Parasound A 23 User Manual
A 23 Amplifier
Owner’s Guide
THANK YOU!
Congratulations and Thank You for Choosing Parasound
Your new Parasound Halo Series A 23 power amplifier presents the latest advancements
in amplifier technology. The A 23 is built to the strict quality and performance standards
set by Parasound. We’re proud to offer you this exceptional audio component that will
bring you many years of enjoyment and dependability.
Here at Parasound, we design our products to perform at a higher level of flexibility and
sonic performance than you may have expected. We encourage you to read this entire
manual to learn all the features and capabilities of your new Halo Series A 23 Amplifier.
If you’re eager to get up and running right away, simply follow the basic step-by-step
instructions to connect and operate the A 23. If you want to learn about some of the
technical and design aspects of your A 23, refer to the Technically Speaking and
Parasound A 23 Design Overview sections in the back of the manual. If you run into
difficulties, the Troubleshooting Guide should help you quickly remedy the problem.
We appreciate you taking the time to read these instructions and thank you for selecting
Parasound for your listening pleasure.
The Parasound Staff
Unpacking Your A 23
Unpack your A 23 from the shipping carton, remove the enclosed AC power cord, and
the control wire with sub-mini 2.5 mm plugs on each end. (This is the trigger connection
wire). While you are unpacking your new amplifier, inspect it thoroughly for possible
shipping damage. If you see any, contact your Parasound dealer right away. Be sure to
save and store both the inner and outer cartons and the packing inserts for possible
future transport. To save room for storage, you can cut the seams on the bottom of the
cartons and flatten them.
Keeping Records for Future Reference
Record the serial number located on the bottom of your A 23 in the space below. Also
note your Parasound Dealer’s name and phone number. We recommend that you keep
your purchase receipt with this manual and store them both in a safe place. You may
need to refer to this information sometime in the future.
Parasound A 23 Amplifier Serial #: ____________________
Parasound Dealer: ____________________________________
Phone Number:_______________________________________
Date of Purchase: _____________________________________
YOU SHOULD KNOW
There is no Parasound warranty for this unit if it was not purchased from an Authorized
Parasound Dealer. Investigate any warranty claims made by unauthorized dealers very
carefully as you will need to depend entirely upon the dealer, and NOT upon Parasound.
Unauthorized dealers may lack the capability to arrange repairs of Parasound equipment.
Authorized Parasound Dealers are listed at www.parasound.com or you can call 415-397-7100
between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm Pacific time.
A missing or tampered serial number could indicate that this unit was stolen or sold by an
unauthorized dealer. If this unit is missing its serial number, you should return it to your
dealer immediately for a full refund.
PLACEMENT GUIDELINES FOR YOUR A 23
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECTING A PREAMPLIFIER OR SURROUND CONTROLLER
TO THE BALANCED INPUTS ON THE A 23
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECTING A PREAMPLIFIER OR SURROUND CONTROLLER
TO THE UNBALANCED INPUTS ON THE A 23
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECTING THE LOOP OUT JACKS ON THE A 23 TO ANOTHER
POWER AMPLIFIER’S INPUTS
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECTING SPEAKERS TO THE A 23
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONFIGURING THE A 23 FOR BRIDGED MONO OPERATION
_________________________________________________________________________________
MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC TURN ON-OFF OPTIONS
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL DC SOURCE FOR AUTOMATIC ON-OFF
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECTING THE A 23 TO TRIGGER ANOTHER COMPONENT
_________________________________________________________________________________
UNDERSTANDING THE INDICATORS ON THE A 23
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECTING THE AC POWER CORD
_________________________________________________________________________________
MAINTAINING YOUR A 23
_________________________________________________________________________________
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
_________________________________________________________________________________
SERVICING YOUR A 23
_________________________________________________________________________________
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
_________________________________________________________________________________
PARASOUND A 23 DESIGN OVERVIEW
_________________________________________________________________________________
PARASOUND A 23 SPECIFICATIONS
_________________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A 23 Amplifier
19
17
13
12
15
14
11
10
9
8
7
5
4
2
1
3
6
PLACEMENT GUIDELINES FOR YOUR A 23
Power amplifiers are usually heavier and generate more heat than other components. To avoid
damage to the A 23 or other equipment and to reduce risk of fire, you must follow these guidelines:
• Place the A 23 on a separate shelf that will adequately support its weight.
• Keep it away from heat sources such as air ducts or radiators.
• Avoid placing it on carpeting or another material that might obstruct airflow into the
openings in the chassis bottom.
• Leave at least 3” of space around both sides and the top. The bottom clearance can be a little
less. This helps facilitate heat dissipation.
• Do not block the front of the A 23 behind closed cabinet doors during use.
• Do not stack the A 23 with other components inside a cabinet unless you use a fan to
circulate and exhaust the warm air that builds up between them.
Rack Mounting Your Parasound A 23
If you plan to mount the A 23 into a standard 19” wide equipment rack, you will need to purchase
the optional Parasound HRA 2 Rack Mount Adapter. With its four feet removed, the A 23 chassis
and front panel height occupies two rack spaces (3-1/2” or 88mm). Please call your Parasound
dealer or Parasound Technical Services if you need additional advice about rack mounting the A 23.
A standard single rack space allows 1- 3/4 vertical inches in a 19-inch wide equipment rack. This
measurement standard was developed by the EIA (Electronic Industries Association) so
manufacturers of electronic components and equipment racks could build products in
standardized heights that would fit in a uniform space.
1
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Balanced XLR Jacks and Their Pin Configuration
The balanced inputs of the A 23 use XLR jacks that conform to the industry standard of: Pin
1: Ground, Pin 2: Positive (+), Pin 3: Negative (--). The balanced outputs on some components
use terminals with 3 screws instead of XLR jacks. These are compatible with the A 23 as long
as you match the bare wires to the corresponding pins on the XLR plug: + to pin 2, - to pin 3,
and Ground to pin 1.
Interconnect Cables and Their Color Codes
Common color codes for input and output jacks are red for right and white for left. Match the
colors at the outputs from your preamplifier or surround controller to the inputs on your A 23
so you’ll always hear the channels in their intended position.
Left and Right Balanced Input Jacks
Balanced connections will give you the best sound. If your preamplifier or surround controller
has balanced XLR output jacks, we recommend that you connect them to these inputs. Refer
to the Balanced and Unbalanced Lines in the Technically Speaking section for additional
information about why we recommend using balanced lines.
What You’ll Need:
• One pair of balanced interconnect cables with XLR connectors
• A preamplifier or surround controller with
balanced connectors.
Before Connecting
Leave the A 23’s AC cord disconnected until you have made all other connections to
prevent any surprise burst of sound.
Make sure that all your cables are long enough so they are not strained or stretched
once they are connected.
Make sure the Balanced - Unbalanced switch on the rear of the A 23 is in its Balanced
(up) position.
To Connect
Plug the male end of the balanced interconnect cable into the Balanced Right Channel
input jack on the A 23.
Plug the female end of the cable into the balanced right channel output jack on
your preamplifier (or a channel from your surround controller).
Repeat steps 1 and 2 above to connect the left channel.
CONNECTING A PREAMPLIFIER OR SURROUND CONTROLLER
TO THE BALANCED INPUTS ON THE A 23
1
2
3&4
2
XLR Connectors
Male
Female
1
CAUTION
2
Right
OUTPUTS
4
Left
3
COMPONENTS
SURROUND
SOUND
CONTROLLER
or
PREAMP
Left and Right Unbalanced Inputs
Use these inputs if your preamplifier or surround controller doesn’t have balanced
output connectors or if you simply prefer to use unbalanced connections.
What You’ll Need:
• One standard pair of shielded interconnect cables with
RCA plugs
• A source component with RCA output jacks
Before Connecting
Leave the AC cord on the A 23 disconnected until you have made all other connections
to prevent any surprise burst of sound.
Make sure that all your cables are long enough so they are not strained or stretched
once they are connected.
Make sure the Balanced-Unbalanced switch on the A 23 is in its Unbalanced (down) position.
To Connect
Plug one end of the cable into the Unbalanced Right Channel Input jack on the A 23.
Plug the other end of this cable into the unbalanced right channel output jack on your
preamplifier (or a channel from your surround controller).
Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the left channel.
CONNECTING A PREAMPLIFIER OR SURROUND CONTROLLER
TO THE UNBALANCED INPUTS ON THE A 23
3
1
2
RCA Plugs
Right
Left
3&4
CAUTION
1
2
Right
OUTPUTS
4
Left
3
COMPONENTS
SURROUND
SOUND
CONTROLLER
or
PREAMP
Loop Out Connector
The Right and Left Loop Out jacks provide connections to route the same input signals from
your preamplifier or surround controller to an additional power amplifier. In most instances,
you won't use the loop out feature so you can skip this section.
What You’ll Need:
• One standard pair of shielded interconnect cables with
RCA plugs
• An additional amplifier
Before Connecting
Leave the AC cord on the A 23 disconnected from the wall until you have made all of
the connections in the system to prevent any surprise burst of sound.
Make sure that your interconnect cables are long enough so they are not strained or
stretched once they are connected.
To Connect
Plug one end of the cable to the right channel Loop Out jack on the A 23.
Plug the other end of this cable to the right channel input jack on the other power amplifier.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the left channel.
CONNECTING THE LOOP OUT JACKS ON THE A 23 TO
ANOTHER POWER AMPLIFIER’S INPUTS
4
1
2
YOU SHOULD KNOW
These jacks eliminate the need for two “Y” connector cables to split the outputs from the two
source channels between your A 23 and another amplifier. The A 23 Loop Out jacks provide
the same signals that are received at either the balanced or the unbalanced inputs. Refer to
Loop Out Jacks in the Technically Speaking section for more information about when to use
the loop out jacks.
RCA Plugs
Right
Left
3
&4
CAUTION
1
2
Right
4
Left
INPUTS
3
COMPONENTS
POWER AMP
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