JL Audio W7, 13W7D15 User Manual

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Owner’s Manual

An Introduction

Thank you for purchasing a JL Audio W7 subwoofer driver. The W7 embodies JL Audio’s commitment to pushing the envelope of speaker technology, with eight patented technologies, a design patent and a completely unique set of component parts. Each W7 model has been meticulously engineered to reproduce sub-bass with extreme fidelity at any volume level, provided it is installed and tuned properly. Please review the information in this document carefully so as to maximize your

enjoyment of the W7’s capabilities.
Two enclosure recommendations are listed for	each model,
one sealed and one ported. The sealed enclosure	design will,

in most cases, give you the best overall sound quality and take up the least space in your vehicle. The ported enclosure design will deliver additional output over the sealed enclosure (about 3 - 4 dB more) and will also maintain excellent sound quality, but it will require significantly more space to install. The recommended ported enclosure is not designed for peaky “competition SPL” performance, it is designed for music listening. It will be very loud and sound extremely good when set up properly.

In addition to the enclosure recommendations, we also provide recommended amplifier settings for JL Audio amplifiers used with W7’s. Some of this information is also applicable with other brands of amplifiers (like crossover points and slopes), some is not (like the voltage levels specified for input sensitivity settings). You will notice that our recommended settings do not include any bass EQ boost... this is because W7’s rarely require any equalization to produce smooth frequency response. If you have an equalizer in your system (or one is included in your head unit or amplifier), defeat all bands below 125 Hz before dialing in your new system settings. Please turn off all sound processing that would affect the subwoofers (loudness circuits for example).

For optimum sub-bass performance, the amplifier input sensitivity must be adjusted to avoid excessive distortion (clipping) of the amplifier output. With W7 subwoofers, a clipped amplifier output will manifest itself audibly as a low-level“mechanical” sound coming from the speakers. Proper input sensitivity setting will avoid this problem. Overly high input sensitivity settings result in no additional clean output but will result in poor sound quality and reduced speaker reliability.

Please consult the input sensitivity setting information on page 14 of this book.

Recommended Continuous (RMS) Power Range for One Subwoofer Driver:

1 2 5 W

2 5 0 W

5 0 0 W

1 0 0 0 W

2 0 0 0 W

4 0 0 0 W

GREEN (minimum):

From a reliability standpoint, this zone represents a very comfortable operating power range for each driver. This level of power will not stress the woofer but will not extract all of its performance potential, either.

Use of less than the minimum power level will not damage the woofer, but may result in unsatisfactory performance.

YELLOW (OPTIMUM):

This zone represents the best balance between long-term reliability, high output and low distortion performance. In this zone, you will be taking full advantage of the woofer's optimum, low-distortion performance range without undue risk of failure.

RED (MAXIMUM):

In this zone, low-distortion output and long-termreliabilitywillbecompromised (especially by an aggressive user). Slightly more SPL will be gained by pushing the power into this zone, but typically not more than 2dB, compared to the yellow zone. The closer you are to the black zone, the higher the likelihood of driver failure. Operate with caution.

Black (WARRANTY VOID):

We do not recommend operating woofers at this level of power. In this zone, there is a very high probability that the driver will fail due to excessive heat and/or mechanical stress.

Subwoofer drivers operated at these levels of power are NOT covered under warranty.

When designing systems with W7 drivers, it is very important to achieve a good power match between the subwoofer amplifier and the subwoofer driver's capabilities. The power levels listed in the above chart represent continuous (RMS) amplifier power per woofer and assume that the user will regularly make full use of that power without drastically overdriving (clipping) the amplifier(s). Make sure you factor system impedance and the total number of subwoofers into your calculations. Adhering to these power recommendations will result in systems that are both reliable and enjoyable.

W7 Technologies

-Air-Cooled

. Patent #D472,891,

6 - Massive Forced

Aluminum

Alloy Frame

(U.S

Surround

#6,229,902)

cool air

1 - OverRoll™

and #5,949,898)

1and

coil

#6,219,43

design of the W7 delivers

.S. Patent #5,687,247

speakers, this

The elevated frame

-plate to the voice

space wasted

in conventional

W7’s massive

slots directly

above the top

power handling,

By utilizing

innovation controls the

through

. This not only enhances

parameter

-breaking

cone

area

the speaker

dynamic

ground

sacrificing

precious

quality

by minimizing

excursion without

but also sound

-W-Cone™

(U.S. Patent

#6,496,590)

that delivers

shifts

and power

compression

System

-Optimized Motor

-body cone assembly

The shape

Analysis

-Cone™

is a unit

Linear, DMA

Motor

The W

stiffness with

minimal

7 - Highly

proprietary

Dynamic

astonishing cone

rigidity, which is critical

DMA is JL Audio’s

dynamic motor

torsional

at improving

incredible

is aimed

motors

also provides

at the suspension

system and

optimization, W7

voice coil alignment

to maintaining

. As a result of DMA

range

behavior

force over an extreme

remain

linear in motor

a highly

stable fixed

limits

-Cone™ Attach Method

and also maintain

of excursion

gap over a wide power range

3 - Floating

#6,501,844)

proper

magnetic

field in the

distortion and

faithfully

(U.S. Patent

assembly technique ensures

This leads to vastly reduced

tight, clean,

Our newly conceived

speaker for better

... or put simply:

surround geometry

in the assembled

reproduced transients

voice coil alignment

the

articulate

bass.

excursion control

and dynamic

-Roll Spider

means a lot

when you’re pumping

A small detail that

the W7 is capable

of.

- Huge Diameter,

Progressive

analysis and

extremes

cone to the excursion

Arrived at

after intense computer

control

W7 spiders

provide precise

-Reinforced

Spider Attachment

optimization, the

without prematurely

coil

alignment

4 - Plateau

#6,118,884)

this

and motor/voice

(U.S. Patent

VRC technology,

famous

A derivative

of JL Audio’s

relieves

stress from

limiting

excursion

-Wires

attachment

suspension

enhanced

-Extruded Double

Lead

bulletproof

-excursions for

carefully engineered

9 - Co

casing and

under

the spider material

at high

The extruded

lead-wire behavior

controlled

attachments ensure

. Two conductors

reliability

-Drilled Pole Piece

the most extreme

excursion

demands

current carrying

for ample

- Radially

Cross

are used

per connection

.S. Patent #6,243,479)

enhances

venting

system greatly

air

This innovative

handling by directing

capability

-longVoice Coil

power

thermal

dissipation and power

working in

conjunction

phenomenal

- Ultra

flow

onto the voice coil former,

allow extreme linear excursion, .

technology #6.

control

with

handling and control, control,

patents

are currently

pending

U.S. and International

multiple

listed

above,

subwoofers

are

technologies

. W7

patented

In addition to the

lead

to permanent hearing

loss

operation

of your

pressure levels can

restraint in the

high sound

. Please exercise

quality

capabilities

WARNING:

Prolonged

exposure

high sound

pressure

levels

of this product’s

sound

sound at extremely

-term enjoyment

capable

of reproducing

your hearing

and your long

in order

to preserve

system

W7 Mounting Guide

Please review the mounting procedures thoroughly before attempting to remove the speaker from its shipping baffle. The W7 mounts like no other speaker and care must be taken to follow these instructions precisely.

Step 1: Your Tools

When you remove the W7 from its shipping carton, it is attached to an MDF baffle board. Make sure you keep this baffle board and all the packing material in the unlikely event that the W7

ever needs to be shipped back to JL Audio for service.

Two tools are required to install a W7: a large flat blade screwdriver and an electric screwdriver with a #2 Phillipshead bit.

Correct

Wrong

Step 2: Remove Clamp-Ring

Gently insert the tip of the large flat-head screwdriver between the shiny aluminum clamp-ring and the foam surround (picture 2a). Be careful not to push the screwdriver too far down or it will wedge behind the hidden O-Ring (picture 2b). Gently twist the screwdriver to “pop” the clamp-ring off of the O-Ring and frame (picture 2c). This should require little effort... if you are encountering high resistance, pull the screwdriver up a bit to make sure it is not wedged behind the O-Ring. Once you have released the tip of the clamp-ring, a gentle push with your thumb in the direction of the speaker circumference (picture 2d) will separate the clamp-ring fully (picture 2f). Do not pull up on the ring until it is completely removed (picture 2g).

2d	2f

Wrong 2g

Correct

Step 3: Remove O-Ring

Once the clamp-ring is removed, the steel O-Ring is exposed. Gently lift this O-Ring up and off the speaker with your fingertips and set it aside.

Wrong

4d Wrong

4a	4e

Step 4: Remove Screws

Once the O-Ring is out of the way, the surround is completely

free of the speaker frame (no glue is used to secure it). Lift the surround up and fold it back inside the speaker frame (picture 4a). This exposes the mounting screws (picture 4b). The surround should be folded back and in towards the center of the speaker (picture 4c). Do not pull it up (picture 4d) or invert it (picture 4e). While holding the surround back with two fingers as shown, back the first screw out using your electric screwdriver

(picture 4f, 4g). Repeat this process eleven more times (there are twelve screws on a W7) until you have separated the speaker from the shipping baffle-board. Before you panic, be aware

that the surround and cone materials are rugged and will 4f not be damaged if you follow the procedures shown. Only

careless acts like picking the speaker up by the surround or

creasing it by force will cause permanent damage.

Step 5: Ready to Install

You are now ready to install the

W7 into its enclosure. The parts are	Step 6: Connect the speaker wires and
shown below.	Step 6: Connect the speaker wires and
	place the W7 into the enclosure
	Connect the positive wire to the red terminal and the negative wire to
6a	the black terminal of the W7 (picture 6a). The 13W7 (not shown) has dual
6a	voice coils and must be wired with its coils in series or in parallel. Once
	the speaker is wired, gently lower it into the enclosure (picture 6b). This is
	difficult on a vertical mounting surface (because of the speaker’s
	weight) so you should enlist the help of a second person. If you
	need a better grip (or are afraid of smashing your fingers)
	you can grasp the inside of the speaker’s mounting flange
	(remember, the surround moves out of the way). This tip
	is particularly useful with the 13W7.

	6b
5	Step 7: Screw it in (12 times)
	Line up the screw holes of the frame
	with the holes that you have pre-
	drilled in your enclosure (you did
	pre-drill the holes, right?). The W7
	should be attached with heavy
	screws such as the ones supplied with
	the speaker. This will necessitate pre-
	drilling. The use of inferior hardware
	(i.e. drywall screws) may lead to
	disastrous consequences, so don’t
7a	do it. While holding the surround
7a	back with two fingers (picture 7a),
	screw the speaker into the enclosure
7b	(picture 7b). Once all twelve screws
	are in place (you did use all twelve,
	right?), place the surround back over

the outside of the speaker frame (picture 7c).

Step 8: Attach O-Ring

Next, take the steel O-Ring that you removed in step 3, and place it over the outside of the surround. Push it down evenly (do not seat one side first) to make sure it seats the lower lip of the surround down to the

frame (pictures 8a, 8b).

9a	8b

Be sure that the beveled edge of the clamp-ring is “pointing” towards the front of the speaker. The clamp-ring is only designed to work in this orientation.

“click”

Step 9: Attach Clamp-Ring

Place the seam of the clamp-ring where it will be

least visible in the installation (usually at the bottom	9c
of the speaker). Start one end of the clamp-ring by pressing	i t

in firmly (pictures 9a, 9b). Then work your way around from that point around the speaker, pushing the clamp-ring inward and in the direction of the circumference of the frame (pictures 9c, 9d). If you have achieved a tight fit all around, the seam will be small when you reach the starting point again (pictures 9e, 9f). Check the entire circumference for a tight fit just to be sure.

That’s it!

You’ve just installed a W7!

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