-8-
If you do not have an existing amplifier, you can use two HCA-1203As to power all six channels of
your home theater system that includes a passive subwoofer. Here is the suggested input
configuration for this option:
〈
Connect the left front output of your processor to INPUT 1 of your first HCA-1203A.
〈
Connect the center output of your processor to INPUT 2 of your first HCA-1203A.
〈
Connect the right front output of your processor to INPUT 3 of the your HCA-1203A.
〈
Connect the right surround output of your processor to INPUT 1 of your second HCA-1203A.
〈
Connect the left surround output of your processor to INPUT 2 of your second HCA-1203A.
〈
Connect the subwoofer output of your processor to INPUT 3 of your second HCA-1203A.
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.)
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. The marked insulation or copper colored wire usually indicates the
positive conductor. This demarkation lets you know which wire is connected to the positive and
which to the negative speaker terminals so you can do exactly the same on the power amplifier's red
(+) and black (-) binding posts.
Minimum Impedance Precautions
Connect loudspeakers with a 4
Ω
or 8
Ω
nominal impedance for normal operation. Both amplifiers
are capable of driving speakers with occasional impedance dips below 2
Ω
. However, sustained high
power operation into loads of less than 4
Ω
may cause overheating and is not recommended.
AC Power Connections and AC Grounding
Before you connect the AC cord, make sure your 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 power
requirements of the amplifier listed in the specification section of this manual.
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 in 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 AV Processor/Preamplifier. Since it is optically coupled, the DC
trigger only requires 15 mA of current to activate the circuitry and turn on the amplifier.
