Kenwood KAC-5204 User Manual 2

KAC-5204

STEREO/BRIDGEABLE POWER AMPLIFIER 3 page 2-11

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

AMPLIFICATEUR DE PUISSANCE STEREO/COMPATIBLE 3 page 12-21

MODE D’EMPLOI

ESTÉREO/AMPLIFICADOR DE POTENCIA CONECTABLE 3 página 22-31

MANUAL DE INSTRUCCIONES

Take the time to read through this instruction manual.
Familiarity with installation and operation procedures will help you obtain the best
performance from your new power amplifier.

For your records

Record the serial number, found on the back of the unit, in the spaces designated on the
warranty card, and in the space provided below. Refer to the model and serial numbers
whenever you call upon your Kenwood dealer for information or service on the product.
Model KAC-5204 Serial number

US R esid enc e Only

Register Online

Regist e r your Kenwood pro d u c t at

www.Kenwoodusa.com

© B64-4488-08/00 (KH/EH) 5707-00000-203-0S

Safety precautions

WARNING

To prevent injury or fire, take the following
precautions:

•

When extending the ignition, battery, or ground

wires, make sure to use automotive-grade wires
or other wires with a 5 mm² (AWG 10) or more to
prevent wire deterioration and damage to the wire
coating.

• To prevent a short circuit, never put or leave any
metallic objects (such as coins or metal tools) inside
the unit.

• If the unit starts to emit smoke or strange smells,
turn off the power immediately and consult your
Kenwood dealer.

• Do not touch the unit during use because the
surface of the unit becomes hot and may cause
burns if touched.

• Mounting and wiring this product requires skills and
experience. For safety’s sake, leave the mounting and
wiring work to professionals.

CAUTION

To prevent damage to the machine, take the
following precautions:

•

Be sure the unit is connected to a 12V DC power

supply with a negative ground connection.

• Do not open the top or bottom covers of the unit.

• Do not install the unit in a spot exposed to direct
sunlight or excessive heat or humidity. Also avoid
places with too much dust or the possibility of water
splashing.

• When replacing a fuse, only use a new one with the
prescribed rating. Using a fuse with the wrong rating
may cause your unit to malfunction.

• To prevent a short circuit when replacing a fuse, first
disconnect the wiring harness.

FCC WARNING

This equipment may generate or use radio
frequency energy. Changes or modifications to this
equipment may cause harmful interference unless
the modifications are expressly approved in the
instruction manual. The user could lose the authority
to operate this equipment if an unauthorized change
or modification is made.

FCC NOTE

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment may cause harmful interference to radio
communications, if it is not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following
measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment
and receiver.

•

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a

circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.

•

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV

technician for help.

NOTE

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian
ICES-003.

NOTE

If you experience problems during installation,

•
consult your Kenwood dealer.

•

If the unit does not seem to be working right,

consult your Kenwood dealer.

2 English

Declaration of Conformity with
regard to the EMC Directive
2

004/108/EC

Manufacturer:

Kenwood Corporation
2967-3 Ishikawa-machi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo,

192-8525 Japan

EU Representative's:

Kenwood Electronics Europe BV
Amsterdamseweg 37, 1422 AC UITHOORN,
The Netherlands

Information on Disposal of Old Electrical

8Ω

2Ω

2Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

8Ω

4Ω

4Ω 4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω4Ω4Ω

and Electronic Equipment (applicable for
EU countries that have adopted separate
waste collection systems)

Products with the symbol (crossed-out

wheeled bin) cannot be disposed as
household waste.
Old electrical and electronic equipment
should be recycled at a facility capable
of handling these items and their waste
byproducts. Contact your local authority
for details in locating a recycle facility
nearest to you. Proper recycling and waste
disposal will help conserve resources whilst
preventing detrimental effects on our
health and the environment.

This Product is not installed by the manufacturer of a
vehicle on the production line, nor by the professional
importer of a vehicle into an EU Member State.

Cleaning the unit

If the front panel gets dirty, turn off the power and
wipe the panel with a dry silicon cloth or soft cloth.

CAUTION

Do not wipe the panel with a hard cloth or a cloth
dampened by volatile solvents such as paint thinner
and alcohol. They can scratch the surface of the panel
and/or cause the indicator letters to peel off.

To prevent battery rise

When the unit is used in the ACC ON position without
turning the engine ON, it depletes the battery. Use it
after starting the engine.

Protection function

There is a Protection function installed in the unit to
protect the unit and speakers from various problems.
When Protection operates, the indicator informs you
of the condition. (Refer to page 5)

Accessories

Part name

Self-tapping screws
(ø4 × 16 mm)

Terminal cover (Power
terminal)

Speaker level input
cable

External

View

Number of

Items

4

1

1

7 Wiring

• Take the battery wire for this unit directly from the
battery. If it's connected to the vehicle’s wiring
harness, it can cause blown fuses etc.

• If a buzzing noise is heard from the speakers when
the engine is running, connect a line noise filter
(optional) to each of the battery wire.

• Do not allow the wire to directly contact the edge of
the iron plate by using Grommets.

• Connect the ground wire to a metal part of the car
chassis that acts as an electrical ground passing
electricity to the battery‘s negative · terminal.
Do not turn the power on if the ground wire is not
connected.

• Be sure to install a protective fuse in the power
cord near the battery. The protective fuse should
be the same capacity as the unit’s fuse capacity or
somewhat larger.

• For the power cord and ground, use a vehicle type
(fireproof) power wring cord with a current capacity
greater than the unit’s fuse capacity. (Use a power
wiring cord with a diameter of 5 mm² (AWG 10) or
greater.)

• When more than one power amplifier are going
to be used, use a power supply wiring wire and
protective fuse of greater current-handling capacity
than the total maximum current drawn by each
amplifier.

7 Speaker Selection

• The rated input power of the speakers that are
going to be connected should be greater than the
maximum output power (in Watts) of the amplifier.
Use of speakers having input power ratings that
are less than the output power of the amplifier will
cause smoke to be emitted as well as damage.

• The impedance of the speakers that are going
to be connected should be 2Ω or greater (for
stereo connections), or 4Ω or greater (for bridged
connections). When more than one set of speakers
are going to be used, calculate the combined
impedance of the speakers and then connect
suitable speakers to the amplifier.

Combined impedance

English 3

Controls / Indicator

(W)

30

40

20

10

0.5

R

LINE IN

INPUT

SENSITIVITY[V

]

0.2

[
MAX

]
[
MIN

]

5

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

L

FILTER

OFF LPF

0.3

1

4

3

2

FUSE[25A

]

SPEAKER OUTPUT

P.CON

RIGHTLEFT

BRIDGED

GND

POWER IN

BATT.

0.5

INPUT

SENSITIVITY[V

]

0.2

[

MAX

]

[

MIN

]

5

0.3

1

4

3

2









  





1 Speaker level input terminals

NOTE

• The genuine-accessory car stereo shall have a
maximum power output of no more than 40 W.

Do not connect the speaker output leads from

•
a power amplifier (Optional) to the speaker
level input terminals of this unit, for this may
cause malfunction or damage.

• Do not connect cables and leads to both RCA
cable input jacks and the speaker level input
terminals simultaneously, for this may cause
malfunction or damage.

• Connect the power control lead to a power
supply which can be turned ON/OFF by
the ignition key switch (ACC line). With this
connection, shock noise may be generated
when the power of the genuine-accessory car
stereo is switched ON/OFF.

2 LINE IN terminal

Y control

3 INPUT SENSITIVIT

Set this control according to the pre-output level
of the center unit connected with this unit, or
to the maximum power output of the genuine­accessory car stereo.
Use the diagram on the right as a guide.

NOTE

For the pre-output level or the maximum power
output, refer to the <Specifications> in the
instruction manual of the center unit.

4 FILTER switch

This switch allow filtering of the speaker output
signals.

• OFF position:

The original sound without filtering is output.

• LPF (Low Pass Filter) position:

4 English

Only frequencies of 80 Hz or lower are output.
(Frequencies above 80 Hz are cut.)
The speaker output is automatically switched to
monaural (L+R).

5 Fuse (25 A)

attery terminal

6 B

ower control terminal

7 P

Controls the unit ON/OFF.

NOTE

Controls the unit power. Be sure to connect it with
all the systems.

8 Ground terminal

eaker output terminals

9 Sp

• Stereo Connections:

When you wish to use the unit as a stereo
amplifier, stereo connections are used.
The speakers to be connected should have an
impedance of 2Ω or greater. When multiple
speakers are to be connected, ensure that the
combined impedance is 2Ω or greater for each
channel.

• Bridged Connections:

When you wish to use the unit as a high­output monaural amplifier, bridged
connections are used. (Make connections to
the LEFT channel 9 and the RIGHT channel ·
SPEAKER OUTPUT terminals.)
The speakers to be connected should have an
impedance of 4Ω or greater. When multiple
speakers are to be connected, ensure that the
combined impedance is 4Ω or greater.

0 Power indicator



LRL

R

LRL

R

FILTER

OFF LPF

FILTER

OFF LPF

When the power is turned on, the Power indicator
lights.
If the Power indicator does not light when the
power is turned on, the protection function
may be activated. Check whether there is any
indication of trouble.

7 The protection function is activated in

the following situations:

This unit is equipped with a protection function
for protecting this unit and your speakers from
various accidents or problems that can occur.
When the protection function is triggered, the
Power indicator goes off and the amplifier stops
operating.

• When a speaker wire may be short-circuited.

• When a speaker output contacts ground.

• When the unit malfunctions and a DC signal is
sent to the speaker output.

• When the internal temperature is high and unit
won’t operate.

• When a ground wire of the center unit
(cassette receiver, CD receiver, etc.) or this unit
is not connected to a metal part serving as
an electrical ground passing electricity to the
battery's negative · terminal.

7 System examples

• 2-channel system:

CENTER UNIT

• Subwoofer system:

CENTER UNIT

Left speaker

Right speaker

Subwoofer

(Bridged)

English 5

Installation

Ø 4.6

198 mm

131 mm

217 mm

230 mm

Self-tapping screw
(ø4 × 16 mm)

Installation board, etc.
(thickness : 15 mm or more)

CAUTION

• Do not install in the below locations;
(Unstable location, In a location that interferes
with driving, In a location that gets wet, In a dusty
location, In a place that gets hot, In a place that
gets direct sunlight, In a location that gets hit by
hot air)

• D

o not install the unit under the carpet.
Otherwise heat build-up occurs and the unit may
be damaged.

• Install this unit in a location which allows heat to
easily dissipate.
Once installed, do not place any object on top of
the unit.

• The surface temperature of the amplifier will
become hot during use. Install the amplifier in a
place where people, resins, and other substances
that are sensitive to heat will not come into
contact with it.

• When making a hole under a seat, inside the
trunk, or somewhere else in the vehicle, check
that there is nothing hazardous on the opposite
side such as a gasoline tank, brake pipe, or wiring
harness, and be careful not to cause scratches or
other damage.

o not install near the dashboard, rear tray, or air

• D
bag safety parts.

• The installation to the vehicle should securely
fasten the unit to a place in which it will not
obstruct driving. If the unit comes off due to a
shock and hits a person or safety part, it may
cause injury or an accident.

• After installing the unit, check to make sure that
electrical equipment such as the brake lamps,
turn signal lamps and windshield wipers operate
normally.

6 English

WARNING

Remove the ignition
key and disconnect the
negative · terminal of
the battery to prevent
short circuits.

7 Installation procedure

Since there are large variety of settings and
connections possible according to applications, read
the instruction manual well to select the proper
setting and connection.

1. Remove the ignition key and disconnect the
negative · terminal of the battery to prevent short
circuits.

2. Set the unit according to the intended usage.

3. Connect the input and output wires of the units.

4. Connect the speaker wires.

5. Connect the power wire, power control wire and
grounding wire following this order.

6. Install the unit in the car.

7. Connect the negative · terminal of the battery.

CAUTION

• If sound is not output normally, immediately turn
power off and check connections.

• B

e sure to turn the power off before changing the

setting of any switch.

• If the fuse blows, check wires for shorts, then
replace the fuse with one of the same rating.

• Check that no unconnected wires or connectors
are touching the car body. Do not remove caps
from unconnected wires or connectors to prevent
short circuits.

• Connect the speaker wires to appropriate speaker
connectors separately. Sharing the negative wire
of the speaker or grounding speaker wires to the
metal body of the car can cause this unit to fail.

• After installation, check that the brake lamps,
winkers, and wipers work properly.

English 7

LINE IN

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

LINE IN

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

0.5

R

INPUT

SENSITIVITY[V

]

0.2

[

MAX

]

[

MIN

]

5

L

FILTER

OFF LPF

0.3

1

4

3

2

0.5

R

INPUT

SENSITIVITY[V

]

0.2

[

MAX

]

[

MIN

]

5

L

FILTER

OFF LPF

0.3

1

4

3

2

Connection

7 RCA cable or Speaker level input connection

(RCA cable Connections)

Left input Right input

(Speaker level input Connections)

RCA cable*

CENTER UNIT

(CD receiver, etc.)

Power control wire*
(Blue/ White)

Car fuse box

Cable Color of the connector

Left

Right

8 English

White
White/Black
Gray
Gray/Black

Battery

ACC

Genuine-accessory car
stereo (No line output

center unit etc.)

Speaker level input cable

FUSE[25A

]

SPEAKER OUTPUT

P.CON

RIGHTLEFT

BRIDGED

GND

POWER IN

BATT.

FUSE[25A

]

SPEAKER OUTPUT

P.CON

RIGHTLEFT

BRIDGED

GND

POWER IN

BATT.

FUSE[25A

]

SPEAKER OUTPUT

P.CON

RIGHTLEFT

BRIDGED

GND

POWER IN

BATT.

7 Speaker wire connection

(Stereo Connections)

* Commercially available parts

Right
speaker

Lead terminal*

(Bridged Connections)

7 Power wire connection

Terminal cover

Power control wire*

Left
speaker

Speaker (Bridged)

Lead terminal*

Battery wire*

Protective Fuse*

Ground wire*

Battery

English 9

Troubleshooting Guide

What might appear to be a malfunction in your unit may just be the result of slight misoperation or
miswiring. Before calling service, first check the following table for possible problems.

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION

No sound.
(No sound from one side.)
(Blown fuse.)

The output level is too
small (or too large).
The sound quality is bad.
(The sound is distorted.)

• Input (or output) cables are
disconnected.

• Protection circuit may be activated.

• Volume is too high.

• The speaker cord is shorted.

•

The input sensitivity adjusting control

is not set to the correct position.

•

The speakers wire are connected with

wrong ª/·polarity.

• A speaker wire is pinched by a screw
in the car body.

• The switches may be set improperly.

• Connect the input (or output) cables.

• Check connections by referring to
<Protection function>.

• Replace the fuse and use lower
volume.

• After check the speaker cord and
fixing the cause of the short, replace
the fuse.

• Adjust the control correctly referring
to <Controls>.

• Connect them properly checking the
ª/· of the terminals and wires well.

• Connect the speaker wire again so
that it is not pinched by anything.

• Set switches properly by referring to
<System examples>.

10 English

Specifications

Specifications subject to change without notice.

CEA-2006

RMS Watts per channel @ 4 ohms, 1 % THD+N ......................................................................................... 60 W × 2

Signal to Noise Ratio (Reference: 1Watt into 4 ohms) ...............................................................................75 dBA

Audio Section

Max Power Output ...............................................................................................................................................................................................350 W

Rated Power Output

Normal (4 Ω) (20 Hz – 20 kHz, 1.0 % THD) .....................................................................................................................................60 W × 2

(4 Ω) (DIN : 45324 , +B = 14.4V) .........................................................................................................................................60 W × 2

(2 Ω) (1 kHz, 1.0 % THD) ..........................................................................................................................................................75 W × 2

Bridged (4 Ω) (1 kHz, 1.0 % THD) .......................................................................................................................................................150 W × 1

Frequency Response (+0, –3 dB) ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Hz – 50 kHz

Sensitivity (rated output) (MAX.) ......................................................................................................................................................................0.2 V

Sensitivity (rated output) (MIN.) .......................................................................................................................................................................5.0 V

Signal to Noise Ratio ..............................................................................................................................................................................................94 dB

Input Impedance .....................................................................................................................................................................................................10 kΩ

Low Pass Filter Frequency (-12 dB/oct.) .....................................................................................................................................................80 Hz

General

Operating Voltage ...................................................................................................................................................14.4 V (11 – 16 V allowable)

Current Consumption ............................................................................................................................................................................................18 A

Dimensions (W × H × D) ..................................................................................................................................................... 198 × 59 × 230 mm

7-13/16 × 2-5/16 × 9-1/16 inch

Weight .........................................................................................................................................................................................................1.7 kg (3.7 lbs)

English 11