Parasound Stereo Amplifier HCA 1500A User Manual

O W N E R ' S  
M A N U A L  
HCA-1500A High Current Power Amplifier  
H C A- 1 5 0 0 A H i gh C u r r en t P ow er Am p l i f i er  
F
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L U C A S  
ad  
nt  
O
verlo  
Current Overload  
er  
Poowwer  
R
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Normal  
e
Lin  
AC Line  
by  
tand  
Standby  
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Current Overload Indicators  
H C A- 1 5 0 0 A H i gh C u r r en t M u l t i Am p l i f i er  
Power  
Current Overload  
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R
AC Line  
Standby  
Normal  
Power Switch  
Power & Status Indicators  
Figure #1  
HCA-1500A Front Panel Drawing  
Input Connectors,  
Looping Output Connectors,  
and Level Controls  
+ 12 Vdc  
Trigger Connector  
DC Trigger  
+12  
V
GND  
Inputs  
Mono Bridge  
Manufactured under license from LucasArts Entertainment  
Company. U.S. and Foreign Patents pending. Lucasfilm THX Audio  
and Home THX Symbols are Trademarks of LucasArts Entertainment  
HCA - 1500A  
High Current Power Amplifier  
Parasound Products, Inc  
San Francisco, CA U.S.A.  
Company Lucasfilm is  
a
Trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd.  
THX  
Level  
Stereo  
Loop Outputs  
THX  
Level  
R
L
AC 120  
V
60 Hz  
Power  
6.3 Fuse  
A
WARNING:  
TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK  
HAZARD. DO NOT EXPOSE THIS  
UNIT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.  
Speakers  
CAUTION:  
TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK,  
DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER  
SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER  
SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE  
PERSONNEL.  
CAUTION:  
CAUTION  
Speaker Impedance  
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK  
DO NOT OPEN  
4
8
Minimum Stereo  
Minimum Bridged  
Power Consumption: 700  
W
AC Receptacle  
Speaker Connectors  
Figure#2  
HCA-1500A Front Panel Drawing  
-3-  
 
Introduction  
Congratulations on your purchase of this precision audio component and thank you for your selection of  
Parasound. Your HCA-1500A 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. Each precision  
component within your HCA-1500A is carefully selected for optimum sound quality on even the most  
challenging music and film soundtracks.  
Parasound amplifiers have greater operational flexibility and power than most other amplifiers you may  
have used, so please take a few moments now to read these instructions thoroughly so you may fully  
understand the various capabilities of your new Parasound power amplifier.  
Unpacking Your Amplifier  
Carefully unpack your amplifier and remove all the enclosed accessories including the remote control and  
detachable AC cord. Be sure to inspect the unit for any possible shipping damage. If you see any, contact  
your Parasound Dealer immediately. Be sure to save both cartons and the packing inserts for future  
transport and always pack the inner carton into a protective outer carton before shipment.  
Before you proceed, find the serial number located on the rear panel of your unit. Record it here for future  
reference. ____________________  
Installing and Rack Mounting Your Amplifier  
Place your amplifier away from heat sources such as air ducts or 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-1500A occupies three rack spaces (5 1/4") into 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 prevent ground loops. Call Middle Atlantic Products at  
(201) 839-1011 to obtain information about a wide variety of rack mounting hardware. When mounting  
equipment into an equipment rack, it is always a good idea to have someone help support the unit while  
you bolt it to the rack rails.  
Ventilation Requirements for Your Amplifier  
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 Parasound 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. In either case, 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, you must use a fan to circulate the warm air that quickly becomes trapped between them.  
-4-  
 
Making Connections to Your Amplifier  
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.  
Input Connections  
Connect the output of your preamplifier or processor to the right (red) and left (white) channel RCA jacks  
for stereo operation. For bridged mono operation, use only the right channel input jack and leave the left  
channeljackdisconnected.  
Output Looping Connections  
The right (red) and left (white) channel output looping RCA jacks provide you with a convenient way to  
connect multiple amplifiers together from one source for multi-room/multi-zone applications. Once you  
have connected the source to input jacks, you can connect these looping output jacks to the input of an  
additional power amplifier without having to use separate "Y" connectors.  
Speaker Connections  
You may connect solid or stranded wire up to AWG 12, 1/4" spade lugs, single or dual 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 fits 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.)  
Polarity  
It is important to observe correct polarity. When you connect speakers to your amplifier, you will notice  
that one side 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. This lets you know which wire is connected to the positive  
and which to the negative speaker terminals so you can do exactly the same at the power amplifier binding  
posts. Polarity is marked separately on the rear panel for both stereo and bridged connections.  
Minimum Impedance Precautions  
Connect loudspeakers with a 4 or 8 nominal impedance for normal operation. Your amplifier is  
capable of driving speakers with occasional impedance dips below 2 . However, sustained high power  
operation into loads of less than 4 may cause overheating and is therefore not recommended.  
Bridged Mono Operation  
For bridged operation, we recommend an 8 minimum mono load. This restriction results from the  
mathematics of the bridging circuitry. In the bridged mono mode each channel of the amplifier functions  
for only the positive or negative half of the musical waveform. As a result, each channel “sees” only half  
of the speaker’s impedance. Use of an 8 speaker means that the load for each channel is 4 . For a 4 Ω  
speaker, the impedance would be only 2 per channel.  
-5-  
 
Rear Panel Bridged Mono Switch  
Select Mono (up) or Stereo (down) as marked on the rear panel. The main power should be switched off  
before moving this switch. If you accidentally leave the Mono Bridge switch in the Mono (up) position,  
you will find stereo output will be weak and distorted.  
Bridged Mono Speaker Connection  
In the bridged mono mode, connect the speaker to only the left red positive terminal and the right red  
positive terminal. In the bridged mode the right channel’s red terminal becomes positive, and the left  
channel’s red terminal becomes negative. Do not use either of the black negative terminals. You may also  
use a single standard 3/4" (19 mm) dual banana plug for the mono bridge connection to the two inner red  
positiveterminals.  
AC Power Connections and AC Grounding  
Before you connect the AC cord, make sure you amplifier's power switch is in the off position and the  
external DC trigger is off. If possible, plug your amplifier directly to an AC wall outlet. Do not connect  
the amplifier to the accessory AC outlet on your preamplifier or processor 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 or surge suppressor, make sure it can withstand the current draw of the amplifier.  
DC Trigger Connection  
This connector provides a way to trigger your amplifier on with an external DC voltage source ranging  
from + 9 Vdc to +12 Vdc. With the main power switch on the off (down) position, the amplifier can be  
turned on with voltage from any external DC source such as the +12 Vdc trigger from the Parasound  
P/SP-1500. Since it is optically coupled, the DC trigger only requires 15 mA of current to activate the  
circuitry and turn on the amplifier.  
Operating Your HCA-1500A  
Power Switch  
Manual Turn On  
Press the upper side to turn the unit on manually; press the lower side to turn the unit off.  
Automatic Turn On  
When the power switch is in the off position, the power amplifier can be turned on with an external DC  
voltage applied at the DC trigger connector on the rear panel. (See above)  
AC Line LED  
The AC line LED on the front panel of your amplifier will illuminate whenever AC is present at the AC  
connector. This LED indicates that the AC cord is connected and power is applied to the amplifier.  
-6-  
 
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 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 that excess DC is 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, Installer or  
Parasound Technical Service for further advice.  
Current Overload LEDs  
The Current Overload LEDs for left and right channels will only illuminate if the unit is driven past its  
maximum current capacity. These LEDs are not clipping indicators, but rather are designed to signal you  
when you are exceeding the limits of your amplifier. If these LEDs light, it’s usually a sign that your  
speaker impedance is too low, resulting in too much current draw from the amplifier's power supply. In  
virtually all imaginable listening situations with recommended loads, these LEDs should never illuminate.  
Level Controls  
Each channel has its own rear mounted "set and forget" input level control. Your amplifier sounds best  
with these level controls set to maximum, where they are effectively out of the audio signal path.  
However, if your preamplifier has very high gain, and its volume control cannot track properly for left-  
right channel balance near its minimum position, it may be necessary to reduce the input level control  
settings on the amplifier. When using the HCA-1500A in a THX installation, each level control must be  
set at maximum, which corresponds to 0 dB THX reference level.  
Maintaining Your Parasound Amplifier  
The HCA-1500A requires no periodic maintenance and has no user serviceable parts inside. To avoid the  
risk of electric shock, do not remove the top cover. The amplifier's exterior can easily be cleaned with a  
soft cloth moistened with water or Windex.  
Main Power Fuse  
Your amplifier has an external fuse located within the AC receptacle that may blow as a result of an  
internal fault condition. This protects the unit from possible damage to internal parts. Never replace this  
fuse with a larger value than installed from the factory. Substitution of a larger fuse may create serious  
stress or damage to internal parts and will void your warranty.  
In Case of Trouble  
If you suspect a problem with your amplifier, first turn the amp off and check all your connections. The  
trouble may be caused by another component or a defective hookup cable. If you are hearing hum out of  
your speakers, turn off the amplifier and disconnect the inputs to it. If the hum goes away, it is probably  
be caused by your processor or one of the source components connected to it.  
-7-  
 
Frequently hum in home theater systems is caused by a grounding problem with the cable TV system.  
Contact your cable provider if necessary to make sure the cable feed into your house is properly grounded.  
There are cable isolation devices available such as the Video Link #634 or the Mondial Magic specifically  
designed to cure this problem. In rack mounted systems, ground loops and hum can sometimes develop via  
the metal rack rails of the equipment rack. This problem can be solved with nylon shoulder washers  
available from Middle Atlantic Products (refer to rack mounting section of this manual).  
If All Else Fails  
Call your Parasound dealer or Parasound Technical Service. We can suggest other diagnostic tests you can  
easily perform. If we determine that your amplifier should be returned to Parasound or an Authorized  
Parasound Warranty Center for inspection and possible servicing, call for the location of a warranty center  
near you. If you choose to send it to Parasound, contact us to obtain a Return Authorization (RA) number.  
You will be asked to repack the unit in its original packaging plus an additional outer box for protection  
during transit. The Return Authorization number must be clearly marked on the outer carton only. You  
should ship the unit by UPS with adequate insurance. You must also include a copy of your purchase  
receipt to validate your ownership.  
Units that arrive without your specific Return Authorization number, without a suitable shipping carton or  
evidence of improper internal packing must be refused. We do not accept collect shipments. After repair  
under warranty, the unit will be returned to you via prepaid UPS. In the case of an out of 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 requirements apply.  
-8-  
 
Parasound HCA-1500A Specifications  
Continuous Power Output - Stereo  
205 Watts RMS x 2, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 8 , both channels driven  
315 Watts RMS x 2, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 4 , both channels driven  
Continuous Power Output - Mono  
630 Watts RMS, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 8 Ω  
Current Capacity  
60 Amperes peak per channel  
Slew Rate  
> 130 V/µsecond  
Frequency Response  
5 Hz-100 kHz, +0/-3 dB at 1 watt  
Total Harmonic Distortion  
< 0.03 % at full power; < 0.01 % typical levels  
IMDistortion  
< 0.03 %  
TIM  
Unmeasureable  
Dynamic Headroom  
> 1.5 dB  
Interchannel Crosstalk  
> 80 dB at 1 kHz  
> 60 dB at 20 kHz  
Input Impedance  
33 kΩ  
Input Sensitivity  
1 V for 28.28 V; THX Reference Level; 1.2 V for full output  
S/N Ratio  
> 110 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted  
Damping Factor  
> 800 at 20 Hz  
Dimensions  
19“ wide x 5 1/4“ high x 16“ deep (5 7/8” high with feet)  
Weight  
40 lb net  
-9-  
 
Special Features for the Parasound HCA-1500A  
• Designed by John Curl  
• THX certified by Lucasfilm Ltd.  
• Independent power supplies for each channel  
• Massive 1 kVA toroid power transformer  
• 60,000 µF computer-grade capacitors in power supply  
• Multiple polystyrene film bypass capacitors in power supply  
• DC Trigger Auto On Feature  
• Cascoded Class A input stages with matched J-FET pairs  
• Handpicked complementary MOSFET transistors in high voltage driver stage  
• 8 complementary pairs of 15 ampere 50 MHz output transistors  
• Output transistors direct-coupled to speakers without LRC networks  
• DC servo direct-coupled audio circuits with 0.8 Hz rolloff  
• High-bias Class A/AB operation  
• Gold-plated metal structure RCA input jacks  
• Gold-plated looping output jacks  
• Multiple temperature sensors and silver-cadmium relay protection  
• Glass epoxy circuit boards, double-sided for precision  
• Custom designed audiophile-grade AC power cord  
• Multiple Protection Circuits  
Notes:  
-10-  
 
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The Parasound HCA-1500A is Manufactured under license from Lucasarts Entertainment Company.  
U.S. and foreign patents pending. Lucasfilm Audio and Home THX are trademarks of Lucasarts  
Entertainment Company, Lucasfilm is a trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd.  
Parasound Products, Inc. 950 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111  
415-397-7100 / FAX 415-397-0144  
© 1997 Parasound Products, Inc.  
-11-  
 

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