Phoenix Gold ZQ Series User manual

Model: Z110-V2, Z112-V2
ZQ Series 4 Channel
High-End Amplier
Model: ZQ9004
Two-Layer PCB with
Immersion Gold Treatment
Dual Power Supply
24k Gold-Plated Terminals
Nichicon & Wima Capacitors
Toshiba & ON Transistors
Shielded Transformer Cores
High-end Polymer Gain Potentiometers
S/N Ratio above 110dB
KEY FEATURES

ZQ9004 Owners Manual
© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
Thank you for purchasing this extraordinary High-End amplier.
We have spent a lot of hours designing, listening and improving this amplier.
We hope you will enjoy this unique creation as much as we have loved making it! ENJOY!
Note: This is a pure class AB amplier so it will get hot!
INTRODUCTION
u First, ensure the mounting location is free of dirt and dust and that there is enough
ventilation in order to achieve optimum performance and avoid overheating when
the ZQ9004 is in use.
u Keep the wire connections as short as possible with sufcient length in order to
minimise any power losses and provide a higher audio output of the system.
u Where possible route all power and speaker wiring through any existing wire channels
within the vehicle in order to ensure wiring does not pass through sharp edged metal.
u Make sure all cables are away from any ignition cables or modules in the boot and
under the key dashboard components in order to avoid any interference.
u Add a fuse to the (+) power cable in a distance of not more than 30cm from the
positive battery pole.
u Ensure the power cable is as short as possible.
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
INSTALLATION
The ZQ9004 is designed in the EU by one of Phoenix Golds top amplier master engineers,
with over twenty years development experience in high end amplication.
In making this high-end Amplier we insisted on using the best possible components such
as transistors from ON Semiconductor, EPCOS magnetic core transformers, ELNA capac-
itors, Rubycon capacitors, Wima capacitors and Nichicon capacitors and many other
well-known high-quality components from around the world.
The ZQ9004 has a Dual-Power system with an excellent PCBA designed to optimise a
clean and efcient power supply to feed the nal stage of the amp. This top of the range
audio set up has been developed as a highly exclusive and valuable specialist audio
electronics product. Phoenix Gold are constantly endeavouring to meet the growing
demands of audio enthusiasts around the world to let them feel the ultimate sound expe-
rience. Passive components such as capacitors for example, may not be at the centre
of attention when compared to active components, but they still form an indispensable
part of the overall result. This is the key in making a really unique amplier with fantastic
performance.
We wish our Phoenix Gold clients the upmost enjoyment in listening to this amazing cre-
ation. This product is the essence of Phoenix Golds brand values including some of the
original features that made us famous in the beginning like a gold plated circuit board
that are not only for show…. but because every little detail will affect the sound just like
the founders of Phoenix Gold knew.

© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 Owners Manual
u This unit is designed for negative ground 12V DC operation only.
u Avoid installing the amplier where:
- It would be subject to high temperature, such as from direct sunlight
or hot air from the heater
- It would be exposed to rain or moisture.
- It would be subject to dust or dirt.
u If your car is parked in direct sunlight and there is a considerable rise in
temperature inside the car, allow the amplier to cool off before operation.
u When installing the unit horizontally, be sure not to cover the heatsink ns
with the oor carpet.
u If this unit is placed too close to the car radio, an interference may occur.
In this case, separate the amplier from the car radio.
u This power amplier employs a protection circuit to protect the transistors
and speakers if the amplier malfunctions. Do not attempt to test the
protection circuits by covering the heatsink or connecting improper loads.
Do not use the amplier with a weak auto battery as its optimum
performance depends on a normal battery supply voltage.
u For safety reasons, keep the volume of your car audio system moderate so
that you can still hear normal trafc sounds outside your car.
FUSE REPLACEMENT
If the fuse blows, check the power connection and replace the fuse. If the fuse
blows again after replacement , there may be an internal malfunction . In this
case, consult your dealer.
WARNING:
Use the specied fuse. Using of a higher fuse may cause serious damage.
PROTECTION CIRCUIT:
This amplier is provided with a protection circuit which operates in the follow-
ing cases when:
u The unit is overheated.
u The speaker terminals are short circuited.
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
PRECAUTIONS

ZQ9004 Owners Manual
© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
POWER CONNECTION LEADS
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
POWER
12V REM GND
POWER INPUT
BATTERY
DC 12V
HEAD UNIT
(12V)
SENS OUT
FUSE
to a metal part
of the car

© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 Owners Manual
u Connect the +12V power input lead only after all other leads have
been connected.
u Be sure to connect the ground wire of the unit securely to a metal part of
the vehicle.
u A loose connection may cause a malfunction of the amplier.
u The unit is turned on by applying +12 Volts to this terminal. This terminal
does not draw heavy current like the main Power Terminals so a thinner
connecting wire is acceptable. Standard 18 GAUGE is ne and the
standard colour is blue. If the radio is equipped with a Power Antenna
control wire, it can drive this terminal. If the Power Antenna wire is already
in use, you can still splice into it. With this method, the unit will turn on
automatically with the radio. Use the power supply lead with a fuse
attached whose value is the same as original fuse inside the amplier.
u Place the fuse in the power supply lead as close as possible to the car
battery.
u During a full power operation. Maximum current will run through the system
Therefore, make sure that the leads to be connected to the +12V and GND
terminals of the unit respectively must be larger than 10 Gauge (AWG.10).
NOTES ON THE POWER SUPPLY

ZQ9004 Owners Manual
© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
OPERATION
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
After the amplier has been installed and all connections have been made
carefully and securely, turn the radio on so that the amplier is switched on
automatically. After a short power-on period, the amplier reaches its full
performance.
Now turn up the volume slowly using the volume control of the radio.
If there is no sound or only a distorted replay, switch off the radio immediately,
the amplier will also switch off automatically - and check if all connections
have been made correctly.
POWER = LED POWER INDICATOR
After the correct connection order of the three power terminals, the LED
indicator shines green and goes out when is off.
PROTECT = LED PROTECTION INDICATOR
This unit is equipped with an overload protection function. Immediately upon
overloading (due to short circuit or much increased temperature) the overload
protection is activated, and the red LED indicator is shining. This means the
amplier is protected.
LEVEL CONTROL
The input level control allows the system to work well within a wide range of
output levels. Choose the adjustment in the way that you achieve a sound
without any distortion.
As a guideline the following procedure is recommended:
If you use several ampliers, the adjustment has to made for each set
separately. Tune the volume control of your car to 2/3rds of the maximum
volume. Now turn the gain control of the amplier from ‘MIN’ to ‘MAX’
direction until you can hear distortions. Then turn the level control a little
back to ‘MIN’. The gain control adjustment is nished.
ATTENTION - If you use 2 Ohm speakers in stereo mode, turn the gain control to
‘MIN’ direction, until the operation is free of trouble.

© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 Owners Manual
SPEAKERS BRIDGED
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS
ZQ9004
ZQ9004

ZQ9004 Owners Manual
© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
Supply Voltage
Power Output @ 4 ohm
Power Output @ 2 ohm
Power Output
Frequency Response
Channel Separation
Signal to Noise Ratio
Input Impedance
Input Sensitivity
T.H.D
11-15V DC
150W x 4
230W x 4
1 x 460W @4 ohm + 2 x 230W @ 2 ohm
10Hz - 55KHz (-3dB)
60dB
+110dB
22K Ohm
400mV - 5V
<0.05%
u 4 Channel Power Amplier
u Low Level Input
u Gain Control
u LED Power & Protection Indicator
u Mosfet Power Supply
u Thermal Protection
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
SPECIFICATIONS
Note that the two speakers & four speakers have been connected to the four terminal
following the (+) and (-) graphic. Your speaker terminal may be marked (+) and (-) or
there may be red dot by one terminal which means the same as (+). Connecting the
speakers in this manner assures that the two speaker cones will move in and out together
according to the original recording. If one of the two speakers is reversed, stereo imaging
and bass response will be degraded.

© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 Owners Manual
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
WIRING INSTRUCTIONS
POWER CONNECTION
The battery terminal (+12V) must be connected directly to the positive terminal of
the vehicle battery to provide an adequate voltage source and minimize noise.
Connecting the battery terminal lead to any other point (such as the fuse block) will
reduce the power output and may cause noise and distortion. Use only #8 gauge or
thicker (smaller gauge #) wire for this lead and connect it to the terminal of the
battery after all other wiring is completed.
GROUND CONNECTION
The ground terminal (GND) connection is also critical to the correct operation of the
amplier. Use a wire of the same gauge as the power connection (#8 or thicker) and
connect it between the ground terminal (GND) of the amplier and a metal part of the
vehicle close to the mounting location. This wire should be as short as possible and any
paint or rust at the grounding point should be scraped away to provide a clean metal
surface to which the end of the ground wire can be screwed or bolted.
REMOTE TURN-ON CONNECTION
The amplier is turned on by applying +12V to the remote turn-on terminal (REM). The
wire lead to this terminal should be connected to the “Auto-Antenna“ lead from the car
stereo which will provide the +12V only when the car stereo is turned on. If the car stereo
does not provide an “Auto-Antenna” lead, the remote turn-on lead may be wired to an
“Accessory “or “Radio “terminal in the car’s fuse block. This will turn the amplier on and
off with the ignition key, regardless of whether the car stereo is on or off. The remote
turn-on lead does not carry large currents. So #20 gauge wire may be used for this
application.
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS
Depending on the type and number of speakers used with the amplier, wired them to
the speaker terminals as per the appropriate wiring diagram.
For most applications 18 gauge wire should be used for the speaker leads but in no case
thinner than 20 gauge. For leads is excess of 10 feet 16 gauge is recommended.
When wiring the speakers, pay careful attention to the polarity of the terminals on the
speakers and make sure they correspond to the polarity of the corresponding terminals
on the amplier. Do not ground any speaker leads to the chassis of the vehicle.
Caution: Use either the low-level or the high-level inputs on the amplier. Do not use both
input levels at the same time.

ZQ9004 Owners Manual
© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
OPERATION
GND (-) = GROUND CONNECTION
Connect the GND terminal to the chassis of your car and look for the best electrical
& mechanical contact. In doing so, drill a hole in to the car chassis near the amplier,
then remove paint, dirt or any other substance from the ground point. After that fasten
the cable end with added ring terminal by using a screw. Ensure that the ground
connection is as short as possible and that the cable diameter is sufcient (min 4 mm).
+12V=POWER SUPPLY
Connect the +12V terminal to the positive pole of the battery with a power cable and
add a fuse to the power cable in a distance of no more then 30 cm from the battery. The
power cables diameter should be at least gauge 8 or larger.
REM (ON/OFF) REMOTE CONTROL
Connect the REM terminal to the automatic antenna connector of your car radio. Now
when turning on and off your car radio, the amplier automatically switches ON and OFF.
A cable diameter of 0.5mm2 is sufcient.
FUSE
Connect the REM terminal to the automatic antenna connector of your car radio. Now
when turning on and off your car radio, the amplier automatically switches ON and OFF.
A cable diameter of 0.5mm2 is sufcient.
IN CASE OF FAULTS
NO FUNCTION
The connection cable is not connected correctly (terminal BATT/GND /REM). Ensure that all
connections, mechanical contacts ,and wire jacket have been removed. The fuse might be
defective - pay attention to the correct value of a new fuse!
NO SOUND
Speaker cable or RCA plugs are not connected correctly.
NO SOUND / RED LED PROTECTION SHINES:
The plus and minus wires of the speaker cable shorted, thus create a short circuit. If you use a 2 Ohm
speaker in stereo mode, turn the gain control to “min” until the operation is free of trouble.
POOR SOUND QUALITY (DISTORTIONS)
The speakers are overloaded, therefore turn down the volume level and check the volume control
positions.
NO STEREO AND A WEAK BASS
Left and right speaker cables (+) and (-) are out of phase.

© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 Owners Manual
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
PRECAUTIONS
u This unit is designed for negative ground 12V DC operation only.
u Avoid installing the amplier where:
- It would be subject to high temperature, such as from direct sunlight or hot air
from the heater.
- It would be exposed to rain or moisture.
- It would be subject to dust or dirt.
u If your car is parked in direct sunlight and there is a considerable rise in temperature
inside the car, allow the amplier to cool off before operation.
u When installing the unit horizontally, be sure not to cover the heatsink ns with
the oor carpet.
u If this unit is placed too close to the car radio, an interference may occur. In this
case, separate the amplier from the car radio.
u This power amplier employs a protection circuit to protect the transistors and
speakers if the amplier malfunctions. Do not attempt to test the protection circuits
by covering the heatsink or connecting improper loads. Do not use the amplier with
a weak auto battery as its optimum performance.
u Depends on a normal battery supply voltage. For safety reasons, keep the volume
of your car audio system moderate so that You can still hear normal trafc sounds
outside your car.

ZQ9004 Owners Manual
© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
INTERFERENCE & NOISE
All cables are sources of interference and noise. The power cable and RCA
audio cable are very prone to interference; the remote cables are less prone.
There is of ten interference caused by the generator (piping), ignition (crack-
ing) or other car electronic parts. Most of these problems can be eliminated by
correct and careful cabling. In doing so, these are the following guidelines :
u Use only an RCA audio cable for the wiring between the amplier and RCA
output of the radio.
u Lay the signal, speaker and power cables separately with enough
distance from one another and also from each other car cable.
If not possible , you can lay the circuit and ground cable together with the
serial cables. Audio and speaker cable should be as far away from these as
possible. The REM cable to the automatic antenna output of the radio can
be laid together with the signal cables.
u Avoid ground loops by laying the ground wiring of all components to a
centre point in a star-like way. You can nd the best central point in
measuring the voltage directly at the battery. Now compare this voltage
value with the chosen ground point and the(+) terminal of the amplier.
If the measured voltage in only less different , you’ve found the correct
central. Otherwise you have to look for another point. You should measure
with the ignition being switched on and additionally switched on other
electronics (rear window heating and light). If there are pickups from
external electrical sources into the speaker cables, divide the core leads
and twist them together.
u If there are noises from the car electronics. add a noise suppression choke
to the power wiring .
u If there are humming noises, use thicker ground cables or add further
ground cables to the chassis.
u To reduce contact resistance and bad and loose contacts, please tin the
cable ends or use multi core cable ends, spade terminals or others.
NI - Plated spade terminal are free of corrosion and have the lowest
contact resistance.
u Should all these measures to without any success. the use of a ground loop
isolator may solve the problem or problem or contact a certied car audio
installer.

© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 Owners Manual
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER

ZQ9004 Owners Manual
© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
NOTES:

© 2021 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold-eu.com
ZQ9004 Owners Manual
ZQ9004 - 4 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
NOTES:

Phoenix Gold Product Warranty
LIMITED WARRANTY ON AMPLIFIERS
Phoenix Gold warrants this product to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period
of one (1) years from the original date of purchase. This warranty is not transferable and applies only
to the original purchaser from an authorized Phoenix Gold dealer in the United States of America
only. Should service be necessary under this warranty for any reason due to manufacturing defect
or malfunction, Phoenix Gold will (at its discretion) repair or replace the defective product with new
or re-manufactured product at no charge. Damage caused by the following is not covered under
warranty: accident, misuse, abuse, product modication or neglect, failure to follow installation
instructions, unauthorized repair attempts, misrepresentations by the seller. This warranty does not
cover incidental or consequential damages and does not cover the cost of removing or reinstalling
the unit(s). Cosmetic damage due to accident or normal wear and tear is not covered under
warranty.
INTERNATIONAL WARRANTIES:
Products purchased outside the United States of America are covered only by that country’s
Authorized Phoenix Gold reseller and not by Phoenix Gold. Consumers needing service or warranty
information for these products must contact that country’s reseller for information.
REV 170621
A Brand of AAMP Global.
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