PPM43 INSTRUCTION BOOK User Guide
CONTENTS Getting Started _01 Package Contents Product Overview Power Management Charging Connections Firmware Updates 02 03 05 06 07 13 Using the Device _02 Basic Operations Home Screen Notification Bar Using Open APP Service AK CONNECT Listening to Music Playlist Management USB DAC Installation How to Use USB Audio CD Ripping AK CD-Player Car Mode Settings Connecting to Wi-Fi Using Bluetooth Equalizer Setup 14 18 20 23 24 30 33 36 37 38 39 40 41 48 49 51 Miscellaneous _03 Safety Pre-Cautions Troublesh
User Guide Package Contents Contents may be changed without prior notice to improve the performance or quality of the product. PPM43 microSD Card Slot Cover Protective Film USB Type-C Cable Quick Start Guide & Warranty Card Protective Film: Offers screen protection. microSD Card Slot Cover: The cover is used to protect the microSD card slot when not in use. It is installed in the product by default. USB Type-C Cable: For charging and data transfer.
User Guide Product Overview The appearance of the product, as well as the printed and engraved information, may vary depending on the model. 3.5mm Unbalanced Port / Optical Out Terminal 4.4mm Balanced Port 2.
User Guide 2.5mm Balanced Port: - 2.5mm Balanced Port symbol. For audio output, connect earphones or headphones that utilize a 2.5mm jack. 4.4mm Balanced Port: - 4.4mm Balanced Port symbol. For audio output, connect earphones or headphones that utilize a 2.5mm jack. 3.5mm Unbalanced Port / Optical Out Terminal: - 3.5mm Unbalanced / S/PDIF Port symbol. For audio output, connect earphones or headphones that utilize a 3.5mm jack.
User Guide Power Management Powering the Device On/Off 1. Press and hold the [Power] button to turn on the device. 2. While the device is on, press and hold the [Power] button to shut down the device. A confirmation message will appear. 3. Press [OK] to turn off the device. This device has an automatic shutdown feature to save battery power.
User Guide Charging Charging via USB Wall Adapter 1. Commercially available 9V 1.67A output adapters may be used for charging. Fast charging time: Approx. 4 hours (Fully discharged, Power-off, 9V 1.67A adapter) / Normal charging: Approx. 5 hours 30 minutes (Fully discharged, Power-off, 5V 2A adapter) A fast charger of 9V 1.67A may be used. Using a 12V adapter will not charge the device and may cause malfunctions.
User Guide Connections 3.5mm Unbalanced Port 1. Connect earphones or headphones to the 3.5mm unbalanced port. OR 2.5/4.4mm Balanced Port 1. Connect earphones or headphones to the 2.5/4.4mm balanced port. OR Connecting a to Balanced Audio Device 1. Connect to an external audio device by using the 3.5mm unbalanced port and 2.5mm balanced port.
User Guide Connecting to S/PDIF OUT 1. Using an optical cable, connect the PPM43 to a S/PDIFcapable external device to output music through the external device. Enable output format conversion from [Menu > Settings > S/PDIF Conversion] to convert the output to a predefined format upon S/PDIF connection. DSD format is converted to PCM when using S/PDIF OUT. With PCM, the output bit (16/24-bit) and sample (48/96/192 kHz) rates can be selected. The volume will be fixed at the maximum level.
User Guide Connecting to a Computer 1. Turn on the device and your computer. 2. Use the USB Type-C cable to connect the device to a computer in accordance with settings in [Menu - Settings - USB Mode]. [Default] Media Device (USB Drive): Transfer files from a computer to the device. DAC Input: Listen to music on a connected computer through the device. (See Page 37) Mac users need to download and install Android File Transfer from the Astell&Kern website. [http://www.astellnkern.
User Guide Copy Files (Folders) to the Device 1. To copy files/folders from your computer, select the desired files/folders and drag & drop them into the device folder. Ensure the USB Type-C cable is properly connected. Turning off the device, computer or disconnecting the USB Type-C cable while copying or moving files/folders may corrupt files or device memory. File transfer speeds may be affected by the computer and/or the OS environment.
User Guide Delete Files (or Folders) from the Device 1. Select the file/folder to delete, right-click the mouse, and then select [Delete]. 2. Select [Yes] in the [Confirm File/Folder Deletion] window to delete the selected files/folders. Disconnecting from the Computer 1. Disconnect the USB Type-C cable after the transfer between the device and computer is complete. Disconnecting the device from the computer during a file transfer may corrupt data on the device.
User Guide Insert/Remove a microSD Card 1. Refer to the diagram and gently insert a microSD card into the microSD card slot. 2. To safely remove a microSD card, on the Home Screen, select [Safely remove SD card] from the Notification Bar or select [Unmount SD card] from [Menu - Settings - System Information]. 3. Gently press the microSD card in to unlock and release it from the slot.
User Guide Notes on Using a microSD Card If the microSD card is not recognized or functions improperly, format the card, preferably in the FAT32 system. Using cards other than the recommended microSD card types may cause malfunctions. A microSD card is not included in the product package. Please purchase separately. Firmware Updates Wi-Fi Update / OTA (Over-the-Air) 1. Connect to a wireless network. 2. If a new firmware update is available, the screen will display a Firmware Update Guide window. 3.
User Guide Basic Operations LCD Touchscreen 1. This device features a LCD touchscreen that allows you to perform operations by touch. Use the touchscreen to access various features on the device. To prevent damage to the screen, do not use a sharp object or excessive force. Return to the Home Screen 1. Press [ ] at any time to return to the Home Screen.
User Guide From the Home Screen, swipe your finger to the left, right, up or down from any edge of the touchscreen to access display menus. Each side of the Home Screen will activate a different display menu. Main Menu 1. From the left edge of the touchscreen, swipe your finger right to display the Main Menu, or tap the “A” icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
User Guide Notification Bar 1. From the top edge of the touchscreen, swipe your finger down to display the Notification Bar. View Current Playlist 1. From the right edge of the touchscreen, swipe your finger left to display the Now Playing menu.
User Guide View Play History 1. From the bottom edge of the touchscreen, swipe your finger up to display the Play History menu. Moving Up/Down on a List 1. Scroll through a list by dragging your finger up or down.
User Guide Home Screen 9 1 10 11 12 2 13 3 14 4 15 5 16 6 17 7 18 8 19 1 Menu Displays the Main Menu. 2 Details Displays current song information. 3 Song Progress Indicates song duration. 4 Recent Menu Go to the last displayed menu list. List 5 Add to Playlist Add the current song to a playlist. 6 Title Song title information. File name is displayed when the title is unavailable. 7 Artist/Album Displays the artist and album info.
User Guide 8 Previous/ Rewind Short press: Play the previous song or restart the current song. Press and hold: Rewind the current song. 9 Playlist Display current playlist. 10 Format Information Displays the bit rate and sampling frequency data. 11 Album Cover Displays album cover of current song. Tap image to view the song lyrics. 12 Now Playing Song Count Displays the current song number playing/ total number of songs in Now Playing.
User Guide Notification Bar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 XLR 13 14 15 Using the Device 20
User Guide 1 Wi-Fi Press [ 2 Bluetooth Press [ ] to turn Bluetooth on/ 3 XLR ] to turn Wi-Fi on/off. off. Press [ ] to enable / disable XLR audio output. 4 EQ Press [ ] to turn the EQ on/ off. The most recent EQ settings are applied by default. 5 Wheel Lock Press [ ] to turn Wheel lock on/off. When turned on, the volume wheel will be disabled when the screen is locked. 6 Line-out Press [ ] to turn line-out on/ off.
User Guide 10 Settings Press [ ] to display the full settings menu. 11 Gapless Playback Press [ ] to turn Gapless Playback on/off. 12 Car Mode Press [ ] to turn Car Mode on/off. 13 Brightness 14 Notifications Device notifications are Display displayed in this area. Clear Notifications Clear notifications. Use the adjustment bar to control the display brightness. 15 Long-press an icon [ / / / / corresponding full settings menu screen.
User Guide Using Open APP Service The Open APP Service enables the user to install specific APK music streaming apps to the device. Copy the desired APK into the Open Service folder of the product and install the relevant App in the [Menu-Service] of the product. The source of the app you are trying to install is unknown. Be aware that if the app is installed, the device may be damaged and personal data compromised. Depending on the APP, some functions may not work.
User Guide AK CONNECT Access and play back music files stored on a computer, NAS drive or AK Device on the same network, as well as output sound through compatible speakers with AK Connect. AK Connect is available on your AK device and also available as an app for your smartphone or tablet via Apple’s App store or Google Play Store. MQS Streaming Server for your Computer 1.
User Guide 5. A list of libraries / speakers that are on the same network with the AK player will be displayed. 6. Select a library / speaker to connect. 7. After selecting a library / speaker, select a category from the menu to display the corresponding music list. For Wi-Fi connections, see Page 48.
User Guide Streaming Music from Your Library 1. Select a category from the library menu to see your list of music. 2. Select a song to begin streaming. Downloading Music from Your Library 1. Select a category from the library menu to see your list of music. 2. Press [ ] button at the upper- right corner of the music list. 3. Select the desired music and press [ ] to initiate the download. A message on the Notification Bar will indicate when the download is complete.
User Guide AK Connect Usage Examples Case 1 PPM43 AK T1 LIBRARY SPEAKER Case 2 AK500N PPM43 AK T1 LIBRARY REMOTE SPEAKER Using the Device 27
User Guide Case 3 PPM43 AK500N REMOTE & LIBRARY SPEAKER Case 4 PPM43 AK500N AK T1 LIBRARY REMOTE SPEAKER Using the Device 28
User Guide Case 5 PPM43 LIBRARY or AK Connect APP REMOTE AK T1 SPEAKER AK500N LIBRARY Using the Device 29
User Guide Listening to Music Selecting Music 1. Select a category from the Main Menu to display the corresponding music list. 2. Select a song from the list to begin playback. Select [Folder] to search music by folder. Continuous Playing Time: Approx. 9 hours (Music: FLAC,16bit, 44.1kHz, Unbalanced, Volume 80, EQ Off, LCD Off, LOW GAIN) Supported Formats: PCM [8~384kHz(8/16/24/32bit)] DSD [2.8/5.6/11.2MHz] Listening to Music To search, press [ ] on the menu list and enter the title.
User Guide Press [ ] on top of the music list to view the options: : Select / deselect entire list : Add the selected list at the top / bottom / after the current song of Now Playing : Add selected list to a playlist : Delete selected list : Exit Turn the [Volume] wheel to adjust the volume. Press [ ] during playback to pause and [ ] to resume playback. Press [ / ] during playback for the previous/next track. Press and hold [ / ] to rewind/fast-forward the track.
User Guide Playlist Screen 1 3 4 2 1 Previous Return to the previous screen. 2 Playlist Display the current playlist. 3 Edit mode Display the editing options for the music list. 4 Play All Play all songs in the current list.
User Guide Playlist Management Creating a Playlist 1. Press [Playlists] on the menu to view the playlists. 2. Select [ + ] in the upper right corner of the screen. 3. Enter a name for the playlist and then press [Add] to create a new playlist. Adding a Song to a Playlist 1. Press [Playlists] to display the list of playlists. 2. Select a playlist and press [+ Add Song] to display a list of songs by album. 3. Select a song and press [Add] to add the song to the selected playlist.
User Guide Removing a Song from a Playlist 1. Press [Playlists] to display the list of playlists. 2. Select the playlist to edit. 3. Press [ ] at the top, then select the song you want to delete from the playlist. 4. Press [ ] on top of the screen. 5. Press [DELETE] to remove the song from the selected playlist. This action will only remove the song from the selected playlist, not the memory. Playing a Playlist 1. Select the desired playlist for playback. 2.
User Guide Renaming a Playlist 1. Press [Playlists] to view the playlists, then press [ ]. 2. Select a playlist to be renamed. 3. Press [ ] at the top of the screen to display the RENAME window. 4. Enter a name for the playlist and then press [RENAME] to confirm the change. Deleting a Playlist 1. Press [Playlists] to view the playlists, then press [ ]. 2. Select the playlist to be deleted. 3. Press [ ] at the top of the screen. 4. Press [DELETE] to delete the selected playlist.