Parasound Stereo Amplifier Zamp v2 User Manual

O W N E R ' S  
M A N U A L  
Zamp v.2 Zone 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.  
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D O N O T O P E N  
R I S K O F E L E C T R I C S H O C K  
C A U T I O N  
4
 
Introduction  
Congratulations and thank you for your purchase of this precision Parasound audio  
component. The Parasound Zamp v.2 is designed for a wide variety of applications,  
including multi-room, multi-zone installations, desktop audio, bedroom or den systems.  
The incredible versatility of the Zamp v.2 allows many connection and configuration  
options, so please be sure to read this manual thoroughly before you begin installation.  
Unpacking  
Carefully unpack your Zamp v.2, remove the enclosed AC power cord and the sub-mini  
2.5 mm trigger connection plug and wire. Be sure to inspect the unit for any possible  
shipping damage. If you notice any, contact your Parasound Dealer immediately. Save the  
carton and all of the packing materials in case you ever need to ship your amplifier for  
repair. Before you proceed, locate the serial number on the rear panel or underside of the  
unit and record it here for future reference:  
Serial #_____________________________  
Parasound Dealer ____________________  
Purchase Date _____________________  
Phone Number _____________________  
Installation and Rack Mounting  
Install your Zamp v.2 away from heat sources such as heating ducts and radiators. Always  
mount the amplifier horizontally.  
Its panel dimensions are one rack space high (1 3/4" or 44 mm) by one-half rack space  
wide (9 1/2" or 242 mm). It will fit into a standard 19" wide equipment rack when  
mounted side-by-side with other Parasound half-width components. Optional accessory  
parts are available from Parasound to rack mount the Zamp v.2 by itself or alongside  
another Parasound half width unit.  
Ventilation Requirements  
The Zamp v.2 can generate substantial heat and requires adequate ventilation to prevent  
overheating and shut down by its thermal protection circuit. Observe the following  
ventilation guidelines when installing the Zamp v.2 in a cabinet or other enclosed area:  
1) If you are not using a ventilation fan, allow few inches on each side and above the  
unit. You should never install the Zamp v.2 in an unventilated equipment cabinet with a  
door or panel because hot air cannot exhaust adequately.  
3) Do not place the Zamp v.2 on carpeting or any other material that could obstruct  
airflow through the ventilation holes in the bottom of its chassis.  
4) Try to avoid stacking the Zamp v.2 tightly between other components because the heat  
it produces will not dissipate adequately and may cause overheating of the amplifier and  
the other units.  
5
 
Connecting the Zamp v.2  
Refer to the drawing on Page 4  
Connection Precautions  
Disconnect the AC cord before or while making or changing any input, trigger, or speaker  
connections. Make sure there is no strain or tension on any connections that could cause  
them to pull loose in the future.  
Input Connections  
Use the Right and Left channel RCA jacks for normal stereo operation. Connect the  
outputs of your preamplifier or multi-room controller to these line level inputs.  
Looping Output Connections  
The Right and Left Loop Out jacks are convenient connections to feed the input signals to  
an additional amplifier. This feature eliminates the need for “Y” connectors to split the  
source between your Zamp and the other amplifier.  
Speaker Connections  
Five-Way Speaker Terminals  
You can connect bare speaker wires up to AWG 12, speaker wires terminated with 1/4"  
spade lugs or terminated with single or dual banana plugs.  
If you use bare wires, remove only enough insulation so each exposed bare wire inserts  
through the small transverse hole in the terminal’s binding post. Before inserting the wire,  
twist its strands tightly between your fingers to prevent strays that might cause a short  
circuit. You may want to “tin” the stripped bare wire with solder to prevent it from  
fraying and oxidizing.  
Correct Speaker Polarity is Important  
Speaker wires are coded with printing or a ridge on the insulation of one of the two leads.  
This helps you identify which lead you connected to the positive terminal and which to  
the negative terminal when you are at the other end of the wire.  
Mono Operation  
We recommend an 8 minimum speaker load for mono operation. This is because one  
channel amplifies only the positive half and the other channel amplifies only the negative  
half of the audio signal. Each channel “sees” only half of the speaker’s rated impedance.  
So an 8 speaker becomes a 4 load in mono and a 4 speaker becomes a 2 load in  
mono. A 2 load may cause the Zamp v.2 to overheat and you should avoid it.  
Stereo - Mono Switch  
The unit should be turned off before moving this switch. Set the Stereo-Mono switch to  
its Mono (left) position for mono operation. Stereo output will be weak and distorted if  
you accidentally leave this switch in its Mono position.  
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Configuring the Zamp v.2 for Mono operation  
1. Turn the unit off.  
2. Connect the single cable from your mono source to the Right channel Input jack.  
3. Set the Stereo-Mono Switch to its Mono position.  
4. Connect the positive lead of the speaker wire to the red R+ channel speaker terminal.  
5. Connect the negative lead of the speaker wire to the red L+ channel speaker terminal.  
Note: the R+ and L+ terminals are not spaced to accept a dual banana plug.  
Automatic Turn On Options  
For automation and convenience, the Zamp v.2 can be turned on and off by applying a  
voltage to the Trigger In jack or by the presence of an audio signal at the input.  
Auto On Select Switch  
In the right position of the Auto On Switch, the Zamp v.2 is triggered on and off with an  
external +9 V to + 12 V voltage. When the external voltage ceases the Zamp v.2 will turn  
off immediately.  
In the middle position of the Auto On Switch, the auto on function is disabled and the  
Zamp v.2 can only be turned on and off manually by the On-Off button on the front panel.  
In the left position of the Auto On Switch, the Zamp v.2 is turned on and off when an  
audio signal is present at the Left and Right Input jacks. When the audio signal ceases, the  
Zamp v.2 will remain on for about five minutes. This prevents unwanted turn off during  
pauses in the music.  
Trigger Input Connection  
The Zamp v.2 can be triggered on with an external DC voltage source from +9 V to  
+12 V. Many audio video controllers, and all Parasound audio video surround controllers  
produced since 1997, include trigger outputs for this task.  
To activate the Zamp v.2 with an external voltage source, plug one end of the provided  
cord to the +12 V Trigger Input of the Zamp v.2 and the other end to the source  
component’s +12 V output. Parasound sources will have a matching 2.5mm jack, but if  
the source trigger is a terminal, you can cut off the plug at one end and attach the bare  
wires. The lead with the white stripe on it corresponds to the plug’s tip and the unmarked  
lead corresponds to the sleeve of the plug.  
If the trigger voltage source is DC, the trigger plug tip must be positive and its sleeve  
negative. The trigger circuit is optically coupled and thus only draws 15 mA of current for  
activation.  
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Trigger Out Connection  
The Trigger Out jack lets you loop or “daisy-chain” the trigger voltage to additional  
amplifiers or other components.  
Audio Trigger Sensitivity Adjustment  
The Auto On Audio Sensitivity Control adjusts the audio signal level threshold to turn on  
the Zamp v.2. It adjusts the audio trigger sensitivity from 30 mV (fully clockwise) to 2 V  
(fully counterclockwise). The center position corresponds to 50 mV, which is suitable in  
most cases.  
Ground Lift Switch  
The Ground Lift Switch isolates the circuit ground from chassis ground. This often helps  
eliminate hum that results from ground loops caused by multiple ground paths such as  
metal-to-metal contact with other components in an equipment rack plus the ground of the  
AC cord. If you experience hum in the system, try moving the Ground Lift Switch to its  
Lift position.  
AC Power Connections and AC Grounding  
If possible, plug your Zamp v.2 into the same AC outlet that powers your accompanying  
audio components and especially the system controller. If you use a different AC outlet,  
you may encounter AC hum caused by its differing ground potential.  
Operating the Zamp v.2  
Refer to the drawing on Page 4  
On-Off Button  
Manual Turn On  
Press the On-Off button once to turn the unit on, press it again to turn the unit off.  
Automatic Turn On  
Your Zamp v.2 can be turned on automatically. See Automatic Turn On Options for  
details about automatic triggering.  
Level Controls  
Each channel has an input level knob so you can adjust the input sensitivity of the Zamp  
v.2 for the best signal-to-noise ratio with your preamplifier or system controller. If there  
is no increase in background noise, we recommend setting both Level controls fully  
clockwise.  
Front Panel Indicators  
AC Line  
The amber AC Line indicator lights whenever the unit is plugged into a live AC source.  
On  
The On indicator lights green when the Zamp v.2 is on.  
8
 
Headphone Jack  
The headphone jack on the front panel accepts a 1/8" (3.5 mm) plug. The high current  
headphone circuit will easily drive headphones with an impedance of 8 or higher. The  
output to the speakers is muted when you plug headphones into the Zamp v.2.  
Maintaining Your Parasound Amplifier  
Your Parasound Zamp v.2 power amplifier requires no periodic maintenance except an  
occasional flattering remark. It 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 pre-moistened only with a few drops of water or glass cleaner.  
Main Power Fuse  
There is an external fuse mounted on the rear panel. This fuse protects the unit from  
possible damage to internal parts.  
Never replace this fuse with a higher value than originally installed. Substitution of a  
larger fuse may seriously damage internal parts and will void your warranty.  
In Case of Trouble  
If you suspect a problem with your Zamp v.2, first turn the unit off and check all your  
connections. Another component or even a defective hookup cable may be causing the  
trouble. If you hear hum, turn off the amplifier and disconnect the inputs to it. If the hum  
is gone when you turn the amplifier back on, it was probably caused by your preamplifier,  
system controller, or other source component connected to it.  
Also, make sure that the AC cords of all components are connected to the same AC  
outlet. In rack mounted systems, ground loops and hum will often develop via ground  
loops caused by redundant grounding of the metal rack rails of the equipment rack. This  
problem is usually solved with front and back nylon insulating shoulder washers (refer to  
the Rack Mounting section in this owner's manual).  
If All Else Fails  
Call your Parasound dealer or Parasound Technical Service Department. We can usually  
suggest other diagnostic tests you can easily perform. Should we determine that your  
Zamp needs further inspection or service, Parasound can recommend the location of a  
warranty center near you or shipping instructions for return to Parasound Technical  
Services.  
9
 
Returning your Zamp to Parasound for Service  
If we determine that you should send your Zamp v.2 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. You must provide an original purchase receipt  
from an Authorized Parasound Dealer for warranty repair. Units purchased from  
unauthorized dealers are not eligible for warranty repair.  
Units that arrive without an RA number, 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 UPS  
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.  
Important Notice before Shipping your Zamp v.2  
Before you ship the unit to Parasound, you MUST repack the unit into its fitted insert  
sandwich and its original carton. If you do not have the original packing cartons and foam  
inserts, call us for new packing material that we can provide to you at a nominal charge.  
Use of any other carton and packing materials will probably result in shipping damage.  
Common carriers such as UPS will not pay claims for damage incurred during shipment  
when products are surrounded only with Styrofoam “peanuts” or packed in non-original  
factory cartons. Repairs for shipping damages because of mis-packing are your sole  
responsibility.  
Finally  
Thanks for taking the time to read through these instructions and getting to know your  
Zamp v.2 a little better. We sincerely hope you enjoy your new Zamp v.2 for many years  
to come!  
The Parasound Staff  
10  
 
Voltage Selection Switch for the Zamp v.2  
The Zamp v.2 can be easily converted for 110-120 Vac or 220-240 V operation by using the  
voltage selector switch located on the bottom of the unit.  
For 110-120 Vac operation. Slide the switch into the position until the section of switch  
labeled "115" appears through the opening in the chassis.  
115  
For 220-240 Vac operation. Slide the switch into the position until the section of switch  
labeled "230" appears through the opening in the chassis.  
230  
11  
 
Parasound Zamp v.2 Specifications  
Continuous Power Output - Stereo  
30 watts RMS x 2, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 8 , both channels driven  
45 watts RMS x 2, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 4 Ω, both channels driven  
Continuous Power Output - Mono  
60 watts RMS, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 8 minimum Impedance  
Current Capacity  
10 amps peak per channel  
Slew Rate  
> 90 V/µsecond  
Frequency Response  
5 Hz-100 kHz, +0/-3 dB at 1 watt  
Total Harmonic Distortion  
< 0.06 % at full power; < 0.03 % typical levels  
IM Distortion  
< 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  
S/N Ratio  
> 100 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted  
Damping Factor  
> 400 at 20 Hz  
Audio Triggering Sensitivity Range  
20 mV to 200 mV  
DC Triggering Current Requirement  
< 15 mA  
Dimensions  
9 1/2" W x 1 3/4" H (2" with feet) x 7" D  
Weight  
9 lb net  
12  
 
Parasound Products, Inc. 950 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111  
© 2001 Parasound Products, Inc. Rev 2.0  
13  
 

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