SCHIIT SYN Analog Surround Sound Processor User Manual

SCHIIT SYN Analog Surround Sound Processor

Product Information Surround Set Free

The Surround Set Free is a versatile device that provides exceptional all-in- one performance. It can be used for surround sound, stereo sound, and as a remote-controlled DAC and preamp. The device works with any source and won’t go obsolete when standards change. It is easy to use and doesn’t promote fiddling and nervosa. The device has a mic input for gaming and is a powerful discrete headphone amp.

Surround Basics

The Surround Set Free can be used in a Media Room or Living Room, Desktop, or Listening Room. It requires up to 6 speakers – Main Left and Right, Surround Left and Right, Center, and Subwoofer. However, you don’t need to use all of these speakers if you don’t want to. The device provides line-level output, not speaker-level output, so you need amplification. The device can be connected to digital or analog sources.

WHERE TO USE
Surround doesn’t have to be confined to a home theater. You can set up surround in:

• Media Room or Living Room. Pair with a smart TV or projector and add new excitement to movies, shows, and games.
• Desktop. Add speakers to extend games, shows, and movies off the desktop.
• Listening Room. Syn is a serious remote control preamp—that can also add surround to a serious stereo rig.

WHAT YOU NEED

1. Up to 6 speakers:
   Main Left and Right. These are the main stereo speakers that go in front of you. Surround Left and Right. These go behind the listening area to provide ambience. Center. This goes between the main speakers to provide a solid center image for movies and shows. Subwoofer. This brings the boom.
   Important : you don’t need to use all of these speakers if you don’t want to. If your mains are big, you may not need a sub. If you’re using surround for stereo, you may not want a center. Feel free to experiment. You can’t hurt anything!

2. Amps for your speakers.
   Or powered speakers. Syn provides line-level output, not speaker-level output. So you need amplification.

3. Digital or analog sources.
   Optical out from a smart TV (set to 2-channel PCM, see Connections) is the typical source for shows or movies, but you can can use USB from your computer or analog in from any other line-level source (DAC, phono preamp, CD player, etc.).

Stereo Basics

The Surround Set Free is an excellent remote control DAC/preamp  for serious stereo listening. It provides exceptional all-in-one performance with an ESS DAC, discrete main channels, and high-quality parts throughout. The device can be used in a dedicated listening room, media room, living room, or anywhere you want great sound. It requires at least 2 speakers – Main Left and Right, but maybe 4 or 5. You can also add Surround Left and Right speakers and a Subwoofer if you want to.

Syn is an excellent remote control DAC/preamp for serious stereo listening. With an ESS DAC, discrete main channels, and high-quality parts throughout (including Alps potentiometers, thin-film resistors, and film capacitors), it provides exceptional all-in-one performance. You can use Syn in a dedicated listening room, media room, living room, or anywhere you want great sound. In other words, if you don’t want to use the surround part of Syn, you don’t have to! Or…being evil, you can, and discover how much stereo can be augmented by ambience

WHAT YOU NEED

1. At least 2 speakers (but maybe 4 or 5).
2. Main Left and Right. These are the main stereo speakers that go in front of you.
3. Surround Left and Right. These go behind the listening area to provide ambience.
4. Subwoofer. This brings the boom. If you need it. If you want it. Your choice. No pressure.
5. Amps for your speakers. Or powered speakers. Syn provides line-level output, not speaker-level output. So you need amplification.
6. Digital or analog sources. Connect a streamer or computer via USB, add a TV or CD player via optical, choose analog in from your turntable…or use all 3. Syn works with any digital or analog stereo source.

It’s totally OK to use Syn for a dedicated headphone system. With a fully discrete, high-powered headphone amp stage that includes optional processing to make headphone listening more speaker-like, Syn is a great choice for dedicated headphone listening. Or, being realistic, the headphone output is more than fantastic for late-night movies and gaming.

Product Usage Instructions Surround Set Free

1. Read the instructions before proceeding farther and follow all instructions.
2. Heed all warnings.
3. Do not expose the device to rain or moisture to reduce the risk of fire or electric shock.
4. Choose where to use the Surround Set Free device – Media Room or Living Room, Desktop, or Listening Room.
5. Connect the required number of speakers – Main Left and Right, Surround Left and Right, Center, and Subwoofer.
6. Connect the amps for your speakers or powered speakers. The device provides line-level output, not speaker-level output, so you need amplification.
7. Connect the digital or analog sources. Optical out from a smart TV (set to 2-channel PCM) is the typical source for shows or movies, but you can also use USB from your computer or analog in from any other line-level source (DAC, phono preamp, CD player, etc.).
8. The device can be used for surround sound or stereo sound.
9. Experiment with the number of speakers you want to use. You can use all the required speakers or only a few.
10. Use the device as a remote-controlled DAC and preamp for serious stereo listening.

INTRODUCTION

Surround set free? Big words, but consider: Syn works with any source and won’t go obsolete when standards change. It works in your media room and on your desktop. It’s easy to use and doesn’t promote fiddling and nervosa. And, here’s the thing: Syn is also a remote-controlled DAC and preamp…and it’s a powerful discrete headphone amp. And it has a mic input for gaming. Use it for movies and shows, use it for plain ‘ol stereo, use it to extend the gaming experience, use it to sit back and enjoy your favorite headphones…Syn is a universal device. Welcome to Syn. And welcome to the freedom to explore a whole new world of sound.

The following is required by the roughly 9,542 government agencies and regulations we have to comply with. If you have some common sense, they should seem pretty straightforward. In any case, read these instructions before proceeding farther, follow all instructions, and heed all warnings. Or else!

1. If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a qualified professional to help.
2. Never use this device near water, and clean only with a dry cloth.
3. Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation openings, or place near heat sources.
4. Use only the supplied power cord or suitable replacement. Route cords away from traffic areas and protect them from being pinched. Unplug the cord from the outlet if the apparatus is unused for a long period of time.
5. To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be fully inserted.
6. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Service is required when the device has been damaged, including cord or plug damage, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the device, the device has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

WARNING : TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS DEVICE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE

HEADPHONE BASICS

It’s totally OK to use Syn for a dedicated headphone system. With a fully discrete, high-powered headphone amp stage that includes optional processing to make headphone listening more speaker-like, Syn is a great choice for dedicated headphone listening. Or, being realistic, the headphone output is more than fantastic for late-night movies and gaming.

WHAT YOU NEED

1. Headphones.
2. As many speakers as you want. Syn is still a universal device, so if you want to add powered speakers to complete a desktop, or go nuts and have a full surround system, you can totally do it.
3. Main Left and Right. These are the main stereo speakers that go in front of you.
4. Surround Left and Right. These go behind the listening area to provide ambience
5. Center. This goes between the main speakers to provide a solid center image for movies and shows.
6. Subwoofer. This brings the boom.
7. Amps for your speakers. Or powered speakers. Syn provides line-level output, not speaker-level output. So you need amplification.
8. Digital or analog sources. Connect a streamer or computer via USB, add a TV or CD player via optical, choose analog in from your turntable…or use all 3. Syn works with any digital or analog stereo source.

CONNECTION

INPUTS

1. USB Digital Input. Connect a USB source here. Our USB input is compatible with all modern streamers, computers, tablets, phones, and many consoles without drivers. You’ll need a USB-C terminated cable on our side, with the other side to match your source.

2. Optical Digital Input. Connect an optical source here. You’ll need a digital optical cable, preferably less than 3m in length. An “optical source” means, typically, a TV*, though you can also use any audio device with 2-channel SPDIF audio output, like a CD player.

3. Analog Input. Connect any analog source here using good-quality RCA cables. Already have a DAC you want to use? Connect it here. Any fixed-level analog source will work fine.
   IMPORTANT : Your TV may need to be set to “2-channel PCM” or “Stereo” output in order to get sound out of it. Using “Surround” or “5.1” or “Multichannel” will not work. You’ll have to go through the Sound menu to find these settings. For help on a specific TV, contact the manufacturer
   OUTPUTS

4. Main Output. Connect these outputs to the amplifier feeding your main stereo speakers. You know, the ones in front, to the right and left of your typical listening position. Or, connect to your powered main speakers if that’s how you roll.

5. Surround Output. Connect these outputs to the amplifier feeding your surround speakers. Those are the ones behind you. You don’t need to put them to either side of you, they can just be behind the main listening area. You can also connect these to powered speakers, too.

6. Center Output. Connect this to the amplifier or amp channel feeding your center speaker. That’s the one right in the center, in front of you. Again, you can connect directly to a powered center channel too.

7. Subwoofer Output. Connect this to the “LFE” input on a powered sub. If your subwoofer doesn’t have an LFE input, connect it to the MONO input or use an RCA Y-cable to connect to both left and right RCA inputs.
   POWER

8. Power Switch. This won’t do anything unless the power cable is plugged in, but when it is, up is on, down is off. It’s OK to leave Syn on all the time if you want. That’s fine. It runs a bit warm. That’s fine too.

9. Power Cable Input. Plug in the barrel cable from the supplied wall-wart here, and plug the wall-wart into the wall. Don’t use any other power adapter. Syn uses an AC power adapter of 14-16VAC, 1-2A, and will not work with DC wall warts.

CONTROLS

1. Input Select. Press the button to choose which input you want to listen to—USB, Optical, or Analog. The light to the right of the button will indicate your current input. The light to the current input will flash if the input is muted. Mute is only available thru the remote.
2. Mode Select. Press the button to choose the mode. The lights to the right will indicate the mode.
3. No lights : stereo output only, all surround channels off, no processing
4. Left light only : surround channels on, no processing of main channels
5. Right light only : surround channels off, Width and Presence controls on and will affect main channels. This mode accessed only through the remote.
6. Both lights : surround channels on, Width and Presence controls on; main channels affected by Width and Presence.
7. Headphone Jack. Plug headphones here to listen in private. Or semi-private if they are open back. Plugging in headphones will mute all other outputs. When headphones are plugged in and Width and Presence controls are enabled, frequency shaping is used to simulate a crossfeed effect when using the Width control.
8. Surround Level. Controls the output level of the surround channels relative to the master volume. Start around the center; that’s usually pretty close for most systems. Adjust to produce desired ambience.
9. Center Level. Controls the output level of the center channel. Start around the center; that usually close. Adjust to produce a solid center image for voice and vocals.
10. Master Volume. Controls the volume of all channels: Surround, Center, and Sub. Turn up to increase volume. Turn down to decrease volume. Simple as that. It’s also adjustable via the remote control.
11. Width. Increases or decreases apparent stereo separation to widen or narrow the soundstage.
12. Turn to the right to widen the stage. This is very useful for solidifying the center image for movies and shows when using a center channel
13. Turn to the left to narrow the stage. This is very useful for decreasing the “in your head” feeling of headphone listening.
14. Presence. Increases or decreases the presence region to bring vocals closer or farther away.
15. Turn to the left to decrease the vocal presence region and move voices back
16. Turn to the right to move voices forward.
17. Very useful when meshing a center channel with main channels, and reducing the super-irritating super-forward super-quacky sound that some audio engineers love to inflict on main dialogue.
18. Microphone Input. If you have a gaming headset with an electret microphone, you can plug the microphone side in here.

REMOTE CONTROL

1. Volume. Press the up button to increase volume, press the down button to lower it. The knob on the front of Syn will turn as the volume potentiometer rotates. We like simple mechanical stuff like that.
2. Input Select. Press the button to step through the inputs: USB, Optical, and Analog. Keep pressing and it’ll come back around again.
3. Process. Press this button to turn on the surround channels. This mode just adds channels; it doesn’t mess with the mains at all. Press again to turn off the surround channels.
4. Shape. Press to enable shaping of all channels with the Width and Presence controls. These controls will affect the main channels as well as the surround channels. They also affect the headphone output.
5. Mute. Press to mute Syn. The current input will flash its front panel light when it is muted. Press again to unmute.

Battery. The battery slides out from a tray at the bottom of the remote. Replace it with the same type when the remote stops working.

Additional remote functions. It is possible to adjust Center Level, Surround Level, Width, and Presence via the remote. However, it requires a spouse or child who can adjust it for you while you listen. We apologize for the inconvenience, but a Syn with 5 motorized controls would be a much larger and more expensive device.

WARRANTY

Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be free from defects in material and workmanship for two (2) years from the date of purchase. If a defect covered by this warranty occurs during this period, Schiit Audio will repair the defective product, free of charge. Date of purchase will be based on customer receipts, otherwise date of manufacturing will be used. If you believe you need warranty service, contact us first. Schiit Audio products sent back to us without a Return Authorization (RA) will be returned to the sender without repair. To contact us and obtain an RA, email info@schiit.com. Warranty Limitations. This warranty shall not apply if a product: (a) is modified or tampered with; (b) is damaged by negligence, accident, unreasonable use, or other causes unrelated to defective materials or workmanship, or (c) has had the serial number altered or removed. Any implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are hereby limited in duration to the warranty period of 5 years. In no event shall Schiit Audio be liable for consequential or incidental damages resulting from the breach of any implied or expressed warranties. Some states do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply to you. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state or province to province.

IN THE BOX

• (1) Syn
• (1) Wall-wart
• (1) USB A-C cable
• (Various) Stickers and stuff
• (Infinite) Appreciation from the whole Schiit crew in Corpus Christi, TX and Valencia, CA

This product is in compliance with standards and regulations of the European Community.

• SCHIIT.COM
• INFO@SCHIIT.COM

References

• Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in Texas and California

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