Wyred 4 Sound DSDse User Manual

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OWNER’S MANUAL

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Get Wired, WYRED 4 SOUND

_____________________________________________________________________

WYRED 4 SOUND DAC-v1.4

4235 Traffic Way

Atascadero, CA 93422

PH: 805-466-9973

FAX: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.wyred4sound.com

©2014 WYRED 4 SOUND LLC

All rights reserved

Table of Contents

Warranty Registration 1

Unpacking 1

Introduction 1

Design features 2-3

Setup Menu 4-5

Front panel operation 5

Remote Control 5-6

USB Configuration 6-7

2

S input 7

I

DC Trigger / HT Bypass 7-8

Fixed Volume Mode 8-9

Bandwidth / IRR Settings 9-10

Volume Min / Max Settings 10

Discrete Input Setting 11

Powering your DAC 11

Getting connected 11

“Break-in”/ warming up Period 11-12

Troubleshooting 12

Hum 12-13

Warranty coverage 13-15

Servicing your DAC 15-16

Product Specifications 17

_____________________________________________________________________

WYRED 4 SOUND DAC-v1.4

4235 Traffic Way

Atascadero, CA 93422

PH: 805-466-9973

FAX: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.wyred4sound.com

©2014 WYRED 4 SOUND LLC

All rights reserved

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The DAC packaging contains:

1 – Owners Manual
1 – 2.0 meter AC Power Cable
1 – 1.5 meter USB 2.0 A to B cable
1 – 1.5 meter DC trigger cable (3.5mm Mono cable)
1 – Remote control
2 – AAA Batteries
1 – Wyred 4 Sound USB Driver disk
1 – DAC-2 Digital to Analog converter

Carefully inspect your new DAC for any shipping damage. Please contact your dealer or
Wyred 4 Sound directly if you notice any shipping damage or for anything you suspect is missing from your
shipment. All packaging cartons will easily fold flat for convenient storage, and should be stored for future use
should there be one.

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Wyred 4 Sound products are a perfect example of what is accomplished when practical engineering
and knowledge are combined. All components are selected for the greatest possible functionality, durability,
and most importantly, the quality. Wyred 4 Sounds’ excellence in engineering will provide you with first-class
performance and years of satisfaction.

Wyred 4 Sound audio products are designed to bring you closer to the beauty of your music. Our goal
is to bring the performance of the recording right into your home with as little change as possible. As you can
identify, our drive is focused on the customer. We know what others have to offer, so you can be sure that
our value will be substantially more than theirs to keep the American made products desirable. We greatly
appreciate your purchase and expect your complete satisfaction. Wyred 4 Sound hopes that you will continue
to grow with us as we continue to provide the quality and functionality that you can learn to depend on.

_____________________________________________________________________

WYRED 4 SOUND DAC-v1.4

4235 Traffic Way

Atascadero, CA 93422

PH: 805-466-9973

FAX: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.wyred4sound.com

©2014 WYRED 4 SOUND LLC

All rights reserved

pg. 1

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We are proud to Introduce the DAC-2 DSD and SE. During development of the original DAC-2 we
recognized that digital streaming technology was progressing at a very fast rate. We created a modular circuit
design which would permit future upgrades as the industry progressed, and we can now deliver that promise!
The newly refined DAC-2 DSD includes upgrades to the USB interface and digital processing circuitry. These
upgrades have extended its USB support to include, driverless (Mac / Linux), 32 bit 384kHz PCM, as well as
DSD streaming.

The 9018 ESS Sabre DAC remains the heart of the DAC-2 DSD which is still widely regarded as the
number one D-A converter in the industry. In our implementation we utilize the 8ch ESS chip in quad­differential mode meaning that there are actually 4 differential D-A conversion circuits for each channel in
parallel. This helps achieve a spectacular S/N ratio and output drive capability. The ESS DAC was firstly
selected for use in the DAC-2 for numerous reasons, one of which is the capability to process DSD signals
which we are now proud to utilize. The I²S DSD format offers a jitter free solution to transmitting digital data
from our cutting edge USB interface to the Sabre chip. Newly implemented technology and hardware now
takes full advantage of this remarkable feature. Either DSD64 or DSD128 files can be flawlessly streamed in
conjunction with standard PCM files. The upgraded interface instantly detects the native DSD data and routes
the signal to the appropriate internal processors resulting in unparalleled sonic performance. It’s time to begin
expanding your DSD music collection!

Another bonus is the galvanically isolated I²S USB interface which guarantees zero opportunity for
computer noise to interfere with the quality of the audio signal. Setup with your source via USB is simple
because the new interface is driverless for Linux, Mac OSX 10.6-10.9, and supports Integer mode protocol.
Windows XP and newer will require a quick driver install to begin streaming your favorite tracks. You can now
be confident that the ultimate USB streaming solution is built into your DAC which ensures a clean and simple
setup!

The DAC-2 can process signals up to 32 bits in length, and 200 kHz in sampling frequency through the
coax and AES/EBU digital inputs. Because of the limitations of Optical transmission, only 176.4kHz has proven
to be reliable through the TOSLINK inputs. You will find that some optical inputs will operate at rates up to 192
kHz, but is not guaranteed. Each of the Coax inputs are transformer coupled to isolate the source while
maintaining proper loading. To ensure that the lowest input signal level will satisfy the digital conversion
engine, the signals also pass through TTL buffers to maintain consistent signal integrity. To simplify input
selection, the ESS chip is also used as the receiver chip and performs all the signal selection and routing.
Automatic signal over-sampling is done internally to keep output filtering to a minimum, and is a crucial part
of the jitter elimination. To ensure source immunity, the time domain jitter elimination is executed as the
signal enters the DAC chip by re-clocking to the desired rate selected by the ESS chip.

_____________________________________________________________________

WYRED 4 SOUND DAC-v1.4

4235 Traffic Way

Atascadero, CA 93422

PH: 805-466-9973

FAX: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.wyred4sound.com

©2014 WYRED 4 SOUND LLC

All rights reserved

pg. 2

With an oversized toroid, more than 115,000uF of capacitance, 3 stages of filtering and 13 regulation
points, the power-supply in the DAC-2 DSD is surely overbuilt. The analog output stages are powered by a
separate power-supply to ensure isolation from the digital front-end. House-keeping voltages also use
separate supplies to guarantee minimal supply contamination. The digital board is supplied with 7 out of the
13 dedicated regulators to ensure tight tolerances, and consistent power delivery.

The best part of the DAC-2 DSD is the proprietary discrete output stages which represent the beginning
of the analog generation. You will quickly find why W4S spent so much time developing the cleanest, most
transparent, and natural sounding output stage. Instead of choosing the simple path like many others, we took
the “dirt road” and it paid off big time. Our grain-free sound stage reproduction is the product of our discrete
dual-differential FET input amplifier stage which uses all Dale RN55d resistors for precise control. Because of
the dual differential circuits, the completely balanced signal offers balanced and unbalanced outputs which
both take advantage of common-mode rejection.

**Special Edition Only**

In fashion with a true special edition W4S unit, we have upgraded key components throughout the
entire audio circuit starting with the main fuse at the power inlet. The Furutech rhodium plated, ceramic fuse
has proven to be an excellent complement to the upgraded power supply of the DAC-2 DSD se. Further
filtering is addressed with low loss - ultra fast recovery Shottkey diodes and a series of premium grade
inductors that assist to stabilize the current as it enters the power supply. Power is then filtered through a
series of custom low ESR capacitors after which it is regulated by newly designed discrete regulators. Our
proprietary regulator design is 100+ times quieter and faster than the stock regulator! The start of the analog
signal receives strategic treatment with our custom made naked Vishay Z-Foil resistors in 20 locations. Putting
numbers on it, the stock Dale resistors offer 1% tolerance and +/-100ppm/°C temperature coefficient where
our new resistors are 0.1% and +/-0.5ppm/°C respectively. As you can imagine, considerable aural gains are
noticed with the substantial improvement over the stock resistors.

To complete the package, we decided to connect a 2 line display for easy verification of input selection,
sample rate, and volume level. You will notice that when the DAC is locked onto a signal, the sample rate will
be shown, when the signal is lost, the sample rate will read as ----. The up and down buttons on either side of
the power button will allow for input and volume control up and down scrolling. From the front panel, you
can toggle between volume and input selection mode by quickly pressing the power button. If you push and
hold the power button in either input or volume mode, the DAC will power down. When the unit is off, you
can quickly tap the power button to bring the unit back to life.

_____________________________________________________________________

WYRED 4 SOUND DAC-v1.4

4235 Traffic Way

Atascadero, CA 93422

PH: 805-466-9973

FAX: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.wyred4sound.com

©2014 WYRED 4 SOUND LLC

All rights reserved

pg. 3

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With a quick look at the setup options, you will quickly see how flexible the DAC-2 DSD really is. Each
type of input can be configured to fixed or variable volume control, and you can also independently choose
the level of each. Min/Max volume levels are also adjustable for each input to offer optimal flexibility for
those low or high sensitivity systems. As you will find, other setup options include remote on/off, Discrete
input select on/off, HT trigger in/remote trigger on, HT display dim level, I2S justification select for the HDMI
input, IIR Bandwidth, Roll-off slope (fast/slow), and a default reset in case things get jumbled up.

To enter the Setup Menu, first turn the unit off from the power button on the front. Next push and
hold the (UP) and (DOWN) buttons at the same time and press the (POWER) button once quickly. Once the
menu is activated, you can use the up and down buttons to scroll through the different setup registers. Once
the register is selected that you wish to adjust, tap the power button to select and enter that register. The
menu will now be adjustable (EDIT MODE) and you can use the up/down buttons again to edit the settings.
Once the desired setting has been selected and is displayed, tap the power button again to save and return to
the main menu. You can now scroll through more settings and use the same method to make the changes
needed. To exit and apply all changes, press and hold the power button in any main menu register (NOT IN
EDIT MODE). The unit will then power down and will be ready for use.

Default Reset: Power the unit off from the power button on the front. Next push and hold the (UP) and
(DOWN) buttons at the same time and then press and hold the (POWER) button. After several seconds you will
see ----Reset---- on the screen, at which point you can release all buttons. Once the screen goes blank, a
default reset has been applied which restores all settings to their factory configuration.

The Menu Map is as follows:

• IIR Bandwidth (<50k / 50k / 60k / 70k)

• Roll-off slope (Fast / Slow)

2

• I

S Type (I2S / Left justified / Right justified)

• Remote control select / Trigger in use (On-Off / Off-Off / On-On / Off-On)

-See “DC Trigger / HT Bypass” for more information

• DSD HT Display Dim level (Off / Low / Medium / High)

DSD se  HT Display Dim level (Off / High)

• Coax Volume select (Variable / Fixed)

• Coax Minimum Volume level (0-70)

• Coax Maximum Volume level (0-70)

• Toslink Volume select (Variable / Fixed)

• Toslink Minimum Volume level (0-70)

_____________________________________________________________________

WYRED 4 SOUND DAC-v1.4

4235 Traffic Way

Atascadero, CA 93422

PH: 805-466-9973

FAX: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.wyred4sound.com

©2014 WYRED 4 SOUND LLC

All rights reserved

pg. 4