Operating your HCA-600
Power Switch
Press the upper side to turn the unit on; press the lower side to turn the unit off.
Standby/Operation LEDs
The red Standby LED will come on red whenever you first turn the unit on. It will light for about four to five
seconds while the amplifier circuits are stabilizing before the protection relays start to energize. At this time
the red LED will turn off and the green Operate LED will come on to signal normal operation is available. It
will also light up red whenever there is a short circuit or fault which triggers the protection circuits. When-
ever the red LED illuminates, no sound can be heard. If the red Standby LED lights up during operation, it
could indicate that more DC than its servos can block is present at the input, an overload, a short circuited
speaker line or possible internal fault. The protection circuits automatically reset. Turn the unit off for at
least 5 minutes while you check your connections, then try again. If the red LED continues to glow, you
should contact your 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. The LEDs signal you when you are
exceeding the limits of your amplifier. It's usually a sign that your speaker load impedance is too low,
resulting in too much current draw. In virtually all imaginable listening situations,s with recommended
loads, you'll probably never see these LEDs illuminate.
Level Controls
The HCA-600 will sound best with its 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 HCA-600.
We deliberately have located the level controls on the rear panel, so they can be set once and forgotten, out
of the reach of curious children or guests.
"Breaking-in" your HCA-600
Like other great power amplifiers, the HCA-600 requires at least 72 hours of continuous operation after it is
first turned on to sound its best. This gives the materials in various circuit components a chance to "form" so
audio signals achieve greater definition, smoothness and transparency.
Although the unit will sound spectacular when you first operate it, you will find it worthwhile to listen again
after a few days and you'll discover details in your music and videos you may not have guessed were there.
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