O W N E R ' S M A N U A L HCA-2205A Five Channel High Current Power Ampl if ier lti Amplifier HCA-2205A High Current Mu LUCASFILM Power Normal 12 AC Line 3 45 LUCASFILM R -1- Table of Contents Important Safety Instructions .........................................................................................3 Figure #1 HCA-2205A Front and Rear Panel Drawings ................................................4 Introduction ......................................................................................................................5 Installing and Rack Mounting Your Amplifier ................................................................5 Ventilation Requirements for Your Amplifier .................................................................5 Input Connections for the HCA-2205A ...........................................................................6 Speaker Connections ......................................................................................................6 AC Power Connections and AC Grounding ...................................................................6 DC Trigger Connection ....................................................................................................7 Operating Your HCA-2205A .............................................................................................7 Maintaining Your Parasound Amplifier ...........................................................................8 In Case of Trouble .............................................................................................................8 Special Features...............................................................................................................9 Parasound HCA-2205A Specifications ...........................................................................10 Parasound Limited Warranty (USA only) ......................................................................11 The Parasound HCA-2205A is manufactured under license from Lucasfilm Ltd. Lucasfilm and THX are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. LUCASFILM R -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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Read Instructions -- Read 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. Attachments -- Do not use attachments that are not recommended by the product manufacturer; they may be hazardous. Water and Moisture -- Do not use this product near water. 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. 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. 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 company. 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. 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. 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. Overloading -- Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords. This can result in a fire or electric shock. 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. 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. 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 product. 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. 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. 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. Wall or Ceiling Mounting -- Mount the product to a wall or ceiling only as recommended. Heat -- The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, and other products (including amplifiers) that produce heat. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 19. 20. 21. -3- Figure #1 HCA-2205A Front and Rear Panel Drawings er Amplifier HCA-2205A High Current Pow LUCASFILM Rack Mount Holes Power Normal Standby AC Line Overload 12 3 45 High Temp Power Switch Operation Status Indicators Carry Handle Input Connectors and Level Controls Speaker Connectors LUCASFILM HCA - 2205A Manufactured under license from Lucasfilm Ltd. Lucasfilm and THX are registered Trademarks of of Lucasfilm Ltd. High Current Multi-Amplifier Parasound Products, Inc San Francisco, CA U.S.A. Input Ch 1 Ch 1 WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD. DO NOT EXPOSE THIS UNIT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. Ch 1 Ch 1 CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER SERVICEABLEPARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. Ch 1 Fuse T15A/250 V AC 120V 50/60Hz DC Trigger CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN +12V GND Power Consumption: 2000 W Carry Handle + 12 Vdc Trigger Connector AC Cord Connector -4- Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of this precision audio component and thank you for your selection of Parasound. Your Parasound power amplifier was designed by renowned circuit designer John Curl to meet or surpass the stringent standards required by Lucasfilm for use in THX Home Cinema systems. Please take a few moments to read these instructions so that you may fully understand the capabilities of your new Parasound power amplifier. Unpacking Carefully unpack your amplifier and remove all the enclosed accessories. 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____________________ Installation and Rack Mounting Locate 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. It is best to provide a separate shelf for your amplifier rather that stacking it directly above or below your other components. The HCA-2205A occupies four rack spaces (7") in a standard 19 inch equipment rack. Be sure to use heavy duty mounting bolts to and nylon shoulder washers on both sides of the faceplate to avoid scratching the amplifier's front panel and also to help prevent ground loops. Contact Middle Atlantic Products at (201) 839-1011 to obtain any rack mounting hardware you may need. When rack mounting the HCA-2205A, have someone help support the unit while you bolt the component to the rack rails. 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 cool 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. -5- Making Connections to the HCA-2205A Refer to Figure #1 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. Your HCA-2205A is designed to deliver the same power and sonic characteristics to the Left, Center, Right, and both Surround speakers of your home theater system. For additional low frequency response, we recommend that you install a powered subwoofer. Even though all the channels of the HCA-2205A operate identically, the input and output connectors are color coded to make it easier to identify each channel in case you ever need to troubleshoot your system. Input Connections Connect the left front output of your processor to the White Channel 1 Input of your HCA-2205A Connect the right front output of your processor to the Red Channel 2 Input of your HCA-2205A Connect the center output of your processor to the Green Channel 3 Input of your HCA-2205A Connect the right surround output of your processor to Blue Channel 4 Input of your HCA-2205A Connect the left surround output of your processor to the Blue Channel 5 Input of your HCA-2205A Connect the subwoofer output of your processor to the input of your powered subwoofer. Speaker Connections You may connect bare wire up to AWG 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.) Connect the HCA-2205's Channel 1 Speaker Output to your Left speaker Connect the HCA-2205's Channel 2 Speaker Output to your Right speaker Connect the HCA-2205's Channel 3 Speaker Output to your Center speaker Connect the HCA-2205's Channel 4 Speaker Output to your Left Surround speaker Connect the HCA-2205's Channel 5 Speaker Output to your Right Surround speaker Minimum Speaker Impedance Precautions Although the HCA-2205A is capable of driving speakers with occasional impedance dips below 2 , it is primarily designed to drive loudspeakers with a 4 or 8 nominal impedance. This is because sustained high power operation into loads of less than 4 may cause overheating and subsequent thermal shutdown. Observing Correct Polarity ...