Parasound HCA-1201A Stereo Amplifier User Manual
Contents
1. W N E R S A U A PARASOUND HCA 1201A High Current Power Amplifier Table of Contents Important Safety HCA 1201A Front and Rear Panel Installing and Rack Mounting Your Ventilation Requirements for Your 1111111 Making Connections to Your Amplifier 1 11 11 AC Power Connections Grounding DC Trigger aAA A aiea eieaa Operating Your HCA 1201A 2 dri dariau ninani Maintaining Your Parasound Amplifier Case Of Trouble Parasound 1201 Specifications Special Fea2. Power Requirements 110 Vac 120 Vac 360 Watts Net Weight 1216 PARASOUND Parasound Products Inc 950 Battery Street San Francisco CA 94111 415 397 7100 FAX 415 397 0144 www parasound com 2000 Parasound Products Inc Rev 0 96
3. 12 speaker wire terminated with 1 4 spade lugs or banana plugs to the five way binding posts of your power amplifier If you use bare wire without terminals make sure you remove only enough insulation so the wire can fit through the hole that runs sideways through the terminal s binding post Before inserting the wire twist all its strands tightly to prevent strays that could cause a short circuit You may want to tin the stripped wire with solder to prevent it from fraying and oxidizing Observing Correct Polarity When you connect speakers to your amplifier you will notice that one side of the two conductor speaker wire will have some sort of mark either printing a raised ridge on the insulation or a different color of conductor to let you know which wire to connect to the positive and which to the negative speaker terminals so you can repeat the connection on the power amplifier s binding posts Minimum Speaker Impedance Precautions Although the HCA 1201A is capable of driving speakers with occasional impedance dips well below 2 itis primarily designed to drive loudspeakers with a 4 Q or 8 nominal impedance This is because sustained high power operation into loads of less than 4 Q may cause overheating and subsequent thermal shutdown Remote DC Trigger Connection The Remote DC Trigger allows you to control the internal speaker relay with an external DC voltage source so you can remotely activate the speaker relay to allo
4. all the safety and operating instructions before operating this product Retain Instructions Retain safety and operating instructions for future reference Heed Warnings Adhere to all warnings on the product and in the operating instructions Follow Instructions Follow all operating and use instructions Cleaning Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning Use a damp cloth for cleaning Clean the outside of the product only 6 Attachments Do not use attachments that are not recommended by the product manufacturer they may be hazardous 7 Water and Moisture Do not use this product near water 8 Accessories Do not place this product on an unstable cart or stand The product may fall causing bodily injury and damage to the product A product and cart combination should be moved with care Quick stops excessive force and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart to overturn 9 Ventilation Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating These openings must not be blocked or covered This product should not be placed in a built in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided 10 Power Sources Operate this product only from the type of power source indicated on the label If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home consult your dealer or local power c
5. e your warranty Warranty repairs will only be performed by Parasound or authorized warranty centers on sets where your purchase receipt is from an Authorized Parasound Dealer or Parasound Reseller Units purchased from unauthorized dealers are not eligible for warranty repair Units that arrive without an RA number without a suitable shipping carton or with evidence of improper internal packing materials may be refused We do not accept collect shipments After repair under warranty the unit will be returned to you via prepaid common carrier within the Continental United States In the case of anon warranty repair contact us and we will advise you of the repair charges before you ship the unit to us The same packing and Return Authorization number requirements apply Parasound HCA 1201A Specifications Continuous Power Output 150 watts RMS 20 Hz 20 kHz 8 240 watts RMS 20 Hz 20 kHz 4 Q Current Capacity 36 amps peak Slew Rate gt 130 V microsecond Power Bandwidth 5 Hz 100 kHz 0 3 dB at 1 watt Total Harmonic Distortion lt 0 03 at full power lt 0 01 typical levels IM Distortion lt 0 03 TIM Unmeasureable Dynamic Headroom gt 1 5 dB Input Impedance 33 Input Sensitivity 1 V for 28 28 V THX Reference Level 1 2 V for full output S N Ratio gt 120 dB full power A Weighted gt 96 dB THX reference level Damping Factor gt 800 at 20 Hz Dimensions 6 1 4 wide x 5 1 2 high x 16 deep
6. l air and exhaust warm air Two vent holes are required one for intake and one for exhaust 3 Do not place the amplifier on carpeting that will obstruct the air flow into the bottom of the amplifier chassis and heatsinks 4 Avoid stacking components If you do stack components you must use a fan to circulate the warm air that will quickly become trapped between them when they are powered on Making Connections to the HCA 1201A Refer to Drawing on Page 4 Leave the AC cord disconnected before making any signal or speaker connections When making connections to the amplifier make sure there is no strain or tension on the input leads speaker wires or AC cord that could cause them to pull loose Unbalanced Input Connect the unbalanced outputs of your preamplifier to the RCA input jack With this connection the HCA 1201A s output is non inverted a positive signal at the input results in a positive signal at the output XLR Input Connections If your preamplifier is equipped with balanced XLR output connectors you can use these connections as an alternative to the RCA jacks The industry standard pin assignment for the HCA 1201A s XLR input connector is Pin 1 Ground Pin 2 Positive and Pin 3 Negative Input Selector Switch Once you have decided which input connectors you will use set the input selector switch accordingly to the Unbalanced or Balanced position Speaker Connections You may connect bare wire up to AWG
7. oduct c If the product has been exposed to rain or water d If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions e If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way f If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance 17 Replacement Parts When replacement parts are required be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire electric shock and other hazards 19 Safety Check Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition 20 Wall or Ceiling Mounting Mount the product to a wall or ceiling only as recommended 21 Heat The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves and other PR oN products including amplifiers that produce heat PARASOUND HCA 1201A High Current Power Amplifier Standby Normal Power Switch Standby Normal Indicators HCA 1201A Front Panel Unbalanced Input PARASOUND HCA 1201A ee High current Powel Amplitier Products Inc nput San Francisco CA U S A Balanced Unbalanced Unbalanced Balanced TUCASFIUM Remote THX in uttRa Manufactured under licen
8. ompany This product is equipped with a three prong grounding plug This plug will only fit into a grounding power outlet If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding plug 11 Power Cord Protection Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them 12 Lightning Unplug the unit from the wall outlet for added protection during a lightning storm and when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power line surges 13 Overloading Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords This can result in a fire or electric shock 14 Inserting Objects into Unit Never push objects of any kind into this product through any openings they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in fire or electric shock 15 Servicing Do not attempt to repair or service this product yourself Opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage and other hazards Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel 16 Damage Requiring Service Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions a If the power supply cord or plug is damaged b If liquid has been spilled into the pr
9. ould automatically reset If the red LED stays lit after you reapply power contact your Parasound Dealer for further advice Maintaining Your HCA 1201A Your HCA 1201A requires no periodic maintenance and has no user serviceable parts inside To avoid the risk of electric shock do not remove the top cover If necessary clean the chassis with a soft cloth moistened only with window cleaner or clear water Never use solvents or abrasives Main Power Fuse There is an external fuse located within the AC receptacle that may blow as a result of an internal fault condition This fuse protects the unit from possible damage to internal parts Never replace this fuse with a fuse of higher value than installed from the factory Substitution of larger fuse may create serious stress and damage to internal parts and will void your warranty In Case of Trouble Call your Parasound dealer who should be able to suggest simple diagnostic tests you can easily perform If you determine that your HCA 1201A should be serviced Contact Parasound or an Authorized Parasound Warranty Center for inspection and possible servicing Returning your HCA 1201A to Parasound for Service USA Only If we determine that you should send your HCA 1201A to Parasound you will need to obtain a Return Authorization RA number The RA number must be clearly marked on the outer carton only Ship the unit with adequate insurance and a copy of your purchase receipt inside to validat
10. se Remote DC On Trademarks of Lucastim Ltd Trigger Switch 0 Out Off 120 V 60 Hz 5A Speaker Speaker AD Connector t CAUTION Power Consumption 360 W RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN IEC 65 AC Connector o HCA 1201A Rear Panel Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of this precision audio component and thank you for your selection of Parasound Your Parasound HCA 1201A High Current Mono Block Power Amplifier was built using only the finest precision components available for optimum musical quality and performance The HCA 1201A High Current Power Amplifier has a 280 VA toroidal power transformer and 20 000 uF of filter capacitance to provide the high levels of power needed for some of today s more sophisticated speaker systems The inherently low output impedance of the HCA 1201A easily maintains control of your loudspeakers even during demanding impedance variations Unique circuit topology of the direct coupled HCA 1201A includes balanced JFET input transistors bipolar drivers and ultra high current output devices Additionally there are no inductors or capacitors in the signal path These design refinements reduce high odd order harmonic distortion improve overall clarity and preserve low level musical details Please take a few moments to read these instructions so that you may fully understand the capabilities of yo
11. t the AC cords make sure the HCA 1201A s power switch 15 in the off or down position If possible plug your amplifier directly into an AC wall outlet Do not connect the AC cord to the accessory AC outlet on your preamplifier because the amplifier s current draw exceeds the ratings of most preamplifier s power switches and power cords If you use an external AC line conditioner make sure it can withstand the HCA 1201A s power requirements listed in the specification section of this manual Operating the 1201 Refer to Figure 1 Power Switch Press the upper side to turn the unit on manually press the lower side to turn the unit off Standby Normal Operation LEDs The red Standby LED will light when the amplifier is turned on either with the power switch or an external DC trigger It will stay lit about four to five seconds while the amplifier circuits stabilize After that the red LED will turn off and the green normal LED will signal that the protection relays have switched off and that the amplifier is ready to operate The Standby LED will also light whenever there is a short circuit or other fault that triggers the protection circuitry This may indicate one of the following conditions DC present at the amplifier s input a speaker impedance overload a short circuited speaker line or possible internal fault If this LED remains lit remove power to the amplifier and check all connections During this time the protection circuits sh
12. tures for the Parasound HCA 1201A THX Ultra certified by Lucasfilm Ltd 280 VA Toroid Power Transformer 20 000 uF filter capacitance Multiple polystyrene film bypass capacitors in power supply Output relay can be activated with external DC source Cascode Class A input stages with matched J FET pairs Complementary transistors in high voltage driver stage 12 ampere 50 MHz output transistors Output transistors direct coupled to speakers without LRC networks Direct coupled audio circuits with 0 8 Hz rolloff High bias Class A AB operation Gold plated RCA input jacks Multiple protection circuits Glass epoxy circuit boards double sided for precision Audiophile grade AC power cord LUCASFILM l HX The Parasound HCA 1201A is manufactured under license from Lucasfilm Ltd Lucasfilm and THX are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd 2 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS The lightning flash with the arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of dangerous voltage inside the product that may constitute a risk of electric shock The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying the product TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL Read Instructions Read
13. ur new Parasound power amplifier Unpacking Your HCA 1201A Carefully unpack your amplifier and remove all the enclosed accessories These accessories include one 14 AWG AC cord and this manual Be sure to inspect the unit for any possible shipping damage If you see any contact your Parasound Dealer immediately Save all the packing material in case you need to ship the amplifier for repair Before you proceed find the serial number located on the rear panel of your amplifier and record it here for reference Serial Date of Purchase Installing Your Amplifier Place your amplifier away from heat sources such as air ducts and radiators Always mount the amplifier horizontally and make sure that your cabinet or shelf can support its weight Itis best to provide a separate shelf for your amplifiers rather than stacking it directly above or below other components Ventilation Requirements To insure safe and reliable operation it is very important that the amplifier has plenty of ventilation to prevent overheating and automatic shut down from its thermal protection circuitry Please observe the following ventilation guidelines when installing your amplifier in a cabinet or other enclosed area 1 If you are not using a fan allow at least six inches on each side and above the amplifier and do not close off the front with a cabinet door or panel 2 If you are enclosing the amplifier within an equipment cabinet use a fan to draw in coo
14. w the output of the amplifier pass to the speakers The trigger circuit can be activated with an external DC source that ranges between 9 Vdc to 12 Vdc To properly terminate the DC trigger cable for the HCA 1201A first determine the DC voltage and ground conductor from the external DC source For example the Parasound AVC 2500 has a DC trigger that incorporates a two conductor 1 8 mini connector The tip of this connector is positive and the ring is negative ground In this case you would terminate one end with an 1 8 mini plug and the other end with an RCA jack The tip of the RCA jack of the HCA 1201A is also positive and the sleeve is negative Once you have terminated the DC trigger cable connect the RCA connector to the jack labeled Remote In on the HCA 1201A and the other end to the external DC trigger source Remote DC Trigger On Off switch When you using the DC trigger circuitry set the Remote switch to the On position If you are not using the DC trigger circuit set the switch to the Off position Important note The output relay will not let the signal pass to the speakers if this switch in in the on position and no DC voltage is present Daisy Chaining DC trigger Connections You can daisy chain the DC trigger output to activate additional HCA 1201A amplifiers Connect the Remote Out on the first HCA 1201A to the Remote In on the second HCA 1201A and so on AC Power Connections and AC Grounding Before you connec
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