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Car Stereo Amplifier
Amplificateur stéréo de voiture | Amplificador estéreo para el auto
NS-A1000
Insignia NS-A1000
Car Stereo Amplifier
Welcome
Congratulations on your purchase of a high-quality Insignia product.
Your NS-A1000represents the state of the art in car power amplifier
design, and is designed for reliable and trouble-free performance.
Exercise extreme caution when you operate the amplifier
near an open gasoline tank or electrical wires. Failure to
comply with this warning could result in injury or death.
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Features
•3-way protection: thermal, short-circuit, and over voltage
•2-ohm stable stereo
•P.W.M mosfet power supply
•Power and protection indicators
•Selectable crossover-hi/low and bypass
•18 dB bass boost with selector switch sub (50 Hz)
•Variable high pass and low pass crossover points
•Platinum plated terminals and RCA jacks
•Variable input sensitivity
•Soft delayed remote turn-on
•Low level and high level inputs
•Tri-mode capable for powering sub (observe impedance)
•Chrome end caps conceal electrical connections
•Remote dash-mount bass control
Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
Caution
Protect connecting wires and parts to av oid damage or short
circuits.
To protect the amplifier unit, make sure the p ower
connection from the positive (+) battery terminal to the
amplifier is correctly fused.
The sound system must be turned off before checking the
amplifier.
When you replace an amplifier fuse, make sure you use the
same fuse type and capacity (25AX2).
High powered audio systems in a vehicle are capable of
generating Live Concert high levels of sound pressure,
Continual exposure to excessively high volume sound levels
may cause hearing loss or damage.Also,operation of a
motor vehicle while listening to audio equipment at high
volume levels may impair your ability to hear external
sounds such as; horns, warning signals, or emergency
vehicles, thus constituting to a potential traffic hazard. In the
interest of safety, Consumer Electronics recommends
listening at lower volume levels While driving.
(40 Hz-250 Hz)
Planning the installation
Before beginning the installation, consider the following:
•If you plan to expand y our system by adding other components
sometime in the future, make sure that you provide adequate
space for the additional components, and that cooling
requirements are taken into consideration.
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Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
•If your source unit is equipped with both low-level (pre-amp
level with RCA connectors) and high-le vel (speak er lev el) types
of outputs, use the low-level outputs (RCA connectors) for the
amplifier inputs. This type of connection provides for increased
bandwidth and you can still utilize the speaker outputs to drive
the (smaller) front speakers directly.
Note
The distortion level is considerably lower from pre-amp (low
level) outputs, than from speaker (high level) outputs.
•Are your components matched? The peak power rating of y our
speakers must be equal to , or greater than, the amplifier output
rating. They also must be 2-8 ohms impedance (normally
printed on the speaker magnet).
•Consider both the length of your leads and the routing when
determining the mounting location. Pre-amp input jacks require
a length of high-quality shielded male-to-male RCA patch cord.
Setting up your amplifier
Mounting the amplifier
Warning
Check the layout of your automobile thoroughly before
drilling or cutting any holes. Take extreme care when you
work near the fuel tank li nes, hydraulic lines, or electrical
wiring. Do not mount this system so that the wire
connections are unprotected and subject to pinching or
damage from nearby objects.
The +12V DC power wire must be fused at the battery's
positive terminal connection. Before making or breaking
power connections at the system's power terminals,
disconnect the +12 V wire at the battery's end.
Confirm that your source unit and other equipment are all
turned off while connecting the input jacks and speaker
terminals.
If you need to replace the power fuse, replace it only with a
fuse identical to that which is supplied with the system.
Using a fuse of different type or rating may result in damage
to the system and this type of damage would NOT be
covered by the standard warranty.
The following should be considered before mounting your amplifier:
•Select a suitable location that is convenient for mounting, is
accessible for wiring, and has ample room for air circulation
and cooling.
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Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
•Use the amplifier as a template to mark the mounting holes.
Remove the amplifier and drill four holes.
Caution
Use extreme caution when drilling. To avoid problems,
carefully inspect underneath the intended mounting surface
before drilling.
•Secure the amplifier using the screws provided.
The mounting location of your amplifier will have a great effect on its
ability to dissipate the heat generated during normal operation. The
amplifier has an ample heat sink for heat dissipation and it is also
designed with a thermal shut-down (for heat protection) circuit.
Causing cool air to be directed over the fins will improve heat
dissipation dramatically. NEVER enclose the amplifier in a small box
or cover it so that air cannot flow around the fins.
Temperatures in car trunks have been measured as high as 175° F
(80° C) in the summer. Since the thermal shut-down point for the
amplifier is185° F (85° C), it is apparent that the amplifier must be
mounted for maximum cooling capability. To achieve the maximum
advantage of convection air flow in an enclosed trunk, mount the
amplifier in a vertical position on a vertical surface.
Cooling requirements are less critical when mounting the amplifier
inside the passenger compartment, since the driver will not often
allow temperatures to reach a critical point. Floor mounting under the
seat is usually satisfactory as long as there is at least 3 inches above
the amplifier’s cooling fins to allow for ventilation.
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Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
Connecting the power
Caution
As a precaution, you should disconnect the vehicle’s battery
before making the connection to the +12 volt supply wiring.
4/8 GAUGE (or thicker if planning for additional amplifiers) wire is
recommended for both the power and ground wires and 16 gauge f or
the remote turn-on wire. Both types are available from your retailer, or
you can check-out any installation shop.
12VREMGND
POWER INPUT
Fuse
Battery
To car stereo
Connecting the ground
To avoid unwanted ignition noise caused by ground loops, it is
essential that the amplifier be grounded to a clean, bare metal
surface on the vehicles chassis.
Note
The ground wire should be as short as possible (not more
than 3 ft. [1 meter]).
Connecting the +12 volt supply wiring
Due to the power requirements of the amplifier, the power connection
should be made directly to the positive (+) terminal of the battery. For
safety, install an in-line fuse holder (not included) as close to the
positive (+) battery terminal as possible, with a fuse rating not to
exceed the total fuse values in all the amplifiers installed when more
than one amplifier is used.
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Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
Connecting the remote turn-on
The remote turn-on is typically wired to the power antenna output of
your car stereo. With this connection, the amplifier is turned on
automatically when the vehicle’s stereo is turned on.
Note
If your car stereo does not have an active +12 volt lead
when it is turned on, you can either install an auxiliary
switch, or you can tap into an ignition lead. However, if you
choose the ignition option, your amplifier will turn on every
time you start your car.
Wiring and connecting the inputs
Wire routing is critical for noise-free performance. For satisfactory
input wiring, observe the following:
•Always use high-quality RCA-type shielded cables.
•Always use the shortest length possible. If the cable is too
long, make an S-type loop (not a coiled loop) in the center of
the cable to take up any excess.
•Never cut or splice the shielded cable.
•Never route any amplifier input cables near to, or parallel with,
speaker outputs, high-energy ignition wires, or
computer-controlled ignition circuit units (computer units may
be found behind or under the dash panel in late model cars).
Connecting high-level inputs
Caution
For floating ground head units, connect the positive (+)
speaker wires only. Do not connect the negative (-) speaker
wires.
For common ground head units, connect both the positive
(+) and negative (-) speaker wires.
Always connect the “signal ground wire” to chassis ground
when using the high-level inputs.
Note
Do not connect high-level input wires if you are using the
low-level input RCA jacks.
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Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
Chassis ground - black
Right channel (-)
LINE INPUT
Right channel (+)
RCH
LCH
Left channel (-)
HI INPUT
LEVEL
MIN MAX
Left channel (+)
BASS
HPFLPF
BOOST
0dB 18dB 40 Hz 250 Hz
REMOTE
CONTROL
Connecting low-level (RCA) inputs
Note
Do not connect low-level input RCA jacks if you are using
the high-level input wires.
Right channel (black)
X-OVER
HPF LPF
FULL
40 Hz 5 02zH
POWER
(GREEN)
PR OTECT
(RED)
LINE OUTPUT
RCH
LCH
Left channel (black)
Connecting the speakers
Caution
This amplifier was designed to be used with either 2 ohm
stereo/channel or 4 ohm each mono bridged channel. In the
case of tri-mode operation, use either 8 ohm stereo channel
speakers and 4 ohm sub or vice versa.
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Stereo mode connections
Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
MONO
RCH
SPEAKER OUTPUT
Mono mode connections
Tri-mode operation
Tri-mode operation lets you connect a subwoofer to the bridged /
mono terminals, while (additional) main speakers are connected to
the stereo channels. Leave the crossover (subwoofer) switch on Full
position for this mode.
Refer to the chart below to select the correct value of capacitor or
inductor for the frequency you want.
The chart applies to all channel configurations, even though the
illustration below is for a 2 channel amplifier.
To use the amplifier as a dedicated subwoofer channel, set filter
switch to LPF and adjust variable crossov er frequency with control as
desired. The amplifier's input circuit filters out everything above
40....250 Hz, depending on the set-point of the frequency control, so
that only the chosen bass notes / frequencies are amplified.
Va riable high-pass filter
To use the amplifier as a dedicated high range channel, set filter
switch to HPF The input circuit filters out all frequencies below
40Hz....250 Hz, depending on set-point.
-
Bass boost and the remote bass control
Use the bass boost function to emphasize the deepest bass notes at
50 Hz.
Input sensitivity control
In order to achieve maximum signal-to-noise performance, the input
sensitivity control adjusts the signal level from y our car stereo/source,
to match the amplifier's sensitivity. It is not a volume control.
Note
Not performing this adjustment and simply setting the input
sensitivity control at or near the MAX position may permit
electrical audio noise into the system.
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To adjust input sensitivity:
1 Set INPUT LEVEL control at mid-point. If distortion is heard
immediately, turn control to MIN until the sound is clear.
2 Listen for audible distortion as you increase your car stereo's
volume control. If you do not hear any distortion, turn the
adjustment level control slowly to ward MAX, until y ou hear audib le
distortion, then decrease the level to a point where no distortion is
heard.
Using your amplifier
Functions and controls
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1
2
Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
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5
4
LINE INPUT
RCH
LCH
HI INPUT
LEVEL
MIN MAX
BASS
HPFLPF
BOOST
0dB 18dB 40 Hz 250 Hz
REMOTE
CONTROL
X-OVER
HPF LPF
FULL
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40 Hz 5 02zH
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POWER
(GREEN)
PR OTECT
(RED)
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LINE OUTPUT
RCH
LCH
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ItemNameFunction or Control
1Line InputLeft and right channel inputs to the amplifier
2High level
input
3LevelInput sensitivity level. Turn clockwise to increase
4Bass boostTurn clockwise to increase bass boost at 50 Hz
system. Connect preamplifier outputs from a
source (such as a head unit, CD player, or DAT) or
from an external electronic crossover.
Left and right high level inputs to the amplifier.
Connect high level inputs.
sensitivity.
level.
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Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
ItemNameFunction or Control
5H PFSet for High Pass Filter frequency (40 Hz to
6Remote bass
control knob
7X-OverSet for High Pass Filter, Low Pass Filter, or Full.
8L PFSet for Low Pass Filter frequency (40 Hz to
9Power/
protection
indicator LED
10Line OutputUse these connections to feed audio to a second
250 Hz ).
Turn clockwise to increase the bass output of your
amplifier (0-18 dB) without adjusting the amplifier.
250 Hz ).
Green LED lit—Amplifier is on and functioning
correctly.
Red LED lit—Amplifier is in self-protect mode.
amplifier. Line output is affected by the cross-over
settings on the amplifier.
Specifications
ModelNS-A1000
@ 2 Ohms155 W × 2 channels
@ 4 Ohms110 W × 2 channels
Mono320 W @ 1% THD
Signal to Noise ratio>98 dB
Channel separation>55 dB
Frequency response ±1.0 dB10 Hz - 30 KHz
HPF40 Hz - 250 Hz
LPF40 Hz - 250 Hz
Adjustable sensitivity range0.2-1 V
Input - low level10K Ohms
Impedance - high level100 Ohms
Fuse25AX2
Dimensions (W × H × L)10.2 × 2.1 × 12.8 in
@ 1% THD
@ 1% THD
(25.9 × 5.33 × 32.5 cm)
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Troubleshooting
Before removing your amplifier, locate the problem in the following
table. Always test the speakers and speaker wires before
troubleshooting the amplifier.
SymptomCheckSolution
Insignia NS-A1000 Car Stereo Amplifier
No soundIs the power
The amplifier
will not turn on
No sound on
one channel
indicator LED
lit?
Is the fault
LED lit?
Is there power
to the power
wire?
Is there power
to the remote
turn on wire
with the
receiver on?
Is there a
blown fuse?
Check the
speaker leads.
Check the
Audio input
leads.
• Check the amplifier fuses.
• Make sure that the remote turn on wire is
connected.
• Check the signal leads.
• Check the gain control.
• Check the source volume level.
• Clean the contacts on the fuse holders.
• Check for a speaker short circuit,
amplifier overheating, or low voltage.
• Make sure that the amplifier has a good
ground connection.
• Repair the power wire or the
connections.
• Check the connections to the +12 V
source.
• Change the fuse.
• Check for a short circuit or open
connection. Repair if found.
• Reverse the left and right inputs to
determine if the fault is occurring before
the amplifier.
The amplifier
is turning off at
medium to
high volume
levels
The protection
LED is on
(Red)
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Check the
speaker load
impedance.
Is the amplifier
very hot?
Is there a short
in the speaker
wires?
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• Make sure that the correct speaker load
impedance recommendations are
followed.
• Check the speaker resistance with an
ohmmeter.
• Turn off the source unit and wait until the
amplifier cools.