thewave

Whether you want to view it as a high-end preamplifier with a built in magnificent DAC or a Converter with 4 extra analog inputs is up to you.  It starts with 4 digital inputs spanning the AES/EBU, SPDIF, Toslink and ST formats. February 2002 brought us a new 24 bit 96KHz digital to analog converter board designed by Fred Forssell. We merged this new DAC with an improved tube stage and added two analog balanced AND two unbalanced inputs. Outboard power supply too.

Wave

Three sets of outputs and a processor loop are also all switchable from the front panel AND (big news...) REMOTE CONTROL! MANLEY's first piece with remote control is a total "over-killer" The *entire* faceplate can also be operated by the remote, especially and finally including the volume control. 
The WAVE is a unique product combining a killer 24/96 Digital to Analog Converter with a full-featured audiophile analog vacuum tube preamplifier. It is one of the very few products equally at home as the heart of a professional Mastering studio facility as it is as the centerpiece of an audiophile home system.

The combination of features and functions came about from analyzing existing systems and finding them functional but lacking in elegance in signal flow, operational convenience, and synergy. We set out to build something we wanted in our own living rooms, something that could be upgraded as new standards evolved, and something that could be flexible to work with mixed balanced, unbalanced, analog, and digital connections. A swiss army knife of sorts... 

The digital board used in the first generation units, (the "First Waves" as it were) was designed around the ULTRAANALOG 20-bit DACs, the AES-21 jitter reduction input module, and the Pacific Microsonics HDCD decoder. This chipset ruled the 1990's audiophile digital world. In early 2002 we commissioned an excellent 24 bit, 96KHz DAC board design from talented designer Fred Forssell for the second generation units, in current production as of this writing.

The WAVE accepts four digital inputs in the following formats: AES, SPDIF, TOSLINK, and ST Glass Fiber. The four analog inputs come as stock 2 RCA + 2 XLR. Other configurations can be custom-ordered as desired. To provide extra flexibility in system integration, we have included an Insert Loop (term borrowed from the recording studio world) perhaps more commonly referred to as a Tape Loop or Processor Loop in Audiophile-land. Three outputs are provided: outputs 2 and 3 can be switched; output 1 is always on.

Features and Specifications
  • 24 Bit 96KHz Digital to Analog Converter Board
  • Totally DUAL MONO design
  • Vacuum tube output stage (2 x 12AX7EH, 2 x 7044 JAN NOS USA)
  • BALANCED and UNBALANCED outputs x 3
  • BALANCED and UNBALANCED analog inputs x 4
  • Motorized ALPS quad-attenuator volume control
  • 4 x switchable digital inputs AES, SPDIF, ST, Toslink
  • 1 x SPDIF digital output pass-through
  • 4 x switchable ANALOG inputs balanced & unbalanced
  • Tape/Processor Loop = INSERT SEND & RECEIVE on unblanced RCA jacks as standard, balanced XLR's by request
  • Remote Control controls the whole faceplate
  • Separate outboard Power Supply Unit
  • Mains Voltage Frequency: 50~ 60Hz
  • Mains Fuse Value: 0.75A SLO-BLO for 220V-240V operation
  • Power consumption: 0.8A @ 120V = 96 watts

Digital Section
  • Burr-Brown PCM1704 D-A converters operating at 96 KHz at all times
  • All inputs below 96 KHz are upsampled to 96 KHz before conversion
  • The upsampled output is clocked out via a Low Phase Noise/Low Jitter precision crystal oscillator to eliminate any interface jitter or timing
    problems with the incoming datastream
  • Multiple power supplies are used, with additional regulation and filtering located at all critical components
  • Differential Passive LC filtering is used on the voltage output of the DAC PCB
  • High Speed JFET Current to Voltage Conversion with differential output is used to drive the Passive LC Filter

Analog Section
  • ALL-TUBE BALANCED LINE AMPLIFIER using 2 x 12AX7 plus 2 x 7044 dual triodes
  • BALANCED I/O and UNBALANCED I/O
  • INPUT SENSITIVITY: 494mV (-3.9dBu) yields 1V out
  • MAXIMUM INPUT LEVEL: 9.75Vrms produces 19.86V on output at 1KHz before clipping +22dBu produces +28.18dBu on output at 1KHz before clipping
  • MAXIMUM GAIN: 12 dB
  • MAXIMUM OUTPUT: +30 dBu, 25 V rms (70V P-P) (+31dbu @ 1.5% THD) +8.25 dBu digital full scale (2.0 V Rms)
  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20 Hz to 20 kHz +/- .5 dB, 8 Hz to 45 kHz +/- 3 dB                                                
  • THD+N: 0.015% 20Hz - 20KHz bandwidth
  • NOISE FLOOR -88 db (20 Hz - 20 kHz) (-90 A-Weight)
  • S/N 120 dB analog (96 db digital)
  • L/R Volume Control Matching .2 dB (from -50 to max)

Input/Output
  • 4 x DIGITAL INPUTS: AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TOSLINK, ST (AT&T GLASS)
  • 1 x DIGITAL OUTPUTS: S/PDIF follows AES or SPDIF digital input selection
  • 4 x Stereo ANALOG INPUTS: (standard: 2 x stereo unbalanced RCA,2 x stereo balanced XLR)
  • INSERT SEND and RETURN (Tape processor loop) Available balanced XLR or Unbalanced RCA, With analog inputs UNITY GAIN (direct connected via relays)
  • 3 x Stereo ANALOG OUTPUTS: (standard: 2 x stereo unbalanced RCA, 1 x balanced XLR) (Output 1 is always on. You can toggle between outputs 2 and 3 or switch both on at the same time with jumper setting)
  • Reference level to digital full scale: With digital -14 (CD consumer setting); With digital -20 (Pro Studio Reference Setting)