Vintage HCA1000A

Description

Description

Perhaps the best value in a Home THX Ultra-certified amplifier to be found anywhere. This John Curl-designed amplifier brings out all the subtle details of your music, yet still has the punch for the boldest crescendos and home cinema special-effects explosions. It also features automatic turn-on, making it ideal for home theaters and custom, multi-zone installations.

FAQ

Which set of jacks do I use to connect my preamp to my amp?

Although it looks like there are two sets of inputs on our stereo amplifiers, there is actually only one set. They are labeled INPUTS. The other set of connectors are labeled LOOPING OUTPUTS. These would be used to send the stereo signal on to another amplifier. Daisy chain several amps to run multiple pairs of speakers. Do not use the LOOPING OUTPUTS as an input.

What would sound better in my audiophile system? Two HCA-1000As in mono or one HCA-1500A in stereo?

The HCA-1500A run in stereo should sound better since it has MOSFETs in the driver stage. Better parts, smoother sound, more detail, etc.

Where should I set the volume controls on the back of my amp?

Under normal conditions you should turn them all the way to allow full power output from your amp. However, if you need to match the volume output of one of our stereo amps with another brand (BiAmping) you could adjust them accordingly.

Will these amps handle a four ohm speaker while the two channels are bridged to MONO?

No. Remember amps bridged to mono will "see" half the impedance the speaker is actually presenting. Sustained 2 Ohm loads are not advisable with any Parasound amplifier.

How many pairs of speakers can I run off a single stereo amplifier?

Usually we recommend you only run one pair of speakers, either 8 ohm or 4 ohm. For the safest multi pair installation, you could use a speaker switching box, like our SPS-140, to safely handle the load the speakers will present. Plus it will give you more control over which pairs are playing.

What does the "A" stand for at the end of the model name?

Auto-turn on. It means these amplifiers have 12V triggers that allow a preamp to activate them remotely. Some kind of triggering device is necessary for 12V activation.

Vintage HCA1000A

Features

Circuitry designed by John Curl
THX Ultra-certified
Direct Coupled -- no capacitors or inductors in signal path
Input stage uses hand matched complementary JFETs
12 beta-matched 15 amp, 50 MHz bipolar output transistors
785VA Toroid power transformer with independent secondary windings for each channel, 40,000 µF power supply filter capacitance
Independent power supplies for each channel
DC Servo and relay protection circuits
Highbias Class A/AB operation
AC present, standby/normal, current overload indicators
Tiffany-style RCA input jacks, loop output jacks
12 volt DC automatic turn-on circuitry
Gold-plated 5 way speaker binding posts
Custom designed removable IEC AC cord
Rear mounted gain controls; ground lift switch
2 rack space height front panel
Rack mounting adapter available

Specifications

Continuous Power Output - Stereo:
125 watts RMS x 2, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 8 Ω, both channels driven;
200 watts RMS x 2, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 4 Ω, both channels driven
Continuous Power Output - Mono:
400 watts RMS, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 8 Ω
Current Capacity:
45 amperes peak per channel
Slew Rate:
>130 V/µsecond
Power Bandwith:
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:
unmeasurable
Dynamic Headroom:
> 1.5 dB
Interchannel Crosstalk:
> 80 dB at 1 kHz; > 60 dB at 20 kHz
Input Sensitivity:
1 V for 28.28 V, THX Reference Level; 1.1 V for full output
Input Impedance: 33 k Ω
S/N Ratio: > 116 dB, full power; > 96 dB, THX Reference Level
Damping Factor:
> 800 at 20 Hz
Power Consumption:
500 watts
Dimensions:
w 17 1/4" x h 3 1/2" x d 13 1/4", h 4 1/8" with feet
Net Weight:
22 lb