Power Output, RMS Congratulations on your purchase of a Harman Kardon CA260 High Fidelity Car Amplifier. The CA260 is the result of an extensive engineering project to create the finest automotive high fidelity product available. It is superior in performance and has the ability to operate under extreme environmental conditions. To fully understand the CA260's capability, please read this manual carefully and follow all of the instructions regarding its use and installation. HCC (High Instantaneous Current Capability) THD ( 4 Ohms12 Ohms) Negative Feedback Power Bandwidth Frequency Response Signal-to-Noise Ratio lnput Sensitivity L~ne Level High Level Active Crossover Characteristics High Pass Low Pass Power Supply 6 0 watts per channel into 4 Ohms, 2 0 - 20,000Hz : 9 0 watts per channel into 2 Ohms, 20 20.000Hz . 180 watts bridged mono into 4 Ohms, 2 0 - 20,000Hz . 230A - : No more than 0.1 %10.2% : 25dB . 10Hz to 100,000Hz 10Hz to 100,000Hz 0, - 3dB : 80dB + : 0.1V10.5V (switchable) : 1V . 200Hz, 12dBlOctave : 200Hz, 6dBlOctave . DC +13.8V ( 1 1 - 1 6 V usable), negative ground Typical lnput Current Requirements At Idle . 2.5A Full Power MUSICS~gnal 6 7A ( 4 Ohmslch.) 10A ( 2 Ohrnsich 1 Full Power Sine Wave . 20A ( 4 Ohmslch I 30A ( 2 Ohrnslch.) Dimensions ( W x H x D ) . 15-518" x 3-718'' x 7-1!8" ( 3 9 6 x 9 8 ~ 1 8 rnm) 0 . 1Olbs. 202. 14.6kgl We~ght All specifications arltf features subject to change w~rhournonce Accessories Spare Fuse I 1 pc I Power Cord (Red) ( 1 pc 1 Ground Cord (Black1 ( 1 pc ) Spade Lug with Tube (10 pcs Installation Template ( 1 pc.) Mounting Screws and Washers ( 1 set) 3 0 Amperes of HCC (High Instantaneous Current Capab~lity) a ~ n t a ~ n s m a wide dynamic range and low distortion when driving low impedance or reactive loads. High Power Output of 6 0 watts per channel Into 4 Ohms, 9 0 watts per channel into 2 Ohms and 180 watts bridged-mono into 4 Ohms. Ultrawide Bandwidth is achieved by the use of inherently fast open-loop circuitry This improves transient accuracy and phase linearity Low Negative Feedback only 25dB of negative feedHighly linear circuitry produces low distortion w ~ t h back. Thls further improves dynamic accuracy. Discrete Component Audio Circuitry is used because ~twas found to be the only way to provide HCC, Ultrawide Bandwidth and Low Negarive Feedback. H~gh Capacity Power Supply Two 10,000pF capacitors, six 8 0 watt switching transistors, and a sophisticated transformer coil design enable stable operating voltages even under h~gh power conditions. This results In lmproved low frequency sound quality. High Heat Diss~pat~on Capability is provided by a large heatsink, efficient circuitry and rugged circuit components Protection Circuitry assures high reliability under high temperature, overvoltage, reverse-voltage and short-circuit conditions, without degrading the sound quality during normal high power operation. When the internal temperature reaches 175" F (80' C), the maximum output power IS reduced, which In turn reduces the operating temperature Built-in Active Crossover and Bridged-mono features prov~de operating flexibility, system s~mplicityand added value. Be sure that metal objects or other fore~gn mater~als not enter the unlt do This can cause immediate trouble or reduce the unit's long-term reliability. It IS natural for thls unlt to become warm whlle operating It ~ncorporates two thermal protection circuits: One to prevent excessive temperatures from being developed under normal operation, and another to shut off the unit when operating abnormally When the thermal protection system is operatmg, the amber mdcator wdl illuminate It is recommended that t h ~ s unlt be operated in a vehcle only whde the engine (and electrical charging system) is running. At high power output, it typically draws about as much current as an automobile's headlights, and therefore can eventually discharge the battery. The speaker output terminals are protected from damage due to short-circuited speakers or speaker wires. When this protection circuitry IS momentarlly actlvlated, the power output IS muted for several seconds and is then restored. When the terminals are continuously short-circuited, the power output w ~ l remaln muted Should the latter occur, shut off the unit and check l the speakers and speaker wires. The heat generated by this amplif~er dissipated into the alr by the entire is chassls If it IS covered, or becomes d ~ r t y that the clrculatlon of the alr so around it is reduced, the unit's ability to dissipate heat will also be reduced. Under most conditions, the heat dissipating capability of this unit is more than enough to provlde uninterrupted operation However, when full power is drawn in an already hot environment, any loss in heat dissipating capability is likely to result in activating one of the thermal protection circuits Th~s unlt uses a 3 0 ampere auto fuse When replacing the fuse, be sure to use an identical 3 0 ampere (green) auto fuse. To replace the fuse, remove the cover by pushing down on the top of the fuse cover Use the spare fuse which is stored above In the fuse compartment. If your unit behaves abnormally, turn it off immediately and consult an authorized Harman Kardon Service Station 6 ? J @ -\ Installatlor1 Location The locations shown in the above illustration are recommended for the CA260 installation. If you prefer another location, consult an authorized Harman Kardon Dealer or Service Station before making the installation. The recommended installation positions all result in vertical orientation of the heatsink fins. This provides the maximum heat dissipation capability. If possible, mount the CA260 chassis directly to a vertical or near-vertical surface, such as the lns~de wall beh~nd the rear seat. If this is not possible, use the optional Vertical Mounting Bracket (BRI) t o mount the CA260 t o a horizontal surface, such as the trunk floor. The brackets permit vertical heatsink orientation when mountinq t o a horizontal surface. In addition to vertical orientation, the recommended installat~on locations allow air t o flow freely through the heatsink fins. This convection, or "chimney effect", provides maximum heat dissipation. Horizontal heatsink orientation, such as when the unit is mounted under a seat or directly t o the trunk floor, reduces heat dissipation and causes the unit to run hotter At low temperatures (below 70' F, 20" C) or at low power levels, these positions may be acceptable. But at higher temperatures andlor power levels, these positions are likely to cause one of the thermal protection systems t o activate. Note : Drill undersized holes in the car chassis so that the 5rnm tapping screws fit t~ghtly.We recommend 3 5 m m or 118 inch diameter holes. Note 2: A template is enclosed so that the precise hole locations for the tapp~ng screws can be easily determ~ned ,Tern plate Mounting t o a Horizontal Surface w i t h the Optional Brackets (BR1) Using the template, locate and drill 6 holes corresponding to those in the short ends of the vertical mounting brackets. Mount the brackets to the surface with the six 5 m m hexagon-head tapping screws and spring washers. Then mount the CA260 to the brackets using the six 5 m m hexagon-head nuts and bolts. Vertical Mounting Directly Mounting t o a Vertical Surface Using the template, locate and drill 6 holes corresponding to those In the CA260 chass~s Securely mount the CA260 to the surface with the six 5 m m hexagon-head tapping screws and sprlng washers Spring Washer . Spr~ngWasher , !% &$ a Speaker System D+J 11 Right channel Left channel Leir channel v i i 0 OUtOUl Car Stereo Right channel outout Left channel output u Car Battery TunerIDeck Chassis Note. A tunerideck with line level outputs and a car stereo w ~ t h g h n level (soeaker) outouts should not he connected simultaneously, as shown in this diagram. Caution# 1 : The ignition key switch should be turned off before any connections are made to the car electrical system. Caution#2: The last connection t o be made should be that between the positive terminal of the car battery and the " + B" terminal on the CA260. Connect the CA260 to the car electrical system and to the other components in the audio system as per the following ~nstructions: Remote This terminal enables the power switch of the car stereo or tunerldeck to also turn on the CA260. Connect it to the appropriate wire on the car stereo or tunerldeck If a specific wire for this purpose is not provided, use the wire for controlling the power antenna. If that wire is already connected to the power antenna, the CA260 can be connected In addition Should no power antenna wire be provided, an SPST (Single-Pole. SingleThrow) switch and a pair of wires can be connected between the remote terminal and the " + B" terminal. When the switch is closed, the CA260 will turn on. High Level lnput These input terminals are only to be used when connecting a car stereo unit that has a built-ln amplifier and does not have lme level (or preamp level) output jacks (or wires). Connect the output wires that would normally be connected to the speakers to these terminals. Be careful to connect the car stereo's positive output wires to the CA260's positive input terminals If the car stereo's negative output wires are actually ground wires, they can be twisted together and connected to the CA260's high level negative ( terminal. However, if the car stereo unit has a power rating of more than 8 watts per channel (with low distortion), it is likely that its negative output wires are not actually ground wires, but instead are "live." In this case, do not connect these wires to the CA260 at all. Instead, connect a wire from the chassis of the car stereo unit to the CA260's negative high level input terminal. If electrical noise results from this connection method, contact the Harman Kardon service department for a special bulletin regarding this matter. Note: The line Input sensitivity switch must be set to the "low" position when the h ~ g h level lnput termlnals are connected Line Level lnput Jacks These input terminals are for connection to the line level (or preamp) output jacks on the car stereo or tunerldeck It is recommended that hlgh quality shielded coaxial cables with tight-fitting RCA plugs be used for this connection. Line lnput Sensitivity S w i t c h This switch matches the line input sensitivity of the CA260 to the line output level of the car stereo or tunerldeck. If the rated output level is equal to or more than 0 . 8 volts ( 8 0 0 millivolts), set this switch in the "low" position. Otherwise, set it in the "high" position. If the line output level of the car stereo or tunerldeck is not known, assume that it is more than 0 . 8 volts. When operating the total system, if it is necessary to turn the volume control of the car stereo or tunerldeck to maximum in order to obtain a desired listening level, then the line output level is likely to be less than 0.8 volts, and the line input sensitivity switch should be put in the "high" position. +B The B terminal is the positive power input terminal. It should be connected to the positive ( + ) terminal of the car battery by the enclosed 1 2 gauge wire or an equivalent type. It is good practice t o add a line fuse near the battery terminal t o protect the battery from a short circuit along the wire. + GND This is the negative power input terminal It should be connected directly t o the car chassis by a short, heavy gauge wire. It is not necessary t o connect this terminal t o the negative battery terminal. Speaker Systems For a conventional stereo system with one or t w o speaker systems per channel, connect the speaker systems t o these termlnals Be careful to connect the positive speaker terminals to the positive CA260 terminals. Do not connect the negative speaker terminals t o the car chassis When one pair of speakers is used, each one may have an impedance in the range of 2 - 8 Ohms and a power rating of at least 6 0 watts If t w o palrs of speakers are used, each one may have an impedance in the range of 4 8 Ohms and a power rating of at least 45 watts. - The CA260 is capable of operating as a 180 watt mono power amplifier when driving a 4 Ohm speaker system.When used this way, two units are required for a stereo system The instructions for connecting a stereo system using two CA260's in the bridged-mono mode follow: 1. Each amplifier will have one speaker system connected from the left channel positive( t ) terminal to the right channel positive ( + ) terminal. The left channel positive terminal should be connected to the positive termlnal of the speaker system. No connections are made to either of the CA260's negative speaker termlnals. 2. The input to each CA260 is made to its left channel input jack. In other words, the left channel output of the tunerldeck is connected to the left channel input jack of the CA260 ...