ETON PA 2

Introduction

ETON expressly thanks you for deciding to purchase this amplifier and congratulates you on the selection of this excellent product.

The ETON amplifiers are a guarantee for outstanding performance. The electrical, mechanical and tonal characteristics will be maintained at the original high standard throughout the entire operational life of this product. We wish you many pleasant listening hours.

The current operational instructions are designed to ensure correct installation of the amplifier. They contain information and essential procedures for the correct operation of the product and its attached external devices. Please carefully study the operating instructions before beginning with the installation or the connection of the amplifier.

Safety Instructions

Attention!

Please read all warnings found in this manual. This information is highlighted and included to inform you of the potential danger of personal injury or damage to property.

Hearing Damage

CONTINOUS EXPOSURE TO SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS OVER 85dB MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING LOSS. HIGH POWERED AUTO-SOUND SYSTEMS MAY PRODUCE SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS WELL OVER 130dB. THIS MAY CAUSE DAMAGE OF HEARING. USE COMMON SENSE AND AVOID SUCH RISKS!

Volume and Driver Awareness

Use of sound components can impair your ability to hear necessary traffic sounds and may constitute a hazard while driving your automobile.

ETON accepts no liability for hearing loss, bodily injury or property damage as a result of use or misuse of this product.

ATTENTION!

If sheet metal must be cut or removed contact your authorized car dealer for professional advice. By damage to supporting body structures the safety certificate may be withdrawn.

Packaging and Contents

The amplifier is packed into an especially constructed protecting carton. Do not damage the packing and store it for future use in the case of possible damage. Upon receipt of the amplifier verify that: The packing is not damaged, the contents are according to specifications, the product shows no obvious damage.

In the case of missing or damaged parts please contact immediately your dealer providing the model name as well as the serial number that is shown on the bottom of the amplifier.

Content: Power amplifier, user manual, mounting accessories with mounting feet, Allen key, 2 x high-level adapter.

Tools

We recommend to place the following tools ready for installation:

• Fuse-holder and fuse.
• Battery post wrench
• Hand held drill with assorted bits
• Volt/Ohm Meter
• Wire strippers
• Wire cutters
• Hex key
• Phillips screwdriver
• Additional tools which are probably needed to remove panels in your car
• Power- and remote wires in adequate lengths, widths and colours

NOTE: We recommend to use power cable at least 9 AWG for (B+) and (GND) battery wiring. With additional Mini ANL fuse holder with 40 A fuse.

Precautions - Read first!

Caution!

Before installation, disconnect the battery negative (-) terminal to prevent damage to the unit, fire and/or possible injury. This is not possible in every modern vehicle. Please ask your carmaker or see your owners handbook regarding battery change.

Note:

The installation and adjustment of the amplifier should only be entrusted to qualified personnel. Please carefully read the operation instructions and follow the given directions regarding connection and adjustment of the amplifier.

Warning!

Before connecting external devices that do not belong to this amplifier, please refer to the corresponding directions contained in the operation instructions for this device.

Warning!

Under no circumstances should you open the amplifier or attempt any repairs. If required contact your dealer to obtain technical assistance. Unauthorized changes will result in the cancellation of warranty.

Warning!

The amplifiers are exclusively designed for the interior of vehicles with a power supply of +12 volt DC (Direct Current).

Caution!

Install the amplifier only in the interior of the vehicle or in the trunk. Never install the amplifier in the motor compartment. Doing so will void your warranty.

Caution!

The amplifier must not be subjected to pressure and not be covered. Be careful that no foreign object or fluid can enter the amplifier. Be sure the amplifier is provided with sufficient air circulation to achieve proper cooling of the heatsink.

Caution!

The amplifier should be mounted in a vertical or horizontal position within an area of the vehicle that allows good air circulation.

Caution!

The heat sinking device can reach a temperature over 80° Centigrade. Be careful to avoid contact with temperature sensitive surfaces or materials.

Caution!

Be sure that no components are close to the mounting position of the amplifier that could be damaged by the screws or during the mounting procedure. Damage to the vehicle can severely endanger the automobile safety as well as the safety of the passengers.

Caution!

Mount the amplifier using the four-fastening points. Be careful that you choose a strong, stable surface that can carry the weight of the device. Avoid mounting on plastic parts or cardboard lining.

Before Installation

This section focuses on some of the vehicle considerations for installing your new amplifier. Pre-planning your system layout and best wiring routes will save installation time.

When deciding on the layout of your new system, be sure that each component will be easily accessible for making adjustments.

Before beginning any installation, follow these simple rules:

1. Be sure to carefully read and understand the instructions before installing the amplifier.
2. For easier assembly, we suggest you run all wires prior to mounting your amplifier in place.

Caution!

Avoid running power wires near the low level input cables, antenna, power leads, sensitive equipment or harnesses. The power wires carry substantial current and could induce noise into the audio system.

3. Route all of the RCA cables close together and away from any high current wires.
4. Use high quality connectors for a reliable installation and to minimize signal or power loss.
5. Think before you drill! Be careful not to cut or drill into gas tanks, fuel lines, brake or hydraulic lines, vacuum lines or electrical wiring when working on any vehicle.
6. Never run wires underneath the vehicle. Running the wires inside the vehicle provides the best protection.
7. Avoid running wires over or through sharp edges. Use rubber or plastic grommets to protect any wires routed through metal, especially the firewall.

Note: ALWAYS protect the battery and electrical system from damage with proper fusing. Install the appropriate fuse holder and fuse on the +12 V power wire within 18" (45.7 cm) of the battery terminal. (Note example p. 16-17)

When grounding to the chassis of the vehicle, scrape all paint from the metal to ensure a good, clean ground connection. Grounding connections should be as short as possible and always be connected to metal that is welded to the main body, or chassis, of the vehicle. Seatbelt bolts should never be used for connecting to ground.

When connecting tweeters directly to the amplifier, pay attention to the correct crossover frequencies! Tweeters can be damaged without passive crossover components! Please make sure that all cables are connected correctly and safely before starting the amplifier. If necessary, use a suitable capacitor / crossover in front of the tweeter to protect it during initial setup.

Installation and wiring

Recommendations for all Class D amplifiers

Class D amplifiers by the nature of their design emit a certain amount of RF (Radio Frequency) radiation. While we have optimized the design to reduce this to a minimum level there are still steps you can take to eliminate any unwanted FM radio interference. The tips below apply to any class D amplifier.

Always try to install the amplifier as far away from the antenna as possible. Furthermore, try to mount the amplifier as far away from the radio or other RF-sensitive devices as possible. Keep the ground cable as short as possible. Consider the ground cable as the transmitting antenna. The shorter it is, the less interference radiation it can produce (transmit). Use twisted wires. If possible both loudspeaker lines and also NF lines.

If you do not have twisted pair wire you may be able to twist it yourself with 2 single cables.

If you encounter a problem with FM interference you can try turning the amplifier 90 degrees or changing its location completely. Please keep in mind that RF radiation can be very directional.

Do not use your automobile until all components of the system have been secured to the interior framework. Failure to do so may turn a component into a dangerous, flying projectile during a sudden stop or accident.

Mounting Locations

Trunkmounting

Mounting the amplifier vertically or inverted will provide adequate cooling of the amplifier. Mounting the amplifier on the floor of the trunk will provide the best cooling of the amplifier.

Passenger Compartment Mounting

Mounting the amplifier in the passenger compartment will work as long as you provide a sufficient amount of air for the amplifier to cool itself. If you are going to mount the amplifier under the seat of the vehicle, you must have at least 1" (2.54 cm) of air gap around the amplifier's heatsink. Mounting the amplifier with less than 1" (2.54 cm) of air gap around the amplifier's heatsink in the passenger compartment will not provide proper cooling and will severely affect the performance of the amplifier and is strongly not recommended.

Engine Compartment

Never mount this unit in the engine compartment. Mounting the unit in the engine compartment will void your warranty.

Battery and Charging

Amplifiers will put an increased load on the vehicle's battery and charging system. We recommend checking your alternator and battery condition to ensure that the electrical system has enough capacity to handle the increased load of your stereo system. Stock electrical systems which are in good condition should be able to handle the extra load of any ETON amplifier without problems, although battery and alternator life can be reduced slightly.

To maximize the performance of your amplifier, we suggest the use of a heavy duty battery and an energy storage capacitor.

Wiring the System

Caution!

If you do not feel comfortable with wiring your new unit, please see your local authorized ETON Dealer for installation.

Caution!

Before installation, disconnect the battery negative (-) terminal to prevent damage to the unit, fire and/or possible injury. Please ask your car dealer if disconnecting the battery is possible without any problem.

Plan the wire routing. Keep RCA cables close together but isolated from the amplifier's power cables and any high power auto accessories, especially electric motors. This is done to prevent coupling the noise from radiated electrical fields into the audio signal. If cables are routed through the splashboard or other metal barriers, the cables must be additionally protected with plastic or rubber rings to avoid short circuits. Leave the cables a little longer at first and only adjust them exactly later.

Note:

We recommend cables with a cross-section of at least 9 AWG (approx. 6 mm²) for the current (B+) and ground (GND) connections and twisted 1.0 mm² copper cables for loudspeaker lines and high-level lines.

Prepare the RED wire (power cable) for attachment to the amplifier by stripping 0.5 cm of insulation from the end of the wire. Insert the bared wire into the B+ terminal and tighten the set screw to secure the cable in place.

Note:

The B+- cable must be protected with an appropriate fuse. We recommend the use of a 40 A MINI ANL or ATC fuse.

Prepare the remote turn-on wire for attachment to the amplifier by stripping 0.5 cm of insulation from the end of the wire.

Insert the bare cable into the connection terminal (REM) and tighten the grub screw to fasten the cable. Connect the other end of the power cable (remote) to a switched positive 12V source.

The switched voltage is usually taken from the switch-on terminal for external amplifiers on the source device (radio). If such a connection is not available on the source device, it is recommended to install a mechanical switch in a line with a 12 V source to activate the amplifier. The PA 2 amplifier is equipped with an automatic switch-on signal detection, which can be used with high-level connections, where the amplifier switches on automatically as soon as a music signal or voltage is detected via the high-level inputs. For this function the amplifier must be set to "SIG" / "DC".

Securely mount the amplifier to the vehicle or amp rack. Be careful not to mount the amplifier on cardboard or plastic panels. Doing so may enable the screws to pull out from the panel due to road vibration or sudden vehicle stops. Never mount the amplifier directly to vehicle sheet metal. Always use a insulating mounting plate (wood).

Use the supplied mounting feet for optimal mounting, these can be adjusted depending on the mounting location, use suitable tools to cut the feet to length.

Set Input Signal

You can operate the PA 2 amplifier with two different types of source signal. You can either use a High-Level / Hi-Level signal tap on your speaker cables (should you not find any RCA/ Cinch outputs on your headunit) or connect the audio signal directly to your headunit using RCA cables (Low-Level / Lo-Level / Low-Level signal).

We recommend for the Hi-Level tap: use high-quality signal thieves / adapter cable sets and always use twisted speaker wires for signal routing.

High-Level Signal Tap

To feed a high-level / hi-level signal into the amplifier, the supplied High-Level / Hi-Level Input Adapter cable is required.

The set includes a cable whip, which is equipped with a reverse polarity protected plug and fits into the high-level input. Please note the polarity when connecting, this is printed on the connection plate of the amplifier!

A) First, connect your signal tap speaker wires to the supplied high level cable whips. Pay attention to the channel assignment and polarity!

B) Adjust the right Input Load (note site 22)

C) Adjust the right Input Voltage (note site 23)

Input Load (Hi-Level)

If your amplifier is connected via the high-level input signal, the EPS load (input resistance) should now be set. This can be set between 10 Ω, 150 Ω and 600 Ω.

Set as follows:

• 10 Ω: If a loudspeaker was connected to the head unit / control unit or amplifier.
• 150 Ω: If an amplifier / booster was connected to the output at the factory / previously. Recommended for VW/Audi/Skoda.
• 600 Ω: If an amplifier / booster was connected to the output at the factory / previously. Recommended for BMW.

Input Voltage (Hi-Level)

If you use the audio signal via the high-level tap, the signal should be filtered against distortion.

If the signal is tapped from a factory amplifier or aftermarket amplifier, this is assigned a higher voltage: to achieve the best possible input quality, the toggle switch should be set to 40 V input voltage.

If the audio signal in the high-level input is tapped from a normal radio / head unit without an additional amplifier, the switch should be set to 15 V input voltage. Since this audio signal has less voltage.

High-Level 2-Channel

You can install a high-level signal tap if your head unit / radio does not have cinch outputs. Always use a stereo signal. When connecting, pay attention to the channel assignment (left/right) and the polarity of the signal. Reversed polarity can also reduce the performance of the loudspeaker, so check that the connection is correct!

Low-Level/Cinch Signal Tap

Attention!

Always make sure that the ignition is switched off or the power cable is disconnected from the amplifier before connecting RCA cables. If this is not done, the amplifier and/or the connected components may be damaged.

To feed a low-level/lo-level/RCA signal into the amplifier, an additional cinch cable is required (RCA).

Note the channel distribution when connecting, this is printed on the amplifier's connection plate!

In the next step, connect your RCA/cinch cables to the amplifier. Observe the channel assignment and polarity! If you want to bridge an input signal, e.g. if you want to send a uniform input signal to channels 1-2, use a corresponding Y cinch cable.

Connect the Loudspeaker

Remove 0.5 cm of insulation from the ends of the speaker cables, then insert the cables into the speaker connector plugs and tighten the fastening screws. Do not ground the speaker cables over the vehicle chassis as this may cause unstable operation. Make sure the polarity of the wires is correct. Pay attention to the channels, these are labeled on the front plate of the amplifier: -/+/-/+ from left to right. If all cables are firmly screwed into the connectors, plug the connector into the amplifier. (D)

Info: You can bridge the amplifier to one channel by connecting the two outer channels. Pay attention to the polarity and the impedance (this must not be less than 4 Ω).

Perform a final check of the completed system wiring to ensure that all connections are accurate. Check all power and ground connections for frayed wires and loose connections which could cause problems. Install inline fuse near battery connection. Note: Follow the diagrams for proper signal polarity.

Adjustment

Auto-Sense On (F)

3-Way switch Auto On. DC - OFF - SIG. Here you can choose the turn on detection mode.

• DC= Used with most source units. The amplifier detects DC voltage on speaker output of source unit if high level input and the original adaptor cable is used and turns on the amplifier.
• OFF= The amplifier will only turn on via +12 V remote wire. No detection of high level signal will happen.
• SIG= The amplifier detects a signal on speaker output of source unit if high level input and turns on. If signal is paused it is possible that amplifier shuts off. We recommend to use this detection only in case if DC detection is not working and Auto sense is requested.

Gain / Level Setting (G)

LEVEL= Gain control allows to adjust the input sensitivity for channel pairs CH1/2. Overdriving the GAIN may cause damage to the speakers! The GAIN control is not a volume control, it only adjusts the output voltage of the signal source to the input sensitivity of the power amplifier.

Gain Adjustment Tip:

The easiest way to set the GAIN correctly is by listening. To do this, set your audio source / car headunit to 3/4 of the maximum volume. Play music tracks that you know well. Then set the GAIN control to minimum, now turn up the GAIN control until the music does not get louder or the music starts to distort. Pay attention to details in your music title. When you have reached this point, turn the GAIN control back a little. Repeat this test with other music titles.

Active Filters / X-Over Frequencies (H)

The PA 2 power amplifier has an active high-pass or low-pass filter under the protective cover on the top. To do this, pull off the protective cover, then you can set the LPF (low-pass filter) or optionally HPF (high-pass filter) with a fixed slope of 12 dB and or activate the filter. The filter is activated/deactivated using the "OFF/ON" filter button. You can set the filters in a frequency range between 25 Hz and 250 Hz. To do this, turn the setting tool in the "FREQ" area until the desired crossover frequency is reached.

Troubleshooting

If you are having problems after installation follow the Troubleshooting procedures below.

Procedure 1: Check Amplifier Connections

Check Amplifier for proper connections. Verify that POWER light is on. If POWER light is on skip to Step 3, if not continue.

1. Check in-line fuse on battery positive cable. Replace if necessary.
2. Check fuse(s) in amplifier. Replace if necessary.
3. Verify that Ground connection is connected to clean metal on the vehicle's chassis. Repair/replace if necessary.
4. Verify there is 10 V to 14.4 V present at the positive battery and remote turn-on cable. Verify quality connections for both cables at amplifier, stereo, and battery/fuseholder. Repair/replace if necessary. Verify there is 10 to 14.4 Volts present at the remote wire when system/ radio is on.

Procedure 2: Malfunction LED lights up (red with pulse)

If the Protect LED (red/protect) is lit, this means that there may be a short circuit in the speaker terminals or lines. Check that the speakers are properly connected. Test for possible short circuits in the speaker cables with a voltage/resistance meter. To do this, disconnect the cable from the amplifier. A speaker impedance that is too low can also cause the protective light to illuminate.

If the interference LED lights up, this may also indicate thermal problems: check the loudspeaker impedance and rewire if necessary.

Make sure that alternator and battery are able to provide the system with required voltage. If no steps above have been taken effect, the amplifier is possibly damaged. Please call your local dealer for further information.

Procedure 3: Check Amplifier for Audio Output

1. Verify good RCA input connections at stereo and amplifier. Check entire length of cables for kinks, splices, etc. Test RCA inputs for AC volts with stereo on. Repair/replace if necessary.
2. Disconnect RCA input from amplifier. Connect RCA input from test stereo directly to amplifier input.

Procedure 4: Turn-on Pop

Check Amplifier if you experience Turn-on Pop.

1. Disconnect input signal to amplifier and turn amplifier on and off.
2. If the noise is eliminated, connect the REMOTE lead of amplifier to source unit with a delay turn-on module.

OR

1. Use a different 12 V source for REMOTE lead of amplifier.
2. If noise is eliminated, use a relais to isolate the amplifier from source unit to avoid noise.

Procedure 5: Excess Engine Noise

1. Route all signal carrying wires (RCA, Speaker cables) away from power and ground wires.

OR

1. Bypass any and all electrical components between the stereo and the amplifier(s). Connect stereo directly to input of amplifier. If noise goes away the unit being bypassed is the cause of the noise.

OR

1. Remove existing ground wires for all electrical components. Reground wires to different locations. Verify that grounding location is clean, shiny metal free of paint, rust etc.
2. Add secondary ground cable from negative battery terminal to the chassis metal or engine block of vehicle.

OR

Have alternator and battery load tested by your mechanic. Verify good working order of vehicle electrical system including distributor, spark plugs, spark plug wires, voltage regulator etc.

Cable Information

Minimum cross-sections for power cables

We always recommend highly conductive, 100% oxygen-free, fine-stranded solid copper cables.

MINI ANL or ATC fuse holder with corresponding fuse.

Please use at least 1.0 mm² twisted, solid copper cable for loudspeaker systems and 1.5 - 2.5 mm² for subwoofers. 0.5 mm² twisted audio cable per channel is recommended as the feed line for the high-level signal.

CE-Certificate of Conformity

ETON PA 2

Correct elimination of this product

This marking indicates that within the EU this product should not be disposed of with other household wastes. To prevent any risk to the environment or human health, please recycle them responsibly to encourage the reuse of material resources. To return your used device, please use the return and collection systems available, or contact the retailer where you purchased the product. They can recycle this product safely. ♺

Technical Data

Notes

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Disclaimer

ETON reserves the right to make modifications or improvements to the products illustrated without notice thereof. All rights belong to the respective owners. Total or partial reproduction of this User's Guide is prohibited.