4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, CO 80301
®Troubleshooting
©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.
Owner’s Reference GCA Power Amplifier Series
If no sound comes out of the GCA Series Power Amplifier there are several areas to check. Either you
are not getting an audio signal into the Series Power Amplifier, you are not properly connected to the
loudspeakers so the audio can get out of the Series Power Amplifier, there is no power from the AC
socket, or you have the DC trigger jack connected without an appropriate voltage to turn it on.
It is obviously important that the GCA Series Power Amplifier receive a high level signal from the
preamplifier, surround processor or whatever source you are feeding it. One way to determine if this
is the case, would be to first go to your loudspeaker. Place your ear very near the tweeter and listen
for a very slight hiss. If you hear one, chances are good the amp is working fine, connected properly
at the speakers and you have an input problem. If you suspect an input problem, the first thing to
check is the rear panel switch. The switch on the rear of the GCA Series Power Amplifier is an input
selector. With a source connected to the preamp and the preamp volume turned up, click the rear
mounted input selector on the GCA Series Power Amplifier to both positions and see if this solves the
problem.
If not, place the switch to the proper position and replace the interconnects between the preamp and
power amp. At last resort, if you suspect an input problem, try another preamp, or plug the output of
your CD player or DVD player directly into the GCA Series Power Amplifier. Be careful to choose a CD
or DVD with relatively soft music because this will play very loudly.
If you suspect an output problem, use the same technique of placing your ear very close to the
speaker’s tweeter while the GCA Series Power Amplifier is turned on. You should hear a very slight
amount of hiss from the tweeter. If you do not, check the speaker cable/amp connection. Make sure
the amp’s front panel light is on, indicating proper performance.
If there is no sound and you are convinced the GCA Series Power Amplifier has power and its front
panel light is lit, contact your dealer, distributor or PS Audio for further assistance.
If there is an excessive amount of hiss or noise from the loudspeaker, it is probably not from the
GCA Series Power Amplifier as this amp has extremely low self noise. Turn the amp off, remove the
interconnect cables from the GCA Series Power Amplifier and then turn the amplifier back on. Listen
once again to see if the noise has been diminished. If it has, chances are good you either need to
replace your preamplifier with a quieter one or you may need to experiment with better shielded
interconnect cables.
If you experience a hum through the speakers this can be caused by several things. The first is the
source. If there is an excessive amount of buzz or noise from the loudspeaker, it may be caused by a
ground loop, a light dimmer in the home, poor AC power, or any number of causes. The quickest way
to determine where to start your search is to simply turn the amp off, disconnect the cables feeding
its input, and see if the hum goes away when you turn it back on. If it does, it’s most likely a ground
loop or buzz from a dimmer.
The easiest way to figure out where ground loop problems lie is by the process of elimination. You
No sound comes
out of the amp
Check the input
If you suspect an
output problem
If there is a lot
of hiss in your
speaker
Check the rear
input selector first
Try another
source
If you have hum
or buzz
