Stack Audio LINK II Bedienungsanleitung
LINK II USER GUIDE
Stack Audio LINK II User Guide. Version 1.5 July 2020.
© Stack Audio Limited
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LINK II User Guide
Contents
1. Safety Notice
2. Connections & installation
3. Set-Up
4. Configuration
5. Updates & servicing
6. Warranty & Liability
7. Technical Data
8. Support
1. Safety Notice
•The LINK is provided with a 110/240v compatible mains 1-1.5amp, 18v DC power supply
with a 2.5mm jack. We recommend you use this power supply with the LINK. The power
supply connects the LINK to the mains; never handle the power supply with wet or damp
hands.
•Do not expose the LINK or the power supply to any liquid, water, or moisture. Never handle
the power supply with wet or damp hands.
•Do not open the LINK or try servicing it yourself as this will void the warranty.
•Do not use the LINK in high temperatures (50c+) and near heat sources such as radiators.
Ensure it is well ventilated.
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2. Connections & installation
LINK Front Panel
LINK Rear Panel
Note: the numbers in brackets (n) alongside the front and rear panel labels on the images above
are used in the following sections to aid identification of the switches and connections.
* USB In for external storage we likely will add this feature in the future.
HDMI Stack Audio is unlikely to implement an HDMI out interface because the added
graphics processing can have a negative impact on the sound. You can always install
Volumio and several other programs which do support an HDMI output. Although Wi-Fi
wont be supported.
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2.1 Mains Power Connection and Power/Standby
The LINK is supplied with a mains DC adaptor with the appropriate plug for different countries.
Connect the DC adaptor to the LINK’s power socket (6) on the rear panel before connecting to
the mains.
Use the Power/Standby Switch (2) on the front panel to turn the LINK on or back into standby.
After switching on, the Power LED (1) will change from red to blue. The Network LED (3) will light
up blue when the LINK is operational, and the network connection is established. This may take
up to 60 seconds. Powering down also takes up to 60 seconds to ensure all files are closed
correctly. The Power LED (1) will blink red and blue during the process and show red when in
standby.
Do not disconnect from the mains without powering down fully.
2.2 Network Connections
The LINK needs to be connected to a home network (LAN) via Ethernet before it can be used.
Once connected via ethernet you can set up Wi-Fi.
The Ethernet port (11) is on the back panel for connecting an Ethernet cable to a router. A wired
connection is recommended for maximum reliability. We recommend using a CAT5e, 6 or above
cable capable of streaming at 1Gb/s.
The supplied Wi-Fi antenna should be attached to the connector (14) on the rear panel to enable
connection to a router via Wi-Fi either for streaming or control purposes.
The Network LED (3) on the front panel will show blue when a stable network connection has
been established and the LINK has successfully booted. To follow the set-up instructions and see
the LINK on your web browser you will need to find the IP address your router has allocated to
the LINK. For instructions on the set-up procedure refer to section 3 on page 7.
2.3 System connections
The LINK is designed to connect various streaming inputs to an existing DAC (Digital to Analogue
Converter) in a two-channel hi-fi system.
It has only one output, the USB Type A connector (9) on the back panel. This can be connected
to any USB equipped DAC or DAC/Amplifier. A USB cable with a Type A connector for the LINK
end and either a Type A or B connector for the DAC should be used.
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To the left of the USB Out (9) is a toggle switch (7). This toggle switch is used to off the power
going down the USB cable. USB cables consist of both a power line and data line. By switching of
the power, it helps prevent cross talk potentially improving audio performance.
If the toggle switch is down the power is on and If the toggle switch is up the power is off.
Our experience is that most DACs require the USB power feet. The best way to find out is to try
it. If you don’t hear music your DAC requires the power from the USB cable and the toggle
switch needs to be down.
2.4 Connecting to music sources
The LINK can be connected directly to a PC or laptop or it can be connected to a home network
with an Ethernet cable. It can also stream music from USB flash disks and drives.
•USB connection to PC or laptop
This should be done via the USB Type B input on the rear panel (13), marked DETOX Input on the
baseplate. When the USB Detox Switch (5) on the front panel is activated this cleans up the
signal from the PC or laptop removing digital noise before passing it through to the DAC. The
Detox LED (4) shows blue when the Detox circuitry is activated. To de-activate the Detox when
reverting to network streaming, press the Detox Switch (5) again.
•Home Servers, NAS Drives and Router
Connection to music libraries held on home servers, NAS drives and internet-based streaming
services. Where possible we recommend a wired Ethernet connection as described in the
Network Connections section above.
2.5 Connecting to music sources
The LINK can be connected to a home network either by a wired or wireless connection. For a
wired connection attach an Ethernet cable from your router to the LINK’s Ethernet port. You
need to connect the LINK to a wired Ethernet connection before configuring it wirelessly (for
wireless set up refer to page 9).
Please note For a wireless connection ensure the supplied antenna is attached to the connector
(14) on the rear panel.
3. Configuration
To configure the LINK you need to access the LINK’s web interface.
To get started type into your web browser http://sa-link to access the web interface.
You can also access the LINKs web interface through Roon
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Please note: If for whatever reason this fails, download Advance IP scanner from here
https://www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/ and copy the IP address into the web browser.
Please note: You can also find the IP address of the LINK by looking at the list of devices
connected to your router. Use your Home Hub/Router manager or run ipconfig (or a similar
utility) and note the IP address of the LINK.
Note: With the exception of roon you need to first activate the streaming services via the LINK’s
control panel. If you connect the LINK to the network and don does not activate the streaming
services, the LINK will not appear.
We have chosen to keep our software minimalistic for pure performance. This is the reason
Stack Audio insists that users to activate their chosen software individually, this keeps the
software streamlined.
DISCLAIMER: We strongly recommend before installing any streaming device that any external
devices (such as DACs, HiFi systems etc.) are set to a low volume.
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It is essential to keep this in mind with the LINK as the volume is ALWAYS set to 100% when the
software volume control is deactivated. Once the software volume control has been activated,
you are then able to control volume using your desired control software.
3.1 (General) Roon
Hostname: Changes the display name of your LINK (if you change this it will change the
control panels access URL)
DoP (DSD over PCM): If you wish the LINK to transcode DSD to into PCM switch this on.
Software Volume Control: Switch this on if you want to control the volume via Roon.
Once you have selected your settings you need to go through the “Commit Changes”
process.
Step 1: Select “Commit Changes.”
Step 2: Check your selected settings and click “Save changes.”
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Step 3: Select “REBOOT”and confirm the reboot when prompted by clicking “Yes.”
Step 4: You will be notified that the device is being configured, this can take up to
several minutes. Please do not be tempted to turn off the LINK during this period.
Whenever the settings are altered using the web interface, you will need to repeat the
above “Commit Changes”sequences (refer to steps 3 and 4).
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Step 5: Once the LINK has rebooted load up Roon go into settings>audio and enable the
LINK.
3.2 Network (wireless)
Only go through this process if you want to set up your LINK via WiFi.
You need to connect the LINK to your router with an Ethernet cable to be able to
connect via WiFi.
Step 1: Go to “Network”and select “Enable WiFi.”
Please note that enabling the WiFi will not entail selecting your router and submitting
any WiFi passwords (sometimes referred to as WEP keys), this is automatically drawn
through the Ethernet cable and saved to the LINK.
Step 2: Select “Commit Changes” and go through the Commit Changes sequences.
Step 3: Unplug the Ethernet cable. If it still does not work, reset the LINK by pressing the
power button.
4. Other Services
Here you can activate the following services
•UpNP/DLNA
•Shairport-Sync (Airplay)
•Liberspot (Spotify)
•Squeezlite
4.1 UPNP/DLNA
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Step 1. Select USB via Audio Output
Step 2. Volume control
-None= Volume will be controlled only by your DAC and not the app or control software
-Software –This enables you to control the volume via your UPnP app or similar
Step 3. Commit changes and reboot
Activate Open Home or not?
We recommend you do not activate Open Home if you use the LINK with Audirvana
If you are using kazoo or bubble UPnP or other Open Home based solutions, we suggest you activate
open home.
4.2 Shairport-Sync (Airplay)
Step 1. Select USB via Audio output
Step 2. Volume control
-None= Volume will be controlled only by your DAC and not the app or control software
-Software = This enables you to control the volume Airplay
Step 3. Commit changes and reboot
4.3 Liberspot (Spotify)
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