Light Harmonic's Da Vinci DAC User manual
- Type
- User manual
Chapter 1: Welcome to Light Harmonic
Congratulations on your purchase of Light Harmonic’s Da Vinci DAC. This true
384K USB Asynchronous DAC combines the best hardware available on the
market with tightly designed proprietary software that will bring you years of
enjoyment.
Our goal is to provide you with
digital audio that not only gets as
close to analog sound reproduc
tion as possible, but also gets
you closer to the recorded event.
To do this, we have pioneered
several patent-pending technolo
gies to give you bit-perfect digital
sound. From hardware to software, from electrical to mechanical, we have
focused on every detail and haven’t compromised our core value: to bring you
the most natural sound from the studio into your home.
Da Vinci is a breakthrough DAC: three pending patents, a non-traditional
approach to design and engineering, and a state-of-the-art chassis; all of which
will bring you years of enjoyment.
Light Harmonic cares about its customers maintaining the value of their invest-
ment; all our products will have an upgrade program. By utilizing modular design
in implementing the Da Vinci DAC, this allows easy future upgrades. Light
Harmonic is committed to its cutting-edge research and development, and
continuing to exceed industry standards.
Chapter 2: Introduction
At Light Harmonic, we use cutting-edge technologies from outside the high-end
audio industry to solve known and potential issues within the digital audio
domain. Because of this approach, we can offer features and benefits that until
now have been largely ignored by our peers.
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We believe that, thanks to an ever-increasingly conne-
cted world, music playback using an optical disk will
eventually go away. We also believe that the asynchro-
nous USB interface is superior to optical discs in both
sound quality and convenience. From dedicated music
servers to personal computers, your Da Vinci DAC
provides the best playback quality available today.
The first key feature that you should focus on of your
Da Vinci DAC is the fact that it does not artificially
manipulate the digital data. We’ve found that the action
of up-sampling causes high frequency noise during
conversion. Furthermore, while up-sampling usually makes measurements
appear impressive, it’s usually accompanied by digital filtering, which creates all
kinds of artificial "pre-ring" and "post- ring" side-effects. The result can be harsh,
noisy "digital sounds” that destroy the music. Your Da Vinci DAC, is the first true
384K/32Bit sampling rate asynchronous USB Audio Class 2.0 compliant DAC in
the world. This machine combines the best of both digital and analog circuitries.
With three Patent-pending technologies and carefully engineered mechanisms,
this unprecedented machine allows you to experience rich and crystal clear
sound that embodies each musical note with natural frequency extension from
high to low. In short, this is bit-perfect sound: the true meaning of lossless high
performance digital music.
Chapter 3: Connections and Installation
While Da Vinci is a highly complex
piece of audio equipment, it is easy
to connect and use. Follow these
guidelines for a smooth installation.
Out of the Box
Open the Da Vinci carrying case by
lifting the lock flap and turning it in
the clockwise direction. We
recommend that you should first
set up your audio rack or
7
determine where you would want to place your Da Vinci DAC before taking the
DAC out of the aluminum carrying case. Please prepare an adequate clearance
space for placing the Da Vinci DAC. The recommended clearance space is 23”
by 23”.
Outputs
Da Vinci supports both balanced and single-
ended outputs. Balanced connections are
made via three-pin XLR connectors. The XLR
Pin2 is hot (Positive Phase); Single-ended
connections are made via RCA connectors.
Inputs
Da Vinci offers the flexibility of using both USB type “B” or S/PDIF and AES
inputs. When using USB, it is highly recommended that you use a quality USB
2.0 class cable as your interconnect between Da Vinci and your source. Do not
use a USB hub or similar device.
When use SPDIF or AES digital audio inputs, make sure there is only one of
these interfaces connected.
Chapter 4: Setup and Preparations
All inputs and outputs are clearly marked on Da Vinci’s back panel. Prior to
powering on the unit, we recommend that you verify that all of your connections
are correct.
AC Power
Da Vinci can be plugged directly into an un-switched power outlet. It has power
circuits with dedicated discrete shunt regulators to reduce AC noise and uses
three “R core” transformers to keep EMI/RF to a minimum. To improve perfor-
mance, we recommend that you use the highest quality power cord and optional
power condtioner to clean off as much power line noise as possible before it
reaches Da Vinci.
We believe that, thanks to an ever-increasingly conne-
cted world, music playback using an optical disk will
eventually go away. We also believe that the asynchro-
nous USB interface is superior to optical discs in both
sound quality and convenience. From dedicated music
servers to personal computers, your Da Vinci DAC
provides the best playback quality available today.
The first key feature that you should focus on of your
Da Vinci DAC is the fact that it does not artificially
manipulate the digital data. We’ve found that the action
of up-sampling causes high frequency noise during
conversion. Furthermore, while up-sampling usually makes measurements
appear impressive, it’s usually accompanied by digital filtering, which creates all
kinds of artificial "pre-ring" and "post- ring" side-effects. The result can be harsh,
noisy "digital sounds” that destroy the music. Your Da Vinci DAC, is the first true
384K/32Bit sampling rate asynchronous USB Audio Class 2.0 compliant DAC in
the world. This machine combines the best of both digital and analog circuitries.
With three Patent-pending technologies and carefully engineered mechanisms,
this unprecedented machine allows you to experience rich and crystal clear
sound that embodies each musical note with natural frequency extension from
high to low. In short, this is bit-perfect sound: the true meaning of lossless high
performance digital music.
Chapter 3: Connections and Installation
While Da Vinci is a highly complex
piece of audio equipment, it is easy
to connect and use. Follow these
guidelines for a smooth installation.
Out of the Box
Open the Da Vinci carrying case by
lifting the lock flap and turning it in
the clockwise direction. We
recommend that you should first
set up your audio rack or
Info Box: Make sure enough clearance space is provided for the placement
of the DAC.
8
Rotation
Da Vinci's chassis consists of two decks. The upper deck manually rotates 45
degrees from the lower deck. It is highly recommended that you place Da Vinci
on the top shelf of your audio furniture to ensure sufficient clearance for the
upper deck to rotate.
The Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC has a unique design for both visual and
functional purposes and users should set the unit in the right initial position so
that when rotated outwards, the DAC will have a correct open orientation.
Please note that Da Vinci can operate in both closed or open positions.
To do that, start in a closed position.
Users should first locate the power
input socket, placing the unit down
on the rack with the power input
socket facing the back and the Da
Vinci display panel pointing to the
left. Next, rotate the top deck 45
degrees in a counter-clockwise direction; the Da Vinci’s display panel will be at a
final position where it is facing towards the front. This is the correct open
position for the DAC.
When rotating the top deck into the operating position, this is done manually by
turning the upper deck slowly
Info Box:
The rotation mechanism
is a carefully crafted design that not
only introduces artistic and next-
generation looks to Da Vinci, it also
serves as an important heat dissipa-
tion mechanism.
Info Box: It is highly recommended that you use a high-quality power
cord and draw the power supply from a power conditioner fed into the
Da Vinci DAC. A cleaner power supply will definitely enhance the sound
quality of the overall system.
9
1: In a closed
position, locate the
AC power supply;
facing it towards
the back with the
DAC display panel
facing the left.
2: Slowly with a
controlled effort,
rotate the unit 45
degrees counter-
clockwise until the
DAC display panel
faces towards
you.
10
in a counter-clockwise direction. You might feel a slight tension when doing so.
This is normal; you will be able to feel the locking mechanism when it reaches
the correct position.
11
Users are recommended to keep the DAC in its open position even when
powered off. There is no need to rotate the unit back to its closed position when
powered off.
Breaking-in
Break-in is required for Da Vinci to reach its best performance level. To reach
peak performance, Da Vinci needs at lest 300 hours of play. Leaving the unit’s
power on is not equivalent to actual hours of music playing.
3: When the
display panel
faces the front as
shown, this is the
correct operating
position. The unit
can be left in this
position regard-
less of power state
12
Info Box:
Selecting 384000Hz indicates the highest Bit Rate that your Light Harmonic
DaVinci DAC can decode natively. This does not mean selecting an up-sampling bit
rate.
USB Driver
For Mac OSX (From Snow Leopard 10.6.7, Lion 10.7.x)
Da Vinci’s USB controller is USB 2.0 audio compliant. For Mac OSX computers
or music servers, no special driver is required. To verify the connection between
Da Vinci and the Mac OSX system, go to System Preferences Sound
Output Tab. You should be able to see “Light Harmonic Da Vinci” as a recog-
nized sound output device. Below is the screenshot of what you are expected to
see from your music server with Mac OSX.
Next, go to "Application" folderUtilities Audio MIDI Setup.
The Audio Devices Window as shown below will appear, select by highlighting
the Light Harmonic Da Vinci 1V7 device in the left column and set it's corre-
sponding sampling rate at 384000Hz in the "format drop down box". This
denotes the highest possible sampling rate Da Vinci DAC is able to decode.
Info Box:
This indicates that your Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC is
detected by the MAC OSX computer source.
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Da Vinci DAC is now ready for operation.
For Windows OS (From Windows 7 and above)
Due to the non-standardization of USB 2.0 audio class drivers in all current
Windows OS, Light Harmonic Windows USB driver installation is required.
Please follow these instructions.
Step 1
Download the Da Vinci driver from www.lightharmonic.com/Download. Once it is
downloaded, double click the file to begin installation Make sure to first install
the Light Harmonic Windows Driver prior to powering up Da Vinci.
Step 2
The installer program will guide you through the steps to install the driver.
Step 3
Verify Da Vinci’s driver has been installed correctly and set. Power up Da Vinci
and connect to your PC via USB cable.
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Windows 7: Go to “Start” Control Panel Hardware and Sound
Select “Manage Audio Devices” Double click “DAC”
Click on the “Advanced” tab Set the minimum sampling
rate to 24 bit, 192000Hz.
Windows Vista: Go to “Start” Control Panel Sound and Audio Devices
Select “Manage Audio Devices” Double click “DAC”
Click on the “Advanced” tab Set the minimum sampling rate
to 24 bit, 192000Hz.
Info Box:
We recommend that Windows Vista or later be installed as
the operating system on your PC or music server.
15
Chapter 5: Operation and Controls
Power on
After setting up Da Vinci with your music source, and after verifying that all
connections are accurate and secure, you are ready to power-up Da Vinci.
First toggle the hard-switch on the back panel of the unit to the “on” position.
Then press the soft power switch that is located at the front tip of the unit. Press
the soft power switch again to put Da Vinci into “Standby Mode.”
Doing so will keep a minimum amount of power in the internal circuitry, ensuring
optimal sound quality and a minimum warm-up time the next time you are ready
to listen to music.
Display
After you power-up Da Vinci, the front display wlll show "Da Vinci" followed by
"44.1K to 384K" reflecting the sampling frequency setting in the computer that is
connected to the unit. (This indicates the sampling rate in kHz). This also
indicates that the unit is on and is functioning.
Display Mode
The OLED display at the front of the unit will
show the sampling rate in kHz of the currently
playing file.
Options are:
Display USB connection speed on real time
monitor/music streaming activity
Info Box:
There are two power-off controls: one is located on the
front control panel of Da Vinci and the other is located on the back
panel. Remember to always perform a “soft power-off” on the front
control panel prior to press the hard power-off switch at the back
panel when connecting or disconnecting the power cord to Da
Vinci. This will help you avoid power surges to the DAC.
Info Box:
Da Vinci will assume all source material will be input into
the unit at the highest resolution until it is told otherwise by the
source. (Only valid with USB inputs)
16
Display real time sampling rate;
Display real time volume information from the computer.
There are 7 easy to read icons on the front panel indicating user settings:
USB Connection
This light indicates Da Vinci has established active communication
with the source through its USB interface. This is a unique design
that can help you to troubleshoot a potential problem. If this light is
OFF, check the USB cable connection or the source itself.
Music Play
This light indicates Da Vinci has detected the music signal from the
computer through its USB interface.
Mute Light/Touch Button
This touch button enables and disables the mute function.
Invert Mode/Touch Button
Da Vinci's analog output can be "Polarity Inverted". This feature
can be used to correct a music source file in the event there is a
polarity problem.
Duet Mode/Touch Button
This touch button enables and disables Da Vinci’s “Duet Mode”
functionality. Please refer to the Special Features section of this
user’s manual for a more in-depth description of Duet Mode.
LPF On/Touch Button
This touch button enables and disables the Low Pass Filter
functionality for your Da Vinci DAC. Please refer to the Special
Features section for a more in-depth description of LFP Mode.
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SPDIF/AES Touch Button
This touch button allows you to set your Da Vinci for usage in
SPDIF/AES as the digital input source instead of USB. Please note,
only one input can be selected between SPDIF or AES. Also note
that when SPDIF/AES mode is selected, the real time sampling
rate display is off. Mute, Duet, and LPF modes are still functional!
Chapter 6: Special Features
Duet Mode
Our patent-pending Duet Engine uses analog interpolation to effectively double a
low sampling rate. This technology doesn’t utilize digital up-sampling, over-
sampling, or digital filters. Instead, our Duet Engine uses a sophisticated aligned
timing technology to virtually double the effective sampling rate. Think of Da
Vinci’s Duet Engine as a two-cylinder engine. Each of the cylinders is responsible
for working with the other, doubling the system’s performance and allowing
everything to run smoother. Duet Mode is especially effective when listening to a
“red book” CD’s 44.1K audio. Putting the Duet Engine to work, we can double
this into an 88.2K effective sampling rate, which gives you much smoother high
frequencies and eliminates the need for the notorious “brick-wall filter”.
LPF
Da Vinci's Low Pass Filter (LPF) is built purely in the analog domain; no digital
filters are involved. You can turn on LPF to improve the experience when
listening to low sampling frequency music sources such as 44.1k CD’s audio
files.
LSB Correction
The popular I2S specification
adds “0” in Least Significant
Bit (LSB) mode when bit
extension happens. This
creates a significant error
because the 2‘s-complement
system doesn’t work this way.
The error affects almost every
current 24-bit or 32-bit DAC
on the market. We define this
as the LSB extension error. It
will result in an error of around
0.0015% ~ 99.22%, which we
believe is significant, to the
original signals, depending on
sound levels.
Implementing the Auto LSB
correction in the Da Vinci DAC
significantly advances digital
audio reproduction. It removes
unpleasant asymmetric
distortion, and achieves the
most natural and realistic
sound available from digital
audio systems.
Chapter 7: Recommended Reading
To learn more about the cutting-edge technologies that are implemented in
your Da Vinci DAC, make sure you visit our website www.lightharmonic.com.
Please make sure you visit our website www.lightharmonic.com and also
follow us on Facebook (www.facebook,com/lightharmonic) and Twitter. We
will continue to upload and provide up-to-date information on digital audio
technologies, products and know-how on our pages.
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Chapter 8: Technical Specifications
Type Digital-to-Analog Converter
Finish Options Black - Other Colors may be available, please check
website for new updates
Dimensions 18.5" (L) × 18.5"(W) × 7.87" (H)
Weight 61 lbs /28.0 kg [Unit Weight]
Converter Type Bit-perfect R2R architecture with patent pending
3-layer buffer.
Analog Outputs Output Levels: 2.1V rms unbalanced /4.2V rms
balanced*.(* Could be customized)
Balanced Outputs - 1 stereo pair on 2×3-pin male
XLR connectors.
Unbalanced Outputs - 1 stereo pair on 2×RCA
Phono connectors. (This is optional, buyers can
configure the unit before shipping out)
Digital Inputs USB 2.0 interface on standard USB-B connectors.
Will accept up to 32-bit PCM at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96,
176.4, 192, 352.8, 384K.
1× AES/EBU on 3-pin female XLR connectors. Will
accept up to 24-bit PCM at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4,
192K.
1×SPDIF on one RCA Phono connectors. Will accept
up to 24- bit PCM at 44.1, 48, 88.2,96, 176.4, 192K.
DSD (DSF) playback through USB interface is
supported. Will accept DSD64 to DSD128
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Clock Frequencies 3X Clock architecture without PLL. TCXO with -166
dBc/Hz @ 10MHz. 45.1584M Hz for 44.1, 88.2,
176.4, 352.8K Modes. 49.152M Hz for 48, 96, 192,
384K Modes. 13M Hz for USB interface. Industry
leasing TCXO with Jitter less than 0.12 ps and
-166dB/Hz @ 10MHz.
THD Better than 0.01%
Auto-Correction 18.5" (L) × 18.5"(W) × 7.87" (H)
Residual Noise Better than - 108dB @ 20Hz - 20kHz @ -0dBFS
Filters Digital Filers: None.
User selectable Analog Filter: -3dB @ 100KHz.
Power Supply Factory set for 115 - 120 or 220 - 230 V AC, 49 -
62Hz.
Power Consumption 2 Watts in Standby mode/ 58 Watts operational
maximum.
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Chapter 9: Warranty
We offer a warranty against defects in workmanship and materials in Da Vinci
to original owners for a period of 90 days from the original date of purchase.
To activate your free three-year limited liability warranty, please visit
www.lightharmonic.com.
Important
Original purchase receipt from an authorized Light Harmonic Dealer or our
website. The warranty is void if you purchased your Da Vinci from any
company or person who is not authorized by Light Harmonic to resell our
products. For a list of authorized resellers, please visit lightharmonic.com.
Please do not tamper with or try to open Da Vinci. The warranty is void if
non-authorized personnel tamper with the product. Use only authorized Light
Harmonic service centers.
Get a 36-Month Warranty!
In order to receive a free 36-month limited liability warranty on your Da Vinci
DAC, you must be the original owner and register it within the first 90 days of
ownership.
To register, visit www.lightharmonic.com.
Warranty Statement
Limited Warranty
Light Harmonic warrants to the original owner that this Light Harmonic
product will be free from defects in material or workmanship. This warranty is
limited to NINETY (90) days from the date of original purchase, whether or
not actual use begins on that date, or if registration is completed within 90
days of purchase, for a period of thirty-six (36) months from date of original
purchase.
For repair, the purchaser must return the product, packed in the original
shipping carton, freight prepaid to Light Harmonic Service Department.
Please visit www.lightharmonic.com for detailed repair instructionsOr you
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