MSB Technology DVD Audio Player user manual System Design and Connections, Stand alone system

System Design and Connections

This DVD player has many interesting features that allow it to be used effectively in a whole range of audio and home theater systems. Following the system design section the individual features of the front and rear panel will be described. This player can be distinguished from most others in three ways. First it includes an eight channel volume control. This allows it to be used independently with nothing but amplifiers, speakers and a display. Second, it includes full pass-through features for both audio and video. This allows it to be inserted into an existing system with no changes to the system. Third, it contains substantial and very high quality digital audio outputs, allowing it to be incorporated in a very high performance system. Four systems configurations are shown below.

Stand alone system

With 8 channels of volume controlled audio and video in composite, interlaced component and progressive component, the SDVD player is a complete system. How good is it? The volume control is excellent in the player, as good as any super high-end 2 channel audio preamp. As a DVD player it has excellent sound. For the most discriminating listener who is primarily interested in audio, not movies, we recommend adding PLATINUM DACs, at least to the front channels. We have made provision for these, so that the installation is easy and the operation remains simple. If you have balanced amps and want a balanced output player, see the enhanced system below.

Enhanced Audio system

Display	AMPs
Video	Audio
Out	Out

Super DVD Audio Player

with Master Volume Controls and

Trims

Up to three external DACs can be added to the player using either IEEE 1394 or the MSB Network. MSB sells a line of DACs that are optimized for 192K operation over the MSB Network.

For single ended amplifier operation, attach the MSB Network output to an MSB DAC using a CAT5 cable. Now attach the single ended analog outputs of the DAC to the appropriate channel analog inputs on the back of the player. Now plug a DB-25 to RCA cable (availible from MSB) into the 5.1 Line Level outputs of the player. This output is line level and contains all the channels. Plug in the RCA outputs to either the audio pass-through on the DAC or the Audio inputs on the player as appropriate. Turn the SELECT toggle switch on the back of the player to the OFF position. This instructs the player to look for DVD audio on the input during play, instead of from the internal DACs. For example, if a Platinum LINK II DAC is used with the player, the hookup is as shown below. The rear, center and sub channels pass out of the DB-25 line level output and are looped to the rear, center and sub channel inputs on the back of the player. The front channels are plugged into the PLATINUM using a RCA to XLR adapter (as the platinum only has balanced inputs). It was designed to use this adapter for single-ended output. The toggle switch is turned OFF so that the player looks to the 8 channel input instead of the internal DACs for audio from the player. We must make the analog connection through the DAC because the PLATINUM DAC does not decode SACD. It passes the SACD through when played. Last, disable the volume controls in the external DAC by removing the volume modules or setting the level to 0 db and putting tape over the remote sensor as the player and DAC use the same remote codes.

For front channel balanced operation, the task is complicated just a little. Because the volume control in the player is single-ended, the MSB PLATINUM MVC Preamp is used externally. It is configured at the factory to run in the slave mode and is attached to the player using the MSB NETWORK. It now matches the master volume set at the player. Just as in the single-ended mode, the external DAC is attached to the MSB NETWORK. The balanced line level output is attached to the analog input of the DAC. The balanced output of the DAC is hooked up to the balanced input of the MVC and its balanced output is connected to the front amplifiers. The remaining channels can be hooked up as described above.

For stereo operation only, the process is simplified. Connect the balanced line level out and the MSB NETWORK to the PLATINUM DAC. Connect the DAC directly to your amplifiers using either single-ended or balanced. Use the volume control in the DAC as they use the same remote codes. Ignore the volume settings on the player as they are not used.

		Display	AMPs
DAC	Analog
Analog
Outputs	Audio	Video		Audio
(RCA)	Inputs
	(RCA)	Out		Out

	Outboard	Super DVD Audio Player
		with Master Volume Controls and
	DAC
			Trims
MSB	Audio	5.1 Line	Line
Network	In	Level	Level	MSB
Input		Output
(CAT5)	(XLR)		Front	Network
		(DB25)
			Output	Digital
				Output
			(XLR)
				(CAT5)

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