Harman-Kardon TC300, TC600, TC304 User Manual

Thank you for choosing a Harman Kardon
Tunnel Cooled amplifier. This is a superb
piece of high fidelity equipment that has
been meticulously designed to provide you
with many hours of enjoyment.

Harman Kardon's Tunnel Cooled amplifiers
are the result of an extensive engineering
project to create the finest automotive high­fidelity amplifiers available. These amplifi­ers provide superior performance, can
operate under extreme environmental
conditions, and are highly adaptable to
various system configurations.

This manual describes the features and
capabilities of your new amplifier. In
addition,
connecting your amplifier to your system.
Please read this owner's manual and care­fully follow the instructions for connection.

it

describes the proper methods for

Table of Contents

Harman Kardon design philosophy
TC600, TC300, and TC304 features

introduction

Installation precautions
Charging system considerations
Mounting location
System configurations
Connecting the TC-series amplifier

General information
Power connections
Audio input connections

Speaker output connections
Controls and operation
Application drawings
Series-Parallel and minimum impedance

speaker connection
Troubleshooting checklist
Fan reversal for multiple amplifier

installations 33
Specifications

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Harman Kardon. Inc.

Harman Kardon design philosophy

The TC Series amplifiers employ the key

Harman Kardon design principles of high­instantaneous current capability (HCC),
ultrawidebandwidth, low negative feedback,
and fully discrete preamp and output
circuitry.

HCC (High-instantaneous

Current Capa,bility)

While reproducing dynamic music
signals, the instantaneous impedances of
nearly all loudspeakers drop to less than a
third of the nominal rating. These low
momentary impedances typically require

three to six times more current from the

amplifier than would a nominal Cohm

resistive load. The TC600 amplifier can
supply 100 amperes of instantaneous
current, while the TC300 and TC304 can

supply 50 amperes. This HCC provides
control over the low impedance and
fluctuating phase angles produced by
normally operating speakers, ensuring
that your speakers will be able to continu­ally reproduce the entire dynamic range
of music without premature clipping or
current limiting.

Bridgeable

All TC Series amplifiers are designed to
provide increased power into

4

stereo or
lower-quality amplifiers, the TC Series

amplifiers can
power. Stable, reliable operation in these
higher power modes is assured by the TC
Series' wide-margin Safe Operating Area
(S.O.A.), which anticipates the toughest
operating conditions.

ohms bridged. Unlike many

be

bridged for increased

2

ohms

Ultrawidebandwidth

Unlike conventional automotive amplifi­ers, the TC600, TC300, and TC304 can
reproduce musical frequencies ranging
from less than lOHz to more than

100kHz. This ultrawidebandwidth im­proves the accuracy of reproduction of
transient signals and ensures phase linear­ity.

Low

negative feedback

This design philosophy is used by the
world's most exclusive amplifiers. It

requires the highest quality internal

components, and results in an extremely

stable amplifier with unmeasurable TIM

distortion and absolutely outstanding

imaging characteristics.

Fully discrete circuitry

Rather than employing inexpensive

integrated circuits, which reduce band-

width and increase required negative

TC600, TC300,

and

TC304

Features

feedback, the TC Series amplifiers use
completely discrete (separate) electronic
components for greatly improved
linearity and less distortion.

Ultrawidebandwidth combined with low
negative feedback and fully discrete
curcuitry maintains the correct harmonic
and phase relationships in your music,
providing superior imaging and definition.

Designed and manufac-

tured in the

The TC Series amplifiers were designed
with the aid of CADICAM computer

at

systems
industrial complex. The result is rugged,
high-performance amplifiers employing
only the highest-quality parts and materials,
including double-sided fiberglass-epoxy
printed circuit boards and high-current

capacity bipolar transistors.

Harman Kardon's state-of-the-art

U.S.A.

Transverse tunnel fan
cooling

Major heat-producing components in the
amplifier are mounted directly to the center
heat sink, localizing the area to be cooled.
Harman Kardon's exclusive transverse

tunnel cooled design employs a fan to
eliminate heat directly from the heat sink,
enabling the amplifier to remain cool to the

touch and permitting installation in re-

stricted spaces, such as under car seats.

This exclusive design not only protects the

preamplifier and power supply components

from high temperatures, but also keeps dust

and dirt from contaminating the inside of

the amplifier, further ensuring reliable op-

eration.

Two-stage music-linked
cooling fan speed

The music link whisper fan operates

inaudibly until the music volume rises, then
goes to a higher speed for more efficient
cooling without interference with your

listening pleasure. The fan returns to its

inaudible state between musical passages.

Reversible fan

For side-by-side multi-amp installations, the

fan in each TC Series amplifier can be

reversed, providing control over the

direction of the cooling air flow. This

enables you to prevent the warm air from

one amp from being vented into the tunnel

of the next amp.

Simultaneous stereo
plus bridged mono
operation

For one-amplifier stereo satellite/mono
subwoofer systems, the TC Series amplifi­ers can provide stereo and bridged mono
operation simultaneously, eliminating the
need for electronic crossovers and addi­tional amplifiers.

50Hz

All
boost equalization, enabling you to adapt
your sound to your personal taste and com­pensate for acoustic limits inherent in the
automotive environment.

boost

TC

Series amplifiers provide

50Hz

Fully regulated high­capacity power supply

The high-capacity power supply is fully
regulated, ensuring stable amplifier opera­tion over a wide voltage range and corn­pletely eliminating damage to speakers due

DC

leakage.

to

B+ and remote-on
power noise filtering

The TC Series amplifiers contain power­supply filters that effectively reject any
power-supply-related noise, such as

B+

alternator whine. The 12-volt
power input is filtered by a bank of capaci­tors and a large high-current inductor.

main

Balanced differential
variable-gain inputs

The input circuitry on TC Series amplifiers
isolates signal cables from potential ground
loops and radiated noise. In addition, it
allows preamp or high-level (speaker)
inputs to
amplifier inputs.

be

directly connected to the

Introduction

This manual covers all three of the Harman
Kardon TC Series amplifiers: the TC600,
TC300, and TC304. Because of their clean,
powerful design, these amplifiers can be
used full-range or in specialized multi-amp
systems as bass, midrange, or treble
amplifiers.

The TC600 and TC300 are two-channel
(stereo) amplifiers that can be bridged into a
single channel. The TC304 is a four­channel amplifier that can be configured for
four, three, or two discrete channels. All of
the TC Series amplifiers are capable of
operating in simultaneous stereo plus
bridged mono mode, which allows for im­mense flexibility in system design and
future upgrade potential.

Please read this manual for information
about system design considerations,
connections, and operation. Before you
begin your installation, determine your
speaker configuration, wiring route, and
location of the amplifier(s). Retain this
manual for future reference.

Important

The TC Series amplifiers are professional­quality amplifiers that can be incorporated

into any automotive system, from the
simplest to the most complex. We strongly
recommend professional installation of your
TC Series amplifier to ensure that you
obtain the optimum performance from your
entire system.

Warranty card

Fill out the warranty card and

sules receipt.

proof of purchase and you will need it to
establish the date on which your warranty
begins. You will
service is necessary during the duration of
the Limited Warranty.

Your sales receipt is your

be

required to show

suve

your

it

if

Caution

Listening at extremely loud sound
levels can cause a temporary loss in
your hearing acuity. Continued
exposure can eventually cause this loss
to become permanent. We caution you
to be aware of the long-term effects of
sustained high-volume sound. and we
recommend that you use discretion
when listening for extended periods.

Installation precautions

Disconnect the negative
terminal before beginning your installa­tion, and do not reconnect it until all
connections have been made and you are
completely finished with your installa­tion.

As the very last step before reconnecting
the battery, connect the positive power
lead (sometimes referred to as
the amplifier to the battery terminal.

(-)

battery

B+)

from

Important:

circuits that can do major damage
(including potential for fire), you must
install a fuse within 18" of the positive

(+)

battery terminal on the positive
power lead to the amplifier. (See the
"Connections" section for information
about fuse size).

To prevent serious short-

B+

Make sure that the inlets and outlets for
the amplifier's cooling fan are unob­structed. You must install the amplifier
in such a way as to allow free air flow
through the cooling tunnel to ensure that
the amplifier will be able to dissipate its
heat.

Pay particular attention to the power
ratings of the speakers you choose. Many
speakers are not capable of handling the
high power produced by the TC Series
amplifiers. Match your speakers to the
power ratings of the amplifier(s) you will
be using, and never operate your speakers
at higher levels than specified.

Charging system Mounting
considerations location

The TC600, TC300, and TC304 are high-

performance amplifiers whose current
demands place an additional load on your

car's battery and charging system. Depend-

ing on the volume at which you are playing
your system, the amplifier can draw an
average of 20-40 amperes, and under

certain extreme operating conditions, can

draw up to 90 amperes in the case of the
TC600.

Because of the additional demand, the life

of your car's battery and charging system

may be shorter than it would have been
before you installed your music system.

You may need to install a heavy-duty
charging system and a high-quality heavy­duty battery to support the higher demands
on the charging system. Depending on your

listening habits, you may want to install a
second battery and an isolation switching

system. Consult your Harman Kardon
dealer for professional assistance.

Harman Kardon's tunnel cooled design
keeps your amplifier cool to the touch.

it

enabling you to install
confined space, such as under a seat with

limited clearance. Just be sure that you

don't block or restrict the inlet or outlet to

the amplifier's tunnel, so air can be circu-

lated freely by the fan. This cooling method
allows the amplifier to be positioned in any
orientation (horizontal, vertical, upside
down).

Do not install your amplifier in a location

where

it

would be exposed to rain, moisture,

or direct sun, and do not allow dirt or

foreign objects to enter the cooling tunnel.

Use the amplifier itself as a template for
marking the mounting holes. Before you
drill mounting holes, make sure that you
know what is located directly behind the
panel you're drilling through (e.g., gas tank,
brake lines, wires, etc.).

even in a very

System configurations

This section describes some of the system
configurations possible with the TC Series
amplifiers.

Low-level input to amplifier

TC-Series amplifiers are most commonly
used with a low-level (preamp) input signal
from the head unit. A control on the TC
Series amplifiers enables you to adjust the
input signal level for optimum performance.
(See the "Controls and operations" section
for information on adjusting input level.)

High-level input to amplifier

All TC Series amplifiers can also accept a
high-level (speaker-level) input signal from
a head unit that has no preamp-level out­puts. In this situation, the leads from your
head unit that would ordinarily connect
directly to your speakers are instead
connected to the input of the TC Series
amplifier.
amplifier enables you to adjust the input
signal level for optimum performance. (See
the "Controls and operation" section for

information on adjusting input level.)

A

control on the TC Series

Normal stereo or four-channel

full-range operation

("Full-range" means that a single amplifier
provides the entire spectrum of audio

frequencies to a speaker or speakers with no
electronic crossover used.) Either the
TC600 or the TC300 am~lifier can be used

in a normal two-channel stereo installation

in which the amplifier provides power for
both the left and right channels. The TC304
can

be

used in a normal four-channel

installation in which the amplifier provides
power for left and right channels, both front
and rear

Dedicated full-range bridged
amplifier operation

Any TC Series amplifier can be bridged.
combining two of its channels into a single
channel to provide higher power. The
TC600 or TC300 can be bridged to convert
from stereo operation to higher-power mono
operation. In this configuration, the ampli­fier provides all its power into a single
channel. The TC304, being a four-. three-,
two-channel amplifier. can be bridged to
combine one or two of its channel pairs into
one or two single mono channels.

Bridged amplifier operation

with electronic crossover

If

you install an electronic crossover

unit

between the head

and the TC Series

amplifier. you have several options for

in

using TC Series amplifiers

bridged mode,

such as:

Use the TC600 as a dedicated mono
amplifier running parallel subwoofers.

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Use the TC300 as a dedicated mono
amplifier running a single subwoofer or
other combinations of series/parallel
woofers.

Use the TC304 in one of two ways:
(a) as a dedicated two-channel amplifier
running two single subwoofers.

or

(b) as a stereo high-pass amplifier to two
stereo channels and as a mono low-pass
amplifier to a mono subwoofer channel.

Use the TC304 as a four-channel high-

pass satellite amplifier. and use either a

a

TC600 or TC300 as

dedicated sub-

woofer amplitler.

Simultaneous bridged-mono/
stereo satellite operation

You can use any of the TC Series amplifiers
in a simultanous bridge-monolstereo mode

(also known as center-channel configuration
or derived three-channel operation). In this
configuration, a single amplifier runs a

stereo pair of satellite speakers as well as a

single subwoofer speaker simultaneously.
With a TC Series amplifier, this configura-

tion does not require the use of either an
active electronic crossover or extra amplifi-

.

ers. However, you will need to use passive

crossovers on all three speakers so the
stereo satellite speakers and the subwoofer
do not operate in the same frequency range.

If you're using a two-channel amplifier
(either the TC600 or TC300), the speaker
leads will be connected to both the
normal stereo connectors and to the
bridged-mono connectors simultaneously.

If you're using the TC304 four-channel
amplifier. the amplifier can operate in
normal fourchannel mode and simultane­ously provide bridged power output on

either one or both front and rear channel

Simultaneous bridged-mono/stereo operation

speakers, or from the left front to right
rear and right front to left rear for non­fade bass operation.

4,3,2

four-channel amplifier

The TC 304 four-channel amplifier can
configured to provide either four, three, or
two separate channels of power. Some
examples of different types of 4,3,2,
operation have been described in this
manual, but there are many more possible
application combinations. The 4-3.2
operation of the TC304, combined with si­multaneous bridged operation, provides
almost unlimited flexibility for automotive
system design.

operation using the

TC304

be