I would like to personally thank you for your purchase of the Wells Audio Majestic integrated amplifier. We know that you have many choices when it comes to your personal electronics and we deeply appreciate your choice of a Wells Audio product. Please read the instructions carefully and completely before attempting to operate the unit. We recommend that you save this manual and the original packaging for future use.

WARRANTY

To activate the warranty, fill out the included warranty card fully and send in within 30 days of purchase.

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND SAFETY INFORMATION 

WARNING! To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.

CAUTION: To prevent electric shock do not use this polarized AC plug with an extension cord, receptacle or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure. To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not remove cover. Please refer to an authorized dealer or to Wells Audio for qualified service personnel only. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of an electric shock to persons. This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the unit.

UNPACKING

The packaging for the Cipher tube DAC is simple, elegant and effective in protecting the Cipher during shipping. To remove the Cipher from it's packing, simply open the box, remove the DAC and its foam end caps, and set it on a firm, flat, stabile surface, and then remove the foam end caps. At this point we recommend that you check the DAC carefully for any damage that may have occurred during shipping. Contact Wells Audio immediately if any damage is found. It is important to keep all of the original packaging materials for any future need you might have to ship the DAC. Shipping the Cipher DAC in any packaging other than the original packaging materials could result in voiding of the warranty repair coverage.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

The unit should be connected to an AC power source of the correctly rated voltage. Never remove or modify the grounding feature of the connected AC power cord. Never expose the AC cord to excess heat or flame. The AC cord should fit firmly and securely into the chosen AC receptacle. The unit should not be operated near water. If the unit is exposed to liquids serious damage can occur. Immediately shut the unit off and disconnect from the power source. Make certain that the unit has proper ventilation during operation. Never block the slots located at the top of the unit and do not place the unit in a confined space during operation. These actions may result in damage to the unit due to overheating. Never operate the unit with the cover off. Do not touch any internal parts. Damage to the unit may occur and serious injury or death may also result.

PROPER CARE

Do not use any cleaning products on your Wells Audio product. Instead, use a clean, non-abrasive cloth with clear water. A proper break-in period is necessary before the unit will sound it's best. This allows for the establishment of of the cleanest conducting pathways and for the internal components of the unit to stabilize at their proper operating parameters. This is accomplished by simply playing music through the unit for a period of about 200-700 hours depending upon the product. Please consult Wells Audio for the correct break in time..

FRONT PANEL

The front panel consists of a large round power switch in the center accompanied by a smaller blue LED located in the lower right corner of the faceplate. The blue LED is a digital lock indicator. It will light up when the DAC has established a digital lock to the source unit. This can be a lock to a USB digital stream when the source switch on the rear panel is in the USB position or a lock to an S/PDIF source such as a disc transport when the source switch on the rear panel is switched to the coax position. It is important to note that the proper turn on sequence is adhered for the Cipher to establish a digital lock and operate correctly. The DAC must be turned on first. Then the rear source switch is in the correct position for the source determined. Then the source unit, whether it is transport, computer, streamer, etc. should turned on. This should initiate a lock and the LED come on. If the lock LED does not come on then repeat the procedure. If the lock still will not initiate call Wells Audio for help. The power switch located in the center of the front panel is a locking pushbutton type. When it is in the out position it is off and when the button is in the in position the power should be on. Once the button is pushed in the blue LED located in the center should begin to flash and continue for approximately 60 seconds. Turning the power on initiates a soft start procedure that brings the tube output stage up slowly to help avoid premature failure of the tube section. The Cipher will not operate until the soft start has concluded and the LED will stop flashing. This indicates that the Cipher is ready for operation.

BACK PANEL

Looking at the back panel from left to right all of the terminations are labelled with outputs first. Far left outputs are left and right channel 3 pin XLR connectors. As a note the Cipher is not a balanced design and so the XLR connectors are paralleled off of the RCA unbalanced connectors internally. They are offered as a convenience only for customers with XLR cables and should sound identical to the RCA unbalanced connectors. Next to the right of the XLR connectors will be right and left RCA output connectors. Continuing to the right will be the USB connector on top with the S/PDIF (coax) connector just below it. Next to the right is a bung for a future AES/EBU connection and below that the switch for toggling between the coax and USB connections. This switch must be in the position corresponding to the labelling to allow for the use of the USB/coax connection and achieve a digital lock. Continuing to the far right position will be the IEC socket for connection of the power cord of your choice. It is a fused socket. The correct fuse should be a 3 amp/250v 5 x20mm fast blow glass cartridge fuse.

REMOTE CONTROL

The analog remote control Cipher has been supplied with a beautiful high quality solid aluminum remote control. The remote control has 4 buttons arranged in an inline configuration with the top button being volume “up” the button below it is the volume “down”. The third button down is for the mute function and the last button down operates the display dimming feature. The remote operates on typical “coin” batteries and will operate on the 2025 or 2035 battery. For any questions concerning replacing the batteries please contact Wells Audio for help.

SPECIFICATIONS

Input

Stereo (2 channels)

  • PCM (I2S) (up to 32-bit, 384kHz)

  • DoP (DSD over I2S)

    S/PDIF (Consumer level or TTL-level)


  • Highlights

  • Four layer circuit board optimized for mixed signals

  • Designed specifically for the ESS Sabre PRO series DAC chips (ES9038)

  • 8 channels preconfigured for 2-channel (stereo) operation

  • High precision, ultra-low-phase noise clock and integrated reclocking

  • Optional high precision external clock connections

  • Five independent supply inputs for digital and analog stages

  • Switchable S/PDIF digital input

  • Accepts both consumer level and TTL-level S/PDIF input

  • Optional digital volume control

  • Lock LED

  • Fully balanced, dual mono symmetrical operation for ultra-low noise floor

  • Four layer circuit board for optimized layout

  • VOCM Servos eliminates common-mode input offset current from the balanced I/V stages

  • DC Servos eliminate offset in single-ended stages

Supported Sample Rates

44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz

LIMITED WARRANTY

Wells Audio warrants to the original purchaser that each Wells Audio product is free of manufacturing defects for a period of three (3) years from the date of purchase from an authorized agent of Wells Audio. The warranty is only valid once the enclosed warranty card is fully completed and returned to Wells Audio within thirty (30) days of the purchase date. 

For the complete limited warranty, see http://www.wellsaudio.com/limited-warranty/.