Pioneer PRS-D4200F User Manual

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BRIDGEABLE FOUR-CHANNEL POWER AMPLIFIER

AMPLIFICATEUR DE PUISSANCE PONTABLE A
QUATRE VOIES

Owner’s Manual

PRS-D4200F

Mode d’emploi

1

Before Using This Product ...................... 2

Information to User .......................................... 2

Inportant ............................................................ 2

After-sales service for Pioneer products .......... 2

CAUTION ........................................................ 3

Visit our website ................................................ 3

CAUTION ........................................................ 3

WARNING ........................................................4

Setting the Unit .......................................... 5

Power Indicator ................................................ 5

Top Cover .......................................................... 5

Cut Off Frequency Control .............................. 5

BFC (Beat Frequency Control) Switch

.................... 5

LPF (Low-Pass Filter)/HPF (High-Pass Filter)

Select Switch .............................................. 6

Gain Control ...................................................... 6

Input Select Switch ............................................ 6

Input Switch ...................................................... 6

Setting the Gain properly .................................. 7

Connecting the Unit .................................. 8

Connection Diagram ........................................ 9

Solderless Terminal Connections .................... 10

Connecting the Power Terminal ...................... 10

Connecting the Speaker Output Terminals .... 11

Using the Speaker Input .................................. 11

Connecting the Speakers and Input Wires ...... 12

Installation ................................................ 14

Example of installation on the floor mat

or on the chassis ...................................... 15

Replacing the top cover .................................. 15

Specifications .......................................... 16

Contents

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Before Using This Product

2

Thank you for purchasing this PIONEER
product. It is designed to give you many
years of enjoyment.
PIONEER SUGGESTS USING A PRO­FESSIONAL INSTALLER DUE TO THE
COMPLEXITY OF THIS PRODUCT.
Please read all instructions and WARN-
INGS in this manual before attempting
operation. Should you have any questions,
contact your nearest Pioneer authorized
dealer or installation specialist.

Information to User

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

Important

The serial number of this amplifier is writ­ten on the bottom of the unit. For your
own security and convenience, write it
down on the enclosed warranty card. Keep
the card handy for future reference.

After-sales service for Pioneer
products

Please contact the dealer or distributor from where
you purchased the product for its 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 product to the companies
at the addresses listed below for repair without
advance contact.

7 U.S.A.

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

7 CANADA

Pioneer Electronics of Canada, Inc.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
DEPARTMENT
300 Allstate Parkway
Markham, Ontario L3R 0P2
1-877-283-5901
905-479-4411

For warranty information please see the Limited
Warranty sheet included with your product.

3

Before Using This Product

CAUTION

• Never replace the fuse with one of greater

value or rating than the original fuse. Use of
an improper fuse could result in overheating
and smoke and could cause damage to the
product and injury including burns.

•Use the supplied hexagonal wrench to tight­en screws when fastening wires to the termi­nal. The use of a long, commercially avail­able hexagonal wrench can cause excessive
torque to be applied possibly resulting in
damage to terminals and wires.

Visit our website

Visit us at the following site:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com

1Register your product. We will keep the details of

your purchase on file to help you refer to this
information in the event of an insurance claim
such as loss or theft.

2Receive updates on the latest products and tech-

nologies.

3Download owner’s manuals, order product cata-

logues, research new products, and much more.

CAUTION

Do NOT install or use your Pioneer ampli­fier by wiring speakers rated at 4 Ohm (or
lower) in parallel to achieve a 2 Ohm (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
for a two-channel amplifier and achieve a
4 Ω load, wire two 8 Ω speakers in parallel
with Left + and Right – (Diagram A) or
use a single 4 Ω speaker. For a four-chan-
nel amplifier, follow the speaker output
connection diagram for bridging as shown
on the back of your amplifier, and wire
two 8 Ω speakers in parallel to achieve a 4
Ω load or use a single 4 Ω speaker per
channel.
If you have any questions or concerns,
please contact your local authorized
Pioneer dealer or call Pioneer customer
service.

Diagram A - Proper

8

+

-

Ohm

Speaker

8

+

-

Ohm

Speaker

L+ R-

Pioneer

Amplifier

4 Ohm Bridged Mode

Diagram B - Improper

4

+

-

Ohm

Speaker

4

+

-

Ohm

Speaker

L+ R-

Pioneer

Amplifier

2 Ohm Bridged Mode

4

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WARNING

•Handling the cord on this product or cords associ­ated with accessories sold with the product will
expose you to lead, a chemical known to the State
of California and other governmental entities to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­tive harm. Wash hands after handling.

•We recommend that you use the special red bat­tery and ground wire [RD-228], which is sold sep­arately. Connect the battery wire directly to the
car battery positive terminal (+) and the ground
wire to the car body.

•Do not touch the amplifier with wet hands.
Otherwise you may get an electric shock. Also, do
not touch the amplifier when it is wet.

• For traffic safety and to maintain safe driving
conditions, keep the volume low enough so that
you can still hear normal traffic sound.

• Check the connections of the power supply and
speakers if the fuse of the separately sold battery
wire or the amplifier fuse blows. Detect the cause
and solve the problem, then replace the fuse with
another one of the same size and rating.

• To prevent malfunction of the amplifier and
speakers, the protective circuit will cut the power
supply to the amplifier (sound will stop) when an
abnormal condition occurs. In such a case, switch
the power to the system OFF and check the
connection of the power supply and speakers.
Detect the cause and solve the problem.

•Contact the dealer if you cannot detect the cause.

• To prevent an electric shock or short-circuit
during connection and installation, be sure to
disconnect the negative (–) terminal of the battery
beforehand.

•Confirm that no parts are behind the panel when
drilling a hole for installation of the amplifier. Be
sure to protect all cables and important equipment
such as fuel lines, brake lines and the electrical
wiring from damage.

• DO NOT allow amplifier to come into contact
with liquids due to, for example, the location
where the amplifier is installed. Electrical shock
could result. Also, amplifier and speaker damage,
smoke, and overheating could result from contact
with liquids. In addition, the amplifier surface and
the surface of any attached speakers could
become hot to the touch and minor burns could
result.

5

Setting the Unit

Power Indicator

The power indicator lights
when the power is switched
on.

Cut Off Frequency Control

If the LPF/HPF select switch is set to
LPF or HPF, you can select a cut off

frequency from 40 Hz to 500 Hz.

BFC (Beat Frequency Control)
Switch

BFC switch is on the bottom of the unit.
If you hear a beat while listening to an
AM broadcast with your car stereo,
change the BFC switch using a small
standard tip screwdriver.

Top Cover

Before setting up the unit, unfasten the
screws with a 4 mm hexagonal wrench
and remove the top cover.

•To adjust the switch, use standard tip screwdriver if needed.

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6

Gain Control

Adjusting the gain controls A and B will help match the output of the car stereo to the
Pioneer amplifier. Normally, set the gain controls to the NORMAL position. If the output is
low, even when the volume of the car stereo is turned up, turn these controls clockwise. If
there is distortion when the volume of the car stereo is turned up, turn these controls
counter-clockwise.

• If you only use one input plug, set the gain controls for speaker outputs A and B to the same position.

•When using with an RCA equipped car stereo (standard output of 500 mV), set to the NORMAL
position. When using with an RCA equipped Pioneer car stereo with max. output of 4 V or more,
adjust level to match the car stereo output level.

Input Select Switch

For two-channel input, slide this switch
to the left. For four-channel input, slide

this switch to the right.

LPF (Low-Pass Filter)/HPF (High-Pass Filter) Select Switch

Set the LPF/HPF select switch as follows according to the type of speaker that is connected
to the speaker output connector and the car stereo system:

LPF/HPF Select Audio frequency range Speaker Remarks

Switch to be output Type

LPF (Left) * — 40 Hz to 500 Hz Subwoofer Connect a subwoofer.
OFF (Center) Full range Full range
HPF (Right) * 40 Hz to 500 Hz — Full range Use if you want to cut the

very low frequency range*
because it is not necessary
for the speakers you are
using.

* See the “Cut Off Frequency Control” section.

Input Switch

It is possible to input from a car stereo external output (subwoofer output) or a car stereo
speaker output. When using an external output (subwoofer output), slide the switch to the
left. For connection instructions, see the “Connection Diagram” section. When using a
speaker output, slide the switch to the right. In this case, it is necessary to use the supplied
speaker input wire with RCA pin cord. For details, see the “Using the Speaker Input” sec­tion.

7

Setting the Unit

Setting the Gain properly

•This unit is equipped with a protective function to
prevent malfunction of the unit itself and speakers
from too much output, improper use or improper
connection.

•When outputting sound at high volume etc., this
function will cut off the sound output in a few
seconds. But this is not a malfunction. When you
turn down the volume of the head unit the sound
output will be restored.

• If sound output is cut, the gain control of this unit
may be improperly set. To ensure continuous
sound output at increased volume of the head unit,
set the gain control of the amplifier to a proper
position according to the preout maximum output
level of the head unit. There is no need to
decrease the volume of the head unit and too
much output is controlled.

• If you decrease the volume of the head unit and
set the gain control of the amplifier to the proper
position but still the sound cuts out from time to
time, contact the nearest authorized PIONEER
Service Station.

Gain Control of This Unit

•The above illustration shows the gain set to
NORMAL.

Relationship between the gain of the
amplifier and the output power of the
head unit

• If you raise the gain of the amplifier to an improp­er level, only distortion is increased and the power
increases only slightly.

Signal waveform when outputting at high
volume by the gain control of the amplifier

•With high output the signal waveform is distorted,
if you raise the gain of the amplifier the power
changes only slightly.

Amplifier gain

(normal)

Amplifier gain

(maximum)

Head unit volume steps

Powe r

Normal gain

Powe r

Head unit volume steps

Maximum gain

Equal power

Preout level: 4 V

Preout level: 6.5 V

Preout level: 2 V
(Standard: 500 mV)

Normal gain

Equal power

Signal

waveform

Amplifier gain

(normal)

Signal

waveform

Amplifier gain

(maximum)

Maximum gain

Connecting the Unit

8

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CAUTION

•Disconnect the negative (–) terminal of the bat­tery to avoid the risk of short-circuit and damage
to the unit.

• Secure the wiring with cable clamps or adhesive
tape. To protect the wiring, wrap adhesive tape
around it where they lie against metal parts.

•Do not route wires where they will get hot, for
example where the heater will blow over them. If
the insulation heats up, it may become damaged,
resulting in a short-circuit through the vehicle
body.

•Make sure that wires will not interfere with mov­ing parts of the vehicle, such as the gearshift,
handbrake or seat sliding mechanism.

•Do not shorten any wires. Otherwise the protec­tion circuit may fail to work when it should.

•Never feed power to other equipment by cutting
the insulation of the power supply wire to tap
from the wire. The current capacity of the wire
will be exceeded, causing overheating.

•Never replace the fuse with one of greater value
or rating than the original fuse. Use of an improp­er fuse could result in overheating and smoke and
could cause damage to the product and injury
including burns.

Speaker Channel Speaker Type Power

Four-channel

Subwoofer Nominal input: Min. 70 W
Other than subwoofer Max. input: Min. 150 W

Two-channel

Subwoofer Nominal input: Min. 200 W

Other than subwoofer Max. input: Min. 600 W
Three-channel Subwoofer Nominal input: Min. 70 W
Speaker output A Other than subwoofer Max. input: Min. 150 W
Three-channel Subwoofer Nominal input: Min. 200 W
Speaker output B Other than subwoofer Max. input: Min. 600 W

CAUTION:

To prevent damage and/or injury

•Do not ground the speaker wire directly or con­nect a negative (–) lead wire for several speakers.

•This unit is for vehicles with a 12-volt battery and
negative grounding. Before installing it in a recre­ational vehicle, truck or bus, check the battery
voltage.

• If the car stereo is kept on for a long time while
the engine is at rest or idling, the battery may go
dead. Turn the car stereo off when the engine is at
rest or idling.

• If the system remote control wire of the amplifier
is connected to the power terminal through the
ignition switch (12 V DC), the amplifier will
always be on when the ignition is on— regardless
of whether the car stereo is on or off. Because of
this, the battery could go dead if the engine is at
rest or idling.

• Speakers to be connected to the amplifier should
conform with the standards listed below. If they
do not conform, they may catch fire, emit smoke
or become damaged. The speaker impedance
must be 2 to 8 ohms. But in case of two-channel
and other bridge connections, the speaker
impedance must be 4 to 8 ohms.

• Install and route the separately sold battery wire
as far away 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.

9

Connecting the Unit

Connection Diagram

•This diagram shows connections using external output (subwoofer output). Slide the input switch to the left
(RCA).

•When you connect with speaker output, connections defers from the diagram. For details, see the “Using
the Speaker Input” section. In either case, you need to set the input switch. For details, see the “Setting the
Unit” section.

Grommet

RCA input

Special red battery wire [RD-228] (sold separately)
After making all other connections at the amplifier,
connect the battery wire terminal of the amplifier to
the positive (+) terminal of the battery.

Ground wire (Black) [RD-228] (sold separately)
Connect to metal body or chassis.

Amplifier with
RCA input jacks

Car stereo with
RCA output jacks

System remote control wire (sold separately)
Connect the male terminal of this wire to the system remote control terminal of the car
stereo (SYSTEM REMOTE CONTROL). The female terminal can be connected to the
auto-antenna relay control terminal. If the car stereo does not have a system remote control
terminal, connect the male terminal to the power terminal through the ignition switch.

Fuse (40 A) × 2

Connecting wire with
RCA pin plugs (sold
separately).

Speaker output terminal
See the “Connecting the Speakers
and Input Wires” section for
speaker connection instructions.

Fuse (30 A) × 2

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

RCA input jack B

RCA output jack

RCA input jack A

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10

Solderless Terminal Connections

• Do not connect a cord having an exposed core
wire to the power terminals of this amplifier
(Power terminal, GND terminal, System remote
control terminal). Disconnection or breakage of
the core wire can cause a fire or short-circuit.

• Since the wire will 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.
Securely fasten the wire with the terminal screw.
However, since excessively tightening the termi­nal screw of the System remote control has the
risk of damaging the wire, be careful not to tight­en excessively by observing the status of the wire
when tightening.

Connecting the Power Terminal

•We recommend that you use the special red bat­tery and ground wire [RD-228], which is sold
separately. Connect the battery wire directly to
the car battery positive terminal (+) and the
ground wire to the car body.

• Recommended wires size (AWG: American Wire
Gauge) is as follows. The battery wire and the
ground wire must be same size.

•Use a 10 AWG to 20 AWG wire for the system
remote control wire.

Battery Wire and Ground Wire Size

Wire Length less than less than less than

4.5 m 7.2 m 11.4 m

(14 ft. 9 in.) (23 ft. 7 in.) (37 ft. 5 in.)

Wire Size 8 AWG 6 AWG 4 AWG

1. Pass the battery wire from the
engine compartment to the interior
of the vehicle.

•After making all other connections to the

amplifier, connect the battery wire terminal
of the amplifier to the positive (+) terminal of
the battery.

2. Connect the wires to the terminal.

• Fix the wires securely with the terminal

screws.

WARNING

Failure to securely fasten the battery wire to the ter­minal using the terminal screws could cause the ter­minal area to overheat and could result in damage
and injury including minor burns.

Engine
compartment

Interior of
the vehicle

Drill a 13 mm
hole into the
vehicle body.

Insert the O-ring rubber
grommet into the vehicle
body.

Positive (+)
terminal

Fuse (40 A) × 2

GND terminal

Power terminal

Battery wire

System remote
control terminal

System remote
control wire

Ground wire

Terminal screws

11

Connecting the Unit

Connecting the Speaker Output
Terminals

•Use a 10 AWG to 16 AWG wire for the speaker
wire.

1. Expose the end of the speaker wires

using nippers or a cutter by about 10
mm (3/8 inch) to 12 mm (1/2 inch).

2. Connect the speaker wires to the

speaker output terminals.

• Fix the speaker wires securely with the termi­nal screws.

Using the Speaker Input

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

•Slide the input switch to the right (SP).

Connections when using the speaker
input

•As a result of connecting the car stereo speaker
output wire to the amplifier, the power of the
amplifier is turned on automatically when the car
stereo is turned on. It is not necessary to connect
the system remote control wire in this case.

• In the case the amplifier and head unit are con­nected using a speaker input wire with RCA pin
cord, the amplifier power is only turned on when
one amplifier is being used. If two or more ampli­fiers are synchronously connected in combina­tion, connect the head unit and all of the ampli­fiers with the system remote control wire.

Note:

•Connect the system remote control wire when the
power of the amplifier is not to be turned on
when the car stereo is turned on.

10 mm (3/8 inch) to 12 mm (1/2 nch)

Speaker output
terminal

Terminal screws

Speaker wire

Speaker output

Car Stereo

White: Black: Black: Red:
Left + Left ≠ Right ≠ Right +

Speaker input
wire with RCA
pin cord

To RCA input
jack of this unit.

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12

Connecting the Speakers and Input Wires

The speaker output mode can be four-channel, three-channel (stereo + mono)
or two-channel (stereo, mono). Connect the speaker leads to suit the mode
according to the figures shown below.

Four-channel

Three-channel

RCA input jack A

(Right)
Speaker out A
(Left)

RCA input jack B

Connecting wires
with RCA plugs
(sold separately)

From car stereo (RCA output)
If only one input plug is used, such as
when the car stereo has only one output
(RCA output), connect the plug to RCA
input jack A, but do not connect a plug to
RCA input jack B.

(Left)
Speaker out B
(Right)

RCA input jack A

(Right)
Speaker out A
(Left)

RCA input jack B

Connecting wires
with RCA plugs
(sold separately)

From car stereo (RCA output)
If only one input plug is used, such as
when the car stereo has only one output
(RCA output), connect the plug to RCA
input jack A, but do not connect a plug to
RCA input jack B.

Speaker out B
(Mono)

Input select switch is on the top of the unit. For two­channel input, slide this switch to the left. For four­channel input, slide this switch to the right.

Input select switch is on the top of the unit. For two­channel input, slide this switch to the left. For four­channel input, slide this switch to the right.

13

Connecting the Unit

Two-channel (Stereo)

Two-channel (Mono)

RCA input jack A
In the case of two-channel mode
connect RCA plugs to the RCA
input jack A.

Speaker (Left)

Speaker (Right)

Connecting wire with
RCA plugs
(sold separately)

From car stereo (RCA output)

Speaker (Mono)

Speaker (Mono)

Connecting wire with
RCA plugs
(sold separately)

From car stereo (RCA output)

Input select switch is on
the top of the unit. Slide
this switch to the left.

RCA input jack A
In the case of two-channel mode
connect RCA plugs to the RCA
input jack A.

Input select switch is on
the top of the unit. Slide
this switch to the left.

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14

CAUTION

• Do not install in:
—Places where it could injure the driver or pas-

sengers if the vehicle stops suddenly.

—Places where it may interfere with the driver,

such as on the floor in front of the driver’s
seat.

•Make sure that wires are not caught in the sliding

mechanism of the seats, resulting in a short-cir­cuit.

•Confirm that no parts are behind the panel when

drilling a hole for installation of the amplifier.
Protect all cables and important equipment such
as fuel lines, brake lines and electrical wiring
from damage.

• 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 car, which can result in fire.

• DO NOT allow amplifier to come into contact

with liquids due to, for example, the location
where the amplifier is installed. Electrical shock
could result. Also, amplifier and speaker damage,
smoke, and overheating could result from contact
with liquids. In addition, the amplifier surface and
the surface of any attached speakers could
become hot to the touch and minor burns could
result.

•To ensure proper installation, use the supplied

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

•Never replace the fuse with one of greater value

or rating than the original fuse. Use of an improp­er fuse could result in overheating and smoke and
could cause damage to the product and injury
including burns.

CAUTION:

To prevent malfunction and/or injury

•To ensure proper heat dissipation of the amplifier,
be sure of the following during installation.

—Allow adequate space above the amplifier for

proper ventilation.

—Do not cover the amplifier with a floor mat or

carpet.

• DO NOT allow amplifier to come into contact
with liquids due to, for example, the location
where the amplifier is installed. Electrical shock
could result. Also, amplifier and speaker damage,
smoke, and overheating could result from contact
with liquids. In addition, the amplifier surface and
the surface of any attached speakers could
become hot to the touch and minor burns could
result.

•Do not install the amplifier on unstable places
such as the spare tire board.

• The best location for installation differs with the
car model and installation location. Secure the
amplifier at a sufficiently rigid location.

•Make temporary connections first and check that
the amplifier and the system operate properly.

•After installing the amplifier, confirm that the
spare tire, jack and tools can be easily removed.

Installation

14