Soundstream Technologies 300SX Stereo Amplifier User Manual
Contents
1. The switch is Brae labeled on the amplifier s main circuit board DO NOT set the A 8BASSTY i Signal to Noise gt 100 dB switch to the IN position unlessthe A ABASS module has been added DO NOT move the A RBASS switch while the amplifier is ON Doing so may i Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0 5 dB damage your speakers Please refer to the A RBASS owner s installation manual for more details Stereo Separation gt 90 dB i Damping gt 200 TROUBLESHOOTING Input Sensitivity 200 mV 5 0 V PROBLEM CAUSE i Input Impedance 12K ohms No sound and LEDs are not lit no power or ground at amp Crossover Specifications no remote turn on signal blow fils hear battery High Pass 12 dB octave factory set at 150 Hz Low Pass 12 dB octave factory set at 75 Hz No sound and LEDs are lit and AIRBASS is not installed AIRBASS switch is engaged k s Dimensions W x D x H REFERENCE300sx 8 625 x 9 8 x 2 25 Fault LED is lit Amp has power but the Power LED is not lit amp power supply fuse is blown or missing Repeatedly blown amp fuse frequent check speaker configuration amp activation of Smart Power Supply may be in High Power mode put LT 0 Circuit amp into High Current mode if speaker load is less than 2 ohms SERVICE see p 10 Setting High Power High Your Soundstream REFERENCE amplifier is protected by a limited warranty current Switch Plea2. Power Supply 4 ohm power ratings are measured at 12 volts meaning substantially greater output in the real world when the vehicle is funning where voltages range from 13 2 to 14 4 volts Fault Monitor LED on the top panel notifies you of blown power supply fuses 1 2 ohm Drive Ability The REFERENCE amplifiers are designed to drive virtually any load all the way down to 1 2 ohm stereo 1 ohm mono Dual Discrete Class A Drive Stages Over six times the drive current of most amps which maintains performance into low impedance loads Drive Delay Muted Turn on off Circuit A unique circuit which completely eliminates any amplifier related tum on off noises Flexible Input Sensitivity accepts voltages from 200 mV to 5 0 V permitting maximum output from the amplifier with virtually any source Differential Balanced input Design for added immunity to noise caused by component and vehicle electrical system interaction when using unbalanced RCA inputs e e e Reference300sx Kev to Caliouts 1 Fault LED Indicates a blown fuse 2 High Power LED Indicates amplifier power on in High Power mode 3 High Current LED Indicates amplifier power on in High Current mode 4 12V Connect to a fuse or circuit breaker then to the batfery s positive post 5 GND Main ground connection Bolt to a clean chassis ground in the vehicle 6 REM Remote turn on input from the head unit Accepts 12V 7 Speaker Ou
3. the audio signal and remote turn on cables to the amplifier from the source unit b Carefully run the positive cable from the amplifier to a fuse or circuit breaker within 19 of the battery c Connect the fuse or circuit breaker to the battery Leave the circuit breaker off or the fuse out until everything is bolted down d Secure the ground cable to a solid chassis ground on the vehicle It may be necessary to sand paint down to raw metal for a good connection e Double check each and every connection f Reconnect the fuse or circuit breaker 5 POWER UP Power up the system and look at the green and red LEDs depending on the configuration one should be lit There may be a 2 3 second delay from the time the the source unit is turned on to the time that the LED On the amp turns on which is normal Once the amplifier power LED is on and the source unit is playing you should have sound coming from the speakers to charge the power supply capacitors and is completely normal 14 NOTE There may be a sizable spark when connecting the Power and ground lead to the amplifier for the first lime This is caused by current rushing info the amplifier INSTALLATION STEP 5 LEVEL SETTING The input levels are adjusted by means of the input level controls located on the front of the amplifier This is a unique dual stage circuit that adjusts both level and gain This topology maintains better Signal to Noise ratios even when using s
4. PASSIVE CROSSOVER CHART 12 dB octave high pass 12 dB octave low pas 100 Hz 130 Hz 200 Hz 260 Hz 400 Hz 600 Hz 800 Hz 1000 Hz 1200 Hz 1800 Hz 4000 Hz KEY Li high quality DCR lt 1 ohm inductor coil Cl non polarized 50 v or greater capacitor 22mH 18 mH 15 mH 9 1mH 6 6 mH 4 7 mH 3 0 mH 2 0mH 1 6 mK 1 5 mH 1 0 mH 8 47 mH 150 pF 100 pF 75 pF 50 uF 33 uF 26 uF 15 pF 13 pF 1t pF 6 8 pF 3 3 pF CROSSOVER ADJUSTMENTS In most car audio installations there is a tendency for a midbass boom Because of their interior dimensions most cars will resonate or ring at these midbass frequencies If we design the system so there is less musical information in this region the fin response is very smooth and natural sounding The REFERENCE300sx incorporates a staggered electronic crossover The high and low pass portions of the crossover can be set independent of one another High Pass Below is a chart of S I P values which can be used for changing the factory preset crossover points for the REFERENCE300sx Cc 12 dB octave low pass 12 dB octave high pass FREQUENCY RESISTOR VALUE COLOR CODE 53 Hz Green Green 73 Hz Green White 89 Hz 107 Hz Violet Green 145 Hz Violet White 195 Hz 82KO 286 Hz 5 6K 2 465 Hz 3 3 K 2 800 Hz 2 0 K 82 NOTE The following formula may be used to determine values in creating custom resistor packs The freq
5. REFERENCE 300sx Power mplifier OWNERS MANUAL AND INSTALLATION GUIDE Seo eee S UNDSTREAM T E C H N O L CONGRATULATIONS You now own the REFERENCE Amplifier the product of an uncompromising design and engineering philosophy Your Soundstream REFERENCE amplifier will outperform any other amplifier in the world To madmize the performance of your system we recommend that you thoroughly acquaint yourself with its capabilities and features Please retain this manual and your sales and installation receipts for future reference Soundstream amplifiers are the result of American craftsmanship and the highest quality control standards and when propery installed will provide you with many years of listening pleasure Should your amplifier ever need service or replacement due to theft please record the following information which will help protect your investment Model and Serial Dealers Name Date of Purchase Installation Shop Installation Date i 0000 DESIGN FEATURES Uncompromising Design and Construction including mil spec glass epoxy circuit boards and high current custom gold plated solid brass connections that will accept up to 4 gauge power ground wire High Power High Current Capability Soundstream s exclusive circuit which permits customization of your amplifier to its particular application high current low impedance loads multiple subwoofers less than 2 ohms mono or High P
6. aker wire or in the speaker itself Rectify the problem before blowing multiple fuses 10 INSTALLATION STEP 2 e COHERENT STEREO MIXED MONO BRIDGED MONO The REFERENCE amplifiers have the ability to operate in any one of the following modes Coherent Stereo with identical lett and right stereo channels for maximum fidelity Best choice for satellite speakers Use this mode unless Mixed Mono is necessary Mixed Mono in order to drive stereo and mona simultaneously works well for center channels It can be used anytime you need a summed mono channel Somewhat sacrifices sonic accuracy as additional circuitry is introduced to one channel In Mixed Mono the left channel Is inverted see diagram below or on the bottom of the amplifier Bridged Mono for dedicated single channel operation ideal far driving subwoofers It is also used when large amounts of power are necessary for single speakers In bridged mono only the right channel Input is active 2 O S st Re COHERENT STEREO BRIDGED MONO e L R hL R REFERENCE amp in Mono but have stereo outputs from your crossover or source uni you can put the switch in Mixed Mono but follow the normal wiring for Bridged Mono NOTE f you intend to drive a 11 INSTALLATION STEP 3 be WIRING POWER AND GROUND To ensure maximum output from your REFERENCE amplifier use high quality low loss power and ground cables The REFERENCE amplifiers will a
7. aver higher impedance loads 2 ohms mono and up Coherent Stereo Mixed Mono selection for either pure stereo operation or mixed mono for simultaneous stereo and mono te et mi e ae a Chassisink Darlington Power Array Soundstream s overbuilding of the output section incorporates multiple output transistors instead of a few for faster stronger power delivery The transistors are sandwiched between the circuit board and theheatsink in a design called Chassisink to ensure cool efficient amplifier operation PowerGrid Power Supply Design Ali power supply components are located near one another connected by thick wide PCB traces which ensures rapid high current delivery The entire power supply is isolated on one side of the circuit board while the audio stage is located opposite if guaranteeing minimal noise Ultra Low ESR Capacitance Bank Multiple small input power capacitors are used to provide a lower ESR Equivalent Series Resistance which means more power in and out faster Smart Thermal Rollback Most amplifiers shut off when they get too hot In the unlikely event the REFERENCE300sx amplifier reaches 85 C it will gradually roil back its average power without affecting the dynamics Once the amplifier has cooled off it returns to full power output If overheating should continue a second thermal sensing protection circuit will shut off the amplifier if the heatsink reaches 95 C Unregulated
8. ccept up to 4 gauge or 8 gauge power and ground cables Determine from the chart below the minimum gauge power and ground wire for your application up to 10 REFERENCE300sx Soundstream Power40 or Soundstraam Power40 Power80 4 ga 4 or 8 ga CIRCUIT BREAKERS FUSES EXTERNAL Like all audio components the REFERENCE amplifiers must be fused near the battery A fuse or circuit breaker must be located within 18 of the battery This will prevent a fire in the event of a shorted cable See the chart below to determine the correct fuse value INTERNAL The REFERENCE amplifiers are fused with automotive type fuses In the event of blown power supply fuses the Fault indicator an the top panel will light The fuses are accessible via a plastic plug on the bottom of the amplifier See the chart below to determine the fuse value Never replace the fuses with a higher value than what Is supplied This may result In amplitier damage and will void the warranty REFERENCE Amplifier Fuse Values Amplifler Amplifier Fuse Battery Fuse REFERENCE300sx 30 amp automotive 50 amp 12 eo 0 0 0 0 REMOTE TURN ON Connect the Remote to the turn on lead from the source unit When 12 volts is received the amplifier will tum on SIGNAL CABLE Use a high quality cable that wili be easy to install and has minimal signal loss to guarantee optimum performance Soundstream s DL I and SL 1 are ideal SPEAKER CABLE The REFERENCE amplif
9. iers will accept up to 8 gauge speaker cable Use a high quality flexible multi strand cable for best pertormance and longevity Soundstream Speaker120 amp 160 12 and 16 gauge are ideal WIRING DIAGRAM i GNO REM 13 INSTALLATION STEP 4 m INSTALLATION AND MOUNTING 1 AMPLIFIER LOCATION The REFERENCE amplifiers employ highly efficient circuitry and a unique Chassisink design to maintain lower operating temperatures Additional cooling may be required if the amplifier is located in a tightly confined area or when driving especially low impedance loads at extremely high levels When mounting the amplifier it should be securely mounted to either a panel in the vehicle or an amp board or rack that is securely mounted to the vehicle The mounting location should be either in the passenger compartment or in the trunk of the vehicle away from moisture stray or moving objects and major electrical components To provide adequate ventilation mount the amplifier so that there are at least two inches of freely circulating air above and to the sides of it 2 SWITCHES Set High Power High Current and Coherent Stereo Mixed Mono Bridged Mono switches to the appropriate positions see page 11 3 MOUNTING THE AMPLIFIER a Using the amplifier as a template mark the mounting surface b Remove the amplifier and drill the holes c Mount the amplifier to the surface using the provided hardware 4 WIRING a Run and connect
10. of the additional voltage available when the vehicle is running The two major advantages of the unregulated power supply are e awesome dynamic power capabilities added continuous power with higher voltages see chart below Because of the dynamic properties of most music all audiocomponents should be able to react accordingly Thanks to their unregulated power supplies the REFERENCE amplifiers can comfortably exceed their rated power for dynamic portions of the music 4 Ohm Stereo Watts 4 ohm Power 80 watts x 2 14 4 volts 50 watts x 2 12volts PASSIVE AND ELECTRONIC CR VER Your REFERENCE amplifier is unique in its ability to switch between Coherent Stereo Bridged Mono and Mixed Mono output mode The REFERENCE amplifiers are capable of driving a complete subwoofer and satellite system in the Mixed Mono configuration However for lowest distortion maximum output and best sound quality we recommend that you use an electronic crossover and multiple channels of amplification If a single REFERENCE amplifier is to drive a subwoofer and satellite system passive high and low pass crossovers will be necessary Use the charts on pages 7 and 8 to determine the values of the crossover components 6 dB OCTA VE PASSIVE CROSSOVER CHART 6 dB octave high pass 6 dB octave low KEY L high quality DCR lt 1 ohm inductor coil C non polarized 50 v or greater capacitor 12 dB OCTAVE
11. ources with minimal output In the ideal situation all components in the audio system reach maximum undistorted output at the same time The reason is because an amplifier will only make what comes into it bigger So if you send it a distorted signal from the head unit the amplifier is going to amplify distorted information The same thing holds true if an outboard processor or crossover begins to distort before you have maximum output from the amplifier By setting all components to reach clipping at the same time you can maximize the output of your system For the REFERENCE amplifiers follow the below procedure for the quickest easiest means of setting the levels 1 Turn the amp s input levels to minimum position fully counter clockwise 2 Set source unit volume to approximately 3 4 of full volume 3 While playing dynamic source material slowly increase the amplifier s input level until a near maximum undistorted level is heard in the system CAUTION Prolonged listening at high levels may result in hearing loss Even though your new Soundstream REFERENCE amplifier sounds better than anything you ve ever heard exercise caution to prevent hearing damage PROTECTION CIRCUITRY four REFERENCE amplifier is protected against both overheating and short circuits by means of the following circuits e Main power supply fuses Circuit breakers e Smart Power Supply Thermal Rollback activating at 85 C e A fail safe thermal p
12. rotection circuit activating at 95 C Your amplifier also incorporates an innovative Fault Diagnosis system that identifies a blown power supply fuse NOTE If you experience blown main power supply fuses DO NOT increase values beyond the original fuse value Doing so will void your warranty and may damage your amplifier 15 AIRBASS ACCESSORY OPTION SPECIFICATIONS Soundstream s new A RBASS feature can be added to the REFERENCE300sx amplifier This feature allows wireless RF remote control level adjustment of the amplifier while the low pass filler on the amplifiers POWER 42 Stereo 2 O Stereo 10 Stereo 1 2 4 Stereo internal crossover is engaged 80 Bridged 4QBridged 20Bridged 112 Bridged NOTE The A ABASS accessory is intended to be used only whis the REFERENCE300sx REFERENCE300sx amplifier is driving subwoofers When the AIABASS i High Power 50x2 100x2 150x2 n a accessory is added to a REFERENCE300sx amplifier it automaticaly Watts 100 x 1 200 x 1 300 x 1 configures the amplifier into Bridged Mono mode The Coherent Stereo Mixed Mono Bridged Mono switch is bypassed Therefore when using AIRBASS i High Current E sm e ge 100x2 150x2 follow the Bridged Mono input and output wiring instructions See page 11 watts 50 x 1 100 x 1 150 x 1 300x 1 i n Installing AIRBASS involves removing the bottom plate of the amplifier THD lt 0 1 adding the A RBASS circuit board and flipping a switch
13. se read the enclosed warranty card speaker or leads may be shorted verify adequate amplifier ventilation 16 17 0 EEE UIE Se pore SERIES AND PARALLEL WIRING 7 Amplifier ES ee 2 4 ohm drivers in parallel 2 ohms 4 4 ohm drivers in parallel z1 ohm 2 4 ohm drivers in series z 8ohms
14. tput Connections Left and right channels FRONT VEIW 8 Input Level independent Left and Right channel input level controls za O O N 9 Inputs Right and left channel RCA Differential Balanced inputs only right channel input is used in Mono mode 10 11 IO Main Fuse Main power supply fuse Replace only withthe same mangue TT cenam ES ea 49 value fuse o mavom rama AMPLIFIER CROBBOMER 11 Crossover S I P s Crossover frequency settings for the amplifier IONNAS ae stelja kovati See page 9 for more details L_ 13 na de co ee 12 Amplifier Crossover Select high pass low pass or full range amplifier operation 13 Mixed Mono Stereo Bridge Select Bridge for bridged mono operation use right channel input Select Stereo for coherent stereo operation Select Mixed Mono for simultaneous stereo bridged mono operation 14 High Power High Current Switch Use HIGH CURRENT for loads at or below 1ohm stereo 2 ohms mono CAUTION DO NOT SWITCH WHEN AMPLIFIER IS TURNED ON Wee HAH CURRIA fox inact of of baing 1 ohm dero I obore mori HaH row ED mor concent CANO CD NOP RICA MIM AMPUPTER FUMED ON sa 0 0 BOTTOM VIEW PARTIAL REFERENCE POWER SUPPLY DESIGN The REFERENCE amplifiers employ an extremely efficient unregulated pulse width modulated powersypply REFERENCE amplifiers from Soundstream are rated at 12 volts but are designed to take advantage
15. uency is equal te 1 600 000 divided by the individual resistor value or 1 600 000 R ohms XHz To make a custom S P use 4 identically valued resistors of 2 or tighter tolerance See the drawing of the S P for more information Example 1 600 000 22 000 73 Hz ki Cria D Sa hand eas INSTALLATION STEP 1 SETTING THE HIGH PO WER HIGH CURRENTS WITCH The High Power High Current switch allows the REFERENCE amplifier to be one of two types of amps either producing maximum power at higher impedances perfect for satellites or at lower impedances usually with mukiple subwoofers The circuit operates by selecting a sat of power supply voltage rails best suited to your particular application One is a higher voltage tap optimized for high impedance applications while the other is lower voltage designed to provide more current Unlike other amplifiers Soundstream s REFERENCE amplitiers can be configured to drive virtually any impedance and make maximum power 40 Stereo 20 Stereo 12 Stereo 1 2 Q Stereo PO WER 8 O Bridged 4 2Bridged 20 Bridged 1 Bridged REFERENCE300sx High Power 50x2 100x2 150x2 n a Watts 100x1 200x1 300 X 1 High Current 25x2 50x2 100x2 150x2 Watts 50x1 100x1 150x1 300 x 1 OTHER COMMENTS If you blow fuses with the REFERENCE amplifiers switch to the High Currant mode If the problem persists it is likely that the amplifier is seeing a dead short either in the spe
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