Pioneer GM-ME400X4 Owner’s Manual

Before yo u start

Before yo u start

Owner’s Manual
Mode d’emploi

MARINE 4-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFICATEUR MARIN 4 CANAUX

GM-ME400X4

English

Français

PIONEER CORPORATION

28-8, Honkomagome 2-chome, Bunkyo-ku,
Tokyo 113-0021, JAPAN

PIONEER ELECTRONICS (USA) INC.

P.O. Box 1540, Long Beach, California 90801-1540, U.S.A.
TEL: [phone]

PIONEER EUROPE NV

Haven 1087, Keetberglaan 1, B-9120 Melsele, Belgium/Belgique
TEL: [phone]

PIONEER ELECTRONICS ASIACENTRE PTE. LTD.

2 Jalan Kilang Barat, #07-01, Singapore 159346
TEL: [phone]

PIONEER ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.

5 Arco Lane, Heatherton, Victoria, 3202 Australia
TEL: [phone]

PIONEER ELECTRONICS DE MÉXICO S.A. DE C.V.

Blvd.Manuel Ávila Camacho 138, 10 piso
Col.Lomas de Chapultepec, México, D.F. 11000
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

先鋒股份有限公司

台北市內湖區瑞光路407號8樓

電話： 886-(0)2-2657-3588

先鋒電子（香港）有限公司

香港九龍長沙灣道909號5樓

電話： 852-2848-6488

© 2019 PIONEER CORPORATION.
All rights reserved.

© 2019 PIONEER CORPORATION.
Tous droits de reproduction et de
traduction réservés.

Thank you for purchasing this PIONEER
product

To ensure proper use, please read through this
manual before using this product. It is espe­cially important that you read and observe
WARNINGs and CAUTIONs in this manual.

Please keep the manual in a safe and accessible
place for future reference.

Information to User

Alteration or modifications carried out without
appropriate authorization may invalidate the
user’s right to operate the equipment.

After-sales service for
Pioneer products

Please contact the dealer or distributor from
where you purchased this unit for after-sales
service (including warranty conditions) or any
other information. In case the necessary infor­mation is not available, please contact the
companies listed below:
Please do not ship your unit to the companies
at the addresses listed below for repair without
advance contact.

USA&CANADA

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT DIVISION
P.O. Box 1760
Long Beach, CA 90801-1760
800-421-1404

For warranty information please see the Lim­ited Warranty sheet included with this unit.

If you experience problems

Should this product fail to operate properly,
please contact your dealer or nearest author­ized Pioneer Service Station.

Visit our website

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com

in Canada

http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca

! Learn about product updates (such as firm-

ware updates) for your product.

! Register your product to receive notices

about product updates and to safeguard
purchase details in our files in the event of
loss or theft.

! Access owner’s manuals, spare parts infor-

mation, service information, and much
more.

The Safety of Your Ears is in
Your Hands

Get the most out of your equipment by playing
it at a safe level—a level that lets the sound
come through clearly without annoying blar­ing or distortion and, most importantly, with­out affecting your sensitive hearing. Sound
can be deceiving. Over time, your hearing
“comfort level” adapts to higher volumes of
sound, so what sounds “normal” can actually
be loud and harmful to your hearing. Guard
against this by setting your equipment at a
safe level BEFORE your hearing adapts.

ESTABLISH A SAFE LEVEL:

! Set your volume control at a low setting.
! Slowly increase the sound until you can

hear it comfortably and clearly, without dis­tortion.

! Once you have established a comfortable

sound level, set the dial and leave it there.

BE SURE TO OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING
GUIDELINES:

! Do not turn up the volume so high that you

can’t hear what’s around you.

! Use caution or temporarily discontinue use

in potentially hazardous situations.

! Do not use headphones while operating a

boat; the use of headphones may create a
traffic hazard and is illegal in many area­s.

Before connecting/
installing the amplifier

WARNING

! This product contains chemicals known to the

State of California and other governmental en­tities tocause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Wash hands after

handling.

! To prevent fire hazard, the heatsink should

never be covered with items (such as papers,
cloths).

! This unit is for the boats with a 12 V battery

and negative grounding. Before installing,
check the battery voltage.

! When installing this unit, make sure to con-

nect the ground wire first. Ensure that the
ground wire is properly connected to the
metal parts of the boat body. The ground wire
of the one of this unit must be connected to
the boat separately with different screws. If
the screw for the ground wire loosens or falls
out, it could result in fire, generation of smoke
or malfunction.

! Be sure to install the fuse to the battery wire.
! Always use a fuse of the rating prescribed.

The use of an improper fuse could result in
overheating and smoke, damage to the pro­duct and injury, including burns.

! Check the connections of the power supply

and speakers if the fuse of the separately sold
battery wire or the amplifier fuse blows. Deter-

mine and resolve the cause, then replace the
fuse with and identical equivalent.

! Always install the amplifier on a flat surface.

Do not install the amplifier on a surface that
is not flat or on a surface with a protrusion.
Doing so could result in malfunction.

! When installing the amplifier, do not allow

parts such as extra screws to get caught be­tween the amplifier and the boat. Doing so
could cause malfunction.

! Do not allow this unit to come into contact

with liquids. Electrical shock could result.
Also, damage to this unit, smoke, and over­heating could result from contact with liquids.
The surfaces of the amplifier and any attached
speakers may also heat up and cause minor
burns.

! In the event of any abnormality, the power

supply to the amplifier is cut off to prevent
equipment malfunction. If this occurs, switch
the system power off and check the power
supply and speaker connections. If you are un­able to determine the cause, please contact
your dealer.

! Always disconnect the negative * terminal of

the battery beforehand to avoid the risk of
electric shock or short circuit during installa­tion.

! Do not attempt to disassemble or modify this

unit. Doing so may result in fire, electric
shock or other malfunction.

! Although this amplifier is designed specially

for marine applications, it is not submersible.
Do not install it in places that are prone to get­ting wet.

! Do not install in places under direct sunlight,

places exposed to extreme heat or high hu­midity, or places that will get wet.

! Attach a cover or cap to the terminals, and

prevent them from getting wet.

! Install the amplifier in a dry and well-venti-

lated environment, where other electrical ap­pliances installed on the boat will not interfere
with it.

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1

Before yo u start Setting the unit

Setting the unit

Connecting the units

Connecting the units

! When under direct sunlight with the cover on

for long hours, the cockpit area may have ex­tremely high temperatures. Allows the area to
cool down after cover has been removed be­fore using amplifier.

CAUTION

! Always keep the volume low enough to hear

outside sounds.

! Extended use of the stereo while the engine is

at rest or idling may exhaust the battery.

! This product is evaluated in moderate and tro-

pical climate condition under the Audio, video
and similar electronic apparatus - Safety re­quirements, IEC 60065.

! The graphical symbol

product means direct current.

placed on the

About the protection function

This product has protection function. When this
product detects something abnormal, the follow­ing functions will operate to protect the product
and speaker output.
! The POWER/PROTECT indicator will turn red

and the amplifier will shut down in the situa­tions outlined below.
— If the temperature inside the amplifier gets

too high.

— If a DC voltage is applied to the speaker

output terminal.

! The POWER/PROTECT indicator will turn red

and the output will be muted in the situations
outlined below.
— If the speaker output terminal and speaker

wire are short-circuited.

Important (Serial number)

The serial number is located on the bottom of
this unit. For your own security and convenience,
be sure to record this number on the enclosed
warranty card.

What’s what

Front side

3

4

2

Rear side

To adjust the switch, use a flathead screwdri­ver if needed.

1 FREQ (cut off frequency) control

Cut off frequency selectable from 40 Hz to
500 Hz if the LPF/HPF select switch is set to
LPF or HPF.

2 GAIN (gain) control

Adjusting gain controls CHANNEL A (chan­nel A) and CHANNEL B (channel B) helps
align the stereo output to the Pioneer ampli­fier. Default setting is the NORMAL posi­tion.
If the output remains low, even when the
stereo volume is turned up, turn the con­trols to a lower level. If distortion occurs
when the stereo volume is turned up, turn
these controls to a higher level.
! If using only one input plug, set the gain

controls for speaker outputs A and B to
the same position.

! For use with an RCA equipped stereo

(standard output of 500 mV), set to the
NORMAL position. For use with an RCA
equipped Pioneer stereo, with maximum
output of 4 V or more, adjust level to
match that of the stereo output.

! For use with an RCA equipped stereo

with output of 4 V, set to the H position.

5

3 LPF (low-pass filter)/HPF (high-pass fil­ter) select switch

Switch the settings based on the connected
speaker.
! When the Subwoofer is connected:

Select LPF. This eliminates high range
frequency and outputs low range fre­quency.

! When the full range speaker is con-

nected:
Select HPF or OFF. HPF eliminates low
range frequency and output high range
frequency. OFF outputs the entire fre­quency range.

4 INPUT SELECT (input select) switch

Select 2CH for two-channel input and 4CH
for four–channel input.

5 POWER/PROTECT indicator

The power indicator lights up to indicate
power ON.
! If something is not normal, the indicator

turns red.

Setting gain properly

! Protective function included to prevent

malfunction of the unit and/or speakers
due to excessive output, improper use or
improper connection.

! When outputting high volume sound etc.,

this function cuts off the output for a few
seconds as a normal function, but output
is restored when the volume of the head
unit is turned down.

! A cut in sound output may indicate impro-

per setting of the gain control. To ensure
continuous sound output with the head
unit at a high volume, set amplifier gain
control to a level appropriate for the preout
maximum output level of the head unit, so
that volume can remain unchanged and to
control excess output.

! Despite correct volume and gain settings,

the unit sound still cuts out periodically. In
such cases, please contact the nearest
authorized Pioneer Service Station.

Gain control of this unit

Preout level: 2 V (Standard: 500 mV)

Preout level: 4 V

Above illustration shows NORMAL gain set­ting.

Relationship between amplifier gain
and head unit output power

If amplifier gain is raised improperly, this will
simply increase distortion, with little increase
in power.

Signal waveform when outputting at
high volume using amplifier gain
control

If the signal waveform is distorted due to high
output, even if the amplifier gain is raised, the
output power will change only slightly.

Connection diagram

7

3

2

5

1

g

1 Battery wire (sold separately)

d

f

! The maximum length of the wire be-

tween the fuse and the positive + term­inal of the battery is 30 cm (12 in.).

! For the wire size, refer to Connecting the

power terminal. The batter y wire, the

ground wire and the optional direct
ground wire must be same size. After
making all other connections at the am­plifier, connect the battery wire terminal
of the amplifier to the positive + term­inal of the battery.

2 Fuse (60 A) (sold separately)

Each amplifier must be separately fused at
60 A.

3 Positive + terminal
4 Negative (*) terminal
5 Battery (sold separately)
6 Ground wire, Terminal (sold separately)

8

6

4

9

a

b

c

e

The ground wires must be same size as the
battery wire.

7 Stereo with RCA output jacks (sold separately)
8 External output

If only one input plug is used, do not connect
anything to RCA input jack B.

9 Connecting wire with RCA pin plugs (sold se-

parately)

a RCA input jack A
b RCA input jack B
c Amplifier with RCA input jacks (sold sepa-

rately)

d RCA output jack

Outputs the signal input to CH A.

e Speaker output terminals

h

i

Please see the following section for speaker
connection instructions. Refer to Connections
when using the speaker input wire.

f System remote control wire (sold separately)
g Fuse (30 A) × 2
h Front side
i Rear side

Note

INPUT SELECT (input select) switch must be set.
For details, see Setting the unit.

! Never wire the speaker negative cable directly

to ground.

! Never band together multiple speaker’s nega-

tive cables.

! If the system remote control wire of the ampli-

fier is connected to the power terminal via the
ignition switch (12 V DC), the amplifier will re­main on with the ignition whether the stereo
is on or off, which may exhaust battery if the
engine is at rest or idling.

! Install and route the separately sold battery

wire as far as possible from the speaker wires.
Install and route the separately sold battery
wire, ground wire, speaker wires and the am­plifier as far away as possible from the anten­na, antenna cable and tuner.

About bridged mode

! For any further enquiries, contact your local

authorized Pioneer dealer or customer
service.

About suitable
specification of speaker

Ensure speakers conform to the following
standards, otherwise there is a risk of fire,
smoke or damage. Speaker impedance is 2 W
to 8 W,or4W to 8 W for two-channel and other
bridge connections.

Subwoofer

Speaker channel Power

Four-channel output

Two-channel output

Three-channel
output

Speaker outputANominal input:

Speaker outputBNominal input:

Nominal input:
Min. 75 W

Nominal input:
Min. 200 W

Min. 75 W

Min. 200 W

Other than subwoofer

Before connecting the
amplifier

WARNING

! Secure the wiring with cable clamps or adhe-

sive tape. To protect the wiring, wrap sections
in contact with metal parts in adhesive tape.

! Never cut the insulation of the power supply

to feed power to other equipment. Current ca­pacity of the wire is limited.

CAUTION

! To prevent water from entering the amplifier,

attach a cover or cap to each terminal when
not in use.

! Never shorten any wires, the protection circuit

may malfunction.

! Do not install or use this amplifier by wiring

speakers rated at 2 W (or lower) in parallel to
achieve a 1 W (or lower) bridged mode (Dia­gram B).
Amplifier damage, smoke, and overheating
could result from improper bridging. The am­plifier surface could also become hot to the
touch and minor burns could result.
To properly install or use a bridged mode and
achieve a 2 W load, wire two 4 W speakers in
parallel with Left + and Right * (Diagram A)
or use a single 2 W speaker.
In addition, refer to the speaker instruction
manual for information on the correct connec­tion procedure.

Speaker channel Power

Four-channel output

Two-channel output

Three-channel
output

Speaker outputAMax. input:

Speaker outputBMax. input:

Max. input:
Min. 150 W

Max. input:
Min. 400 W

Min. 150 W

Min. 400 W

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Connecting the units

5

Connecting the units

Connecting the units

Connecting the units Installation

Connecting the speakers

The speaker output mode can be four-channel,
three-channel (stereo and mono) or two-chan­nel (stereo or mono). Connect the speaker
leads based on the mode and the figures
shown below.

Four-channel output

1

4

2

2

3

1

1 Left
2 Right
3 Speaker output A
4 Speaker output B

Two-channel output (Stereo)

1

2

1 Speaker output (Right)
2 Speaker output (Left)

Two-channel output (Mono)

1

1

1 Speaker output (Mono)

Three-channel output

1

3

2

4

1 Left
2 Right
3 Speaker output A
4 Speaker output B (Mono)

Connections when using
the RCA input jack

Connect the stereo RCA output jack and the
RCA input jack of the amplifier.
! The RCA output jack of this unit outputs

the signal that comes from The RCA input
jack A.

Four-channel / Three-channel output

! Slide INPUT SELECT (input select) switch

to 4CH position.

5

1 RCA input jack A
2 RCA input jack B
3 Connecting wires with RCA plugs (sold sepa-

rately)

4 From stereo (RCA output)

If only one input plug is used, e.g. when the
stereo has only one output (RCA output), con­nect the plug to RCA input jack A rather than
B.

5 INPUT SELECT (input select) switch (4CH po-

sition)

1

2

3

4

Two-channel output (Stereo) / (Mono)

! Slide INPUT SELECT (input select) switch

to 2CH position.

4

1 RCA input jack A

For two-channel output, connect the RCA
plugs to the RCA input jack A.

1

2

3

2 Connecting wire with RCA pin plugs (sold se-

parately)

3 From stereo (RCA output)
4 INPUT SELECT (input select) switch (2CH

position)

Connections when using
the speaker input wire

Connect the stereo speaker output wires to
the amplifier using the supplied speaker input
wire with RCA pin cord.

1 Stereo
2 Speaker output
3 Red: Right +
4 Black: Right *
5 Black: Left *
6 White: Left +
7 Speaker input wire with RCA pin cord

To the RCA input jack of this unit

Notes

! If speaker input wires from a headunit are

connected to this amplifier, the amplifier will
automatically turn on when the headunit is
turned on. When the headunit is turned off,
the amplifier turns off automatically. This
function may not work with some headunits.
In such cases, please use a system remote
control wire (sold separately). If multiple am­plifiers are to be connected together synchro­nously, connect the head unit and all
amplifiers via the system remote control wire.

! This amplifier automatically selects an input

signal mode between the RCA level and the
speaker level by detecting an input signal.

Solderless terminal
connections

! Since the wire may become loose over

time, it must be periodically inspected and
tightened as necessary.

! Do not solder or bind the ends of the

twisted wires.

! Fasten while making sure to not to clamp

the insulating sheath of the wire.

! Use the supplied hexagonal wrench to

tighten and loosen the terminal screw of
the amplifier and use it to securely fasten
the wire. Be careful to avoid excessive tigh­tening of this screw, which may damage
the wire.

Connecting the power terminal

WARNING

If the battery wire is not securely fixed to the term­inal using the terminal screws, there is a risk of
overheating, malfunction and injury, including
minor burns.

! Always use the recommended battery and

ground wire, which is sold separately. Con­nect the battery wire directly to the boat
battery positive (+) terminal and the
ground wire to the boat body.

! Recommended wires size (AWG: American

Wire Gauge) is as follows. The battery wire,
the ground wire and the optional direct
ground wire must be same size.

! Use a wire of 12 AWG to 16 AWG wire for

the speaker wire.

1 Route battery wire from engine com­partment to the boat interior.

! When drilling a cable pass-thru into a bulk

head or barrier wall, route the cable
through carefully and seal the hole to pre­vent fumes from seeping from engine com­partment to other areas.

After completing all other amplifier connec­tions, finally connect the battery wire terminal
of the amplifier to the positive + battery term­inal.

2

1

1 Positive + terminal
2 Battery wire (sold separately)

The maximum length of the wire between
the fuse and the positive + terminal of the
battery is 30 cm (12 in.).

3 Fuse (60 A) (sold separately)

Each amplifier must be separately fused at
60 A.

3

2 Use wire cutters or a utility knife to
strip the end of the battery wire, ground
wire and system remote control wire to ex­pose about 10 mm (3/8 in.) of the end of
each of the wires, and then twist the ex­posed ends of the wires.

Twist

10 mm (3/8 in.)

3 Connect the wires to the terminal.

Fix the wires securely with the terminal
screws.

6

4

7

2

1

3

1 Battery wire
2 Power terminal
3 Ground wire
4 GND terminal
5 System remote control wire
6 System remote control terminal
7 Terminal screws

Connecting the speaker output
terminals

1 Use wire cutters or a utility knife to
strip the end of the speaker wires to ex­pose about 10 mm (3/8 in.) of wire and
then twist the wire.

Twist

10 mm (3/8 in.)

2 Connect the speaker wires to the
speaker output terminals.

Fix the wires securely with the terminal
screws.

1

3

2

1 Terminal screws
2 Speaker wires
3 Speaker output terminals

Before installing the amplifier

WARNING

! To ensure proper installation, use the supplied

parts in the manner specified. If any parts
other than those supplied are used, they may
damage internal parts of the amplifier, or be­come loose causing the amplifier to shut
down.

! Do not install in:

— Places where injury could occur if the boat

stops suddenly.

— Places where it may interfere with the

boat's operator.

! Install tapping screws in such a way that the

screw tip does not touch any wire. This is im­portant to prevent wires from being cut by vi­bration of the boat, which can result in fire.

! Make sure that wires do not get caught in the

sliding mechanism or touch the legs of a per­son in the boat as short-circuit may result.

! When drilling to install the amplifier, always

confirm no parts are behind the panel and
protect all cables and important equipment
(e.g. cables, wiring, hoses, and modules) from
damage.

CAUTION

! To ensure proper heat dissipation of the ampli-

fier, ensure the following during installation:
— Allow adequate space above the amplifier

for proper ventilation.

— Do not cover the amplifier.

! Place all cables away from hot places, such

as near the heater outlet.

! The optimal installation location differs de-

pending on the boat model. Secure the ampli­fier at a sufficiently rigid location.

! Check all connections and systems before

final installation.

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