Soundstream Technologies 255 Stereo Amplifier User Manual
Contents
1. Installations MITIBG uisi d cv eb e he ede Instal lation Mounting eseeeeeessse Instal lation Level Setting and Front Spoiler Sample System Diagrams ssssseeeene Protection Circuitry Service and Troubleshooting SPCCIICATONS ics acsoon ret eua ut Pe bate etae bittet DESIGN FEATURES RUBI Rapid Use Branched mpulse This new proprietary power supply topology eliminates power sags during low frequency repro duction by rapidly increasing the duty cycle stabilizing the power sup ply and allowing it to deliver the power required when reproducing low frequencies Also greater reserve gate power is stored for low volt age situations that occur during extreme conditions STACT STabilized Apex Current Topology Reduces power sup ply stress by 5096 Typical designs degrade the stereo image due to phase reversal of even order harmonic distortion that occurs between the inverted channels In the STACT design inversion is done at the power amplifier drive stage Since the fully symmetrical power ampli fier produces no even harmonic distortion itself and all preamplifier circuitry is run completely in phase no even harmonic distortion phase reversal occurs Trident Protection Topology provides three types of protection 1 Output protection against short circuits or improper loads 2 Ground fault detection Shuts down the amplifier when a significa2. L R L R S 9 S 6 9 85220 5 02 L SUB CHANNEL FRONT VIEW RUBICON 2 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER FOR REAR FILL PLE SYSTEM 5 VLY 4 channels of input with 2 channels line out 2 way mode 5 channel operation with satellite to subwoofer fading 4 channels 2 way high pass rear de emphasis engaged subwoofer channel in low pass Va Rr UR Moni es COAL GA K 45 2 WAY REN CHE Lx 2 12 WAY 3t REMOTE CI amp 2222 WAY BOTOM VIEW A CHANNELS 3 4 sus Q X OVER SUB MONO INPUTS X OVER LEVEL INPUT X OVER BOOST LP LEVE 1 2 HP vou uH RIGHT je you LEFT RIGHT HAWIQNS Hr 68 8 6 QS O 0 2 im E E gend puis 1 x t VIN Y V FRONT VIEW HE eae ER LES RADIO D 3 D ia zd RUBICON 2 CHANNEL H gn Fass Low Poss AM PLIF IER 50 500 H2 55 220 Hz 2aB Oct z4AgB Oct wlizw Pass 8 7 H2 63d6j0ct SAMPLE SYSTEM 6 555 ONLY 4 channels of input ved 2 channels line Oul 3 way mode 2 channels high pass tweeter 2 channels Bem midrange subwoofer channel in low pass CR as AWA MOI bi 2 i A 1 amp 2113NA L roe O IN _ Le O E E m CH 4 SUB U8 HAA NONS OU IN LOW HIGH Os N OUT N OUl iN SUB CHANNEL M E MB 3 WAY H R RIAR HR Va Q o INPUT X OVER X OVERRANGE X OVIR DIEMPHASIS X OVER SELECT CH 28A cH CH 3 4 CH 3 4 E P TOP VIEW D D vA uf CHANNELS 1 2 CHANNELS 3 4 SUB Q X OVER SU
3. SPECIFICATIONS Channels amp 2 3 amp 4 4 Q Stereo 2 Q Stereo MODEL 8 Bridged 4 Q Bridged 12 5 Vdc 14 4 Vdc Des Los 225Wx4 45W x4 E CH NOL 45W x2 90W x 2 355 25W x4 5ow x4 50W x 2 100W x 2 40W x4 80W x4 252 80W x 2 160W x2 Subwoofer Channel 4Q 20 255 50W x 1 100W x 1 355 75W x 1 50Wx1 C on e RUBICON THD lt 0 1 Signal to Noise gt 100 dB Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20kHz 0 5 dB 2 5 5 3 5 5 5 5 5 Stereo Separation gt 90 dB Damping gt 200 Input Sensitivity 200 mV to 5 0 Volts Input Impedance 1Ok Ohms D a a a e Crossover Specifications ms Low Pass 55 Hz 220 Hz at 24 dB Octave 12dB on 255 p e A Y f a S High Pass 50 Hz 500 Hz at 12 dB Octave OW D r Removable SIP 150 Hz on 255 Band Pass 555 50 Hz 500 Hz at 12 dB Octave Mid Bass 50 Hz 4 kHz at 12 dB Octave Mid Hawkins Bass Control i 0 to 9 dB Boost 555 6 dB 255 355 Boost Frequency 45 Hz Owner S M an ual Hawkins Bass Control IN Sub Sonic filter frequency 13 Hz and Dimensions W x D x H RUBICONS55 15 0 X 9 8 X 2 25 381 mm X 250mm X 57mm a sta latio a G U ide RUBICON355 13 0 X 9 8 X 2 25 330mm X 250mm X 57mm RUBICON255 11 0 X 9 8 X 2 25 280mm X 250mm X 57mm WWW SOUNDSTREAM COM Folsom California 95630 USA ph 916 351 1288 fax 916 351 0414 rev A 12 29 98 Congratulations You now own a Soundstream RUBICON amp
4. Right and left channel RCA inputs for channels 3 amp 4 Input Level Channels 3 amp 4 input level control High Pass Filter Control Adjustment Channels 3 amp 4 crossover fre quency control for the internal high pass filter Inputs Right and left channel RCA inputs for channels 1 amp 2 Input Level Channels 1 amp 2 input level control High Pass Filter Control Adjustment Channels 1 amp 2 crossover fre quency control for the internal high pass filter Inputs Right and left channel RCA inputs for the subwoofer channel Input Level Subwoofer channels input level control Low Pass Filter Control Adjustment Subwoofer Channel crossover frequency control for the internal low pass filter Hawkins Bass Control Boost Adjustment Varies from 0 to 9 dB of boost when the Hawkins Bass Control is engaged Speaker Connection Terminal Speaker connections for Subwoofer Channel Speaker Connection Terminal Speaker connections for Ch s 3 amp 4 Speaker Connection Terminal Speaker connections for Ch s 1 amp 2 REMOTE Remote turn on input from the head unit Accepts 12V GND Main ground connection Bolt to a clean chassis point in the ve hicle 12V Connected to a fuse or circuit breaker then to the battery s posi tive terminal Main Fuse Main power supply fuses Channels 3 amp 4 Input Select Selectable inputs from LOCAL CH 3 amp 4 local RCA inputs or REMOTE CH 1 amp 2 Amp Mode Switch Channels 1 4 Select 3CH
5. 9 Ell s v Nu i E d l dew D O E T i 85 z 4 z EN E 7 re a MA d e 4p i o IE S 5 8 8j b 2 Ons 3 i epi ON E 5 i o j 7 10 line out jacks ull 22 n c a 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 KEY TO CALLOUTS Power LED Indicates amplifier power Subwoofer Channel Input Select Selectable inputs from internal CH 1 4 or external SUB local RCA inputs Subsonic Hawkins Bass Control Switch variable Select SUB SONIC to engage the Sub Sonic filter at 13 Hz Select HAWKINS BASS CONTROL to engage the subwoofer channel s high pass filter 45 Hz with variable Q for optimum bass Low Pass XOVER Switch Subwoofer Channel Select IN for use with the internal crossover or OUT for use with external crossover Mid Bass Midrange Select Selectable mid bass LOW or midrange frequency control HIGH in 3 way operation High Pass XOVER Switch Channels 1 amp 2 Select IN for use with the internal crossover or OUT for use with external crossover Rear Fill De emphasis Switch Channels 3 amp 4 Select IN to activate 6 dB Octave filter 7 kHz High Pass XOVER Switch Channels 3 amp 4 Select IN for use with the internal crossover or OUT for use with external crossover Inputs
6. from the chart below the minimum and maximum gauge power and ground wire for your applica tion up to 10 up to 20 RUBICON255 8 or 10 gauge 8 gauge only RUBICON355 8 or 10 gauge 8 gauge only RUBICON555 4 or8 gauge 4 gauge only CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND FUSES EXTERNAL Like all audio components the RUBICON amplifier must be fused near the battery Af r circuit breaker m 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 RUBICONZ255 355 amp 555 amplifier are fused with automotive type fuses In the event of blown power supply fuses replace with the correct value fuse found in the chart below Never replace the fuse with a higher value than what is sup plied This may result in amplifier damage and will void the warranty RUBICON255 355 amp 555 Amplifier Fuse Values MEE Amplifier Fuse Battery Fuse Circuit Breaker RUBICON255 30 amp automotive 40 amp RUBICON355 2 20 amp automotive RUBICON555 2 30 amp automotive REMOTE TURN ON Connect the Remote line to the turn on lead from the source unit When 12 Volts is received the amplifier will turn on SIGNAL CABLE Use a high quality cable that will be easy to install and has minimal signal loss to guarantee optimum performance SPEAKER CABLE The RUBICON amplifiers will accept up to 8 gauge speaker cable Use a high q
7. on the peepee bottom of the amplifier are blown SERVICE Your Soundstream RUBICON amplifier is protected by a limited warranty Please read and send in the enclosed warranty card 26 2
8. to full counter clock wise 0 position 2 Set the bass control switch to HAWKINS BASS CONTROL 3 Play moderate to loud bass material 10 Frequancy Hz 50 100 230 4 Adjust the boost Q control until you FIG 3 Limited Excursion reach the desired level With Soundstream s Hawkins Bass Control the boost and frequency control can provide the tailoring needed for any type of assisted design and any woofer in any type of installation 14 70 recuency HZ 50 100 200 INSTALLATION STEP 1 SELECTING THE SPEAKER OUTPUT MODE Channels 1 through 4 of the RUBICON255 355 amp 555 amplifiers have the ability to operate in any one of the following modes 5CH Stereo Mixed Mono Use this mode for 5 channel stereo operation all channels or for Mixed Mono operation 3CH Bridged Mono Use this mode to bridge channels 1 amp 2 and 3 amp 4 outputs for 3 channel operation Please follow the wiring schemes below for the correct operation 3CH Bee ae VS z 5CH s N BRIDGED MONO STEREO mut om m mcd eso d uat E e e A a N dra UU I Boii i ii S 5CH N e MIXED MONO L R 15 INSTALLATION STEP 2 WIRING POWER AND GROUND To ensure maximum output from your RUBICON amplifier use high quality low loss power and ground cables and connections The RUBICON amplifiers will accept up to 4 or 8 gauge power and ground cables Determine
9. 55 4 channels of input 3 channel operation with satellite to subwoofer fading 4 channels of 2 way high pass rear de emphasis engaged on 555 2 channels of bridged 2 way high pass subwooferchannel in low pass subwoofer channel in low pass RUBICON255 O rows m o i EJ SB HAwons CH3R4 CH 4 CH384 CH A2 5CH gt 3CH MSS SUB CHANNEL CHANNELS 2 4 AMP MODE RUBICON255 o m m i O c NITE l SUP _ HAIMONE m c E M ug SOUND REAN SONIC BASS SUB CHANNEL CHANNELS 3 4 AMP MODI TOP VIEW SOUND AM mavr seun TOP VEW CC X OVER SUB LEVEL INPUT LEVEL wu S LEVEL vot um RIGHI YOU LEFT ie 12V REMOTE GND T E T O i UTPUTS R SUB LEVEL INPUT LEVEL INPUT ee esc S S amp 8 96 ANNON P 5 icd tow tas LEVEL vou LEFT RIGHT VOU LE RIGH E c6 MCN DR A E EPA E E eater E i T dd 0 unison SS ay Se STs eG em exero ae eae T dct ee es A aan aac ame easy ami S S e 9 9 S Q FRONT VIEW o ee TIE i L bonn ae E gu a ab S aa E CRANA S pe r SHANNELS 3 9 RADIO FRONT VIEW EN moron ee m SR m B EN E Zu MC DN RADIO ours s 384 1 4 SBd 182 BCH SCH A M R j sua CH3 4 AMP RUBIC ON355 S OVER Domo MOE CHANNELS 1 2 CHANNHS 3 4 SUB SUB X OVER LEVEL QM XOVER LEVEL UD D REM Le R ute wd s IU LEVEL LF neo vou Me vor un S 8 8 90 SE amp L sus L CHANNELS 1 2 L CHANNE
10. B MONO INPUTS X OVER LEVEL INPUT X OVER LEVEL INPUTALINE OUT m BOOST ue LEVEL 1 2 an VOU iEFT RGHI sd vor ur RIGHT L Re L Re CD ev ee S I 220 8 amp DOS sca S DOS amp amp 8 Mida WES m mm nr mme imo ad L ow m meme I RAPIO RUBICON 2 CHANNEL High Fass Band oss Low Pass AM PLIFIER 500 5 KH 50 5 kHz 55 220 Hz Se 12dB Oct 1238 02 2498 0 z 24 4 channels of input with 2 channels line out 3 way mode Lm 5 channel operation with satellite to subwoofer fading 2channels high pass mid tweet 2 channels bandpass midbass subwoofer channel in low LUCALI M 47 LWAY REMOTE 1 amp 2 2 WAY MODE ECH NE i EMOTE lt yh ae WAY SCH REMCIE 1 amp 22 3 WAY TOP VIEW x 7 CHANNELS 1 2 CHANNELS 3 4 t R R 1 Y al a eee oe f Jj d FRONT VIEW L MS E Gomme SUB i go Cis ali m 2 RN RADIO RUBICON 2 CHANNEL AMPLIFIER High Fass Band z55 Low Fass 0 500 z doe ggg S220 M 1238 0cz T238 0c 243B O 6t 25 TRIDENT PROTECTION CIRCUITRY SAMPLE SYSTEM 8 555 ONLY o chanel BU Your RUBICON255 355 amp 555 amplifiers are protected against both overheating ee ee and short circuits by means of main power fuses and the following circuits 5 channel operation with front rear satellite fading amp subwoofer control e eeepc 4 channels high pass 2 way rear de emphasis engaged PRANE laced teh subwoofer
11. FAV CHANNELS 3 4 CHANNELS 1 2 12V GND REM L e insere aedis YOJO VOLT 1 0 50 300 5 0 2 H P H2 4 i 10 e 3 i Py 2 Te i O TET REC KEY TO CALLOUTS Power LED Indicates amplifier power Subsonic Hawkins Bass Control Switch Select SUB SONIC to engage the Sub Sonic filter at 13 Hz Select HAWKINS BASS CONTROL to engage the subwoofer channel s high pass filter 45 Hz with 6 dB boost for optimum bass High Pass XOVER Switch Channels 1 amp 2 Select IN for use with the internal crossover or OUT for use with external crossover High Pass XOVER Switch Channels 3 amp 4 Select IN for use with the internal crossover or OUT for use with external crossover Subwoofer Channel Input Select Selectable inputs CH 1 4 for non fading bass control CH 3 amp 4 for rear fading bass control Channels 3 amp 4 Input Select Selectable inputs from internal CH 1 amp 2 or external CH 3 amp 4 local RCA inputs Amp Mode Switch Channels 1 4 Select 3CH for bridged mono output in 3 channel operation use channels 1 amp 2 Select SCH for stereo output in 5 channel operation Inputs Right and left channel RCA inputs for channels 3 amp 4 Input Level Channels 3 amp 4 input level control High Pass Filter Control Adjustment Channels 3 amp 4 crossover fre quency control for the internal high pass filter Inputs Right and left c
12. LS 3 ES RUBICON355 FRONT VIEW EET TA p a CHANNELS 1 2 CHANNELS 3 4 oo OCON S amp LOOSS NT 99550 L UB CHANNEL Sa if js te an oe ae a E a eg pn ee ee E FRONI VIEW om EG e AS RADIO LEVEL INPUT X OVER LEVEL INPUT BICON 12V GND REM L R L Re Pd OOoeeee eeee ae LN M EN OIN M Ce o X us a8 HAANS OUT IN LOW HIGH OUT gt IN OUI N OUT IN m C REMOTE 1 amp 2 SUS CHANNEL RU sus 3 WAY H A REAR MA CE T IN X OVER X OVIR RANGE X OVIR DEEMPHASIS X OVER REMY SELECT CH 1 2 H R CH 1 2 CH 3 4 22 de LAER REINER ue M CRE BINT ROE CH 3 4 amp 8 i descecxf EA BOTTO vEW iE VIEW d CHANNELS 1 2 CHANNELS 3 4 um Q X OVER SUB MONO INPUTS X OVER LEVEL INPUT X OVER LEVEL NPUTUNE OUT i f tL Re L R BOOST LP IML 1 2 ond VOU LEFT RIGHT HP vou LEFT RIGHT HAWONS Hz 21 CHANNELS 1 2 YSTEM 4 555 ONLY 4 channels of input with 2 channels line out 2 way mode 3 channel operation with satellite to subwoofer fading 2 channels of bridged 2 way high pass subwoofer channel in low pass SOCAL ANZ WAS SENCTE S amp 2 2 NAY REMOTE G amp 22 Fay 74 CHANNELS 3 4 SUB Q X OVER SUB MONO INPUTS X OVER LEVEL INPUT XeOVER LEVEL pire apache OUT BOOST LP LEVEL 1 2 KP VOLT LEFT RIGHT he YOU LEFT HAWIONS m S 00 5 3 99 1 0 L CHANNELS 3 4
13. an be operated in midrange or midbass band pass con figuration In the three way mode you can tri amplify with active midbass or midrange to maximize control over individual drivers The bandpass includes a low pass and high pass filter which work independent of one another to drive the midrange or midbass speakers 12 dBlOctave 12 dB Octave High Pass Low 25 N a Pd 24 dB Octave Low Pass SIP CROSSOVER 255 ONLY E CHANGING FREQUENCIES 180 ec The RUBICON255 comes with a 150Hz High Pass S I P Series In line Package resistor network If you want to use a frequency other than the factory pre set frequencies follow 39 he chart to the left or the formula below to select your own crossover points NOTE The following formula may be used to determine values in creating custom resistor packs The High Pass frequenciy is equal to 1 600 000 divided by the invidual resistor value plus 13 or 1 600 000 R ohms 13 X Hz Example 1 600 000 12 000 13 146 Hz To make a custom S I P use 4 identically valued resistors of 2 o or tighter tolerance See the drawing of the S 1 P for more information Hawkins Bass Control Theorv and Use Hawkins Bass Control variable is a unique subwoofer control circuit included with the Soundstream RUBICONB55 amplifier It is capable of removing subsonic energy in program material be low 45 Hz at 12 dB Octave while boosting subwoofer frequen cie
14. channel in low Ground fault Protection AA fail safe thermal protection circuit NOTE If you experience blown main power supply fuses it is likely that the amplifier is seeing a dead short either in the speaker wire or oe n in the speaker itself Rectify the problem before bowing multiple n C MOEG azina fuses DO NOT increase values beyond the original fuse value R Doing so will void your warranty and may damage your amplifer BOTTOM VIEW 3 TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM No Sound and power LED is not 1 No power or ground at the amp Pas it 2 No remote turn on signal Siete o 3 Blown fuse near the battery ooe ee JL 9 S amp S 8 O S 99S 2 3 1 No signal input mu i a acm LL omada Leda a No sound power LED is Iit aot Li RM FRONT VIEW Dt Vitium als Son US t m JR M MA N Move it to the OUT position ESR ZR ZX RADIO a 1 Speaker output may be shorted to ground Check for resistivity Vo D n Amplifier output cuts off and on with an volt meter repeatedly 2 Speaker leads may be shorted High Pass High Pass cw Pass 50 509 H2 50 800 Hz 55 22C Hr to each other Check for continuity 1298 0 ct 12dB Oct 24dB Cct SS with an volt meter 7 kHz dolce Repeatedly blow amp fuse 1 Speaker or leads may be frequent activation of Trident shorted protection circuit 2 Verify adequate amp ventilation yh The power supply fuses
15. filter at 13 HZ Select HAWKINS BASS CONTROL to engage the subwoofer channels high pass filter 9 45 Hz with 6 dB boost for optimum bass Subwoofer Channel Input Select Selectable inputs CH l 4 for non fading bass control CH 3 amp 4 for front to rear fading bass control Channels 3 amp 4 Input Select Selectable inputs from internal CH 1 amp 2 or external CH 3 amp 4 local RCA inputs Amp Mode Switch Channels 1 4 Select 3CH for bridged mono output in 3 channel operation use input channels 1 amp 2 Select 5CH for stereo output in 5 channel operation Inputs Right and left channel RCA inputs for channels 3 amp 4 Input Level Channels 3 amp 4 input level control Itiputs Right and left channel RCA inputs for channels 1 amp 2 Input Level Channels 1 amp 2 input level control Sub Input Level Subwoofer channel input level control Low Pass Filter Control Adjustment Subwoofer Channel crossover frequency control for the internal low pass filter Speaker Connection Terminal Speaker connections for CH l 4 amp Subwoofer Channel GND Main ground connection Bolt to a clean chassis point in the ve hicle REMOTE Remote turn on input from the head unit Accepts 12V 12V Connected to a fuse or circuit breaker then to the battery s posi tive terminal Main Fuse Main power supply fuse 2 SUB SONIC HAWKINS BASS ooooooo oooo oo O RUBICON355 SOUND
16. for bridged mono output in 3 channel operation use channels 1 amp 2 Select 5CH for stereo output in 5 channel operation 11 CROSSOVER ADJUSTMENTS The RUBICON amplifiers incorporate an on board staggered electronic cross over with RCA outputs RUBICONS55 only to drive an external amplifier No external electronic crossover is necessary However if you do desire to use an external crossover you still have that option The high and low pass portions of the crossover can be set independently of one another In many car audio installations there is a tendency for a midbass boom Be cause of their interior dimensions most cars will resonate or ring at these midbass frequencies If we design the system so there is reduced output in this region the final response is very smooth and natural sounding The high pass crossover is independently variable from 50 to 500 Hz at 12 dB Octave Removable SIP 150Hz on RUBICON255 See next page for different frequencies and the low pass crossover is independently variable from 55 to 220 Hz at 24 dB Octave For initial crossover setup try setting the low pass filter to approximately 60 Hz and the high pass filter to approximately 150 Hz Change the crossover points to accommodate a good mixture of frequency response power handling and per sonal preference 12 dB Octave High Pass 2 WAY 24 dB Octave Low Pass 12 3 WAY 555 ONLY MIDBASS MIDRANGE BAND PASS The RUBICON555 c
17. hannel RCA inputs for channels 1 amp 2 Input Level Channels 1 amp 2 input level control High Pass Filter Control Adjustment Channels 1 amp 2 crossover fre quency control for the internal high pass filter Low Pass Filter Control Adjustment Subwoofer Channel crossover frequency control for the internal low pass filter Sub Input Level Subwoofer channel input level control Speaker Connection Terminal Speaker connections for Subwoofer Channel Speaker Connection Terminal Speaker connections for Ch s 3 amp 4 Speaker Connection Terminal Speaker connections for Ch s 1 amp 2 REMOTE Remote turn on input from the head unit Accepts 12V GND Main ground connection Bolt to a clean chassis point in the ve hicle 12V Connected to a fuse or circuit breaker then to the battery s posi tive terminal Main Fuse Main power supply fuses O Q Oo oooo oooo oo RUBICON555 T a ORE ant TEONE QT ied Ji 10 i Ih 99 CHANNELS Y LEFT TRONH e Qu ME a TEN Ese gi t TEAD ie eo s l O Ya QO iO LOIN N Q O 2 02 ION aO 9 ON 122 be 25 Pa PA PE 3 J LER ize o z r i5 48 Dou 08 285 wee B eos Sia CI Go Cr 25 egg R59 255 iiie NN ad zr Oo Q 8 a5 e j i j N 5 a e e dil dee
18. it breaker lead 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 POWER UP Power up the system and look at the Power LED there may be a 2 3 second delay from the time the source unit is turned on to the time that the LED on the amp turns on which is normal Once the amplifer LED is on and the source unit is playing you should have sound coming from the speakers 17 INSTALLATION STEP 4 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 S N Ratio even when using sources with minimal output In the ideal situation all components in the audio system reach maximum undistorted output at the same time If you send a distorted signal to an amplifier it is simply going to amplify distorted information The same holds true if an outboard proces sor or crossover begins to distort before you have maximum output from the ampli fier By setting all components to reach clipping at the same time you can maxi mize the output of your system For the RUBICON amplifier follow these steps for setting the inpu
19. lifier the product of an uncompromising design and engineering philosophy Your Soundstream RUBICON amplifier will outperform any other amplifier in the world To maximize the performance of your system we recommend that you thoroughly acquaint yourself with its capabilites and features Please retain this manual and your sales receipt for future reference Soundstream amplifiers are the result of American innovation and craftmanship with the highest quality control standards When properly installed they 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 CAUTION Prolonged listening at high levels may result in hearing loss Even though your new Soundstream Rubicon amplifier sounds better than anything you ve ever heard exercise caution to prevent hearing damage Table of Contents Design Features scusctesosdititasidi d vemos datm ruo ndr edu uds Rubicon255 Amplifier Diagram Rubicon355 Amplifier Diagram Rubicon555 Amplifier Diagram Crossover Adjustments eeeeeeeeeee Hawkins Bass Control Theory and Use Installation Speaker Output Modes
20. nt voltage gt 5 Volts fluctuation occurs between electrical turn on lead and battery ground 3 Thermal Protection Puts the amplifier into thermal rollback or shuts the amplifier down in extreme thermal conditions Hawkins Bass Control provides a focused subwoofer boost O 9 dB at 45 Hz and routes otherwise wasted amplifier power back to the audible bandwidth Harmonic Bass Alignment The 2nd and 3rd order harmonic peaks are critically aligned to fundamental peaks at low frequencies This produces tighter more accurate bass reproduction Drive Delay II Amplifier section powers up 2 to 3 seconds after the power supply eliminating turn on pops Turn off process is reversed Amplifier section turns off first followed by the power supply Dynamically Optimized Power Grid M Power grid is evenly distrib uted between primary and secondary power supplies providing greater dynamics and improved RF filtering Chassisink All transistors are ideally located and sandwiched be tween the circuit board and the heatsink to provide cool efficient ampli fier operation Differentially Balance RCA Input eliminates ground loop related noise in the audio path Continuously Variable Crossover Networks 355 amp 555 12 dB Octave 2 way highpass crossover variable from 65 to 220 Hz and 24 dB Octave lowpass crossovers variable from 30 to 120 Hz 555 on y 12 dB Octave 3 way crossover which can be selected for mid bass 65 to 500 Hz or mid
21. range 65 to 4 000 Hz operation Built in Staggered S I P Crossover Network 255 Built in two way electronic crossover is designed to send high pass information to channels 1 4 of the amplifier and send low pass to channel 5 of the amplifier 12dB oct Highpass and Lowpass crossovers Flexible Stereol Input Level Control allows 200 mV to 5 V input sensitivity Symmetrical Discrete Balanced Class A Drive Boards Auto ad just for linear performance while driving low impedance loads Removable Front Spoiler allows for stealth installation of RCA Speaker and Power wiring SUB HAWKINS CH3 amp 4 CHI 4 SONIC m O POWER x RUBICON255 T oO e x ot n d NY ze GY W 22 ns p Ic Oo 7 7 SUB CHANNEL BASS CONTROL EAM exu NS S UND E iB e tc Oo 4 e5 i TEES amp e P AR Uu O84 4 a E se w o PNO O AAVA ow X ag O ug Q gt N 5t UD lt 2 SUB pes 4 2 1 I i i i o c pi 12V REMOTE GND CE FUSE ul ond ARA mms a tens ee eds Mas e ie en ema magina ania 4 i CO CO N O 12 13 14 15 16 KEY TO CALLOUTS Power LED Indicates amplifier power Subsonic Hawkins Bass Control Switch Select SUB SONIC to engage the Sub Sonic
22. s The circuit consists of two controls One engages a sub sonic High Pass filter at 45 Hz and the other adjusts the amount HAWKINS of boost 0 to 9 dB fixed at 6dB for the RUBCON255 amp 355 BOOST Q rt SONIC 3ASS CONTRO The Boost control adjusts the amount of level applied at the set frequency and is adjustable from 0 to 9 dB see figure 2 When the boost is set to 0 Hawkins Bass Control acts as a sub sonic filter only The simple act of removing potentially harmful low fre quencies can improve system output by as much as 3 dB Application Subwoofer drivers in general have excel lent power handling characteristics over their operational bandwidth This bandwidth is determined by many factors including driver design and enclosure type It is pos sible to overdrive any subwoofer driver by sending powerful signals outside of its op erational bandwidth These potentially dam aging signals can be removed by adding a FI AAPUADEE BOOST subsonic filter Figure 3 shows the effectiveness of the Hawkins Bass Control on woofer excursion in a vented enclosure The woofer travels 7 5 mm at 10 Hz With Hawkins Bass Control properly adjusted this excursion can be reduced to less than 1 mm This is of great benefit to lowering woofer distortion and increasing output Adjustment 555 on y An easy method of optimizing your existing subwoofer enclosure with Hawkins Bass Control is as follows 1 Adjust the boost control
23. t levels 1 Turn the amplifiers input levels to minimum position counter clockwise 2 Set the source unit volume to approximately 3 4 of full volume 3 While playing dynamic source material slowly increase the amplifiers input level until a near maximum undistorted level is heard in the system FRONT SPOILER Once the amplifier is installed and the proper levels set place the front spoiler in position and secure it using the suppl ied hardware 18 SAMPLE SYSTEM 1 All Models 4 channels of input 2 way front rear fade with constant level bass 4 channels of 2 way high pass rear de emphasis engaged on 555 subwoofer channel in low pass RUBICON255 O rome a o B am mamones CHt4 CHA CH amp 4 CHI 2 amp CH ICN i SONC MEM SUG CHANNEL CHANNELS 3 4 AMP MOOE L maur savect SGUND AV pe n EA A ee ea A SR SEES A e cdi LESS cE CL 1 TOP VIEW CC 12V REMOTE GND FUSE RUBICON355 IP TE lt q SUB CHANNEL COMROL sus 3 WAY R REAR R Aea aeara OO SS woe OVIEGANOL xvm Demum x Oven AS ey CH 3 4 amp BOTOM VIEW TOP MEW o X OVER SUB MONO INPUTS X OVER ieva INPUT X OVER LEVEL INPUTAUNE OUT Boost LP LEVEL 1 2 pa LEFT RIGHT HP vou LEFT RIGHT MMR Hg E io S EXOIC e S GS fe G o ROLO SS 220 6 02 SA 02 XI e O Sai A To A SAMPLE SYSTEM 2 Ali Models 2 channels of input SAMPLE SYSTEM 3 255 amp 3
24. uality flexible multi strand cable for best performance and longevity 16 INSTALLATION STEP 3 INSTALLATION AND MOUNTING AMPLIFIER LOCA TION The RUBICON amplifier employs highly efficient circuitry a custom engineered heat sink and a unique Chassisink construction to maintain lower operating tem peratures Additional cooling may be required if the amplifier is located in a tightly confied 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 com ponents 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 MOUNTING THE AMPLIFIER a Using the amplifier as a template mark the holes on the mounting surface b Remove the amplifier and drill the holes for the mounting screws C Secure the amplifier to the mounting surface using the supplied hardware WIRING a Run and connect 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 18 of the battery C Connect the fuse or circu
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