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KAC-5203
STEREO/BRIDGEABLE POWER AMPLIFIER
7 page 2-11
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
AMPLIFICATEUR DE PUISSANCE STEREO/COMPATIBLE
7 page 12-21
MODE D'EMPLOI
ESTÉREO/AMPLIFICADOR DE POTENCIA CONECTABLE
7 página 22-31
MANUAL DE INSTRUCCIONES
© B64-3531-00/00 (KV/EV)
Take the time to read through this instruction manual.
Familiarity with installation and operation procedures will help you obtain the best
performance from your new power amplifier.
For your records
Record the serial number, found on the back of the unit, in the spaces designated on the
warranty card, and in the space provided below. Refer to the model and serial numbers
whenever you call upon your Kenwood dealer for information or service on the product.
Model KAC-5203 Serial number
US Residence Only
Register Online
Register your Kenwood product at
w w w.Kenwoodusa.com


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2 English
Safety precautions
2WARNING
To prevent injury or fire, take the following
precautions:
· When extending the ignition, battery, or ground
wires, make sure to use automotive-grade wires
or other wires with a 5 mm2 (AWG 10) or more to
prevent wire deterioration and damage to the wire
coating.
· To prevent a short circuit, never put or leave any
metallic objects (such as coins or metal tools) inside
the unit.
· If the unit starts to emit smoke or strange smells,
turn off the power immediately and consult your
Kenwood dealer.
· Do not touch the unit during use because the
surface of the unit becomes hot and may cause
burns if touched.
· Mounting and wiring this product requires skills and
experience. For safety's sake, leave the mounting and
wiring work to professionals.
2CAUTION
To prevent damage to the machine, take the
following precautions:
· Be sure the unit is connected to a 12V DC power
supply with a negative ground connection.
· Do not open the top or bottom covers of the unit.
· Do not install the unit in a spot exposed to direct
sunlight or excessive heat or humidity. Also avoid
places with too much dust or the possibility of water
splashing.
· When replacing a fuse, only use a new one with the
prescribed rating. Using a fuse with the wrong rating
may cause your unit to malfunction.
· To prevent a short circuit when replacing a fuse, first
disconnect the wiring harness.
NOTE
· If you experience problems during installation,
consult your Kenwood dealer.
· If the unit does not seem to be working right,
consult your Kenwood dealer.
FCC WARNING
This equipment may generate or use radio
frequency energy. Changes or modifications to this
equipment may cause harmful interference unless
the modifications are expressly approved in the
instruction manual. The user could lose the authority
to operate this equipment if an unauthorized change
or modification is made.
FCC NOTE
This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment may cause harmful interference to radio
communications, if it is not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
· Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
· Increase the separation between the equipment
and receiver.
· Connect the equipment into an outlet on a
circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
· Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV
technician for help.
Information on Disposal of Old Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (applicable for
EU countries that have adopted separate
waste collection systems)
Products with the symbol (crossed-out
wheeled bin) cannot be disposed as
household waste.
Old electrical and electronic equipment
should be recycled at a facility capable
of handling these items and their waste
byproducts. Contact your local authority
for details in locating a recycle facility
nearest to you. Proper recycling and waste
disposal will help conserve resources whilst
preventing detrimental effects on our
health and the environment.
This Product is not installed by the manufacturer of a
vehicle on the production line, nor by the professional
importer of a vehicle into an EU Member State.


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English
3
Cleaning the unit
If the front panel gets dirty, turn off the power and
wipe the panel with a dry silicon cloth or soft cloth.
2CAUTION
Do not wipe the panel with a hard cloth or a cloth
dampened by volatile solvents such as paint thinner
and alcohol. They can scratch the surface of the panel
and/or cause the indicator letters to peel off.
To prevent battery rise
When the unit is used in the ACC ON position without
turning the engine ON, it depletes the battery. Use it
after starting the engine.
Protection function
There is a Protection function installed in the unit to
protect the unit and speakers from various problems.
When Protection operates, the indicator informs you
of the condition. (Refer to page 5)
Accessories
Part name
External
View
Number of
Items
Self-tapping screws
(ø4 × 16 mm)
4
Terminal cover (Power
terminal)
1
Speaker level input
cable
1
Wiring
· Take the battery wire for this unit directly from the
battery. If it's connected to the vehicle's wiring
harness, it can cause blown fuses etc.
· If a buzzing noise is heard from the speakers when
the engine is running, connect a line noise filter
(optional) to each of the battery wire.
· Do not allow the wire to directly contact the edge of
the iron plate by using Grommets.
· Connect the ground wire to a metal part of the car
chassis that acts as an electrical ground passing
electricity to the battery`s negative
- terminal.
Do not turn the power on if the ground wire is not
connected.
· Be sure to install a protective fuse in the power
cord near the battery. The protective fuse should
be the same capacity as the unit's fuse capacity or
somewhat larger.
· For the power cord and ground, use a vehicle type
(fireproof ) power wring cord with a current capacity
greater than the unit's fuse capacity. (Use a power
wiring cord with a diameter of 5 mm2 (AWG 10) or
greater.)
· When more than one power amplifier are going
to be used, use a power supply wiring wire and
protective fuse of greater current-handling capacity
than the total maximum current drawn by each
amplifier.
Speaker Selection
· The rated input power of the speakers that are
going to be connected should be greater than the
maximum output power (in Watts) of the amplifier.
Use of speakers having input power ratings that
are less than the output power of the amplifier will
cause smoke to be emitted as well as damage.
· The impedance of the speakers that are going
to be connected should be 2 or greater (for
stereo connections), or 4 or greater (for bridged
connections). When more than one set of speakers
are going to be used, calculate the combined
impedance of the speakers and then connect
suitable speakers to the amplifier.
2
8
4
4
4
4
Combined impedance


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4 English
Controls / Indicator
(W)
30
40
20
10
25
1 FILTER switch
This switch allow filtering of the speaker output
signals.
· OFF position:
The original sound without filtering is output.
· LPF (Low Pass Filter) position:
Only frequencies of 80 Hz or lower are output.
(Frequencies above 80 Hz are cut.)
The speaker output is automatically switched to
monaural (L+R).
2 INPUT SENSITIVITY control
Set this control according to the pre-output level
of the center unit connected with this unit, or
to the maximum power output of the genuine-
accessory car stereo.
Use the diagram on the right as a guide.
NOTE
For the pre-output level or the maximum power
output, refer to the <Specifications> in the
instruction manual of the center unit.
3 LINE IN terminal
4 Speaker level input terminals
NOTE
· The genuine-accessory car stereo shall have a
maximum power output of no more than 40 W.
· Do not connect the speaker output leads from
a power amplifier (Optional) to the speaker
level input terminals of this unit, for this may
cause malfunction or damage.
· Do not connect cables and leads to both RCA
cable input jacks and the speaker level input
terminals simultaneously, for this may cause
malfunction or damage.
· Connect the power control lead to a power
supply which can be turned ON/OFF by
the ignition key switch (ACC line). With this
connection, shock noise may be generated
when the power of the genuine-accessory car
stereo is switched ON/OFF.
5 Fuse (25 A)
6 Battery terminal
7 Ground terminal
8 Power control terminal
Controls the unit ON/OFF.
NOTE
Controls the unit power. Be sure to connect it with
all the systems.
9 Speaker output terminals
· Stereo Connections:
When you wish to use the unit as a stereo
amplifier, stereo connections are used.
The speakers to be connected should have an
impedance of 2 or greater. When multiple
speakers are to be connected, ensure that the
combined impedance is 2 or greater for each
channel.
· Bridged Connections:
When you wish to use the unit as a high-
output monaural amplifier, bridged
connections are used. (Make connections to
the LEFT channel
9 and the RIGHT channel ·
SPEAKER OUTPUT terminals.)
The speakers to be connected should have an
impedance of 4 or greater. When multiple
speakers are to be connected, ensure that the
combined impedance is 4 or greater.
2CAUTION
The rated input of the speakers should be no
less than the maximum output of the amplifier.
Otherwise malfunction may result.


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English
5
0 Power indicator
When the power is turned on, the Power indicator
lights.
If the Power indicator does not light when the
power is turned on, the protection function
may be activated. Check whether there is any
indication of trouble.
The protection function is activated in
the following situations:
This unit is equipped with a protection function
for protecting this unit and your speakers from
various accidents or problems that can occur.
When the protection function is triggered, the
Power indicator goes off and the amplifier stops
operating.
· When a speaker wire may be short-circuited.
· When a speaker output contacts ground.
· When the unit malfunctions and a DC signal is
sent to the speaker output.
· When the internal temperature is high and unit
won't operate.
· When a ground wire of the center unit
(cassette receiver, CD receiver, etc.) or this unit
is not connected to a metal part serving as
an electrical ground passing electricity to the
battery's negative
- terminal.
System examples
· 2-channel system:
L
R
L
R
CENTER UNIT
Right speaker
Left speaker
· Subwoofer system:
L
R
L
R
Subwoofer
(Bridged)
CENTER UNIT