HD Audio driver – applies only for the Windows® operating
system.
Note! At the time of writing this manual the driver is not required for MAC® computers.
• The driver package as a compressed zip le is available for download
on www.TagaHarmony.com on the page of this product.
• After downloading extract the les from the zip le.
• Run the Setup le located in the unzipped folder and follow the installation
instructions on the screen.
• When the installation nishes a shortcut icon “BRAVO-HD Audio CPL” will be
created on the desktop and the restart wizard will appear.
Make sure to restart the computer after the installation is completed.
2. After the computer is restarted connect it with the amplier via the USB cable.
3. The computer will recognize the amplier as „TAGA Harmony THDA-500T” and
automatically apply it as the audio output device.
You can check the setting through the Control Panel→Hardware and
Sound→Sound→Manage Audio Devices (Figure 1)
If the „TAGA Harmony THDA-500T” is not selected then locate and highlight it and
click “Set Default”.
To enjoy the best sound quality, we suggest to change a default format (bit and
sample rate) of your audio device to the highest available – right-click on the
„TAGA Harmony THDA-500T” device, choose Properties and then Advanced tab
and change Default Format.
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®
Operation
/Figure 1/
4. You can now listen to the playback from the computer
and the amplier.
5. You can also control playback settings through the
USB BRAVO-HD Audio Device Control Panel.
• Start “BRAVO-HD Audio CPL” from the desktop or
program menu. The BRAVOHD Control Panel will
appear (Figure 2).
• If the amplier is switched on and connected to the
computer the panel will display:
○ The current default format (sample and bit rate)
as selected in the Windows® system. This change
will aect a default format of your audio device in the
Windows® system.
○ The current setting of playback via ASIO
(preferred bit rate and buer size).
Click to change.
○ In the playback mode the current format (PCM).
/Figure 2/
Note!
• The bit rate setting should be the same as or higher
than the playback le. Otherwise the bit rate or output
is lower than the original.
• Setting the smaller buer size for a higher resolution
music le may cause noises or interruption. Set the
buer size to bigger and restart the playback.
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Operation
MAC® computers (no driver required)
1. Go to System Preferences, click on Sound and set Speaker to USB.
Set the volume control to Maximum.
Note! You may also need to adjust the volume in your music player software.
/Figure 3/
Trademark notice:
Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/
or other countries.
MAC® is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
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Additional information
Break-In
Your TAGA Harmony amplier sounds great immediately after it is taken out of the carton
but as all tube/hybrid ampliers, this amplier requires a “break-in” period to reach its full
sonic capabilities.
During the “break-in” period it is recommended to operate the amplier at moderate volume
levels.
The rst level of the “break-in” is reached after approximately 10 hours of play.
The optimal level of the “break-in” is reached after approximately 40 to 60 hours of play.
It is recommended to avoid one-time short periods of operation unless the amplier
reaches the rst “break-in” level.
When the amplier is turned on, it should operate for around 4-6 hours.
Turn off procedure
Make sure to turn o the amplier rst when powering down your system.
Note! If the amplier was turned o even for a short period of time, you should wait at least
2 minutes before turning it back on. Do not turn it ON then OFF and then ON again in quick
succession.
Follow this procedure each time you turn your amplier OFF / ON. This precaution will
minimize the stress (high voltages) on internal components.
Tube Cage
For your safety and to protect the vacuum tube this amplier is equipped with the vacuum
tube cage which is factory installed.
It is not recommended to remove the cage unless it is required to change the vacuum tube.
When the cage is removed - do not touch the vacuum tube - it may be hot and burn the
skin!
To remove the cage:
1. Turn o the amplier.
2. Unplug the Power Cable from the electrical outlet.
3. Wait for approximately 30 minutes to cool down vacuum tube.
4. Remove the cage by pulling it in upward.
Vacuum Tube Replacement
The lifetime of vacuum tubes may vary and depends on their operation time and ambient
temperature, playback volume levels and the number of on and o cycles.
Note! The warranty time for vacuum tubes is shorter than for other components of this
device - for more details check your warranty terms or contact a local dealer.
Replacement vacuum tubes are not supplied with this product.
To replace the vacuum tube:
1. Remove the tube cage – check “Tube Cage” for more details.
2. Make sure that the vacuum tube is cool.
3. The vacuum tube is installed in a socket. Remove it by gently pulling it up out of the
tube socket.
4. Make sure to replace the vacuum tube with the same type or with another type which
is a direct equivalent of the factory installed one. Gently but rmly place the new
vacuum tube in the socket.
5. Make sure to reinstall the cage for the regular operation.
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Specications
Power Output 2 x 500mW @ 100 Ohm load
DAC Resolution Asynchronous 24bit / 192kHz
Vacuum Tubes 1 x 12AX7
THD Less or equal 0.1% @ 100 Ohm (1kHz, 300mW)
Signal/Noise ratio 88dB
Input Sensitivity 750mV
Inputs RCA stereo AUX, USB (for computer)
Outputs RCA Pre-Out
Headphone Impedance 30 to 300 Ohm (1/4”)
AC Power, Power Consumption 220V-240V 50/60Hz, 10W
Dimensions (H x W x D) 12 x 17 x 23.5 cm
Weight (net) 2.5 kg / pc
We reserve the right to change the technical data and the design of the product without notice as a result of further development.
We strongly advise to contact a professional installer or dealer in order to install
TAGA Harmony products.
We recommend using high quality TAGA Harmony cables and other installation
accessories.
Kit Content:
Amplier 1EA
Power Cable 1EA
A-to-B USB 2.0 Digital Cable 1EA
Instruction Manual 1EA
Your product is marked with the symbol as showed on the left.
For EU (European Union) member users:
This product has been tested and found in compliance with
requirements of the European Community
2014/30/EU (EMC) & 2014/35/EU (LVD) directives.
Your product is marked with the symbol as showed on the left.
According to the WEEE (Waste electrical and electronic equipment)
Directive, do not dispose of this product as household waste or commercial waste.
Waste electrical and electronic equipement should be appropriately collected and
recycled as required by practices established for your country.
For information on recycling of this product, please contact your local authorities, your
household waste disposal service or the shop where you purchased the product.
POLPAK POLAND Sp. z o.o.
AL.JEROZOLIMSKIE 333A
05-816 REGUŁY k/WARSZAWY, POLAND
Email: Sales@TagaHarmony.com
IMPORTANT!
For EU (European Union) member users:
TAGA EUROPE
www.TagaHarmony.com
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