Owner's Manual

Parasound ZoneMaster 4 Owner’s Manual Page 8
Audio Output Connections
The Bus Loop Out Jacks
These jacks enable the audio source connected to the Bus Input jacks to pass along or “daisy chain” to an
additional amplifier. The volume level and signal voltage at the Loop Out jacks is the same as the volume
level and signal voltage of the sources that are connected to their corresponding Bus Input jacks. Audio
from the Speaker Level Input connector is converted to line level and simultaneously routed to the Bus RCA
Loop Out jacks to drive additional amplifiers.
Connecting Speaker Wires
Detach the green speaker output connecting blocks by pulling them away from the ZoneMaster 4 rear
panel. This makes attaching speaker wires far more convenient. Removing them might require a bit of
effort because the connecting blocks are seated very securely. Connect the connecting block’s + and –
terminals to the corresponding + and – speaker wires. Never combine the – of two channels together.
Note: The minimum speaker load impedance is 2 ohms. When driving low impedance
loads ensure that the ZoneMaster 4 has adequate ventilation and is not installed in a
cabinet that is totally enclosed.
Note: The speaker connector blocks accept bare wires as large as AWG12. The ends of
the wires should be twisted tightly and/or lightly tinned with solder to prevent stray wire
strands from short circuiting the amplifier.
Speaker A and B Outputs
The ZoneMaster 4 is equipped with connections for two speakers on each channel (labeled A and B). This
unique feature gives system designers greater flexibility and can usually avoid the added expense,
complexity, heat and power consumption of additional amplifiers. The ability of the ZoneMaster 4 to drive
two pair of speakers is credited to Parasound’s 2 ohm stable high current design.
Typical applications for using both Speaker A and B outputs might include a large living room with four
ceiling speakers. Another use for the B speakers could be in a subzone like a bathroom or hallway adjacent
to the room where the A speakers are installed. This adjacent subzone might also use a passive in-wall
volume control to adjust its listening level separately.
Speaker A and B Impedance: When you select the Stereo Mode the R and L channels are each capable
of driving speaker loads as low as 2 ohms. An example of a 2 ohm load is one 4 ohm speaker connected to
a channel’s speaker output A while another 4 ohm speaker is connected to the same channel’s speaker
output B. When driving 2 ohm loads ensure the amplifier has adequate ventilation.
CONNECTION WARNING:
Never combine the Speaker L & R channel negative (−) outputs together.
Combining the negatives of any two channels could seriously damage the amplifier. Speakers cannot be
wired where the L and R channel speakers share a single negative (−) wire. Some speaker selectors
combine the negative connections and are not compatible with the ZoneMaster 4.