GM-5500T - Car amplifier PIONEER - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL GM-5500T PIONEER

Before you start ! We offer the latest information about PIONEER CORPORATION on our website. If you want to dispose this product, do not mix it with general household waste. There is a separate collection system for used electronic products in accordance with legislation that requires proper treatment, recovery and recycling. Private households in the member states of the EU, in Switzerland and Norway may return their used electronic products free of charge to designated collection facilities or to a retailer (if you purchase a similar new one). For countries not mentioned above, please contact your local authorities for the correct method of disposal. By doing so you will ensure that your disposed product undergoes the necessary treatment, recovery and recycling and thus prevent potential negative effects on the environment and human health. 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. Visit our website Visit us at the following site: http://www.pioneer.co.uk ! Register 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.

In case of trouble Should this product fail to operate properly, please contact your dealer or nearest authorized Pioneer Service Station. Before connecting/ installing the amplifier WARNING ! The use of a special red battery and ground wire RD-223, available separately, is recommended. Connect the battery wire directly to the car battery positive terminal + and the ground wire to the car body. ! This unit is for vehicles with a 12 V battery and negative grounding. Before installing in recreational vehicles, trucks or buses, check the battery voltage. ! 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. Determine and resolve the cause, then replace the fuse with and identical equivalent. ! 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. Section Before you start

English ! 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. CAUTION ! Always keep the volume low enough to hear outside sounds. ! Extended use of the car stereo while the engine is at rest or idling may exhaust the battery. About the Protection function The Protection function will operate in the conditions outlined below. If the Protection function is turned on, the power indicator will turn off, and the amplifier will shut down. ! If the speaker output terminal and speaker wire is short-circuited. ! If the temperature inside the amplifier gets too high. ! If a DC voltage is applied to the speaker output terminal.

Setting the unit What’s what Front side Rear side output of 4 V or more, adjust level to match that of the car stereo output. ! If you hear too much noise when using the speaker input terminals, turn the gain control to higher level. 5 Power indicator The power indicator lights up to indicate power ON. Setting gain properly To adjust the switch, use a flathead screwdriver if needed. 1 LPF (low-pass filter) switch Switch the settings based on the connected speaker. ! When the Subwoofer is connected: Select ON. This eliminates high range frequency and outputs low range frequency. ! When the full range speaker is connected: Select OFF. OFF outputs the entire frequency range. 2 FREQ (cut off frequency) control Cut off frequency selectable from 40 Hz to 500 Hz if the LPF select switch is set to ON. 3 BASS BOOST (bass boost level control) switch You can select a bass boost level from 0 dB, 6 dB and 12 dB. 4 GAIN (gain) control If output remains low, even when the car stereo volume is turned up, turn controls to lower level. If distortion occurs when the car stereo volume is turned up, turn these controls to higher level. ! For use with an RCA equipped car stereo (standard output of 500 mV), set to the NORMAL position. For use with an RCA equipped Pioneer car stereo, with max.

! 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 improper 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) Above illustration shows NORMAL gain setting. Section Setting the unit

English 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 Signal waveform distorted with high output, if you raise the gain of the amplifier the power changes only slightly.

Connecting the units Connection diagram

The female terminal can be connected to the auto-antenna relay control terminal. If the car stereo lacks a system remote control terminal, connect the male terminal to the power terminal via the ignition switch. Speaker output terminals Please see the following section for speaker connection instructions. Refer to Connections when using the speaker input wire on page 8. Fuse (25 A) × 2 Fuse (30 A) × 2 Grommet Rear side Front side Before connecting the amplifier WARNING 1 Special red battery wire RD-223 (sold separately) After completing all other amplifier connections, finally connect the battery wire terminal of the amplifier to the positive (+) battery terminal. 2 Ground wire (Black) RD-223 (sold separately) Connect to metal body or chassis. 3 Car stereo with RCA output jacks (sold separately) 4 External output 5 Connecting wire with RCA pin plugs (sold separately) 6 Speaker input terminal (use a connector included) Please see the following section for speaker connection instructions. Refer to Connections when using the speaker input wire on page 8. 7 RCA input jack 8 System remote control wire (sold separately) Connect male terminal of this wire to the system remote control terminal of the car stereo.

! Secure the wiring with cable clamps or adhesive 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 ! Never shorten any wires, the protection circuit may malfunction. ! Never ground speaker wire directly or band together multiple speakers’ negative (*) lead wires. ! If the system remote control wire of the amplifier is connected to the power terminal via the ignition switch (12 V DC), the amplifier will remain on with the ignition whether the car 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. Section Connecting the units English About bridged mode

Other than subwoofer Speaker channel Power Two-channel output MAX input: Min. 250 W One-channel output MAX input: Min. 800 W Connecting the speakers Speaker impedance is max. 4 W, please carefully check. Improper connection to the amplifier may result in malfunction or personal injury due to burns from overheating. For bridged mode for a two-channel amplifier, with a 4 W load, either wire two 8 W speakers in parallel, Left + and Right * (Diagram A) or use a single 4 W speaker. For other amplifiers, please follow the speaker output connection diagram for bridging shown on rear: two 8 W speakers in parallel for a 4 W load or a single 4 W speaker per channel. 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 for stereo connection, or 4 W to 8 W for monaural and other bridge connection. The speaker output mode can be two-channel (stereo) or one-channel (mono). Connect the speaker leads to suit the mode according to the figures shown below. Two-channel output (Stereo)

Section Connecting the units

Connections when using the speaker input wire of the amplifier to the positive (+) battery terminal. Connect the car stereo speaker output wires to the amplifier using the supplied speaker input wire. ! Do not connect both the RCA input and the speaker input at the same time.

Car Stereo Speaker output White/black: Left * White: Left + Gray/black: Right * Gray: Right + Speaker input connector To speaker input terminal of this unit. Connecting the power terminal Positive (+) terminal Engine compartment Vehicle interior Fuse (30 A) × 2 Insert the O-ring rubber grommet into the vehicle body. 6 Drill a 14 mm hole into the vehicle body. 2 Twist the battery wire, ground wire and system remote control wire. Twist 3 Attach lugs to wire ends. Use pliers, etc., to crimp lugs to wires. The use of a special red battery and ground wire RD-223, available separately, is recommended. Connect the battery wire directly to the car battery positive terminal + and the ground wire to the car body. 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. 1 Route battery wire from engine compartment to the vehicle interior. After completing all other amplifier connections, finally connect the battery wire terminal

1 Lug (sold separately) 2 Battery wire 3 Ground wire 4 Connect the wires to the terminal. Fix the wires securely with the terminal screws. Section Connecting the units

English 1 Lug (sold separately) 2 Speaker wire 3 Connect the speaker wires to the speaker output terminals. Fix the speaker wires securely with the terminal screws.

System remote control terminal Ground terminal Power terminal Terminal screws Battery wire Ground wire System remote control wire 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 of wire and then twist the wire. 1 Terminal screws 2 Speaker wires 3 Speaker output terminals Twist 2 Attach lugs to wire ends. Use pliers, etc., to crimp lugs to wires.

Installation 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 it could injure the driver or passengers 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. ! 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. ! Make sure that wires do not get caught in the sliding mechanism of the seats or touch the legs of a person in the vehicle 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. fuel/brake lines, wiring) from damage. ! The optimal installation location differs depending on the car model. Secure the amplifier at a sufficiently rigid location. ! Firstly make temporary connections and check to ensure the amplifier and system operate properly. ! After installing the amplifier, confirm that the spare tire, jack and tools can be easily removed. Example of installation on the floor mat or chassis 1 Place the amplifier in the desired installation location. Insert the supplied tapping screws (4 mm × 18 mm) into the screw holes and push on the screws with a screwdriver so they make an imprint where the installation holes are to be located. 2 Drill 2.5 mm diameter holes at the imprints either on the carpet or directly on the chassis. 3 Install the amplifier with the use of supplied tapping screws (4 mm × 18 mm). CAUTION ! To ensure proper heat dissipation of the amplifier, ensure the following during installation: — Allow adequate space above the amplifier for proper ventilation. — Do not cover the amplifier with a floor mat or carpet. ! Protection function may activate to protect the amplifier against overheating due to installation in locations where sufficient heat cannot be dissipated, continuous use under high-volume conditions, etc. In such cases, the amplifier shuts down until it has cooled to a certain designated temperature. ! Avoid routing wires through hot areas, such as near the heater outlet. Heat may damage the insulation, resulting in a short-circuit through the vehicle body.

1 Tapping-screws (4 mm × 18 mm) 2 Drill a 2.5 mm diameter hole 3 Floor mat or chassis Appendix Additional information English Specifications Power source ............................. 14.4 V DC (10.8 V to 15.1 V allowable) Grounding system ................... Negative type Current consumption ............ 29 A (at continuous power, 4 W) Average current drawn ......... 8 A (4 W for two channels) 14 A (4 W for one channel) Fuse ................................................ 25 A × 2 Dimensions (W × H × D) ... 289 mm × 62 mm × 349 Weight .......................................... 3.2 kg (Leads for wiring not included) Maximum power output ....... 820 W (410 W × 2) Continuous power output ... 125 W × 2 (at 14.4 V, 4 W, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ≦ 1.0 % THD +N) 400 W × 1 (at 14.4 V, 4 W BRIDGE 1 kHz, ≦ 1.0 % THD +N) 190 W × 2 (at 14.4 V, 2 W, 1 kHz, ≦ 1.0 % THD+N) Load impedance ...................... 4 W (2 W to 8 W allowable) Frequency response ............... 10 Hz to 70 kHz (+0 dB, – 3 dB) Signal-to-noise ratio ............... 98 dB (IEC-A network) Distortion ..................................... 0.05 % (10 W, 1 kHz) Low pass filter: Cut off frequency ........... 40 Hz to 500 Hz Cut off slope ..................... –12 dB/oct Bass boost: Frequency .......................... 50 Hz Level ..................................... 0 dB/6 dB/12 dB Gain control: RCA ...................................... 200 mV to 6.5 V Speaker .............................. 0.8 V to 26 V Maximum input level / impedance: RCA ...................................... 6.5 V / 22 kW Speaker .............................. 26 V / 22 kW Notes ! Specifications and the design are subject to modifications without notice. ! The average current drawn is nearly the maximum current drawn by this unit when an audio signal is input. Use this value when working out total current drawn by multiple power amplifiers.

Section Installation