Harman-Kardon PA5800 owner manual Connections to Speakers

Installation and Connections

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Cables run inside walls should have the appropriate markings to indicate listing with UL (“CL-2/CL-3”), CSA (“FT-4”) or appropriate safety agency standards that may be required in your area. Questions about running cables inside walls should be referred to your installer or a licensed electrical contractor who is familiar with the NEC and/or the applicable building or electrical codes in your area.

Connections to Speakers

The final step of the installation process is to connect the amplifier to your speak- ers using high-quality cable. A pair of binding posts is provided for each chan- nel output. These posts will accept bare wire or banana-type plugs.

Note that one conductor of the speaker cable will have no markings or an indi- cation of “-” for negative polarity, and the other will have a red line, brand- name markings, a colored thread or some other positive-polarity indication.

The wire with the positive indication should be connected to the red terminals on both the PA5800 and your speakers. The negative wire should be connected to the black terminal on the PA5800 and the speakers.

If bare wire is used for connections, strip approximately 3/4” (20mm) of insula- tion from the end of each wire and care- fully twist the strands of each conductor together. Be careful not to cut the indi- vidual strands or twist them off; for opti- mal performance, all strands must be used.

Next, loosen the knobs of the speaker output terminals far enough so that the cap moves back on its threads past the U-shaped groove at the back end of the

terminal. Making certain that you observe polarity by connecting the nega- tive (-) wire to the black terminal and the positive (+) wire to the red terminal, pass the exposed wire through from the top of the slot until the wire is visible from the bottom end. Holding the wire in place, twist the cap back so that the con- nection is secured. Do not overtighten or use tools, as this may damage the plastic terminal cap or break the delicate wire strands and decrease system perfor- mance.

Important Note: When making speaker wire connections, be certain that none of the strands from one lead touch any other lead. This will cause a short circuit and may damage you amplifier or speakers. Damage from short circuits caused in this manner is not covered by the product warranty.

Connections may also be made using standard 4mm OD banana plugs. Before using a banana-type jack, make certain that the plastic screw caps on the PA5800 are firmly tightened by turning them clockwise until they are snug against the chassis. This will ensure that the maxi- mum surface area of the plug is in con- tact with the jack. Once the wire has been attached to the banana plug following the plug manufacturer’s instructions, simply insert the banana plug into the hole provided on the rear of the colored screw caps on the terminal posts. Be cer- tain to observe proper polarity.

Finally, run the cables to the speaker locations. It is highly recommended that the length of cable connecting any pair of speakers be identical. For example, make certain that the cable length con- necting left and right front or left and right rear (surround) speakers is

identical, even though one speaker may be physically closer to the amplifier than the other. Do not coil any excess cable, as this may become an inductor that creates frequency response variations in your system.

Connect the wires to the speakers, again being certain to observe proper polarity. Remember to connect the negative or black wire to the matching terminal on the speaker. Similarly, the positive or red wire should be connected to the like ter- minal on the speaker.

NOTE: While most speaker manufactur- ers adhere to an industry standard of using black terminals for negative and red ones for positive, some manufactur- ers may not adhere to this configuration. To ensure properly phased connections and optimal performance, consult the identification plate on your speaker ter- minals, or the speaker’s manual to verify polarity. If you do not know the polarity of your speaker, ask your dealer or installer for advice before proceeding, or consult the speaker’s manufacturer.