BSC 5-Series User manual

5-Series Class A Power Amplier
Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents
Introduction Page 3
Unpacking and Placement Page 4
Unpacking
Placement
Ventilation:
Location:
Dimensions Page 5
AC Power Page 6
AC line conditioning / Regeneration:
AC line Filtering:
After Market Power Cords:
Associated Equipment Page 6
Input Connections Page 7
Cabling:
Balanced:
Single-Ended:
Back Panel Description Page 8
Output Connections Page 9
Speaker Cabling:
Spade Lugs:
Banana Plugs:
Polarity:
Grounding:
12 Volt Triggers Page 9
12VDC input:
12VDC output:
Operation Page 10
Power Button:
Brightness Logo Display Control:
Class A Control: Page 11
Protection Page 12
Short Circuit / Excessive current draw:
Excessive DC offset voltage:
Excessive Temperature:
Thermal protection: Page 13
After Care Page 14
Cleaning:
Service Page 14
Warranty Page 15
Specications         Page16
1

S5 / M5 (chassis 1)
S/N# ________ - ______________________________
M5 (chassis 2)
S/N# ________ - ______________________________
Notes: ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2

Introduction
I am very pleased that through a sea of quality audio equipment you have chosen
a BSC product. All the devices we make come from a deep yearning to provide a
perfect vehicle for the creation of a meaningful listening experience. When you
purchase a BSC product you also acquire a piece of my soul, inspiration, and DNA.
My dream has always been to create products that not only bring the listener great
pleasure but to that end grant a deeper understanding and insight into the artist’s
vision. For the rst time in my professional career I was unburdened by another’s
vision and nally able to translate decades of experience into a line of products that
are truly inspired.
BSC hand builds all of it’s products in small quantities to maintain the very highest
quality control standards. Units are subjected to rigorous test standards and leave
our factory a beacon of quality.
In a world of corporate consolidation, it is hard to know who actually is responsible
for designing the products we buy, and where they come from. At BSC not only do
you have a product designed to a singular vision but you also have access to the
designer himself at virtually anytime.
Thank you for your purchase,
Bret D’Agostino
3

Unpacking and Placement
NOTICE: BSC ampliers are extremely heavy, it is recommended that two people aid in the
unpacking and installation of our products.
Unpacking
1. Place the amplier box on a rm level surface with plenty of room to move around it.
2. Cut the tape from the top of the box carefully, do not stick sharp cutting devices too deep
into the cardboard as you may damage something located at the surface of the package.
3. Remove the Top White Cap from the Outside box. The amplier is now exposed, covered by
a special vinyl cling wrap.
4. Facing the front of the amplier (curved portion) there are handles located on the left and
right side of the unit attached to a special cardboard carrier. With a person on each side reach
down and grab the handles, each person pulling the amplier upward and free from the bot-
tom carton, then walking forward or backward to a free space.
5. The amplier is now free to move to it’s nal location. Remove the vinyl wrap from the unit
before you apply power.
Contents:
• 5-Series Power Amplier
• 20A C19 style 6’ power cord
• 1/2” Nut driver for Binding Posts
• Owners Manual
• Warranty Card
• Extra AC Line Fuse
Placement
Ventilation: BSC 5-Series ampliers are class A designs and can get very hot over the top
cover vents. Because of this they should be placed in an area where adequate ventilation is
available. At least 8-10 inches of space over the top cover and 2 inches on either side is rec-
ommended. There should be no obstruction above or below the amplier allowing cool air to
circulate from the bottom upward through the amplier chassis and out of the top cover vents.
NOTICE: The top cover vents should never be covered or obstructed.
Location: 5-Series ampliers can be placed on a oor or inside of an open cabinet. For addi-
tional cooling and vibration reduction an amplier stand can be utilized. Please verify the fur-
niture will be suitable based on the heat and weight requirements of the amplier. It is recom-
mended the amplier be placed as close to the loudspeaker location as possible. This with the
use of minimum length speaker cable will maximize the power transfer to the loudspeaker and
ensure best performance.
CAUTION: Never place the amplier in or around open or running water sources.
4

Dimensions
D
C
B
A
A
B
C
D
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
87654321
11.64
9.24
16.50
20.75
10.43
2.40
1.00
Ø11.25
20.75
19.00
10.90
Ø16.75
14.25
8.75
1.40
Ø2.75
2.53
1.90
3.29
2.00 2.00
2.11
4.11
11.25
5.24
7.75
6.25
3.56
All specications are subject to change without notice
5

Associated Equipment
The BSC 5-Series ampliers are extremely high performance and designed to enhance the
listening experience. It is recommended that associated components be chosen that can best
take advantage of the 5-Series amplier capabilities. Care should be taken in choosing source
components, loudspeakers and cabling. Although all BSC components are designed to be
exible, practical limitations exist for all components and choosing associated components
wisely protects your investment and maximizes the system performance abilities. If there are
any questions or concerns in regards to associated equipment please contact your local dealer/
distributor or BSC directly.
AC Power
BSC 5-Series ampliers are designed to plug directly into any AC outlet and perform as
Designed. Good, clean, and constant power is always a benet to a high performance
audio system. In most cases existing AC power is adequate for installation. When available
a dedicated 15A or 20A line for the amplier is an excellent improvement.
There are several companies that offer products designed to regenerate AC power or Filter
AC power. 5-Series ampliers have excellent noise ltering and ultra quiet power supply
circuitry. They do not require additional noise ltering or AC Line conditioning. In the
event that additional AC Line conditioning/ Filtering is utilized these simple guidelines will
insure proper amplier operation.
AC line conditioning / Regeneration: Many products on the market today are designed to
regenerate and lter incoming AC power, and some products even utilize battery technology
to this end. In the event that the product of choice utilizes an internal power transformer
or supply reservoir to be placed in Series or in-line with the power amplier it is important to
make sure the internal power capacity I.E. transformer/supply/battery size is greater
than TWO times the 5-Series amplier power supply size.
EXAMPLE: An S5 amplier utilizes a 1.4KVA power transformer and is capable of outputting
over 1350 Watts of continuous power. It is recommended that an AC Line conditioner
as described above be capable of at least 2,800 watts of continuous output power.
AC line Filtering: Most of the AC ltering devices on the market today are used in parallel
to the AC power line. Make sure any components utilized are of high quality and adhere to
UL/CE Standards and are not current limiting in any way.
After Market Power Cords: Utilizing an after-market AC power cord is not required for a
5-series product. However, power cords can change the sound in an audio system and
even improve certain qualities you personally listen for. Make sure Power cords utilized are
of high quality and adhere to UL/CE Standards, shielded and are not limiting in any way.
6

Input Connections
Cabling: The 5-Series ampliers are equipped to accept either a Standard XLR type balanced
input cable or a Single-Ended cables via Standard RCA connectors.
Balanced: A balanced cable has three conductors for signal transfer and (typically) a shield:
Pin 1 - Ground
Pin 2 - Non-Inverting (Positive)
Pin 3 - Inverting (Negative)
Balanced cables offer exceptional noise rejection characteristics particularly for long cable runs
but also for short and are the recommended termination for BSC products. 5-Series products
utilize standard locking XLR connectors.
NOTICE: A truly balanced cable has three signal conductors, a cable that only has two
conductors (Hot) and (Ground) is a single ended connection even if XLR
connectors are utilized on one or both sides.
Single-Ended: A Single-ended cable has two conductors for signal transfer and (typically) a
shield:
Center Pin - Non-Inverting (Positive)
Outer Ring - Ground
Single-ended cables were the industry standard for audio connection since the beginning and
are typically the most widely utilized. 5-Series products utilize standard locking RCA connectors.
NOTICE: To minimize noise contamination when using Single-ended inputs, The
5-Series ampliers provide a switch on the back panel labeled XLR /
RCA. When using A single-ended input cable move the switch down to
the RCA position. When using Balanced cables make sure the switch is
in the up of XLR position.
7

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1 Led Display Dimmer & On/O Switch
2 12v Trigger (1) Input and (2) Outputs
3 Balanced / Single-Ended Selection Switch
4 Dierential (Balanced) Input
5 Single- Ended Input
6 AC Power Fuse
7 Courtesy Handle
8 AC Power cord Receptacle
9 Output Terminals
10 Led Display Dimmer & On/O Switch
11 12v Trigger (1) Input and (2) Outputs
12 (Right) Balanced / Single-Ended Selection Switch
13 (Left) Balanced / Single-Ended Selection Switch
14 (Left) Balanced / Single-Ended Inputs
15 (Right) Balanced / Single-Ended Inputs
16 AC Power Fuse
17 Courtesy Handle
18 AC Power cord Receptacle
19 (Right) Output Terminals
20 (Left) Output Terminals
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Back Panel Description
8

12 Volt Triggers
12 Volt triggers are designed to remote turn On/Off your power amplier and other compo-
nents equipped with 12 volt triggers.
12VDC input: Applying a steady 12 volts DC to the 12VDC Input will effectively bypass the
front panel power switch and turn the amplier ON. When the 12 volts DC is removed the
amplier will shut off. There is one 12VDC Trigger Input, it has a Pink ring and is located at the
top.
NOTICE: 12VDC triggers are terminated with standard 1/8” Mono Jacks.
The tip is 12v Hot (+) and the Sleeve is Ground (-).
12VDC Output: When the power amplier is turned ON there is a steady 12 volts DC output
provided as a convenience to remote turn on another component like another amplier or
Sub-woofer when the power amp is turned on. When the amplier is turned off, the 12VDC
will end and the connected component will shut off. There are two 12VDC Trigger outputs.
Output Connections
Speaker Cables have a special relationship with ampliers in that they are the last electrical
connection in the playback chain before the loudspeaker. They are responsible for the nal
transmission of the delicate audio signal but also provide the power and control conduit that
brings the musical event alive. Cable selection is very important to the overall sonic presenta-
tion of an audio system. It can be considered the last level of system renement after all of the
major components and room set-up has been completed. BSC recommends you take a system
approach to cable purchasing as this will have the best overall tonal balance although it is per-
fectly acceptable to mix and match different manufacturer products.
Speaker Cabling: The 5-Series ampliers are equipped to accept either a Standard Banana
type termination or a 1/4” spaced spade lug.
Spade Lugs: Spade Lugs (or forked lugs) offer excellent surface area and superior clamping
abilities. They are the recommended Speaker cable termination for BSC products. 5-Series
Binding posts are gold plated, and if gold plated lugs are available on your choice of speaker
cable, they will make the best electrical connection despite this other materials can work
extremely well.
Banana Plugs: Banana Plugs are extremely useful when swapping of speaker cables is fre-
quent. When using banana plugs look for the locking (expanding) types as they make the best
electrical connection which is even better if gold plated.
Polarity: BSC ampliers do not Invert polarity, Absolute phase is maintained from Pin 2 (hot)
through all circuitry to the Positive output (+) Make sure Speaker terminations are correctly
connected with the Positive (+) going to the (+) Plus side of the speaker.
Grounding: 5-Series ampliers utilize a single point grounding conguration where all ground
terminations are connected to the same place electrically. The chassis and (-) output are also
directly connected to ground.
9