heed Abacus_S Digital To Analogue Converter Owner’s Manual
- June 14, 2024
- Heed
Table of Contents
heed Abacus_S Digital To Analogue Converter
Precautions
Instructions| All safety and operating instructions should be read and adhered
to exactly as written here or as depicted on the unit. Please retain for
future reference
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Water and moisture| The unit should not be used near water – that is, near a
bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or swimming
pool, etc.
Ventilation| The unit should be situated so that its location or position does
not interfere with its ventilation. For example, the unit should not be placed
on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface, that may block the ventilation
openings; or placed in a built-in installation, such as bookcase or cabinet
that may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings.
Heat| The unit should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators,
stoves, etc.
Power-cord protection| Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are
not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them,
paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and
the point where they exit from the unit.
Lightning| For added protection during a lightning storm, or when left
unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug the unit from the wall
outlet. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-
line surges.
Object and liquid entry| Care should be taken so that objects do not fall into
and liquids are not spilled into the inside of the unit. For this reason, no
objects filled with liquid, such as vases or drinking glasses should be placed
on the equipment.
Damage requiring service| The unit should be serviced by qualified service
personnel when:
- The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged
- Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the unit
- The unit has been exposed to rain
- The unit does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a change in performance-
The unit has been dropped, or the cabinet damaged
The Abacus d/a converter do not have any user serviceable parts. It is essential that repairs and updates are only carried out by our authorised trade partners – distributors and dealers -, or at the factory by Heed Audio itself. Many components are custom made, tested or matched and appropriate replacements are often unobtainable from other sources.
Therefore, users should not attempt to service the units beyond those means described in the operating instructions, or under any circumstances allow anyone to modify them. Unautrorised repairs or modifications will invalidate the guarantee of the units.
Grounding or polarization| Precautions should be taken so that the grounding
or polarization is not defeated.
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| All Heed components are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a domestic installation. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
your Abacus does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning off and on, you are encouraged to try to
correct the interference by owner more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna;
- the separation between amplifier and receiver (radio tuner, television set, etc.)
- Connect the equipment into a power outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected;
- your Heed dealer or any experienced radio/TV technician for help
Maintenance/cleaning| It is recommended to dust the equipment from time to time with a soft dry cloth.
Maintenance/cleaning Do not use cleaning solvents or abrasives for cleaning!
Always switch off and unplug he unit from the power supply when cleaning!
Controls and connections
Important note
always turn off the device and wait 2 minutes before changing any cable connection in your system
Installation
The installation procedure is straight-forward enough that you may install your new Abacus yourself by following the instructions contained herein. Should any problems be experienced which are not covered here, contact your local dealer. If you are unable to do so, or problems persist, however, do not hesitate to contact our distributor / reseller in your country (see our website) or us directly at Heed Audio.
Unpacking
When opening the cardboard and unpacking the unit, you will find following items being supplied with: Heed Abacus d/a converter, remote control handset, IEC-norm mains power cord, Owner`s manual
Placement
In common with all high-quality audiophile equipment, the Abacus performs optimally when positioned on it sown individual mounting surface, ideally a light rigid structure. There are many purpose built examples readily available from all better dealers.
Always allow adequate ventilation with sufficient airflow around the unit, do not mount on soft surfaces, for example, carpets or soft fabrics.
Connection to mains supply
Before performing any connections or disconnections ensure that the power on/off switch of the unit is in off position.
Always check that the voltage and frequency of the mains supply corresponds to the specifications as labeled on the unit.
- Connect the power cord`s IEC type plug into the power inlet connector of the Abacus.
- Connect the power cord`s mains plug to your power outlet (mains wall connector).
Input connections
The Abacus S has 5+1 digital input connectors.
Number 1 to 5 inputs are standard built-in connections. See specifications for
data of the inputs. Number 6 input is dedicated for the expansion card. When
no card is fitted, this input is inactive. The specifications of input 6 are
detailed in the manual of the expansion card.
The installation of the expansion card can be made by an authorized Heed
dealer only.
If an STR network card is installed, connect either the ETHERNET adaptor (included) or the WIFI adaptor(optional) to the USB A connector of the AUX input. In case of the ETHERNET adaptor, connect an ETHERNET cable to the adaptor and connect this cable to your router/modem.
Never connect line level analog signal into the coaxial connectors of the Abacus.
line-level output connection
Your Abacus has a pair of RCA line-level analog outputs. This output has no volume control, therefore do not connect a power amplifier directly to these outputs.
Operation
When all steps of installation are correctly completed, your Abacus is ready for action!
Turn down the volume control of your amplifier to the minimum setting Switch
on your desired source components.
Switch on your Abacus with the power switch on the rear panel and allow some
time (5-10 minutes minimum) for warming up.
If your unit was transported or stored in cold environment allow it to warm up to room temperature before switching on!
Input selection
The input you`d like to listen to can be selected either with the front panel input selector buttons or with the reinput up ( ) or input down ( ) buttons of the remote control handset. The numbered front panel buttons are:
- coaxial 1 (RCA)
- coaxial 2 (BNC)
- optical 1
- optical 2
- USB
- network
The active input changes automatically to input 6. if a playback is started
with a connected streaming app*.
*Streaming app: for Android or iPhone, for Android tab or iPad
Display
If the Abacus is locked onto a digital audio signal, the display can show you its actual sampling frequency. There are three display modes, which can be rotated through with the ( D ) button of the remote control.
- input name and frequency
- input name
- number of the input only
Menu
Through the menu system you can adjust some extra sound options of the Abacus.
The menu is accessible by pressing the (MENU) button of the remote
control.
The main functions (upper row) can be chosen by the ( ) and ( ) buttons. By
pressing the button you can access the(MENU) second level options. These
can be selected by the ( ) and ( ) buttons, and they are taking effect
immediately.
You can exit the menu by pressing the (MENU) button again. The menu system is the following:
FILTER MODE
sharp : linear phase fast roll-off filter
soft : linear phase slow roll-off filter
SD hard : short delay fast roll-off filter
SD soft : short delay slow roll-off filter
VOLUME (only active when STR card is installed)
to max : reset volume to max on all inputs
exit : leave menu without changing volume
WIFI REG (only active when STR card with Wifi adaptor is installed and
input 6 is selected)
WPS mode : start WPS discovery (60 seconds)
soft AP : start soft AP mode for direct connection
The device volume can be set by a connected STR module and active player
application. The choosen volume
level is stored and applied to all inputs equally. If the device is not
connected to the network,
the ’VOLUME’ – ’to max’ option of the menu can restore the original maximum
volume.
For Wifi connection with WPS , push WPS button on your router/modem, then
select ’WIFI REG’ – ’WPS mode’
in the menu. The Abacus will try to connect to your network, and display
’WIFI’ when the connection is active.
SoftAP mode creates a temporary Wifi network, the SSID name starts with
’Abacus_ ’
- creates a temporary Wifi network, the SSID name starts with ’
password.’ - In the control app ( mConnect control, or control HD ), select the ’ ’ tab, and choose ’ HEED Abacus ’.
- Select the ’Play ’ tab, and with the gear icon, select ’device Setup ’ and ’Wifi network selection ’.
- Choose your Wifi network from the list, type in your password, and connect. The connection process may take some minutes. When the connection becomes active, the display shows ’WIFI’.
- Reconnect your mobile device to your network.
- Select and refresh the ’Play to’ tab in the control app, and choose ’HEED Abacus’.
troubleshooting
no power, no lights| connect the mains supply chord and switch on the mains
still not OK? disconnect the mains chord then check the fuse on the back
pineland replace it with the same rated one if it is blown
still not OK? test your mains socket with an other appliance and if it does
knotwork either check your household fuse or contact your electrician
still not ok ?
contact your heed dealer
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no sound from the output or volume is low| turn on your source component,
select the corresponding input, be sure your amplifier is not muted and the
correct input is selected, then apply some volume
still not ok ? check the connections go to and from the d/a converter
still not ? with STR card, check the volume with a player app or reset volume
Still not ok?
contact your heed dealer
the display does not show the sample rate| check every digital connections and
be sure your source devices turned on and playing
still not ok ? change the display mode to see the the sample rate
still not ok?
make sure that the source format is compatible with the Abacus
still not ok
contact your heed dealer
the sound is OK but the display is not working properly| change onto another
input and back, see if the display works as it should
still not ok?
switch off the Abacus, wait a minute and switch it on again. If this solves
the problem, you probably connected or disconnected cable in your system with
the Abacus turned on, or there is a chance that your system has some grounding
issues. Please check it.
still not OK?
contact your heed dealer
rc handset does not work| do not block the front panel area of your d/a
converter
still not ok? change your RC handset batteries with the same type
still not ok? contact your heed dealer
troubles during Wifi setup| check your Wifi router/modem, verify that your
network is active
still not OK? if WPS mode does not connect within 60 seconds, try the process
again
still not OK? if the network start with ’Abacus_’ cannot be found with your
mobile device in soft AP mode, restart the Abacus and try again the process
still not OK? contact your heed dealer
any other abnormal activity| restart the Abacus
still not OK? contact your heed dealer
specifications
inputs:| 1 RCA coaxial S/PDIF input
1 BNC coaxial S/PDIF input
2 Toslink optical input
1 asynchronous USB input
1 auxiliary input for expansion card
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outputs:| 1 pair RCA line level analog output
output level:| 2.1 Vrms
frequency response:| 3 Hz – (depends on sample rate)
DSD filter frequency:| 50 kHz standard Scarlet Book
sampling frequencies BNC, RCA, optical:| 32 / 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 /
192 kHzmax. 24bit PCM
asynchronous USB:| 32 / 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 /352.8 / 384 kHz
max. 32bit PCMand 64 / 128 DoP DSD
network (optional card):| 32 / 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 /352.8 /
384 kHz max. 32bit PCMand 64 / 128 / 256 native DSD
max consumption:| 50 VA
weight:| 4.5 kg
dimensions:| 22 x 8.7 x 32.5 cm (W x H x D)
heed audio factory contact
Heed Audio Kft. (Ltd.)
Reviczky Gyula u. 5-15H-1181 Budapest
Hungary
Tel/fax: +36 1 294 7401
[email protected]
www.heedaudio.com
Distributor contact
Warranty
Service enquiries in countries with appointed distributor should be addressed
first to the supplying dealer and/or Heed Distributor.
Warranties granted in these countries are entirely at the discretion of
distributor.
Factory warranty
If within three years of the purchase date your Heed Abacus proves to be
defective foray reason other than accident, misuse, neglect, unauthorised
modification or fairer and tear, Heed Audio Ltd. will, at its discretion,
replace the faulty parts without charge for labour. This factory warranty is
valid only for units sold into countries with no appointed Heed Distributor.
