Zapco HB DSP II-R — Wired Remote Control for HB II Series

Zapco HB DSP II-R — Wired Remote Control for HB II Series

The HB DSP II-R is the wired remote for the Zapco Harmony Blue Note HB 46 II, HB 48 II, HB 410 II and HB 810 II DSP amplifiers. A single knob handles master volume, subwoofer level, preset selection, and source switching.

Four Functions, One Knob

Pressing the knob cycles through the modes; rotating it makes the adjustment:

• VOL — rotate to raise or lower the main volume
• S.VOL — rotate to raise or lower the subwoofer level independently
• PRESET — rotate to move between stored tunes, press to load the one selected
• SOURCE — rotate to move between the available inputs

Holding the knob for three seconds returns it to volume mode from wherever it is, which keeps the control from getting stranded in a submenu while driving.

Why Preset Switching From the Seat Matters

The HB II processors store multiple complete tunes — six, per Zapco's specification — and a stored tune is only useful if it can be recalled without a laptop.

That is what turns presets from a specification into a feature. A tune optimized for the driver's seat and a second one balanced for the whole cabin are genuinely different setups, and so are a quiet-cabin tune and one that holds up at highway speed. Switching between them from the dash means they get used.

Source Selection Without a Head Unit

The HB II amplifiers take several inputs — line level, high level from a factory head unit, digital, and USB playback where fitted. In an installation with no aftermarket head unit, the remote is how the source gets chosen at all.

For USB playback, select SOURCE with the knob, rotate to USB, and press to enter. The supported formats are MP2/4, WMA, APE, FLAC, AAC, M4A, WAV, AIF and AIFC.

System Application

Any HB 46 II, HB 48 II, HB 410 II or HB 810 II installation. It is close to essential in an OEM-integration build where the factory display stays for vehicle functions and the audio system has no other user interface of its own.

Installation Considerations

The remote is 90 × 45 mm. Mount it where the knob can be found and turned without looking — a control that needs a glance to operate defeats the reason for having it.

Leave slack in the cable so the dash or console can be removed later without disconnecting the remote, and connect it to the amplifier's remote control port before final assembly.

Set the presets up before the panels go back on. Deciding what the six tunes should be is easier with the laptop still connected.

Specifications

• Type: wired remote control
• Controls: master volume, subwoofer level, preset selection, source selection
• Mode change: press knob · hold 3 seconds to return to volume
• Tune presets: 6
• Compatible with: Zapco HB 46 II, HB 48 II, HB 410 II, HB 810 II
• Dimensions: 90 × 45 mm

HF Audio Perspective

An integrated DSP amplifier is only as usable as the interface in front of it, and in a factory-integrated build this is the whole interface.

The HB II amplifiers are designed for installations where there is no aftermarket head unit — the factory screen stays, the processing and amplification hide behind it, and the owner never sees the system. That works well right up until something needs changing. Without a remote, adjusting subwoofer level or moving between tunes means a laptop and access to the amplifier.

With one, the presets that were carefully built during the install actually get used instead of sitting unread in the processor's memory. On these amplifiers we would treat the remote as part of the system rather than as an option.