Parasound Stereo Amplifier HCA 1201A User Manual

O W N E R ' S  
M A N U A L  
HCA-1201A High Current Power Amplifier  
 
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. Read Instructions — Read all the safety and operating instructions before operating this product.  
2. Retain Instructions — Retain safety and operating instructions for future reference.  
3. Heed Warnings — Adhere to all warnings on the product and in the operating instructions.  
4. Follow Instructions — Follow all operating and use instructions.  
5. 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 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.  
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 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.  
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  
products (including amplifiers) that produce heat.  
-3-  
 
H C A - 1 2 0 1 A H i g h C u r r e n t P o w e r A m p l i f i e r  
Power  
Standby  
Normal  
Power Switch  
Standby/Normal Indicators  
HCA-1201A Front Panel  
Unbalanced Input  
Unbalanced  
Balanced  
1
2
HCA - 1201A  
Balanced  
XLR Input  
High Current Power Amplifier  
Parasound Products, Inc  
San Francisco, CA U.S.A.  
3
Unbalanced  
Balanced  
Remote  
In  
Manufactured under license  
from Lucasfilm Ltd. Lucasfilm  
and THX are registered  
On  
Off  
Trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd.  
Remote DC  
Trigger Switch  
Out  
AC 120 V 60 Hz 5 A  
Speaker  
Speaker  
Connector  
Power Consumption: 360 W  
CAUTION  
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK  
DO NOT OPEN  
IEC 65 AC Connector  
HCA-1201A Rear Panel  
-4-  
 
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  
uFoffiltercapacitancetoprovidethehighlevelsofpowerneededforsomeoftoday’smoresophisticated  
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 your 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  
horizontallyandmakesurethatyourcabinetorshelfcansupportitsweight. Itisbesttoprovideaseparate  
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 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-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  
asanalternativetotheRCAjacks.TheindustrystandardpinassignmentfortheHCA-1201A'sXLRinput  
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  
YoumayconnectbarewireuptoAWG12, speakerwireterminatedwith1/4"spadelugs, orbananaplugs  
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 , it is primarily designed to drive loudspeakers with a 4 or 8 nominal impedance. This is because  
sustainedhighpoweroperationintoloadsoflessthan4 maycauseoverheatingandsubsequentthermal  
shutdown.  
-6-  
 
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 allow 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  
theotherendwithanRCAjack. ThetipoftheRCAjackoftheHCA-1201Aisalsopositiveandthesleeve  
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  
WhenyouareusingtheDCtriggercircuitry, settheRemoteswitchtotheOnposition. Ifyouarenotusing  
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 connect the AC cords, make sure the HCA-1201A's power switch is 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.  
-7-  
 
Operating the HCA-1201A  
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  
TheredStandbyLEDwilllightwhentheamplifieristurnedoneitherwiththepowerswitchoranexternal  
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  
andthattheamplifierisreadytooperate.TheStandbyLEDwillalsolightwheneverthereisashortcircuit  
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 should 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  
afuseofhighervaluethaninstalledfromthefactory.Substitutionofalargerfusemaycreateseriousstress  
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 validate your warranty.  
Warranty repairswill onlybe performed by Parasoundorauthorizedwarranty centers on sets where your  
purchase receipt is from an Authorized Parasound Dealer or Parasound Reseller. Units purchased from  
unauthorizeddealersarenoteligibleforwarrantyrepair.UnitsthatarrivewithoutanRAnumber,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 a non-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.  
-8-  
 
Parasound HCA-1201A Specifications  
Continuous Power Output  
150 watts RMS, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 8 Ω  
240 watts RMS, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 4 Ω  
Current Capacity  
36 amps peak  
Slew Rate  
> 130 V/microsecond  
Power Bandwidth  
5 Hz-100 kHz, +0/-3 dB at 1 watt  
Total Harmonic Distortion  
< 0.03 % at full power; < 0.01 % typical levels  
IM Distortion  
< 0.03 %  
TIM  
Unmeasureable  
Dynamic Headroom  
> 1.5 dB  
Input Impedance  
33 kΩ  
Input Sensitivity  
1 V for 28.28 V; THX Reference Level; 1.2 V for full output  
S/N Ratio  
> 120 dB full power A Weighted; > 96 dB THX reference level  
Damping Factor  
> 800 at 20 Hz  
Dimensions  
6 1/4" wide x 5 1/2" high x 16" deep  
Power Requirements  
110 Vac-120 Vac 360 Watts  
Net Weight  
12 lb  
-9-  
 
Parasound Products, Inc. 950 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111  
© 2000 Parasound Products, Inc. Rev 0.96  
 

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