MUSICALFIDELITY

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 V8
X.DAC
X-V8SERIESTUBED DIGITAL To ANALOGUE CONVERTER
x - trAC ''i

(,._,-,1

r'-l

(-, ,.'-\

I]YSTRUCTIOIYSFOR USE

Thankyou for purchasing the Musical Fidetit.vX-DAC 18

This model usesthe top qualit.v,ultra low jitter 24 Bil DAC technologl'and.firrtherjitter reduction techniques
to achieveboth an excellenttechnicalspecificationand unparalleleddigital sound quality. This is
complementedby a choice betvveenthe classicX-l0D tubestage or solid state outputsfor the ultimate
listening experience.It has three standard RCA digital inputs and a USB socketfor playbackfrom computer.
v8
TheX-DAC is a perfect answer to digital listeni.ngrequirementsin a small, beautifully engineered
pactcage.

Usedproperly and carefully, it should give many)'ears of outstandingmusical reproduction.

Dust regularly with a soft duster or soft brush, but be careful when using cleaning or polishing agents- they
may harm the surfacefinish.

If 1,ou have an)) questions about ),our audio svstem,

Please consult yoLtrdealer who is there to help and advise.

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 V8
X.[)AC

PAGE
3 Safety information - Saf-etyinformation

4 General advice - Installationprecautions

- Userinformation

Item disposalinformation - EU disposalinformation

Installation - Introduction
- Installation
- Audio connection
- Inputs
- Outputs
- Power
- Cleaning

Facilitiesand connections - Illustrations- front and rear panels

Remotecontrol - Operationand illustration

Basic operation - Switchon

- Digital inputs1,2 and3
- USB input
- Analogueoutputs
- Digital output

l0 DAC problems'. - Basic DAC fault finding

ll DAC specifications

t2 Manual history

Issue1: 19'nOctober 2006

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 V8
X.DAC
IMPORTANT! (u.K.onty)
This unit is suppliedin the U.K. with mainsleadfittedwith a mouldedl3 ampplug. If, for anyreason,you needto cut
off the plug, pleaseremovethe fuseholderand disposeof the plug safely,out of reachof children. I!_q$_qq!_Dg
Dlugeedinto a mainsoutlet.

Thewiresin the mainsleadsuppliedwith this appliancearecolouredin accordance

with thefollowingcode:

Greenandyellow..... .Earth
Blue. ......Neutral
Brown. .......Live

WARNING - This applianceMUST be earthed

As thecoloursofthe wiresofthe mainsleadofthis appliancemaynot correspond

with the
colouredmarkingsidentifuingtheterminalsin yourplug,proceedasfollows:

The wire which is colouredgreen-and-yellowmustbe connected to the terminalin the plug which is markedwith the
letterE or colouredgreenor green-and-yellow,
or by the earthsymbol: .4

The wire which IS colouredbrown must be connectedto the terminalwhich is markedwith the letter L or colouredred.

The wire which i s colouredblue must be connectedto the terminalwhich is markedwith the letter N or colouredblack.

If connectinsto a BSl363 plug,a l3 amp fusemustbe used.

WARNING:

ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THIS PRODUCT NOT EXPRESSLY APPROVED

BY MUSICAL FIDELITY WHO IS THE PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR
STANDARDS COMPLIANCE COULD VOID THE USER'S AUTHORITY TO
OPERATE THIS EQUIPMEI\T.

l s s u el : l 9 ' n O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6

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 V8
X-DAC
INSTALLATION PRECAUTIONS and USER INFORMATION
v8
Your new X-DAC is designedand built to provide trouble-freeperformance,but as with all electronicdevicesit is
necessaryto observea few orecautions:

Heedall wamingsshownon the backofthe product.

Only connecttheX-DAC v8to a mainsoutlethavingthe samevoltageasmarkedat thebackofthe unit.

Alwaysensurethatwhendisconnecting your audioequipmentthemainssupplyis switched

andreconnecting
off.

Positionthemainsleadandsignalinterconnects
wheretheyarenot likely to be walkedon or trappedby items
placedon them.

Do not usenearwater,or placewater-filledcontainers on theX-DAC v8,for example,a flower vaseor potted

plants. If water doesspill inside,immediatelypull out the mainsplug from the wall socketand inform
your dealer,who shouldthen checkthe unit beforefurther use. Entry of liquid into the X-DAC vEis
dangerous,and may causeelectricshockor fire hazard.

Do not placetheunit neardirectheatsourcessuchasradiators,directsunlightor otherequipment.

Do not removeanycoversor try to gainaccessto theinside. Thereareno internaladjustments

or fusesyou
canreplaceyourself. Referall servicework to an authorised
MusicalFidelityagent.

Note: Unauthorisedopeningof the equipmentwill invalidateany warranty claim.

Dustregularlywith a softclothor softbrushbut be carefulwhenusingcleaningor polishingagents- theymay

harmthe surfacefinish.

Theelectronicsin modemhi-fi equipmentis complexandmay,therefore,be adverselyaffectedor damagedby

lightning.For protectionofyour audiosystemduringelectricalstorms,removethe mainsplugsanddisconnect
any
aeriallead.

serviceis required,to helpyour dealeridentifytheX-DAC vEpleasequotethe serialnumberlocatedon

If after-sales
therearnanelofthe unit.

I s s u e1 : 1 9 ' hO c t o b e r 2 0 0 6

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 V8
X-DAC

n
SSTZZ DISPoS.\L - AFVAL
-
!i41IN The crossedout wheeledbin label that appearson the I Het label op de achterzijde van dit apparaat. een
back panel of the product indicatesthat the product must not be afvalbak op wielen met een kmis doorgehaald,geeft aan dat dit
disposedof as normal householdwaste.To preventpossibleharm apparaat niet samen met gewoon huishoudal\'al mag worden
to the environmentpleaseseparatethe product from other wasteto weggegooid. Om mogelijke schade aan onze leefomgeving te
ensurethat it can be recycled in an environmentallysafe manner. voorkomen dient dit apparaat, gescheiden van gewoon
Pleasecontact your local govelnment office or vour retailer for huishoudelijk afual, te worden afgevoerd zodat het op een
availablecollectiontacilities. milieuvriendelijkemanier kan worden gerecycled.Neem voor
beschikbareinzamelplaatsen contact op met uw gemeentelijke
prsPosrloN reinigingsdienst
of met uw elektronicaleverancier.
I I
f I La poubellesur roulettesbarrdesX, qui apparaiten logo
sur le panneauarrieredu produit,indiqueque celui-ci ne doit pas
!
--f-- ururlrryry
€tre traite cornmeun dechetdomestiquecommun.Afin de protdgcr Yliruksattua jiiteastiaa kuvaava tana tuotteen
I'environnement. ce produit electronique devra etre gere takalevyssii kefioo, ettri tuotetta ei saa kAsitellA normaalina
sdparement et donc recycle selon les nouvelles normes talousjtitteenii.Ympiiriston suojelemiseksi on tuote pidettiivii
Europdennes Rohsconcernantles dechetsd'appareils dlectroniques. erilliiiin muusta jZitteestiija se on kierriitettiivii ekologisesti
Priere de contacter les services concerndsgouvernementauxou kestziviilliitavalla. Ota yhteyttii laitteen myyj2i2intai Pirkanmaan
votre point de vente pour I'dliminationet I'enldvement de ddchets Y mpiiristokeskukseen liihimmiin kierriityskeskuksen l6yiimi seksi.
dlectroniques equipesde composants electroniques.
T I AFSKAFNING
- LrrJr\JJAL I I Logoet med en skraldespand med kryds over pi bagsiden
t-
- La etiquetacruzadahacia fuera del compartimientoque af apparatetindikererat detteprodukt ikke mA kasseressom normal
apareceen el panel traserodel productoindica que el productono husholdningsaffald.For at forebyggemulig skadepi miljoet, bedes
se debereciclarsecofilo basura normal de la casa. Para prevenir De separeredette produkt fra andet affald, og sikre at det bliver
daflos posible al ambienteseparepor favor el producto de otras genbrugt pi en miljorigtig mide. Kontakt venligst de lokale
basurapara asegurarsede que puede ser recicladade una manera myndigheder eller din fbrhandler for oplysning om ncrmeste
ambientalmentesegura.Entre en contactopor fbvor a su oficina tilgrengeligeopsamlingssted for elektronikaffald.
gubernamentallocal o a su minorista para las instalaciones
d i s p o n i b l edse l a c o l e c c i o n . :: atAAtKAlA AnopptvHr
-- To IHMA M E TO N A I A I E TP A M M E NO
I I RIFIUTI TP OX H A A TOK A A O A N OP P I M A T ONI TH N N I IO O W H
I I L'etichetta del cassonettobarrato riportato sul retro TO Y M H X A N H M A T OI
dell'apparecchio indica che il prodotto non deve esseresmaltito A H A ON E I OTI T O N P O ION A Y TO A E N NP EN EI NA
tramite la proceduranormale di smaltimentodei rifiuti domestici. A I A X E I P I I O ETI A NI Y N H O I I M E N OO I K I A K OA N O B A H T O .
Per evitare eventualidanni all'ambiente.separarequestoprodotto N P OT A N O OY I -HE N A E X OM E N H IE N IB A PY N IH I TO Y
da altri rifiuti domesticiin modo che possavenire nciclato in base N E P I B A N A ON TO I.= E X OP I I TE T O N P OI O N A N O TA
alle procedure di rispetto ambientale. Per maggiori dettagli ANAA
sulle aree di raccolta disponibili. contattate I'ufficio govenativo ANOPPIMATAOITE NA E=AIOANIIOEI H ANAKYKNOIH
localeod il rivenditoredel prodotto. TO Y M E TON N P E N ON T ATP ON O .
N A P A K A N OY ME N A E N IK OI N ON H I E TE M E THN TO N IK H
F A r H c t r R t r c H T t rt r N T q o R G r N r ; ' Y N H P E :I A A N A K Y K N OTH I H M E T O KA TA IT HM A
I
Das aul der ueralerucKselte angebracnte Label deutel A I -OP A IT IA N E P I II OT E P E I A E N T OM E P E I E :.
darar-rf hin. dass das Produkt nicht mit konventionellem
Hauskehricht entsorgt werden darf. Um Schiiden und
Verschmutzungenan Umwelt und Mensch zu vermeiden,muss das
Produkt fachgerechtentsorgt und von anderem Abfbll getrennt
werden. Wenden Sie sich bei Fragenhierzu an Ihren Fachhiindler
oder an eine ciffentlicheInfbrmationsstelle.

I s s u e1 : 1 9 ' hO c t o b e r 2 0 0 6

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 V8
X-DAC
I]VTRODUCTION FOR COMPLETE X-re SERIES :
Congrarulationson the purchase of your new X-DAC v8 For bestresultswith the full cornplement
of X-\'sseries
digital to analogueconverter. components, we recommendthe following:
The X-DAC "8 is powereddirectly from mains,and will also
happily supply power for the X-p.,4yvs CD player and X- t't
X-RAY CD player
PLORA\* tune. components. This turns the X-series X-PLORA u* DAB/FM tuner
componentsinto the equivalentof a miniatureDM25 system V8
X-DAC
(with addedDAB/FM tuner thrown in). TRIPLE-X170upgradepower supply
The X-DAC u* has extremely low jitter, vanishingly low
distortion,exemplarylinearity and ultra low noise. Its case The power connectorfrom the X-RAY\'8 mateswith the 5-
design complements the X-\'8 series components which way socketlabelledX-RAYvtt on the rearof the X-DAC \'8.
include a CD player, DAB/FM tuner and integratedamplifier The connectorshouldfit comfortablywith a smallclick when
a l l i n t h es a m cc o n v c n i e nsti z e . properlyseated.
Greatattentionhas beenpaid to internallayout, isolatingeach Do not Jbrce the connector.
circuitsectionto preventpossibleinteraction. The coaxial(RCA) Digital outputfrom the X-RAY ut -oy
The digital data streams are first up-sampled to l92kHz. thenbe connectedto a sparedigital input on the X-DAC \'8,
which moves noise,jitter and distortion artefactswell above e . g .I N P U T I
the audio band. They are then passedthrough a new, low
noise, low distortion 24-btt dual-differential digital-to- The power connectorfrom the X-PLORAVITmateswith the 4-
analogueconverter,which allows simpler filtering of the way socketlabelledX-PLORAt't on the rearof the X-DAC
analogueoutput. This in turn gives an improved audio t'*.
The connectorshouldfit comfortablvwith a smallclick
responsewithout the need for sharpfilters that degradesound when properlyseated.
quality. The result is a DAC which has a smootherresponse Do not Jbrce the connector.
and lower distortionthan previouslypossible. The coaxial(RCA) Digital olrtputfrom the X-PLORA u* -uy
There is also the option of selectingthe use of a valve stage thenbe connectedto a sparedigital input on the X-DAC \'8,
identicalto our classicX- l0D as outputbuffer included. e . g .I N P U T 2
The resultantperformanceachievedby this unit is amongthe
best in the world. It has ercellent signalto noise ratio, low The XT- 100 unit alone shouldbe poweredfrom the upgrade
distortion. wide bandwidth, huge dynamic range, Triple-X170 power supplyunit. Connectyour XT- 100 to this
extraordinaryresolutionand flne detail. supply through the 6-way XLR socketat the back. The X-
t'8
PLORA and X-RAY t't are suppliedfrom the DAC. This
INSTALLATION frees up reserve supply for the power amplifiers in the
Positionthe X-DAC "n on a stable horizontalsurfacewhere X T l 0 0 . T h e L & R a u d i oo u t p u t sf , r o mt h e X - D A C ' n s h o u l d
thereis no risk of it being knocked or subjectedto vibration be connected, with good qualitycable,to a spareinput on the
suchas from loudspeakers. X-T 100.You can now switch betweenthe two digital inputs
\3.
using the X-DAC This arrangementalso frees up an
INP(JT CONNECTIONS analogueinput on the X-T100 for firtureuse.
ffielectable inputsto allow connection
for up to four differentdigital sources. CLEAI\rI^lG
I n p u t s 1 , 2 , 3 a n d 4 a re se l ec ta b le
fr om th e fr o n t p an e l o r Before cleaning the unit, switch off power at the rnains
remote.Use inputs l, 2 and 3 to connectthe digital outputsof switchand removethe mainsplug from the wall socket.
any X-v8 seriesor other componentsfor the best experiencein Cleanthe cabinetand remotecontrolunit usinga moist cloth.
d i g it ala u di ol is t en in g . We do not adviseusing solvents,white spirit or thinnersas
I n p u t 4 is a U S B l .l in pu t wh ic h a ll ow sd ir e ctd i g i t ala u d i o they could damagethe surfacefinish
streamingfrom a computer'sUSB output port. Seepage 7 for
setupdetails. LlPGRADE PATH
Pleasenote that the USB input CANNOT be used to stream Early in 2001 anotherinterestingnew X-v8 seriesproduct is
directly from USB on portabledevicessuch as iPod, or flash coming:
drivesetc. The TRIPLE-X170PSU is an upgradePowerSupplyUnit. It
increasesthe power of your X-T100 to 85+85 wpc and
DIG I TAL O UTPLrT COl\rN E C TI ON S improves its peak current. The TRIPLE-Xl70 PSU will
There is an outputthat allows loop throughof digital signals. power the X-T 100, X-RAYV8 and X-PLORAV8
simultaneously.Any product connectedto it will sound
ATIDIO O UTP LIT CON N E CT IONS better.
Outputs: Connectyour amplifier inputsto the RCA sockets
on the back panelmarkedas LEFT and RIGHT outputs.

POI4/ER CONNECTIONS
Connectthe unit to the mainsusingsuppliedlead.
Switchingon the power supplyunit shouldlight the front
panelpower LED and the connectedcomponents shouldall
come on. The setupis then ready for use.

I s s u e1 : l 9 ' h O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6

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 V8
X-DAC
3-componentsetup.standard power supply 4-componentsetup.upgraded power supplv

x - P L o R At ' x-PLoRAt'

tt
X-RAY x-RAYtt

- xT-100 x-DACtt

The standard 3-component setup usi n g t h e o r i g i n a l

TRIPLE-X PSU (bottomleft) is shownin figure L xT-100

The power connectorfrom the X-PLORAV8 mateswith

the 4-way socketlabelledX-PLORA\t on the rear of the
TRIPLE-X PSU. The connectorshould fit comforlably
with a small click when properlyseated.
The recommendedpower supply wiring for the four-
The power connectorfrom the X-RAY\'8 mateswith the componentsetup,including upgradepower supply and
5-way socket labelled X-p,4yt's on the rear of the X-DAC\'8.is shownin figure 3.
TRIPLE-X PSU. The connectorshould fit cornforlablv
with a smallclick when properlyseated. The power connectorfrom the X-PLORAVSmateswith
the 4-way socketlabelledX-PLORAts on the rear of
The power connector from the XT-l00 Integrated the X-DAC\'8. The connector should fit comfortably
amplifier mateswith the 6-way socketlabelledXT-100 with a smallclick when properlyseated.
on the rearof the TRIPLE-X PSU. The connectorshould
fit comfortablywith a small click when properly seated. The power connectorfrom the X-RAY\'8 mates with
the 5-way socketlabelledX-RAY\'t on the rear of the
3-componentsetup,upgraded power supply X-DAC\'8.Theconnectorshouldfit comfortablywith a
smallclick when properlyseated.

The XT-l00 integratedamplifier should be powered

from the upgradeTRIPLE-XI70 power supply unit.
Connectyour XT-l00 to this supplythroughthe 6-way
XLR socket at the back. The X-PLORAV8 and X-
RAYV8are now suppliedfrom the X-DAC!'8. This frees
T R I P L E - XI 7 0 up reserve supply for the power amplifiers in the
xT100.
nqn,,.
.xT-100
Fisure 2 This is by no meansan exhaustivelist, as it is possible
to use the original TRIPLE-X power supply, say, to
The upgraded 3-componentsetup using the TRIPLE- supply the CD player alone further isolatingit from the
Xl70 PSU (bottomleft) is shownin figure2 . DAC and othercircuits.The beautyof this systemis its
incredibly flexible allowing considerabletweaking to
The wiring is identical to that given under the standard obtain optimum audio performance.
setupshown above.Simply removethe TRIPLE-X PSU
and usethe TRIPLE-Xl70 PSU in its place.

l s s u e1 : 1 9 ' nO c t o b e r 2 0 0 6

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 V8
X-[)AC
FRONT PANEL

V nn f- '{
,^r*L./n\-
, I

o
o /-\

l. DIGITAL INPUT I buttonand LED 4. OUTPUTTUBE/SOLIDSTATEbuttonand

2. DIGITAL INPUT 2.3. USB buttonand LEDs LEDs
3. IR lens 5. MAINS ON/OFFSwitch

REAR PANEL
6 7
-.- t
I /8
PL?RA SERIAL
NU[/BER

I
I
P O W E RC O N S U M

I
I

K
NPUTS DIGiIAI ANA.OGUE r F ] SP R O D . ] CCTO I / P L I EVS/ H ) F ] H SR U I E S
2 I C F R ,C H A P ] E ?
I
CUTPUT OUTPUTS J, PART] O4OA] )Ai: OF I\4AI.]UFACTURE
SJBCHAPTER
USB COAXIA'-F., -.. ,.-'
DiG 3 DIG 2 DIG I l' -,l , - c f . : : i ?G - 1 - I I i I SP ? O D | ] CCTO I ' , / PEI SW T HP A R T
I 5 O F T F EF C C R U T E S
.

O P E R A T I OSNS U B J E C
T:O] w O C O N D I OT NS.
I r H l SD E V I CN
E 4 AN
V O TC A U S E
F r A R \ 4 FlU
NLT E R F E R E \ C
A \: l,
2 T T I SD E ! I C EV J S TA C C E PATi \ YI I ' I T E R F E R E?I JECCEFV E D ,
I i C t U D I I i GN T E R F E R E NI H
CAETi l / A YC A T S E
JNDESIAE
ODP E R A T ] O N

DESGNED IN E BYMUSICALF DEtIry

1 \
9 I0 II I)
vt
6. X-PLOftr1 power outputsocket 1 0 . I N { P U T SD I G 3 . 2 . 1 R C A s o c k e t
tt
7. X-RAY power output socket 11. DIGITAL COAXIAL OUTPUT RCA socket
8. MAINS POWER IEC inlet socket 12. LEFT & RIGHT ANALOGUE OUTPUTS
9. USB input USB "B"-type socket RCA sockets

I s s u el : 1 9 ' nO c t o b e r 2 0 0 6

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 V8
X.DAC
The remote control shown below enablesfunctions to bc operatedfionr a convenientdistanca.Equivalentbuttons on thc rcmotc
controlhavethe samefunctionsas thoscon thc liont panelofthe unit. Otherfunctionsare only availableby remotecontrol.
As the handsetuscsan invisiblcinfia-rcdlisht bean. thc tiorrtcdeenust be oointeddircctlvtowardsthc receiverwindow at the
fiont of the player.without visr-ral obstructionbetr.l'een
thenr.
If the rangcof thc rcmotccontrolgreatlizdecreases. replacethe battericsu'ith ne\\'ones.Dclnot old and ncw batteries- two are
re q u i r eds. i z eA A A. L R0 3 o r SU M- 4 .
Pleasedisposeo.l'usedbatteriesin accordanceto local regulations.

Tuner Buttons:
I N F O - T o ac c es b
s r o ad c a sin
t fb rma tio n
MENU t o c h o o s eo p t i o n s BAND S e l ect sD A B o r FM
A UT O T U N E f in dsp re v io u s, ne r t
broadcast
S T OR E S t o re ssl a ti onas pr cset
MONO,'STEREO Ootion for weaker
S E L E C T T o ch o o s epr eset iD A B
FM s t a t i on s
station
DAC Buttons:
PRESET 'l' J selectspreset
D I G I - S c lc c t sDA C d ig ita lin p u t I
D I G 2 - S c l ec t sDA C d i g ita lin p u t2 TUNE f I stepsupidownband
D I G 3 - S e le c t sDA C d i g ita lin p ut3
USB- SelcctD s AC USBinput
V O L U M E U P /D O WN- sets
vo l u m el e ve l
Amnlifier Buttons:
MLrTE __Mutcs unit until pressed
P H O N O- S el e ct sPh o n oin p ut
again
A UX I S c lc c tS o u r c eAUX I o r P DI
A UX 2 S e le c st ou r ccA UX 2
A UX 3 S e le c st oL r rcAUX
c 3 D I S P L A Y D i m sd i s p l a y

CD Buttons: C L E A R C l e a rsse l e cte p

dr e
p ro q ra rn m etrda ck
TIIvIE DisplaysTrack TirneiTirne
rcrnaining A,'B Setsrepeatstartrend
to repeat
sectionof track
0-9 Buttorrs LJsedto sclccttrack
numbcrs S H U FF L E P l a ysb a cktr acksi n
randomorder
C H E C K C h ec kp r c p r og r ar n med
tracks TR A C K - N ext / pr e v ioutsra ck

P RO G R A M - P r os r a nrsse le c tio n
and P A U S E i P L A Y S t o p /st ar lC D
ordcrof tracks Plai'back
I N T RO - P l ay e rpla y sflr s t l0 s ec o n d s
of'eachtrack
R EP E A T - R e pe ' atwsh o lcdi sk o r
tracks
selectecl
SEARCH Fastfbrwardibacku'ard
throughtrack
S T O P S t opp la y in g /E;e cCt D

l s s t r e I : l 9 ' r ( ) et o b c r l ( X X r

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 V8
X-DAC
Switch-on PC users

Oncepoweris applied,oneinputLED indicatorshould Checkthecomputer haspickedup thedeviceandis

a small"click" will be
flash.After approx.30 seconds cunentlyusingit by clicking:(mostWindowsversions)
heard and one of the outplrt LED indicators(SOLID
STATE or TUBE) will light indicating output it | - Start
enabled,and the unit is readyfor use. I I - Settines
When the selectedinput is unconnectedor not receivingI I - Controlpanel
digital data, the correspondingLED will flash to I I Soundsand Multimedia
indicateabsenceof signal.When a signalis present.the | | - Audio
LED will li,shtcontinuously.
Checkthat "USB audiodevice"appearsunder
Disital inputs 1,2,3 I I PREFERREDAUDIO DE,VICEtab

You will need a good quality phono to phono cableto I Mac users
connectthe DAC to the disital source.
Plug one end into the required input socket in the back I Check the computerhas picked up the device and is
of the X-DAC V8 | cunentlyusingit by clicking:(MAC OS X)
Plug the other end into the digital output RCA socket
on your digital sourcee.g.CD player.minidisk.DAT or ] I Systempreferences
Satellitereceiver. | 1 - Hardware
Once connected,selectthe correct input on the fiont | | - Sound
panel or correspondingremote button. The input
selectedshould display a constantlight and once the Checkthat"USB audioDAC" is selectedunderthe
sourceis playing.the music shouldbe heardthroughthe | | OUTPUT tab.
system. lf the computer's waming sounds/chimesare to played
through the DAC, make sure it is selectedunder the
Computer setup lbr input 4 (USB inDui. SOUND EFFECTS tab too.

You will need a good quality USB A to B cable to ] | SelectingDAC outnut tvoe:
connectthe unit to the computer.
Plug the B (square)end into the socket in the back of | v8.
] There are two options ofoutput for the X-DAC
the X-DAC V8
Plug the A (rectangle)end into a free USB socketon | | Tubeoutput- Filteredanalogueoutputtakenthrougha
your computer. | | top spectube stageidenticalto our classicX-l0D tube
The computer should detect the new hardware and | | buffer. This gives a lovely tube sound to all the digital
installa genericdriver automatically(No setupor driver | | sourcesplayedthoughit.
disk required).
You will now havea secondmixer availablewhich is I Solid StateoutDut- FilteredanalozueoutDutfor the
defaultwheneverthe DAC is pluggedin. Usethis mixer I semiconductor purist, gives the absolute top
to selectthe sourceor adjustlevelsifrequired. I specificationand is best suited to drive longer cable
CD, MP3, WAV files played on any softwareshould ] lengths.
now play through the DAC. This device has been
designedto work with Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP. The ouput type can be changedwithout any rewiring
Pleasenote: pressine the front oanel button allows instantaneous
This device is a high speedserial data processor.and by switch- over at any time. The indicator LED lights to
its nature. requires a very high volume of USB | | show currentlyselectedoption.
bandwidth.It will benef-rtsreatly fiom beine the onlv
device connectedon its USB 'bus'. Sharingthe same I Dieital Outnut Coo-yial:
bus with other devices may cause unwanted arlefacts
such as dropouts or temporary loss of signal. This ] ] An RCA socket for digital output is included to allow
especially includes the use of the DAC on a USB I I loop though digital connection of the selected source.
hub/splitteralongsideotherUSB components | | This will enable,for examplethe digitalrecordingof the
selectedinput onto a CD-R/RW, MD, DAT, or other
digital recorder.The data streamsamplerate is passed
throushunaffected.

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 V8
X.DAC
Basic problem-solvingwith a DAC is similar to troubleshootingother electricalor electonic equipment. Always check the most
obvious possiblecausesfirst, such as the following examples:

Problem P r o b a b l eC a u se Remedy

No power/ lights Powerplug is not insertedcorrectly Plue in securelvfullv into Dower

t't
supply'sX-DAC reu, socket
No audio output,or too low level Incorrect or missins connections Check connections and make sure they
output are secure.

USB Driver not selected(PC or MAC) See P.9 PC users or MAC users section

Dropoutsin sound(RCA inputs) Digital input leadnot properlyconnected Checkinput leadis fully secured
Faultydigital input lead Changelead.Pleaseusea good quality
straight-throughsignal-and-ground
phonoto phonolead.
No audio output from USB input USB Cablenot connected Check connectionsand make surethey
are secure.
USB Driver not selected(PC or MAC) SeeP.9 PC usersor Mac userssection

Not detected when connected to USB Cablefaulty Checkandreplacecable

USB USB not working/enabled
on computer CheckUSB port functionswith another
device.
CorrectUSB driversnot installed Pleasecheckwith the computer
manufacturer.EnquireaboutUSB driver
(can happenparticularlywith factory-
or update.
preinstalled
Windowsoperatingsystems)
Dropoutsin sound(USB input) SharedUSB port with anotherdevice Avoid sharingthe USB port with other
de vi ce s,i f p o ssi b l e .
Computerbusywith anotherapplication At times an application(program)may
intervene,sometimesinvisibly e.g.a
Computerlow on resources
virus scanner.When this happens,
computerresourcesare temporarilyused
up, and playbackmay suffer.This is not
a fault. Try running fewer applicationsif
po ssi b l e .

Hum Audio connectorplug is not fully pushedin lnsertplug securely

Remotecontrol doesnot work Powersupplyswitchis setto off Setswitchto on
Battery(ies)fitted the wrong way round lnsertbatteriescorrectly

Batteriesare flat Changebatteriesfor a new set

Remotecontrol is not pointeddirectly towards Ensurethereis no obstructionbetween
the front panelof the DAC the remotecontrol and DAC front
Remotecontrol rangehas greatly Batteriesare runnins out Changebatteries for a new set
reduced
Pleasenotethatthe driver for the USB inputis GENERIC(no disk required,the computerpicksthe correctdriverautomatically),
andincludedin the followingoperatingsystems:

MicrosoftrMWindowst" 98SE,ME,2000 Pro,XP Home/Pro(with Servicepack I or later)

MacrMOS 9. I or later(Japanese/English),OS
X 10.0or later(Englishonly), OS X l0.l or later(Japanese
editionSP)
(ForMac OS X 10.0Japanese editionplug andplay doesnot work appropriatelyfor USB audiodevices)

All aboveinformationcorect at time of goingto press.Pleasecheckwith softwarecompany'ssupportfor laterand/ordifferent

versions

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 x-f)AC v8

DAC:
DAC circuit 24 bit Delta-Sigma(Bit stream)dual
differential8X over sampling
Up sampling 192 VHz
Total correlatedj itter < 1 3 5p S
Linearity < 0. I dB down to -96dB
Outputdigital OdBlevel 2.lSVRMS at I kHz nominal
Analogueoutput impedance 47 Ohms
Frequencyresponse l0Hz to 20 kHz -0.2d8 max
Channelseparation > I 05dB 20Hz to 20 kHz
S i g n a /l n o i s er a t i o > I l TdB "A" weighted
Total harmonicdistortion < 0.003%l}Hz to 20 kHz

Connections:
Digital inputs I USB I .l 132,44.1, 48 WIz sample
rates]connectionfor computeronly
3 S/PDIF(RCA connector)

Digital outputs I S/PDIF(RCA connector)

Line level analogueoutputs: I pair RCA

Powerrequirement: 100/ 115 l230VoltsAC 50 I 60Hz (factorypre-set).

16 W no devicesconnected,idle
26 W all devicesconnected.
idle
30 W maximum

Weight: 4 . 1 5k g , 9 . 1 3l b s unit only, unboxed

6.4 kg, 1 4 . Il b s in shippingcarton

Dimensions: 219 mm. 8.6 inches wide

88 mm, 3.5 inches high includingfeet
340 mm, 13.4inches deepincludingtenninals

Standardaccessories: Remotecontrol (X-tt series,universaltype),

2 batteriessizeLR03 or AAA, manganese alkalinetype
l0A IEC Mainslead

Musical Fidelityreservesthe right to make

improvements which may resultin specificationor
featurechanseswithoutnotice.

IssueI : 19'r'October 2006

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 V8
X-[)AC

RELEASE DATE CHANGES

lssueI l9th October2006 l" issue

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