Meridian 606 DAC User guide

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MERIDIAN 606 USER MANUAL
Boothroyd | Stuart Lid
13 Clifton Road
Huntingdon
Cambs. PE18 7EJ
England
Tel (0) 480 52144
Telex 32577 (MERIDN)
Fax (0) 480 459934
Boothroyd | Stuart Ltd. Copyright (c) March 1980
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1 Introduction
The Meridian 606 Digital Converter is part of the
600-Series of advanced high fidelity equipment.
Used with other components in the range, and
conventional Compact Disc Players, DAT re-
corders or compatible sources, it offers the music
lover all the benefits of the latest Bitstream Con-
version technology.
The 606 Digital Converter takes signals in the
IEC 958 digital audio format from either cable or
optical fibre, locks to that signal, and produces an
analogue output suitable for connecting to con-
ventional audio amplifiers. .
The 606 Digital Converter uses proprietary cir-
cuitry to implement a unique differential mode of
two Bitstream converters for each channel. The
design has been carefully optimised to provide
the highest quality of sound available from any
digital source.
In purchasing a Meridian 606 Digital Converter,
you have acquired an advanced piece of equip-
ment which will continue to bring you listening
pleasure for many years. This manual will enable
you to get the most from it.
2 About this manual
In any manual of this nature, some technical terms
must be used. We will explain these when we first
introduce them.
2.1 Conventions used in this manual
A number such as 606 refers to a component in
the Meridian 600-Series range of audio equip-
ment.
There are lights on the front panel of the 606
for indicating which source has been selected,
what frequency that source is, its absolute phase
and the use of equalisation. Whenever we refer to
these lights, they will appear in italic type.
Whenever a key name is printed in bold
typeface, it means that you should press this key.
If the key name is not in bold type, it indicates that
the course of action is not required at present,
e.g. ‘if you want to change the absolute phase,
press Phase’ means you can do this, but it is not
essential as part of the operation currently being
discussed.
3 About the 600-Series
The Meridian 600-Series of high fidelity equip-
ment is probably the most sophisticated family of
hi-fi products currently available. It has been de-
veloped to operate at a variety of levels, from a
simple single room installation to a whole-house
music-management system.
The 606 Digital Converter is a very advanced
Bitstream Converter. Its circuitry has been careful-
ly optimised to provide the highest quality of
sound available from digital sources, using the
latest technology to ensure that the reproduced
sound is as faithful to the original as possible.
Despite its high performance, each piece of
equipment in the 600-Series has been designed
for ease of use. Microprocessor control has been
applied in the range to simplify operation. We
have also paid great attention to the appearance
of the units and have taken much care in the se-
lection of the materials used in construction, to
ensure that your Meridian 600-Series equipment
will look as good in years to come as it does now.
4 Unpacking the 606
On opening the carton, you should have found the
following parts:
x Meridian 606 Digital Converter
= Digital interconnect 75ohm, 0.7m
= Power cord
» This manual
If any of these items are missing, please contact
your dealer immediately. We suggest that you
retain the packing as it is designed to offer the
unit maximum protection whilst in transit.
Although all 600-Series components have
been designed to be robust, they should obvious-
ly be well protected when they are being trans-
ported. |
5 Accessories
The following accessories are available from your
dealer:
= Optical interconnect 0.7m
a Power cord (Europe)
= Power cord (USA & Canada)
In case of difficulty, they can also be ordered
directly from the factory, the address of which can
be found on the front of this manual.
6 Installing the 606
6.1 General precautions
Before carrying out any installation, you should
check that the 606 is marked with the correct volt-
age for your local AC supply. If this is not the case,
do not proceed with these instructions, but con-
tact your dealer instead.
As a general rule, you should not make any
connections to the converter, or to any other com-
ponent in your system, whilst the AC power supp-
ly is connected and switched on.
6.2 Connections
You will need to connect the audio output of the
606 to your amplifier with a twin-screened audio
cable or a pair of single-screened audio cables.
These can have a considerable effect on the quali-
ty of the sound, and we advise you to seek your
dealers advice on the best type for your system.
The connections you make will depend on
other components in your system and the digital
sources you wish to use. We will assume that you
are going to use a Compact Disc Player, but if this
is not the case, then substitute the appropriate in-
put on your amplifier.
606 Page 1
6.3 If you have 603 or 201 Preamplifier
Connect sockets marked ‘AUDIO OUTPUT L / R°
on the rear of the 606 to the CD input on the rear
of the 201, |
6.4 If you are using D600 Loudspeakers
Connect sockets marked ‘AUDIO OUTPUT L / В'
on the 606 to either an analogue input on the
D600s or the CD input on the 201. Follow the in-
structions in the D600 manual. The D600s are
fuily-programmabie and you should consult your
manual before deciding which input to use. If you
have any doubts, your dealer will be able to help
you.
6.5 No other Meridian equipment
Connect sockets marked ‘AUDIO OUTPUT L / В
on the rear of the 606 to an appropriate input on
your amplifier. You should consult the manufac-
turer's manual to determine which input to use,
but generally it will be labelled ‘CD’ or ‘Aux’.
6.6 Digital connection
In all cases, suitable digital connections must be
made between your Compact Disc Player, DAT re-
corder or other sources, and the 606.
You can use two electrical and two optical in-
terconnects to the four inputs available. Wherever
possible, we recommend that you use the optical
method as this neither generates any inter-
ference, nor is it susceptible to any.
7 Siting
The 606 Digital Converter should not be placed on
top of a power amplifier, but it can be stacked on a
Meridian Compact Disc Player.
You should avoid sites where:
« it would be subjected to direct sunlight
n itis near a heat source, for example a central-
heating radiator
» it could be subjected to strong magnetic radia-
tion, for example very close to a television
“ Connecting cables may be subject to inter-
ference.
Try to keep all power and digital cables away from
audio, antenna and loudspeaker cables. Some
time spent laying out the cables carefully will
repay you with the best possible performance
later.
8 Setting up the 606
8.1 Checking
Before turning on the power, check once again
that you have made all the connections correctly
and that you have not disturbed any existing con-
nections in the process.
606 Page 2
8.2 If all is well
= Turn on the power switch at the rear of the unit
The lights on the front panel will illuminate.
8.3 If there is a problem
Check the integrity of your power connections, in-
cluding any fuses in your supply. If the lights are
still not illuminated and the rest of your system is
functioning, contact your dealer for help.
8.4 Standby
The 606 Digital Converter is designed to be left
connected to AC power at all times.
This standby state ensures that the com-
ponents operate at maximum efficiency from the
moment you start listening. It is perfectly safe and
consumes a negligible amount of power. How-
ever, when you are not going to use your system
for an extended period, for example when you are
going on holiday, we would advise you to dis-
connect it from the AC power supply.
9 Starting up and using the 606
The 606 operates whenever it receives a recog-
nisable digital signal. It will automatically lock to
the input signal (providing it is within the specifi-
cation),
When it locks, one of the input frequency lights
on the front panel will illuminate and the 606 will
produce an audio output.
9.1 Operation
9.1.1 To select D1 input
« press Dig 1 ;
The Dig 7 light will iluminate.
9.1.2 To select D2 input
= press Dig 2
The Dig 2 light will illuminate.
9.1.3 To select OPT 1 input
= press Opt 1
The Opt 1 light will iluminate.
9.1.4 To select OPT 2 input
= press Opt 2
The Opt 2 light will illuminate.
9.1.5 Phase
To invert the absolute phase:
= press Phase
The Phase light will iluminate indicating inverted
phase.
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9.2 EQ light
The Compact Disc specification allows for discs to
be recorded with preemphasis, which is corrected
during playback. This facility allows the recording
engineers to further improve the noise levels on
the disc, rather like the Dolby system used on
cassettes.
The EQ light will illuminate whenever a disc
has been recorded with preemphasis. It will ex-
tinguish when a disc or track has no equalisation.
When the player is paused, muted or moving be-
tween tracks the EQ light may flash.
10 Problems
As previously stated the 606 will only Jock onto
signals centred on one of 32kHz, 44.1kHz or
48kHz + 100 ppm. You may find that the 606 will
not lock to your CD player output; this will posibly
be because the CD player is not running at exactly
the right speed and needs to be adjusted. In this
case you should contact the manuracturer of your
CD player.
It may be the case that an early Meridian CD
player has this problem in which case you should
contact the service department at the address on
the title page of this manual.
10.1 No Frequency lights
A few Compact Disc Players, which do not con-
form to current practice, apply the digital signal to
the output only when the disc starts to play. Al-
though the scan and lock process in the 606 is ex-
tremely fast, in this situation you may miss the first
note or two of your music,
If this occurs, it does not indicate a fault in the
606 and it can be easily overcome by starting the
disc in Pause mode. On most players, this is
achieved by pressing Pause and Play simulta-
neously, but you should consult your player's
manual for detailed instructions. At this point, you
will see one of the frequency lights illuminate, and
you can start to play the disc, usually by pressing
Pause a second time.
10.2 Ticking sound in pause
On some Compact Disc Players, you may hear a
slight ticking sound when the disc is paused. This
is perfectly normal and does not indicate a fault in
your 606. |
11 Cleaning
The main body of the 606 is anodised aluminium.
To clean the case, use a cloth barely moistened
with water.
Disconnect the power cord before cleaning the
unit. Ensure that no water is allowed to get inside
the case and do not re-connect the power until
you are certain that the 606 is completely dry.
3
The display panel is glass, the key pad is
plastic with gold plated buttons. Use a barely
damp chamois leather on these areas.
Do not use abrasive cleaners on any part of the
606.
The connectors on the rear of the 606 are gold-
plated and need no cleaning if gold-plated phono
plugs are used. Otherwise, we recommend that
you remove and replace the plug at least once a
year. A proprietary contact cleaner can be used to
some advantage.
12 Help
Even the most experienced user can run into
finger trouble’. This section is designed to help
you when things do not appear to be working
normally.
If no sound can be heard from your loudspeakers,
the most likely causes are:
= No power is reaching the 606 or the entire sys-
tem
= The audio cable between the 606 and your
preamplifier has become disconnected
‘= The preamplifier is not turned on
“ The preamplifier is not set to the correct input
or is in tape-monitoring mode
= The volume control is set to its minimum or is
in ‘mute’ condition
= No lock
13 Maintenance & Service
The Meridian 600-Series of hi-fi components have
been carefully designed to give years of un-
troubled service. There are no user-serviceable
parts inside the case, nor do the units require any
form of maintenance.
In the unlikely event that your 606 Digital con-
verter fails to function correctly it should be
returned, in its original packing, to your Meridian
dealer.
In case of difficulty, please write to:
= In the UK, Boothroyd Stuart Lid.
- 13 Clifton Road, Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire, PE18 7EJ.
= Inthe USA, Meridian America Inc.
14120-K Sullyfield Circle, Chantiliy, VA 22021
Tel (703) 818 3028, Fax (703) 830 7825
= Outside the UK, contact the importing agent for
the territory. A list of Meridian agents abroad is
available from the above addresses.
No responsibility can be accepted for the 606
whilst in transit to the factory or an agent and
customers are, therefore, advised to insure the
unit.
606 Page 3
14 Guarantee
The 606 Digital Converter is guaranteed against
defects in material and workmanship for 12
months from the date of purchase.
The guarantee is void if it has been subjected
to misuse, accident or negligence, or has been in
any way modified without the written authorisation
of Boothroyd Stuart Lid. Attempted servicing by
unauthorised people may also invalidate this guar-
antee.
Labour and carriage charges are not covered
unless by local agreement.
When seeking service under guarantee, proof
of the date of purchase will be required.
Outside the UK, local warranty liability is
restricted to equipment purchased within the terri-
tory. Our agents abroad are only under con-
tractual obligation to service under guarantee
equipment sold through them. They are entitled to
make a non-refundable charge for any service
carried out on other equipment.
This guarantee does not limit your statutory
rights within the United Kingdom.
15 Radio interference
NOTE the 606 is a digital audio device which has
been designed to very high standards of Elec-
tromagnetic compatibility.
FCC WARNING: This equipment generates, uses
and can radiate radio-frequency energy and, if not
installed and used Correctly in accordance with
our instructions, may cause interference to radio
communications or radio and television reception.
It has been type-tested and complies with the
limits set out in:
= Subpart J, Part 15 of FCC Rules for a Class B
computing device.
These limits are intended to provide reasonable
protection against such interference in home in-
stallations.
If this equipment does cause or suffer from inter-
ference to/from radio or television reception, then
the following measures should be tried:
" Reorient the receiving antenna or route the
antenna cable of the receiver as far as possible
from the 606 and its cabling.
« Ensure that the receiver uses well-screened
antenna cable.
= Relocate the receiver with respect to the 606.
» Connect the receiver and the 606 to different
AC outlets.
« If the problem persists, contact your dealer.
EEC This product has been designed to comply
with EN55013 and EN55020.
REMEMBER to switch off ali units before chang-
ing any connections.
606 Page 4
16 A brief history of 606
Meridian were the first company in the field to
work successfully on an enthusiast's CD player,
and achieved world recognition for the classic
MCD player. A professional version of the MCD,
the PRO-MCD followed and is still widely used in
recording studios today. The 207 and 206 fo!-
lowed, and were considered to be among the
finest CD players available in the worid at any
price.
The 208 was the next step in the continuing
evolution, and incorporated all of Meridian's expe-
rience coupled with the latest technological in-
novations including differential Bitstream Conver-
sion and third-generation decoding and servo
techniques. These changes, pioneered by
Meridian further improved sound quality and of-
fered much faster operation. a
The 203 Digital Converter was the logical de-
velopment of the pioneering work that Meridian
have done. Users of other manufacturers Com-
pact Disc players and digital equipment can uplift
the performance of their audio system to Meridian
standards. |
The 606 Digital Converter is developed from
the 203 as a high quality outboard Bitstream con-
verter with two optical and two electrical inputs. It
is designed as part of the 600-series to Provide
the highest quality audio from any digital source.
17 Specification
Frequency response 20Hz — 20KHz + 0.2dB
Distortion <0.004%
Noise <94dB |
Conversion Bitstream PDM, differential
time-aligned mode. 256
times over-sampling, 2
bits. Passive filtering.
Precision 16 bits
Inputs 32kHz + 50ppm
44.1kHz + 100ppm
48kHz + 100ppm
Cable inputs D1, D2, IEC958, 750hm
Optical inputs OPT 1, OPT 2, EIAJ
Output Fixed 2V, 12 ohms
Display 48kHz, 32kHz, 44kHz, EQ,
Dig 1, Dig 2, Opt 1, Opt 2,
Phase indicators
Finish Black anodised aluminium
and glass
325mm x 100mm x
320mm
(12.9" x 3.9" x 12.6")
6.4 kg (14 Ibs)
Dimensions
Weight
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18 Index
About this manual, 2
About the 600-series, 3
Accessories, 5
Cleaning, 11
Connections, 6.2
Conventions, 2.1
Digital connection, 6.6
D1 input, 9.1.1
D2 input, 9.1.2
D600 Digital audio loudspeakers, 6.4
EEC, 15
EQ, 9.2
FCC, 15
Guarantee, 14
General precautions, 6.1
History of 606, 16
Help, 12
Installing the 606
Introduction, 1
Maintenance, 13
Operation, 9.1
OPT 1 input, 9.1.3
OPT 2 input, 9.1.4
Phase, 9.1.5
Promlems, 8.3, 10
Radio interference, 15
Service, 13
Setting up the 606, 8
Siting, 7
Specification, 17
Standby, 8.4
Unpacking, 4
Using the 606, 9
Waranty, 14
201 Preamplifier, 6.3, 6.4
D600 Digital Audio Loudspeaker, 6.4
606 Page 5
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