SCHIIT URD CD Transport and Unison USB Hub User Manual

: June 12, 2024
: SCHIIT

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
CONNECTIONS
OPERATION
DISPLAY
REMOTE
FAQ
WARRANTY
IN THE BOX
References
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SCHIIT URD CD Transport and Unison USB Hub User Manual

INTRODUCTION

CD transport and USB hub? Yes. Not only is Urd the only CD player with Unison USB™ output, it also has two Unison USB inputs. So feel free to mix it up—spin CDs, enjoy your streamer, and connect a tablet or computer or phone, too. It even converts to SPDIF! Kinda crazy? Nah, it’s just the one product you need to tie all your digital together.

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

INTRODUCTION

If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a qualified professional to help.
Never use this device near water, and clean only with a dry cloth.
Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation openings, or place near heat sources.
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.
To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be fully inserted.
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.

CONNECTIONS

Power switch. Up is on, down is off.
It only works when it’s on.
AC input. Connect the supplied AC cord here, or Urd won’t work even if the power switch is on.
SPDIF Outputs
AES digital output. Urd outputs digits just fine using the older AES and SPDIF standards. If you have a DAC with an AES input, connect it here using an XLR cable.
Coax digital output. Connect any DAC with a coax input using an RCA cable.
USB Output
USB output. Urd also outputs digits using USB—Unison USB, in fact. Connect to any DAC that supports UAC2, as in, USB Audio Class 2, the standard of the industry for USB audio transmission.
USB Inputs
and 7 USB inputs. Inputs? Yes, inputs.
Connect any streamer, computer, tablet or phone here so you can play them through the Urd’s USB or SPDIF outputs, for a complete digital hub.

OPERATION

CD Tray. Put your CD in here. After ejecting the tray, that is. And by “CD,” we mean Redbook CD, not some weirdo thing with SACD or MP3s or FLAC on it. And no, it’s not for holding your coffee mug either.
CD CONTROLS
Stop/Eject. Press once to stop the CD.
Press and hold to eject the CD.
Skip Back/Fast Reverse. Press to skip to the previous track when a CD is playing.
Press and hold for fast reverse. And yes, we know it takes a while to switch to fast reverse. Relax, guys. This is a spinning disc with physical momentum. It’s not a bajillion gigahertz modern processor, tuned to anticipate your touch. This is how these things work. Heck, you probably don’t even remember rewinding VHS tapes. Sheesh.
Skip Forward/Fast Forward. Press to skip to the next track when a CD is playing. Press and hold for fast forward.
Play. Press to play a CD. Press again to pause. Press a third time to play again. Sit back and remember the glory days of the 1980s and 1990s, when people weren’t glued to their phones and screens were in living rooms, not in cars.
Remote sensor. Don’t block this if you want the remote to work.
INPUT / OUTPUT CONTROLS
Input Select. Press to cycle through the inputs—CD, USB1, and USB2. The selected input will be displayed on (9), the display.
Don’t see the input you want? Keep pressing, and it’ll cycle back to it.
Please note that USB inputs that are disconnected or problematic will display a “USB connection broken” icon rather than a USB icon.
If you see this icon:

It means your source isn’t connected.
Alternately, it may be connected with a bad or incompatible cable or cable adapter.
We recommend standard, minimum USB 2.0- compliant, USB C-C or A-C cables, not more than 2m in length. Try a different cable and a different source if you get this icon.

Output Select. Press to select the output you want to use: USB or SPDIF. Sorry, USB and SPDIF cannot be run simultaneously.
Display. Displays (duh) the input and output, as well as CD time (if you’re using a CD). See the next section for more info on the display icons.

DISPLAY

OMG look at this crazy thing. It only has icons and some numbers! It doesn’t even display the album art!
Relax. We made the icons super simple.
You’ll get the hang of it in no time.

CD DISPLAY

Input. In this case CD. It also shows the mode—CD stopped.
Total tracks and total time. This shows the number of tracks and total time.
Output. In this example, USB. Yes, a modern USB-C, because that’s what Urd uses.
Now, press Play on the CD, and it’ll change.
Input. Still on CD, but now it shows a play icon inside because it’s playing. It’ll show a pause icon inside when it’s paused, and fast-forward/fast-reverse when you’re using those functions.
Current track and time. Now it shows which track is playing (01) and the elapsed time (26 seconds).
Output. Now we’ve changed the output to SPDIF, just to mix things up.
See, pretty easy!
USB DISPLAY
Input. In this case, USB 1. There are two USB inputs: USB 1 and USB 2.
Output. In this case, SPDIF output. So, in this example, you’re using Urd to convert a USB input to SPDIF output, and there are no issues.
Now, let’s see what the issues look like.
Input. In this example, USB 2.The icon looks broken, though, because nothing is connected to USB 2, or it’s connected to a problematic USB cable or cable adapter. It’s always best to use a standard, professionally-made USB C-C or A-C cable capable of at least USB 2.0 minimum speed, 2m or less in length.
Output. In this case, we’ve selected USB output, but the DAC isn’t UAC2 compliant. If no DAC is connected via USB, you’ll get the “broken USB connection” icon. For non-UAC2 compliant DACs, you can switch to SPDIF output to accommodate its older design.

DISPLAY

REMOTE

Input Select. Press this button to select the input you want to listen to—CD, USB1, or USB2. If you skip the input, keep pressing—it cycles back around.
Output Select. Press to select output—USB or SPDIF.
Skip Back. Press to skip back to the previous track. Press and hold to fast reverse. This only works for CD, not your streamer or computer.
Skip Forward. Press to skip forward to the next track.
Press and hold to fast forward. Also only works for CD.
Play. Press to play the current CD. Press again to pause.
As with the Skip controls, this only works if there’s a CD in the tray and listening to CD.
Stop. Press to stop playing the current CD. Press and hold to eject the tray.

Changing the Battery

Flip the remote over to reveal a single hole on the back.
Push the remote open by inserting the end of an open paper clip into the hole in the back and pushing firmly. It’s held together with magnets.
Replace the battery inside with one of the same type.
Reassemble the remote by first inserting the clear LED in the front, then dropping the panel down onto the matching magnets. Press down gently to pop the panel in place.

FAQ

My source doesn’t show up;
I get the “broken USB connection” icon.

Your source isn’t connected to Urd, or you’re using a problematic cable or cable adapter.
Try a different USB cable (modern, nonaudiophile, free of adapters and band- aids).
All cables must meet a minimum of USB 2.0 specs.

My DAC doesn’t show up, I get the old-USB exclamation point icon.

All DACs must be UAC2 compliant. If you have an older DAC, especially one that needs drivers or cannot handle anything above 24/96 material, it may not be compatible. You can use Urd’s SPDIF output for those older DACs.

Why does everything have to be UAC2 compliant?

Because it is the international accepted standard for USB Audio. That’s why it’s called USB Audio Class 2. There’s no Class 3 or 4 or anything like that; Class 2 is all you need. All modern operating systems support UAC2, as well as the majority of DACs.

I don’t get any output.

If you don’t have the “broken USB connection” icon on your selected source, check:
Have you selected the right source? Is there a CD in the tray? Have you selected Urd’s USB input from your source? Is it selected in your player software (lots of software and streamers have separate output selection). Sorry, that last one bites us a lot too.

Can I convert USB to SPDIF with Urd?

Absolutely. Connect a compatible USB source and select SPDIF output. Great for older DACs that don’t support UAC2.

Why no optical output for SPDIF?

Because Mike Moffat said it sounds like ass and didn’t want any bad-sounding digital outputs on his USB hub.

Can I run both USB and SPDIF outputs simultaneously?

Nope, sorry, you have to pick one. This isn’t us being mean, it’s just we couldn’t find a good way to make this happen.

FAQ SOME MORE

Can I convert SPDIF to USB with Urd?

No, sorry. That’s a whole ‘nother thing. Think of Urd as the hub of a modern USB-centric system, where you have a couple of USB sources, but want to spin CDs from time to time. That’s the idea.

What kind of CDs can I spin?

CD CDs. As in, Redbook. As in, CDs you may have bought in the 1980s, or are collecting today for $0.50/lb from thrift stores. No MP3 burns, no FLAC CDs, no SACDs. Just CD CDs.

Why not SACDs?

Well, technically, Urd should play the CD layer of an SACD just fine, but that’s still just a CD, not the magic DSD stuff that some people really really like. Don’t blame us for this confusion or this limitation; SACD was a Sony wild-butthair idea a while back, and they’re still kinda tetchy about what plays it. Like, try to rip an SACD. Yeah, have fun with that. We’re just gonna stay out of it and concentrate on helping you enjoy your CDs.

I’m having trouble playing some CDs.
Unlike streamed music, CDs are physical
things, and subject to physical problems.
If your CDs are dirty, smudged, scratched,
chipped, or hazy from your misguided application of Armor-All in the 1990s (don’t ask), then they may not play well. Handle CDs carefully by the edges and clean with a nonabrasive cleaner if dirty.

This thing is, like, kinda slow.

Yes. This is normal for a CD transport.
This is a spinning mechanical thing that has to make changes that involve angular momentum, it’s not a disconnected and dispassionate flatscreen with more processing power than the entire world of 1984 had on hand. Slow down. Relax. Listen to whole albums. It may give you a new perspective on life.

It doesn’t turn on, what do I do?

Plug it in to a different AC socket. Ensure you are not currently in a blackout. Then email us if it still doesn’t work.

WARRANTY

Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be free from defects in material and workmanship for five (5) years from the date of purchase, with the exception of the drive mechanism, which is warranted for (2) years. 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.