WEISS Helios Reference Digital to Analogue Converter User Guide

WEISS Helios Reference Digital to Analogue Converter

The Helios

• The Helios is our new state of the art D/A converter with an unprecedented level of sophistication and versatility. With the Helios we are creating a new paradigm for what used to be a black box device.
• A typical D/A Converter is a ”set and forget” device. Not so with the Helios. It adds a number of interesting signal processing features and sports a variety of digital inputs. Balanced, unbalanced and headphone outputs are provided.
• Weiss Engineering has a 30 year history in D/A Converter design. In that time span we have learned a thing or two about converter design. The Helios is the essence of our experiences.
• The basic operation of the Helios is outlined in this Quick Start Guide. For all the powerful features of the Helios refer the Helios User Manual and White Papers mentioned below.

Quick Start Guide

This Quick Start Guide presents the first steps to set up the Helios unit. Further and more detailed informations about the Helios and its features can be found in the Helios User Manual and White Papers (see downloads 2.7).

Setting up the Helios hardware

• Carefully unpack the Helios unit. The following items should be included:

  • The Helios unit
  • This quick start guide with a warranty card
  • The HeliosUser Manual and White Papers
  •  An IR remote control unit

• After unpacking the Helios connect the necessary input/output cables at the back of the unit.

• Also connect the mains cable. The mains voltage is automatically sensed by the Helios. Mains voltages between 90V and 240V are allowed. No manual mains voltage selection is necessary.

• To switch on the unit press on the rotary knob on the faceplate or press the power on/off button on the IR remote (upper/left corner). Wait for about half a minute for the unit to boot.
  Note: Most of the parameters mentioned below can also be set via the Helios’s web interface. If you have connected your Helios with an Ethernet cable to a router unit you may access the Helios via web browser.

• Enter this URL into your browser:

  • helios-nnnn.local
  • nnnn is the serial number of your Helios unit. You see that number on the back of the unit.

Output section

• The Helios has one pair of XLR and RCA output sockets on the backpanel (fig. 2).
• The Helios features multiple possibilities to finetune your setup, one of which is to accomodate either speaker or headphone terminated setups. Therefor you may assign the output to an appropriate Output Termination:
  • Speakers
  • Headphones
• Each output termination selection has its own set of exclusive plugins.
• Select the active Output Termination either with the remote control (2.5, two top/middle keys) or via the touch screen by pressing on the red output icon to toggle between Speaker and Headphones termination.
• This icon represents the currently selected Output Termination.

• Most of the parameters in the Helios can be set differently between Speaker and Headphones termination (e.g. volume, output level, equalizer settings etc.) and will be consistently saved when switching between terminations.
• Typically the XLR/RCA output is used for Speaker terminated setups. This is the default assignment, but may be changed at will using the Webinterface or via the LCD display in menu section Setup > Output Termination or the red output icon in the LCD display main menu.

Output Level

• Be careful with the output level upon first operation. Best is to lower the level to a very low value with the rotary knob or via the remote control.
• The Helios has 8 coarse level settings (analog domain) to match the basic output level with the amplifier and headphone at hand.
• Each output and each of its termination settings can be set to different levels. Proceed as follows:
  • Select the output you would like to set (XLR/RCA or JACK)
  • Tap on the Setup pad on the touch screen
  • With the knob scroll the display such that you can see the Output Level entry
  •  Tap on the Output level pad in order to select one of the settings. 0dB is the highest level while -28dB is the lowest level.
• Now you may want to repeat that with the other output selected as the active output.

Selecting the input

• The input source can be selected by either tapping on the input pad on the touch screen or via the remote control. The following inputs can be selected:
  • XLR (XLR socket)
  • RCA (RCA socket)
  • TOS (optical socket)
  • USB (USB type B socket (quadratic shape), the type A socket is used for other purposes)
  • UPnP (Ethernet socket)
  • Roon Ready (Ethernet socket) (see 2.4.1)

• The XLR, RCA and TOS inputs are self-explanatory. USB input supports all operating systems:
  • macOS no driver required
  • Windows USB audio class device driver required (see downloads 2.7)
  • Linux no driver required
• For the UPnP input an application running on a tablet can be used to transfer files from a NAS unit to the Helios or to stream from e.g. Tidal directly to the Helios or to listen to web based radio stations. Suitable apps are:
  • for iPad: mconnectHD or Creation 5
  • for Android: BubbleUPnP

1. Roon Ready
   The Roon Core will acquire the Roon Ready Certified Helios when required and automatically select its Roon Ready input. No further user input is required.

IR Remote Control

• Most of the keys on the IR remote control are self-explanatory. Here are some additional remarks:
  • The two top/middle keys select the active Output Termination.
  • The polarity key changes the absolute polarity of the output signal. If this is engaged (i.e. signal is inverted), the level figure on the LCD display turns yellow.
  • The mute key when engaged mutes the output signal completely and the level figure on the LCD turns red.
  • The DSP presets keys select one of the presets stored in the DSP. Currently we do not have yet assembled any factory DSP presets, but you are welcome to do your own. More information on the DSP presets is given in the web interface chapter.

The Web Interface

• As mentioned above you may access the Helios via a web browser provided you have connected your Helios with an Ethernet cable to a Router unit. Enter this URL into your browser:
  • helios-nnnn.local
  • nnnn is the serial number of your Helios unit. You see that number on the back of the unit.
• The web interface is described in more detail in the User Manual and White Papers (see downloads 2.7).

Software Updates

• In the figure below you see a screen shot of the web interface. At the bottom there is a pad named Check for Update. If you tap on that the Helios checks whether there is any new firmware available to be downloaded.
• If this is the case the new firmware is listed and the pad changes to Download Update. If you tap on the pad the update will be downloaded. This may take some time depending on the speed of your Internet connection.
• Once the download has finished, the pad changes to Install Update. Again tap on the pad to install the downloaded firmware.
• This again takes a minute or two, just wait until the pad changes to Reboot with Update. Again tap on the pad to start rebooting the Helios unit.

Downloads
Files to download (manuals, white papers, device drivers,…) for the Helios can be found here:

• Downloads: https://weiss.ch/products/highend-hifi/helios/#downloads

Helios web interface

References

• BubbleUPnP for DLNA / Chromecast / Smart TV
• C5 - Creation
• Helios - reference digital to analogue converter - Weiss Engineering

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