Adcom GCA-510 User's Manual
Contents
1. Listening and Recording switches to the Tape position In this case the GCA 510 will automatically mute the recording output CARE AND FEEDING OF THE GCA 510 ADCOM has taken great care to assure that your GCA 510 is as flawless in appearance as it is electrically The front panel is a heavy gauge high grade anodized aluminum extrusion bead blasted for durability The chassis rear panel and top cover are painted and baked heavy gauge steel Ifthe outer cover or front panel becomes dusty or fingerprinted piease clean with a soft lintless cloth SLIGHTLY DAMPENED with a very mild detergent solution DO NOT SPRAY OR USE LIQUIDS OF ANY KIND ON YOUR UNIT NEVER USE HARSH SCOURING POWDERS SERVICING ADCOW s Technical Service Depariment will be happy to answer all questions pertaining to the installation and operation of your unit In the unlikely event of difficulty please contact us for prompt advice If we can t help you resolve the problem immediaiely we may refer you to an authorized repair agency or authorize the return of your unit to cur plani All written inquiries should be addressed to ADCOM Service Department 11 Elkins Road East Brunswick NJ 08816 USA Telephone inquiries are welcomed from Monday through Friday between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time 908 390 1130 We ll also be happy to answer FAX inquiries Direct them to 908 390 9152 and include your FAX number for our response When inquiring about yo2. right speaker Exercise care in connecting your speakers Be particularly alert that individual strands of speaker wire do not short between the and terminals at either the amplifier or the speaker terminals A note on speaker cable We recommend the use of al least 16 gauge AWG two conductor zip cord for all speaker connections under 25 in length For longer amplifier to speaker runs we suggest 14 gauge zip cord If you so desire specialty wire specifically designed for high quality amplifier speaker interface may be considered Consult your ADCOM dealer for recommendations Connect the outputs of up to five 5 line level sources CD player tuner etc to the appropriate inputs on the rear panel of the GCA 510 through All Inputs are electrically identical Remember to observe proper channel continuity left channel output to left channel input and right to right The RCA type input jacks on ADCOM products adhere to the color convention of white for left channel and red for right Most dual coaxial interconnect cables or patch cords also follow this color coding or mark the cables in other obvious ways to make channel continuity easy to establish Anote on interconnects We strongly recommend cables with low capacitance ratings These will provide minimum interference for component to component signal transfer If you desire you may opt for specialty interconnects specifically designed for low lo
3. ADCOM GCA 510 Control Amplifier OWNER S MANUAL THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ARE REQUIREMENTS OF UL AND CSA SAFETY REGULATIONS Warning To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this unit to rain or moisture CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN AVIS RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR The graphic symbol of a lightning flash with an arrow point within a triangle signifies that there is dangerous voltage within the unit and it poses a hazard to anyone removing the cover to gain access to the interior of the unit Only qualified service personnel should make any such attempt The graphic symbol of an exclamation point within an equilateral triangle warns a user of the device that it is necessary to refer to the instruction manual and its warnings for proper operation of the unit Do not place this unit on an unstable cari stand tripod bracket or table The unit may fall causing serious injury to a child or adult and serious damage to the unit Use only with a cart stand tripod bracket or table recommended by the manufacturer or sold with the unit Any mounting of the device should follow the man ufacturer s instructions and should use a mounting ac cassory recommended by the manufacturer Read al the safety and operating instructions before connecting or using this unit Retain this notice and the owner s manual for future reference All warnings o
4. ch to each side and to the rear of the unit The GCA 510 is heavier than you might expect due to the high capacity toroidal transformer and large heat sink assembly A stable supporting surface is necessary We won t go into the endless and mostly unproved theories about extraneous vibrations and their deleterious effects on audio components except to say that the more massive and firmly anchored the supporting surface is the less likely you ll be to experience any problems Proper airflow is important Don t block the ventilation slots on the bottom plate and top cover of the unit The feet will insure enaugh air space below the GCA 510 for adequate circulation WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO NOT STACK OTHER UNITS ON TOP OF THE GCA 510 Turn off all the other components in your system That means everything And don t plug the GCA 510 into the AC outlet yet Turning off system components before initial installation and connection avoids the nasty buzzes thumps and other sounds of electronic distress that occasionally accompanies hooking up components Connect the speakers to the 5 way binding posts speaker outputs of the GCA 510 02 0 The binding posts will accept a variety of connectors from bare wire to exotic audiophile super banana types Make sure to observe proper polarity Connect the GCA 510 s red terminal for the left speaker to the terminal on that speaker Do the same for the terminals Then repeat this for the
5. d 0 012 O 0 035 SR 0 05 THD Noise at 75 waits into 4 Ohms Typical OZ a SEE dei ii KA nett ai A AA TEO ON SIE 0 025 O eh rn nk he an nme onana ne RETTET EHRE BEE LEERE EEE RER 0 018 TORTE on EN T E RE Ten ea ee ee ee 0 04 NN A E 0 055 Frequency Response 1 Watt into 8 Ohms A e neo atc puto taka allele TEE len see ee 0 5cB Power Bandwidth 34B nennen akwa rare cn 3Hz to 100kHz Dynamic Headroom Into 4 Ohms enter crecen 2 3dB Signal to Noise Ratio A Weighted 50 Walls inte SONME une nenne ENTE ET ae or ELITE ae eae 105dB Gain Voume control Maximum ee ee eee ernsten ES ia 31dB Damping Factor 20Hz to 20kHz A a won NA A iio DAR O REIR 380 Rise Time 5kHz 65V peak to peak square wave 20 10 80 Leet rr nC rr rns reee nen 1 5us Semiconductor complement wwwww mii iii mii ro ron rro rr rra 33 transistors 2 zener diodes 10 diodes 1 C 1 diode bridge Power Consumption Continuous Both Channels Driven CURE SCE KAENI WAA MD ev stats LA WBA e a MWANA WAR MA PA E EEE EP WA AA K ataa aes aiia aa VA BIA LA 50VA MAKUMI waa usi kai A 6 SEERA ae anaes hr KANA i Kaa HAIWI WAA boat 6COVA 50 ATES IEC 8 ahma Henn ine nee 275VA 75 watta to 4 ORTIS er ann andi oE ATO ERAN Ser eR oT KR 420VA General Power available in 220V or 240V on special order iii nennen 120VAC 50 60H2 Chassis Dimensions rennen cronica rara 3 76mm x 17 432mm x 117 47 286mm Ma
6. d 800 VA or watts maximum for the unswitched outlet The switched outlet can be used for any system component that should be turned on or off when the GCA 510 is powered Tuners and CD players are the most likely candidates The unswitched outlet is recommended for mechanical devices such as a cassette deck where premature AC power interruption can result in damage to the drive assembly or for other source components where a constant AC source is required to maintain internai settings 8 After making sure that the Level control 0 is turned completely down counter clockwise plug the GCA 510 into an AC outlet preferably one thatis NOT controlled by a wall switch or other device that may be tumed off inadvertently If you five in an area supplied with 115 Volt AC we strongly recommend use of ADCOM s ACE 515 AC line enhancer and sequential switcher See your ADCOM dealer for details 9 Use the Power switch Gto turn the GCA 510 on The Power Indicator LED will light 10 Select a source for playback by rotating the Listening selector Oo the appropriate input position You may select the same source to record by rotating the Recording selector 6 to the same input You can simultaneously select a totally different source for recording by simply selecting a different source with the Record ing switch The GCA 510 will not allow a potentially destructive feedback condition even if you inadvertently set both the
7. gt 4 AOZLJ0L ehe 38 O O BUBEN i Jaydwe PUBWLUCD OLY OD POL MS FEN 91880 PN NDASUNIE ISe3 a mo ur peo Sumy LL D guuEyo 7 KULE y PSyojmsun pays ndino 034215 a ISOU 20 ae a waukimba Siu esodxa JOU Gp AOOYS 219312 10 ary JO YSU eug 290 PS 01 ONINEYAL HOOK UP AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 1 Unpack the GCA 510 carefully Put the foam cocoon and other packing materials back in the carton and SAVE IT As part of ADCOM s quality control procedures your GCA 510 was carefully inspecied for physical imperfections and electrical performance before it left our plant In the event of physical damage notify your ADCOM dealer immediately and request help in filing a written damage claim THE RIGHT TO A CLAIM AGAINST A COMMON CARRIER CAN BE FORFEITED IF THE CARRIER IS NOT NOTIFIED PROMPTLY IN WRITING AND IF THE SHIPPING CARTON AND PACKING MATERIALS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION SAVE ALL PACKING MATERIALS UNTIL THE CLAIM HAS BEEN SETTLED The foam cocoon and carton were specifically designed to protect your GCA 510 Even though space is often ata premium in today s homes we recommend that you save ihe packing materials in case you need to ship the unit anywhere in the future Select a stable vibration free location for the GCA 510 as close as possible to your other audio components Make sure you have enough air space for proper ventilation We recommend ai least 3 of free air space above the GCA 510 and an in
8. ifier is completely capable of driving low impedance ioads without excessive distortion The amplifier is also virtually impervious to speaker cable reactance and will drive a fully phase shifted load with the same distortion performance exhibited with a purely resistive load Precise loudspeaker control is further assured by the intentional elimination of output coils to provide a constant high damping factor over the entire audio range FRONT and REAR PANELS We carefully designed the GCA 510 with your enjoyment in mind Controls are at a minimum and we ve arranged them so that their use is truly intuitive The rear panel benefits from the same design goals Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the following drawings You ll find references to the circled numbers throughout the rest of this manual GCA 510 FRONT PANEL DIAGRAM a 5 o aa 8 E F 5 D S ra amp D E E aS 2 Ss 97 o El ca a za 5 I 2 5 5 3 Be 2 a 5 ka fm red E B 5 5 a oo A moget SCA 519 GCA 510 REAR PANEL DIAGRAM jndjnc ede indut aun Auo sjepou sn JeRno Dv peyoymsun mdu sde mau do O Auo sfepou sn 1enno oy peysumns E mduxny AULD ya mdino 1exeads oaas O sepjoy esny sureu OY E indu capi jouueyo 1yBL ndino ayBeds osas o 00000060 Q 6 xeu yA 009 xew yA DOS A RULED xew MDOE uondummsuon samad PEN zH 09 05 Asuenbay
9. ines for proper grounding and in particular specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building as close to the point of cable entry as practical INTRODUCTION Congratulations on purchasing ADCOM s GCA 510 Control Amplifier We designed this unique product for both simple operation and exceptional sound quality We don t anticipate any difficulty in setting up the GCA 510 but ask that you do read the following instructions carefully before you begin hocking up your new component CIRCUIT DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS The GCA 510 is an innovative example of the minimalist school of circuit design Although it offers the convenience of an integrated amplifier it is actually a very high gain power amplifier preceded by a passive level controller There is no separate preamplifier stage in the GCA 510 at all The circuit topology includes a two stage discrete front end with doubly regulated and temperature compensated active constant current bias sources This gives exceptionally stabie performance characteristics from DC to ultrasonic frequencies The output stage utilizes a unique Bias Emitter Multiplier to ampiify a transistor s inherent silicon junction voltage to create a temperature compensated constant voltage source The complementary output stage features discrete high power devices operated in a high bias Class AB Common Collector mode This design employs no current limiting Consequently the ampl
10. location of antenna discharge unit connection to grounding electrodes and requirements for the grounding electrode a Use No 10 AWG 5 3 mm copper No 8 AWG 8 4 mm aluminum No 17 AWG 1 0 mm copper clad steel or bronze wire or larger as a ground wire b Secure antenna lead in and ground wires to house with stand off insulators spaced from 4 6 feet 1 22 1 83 m apart c Mount antenna discharge unit as close as possible to where lead in enters house d Use jumper wire not smaller than No 6 AWG 13 3 mm copper or the equivalent when a separate antenna grounding electrode is used See NEC Section 810 21 j EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING AS PER NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN ARTICLE 810 RADIO AND TELEVISION EQUIPMENT POWER LINES SERVICE ENTRANCE CONDUCTORS FTC STANDOFF INSULATORS b MAST w SERVICE ENTRANCE ANTENNA LEAD IN WIRE ANTENNA DISCHARGE UNIT c TO EXTERNAL ANTENNA TERMINALS OF RADIO RECEIVER POWER SERVICE GROUNDING ELECTRODE SYSTEM GROUND WIRE a b te g interior metal water pipe GROUND CLAMPS BONDING JUMPER d e OPTIONAL ANTENNA GROUNDING ELECTRODE DRIVEN 8 FEET 2 44 M INTO THE EARTH IF REQUIRED BY LOGAL CODES SEE NEC SECTION 810 21 f NOTE TO CATV SYSTEM INSTALLER This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installer s attention to Article 820 22 of the National Electrical Code that provides quidel
11. n the unit and in its operating instructions should be adhered to All operating and use instructions should be followed Do not use this unit near water for example near a bathtub washbowl kitchen sink laundry tub in a wet basement or near a swimming pool The unit should be instalied so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation For example it should not be situated on a bed sofa rug or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings or placed in a built in installation such as bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through its ventilation openings The unit should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other devices including amplifiers that produce heat The unit should be connected to a power supply outlet only of the voltage and frequency marked on its rear panel The power supply cord should be routed so that it is not likely 10 be walked on of pinched especially near the plug convenience receptacies or where the cord exits from the unit Clean unit only as recommended in ts instruction manual The power supply cord of the unit should be unplugged from the wall outlet when it is to be unused for a long period of time Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and fiquids are not spilled into the enclosure through any openings This unit should be serviced by qualified service personnel when A The po
12. ss signal transfer Consult you ADCOM dealer for recommendations The Tape Out connections should be connected to the inputs of your system s tape or disc recorder As long as you do not attempt to run a patch cord from either channel s Tape Out to a digital recorder s digital input you should experience no problem If you do attempt this feat you wili not be punished Nothing will happen Absolutely nothing Eventually you ll realize the mistake and correct it by connecting the GCA 510 s Tape Out jacks to the analog inputs of the digital recording device Then you ll be able to record The Tape Out jacks are buffered or isolated to preserve signal integrity under unusual load conditions In other words the GCA 510 s sound quality will be unaffected by any conditions inadvertently imposed by the recording device low impedances electrical short circuits etc 7 This information applies only to certain versions of the GCA 510 Consult your dealer for details The GCA 510 is equipped with two rear panel convenience AC outlets one switched and one unswitched Power to 2 3 4 5 6 4 ihe switched outlet is controlled by the front panel Power switch while the unswitched outlet carries AC current whenever the GCA 510 is plugged into a live AC ouilet The power ratings for these outlets are as follows 500 VA equivalent io 500 watts maximum for the switched outlet an
13. ur unit please include the serial number the name of the dealer from whom you purchased the unit and the date of purchase If we ask you to return the unit to us for service we will issue a specific Return Authorization number for your use UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE UNIT BE SHIPPED TO US WITHOUT PROPER AUTHORIZATION OR PACKED IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN ITS ORIGINAL PACKING If the original packing has been lost discarded or damaged we will be happy to supply a replacement ai a nominal charge Please mention your need when you call or write Always ship PREPAID via UPS United Parcel Service or other appropriate carrier FREIGHT COLLECT SHIPMENTS WILL BE REFUSED DO NOT SHIP VIA PARCEL POST as the packaging will not necessarily withstand handling by our Postal Service GCA 510 SPECIFICATIONS Power Rating To FTC Requirements 50 watts continuous average power into 8 ohms at any frequency between 20Hz and 20kHz with both channels driven at less then 0 075 THD 75 watts continuous average power into 4 ohms at any frequency between 20Hz and 20xHz with both channels driven at less then 0 075 THD IM Distortion SMPTE 1 watt to 50 watts into 8 ORMS inning terneros 0 05 1 watt to 75 watts into 4 ORMS inicio rr 0 05 IM Distortion CCIF Any Combination from 4kHz to 20kHz A do hen BR nee EEE RE SEELE 0 02 75 Watts into AONMS waa Sha Awa AAA WANAE KAA KI AA a a 0 02 THD Noise at 50 watts into 8 Ohms Typical o
14. wer cord or the plug has been damaged or B Objects have fallen or liquid has been spilled into the unit or C The unit has been exposed to rain or liquids of any kind or D The unit does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance or E The device has been dropped or the enclosure damaged DO NOT ATTEMPT SERVICING OF THIS UNIT YOURSELF REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL ATTENTION POUR PREVENIR LES CHOCS ELECTRIQUES NE PAS UTILISER CETTE FICHE POLARISEE AVEC UN PROLONGATEUR UNE PRISE DE COURANT OU UNE AUTRE SORTIE DE COURANT SAUF SI LES LAMES PEUVENT ETRE INSEREES A FOND SANS EN LAISSER AU CUNE PARTIE A DECOUVERT CAUTION TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT USE THIS POLARIZED PLUG WITH AN EXTENSION CORD RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET UN LESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED TO PREVENT BLADE EXPOSURE CAUTION POWER LINES Any outdoor antenna must be located away from all power lines OUTDOOR ANTENNA GROUNDING If an outside antenna is connected to your tuner or tuner preamplifier be sure the antenna system is grounded so as to provide some protection against veltage surges and built up static charges Section 810 of the National Electrical Code ANSI NFPA No 70 1984 provides information with respect to proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure grounding of the lead in wire to an antenna discharge unit size of grounding conductors
15. ximum Dimensions coccion miimo rc rr 31 2 89mm x 17 432mm x 13 330mm Weight cie 15 Ibs 6 8kg TA en ernennen 17 5 lbs 7 2kg
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