M2TECH YOUNG DSD HIGHEST RESOLUTION DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER DIGITAL PREAMPLIFIER USER MANUAL REV. 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Warning! Changes or modifications not authorized by the manufacturer can invalidate the compliance to CE regulations and cause the unit to be no more suitable to use.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 The label above, printed on the product case, indicates that the product, when no more usable, can’t be treated as generic garbage, but must be disposed of at a collection point for recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, in compliance with the WEEE regulation (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Dear customer, Thank you for purchasing YOUNG DSD. You are the owner of a very high quality digital-to-analog converter with many unique features designed to obtain the best performance in every hi-fi system.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Unpacking and Placing the Unit.............................................................................. 9 2. Front Panel ........................................................................................................... 11 3. Back Panel............................................................................................................ 13 4. Remote Control......
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8.3.3. Windows Driver Panel ............................................................................. 61 8.3.4. Using the YOUNG DSD as Windows predefined audio device................ 70 8.3.5. Configuring the player: FooBar and JRiver Media Center ....................... 72 8.3.6. Connecting the YOUNG DSD to an USB 1.1 port.................................... 81 9.
M2Tech YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 1. Unpacking and Placing the Unit Lay the box on a table and open it by separating it from the external paperwork and removing or cutting the adhesive tape seal. The following items are included: • • • • • • one YOUNG DSD; one wall wart (AC-to-DC adapter); one USB A-B cable; two XLR-RCA high quality adaptors; one remote control; this manual.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Do not place the unit on thick carpets or inside a box or piece of furniture, not even close to curtains.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 2. Front Panel Figure 1 1) Power on/power off/mute/menu exit button. Press this button to switch the YOUNG DSD on when it’s off.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 discarding any configuration change. A more prolonged press while the YOUNG DSD is on will cause it to switch off. 2) Standby LED. When the YOUNG DSD is in standby mode, this LED is lit to indicate to the user that the device can be switched on by the included remote control. 3) Display. Multifunction LCD Display.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 3. Back Panel Figure 2 5) Outputs. Connect the YOUNG DSD to your amplifier/preamplifier with balanced inputs using balanced cables terminated with three-pole XLR connectors.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 6) AES/EBU digital input. Connect a source provided with 110 Ohms pro AES/EBU output. Female three-pole XLR socket. 7-8) S/PDIF digital inputs. Connect sources provided with 75 Ohms S/PDIF outputs. RCA and BNC female connector terminals are provided.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 4. Remote Control The YOUNG DSD comes with a fully-loaded remote control which allows for setting all of its controls. Standby key: This allows for putting the YOUNG DSD in standby mode (prolonged push) and for awakening it. DIM: Display dimming. PHASE: Analog signal phase toggle. MENU: Configuration menu access. ESC: Menu exit with changes discarded. Cursor keys: Allow for menu navigation.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
M2Tech YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 5. Connecting and Powering the Unit WARNING: All connections between the YOUNG DSD and other equipment must be made when all units are turned off and completely powered down or unplugged. Failing to do so may cause damage to the YOUNG DSD and/or other units. Please refer to chapter 3, “Back Panel”.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 NOTE: it is possible to use a dedicated low noise power supply in place of the wall wart, to increase the sonic performance M2Tech provides a device for this purpose. Should the user opt for use of a non-M2Tech power supply, M2Tech reserves the right to void the YOUNG DSD warranty..
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 6. Cleaning the Unit The YOUNG DSD should be cleaned with a soft, slightly damp cloth. Do not use alcohol or any other types of cleaning fluids as they could damage the unit. Avoid fluids from dropping or leaking inside the unit. Fluids of any type poured into the unit will void your warranty. Be careful not to scratch the Plexiglas front screen.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 7. Using the Young DSD At power on, the YOUNG DSD spends a little time to ensure that all supplies reach their nominal levels, during which the indication in Fig. 4 is displayed. M2TECH YOUNG DSD DAC Figure 4 After the power on delay is expired, some general operational information is displayed on the YOUNG DSD display, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 7.1. Volume Setting Volume setting is done by either rotating the encoder knob (Figure 1.4), or pushing the VOL+ e VOL- keys on the remote control. Volume can be set from -96dB (minimum) to 0dB (maximum) in 0.5dB steps. Depending on the chosen volume display mode, the display will show attenuation in dB or in steps on a scale such that step “0” is equivalent of the minimum level possible. 7.2.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 WARNING: pay attention to the volume setting when the muting is active: if volume is raised too much, once the muting is reset the listening level could be too high so as to damage the speakers or even the listener’s ears. It is always wiser to limit volume when in mute mode and even when turning on and off the YOUNG DSD. DSD 7.3.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 To select a source, press the encoder shortly. The name of the current source will start flashing on the display. Rotate the encoder until the desired source is displayed. Then, press the encoder again to confirm: the new source will be selected. Should the user change his/her mind and keep the current source, it is sufficient to push the button to the left of the front panel (Fig.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 If, at this point, the user changes his/her mind and wants to keep the current value, it’s possible to exit the menu by pressing the front panel’s left button or by pushing the “ESC” key on the remote control. Following is a description of all menu items. 7.6.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 single-ended). The first value is preferred when driving low-sensitivity power amplifiers, while the second value is best suited to when using the YOUNG DSD as a true source connecting it to a preamplifier or when a high sensitivity power amplifier is to be driven. This feature is displayed on the display as shown in Fig. 8. OUTPUT VOLTAGE 5.0V Figure 8 7.8.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 7.9. Choosing Volume Mode The YOUNG DSD listening level can be displayed in two fashions: either in deciBels or in steps. Moreover, it is possible to freeze the listening level to the current value (this is useful when the YOUNG DSD is used as a true source connected to a preamplifier or integrated amplifier).
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 steps. Only the way the volume is displayed is modified by the setting described above. 7.10. Setting the Automatic Switch Off To comply with UE requirements regarding energy saving, the YOUNG DSD is able to automatically switch off after a certain idle time. By idle we mean a time lapse in which user didn’t access any control, like volume or mute.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 7.11. Checking Firmware Revision The YOUNG DSD is a complicated device in which different microcontrollers interact for correct operation. It’s possible, whenever needed, to update all controllers firmware by the USB port of the YOUNG DSD. Therefore it’s necessary to access to YOUNG DSD current firmware release information to decide whether an update is required or not.
M2Tech YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 The YOUNG DSD can be powered off by a prolonged push on the front panel’s left button (Fig. 1, 1). After a couple seconds the unit switches off, reducing its current draw to zero. It is also possible to put the YOUNG DSD in standby by the related key on the remote control.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8. Using a Computer as Digital Source While the connection of the various legacy digital sources (CD/DVD/Blu-Ray player) to the YOUNG DSD is quite straightforward, the connection to the computer by the USB port requires a few configuration steps by the user. Fortunately, the YOUNG DSD is provided with an USB 2.0interface which is compatible with USB Audio Device Class 2.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 list, as shown in Fig. 14. The YOUNG DSD is indicated as “M2Tech USB 2.0 Audio Out”.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 To send the computer audio to the YOUNG DSD it is necessary to select it in the “Sound” window as shown in Fig. 14. It’s possible to set some parameters related to the YOUNG DSD operation (specifically, the sampling frequency at which the Mac will send audio samples to the DAC) by the MIDI Audio window, as shown in Fig. 15.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 frequency that is the one selected in the MIDI Audio panel (Fig. 15). This implies a real-time resampling feature by the Mac’s operating system which is seldom welcome by the user. In this case, another player should be used which is able to automatically change the above setting, like Amarra, PureMusic and Audirvana.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8.1.1. DSD files playback with Mac The YOUNG DSD is able to play music files recorded with the DSD format. A player able to send DSD data to the YOUNG DSD in a standard format handled by the DAC must be used. As an example, the configuration of Audirvana necessary for DSD files playback is shown in Fig. 17.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8.2. Plug’n’Play Operation with Linux As explained in the introductory paragraph to the present chapter, the YOUNG DSD is provided with an USB interface compatible with USB Audio device Class 2 which is natively supported by Linux with ALSA since its 1.0.24 release.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 18 Depending on the chosen player, it is necessary to configure it to use the YOUNG DSD. Obviously, each player has its configuration parameters. As an example, the configuration panel of Audacious, a widely used player, is shown in Fig. 19.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8.2.1. DSD files playback with Linux The availability of DSD audio files is quite recent, therefore it’s possible that your player is not able to play DSD files, or maybe its most current release it is, but not the one you have installed on your computer. For example, MPD player, by far the most used under Linux, only supports DSD since its 0.17 release.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8.3.1. Installing the Windows driver First, it is necessary to download the driver from the M2Tech website at (www.m2tech.biz/it/youngdsd.html) Here you’ll find the compressed folder containing all installation files. It’s a self-extracting file: automatic extraction is launched by double-clocking on its icon, as shown in Fig. 20.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 21 Once the files are extracted, open the temporary folder or the folder you have designated and run the setup application by double-clicking on “setup.exe” (Fig. 22).
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 22 Once setup is launched, the window shown in Fig. 23 appears.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 23 NOTE: It may happen that the operating systems shows a warning window first, stating that the setup application will modify the operating system. Close the warning window by clocking on the “OK” button to let the setup program free to proceed.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Connect the YOUNG DSD to the computer and switch it on. Then, click on the “Next” button to proceed with installation. The window shown in Fig. 24 will appear. Figure 24 If the DAC is correctly connected to the computer, after a few seconds the window shown in Fig. 25a will appear. If necessary, indicate a folder of your choice, otherwise leave the one proposed by the setup.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 When the Young is off YOUNG DSD or when the computer doesn’t recognize the connection to the YOUNG DSD, then window shown in Fig. 25b may appear. In this case, follow the instructions displayed in red and then click on the “Next” button.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figura 25b If the window shown in Fig. 25a has appeared and the user has clicked on the “Install” button, the installation procedure goes on and a new window appears that shows the progress of the installation of the various files which make the driver, as shown in Fig. 26.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 26 At the end of installation, the windows will show the complete list of installed files and will enable the buttons located in the lower right angle of the window border, as shown in Fig. 27.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 27 As suggested by the instructions, click on the “Next” button to confirm the installation. The final setup window will appear as shown in Fig. 28.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 28 Click on the “Finish” button to close setup: The driver installation is now complete. NOTE: Some Windows versions require a reboot to enable the driver just installed: Fig. 29 shows the dialog window for Windows 7.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 29 Installation success can be checked by looking for the big red “T” icon in the peripheral section of Windows bar or in the active peripherals window, depending on operating system version. Fig. 30 below shows Windows 8 window as an example. Figure 30 NOTA: With some Windows versions (e.g.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 USB device (the YOUNG DSD, DSD of course) and will begin a search for the best driver (which is the one just installed) to create an instantiation associated to the specific port to which the DAC is attached.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 31 By double-clicking “USB Audio Driver for M2Tech…” the uninstall application is launched, which shows itself like in Fig. 32.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 32 It’s sufficient to click on the “Uninstall” button to start uninstall. A windows appears that shows the uninstall progress, like as shown in Fig. 33.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 33 At uninstall completion, the window will show the entire list of deleted files and will enable the buttons located to the lower right corner of the window border, as shown in Fig. 34.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 34 Click on the “Next” button to confirm uninstall completion and to close the uninstall utility. One last window will appear as shown in Fig. 35.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 35 Clock on the “Finish” button to close the application. At this point if the user launched uninstall from the Control Panel, it is possible to verify that the driver has really been uninstalled by checking for its absence from the applications list, as shown in Fig. 36.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 36 NOTE: Even after uninstall, depending on the Windows version used, it is possible that the system may require a reboot to update its configuration.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8.3.3. Windows Driver Panel Together with the YOUNG DSD driver a comprehensive management panel is installed, which runs in background and allows user to optimize the driver operation and update the YOUNG DSD firmware.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 38 Of main interest is the driver version, as users may visit the M2Tech website from time to time to check for availability of more recent driver versions and eventually go for an update to download and install.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 the player (Fig. 39). Two drop boxes are present, one for the buffer shared with the operating system and one for an ASIO buffer (which bypasses the operating system and needs a specific setting). As a general rule, a small buffer is to be preferred when low latency is required (e.g. when the YOUNG DSD is used to listen to a movie’s audio).
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 The firmware upgrade feature (“Firmware Upgrade, Fig. 40) is fundamental to keep the YOUNG DSD up to date. More details in chapter 10. Figure 40 For every device associated to a driver instantiation, a setting window is available. In these sub-chapter figures, only one device has been detected (“Device 0”). In Fig. 41 its associated window is shown.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 41 Apart some parameters which are displayed but cannot be changed by the user, it is interesting to note the streaming mode and the button to access volume control, shown in Fig. 42.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 42 The XMOS-based system used in the YOUNG DSD allows for digital volume setting. Anyway, we suggest not to use this feature as the YOUNG DSD has a built-in analogue volume control which has much better sonic performance. It’s important to be aware that, in case of the absence of sound, the total mute in this window may be enabled (one or both “M” buttons pressed).
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 8.3.4. Using the YOUNG DSD as Windows predefined audio device When using certain players, such as Windows Media Player, or when listening to streaming music from the Internet, it is necessary to set the YOUNG DSD as the predefined audio output device. To this purpose it is necessary to access the Audio Configuration utility from the Windows Control Panel (Fig. 45).
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Here the user must select “YoungDSD UAC2” as predefined device (as it’s already been done in the case shown in Fig. 45). From that moment on, every sound produced by Windows or any application which relies on Windows to deliver its sound will be sent to the YOUNG DSD. It is also possible to tell the operating system which sampling frequency and resolution are to be used to operate the YOUNG DSD.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 By accessing the drop-down menu available in the “Advanced” tab it will be possible to choose one of the system’s available configurations. Once a configuration is chosen, the system will automatically convert any audio signal with different sampling frequency and resolution so that the YOUNG DSD will always work at the sampling frequency and resolution set by the user.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 The first one is FooBar (www.foobar2000.org). FooBar is able to work in all modes accepted by the YOUNG DSD: Direct Sound, Kernel Streaming, WASAPI and ASIO. Skipping installation instructions, which are beyond this manual’s scope, we explain how to configure FooBar in ASIO mode, which is the optimal choice for the YOUNG DSD. Foobar offers ASIO support through the installation of a specific DLL.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 47 The zip file contains two executables, both to be used: one for the installation of the component for the compatibility with SACD ISO files, plus a proxy file to send DSD to a compatible audio device provided with an ASIO compliant driver, like the YOUNG DSD.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 After installing DLL and proxy, in the “ASIO” section of “Output” two ASIO objects will appear (Fig. 48): the M2Tech driver and the proxy (“foo_dsd_asio”). Figure 48 Double-click on “foo_dsd_asio” to open the configuration window as shown in Fig. 49.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 49 Configure the parameters as in the figure: FooBar is now ready to send DSD streams from DSD files to the YOUNG DSD. The second player used as an example is JRiver Media Center (www.jriver.com). JRiver is a commercial player, a “closet” product which is delivered provided with all the needed features to support various audio transfer modes and the various audio formats.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 50 Then, open the window for the configuration of the output mode (“Output mode settings”), which is obviously dedicated to ASIO, and select the “MUSBAudio ASIO Driver”, as shown in Fig. 51.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 51 At this point, JRiver recognizes the capability to handle DSD in DoP (DSD over PCM) format. From the dropdown menu which is selected by clicking on “Bitstreaming”, select “Custom…” as shown in Fig.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 52 A window will automatically appear in which the user can manually set the bitstream configuration parameters (Fig. 53). Set parameters as shown in figure.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figure 53 The configuration procedure is almost over: we still need to tell JRiver not to downsample data streams with sampling frequency higher than 192kHz, (An operation which is usually enabled to cope with all those DAC’s, still the vast majority, which can only accept sampling frequencies up to 192kHz). Obviously, this would lead to trouble with DSD128, which is same as a 352.8kHz PCM stream.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Figura 54 JRiver configuration is complete and the user can now listen to PCM files up to 384kHz and DSD files up to DSD128. 8.3.6. Connecting the YOUNG DSD to an USB 1.1 port It is possible to connect the YOUNG DSD to an USB 1.1 port under Windows. In this case, the driver will scale the DAC’s performance to comply with USB Audio Device Class 1 specifications.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 In such a scenario, the YOUNG DSD will still be usable, however limited to audio PCM files with sampling frequency up to 96kHz and with no DSD playback.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 9. Controlling the Computer Player by Using the Young DSD Remote Control The USB interface of the YOUNG DSD implements the HID protocol, which allows for sending commands to the player running on the computer to which the YOUNG DSD is connected.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 10. Updating Young DSD Firmware As shown in paragraph 8.3.3, Fig. 40, it is possible to update the firmware of the YOUNG DSD, whenever this is required, using the driver panel installed with the driver itself on any Windows computer. On the M2Tech website, in the YOUNG DSD product page, a list of upgrades that can be downloaded is available. To do a firmware upgrade, the following steps must be done: 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 11. Specifications Inputs: ............................................... AES/EBU on female XLR socket S/PDIF on female RCA socket S/PDIF on female BNC socket Optical on Toslink™ connector Async USB compatible with USB Audio Device Class 2/1 “B” type female USB connector Outputs: ............................................ Balanced analogue on gold-plated male XLR connectors Power input:..............
YOUNG DSD DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND PREAMPLIFIER M2Tech www.m2tech.biz REVISION 1.1 – march 2014 Volume setting .................................. 0dB to -96dB in 0.5dB steps Muting ............................................... -20dB Balance setting ................................. +/-6dB in 1dB steps Phase:............................................... 0°, 180° Automatic switch-off.......................... 10 to 240 minutes in 10 minutes steps, plus disabled Supply:...........................
