Instruction Manual for DAC3 HGC and DAC3 L with 2.X Firmware Page 17
HT Mode
The HT mode sets the volume control to a
calibrated level that is near its maximum
setting.
The HT mode has three distinct applications:
• Volume Control Bypass - useful
when the system has an upstream
digital volume control or a downstream
analog volume control
• Home Theater Bypass - allows high-
quality stereo playback on a system
that is also used for surround
applications
• Calibrated Output - useful in studio
applications where calibrated levels
are needed
In HT mode the analog gain is set to 0 dB
(unity gain, RCA to RCA). Digital inputs are
calibrated to +24 dBu at 0 dBFS (+4 dBu at
-20 dBFS) measured at the XLR outputs, and
2 Vrms measured at the RCA outputs. The HT
light is illuminated when the HT mode is
active.
Enabling the HT mode:
Each input channel can be programmed
individually by pressing and holding the
MUTE button for three seconds. The HT
mode is similar to the CALIBRATED switch
setting on the DAC1 except that the HT
mode can be programmable separately for
each input. This flexibility allows seamless
integration into home theater systems where
the DAC3 handles the main left and right
channels.
HT Mode - Volume Control Bypass
The HT mode is useful whenever the system
volume will be controlled before or after the
DAC3. It is usually best to avoid having two
cascaded volume controls in a playback
system. Dual controls will usually degrade the
noise performance of the system and they
can lead to confusion.
Tip: If the DAC3 feeds a preamplifier, the HT
mode would need to be turned on individually
for each input. Consider using the
COMPATIBILITY mode instead. The
COMPATIBILITY mode places all inputs into
the HT mode while also disabling the MUTE
and DIM controls.
If the DAC3 is directly feeding an amplifier,
but one or more sources have volume
controls, the sources with volume controls
can be set to HT mode.
Example 1: The USB input is fed from a
computer that has an internal digital volume
control. If you wish to use the volume control
in the computer exclusively, you will want to
program the USB input with the HT mode on.
All other inputs will have the HT mode turned
off. If you do not wish to use the computer
volume control, leave the HT mode off and
disable the computer volume control (or set it
to maximum).
Example 2: One of the analog inputs on the
DAC3 is fed from a preamplifier and the
preamplifier is being used to control the
system playback. Set this analog input to HT
mode on.
HT Mode - Home Theater Bypass
The home theater bypass is useful when you
have a home theater system that will also be
used for playing stereo recordings. The DAC3
will directly drive the left and right power
amplifiers while the AVR drives all other
speakers. The analog left and right line-level
outputs of the AVR will be connected to one
set of analog inputs on the DAC3 (usually
A1). Stereo sources will be connected directly
to the digital inputs on the DAC3. Surround
sources will be connected directly to the
inputs on the AVR.
When playing stereo recordings, digital feeds
are sent directly to the DAC3 and the volume
control on the DAC3 is used to control the
playback level (HT mode must be off on all
digital inputs). This configuration gives the
best-possible performance for stereo
applications because it eliminates the AVR
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