PS Audio GCA-100, GCA-500, GCA-250 User Manual

®

Owner’s Reference

Instructions for use

Owner’s Reference GCA Power Amplifi er Series

GCA Power Amp Series

4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301

PH: 720.406.8946 [e-mail] www.psaudio.com

©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.

Document 15-041-01-1

Introduction i

®

Introduction

Owner’s Reference GCA Power Amplifi er Series

Important Safety
Instructions

Heed all warnings
Follow all instructions

WARNING. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS
APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

Clean only with a dry cloth.

Do not place fl ammable material on top of or beneath the component.

All PS Audio components require adequate ventilation at all times during operation. Rack
mounting is acceptable where appropriate.

Do not remove or bypass the ground pin on the end of the AC cord unless absolutely necessary
to reduce hum from ground loops of connected equipment. This may cause RFI (radio frequency
interference) to be induced into your playback setup. All PS products ship with a grounding type
plug. If the provided plug does not fi t into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.

Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus. Unplug this apparatus during
lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

Read these instructions

When making connections to this or any other component, make sure all components are off. Turn
off all systems’ power before connecting the PS Audio component to any other component. Make
sure all cable terminations are of the highest quality.

There are no user serviceable fuses inside this product.

THERE ARE NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE ANY PS AUDIO PRODUCT. REFER ALL
SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL

Please contact your authorized dealer, distributor, or PS Audio if you have any questions not
addressed in this reference manual.

This product is manufactured in the United States of America. PS Audio
restricted for use by PS Audio International, Inc., its subsidiaries, and authorized agents.

4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301

PH: 720.406.8946 [e-mail] www.psaudio.com

©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.

®

is a registered trademark of PS Audio International Inc., and is

Introduction ii

®

Table Of Contents

Owner’s Reference GCA Power Amplifi er Series

Introduction

Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

Questions and
Answers

Troubleshooting

Warranty

Service

IV

1

2 - 3

4 - 5

6 - 8

9 - 10

11 - 12

4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301

PH: 720.406.8946 [e-mail] www.psaudio.com

©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.

Table Of Contens iii

®

Introduction

Owner’s Reference GCA Power Amplifi er Series

Thank you

The three models

Cool and effi cient
running

Power ratings

What you can
expect

Thank you for your purchase of the GCA series power amplifi er. This document covers the three
stereo power amplifi er models, GCA-100, GCA-250, GCA-500.

Each of the three stereo amplifi er models is a dual mono power amplifi er, capable of driving nearly
every loudspeaker load with ease and beauty. GCA power amplifi ers are based on our unique
and proprietary Gain Cell Technology for the input electronics and SDAT Class D switching power
amplifi cation for the output.

The GCA series have high effi ciency digital amplifi cation stages that allow them to run cool to the
touch even while driving demanding loads and should offer years of trouble free performance of the
highest standards.

Power ratings for each model are designated by their naming scheme into an 8 Ohm load. The GCA­100 provides up to 100 watts per channel, both channels driven, into an 8 Ohm load and doubles its
power rating into a 4 Ohm load. The GCA-250 provides up to 250 watts per channel, both channels
driven, into an 8 Ohm load and doubles its power rating into a 4 Ohm load. The GCA-500 provides
up to 500 watts per channel, both channels driven, into an 8 Ohm load and doubles its power rating
into a 4 Ohm load.

You should expect state of the art performance and sonics from any of the GCA Series power
amplifi ers. These power amplifi ers are unmatched by any other power amplifi er on the market in
terms of performance within their rated power levels and will provide excellent performance in either a
two channel or multi-channel environment.

4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301

PH: 720.406.8946 [e-mail] www.psaudio.com

©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction iv

®

Getting Started

Owner’s Reference GCA Power Amplifi er Series

Location

Cautions

Isolation

Power Cables

Conditioners

Once your new GCA Series Power Amplifi er is unpacked, you’ll need to fi nd a convenient place to set
it.

There are several ways to mount the GCA Series Power Amplifi er: on a rack shelf, on the fl oor behind
the loudspeakers or on shelf near your preamplifi er.

If the GCA Series Power Amplifi er is to be placed on the fl oor or carpet, make sure the unit is not
going to come in contact with water or cleaning solvents. Make sure the carpet does not interfere
with airfl ow to the amp.

The GCA Series Power Amplifi er can benefi t from aftermarket isolation devices such as cones, spikes
and Sorbothane pads.

Once you have chosen the location for the GCA Series Power Amplifi er you can use the supplied AC
power cord to connect it to the AC wall receptacle or you can use an aftermarket power cord and
receptacle.

We strongly recommend the use of a PS Audio xStream Power™ AC cable and a PS Power Port™
AC receptacle to feed the GCA Series Power Amplifi er power. While the supplied power cable is
adequate for the task it is not going to provide the best performance. Choosing any xStream Power
cable will make a signifi cant performance improvement over the stock power cable.

We recommend the use of power conditioning equipment, such as a PS Audio Power Plant, UPC­200 or any of the Ultimate Outlet or Power Director series from PS. We do not recommend the use
of simple AC fi lter power conditioners not made by PS Audio as most of these will ”bleach” the sound
and rob the music or video soundtrack of life and dynamics. If you do not use PS Audio power
conditioning equipment, you would be advised to plug the GCA Power amplifi er directly into the AC
wall receptacle.

4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301

PH: 720.406.8946 [e-mail] www.psaudio.com

©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.

Getting Started 1