Ashly CA Series Power Amplifier Operating Manual

This manual provides detailed information for the Ashly CA Series 2- and 4-channel power amplifiers.

Important Safety Instructions

Please read and keep these instructions. Heed all warnings and follow all instructions. To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose the apparatus to rain or moisture, and do not use it near water. Clean only with a dry cloth. Do not block ventilation openings and install according to manufacturer's instructions. Avoid installing near heat sources. Do not defeat the safety purpose of polarized or grounding-type plugs. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched. Use only manufacturer-specified attachments/accessories and carts/stands/tripods/brackets/tables. Unplug during lightning storms or when unused for long periods. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel. This equipment is not suitable for locations where children are likely to be present.

CAUTION: Risk Of Electric Shock - Do Not Open

The lightning flash symbol alerts users to uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product, and the exclamation point symbol alerts users to important operating and maintenance instructions.

FCC Compliance

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to two conditions: it may not cause harmful interference, and it must accept any interference received. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in commercial and residential installations. If interference occurs, users are encouraged to try correcting it by reorienting/relocating the antenna, increasing separation between equipment and receiver, connecting the equipment to a different circuit, or consulting a dealer or experienced technician.

Unpacking

Each Ashly product is inspected before leaving the factory. After unpacking, inspect for any physical damage. Save the shipping carton and packing materials for potential claims. Notify your dealer immediately if damage has occurred.

About Ashly

Founded in 1974 by audio professionals, Ashly Audio offers high-quality audio tools at affordable prices, emphasizing reliability and longevity. The company provides a five-year warranty on all commercial-grade products at no extra cost.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the Ashly CA power amplifier. This product utilizes state-of-the-art, lightweight, high-power, high-efficiency switching technology. CA amplifiers are available in three power levels and are designed for demanding live sound and fixed installation systems.

Features

Two or four channel models
500W, 1,000W, or 1,500W per channel models
Active power factor correction (PFC)
Low impedance output (to 2 Ohm)
Direct 70V or 100V output
Extremely efficient and lightweight
Neutrik® Combo XLR - 1/4" jack and Euroblock input connectors
Euroblock speaker output connectors
Front panel soft-power switch, defeatable
Front panel level controls, fully off = mute, defeatable
Front panel LEDs for clip/mute, signal, current, temperature, bridge mode, protect, and front panel disable
80Hz 2nd order hi-pass filter per channel (on/off)
Clip limiter per channel (on/off)
Input gain settings per channel: 26dB, 32dB, 38dB, or 1.4V
Remote DC level control per channel
Remote standby contact closure, with polarity setting
Universal 100-240VAC operation, 50-60Hz, detachable AC connector
Continuously variable cooling fan(s)
Protection: Inrush current limitation, over-temperature, output short-circuit/over-power, output DC, mains fuse
Safety/Compliance: cTUVus, CE, FCC Class B, RoHS
Ashly five year warranty

Requirements

Before connecting to AC mains power, ensure mechanical installation, cooling, wiring, and controls are configured correctly for your application to prevent damage.

AC Mains

This amplifier uses a universal Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) with active Power Factor Correction (PFC). The power supply auto-detects nominal AC mains voltage from 100 to 240VAC, 50-60Hz. Use only the provided AC cord.

Input Signal Wire

Use shielded wiring for balanced or unbalanced audio signals. Shielding protects against electrical interference. Unbalanced or single-ended lines should have the signal wired to the input (+) pin, shield to ground (G), and the (-) input pin also connected to ground. Avoid running low-level signal wires parallel to speaker cables or power transformers.

Diagram Description: A diagram shows wiring for balanced and unbalanced audio signals using XLR and phone connectors, illustrating tip (+), ring (-), and sleeve (Ground) connections.

Speaker Wire

The installer is responsible for using wiring compliant with local electrical codes. Class 2 wiring is typically used for output voltages under 120V rms, while Class 3 wiring may be required for higher voltages or bridged mode. Wire gauge is crucial for delivering adequate power and preventing overheating. The table below provides resistance per 100 feet for common copper wire gauges and the corresponding power loss percentage for 8, 4, and 2 Ohm loads.

Speaker Wire Gauge Recommendations

Wire Gauge	Ohms/100ft	8Ω Load Loss	4Ω Load Loss	2Ω Load Loss
#8	0.0605Ω	0.8%	1.5%	3%
#10	0.1018Ω	1.3%	2.5%	5%
#12	0.1619Ω	2.0%	4.0%	8%
#14	0.2575Ω	3.2%	6.4%	12.8%
#16	0.4094Ω	5.1%	10.2%	20.4%
#18	0.6510Ω	8.1%	16.3%	32.6%

The table expresses power loss as a percentage of the load's power. For example, a 150W output to an 8 Ohm load through 50 ft of 14 gauge cable results in a 1.6% power loss (2.4 watts).

Remote Control Wire

Remote DC level control: Bell or telephone wire is sufficient. V+ and Ground pins can be shared among multiple controls, but do not connect remote control ground to external grounds.
Remote Standby: Use low gauge wire; shielding is unnecessary.

Mechanical

All amplifier models are 2RU and designed for 19-inch equipment racks with a minimum depth of 16.1" (409mm). Use four screws for mounting. Rear support is recommended for mobile use. For installations with high RF noise or oscillation, grounding the chassis to the rack enclosure using star lockwashers may be necessary.

Diagram Description: A diagram illustrates the dimensions of the amplifier, showing front panel width, height, and depth, as well as mounting hole locations.

Cooling

Air vents on the front and side panels require unobstructed airflow. Cool air is drawn in through the sides and exhausted out the front. Empty rack spaces above or below the amplifier are not necessary.

Amplifier Protection

Power-On Delay: A two-second delay prevents excessive in-rush current.
Thermal Protection: Cooling fans adjust speed based on temperature, reaching maximum speed at 80% of safe operating temperature. Temp LEDs indicate when countermeasures are active.
Overpower Protection: Reduces audio output power to protect internal components when overpower conditions occur.
Output DC and Rail Fault Protection: Output DC on any channel triggers the Protect LED and mutes the channel.
AC Mains: The amplifier temporarily shuts down if AC mains voltage exceeds or falls below the specified operating range, automatically restarting when voltage returns to normal.

Refer to the troubleshooting section for details on protection schemes and LED codes.

Front Panel Features

The front panel includes air vents, channel LED indicators (CLIP/MUTE, SIGNAL, CURRENT, TEMP), a Protect LED, a Disable LED, channel attenuators, a Bridge LED, and a Power Switch/LED.

Channel LED Indicators: CLIP/MUTE (red) indicates clipping (95% of max power) or mute. SIGNAL (green) indicates 25% of max output voltage. CURRENT (green) indicates >2 Amps to the speaker load. TEMP (yellow) indicates excessive internal temperature.
Protect LED (red): Indicates real-time countermeasures for overpower, over-temperature, or rail voltage faults. If the amplifier shuts down, the Protect LED remains on until power is cycled.
Disable LED (yellow): Lights when front panel controls are disabled via the rear panel DIP switch.
Channel Attenuators: Control amplifier level and work with remote DC level controls. Mute status is indicated by the Clip/Mute LED.
Bridge LED (green): Indicates when a channel pair is set to BRIDGE mode. In bridge mode, only the odd-numbered input and level control are used.
Power Switch/LED: Powers the amplifier on/off. The white LED is solid when on, and flashes at 1Hz in standby. The switch can be disabled via DIP switch.
Model Number: The first two numbers indicate power rating per channel (e.g., "1.5" for 1500W), and the last number indicates channel count.
Mounting Holes: For 19" equipment rack mounting.

Diagram Description: A front panel view of the amplifier shows the layout of air vents, LEDs (Clip/Mute, Signal, Current, Temp, Protect, Disable, Bridge), attenuators, and the power switch.

Rear Panel Features

The rear panel features include:

Standby Connector: Euroblock connector for remote standby control. A DIP switch sets standby circuit polarity.
Standby Polarity & Front Panel Disable DIP Switch:
- Standby Polarity: Sets polarity for standby mode (High for open circuit, Low for closed circuit).
- Front Panel Disable: Deactivates all front panel controls.
DIP Switch Channel Settings: Switches for Input Gain (26dB, 32dB, 38dB, 1.4V), Output Clip Limiter (On/Off), and Input High Pass Filter (80Hz 2nd order HPF - On/Off).
DIP Switch Settings (global): Switches for Front Panel Disable (On/Off) and Standby Polarity (High/Low).
Standby Contact Closure: Euroblock connector.
Speaker Output Connector: Euroblock (7.62mm) connectors. Bridge mode uses center pins.
Front Panel Indicators: Descriptions of Power Switch LED (white), Clip/Mute LED (red), Signal LED (green), Current LED (green), Temp LED (yellow), Bridge LED (green), and Protect LED (red).
Combo Input Jack: 1/4" TRS and XLR jack, wired in parallel to the Euroblock input. For unbalanced signals, connect the ring/pin 3 to ground.
AC Mains Connector: Use the provided Ashly AC cord. Do not remove the ground pin.
Serial Number Sticker: Identifies model number, serial number, and AC mains current/power rating.

Diagram Description: A rear panel view of the amplifier shows the location of various connectors including Standby, DIP switches, Input Jacks (Euroblock, 1/4" TRS, XLR), Remote DC Level Control, Bridge Mode Switch, and Speaker Outputs.

Troubleshooting

No AC Power

Check AC power cord installation and outlet.
Verify the power switch has not been disabled.

No Amplifier Output

Check if the amplifier is in Standby Mode.
Verify signal is reaching the amplifier.
Ensure input signal is properly wired.
Check output connector wiring.
Ensure front panel or remote attenuators are not turned down.
Check if the Amplifier is in Protect Mode.

Attenuators Don't Work

Verify front panel controls have not been disabled via the rear panel DIP switch.

Still Not Working?

Contact Ashly technical support at 1-800-872-0010 x124 or email service@ashly.com.

Protect Mode - Front Panel LED Error Codes

Protect Mode Fault Description	Power	Protect	Clip/Mute	Signal
>9dB Continuous Power Limiting	On	*	*
Amp Power Module Channel Protect	On	*	*
+Thermal Protect	On	*	*	*
#Power Supply Out Of Range	On	*	*	*
*Amp Channel DC Protect	On	*	*
*Amp Channel Over-Temperature	On	*	*	*
*Power Transformer Over-Temperature	On	*	*	*
*Power Supply Rails Too High	On	*	*	*
*Micro-Controller Over-Temperature	On	*	*	*
+Thermal Protect	Standby	*	*	*
#Power Supply Out Of Range	Standby	*	*	*
*Amp Channel DC Protect	Standby	*	*
*Amp Channel Over-Temperature	Standby	*	*	*
*Power Transformer Over-Temperature	Standby	*	*	*
*Power Supply Rails Too High	Standby	*	*	*
*Micro-Controller Over-Temperature	Standby	*	*	*

+Amp still passes audio, automatic recovery
#Amp mutes until fault clears, automatic recovery
* Non-recoverable fault, must reset Amp by cycling AC power

Specifications

General Power Amplifier Specifications (0dBu = 0.775V rms)

Amplifier Model	CA1.54	CA1.52	CA1.04	CA1.02	CA504	CA502
Maximum Output Power - in Watts CEA-2006/490A, 20ms 1kHz 1%THD+N, 480ms 1kHz -20dB, 120VAC, all channels driven at rated load
Low Z output, per channel
2 Ohm	1500	1500	1000	1000	500	500
4 Ohm	1500	1500	1000	1000	500	500
8 Ohm	750	750	500	500	250	250
Low Z output, per bridged channel pair*
4 Ohm	3000*	3000*	2000*	2000*	1000*	1000*
8 Ohm	3000*	3000*	2000*	2000*	1000*	1000*
*70V/100V output**
70V	1500 (direct)	1500 (direct)	1000 (direct)	1000 (direct)	1000* (bridged)	1000* (bridged)
100V	3000* (bridged)	3000* (bridged)	2000* (bridged)	2000* (bridged)	1000* (bridged)	1000* (bridged)
*May require Class 3 speaker wiring, all others use Class 2 wiring. See section 2.3
Total Power Draw - in Watts, all channels driven, 1/8 power sinewave
Standby	22	13	19	10	17	8
Idle (no signal)	100	31	70	40	34	17
1/8 max power	975	485	675	335	345	172
Total Current Draw - in Amps, all channels driven, 1/8 power sinewave, 120VAC (divide by 2 for 240VAC)
Standby mode	0.39	0.24	0.37	0.21	0.35	0.2
Idle (no signal)	0.68	0.36	0.64	0.34	0.5	0.27
1/8 max power	8.9	4.2	6	3	3	1.5
Total Thermal Dissipation - in BTU/hour with typical input, all channels driven, 120VAC
Standby mode	76	44	65	32	57	28
Idle (no signal)	209	105	184	96	115	57
1/8 max power, 4 Ohm	648	314	474	229	266	120
1/8 max power, 2 Ohm	754	355	576	269	304	148
Input Sensitivity - in Volts(rms) and dBu, per back panel DIP Switch gain settings
@26dB gain	3.87V (+14.0dBu)	3.87V (+14.0dBu)	3.16V (+12.2dBu)	3.16V (+12.2dBu)	2.24V (+9.2dBu)	2.24V (+9.2dBu)
@32dB gain	1.94V (+8.0dBu)	1.94V (+8.0dBu)	1.58V (+6.2dBu)	1.58V (+6.2dBu)	1.12V (+3.2dBu)	1.12V (+3.2dBu)
@38dB gain	0.97V (+2.0dBu)	0.97V (+2.0dBu)	0.79V (+0.2dBu)	0.79V (+0.2dBu)	0.56V (-2.8dBu)	0.56V (-2.8dBu)
@1.4V gain	1.4V (+5.1dBu)	1.4V (+5.1dBu)	1.4V (+5.1dBu)	1.4V (+5.1dBu)	1.4V (+5.1dBu)	1.4V (+5.1dBu)
Distortion (SMPTE, typical) <0.5%
Distortion (THD-N, typical, 8 Ohm, 10dB below rated power, 20Hz-20kHz <0.5%
Signal to Noise, 26dB input sensitivity, 20Hz-20kHz, unweighted >98dB (50x models), >101dB (1.0x models), >103dB (1.5x models)
Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz, +/-0.05dB
Channel Separation -75dB (dB from full output, 1kHz)
Damping Factor (8 Ohm load, <1kHz) >250
Balanced Input Connector (per channel) Euroblock (3.5mm), 1/4" TRS and XLR Combo jack
Input Impedance 10k Ohm
Maximum Input Level +21dBu
Bridge Mode Switch In for bridged mode, Out for stereo
Remote DC Level Control (G, CV, V+ per channel) Euroblock (3.5mm), V+ is fully on, G is fully attenuated
DIP Switch settings (per channel)
Switches 1-2: Input Gain	26dB, 32dB, 38dB, 1.4V
Switch 3: Output Clip Limiter	On, Off
Switch 4: Input High Pass Filter	80Hz 2nd order HPF - On, Off
DIP Switch settings (global)
Switch 5: Front Panel Disable	On, Off
Switch 6: Standby Polarity	High (standby when open), Low (standby when closed)
Standby Contact Closure Euroblock (3.5mm)
Speaker Output Connector Euroblock (7.62mm)
Front Panel Indicators
Power Switch LED (white)	On, Off, Standby (flashing)
Clip/Mute LED (red)	On at 95% max output (0.5dB below max), Mute
Signal LED (green)	On at 25% max output voltage (-12dB)
Current LED (green)	On at >2 Amps to speaker load
Temp LED (yellow)	On when thermal countermeasures are being applied
Bridge LED (green)	Per Channel Pair - On, Off
Protect LED (red)	On for fault condition countermeasures or shut-down, Off
Disable LED (yellow) On when front panel controls are disabled, Off
Attenuators Per channel: front panel, Fully off = Mute
Remote Control Options WR-1, WR-1.1 DC level control
Amplifier Protection In-rush current, over-temperature, output DC, output over-power, AC mains voltage, mains fuses
Cooling Continuously variable temperature controlled fan(s)
Power Requirements (50-60Hz)
Nominal Voltage Input	100-240VAC
Operating Range	70-270VAC
Minimum Power-up	70VAC
Power Supply Type	SMPS with active PFC (Power Factor Correction)
AC Mains Line Cord Connector	Detachable Nema 5-15 for USA (may vary for export)
Environmental 32°F-120°F, (0°C-49°C) noncondensing
Unit Dimensions (all models) 19"W x 3.5"H x 16.1"D (483 x 89 x 409mm)
Unit Weight by Model CA-502: 15lbs (6.81kg), CA-504 17.5lbs (7.95kg), CA-1.02 15.5lbs (7.04kg), CA-1.04 19.5lbs (8.85kg), CA-1.52 16lbs (7.26kg), CA-1.54 20lbs (9.08kg)
Shipping Dimensions (all models) 21.9"W x 5.43"H x 19.3"D (556mm x 13.8mm x 489mm)
Shipping Weight by Model CA-502 18.5lbs (8.4kg), CA-504 21.5lbs (9.76kg), CA-1.02 19.5lbs (8.85kg), CA-1.04 24.0lbs (10.9kg), CA-1.52 20.0lbs (9.08kg), CA-1.54 24lbs (10.9kg)
Safety/Compliance cTUVus, CE, FCC Class B, RoHS

Limited Warranty (USA Only)

Ashly Audio, Inc. warrants this product to be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of FIVE years from the original date of purchase (THREE years for touch-screen displays and motorized faders). Warranty service requires prepaid delivery of the product to the Ashly Audio, Inc. factory service department with proof of purchase. This warranty grants specific legal rights, which may vary by state.

Exclusions

The warranty does not apply to misuse, neglect, unauthorized alterations or repairs, or if the serial number is altered or removed. Ashly Audio, Inc. reserves the right to make design changes without obligation to install them on previously manufactured products. Implied warranties are limited to the duration of this warranty.

Obtaining Warranty Service

For warranty service in the United States, return the product freight prepaid to Ashly Audio, Inc., Attention: Service Department, 847 Holt Road, Webster, NY 14580-9103, with a written statement describing the defect and application. Ashly Audio, Inc. will examine the product and perform necessary service at no cost.

Contact Information:
ASHLY AUDIO, INC.
847 Holt Road
Webster, NY 14580-9103
Phone: (585) 872-0010
Fax: (585) 872-0739
Toll Free: (800) 828-6308
Website: www.ashly.com

Models: CA-502, CA-504, CA-1.02, CA-1.04, CA-1.52, CA-1.54, 2- and 4-Channel Power Amplifier

File Info : application/pdf, 12 Pages, 1.02MB

CA Amplifier Manual CC r2

References

ASHLY AUDIO

Adobe PDF Library 15.0 Adobe InDesign 15.1 (Windows)

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