Fifth Element Fifth Force ! ! DIGITAL TO ANALOGUE CONVERTER OWNER’S INFORMATION ! !
CONTENTS ! 1) IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION 2) CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY DISPOSAL POWER REQUIREMENTS 3) INTRODUCTION 4) OVERVIEW 7) UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION 8) CONNECTION 13) OPERATION 14) TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 15) WARRANTY INFORMATION 16) CONTACT INFORMATION
! IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ! RISK OF SHOCK OR ELECTROCUTION! INTERNAL OPERATING VOLTAGES ARE LETHAL! Do not remove top cover, unless specifically instructed to do so in the user manual. This unit contains fuses and other safety components in accordance with BS60065 requirements. In the event of failure, replacement fuse or safety component must be of the same part type and value. ! SUCH REPLACEMENT MUST ONLY BE CARRIED OUT BY A QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
CE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY We declare under our sole responsibility that this product is in conformity with the following standards or standardized documents: BS EN 60065 in accordance with the regulations 73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC (from 1 January 1997) CE 94 Peter Qvortrup, Director Audio Note (UK) Limited 25 Montefiore Road Hove East Sussex BN3 1RD United Kingdom Tel: Fax: +44 (0)1273 220 511 +44 (0)1273 731 498 ! DISPOSAL This product must not be disposed of as normal household waste.
INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing this Audio Note (UK) product. With the correct care it should give you many years of pleasure and enjoyment. Please take the time to read all of the information in this manual before connecting your new component to an electrical supply or your system, to ensure both your safety and satisfaction. Please note that due to our desire to continually improve products, specifications are subject to change without notice.
Audio Note (UK) Digital to Analogue Converters Ever since its introduction, we at Audio Note have been highly critical of digital music reproduction. This dissatisfaction was the instigating force in our quest to make digital playback more dynamically realistic and less fatiguing.
FIFTH ELEMENT / FIFTH FORCE DAC Congratulations on your purchase of the Audio Note (UK) Fifth Element / Fifth Force DAC. It is without doubt or question, the finest Digital to Analogue Converter we have ever produced. As one would expect, no expense has been spared in the construction of the circuit or the components used, and it is a full Audio Note (UK) Level 5 product.
FIFTH FORCE / FIFTH ELEMENT DAC continued… An extremely unique feature of the Fifth Element / Fifth Force is its use of an input buffer stage for the incoming digital signal, using an EF800 valve.
UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION Please take care when unpacking your Fifth Element / Fifth Force DAC. Choose a clean, clear location to unpack your units. Be aware that the DAC and its power supply are extremely heavy; before attempting to unpack or lift the units, check the weight and if necessary use more than one person so that they can be moved safely and easily.
CONNECTION OVERVIEW Special Note – Make sure that all connections are tight and clean. For best results use good quality audio interconnects. Although it is perfectly acceptable to use cables manufactured by other companies, for best results and performance, we recommend our own Audio Note (UK) range of interconnects and loudspeaker cables. For further information, please consult your nearest Audio Note (UK) dealer, or alternatively please feel free to contact us directly.
CONNECTION OVERVIEW continued… RCA The two pairs of RCA / Single Ended outputs are identical, and are for connection to a pre amplifier or recording device. RCA SOCKET, SHELL = NEGATIVE / RETURN. RCA SOCKET, CENTRE = POSITIVE / SEND. Balanced The Fifth Element / Fifth Force is equipped with custom designed and manufactured output transformers, which feature an improved output and grounding scheme to provide the best possible connection to the pre amplifier.
CONNECTION OVERVIEW continued… CABLE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS PRE AMP INPUT DAC OUTPUT 2 1 3 2 XLR FEMALE 3 SCREEN 1 XLR MALE CONVENTIONAL: SCREEN CONNECTED AT BOTH ENDS PRE AMP INPUT DAC OUTPUT 2 1 2 1 3 3 XLR FEMALE SCREEN XLR MALE SCREEN CONNECTED AT PREAMP END ONLY, TO ELIMINATE GROUND LOOPS PRE AMP INPUT DAC OUTPUT 1 2 3 XLR FEMALE SCREEN RCA MALE CABLE CONFIGURATION FOR XLR BALANCED OUTPUT TO RCA / SINGLE ENDED INPUT When connecting the XLR / BALANCED outputs to a pre amplifier
CONNECTION OVERVIEW continued… The balanced and single ended outputs cannot be used simultaneously! Select the appropriate output using the toggle switch. When using a pre amplifier with a true balanced input, the ‘BALANCED / SINGLE ENDED’ switch may be set in either position. When set to the ‘BALANCED’ position, the centre tap of the output transformer secondary is connected to the Fifth Element’s ground.
CONNECTION OVERVIEW continued… Mains The Fifth Element / Fifth Force use an IEC 320 mains inlet socket for each chassis. Use the supplied mains cables to connect the units to the local mains supply. The mains fuses are located in separate fuse holders, situated below the mains inlet sockets. R R MAINS INPUTS L L GROUND POSTS Ground Post Each of the chassis is fitted with a separate Earth connection / ground post.
OPERATION Once all the connections are completed and checked, ensure that the volume control on your preamplifier / integrated amplifier is at the minimum setting. Ensure that the CD Transport connected to the Fifth Element / Fifth Force is switched ON. Source components should always be the FIRST components to be switched on and the LAST components to be switched off. Ensure that all pre and power amplifiers connected to the Fifth Element / Fifth Force are switched OFF.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS INPUT RCA 75Ohms SPDif OUTPUT IMPEDANCE 600 Ohms, Balanced or Single Ended REFERENCE OUTPUT 3.2V RMS CHANNEL BALANCE Less than 0.2dB ELEMENT VALVE COMPLIMENT 1 x 5814a 1 x 6463 1 x EF800 1 x 6X5 FORCE 1 x 6X5 1 x ECL82 1 x OB2 FUSE RATINGS 5 x 20mm Time Delay type (per chassis) 2 x 1.
WARRANTY INFORMATION Audio Note (UK) warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for two years from the original date of purchase from an appointed Audio Note (UK) dealer, and agrees to cover the cost of parts and associated labour required to correct such defects, subject to terms & conditions. This Warranty is offered to the first purchaser only. Any valves supplied with the unit are warranted for three months from the original date of purchase.
the serial number has been removed, defaced or tampered with. CONTACT INFORMATION If in the future your Audio Note (UK) product requires servicing, or if you require technical support or have any questions regarding this or any of our other products, please contact your local Audio Note (UK) dealer.
