Precision Power PCX 5800 User manual

PrecisionPower 9235 South McKemy Street, Tempe, Arizona 85284 www.precisionpower.com
8900-4007
PCX440
PCX480
PCX4125
PCX5800

MODEL 4ohm STEREO 2ohm STEREO 4ohm MONO
PCX 440 4 X 40 4 X 80 2 X160
PCX 480 4 X 80 4 X 160 2 X 320
PCX 4125 4 X 125 4 X 250 2 X 500
PCX 5800 4 X 50 4 X 100 2 X 200
4ohm MONO 2ohm MONO
5/Ch. 1 X 200 1 X 400
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28 * ALL POWER RATINGS SHOWN ARE TESTED @ 12V; 4 ; 20-20kHz
NEW! Advanced Instrumentation Input Stage.
NEW! TC-X Crossover 12dB/Octave; HP/LP/FULL; 30-4kHz Crossover.
Adaptive PWM Power Supply. (PCX 440, PCX 480, PCX 5800)
Fully Regulated PWM Power Supply.(PCX 4125)
Fully Complimentary Triple Darlington Output Stage.
AP-IV Protection Circuitry. (PCX 440, PCX 480, PCX 5800)
AM-V Protection Circuitry. (PCX 4125)
Forced Air Thermal Management.
QBASS™ Bass Boost (PCX 440)
QBASS Plus™ Bass Boost. (PCX 480, PCX 4125, PCX 5800)
High Voltage Input Capability with -12dB Attenuation Switch.
Gold Plated RCAInput and Output Connectors.
PowerLock™ Speaker and Power Wire Connectors.
Mixed Mono/Stereo Operation.
3-Yr Warranty; installed by an Authorized PrecisionPower Dealer.
Designed and Handcrafted in the USA.
Power Bandwidth 10 Hz - 50 kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion > 0.02 %
S/N Ratio < 110dB
Input Topology Instrumentation
Input Sensitivity 150mv - 12 Volts RMS
Input Impedance 10k Ohms
Load Impedance (stereo) 2 - 8 Ohms
Load Impedance (bridged) 4 - 8 Ohms
Supply Voltage 11 - 15 Volts
Damping Factor > 500
Slew Rate > 50 V/µS
QBASS™ Up To +12dB @ 40Hz
QBASS PLUS™ Up To +18dB Boost
@ 30, 36, 44, or 60Hz
Crossovers 12dB/Octave
Crossover Frequency 30-4kHz
Idle Current: PCX 440 2 Amps
PCX 480 2.5 Amps
PCX 4125 3 Amps
PCX 5800 2.5 Amps

NOTE: TOOLS ARE NOT SUPPLIED
Small flat blade screwdriver
Phillips screwdriver (#2 or medium sized)
Wire cutters
Wire strippers
4 - #6 round head screws, and 1 - #8 sheet metal screw
(or nut, bolt,flat washer, star washer) [see detail]
2 - Ring connectors (large enough to accommodate your
method of grounding)
In-line fuse or circuit breaker - see fuse chart below
Power and ground wire - see Power Wire Calculator on page 4
Speaker wire - 12-16 gauge
Grommets (sized to work with the power wire you plan to use
in your installation)
Tube of silicone sealant
You will need to install an in-line fuse or circuit breaker in the power wire
within 18" of the battery. This fuse or circuit breaker is to protect your vehicle
from fire in case the power wire shorts to the vehicle body. If you are only
using one amplifier, use the fuse rating indicated in this chart. If you are using
more than one amplifier, add up the fuse ratings for all the amplifiers. This sum is
the rating for your fuse or circuit breaker. You may also want to add a power
distribution block near your amplifiers to distribute large gauge power cable to
multiple amplifiers.
Amplifier
PCX 440
PCX 480
PCX 4125
PCX 5800
Maximum Fuse Rating
50 Amp
70 Amp
100 Amp
80 Amp
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Warning! A Main Fuse must be installed within 18" of battery!
Before beginning, disconnect the negative (-) terminal of the battery prior to
working on the positive (+) terminal to prevent a short to ground. This is important,
unless you want to spend the rest of your life with a nickname like "Sparky," or
"Smokey." Reconnect the negative terminal only after all connections have been
made.

Once you have run both the power and ground wires, it's time to connect the
cables to the amplifier. Cut off excess wire and, using wire strippers, strip the ends
of the power and ground cables approximately 1/4 inch. Locate the PowerLock
power and ground connector (supplied). With a small flat bladed screw driver,
loosen the screws before attempting to insert the cables. Insert the wires into the
appropriate hole, and tighten the screws. Once the wires are secure, the
PowerLock™ may be plugged into the amplifier. The Power/Ground
PowerLock™ will accommodate 6 gauge wire for the PCX 440 and PCX 480,
and 4 gauge wire for the PCX 4125 and PCX 5800.
Power/Ground PowerLock™
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NO SOUND Is the LED lit?
YES NO
Check Power and Remote turn-on
wire for voltage. Make sure Ground
wire is secure.
STILL NO SOUND
See your Authorized PrecisionPower Dealer or call 1-800-62POWER.
SOUND IN ONE CHANNEL ONLY
Reverse left and right speakers by unplugging the speaker connector, turning it
over and plugging it back in.
SOUND IS NOW IN
OPPOSITE CHANNEL SAME CHANNEL
Reverse RCAinputs Problem is in the speaker or
speaker wire of the silent channel
SOUND IS NOW IN
OPPOSITE CHANNEL SAME CHANNEL
Reverse RCAs at head unit Problem is in the Amplifier. See your
local Authorized PrecisionPower Dealer
or call 1-800-62POWER.
SOUND IS NOW IN
OPPOSITE CHANNEL SAME CHANNEL
Problem is in the head unit Problem is in the RCAcables
or before the amplifier
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All two-channel PCX™amplifiers are capable of being bridged into a 4 ohm mono
output without switches or bridging modules. This feature permits the creation of
a mono channel for a subwoofer or center channel. Deriving the mono channel
is accomplished by using the Left Channel Positive wire (L+) as the positive speaker
wire and the Right Channel Negative wire (R-) as the negative speaker wire.
NOTE: It is important that a minimum 4 ohm impedance is observed. If the
impedance drops below 4 ohms while the amplifier is wired in the bridged
configuration, the amplifier's protection circuitry (AM-V) may engage.
The ability to run stereo speakers while simultaneously running a mono output
from the same amplifier is accomplished by running the stereo speakers normally
and tapping into the appropriate wires for the "mixed mono" channel (left channel
positive for the positive speaker wire and right channel negative for the negative
speaker wire). Speaker impedance should be no lower than 2 Ohms on the stereo
channels and 4 ohms on the mono channel.
NOTE: Passive crossovers must be used for "mixed mono" operation. Choose a
low pass crossover around 100Hz for your subwoofer, then choose a high pass
crossover for your stereo channels. The high pass crossover must be at the same
or slightly higher frequency than the low pass crossover to maintain the correct
impedance. See your PrecisionPower dealer or call 1-800-62POWER for more
information about passive crossovers.
Both excessive temperature and low impedance (or short circuit) conditions will
activate the amplifier'sAM-V protection circuitry, which turns down the amplifier's
output. When the amplifier cools down, or the impedance is corrected, theAM-V
will restore full power. If your amp is turning down, check your speakers and wiring
for low impedance and short circuits. Also, ensure that there is nothing blocking
the normal convective airflow of the amplifier. No obstruction should be within 2"
of the amplifier on all sides.
NOTE: Low battery voltage will cause the amplifier to run warmer and
possibly damage the amplifier.

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1. Adjust all amplifier input gain controls to just above minimum sensitivity (fully
counterclockwise).
2. Using the cleanest music source (CD) playing, turn up the head unit source
volume until you can hear distortion. Now turn it down a bit until you cannot hear
the distortion (usually just below full volume).
3. Increase the Amplifier gain (clockwise) until the onset of audible distortion.
Then decrease the gain to the point just before the distortion starts. This setting
minimizes background noise and prevents overload.
4. Repeat step 3 for any remaining amplifiers in the system.
The New! PCX™ amplifiers mass has been increased by 2 lbs. per linear foot
over last years POWERCLASS™ amplifiers, resulting in far superior heat
dissipation. The unique heatsink on your PCX™amplifier has been designed with
fins on the inside of the aluminum extrusion. This allows for the transfer of heat
from the circuitry to the heatsink fins and out through the vents in the endplates.
Be sure you have ample space around the amplifier for cooling; at least 2" on all
sides.
Your multi channel PCX amplifier can use both front and rear outputs from your
head unit to maintain the ability to fade front to rear, or you can run a single set
of RCAs to the front inputs and push in the Rear Input INT/EXT switch on the
amplifier endplate to route the front signal to the rear channels as well.
PCX 440
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1. Cooling Plenums: Maintain a minimum 2” clearance around cooling plenums for proper amplifier
cooling.
2. Front Inputs: Plug in the front RCAleads from your source unit here.
3. Rear Inputs: Plug in the rear RCAleads from your source unit here.
4. RCAoutput: RCAoutputs provide HP/LP/FULL30-4kHz signal to another amplifier.
5. Front Gain: Use this control to match the output level of the source unit to the front channel of the
amplifier.
6. -12dB: Push this switch‘IN’ for high voltage input (4V-12V) capability. This button pushed‘IN’ must be
used for speaker level input on common ground head-units or for high voltage line drivers.
7. QBASS™ Level Control: Controls Bass Boost centered at 40Hz by up to 12dB.
8. Front Freq. Control: Move this detented control in a clockwise rotation to adjust the front
crossover frequency from 30Hz to 4kHz. (See Crossover frequency chart pg.17)
9. Front HP/LP/FULL Switch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the speaker output
signal of the front channel.
10. Front Speaker/Remote Connector: Plug in the PowerLock™ connector here.
11. Rear Speaker Connector: Plug in the PowerLock™ connector here.
12. Rear Input INT/EXT Button: Select the in, ‘INT’position if you want to use the internal signal
path from the front crossover for the rear input, or the out, ‘EXT’position to use the external rear RCA
input.
13. Source HP/LP/FULLSwitch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the internal
signal from the front channel to the rear channel when not using an external Rear RCAinput.
14. Rear Gain: Use this control to match the output level of the head unit to the rear channel of the
amplifier.
15. Rear Freq. Control: Move this detented control in a clockwise rotation to adjust the rear
crossover frequency from 30Hz to 4kHz. (See Crossover frequency chart pg.17)
16. Rear HP/LP/FULL Switch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the speaker output
signal of the rear channel.
17. Source Sum/Rear Button: Select the in, ‘SUM’position if you want to use the RCAoutput information
summed from the front and rear audio channels, or the out, ‘REAR’position to select the input off of
the rear channel only for bandpass capability.
18. Source HP/LP/FULL Switch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULL for the output
signal of the rear channel when not using the ‘SUM’source input.
19. Output Freq. Control: Use this to adjust the rear high pass crossover frequency from 30Hz to
4kHz. (See Crossover frequency chart pg.17)
20. Output HP/LP/FULLSwitch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the signal of
the output RCA.

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Your New! PCX™ amplifier has a TC-X Crossover (Total Control X-over©) 30-
4kHz (See page 17 for crossover Detent Chart). 12dB per octave phase correlat-
ed crossover built in to provide superior system flexibility without the added
expense and installation of an outboard crossover. The speaker outputs of
your amplifier are high-pass, low-pass, or all-pass according to the HP/LP/Full
switch on the front endplate. You would choose low pass (switch middle) to use
this amp for subwoofers, choose high pass (switch left), or full (switch right) to use
this amp for full range speakers.
The RCAoutputs are controlled by a separate HP/LP/Full switch, and are always
independent of the speaker output crossover. As well as being able to independently
select HP/LP/Full, your new PCX™ amplifier allows independent selection of
frequencies from 30-4kHz (See page 17).
NOTE: The System Diagrams beginning on page 15 show several ways to use
the virtually unlimited PCX™ amplifiers internal crossovers in your system.
PCX 440/480/4125
Front - 12dB/Octave, Detented High Pass 30-4kHz
Rear - 12dB/Octave Detented; 30-4kHz; HP/LP/Full
RCAOutputs - 12dB/Octave Detented; 30-4kHz; HP/LP/Full
QBASS PLUS - on Rear Channel - up to 18db @ 30, 36, 44, 60Hz.
PCX 5800
Front - 12dB/Octave, Detented High Pass 30-4kHz
Rear - 12dB/Octave Detented; 30-4kHz; HP/LP/Full
RCA Outputs - 12dB/Octave Detented; 30-4kHz; HP/LP/Full
Sub-Summed Stereo 12dB/Octave Detented; 30-4kHz; HP/LP/Full
QBASS PLUS - on Sub Channel - up to 18db @ 30, 36, 44, 60Hz.
PCX 5800
1. QBASS 1 & QBASS 2 Freq.: Use these switches, QBASS 1 & QBASS 2 to program the QBASS
PLUS circuit frequency.
2. Front Inputs: Plug in the front RCAleads from your source unit here.
3. Rear Inputs: Plug in the rear RCAleads from your source unit here.
4. Sub Input: Plug in the front RCAleads from your source unit here.
5. -12dB: Push this switch ‘IN’ for high voltage input (4V-12V) capability. This button pushed ‘IN’ must be
used for speaker level input on common ground head-units or for high voltage line drivers.
6. Front Speaker/Remote Connector: Plug in the PowerLock™ connector here.
7. Rear Speaker Connector: Plug in the PowerLock™ connector here.
8. Sub Speaker Connector: Plug in the PowerLock™ connector here.
9. Front Gain: Use this control to match the output level of the source unit to the front channel of the
amplifier.
10. Front Freq. Control: Move this detented control in a clockwise rotation to adjust the front
crossover frequency from 30Hz to 4kHz.
11. Front HP/LP/FULL Switch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the speaker
output signal of the front channel.
12. Rear Source INT/EXT Button: Select the in, ‘INT’position if you want to use the internal signal
path from the front crossover for the rear input, or the out, ‘EXT’position to use the external rear RCA
input.
13. Rear Gain: Use this control to match the output level of the head unit to the rear channel of the
amplifier.
14. Rear Freq. Control: Move this detented control in a clockwise rotation to adjust the rear
crossover frequency from 30Hz to 4kHz.
15. Rear HP/LP/FULLSwitch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the internal out-
put signal of the rear channel.
16. Sub Source Int/Ext Switch: Select ‘INT’position if you want to use the internal signal path from
the rear crossover for the sub input, or the ‘EXT’position to use the external sub RCAinput.
17. Sub Gain: Use this control to match the output level of the head unit to the sub channel of the
amplifier.
18. Sub Freq. Control: Use this to adjust the rear high pass crossover frequency from 30Hz to 4kHz.
19. Sub HP/LP/FULL Switch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the internal output
signal of the sub channel to the speaker output.
20. Cooling Plenums: Maintain a minimum 2” clearance around cooling plenums for proper amplifi-
er cooling.
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There are two sets of RCA jacks on the front end of your amplifier. The RCA
cables from your source unit go in the set labeled INPUTS. If your source unit doesn't
have RCA outputs don't worry. Simply add a set of RCA plugs (available at your
dealer) to your front or rear set of speaker leads (see drawing below), plug them
into the input jacks, and push in the -12dB input attenuation switch.
The Advanced Instrumentation Input has trickled down from the $15,000
PrecisionPower 2500F1.This circuit completely isolates the chassis ground from
the audio circuit of the amplifier and reduces noise radiated into your signal cables
by up to 40dB. This is equivalent to a noise reduction of approximately one hundred
times what the noise level would be without this circuitry. It provides all the benefits
of a true 'balanced' line without the need of any special cables (see diagram
below). This type of input works with any conventional RCAcable.
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On PCX 480,PCX 4125 and PCX 5800 amplifiers, we've taken bass control to a
higher level with QBASS PLUS™. The two QBASS™ switches (labeled 1 and 2)
on the front end of the amplifier allow you to select one of four frequency centers
30Hz, 36Hz, 44Hz and 60Hz. On the rear end plate you will find the QBASS™
level control and the plug-in for an optional QBASS REMOTE™ dash mounted
level control. Adjust the level control clockwise for up to +18dB of boost at your
selected frequency.
CAUTION: QBASS PLUS™ should only be used in systems with a strong subwoofer
section. +18dB is a tremendous amount of bass boost and may damage your
speakers if abused.
Optional QBASS REMOTE™:This boost control can be mounted in the dash and
will supersede the boost control on the endplate.
PrecisionPowerPCX™ amplifiers no longer need an optional QPORT™ to connect
multiple QBASS PLUS™ equipped amplifiers while using one QBASS
REMOTE™.The new QBASS PLUS™ circuitry in the PCX™ amplifiers is now
positioned before the crossover circuit. In doing this, PrecisionPower engineers
have allowed you to daisy chain your RCAoutput to the next amplifier input, causing
the first amplifier’s Q BASS Remote™ to become the master control amplifier. See
your Authorized PrecisionPower Dealer for more information!
Q BASS™ Settings
1 2 Freq.
IN IN 30Hz
IN OUT 36Hz
OUT IN 44Hz
OUT OUT 60Hz
For extra BOOM from your system, we’ve developed the QBASS™ bass control
circuit. The QBASS™ control is located to the left of the speaker outputs, and
allows you to add up to 12dB of boost centered at 40Hz by rotating the control
clockwise.

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1. Cooling Plenums: Maintain a minimum 2” clearance around cooling plenums for proper amplifier
cooling.
2. Front Freq. Control: Move this detented control in a clockwise rotation to adjust the front
crossover frequency from 30Hz to 4kHz.
3. Front HP/LP/FULLSwitch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the speaker out-
put signal of the front channel.
4. Front Gain: Use this control to match the output level of the source unit to the front channel of the
amplifier.
5. Front Inputs: Plug in the front RCAleads from your source unit here.
6. Rear Inputs: Plug in the rear RCAleads from your source unit here.
7. RCAOutput: RCAoutputs provide HP/LP/FULL, 30-4kHz to another amplifier.
8. -12dB: Push this switch ‘IN’ for high voltage input (4V-12V) capability. This button pushed‘IN’ must be
used for speaker level input on common ground head-units or for high voltage line drivers.
9. QBASS 1 & QBASS 2 Freq.: Use these switches, QBASS 1 & QBASS 2 to program the QBASS
PLUS circuit frequency.
10. Front Speaker/Remote Connector: Plug in the PowerLock™ connector here.
11. Rear Speaker Connector: Plug in the PowerLock™ connector here.
12. Rear Source INT/EXT Button: Select the in, ‘INT’position if you want to use the internal signal
path from the front crossover for the rear input, or the out, ‘EXT’position to use the external rear RCA
input.
13. Rear Source HP/LP/FULL Switch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULL for the
internal output signal of the rear channel.
14. Rear Gain: Use this control to match the output level of the head unit to the rear channel of the
amplifier.
15. Rear Freq. Control: Move this detented control in a clockwise rotation to adjust the rear
crossover frequency from 30Hz to 4kHz.
16. Rear HP/LP/FULLSwitch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the speaker out-
put signal of the rear channel.
17. Source Sum/Rear Button: Select the in, ‘SUM’position if you want to use the RCAoutput information
summed from the front and rear audio channels, or the out, ‘REAR’position to select the input off of
the rear channel, providing bandpass capability.
18. Output Source HP/LP/FULLSwitch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor the
RCAoutput signal.
19. Output Crossover Freq. Control: Use this to adjust the output crossover frequency from 30Hz
to 4kHz.
20. Output Crossover HP/LP/FULLSwitch: Select the desired crossover setting, HP/LP/FULLfor
the output signal of the RCAoutput.
PCX 480/4125
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