e22 Mark II Digital to Analogue Converter DSD 256 Fs / 12.288 MHz DXD 32bit / 352.8 kHz PCM 32 bit / 384 kHz Owner’s Manual (Windows) PLEASE READ BEFORE OPERATION REV. 1.0.
Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 2 Safety Information ....................................................................................................... 4 Explanation of Graphical Symbols ............................................................................................................ 4 Important Safety Instructions ....................................................................
Analogue Interconnect Recommendations ............................................................................................ 14 Connecting the Power Adapter............................................................................................................... 14 Surge Protectors ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Isolating the Cable TV Ground ...................................................
Safety Information Explanation of Graphical Symbols The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
• • • • The power adapter is used as the mechanism for cutting off power, therefore make sure it is easy to unplug. To ensure proper ventilation around this product, do not place this product on a sofa, bed or rug. High temperature will lead to abnormal operation of this device. Do not expose this device or batteries to direct sunlight or near heating objects. When moving the device from a cold location to a warm one, or vice versa, moisture may condense on components inside the device.
This product, when no longer usable, when disposed off can’t be treated as generic garbage, but must be disposed of at a collection point for recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, in compliance with the WEEE regulation (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment). By making sure that this unit is correctly recycled, you will help preventing potential damages to environment and human health, which could be caused by the incorrect treatment of this product as generic garbage.
Welcome Thank you for purchasing the exaSound e22 Mark II DAC! The e22, a third generation DSD 265 DAC offers the highest digital audio resolution available on the market today. e22 has vanishingly low jitter, distortion and noise levels, and astonishingly clean analoglike sound. We hope that the e22 DAC will help you to enjoy world-class music experience for years to come. Please take a few minutes to read right through this manual.
Quick Start Package Contents The following items should be in the box: • e22 DAC • Power supply • A-B USB cable • IR Remote Control Proper Device Placement Place the device on a stable solid base, far from heat sources. Do not expose the device to direct sunlight. Allow at least 2.5 cm (1'') around the device for ventilation. Do not place the device on fabrics, inside enclosed space, or in contact with curtains. Do not place the device on top of power amplifiers or any other equipment that emits heat.
Rear Panel Connectors Coaxial SPDIF IN 1 USB IN 12V Trigger Output XLR Line Outputs Outputs Optical SPDIF IN 2 Power Adapter Connector SPDIF IN1 - Coaxial SPDIF Input SPDIF IN2 - Optical TOSLINK Input DC 12V / 1.67A - Power Adapter Connector 5.5mm O.D. by 2.5mm I.D.
ASIO Driver Setup 1. Login to http://support.exasound.com. Download and unzip the latest exaSound Windows ASIO Driver. 2. Run exaSoundN1 5-1-3 Setup.exe and follow the prompts. ASIO drivers step-by-step setup instructions are available on page 17 of this guide. 3. Reboot your computer. 4. Setup your ASIO compatible player (J. River Media Center, HQPlayer, Foobar 2000 etc.) to use the exaSound ASIO driver.
Features The e22 DAC is based on the ES9018 Sabre32 reference DAC chip. It delivers 32-bit precision capable of resolving the smallest signal details. The chip features patented 32-bit Hyperstream™ architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator. ES9018 delivers the industry’s highest performance levels that will satisfy the most demanding audio enthusiasts. Windows ASIO Driver Advantages Using ASIO brings unique advantages that are hard to achieve and reliably verify with other Windows driver technologies.
Hardware Volume Control and Volume Bypass The e22 DAC volume is controlled by the ES9018 DAC chip. It is completely independent from the Windows software volume control. Audio data is always bitstreamed over the USB interface at full scale 0db/32bit resolution. Volume processing is performed by the DAC chip right at the border between the digital and the analogue domains.
Connecting and Powering the e22 DAC Before connecting, turn off the power to all the components in your system. Connecting the Digital Inputs All digital inputs are galvanically isolated to eliminate ground loop noise. The e22 DAC accepts three digital inputs • USB - This is the recommended and most capable input. It supports 2 channels PCM up to 32 bit resolution at standard sampling frequencies from 44.1 kHz to 384 kHz, and DSD from 2.8224 MHz to 12.288 MHz.
Avoid connecting the e22 DAC to receivers and any other sound processing equipment that performs analogue to digital (ADC) conversion. Digitizing the analogue output signals back to the digital domain for processing will undo some of the benefits that e22 brings to you. Remember that your sound system is as good as the weakest link in the sound processing chain. Analogue Interconnect Recommendations Over-engineered interconnects made from exotic materials are unnecessary.
Surge Protectors We strongly recommend the use of surge protectors for all of your audio and video components. Isolating the Cable TV Ground If you have a cable TV connected to your audio system, ensure that the TV cable ground is galvanically isolated from the audio system ground. The TV cable ground, usually connected to the earth outside your home, can have a significantly different potential than the audio ground. This condition can cause audible hum.
Remote Control Setup The e22 DAC is programmed to work with the supplied remote control. If you like, you can reprogram the e22 DAC to work with a different IR remote control. The exaSound e22 DAC can be trained to recognise commands from most infrared remote controls using Sony and NEC IR protocols. Use the following procedure to change remote control button assignments or to pair the e22 DAC with a different remote control: 1. Power on the e22 DAC. Make sure that the unit is not in playback mode. 2.
Windows ASIO Drivers Step-by-step Setup Guide PC System Requirements • • • • Operating systems: o Windows 8 x86 or Windows 8 x64 o Windows Server 2012 R2 o Windows 7, 32 or 64 bit o Windows XP / 32 bit with the latest service packs installed USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 interface 2 GB of RAM 10 GB disk space, mainly for music files Windows ASIO Driver Installation The first step required in the Windows setup process is to install the exaSound ASIO driver: 1.
4. Connect the e22 DAC. You should see a pop-up message on the computer screen indicating that e22 DAC is successfully installed. Note that this message has a different appearance on Windows XP and Windows 7. Windows 8 may not display the message. 5. Upon completion of the Windows ASIO driver installation you will see the exaSound e22 Dashboard Icon in the System Tray area next to the clock.
6. If you don't see it, right-click on the clock and select Customize Notification Icons from the menu. 7. Scroll down to the exaSound e22 Dashboard icon and from the dropdown select Show icon and notifications. Click OK. 8. You should be able to see the exaSound e22 Dashboard icons at all times. The Icon changes to indicate playback, and displays an exclamation mark when the USB cable is disconnected: exaSound Dashboard Stop Icon Play Icon USB Cable Disconnected Icon 9.
Using the e22 DAC Computer Playback Using the Asynchronous USB Input Before turning your amplifiers ON, always check the e22 DAC front panel to make sure that the volume level is below -25dB. • • • The e22 DAC can be controlled from the front panel buttons, using an IR remote control or from the computer screen. Make sure that all cables are connected. Turn on the unit using the Power button on the front panel or the remote control. The front panel display will light up.
Power On/Off • • The e22 DAC has an automatic power-on function and it will turn itself on when playback is detected. The e22 DAC automatically turns itself off after a period of inactivity. Use the Power Off Timeout setting to adjust the inactivity time interval before shutdown. Volume Control The e22 DAC volume is controlled by the ES9018 DAC chip. It is completely independent from the Windows software volume control and it preserves the maximum possible signal to noise ratio.
Volume Bypass When the volume sliders for the exaSound driver in the Audio MIDI Setup application are set to 0dB, the hardware volume control is turned off and the e22 DAC operates in Volume Bypass Mode. To activate Volume Bypass: • Set the master volume slider to 0dB. • Set the left and right volume sliders to 0dB. • Make sure that your player is not changing the volume level.
Step-By-Step Player Configuration Instructions Check the Guides section of the exaSound Blog for player step-by-step configuration instructions: exasound.com/Blog.aspx. Playing Music from SPDIF Sources The e22 DAC makes it possible to enjoy greatly improved level of sonic clarity and fidelity from SPDIF sources. The sonic improvement is the result of the outstanding jitter cancelling capability, superb signal to noise ratio, and low distortion levels of the e22 DAC.
Specifications D/A Converter IC ESS Technology ES9018S Sabre32 Reference DAC PCM Sampling Rates Asynchronous USB ASIO 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, 352.8 kHz, 384 kHz DSD 64 Fs: 2.8224 MHz; 3.072 MHz DSD Sampling Rates Asynchronous USB ASIO DSD 128 Fs: 5.6448 MHz; 6.144 MHz DSD 256 Fs: 11.2896 MHz; 12.288 MHz Sampling Rates-SPDIF Coaxial IN 1 PCM 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz Sampling Rates-SDIF Optical IN 2 PCM 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.
Digital Volume Control Steps 0.5 dB Volume Matching between Channels Better than 0.1 dB Line Output Balanced (XLR), Unbalanced (RCA), gold-plated contacts (XLR and RCA line outputs can be used simultaneously) Line Output Level 4 Vrms (balanced) 2 Vrms (unbalanced) Line Output Impedance 200 ohms Line Output Offset < 5 mV Headphone Amp Current Output 500 mA peak Headphone Amp Output Impedance 0.5 Ohm, 20Hz-20KHz Headphone Amp Output 0-7.6V Headphone Amp THD+N 0.
Limited One Year Warranty exaSound's devices are warranted against defective workmanship or materials for one (1) calendar year from the original date of purchase. This warranty applies only to exaSound brand products manufactured by exaSound and sold to the original consumer by either exaSound or an exaSound authorized reseller. This warranty does not apply to exaSound brand products imported and sold by unauthorized dealers, distributors, or other sellers.
TO OBTAIN WARRANTY SERVICE, please follow these instructions: • Contact exaSound customer service via email at CustomerService@exaSound.com with details of the defect claimed, product model, serial number, date and place of the original purchase. • If it is determined that your product needs service, a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number will be issued to you along with return instructions and address of an exaSound service center.
