Problems when I hook up DAC 1 to Music Hall a70.2 integrated amp when using XLR

Milito

I'm getting an error light on my DAC1 when I hook up the Audioquest XLR cable to my Music Hall a70.2. Here are pics of the back of each one. On the inputs on the remote I'm turning the Music Hall to the XLR setting and I get a red error light on the DAC1. Here's pics of the back of both units. Am I doing something wrong?

monepolk

I don't on either one of these but the XLR input on the DAC1 is for a digital source. What is your digital source. The BALANCED inputs on the 70.2 would be connected to the BALANCED out puts from the DAC1.

Clipdat

You said "Audioquest XLR cable" - can we confirm that you are using a L & R pair of cables (plural)?

Milito

I was connecting my Node 2i to my DAC1 with coaxial digital cable and using Big Sur Audioquest RCA's to my Music Hall. It worked fine.

I bought some Audioquest Mackenzie XLR's (L&R) to connect from my DAC1 to my Music Hall.
I connected the BALANCED inputs on the 70.2 to the BALANCED out puts from the DAC1.

Clipdat

Great, thanks for confirming that! Does it make a difference Big Sur vs Mackenzie, or does the red light symptom persist regardless of cable used?

Milito

Only with XLR's. I get no sound with them, I do with RCA's.

Clipdat

Oh sorry, my mistake, I misread and thought you meant you had two pairs of XLRs on hand.

The only thing I can think that would cause this is some kind of wiring/polarity mismatch on the DAC1's XLRs.

Or, that the output level of the DAC1's XLRs is too hot, although I don't understand why that would cause a fault light on the DAC1. Is there a section of the DAC1's manual that describes what the different error/fault lights mean?

Milito

There is nothing in the manual for this model that tell what the error light means. I got the DAC1 from an original owner and he sent the manual with the DAC1.

I'm going to pull the DAC1 tomorrow and check all of the jumper settings to make sure they are correct.

Clipdat

Milito

The error light doesn't blink. The DAC1 is non USB. I found the DAC1 USB error codes like you did.

OK I found in the manual where red led means out of sample range, too low or no digital input signal. I didn't get this error with the RCA's connected instead of the XLR's. With the RCA's everything works fine.

Well I went ahead and checked the jumper settings and they are correct.

Clipdat

Ah, I'm striking out! Sorry man, I'm out of ideas

Milito

Thanks for the help Drew. I reconnected everything and reconnect all of the jumpers in the DAc1 and now it is working.

I was worried the cables I bought were bad as I bought them off eBay, but it sounds good so everything is fine now. Thanks again.

Clipdat

Oh, you got the gremlins out! Congrats and happy listening!