Alpine SPX-Z15M User Manual

Points to Observe for Safe Usage

• Read this manual carefully before starting operation and
use this system safely. We cannot be responsible for
problems resulting from failure to observe the instructions
in this manual.

• This manual uses various pictorial displays to show how to
use this product safely and to avoid harm to yourself and
others and damage to your property. Here is what these
pictorial displays mean. Understanding them is important
for reading this manual.

• Meaning of displays

This label is intended to alert the user to the

Warning

Caution

presence of important operating instructions.
Failure to heed the instructions will result in
severe injury or death.

This label is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating instructions.
Failure to heed the instructions can result in
injury or material damage.

Warning

DO NOT DISASSEMBLE OR ALTER. Doing so may result in an
accident, fire or electric shock.

KEEP SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS BATTERY OUT OF THE REACH OF
CHILDREN. Swallowing them may result in serious injury. If

swallowed, consult a physician immediately.

DO NOT INSTALL IN LOCATIONS WHICH MIGHT HINDER VEHICLE
OPERATION, SUCH AS THE STEERING WHEEL OR GEARSHIFT. Doing

so may obstruct forward vision or hamper movement etc. and
results in serious accident.

DO NOT DAMAGE PIPE OR WIRING WHEN DRILLING HOLES. When
drilling holes in the chassis for installation, take precautions so
as not to contact, damage or obstruct pipes, fuel lines, tanks or
electrical wiring. Failure to take such precautions may result in
fire.

DO NOT USE BOLTS OR NUTS IN THE BRAKE OR STEERING SYSTEMS
TO MAKE GROUND CONNECTIONS. Bolts or nuts used for the brake

or steering systems (or any other safety-related system), or tanks
should NEVER be used for installations or ground connections.
Using such parts could disable control of the vehicle and cause
fire etc.

DO NOT INSTALL THE MONITOR NEAR THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR
BAG. If the unit is not installed correctly the air bag may not

function correctly and when triggered the air bag may cause the
monitor to spring upwards causing an accident and injuries.

MAKE THE CORRECT CONNECTIONS. Failure to make the proper
connections may result in fire or product damage.

Caution

USE SPECIFIED ACCESSORY PARTS AND INSTALL THEM SECURELY.

Be sure to use only the specified accessory parts. Use of other
than designated parts may damage this unit internally or may
not securely install the unit in place. This may cause parts to
become loose resulting in hazards or product failure.

DO NOT INSTALL IN LOCATIONS WITH HIGH MOISTURE OR DUST.

Avoid installing the unit in locations with high incidence of
moisture or dust. Moisture or dust that penetrates into this unit
may result in product failure.

HAVE THE WIRING AND INSTALLATION DONE BY EXPERTS. The wiring
and installation of this unit requires special technical skill and
experience. To ensure safety, always contact the dealer where you
purchased this product to have the work done.

ARRANGE THE WIRING SO IT IS NOT CRIMPED OR PINCHED BY A
SHARP METAL EDGE. Route the cables and wiring away from

moving parts (like the seat rails) or sharp or pointed edges. This
will prevent crimping and damage to the wiring. If wiring passes
through a hole in metal, use a rubber grommet to prevent the
wire’s insulation from being cut by the metal edge of the hole.

HALT USE IMMEDIATELY IF A PROBLEM APPEARS. Failure to do so
may cause personal injury or damage to the product. Return it
to your authorized Alpine dealer or the nearest Alpine Service
Center for repairing.

Points à respecter pour une utilisation sûre

•

Lire attentivement ce manuel avant de commencer l’opération
et l’utilisation du système en toute sécurité. Nous dégageons
toute responsabilité des problèmes résultant du non-respect
des instructions décrites dans ce manuel.

•

Ce manuel utilise divers affichages illustrés pour montrer comment utiliser
cet appareil en toute sécurité, pour éviter de s’exposer soi-même et les
autres personnes aux dangers et pour éviter d’endommager l’appareil.
Voici la signification de ces affichages illustrés. Il est important de bien les
comprendre pour la lecture de ce manuel.

• Signification des affichages

Avertissement

Attention

Cette étiquette a pour but de prévenir l’utili­sateur de la présence d’instructions impor­tantes. Si ces instructions ne sont pas sui­vies, des blessures graves ou mortelles ris­quent d’être occasionnées.

Cette étiquette a pour but de prévenir l’utilisa­teur de la présence d’instructions importantes.
Si ces instructions ne sont pas suivies, des
blessures ou des dommages matériels ris­quent d’être occasionnés.

English/Français

Avertissement

NE PAS DESASSEMBLER NI MODIFIER L’APPAREIL. Il y a risque
d’accident, d’incendie ou de choc électrique.

GARDER LES PETITS OBJETS COMME LES PILES HORS DE PORTEE DES
ENFANTS. L’ingestion de tels objets peut entraîner de graves blessures.

En cas d’ingestion, consulter immédiatement un médecin.

NE PAS INSTALLER A DES ENDROITS SUSCEPTIBLES D’ENTRAVER
LA CONDUITE DU VEHICULE, COMME LE VOLANT OU LE LEVIER DE
VITESSES. La vue vers l’avant pourrait être obstruée ou les

mouvements gênés, etc., et provoquer un accident grave.

NE PAS ENDOMMAGER DE CONDUITES NI DE CABLES LORS DU
FORAGE DES TROUS. Lors du forage de trous dans le châssis en

vue de l’installation, veiller à ne pas entrer en contact,
endommager ni obstruer de conduites, de tuyaux à carburant
ou de fils électriques. Le non-respect de cette précaution peut
entraîner un incendie.

NE PAS UTILISER DES ECROUS NI DES BOULONS DU CIRCUIT DE FREINAGE OU
DE DIRECTION POUR LES CONNEXIONS DE MASSE. Les boulons et les écrous

utilisés pour les circuits de freinage et de direction (ou de tout autre système
de sécurité) ou les réservoirs ne peuvent JAMAIS être utilisés pour
l’installation ou la liaison à la masse. L’utilisation de ces organes peut
désactiver le système de contrôle du véhicule et causer un incendie, etc.

NE PAS INSTALLER LE MONITEUR PRES DU COUSSIN D’AIR DU
PASSAGER. Si l’appareil n’est pas installé correctement, il risque

d’empêcher le fonctionnement du coussin d’air, et si le coussin
se déploie, l’appareil risque d’être projeté dans l’habitacle,
causant un accident et des blessures.

EFFECTUER CORRECTEMENT LES CONNEXIONS. Il y a risque de
blessures ou de dommages à l’appareil.

Attention

UTILISER LES ACCESSOIRES SPECIFIES ET LES INSTALLER CORRECTEMENT.

Utiliser uniquement les accessoires spécifiés. L’utilisation d’autres
composants que les composants spécifiés peut causer des dommages
internes à cet appareil ou son installation risque de ne pas être effectuée
correctement. Les pièces utilisées risquent de se desserrer et de provoquer
des dommages ou une défaillance de l’appareil.

NE PAS INSTALLER A DES ENDROITS TRES HUMIDES OU POUSSIEREUX. Eviter
d’installer l’appareil à des endroits soumis à une forte humidité ou à de la
poussière en excès. La pénétration d’humidité ou de poussière à l’intérieur
de cet appareil risque de provoquer une défaillance.

FAIRE INSTALLER LE CABLAGE ET L’APPAREIL PAR DES EXPERTS. Le câblage
et l’installation de cet appareil requiert des compétences techniques et
de l’expérience. Pour garantir la sécurité, faire procéder à l’installation
de cet appareil par le distributeur qui vous l’a vendu.

FAIRE CHEMINER LE CABLAGE DE MANIERE A NE PAS LE COINCER CONTRE
UNE ARETE METALLIQUE. Faire cheminer les câbles à l’écart des pièces

mobiles (comme les rails d’un siège) et des arêtes acérées ou pointues.
Cela évitera ainsi de coincer et d’endommager les câbles. Si un câble
passe dans un orifice métallique, utiliser un passe-cloison en
caoutchouc pour éviter que la gaine isolante du câble ne soit
endommagée par le rebord métallique de l’orifice.

INTERROMPRE TOUTE UTILISATION EN CAS DE PROBLEME. Le non-respect
de cette précaution peut entraîner des blessures ou endommager
l’appareil. Retourner l’appareil auprès du distributeur Alpine agréé ou
un centre de service après-vente Alpine en vue de la réparation.

1

Contents / Contenu

Installation / Installation

Parts List / Liste des pièces
Woofer Installation / Installation du woofer
Tweeter Installation / Installation du tweeter
Network Installation / Installation du circuit
Network connections / Connexions du circuit

Crossover Network / Circuit répartiteur

Crossover Network Introduction / Introduction au circuit répartiteur ................

Jumper Group Function / Fonction de groupe cavalier...................................

System Type 1 / Type de système 1 ................................................................

System Description / Description du système .............................................

Network Jumper Setting / Réglage du cavalier du circuit ...........................

System Type 2 / Type de système 2 ................................................................

System Description / Description du système .............................................

Network Jumper Setting / Réglage du cavalier du circuit ...........................

System Type 3 / Type de système 3 ................................................................

System Description / Description du système .............................................

Network Jumper Setting / Réglage du cavalier du circuit ...........................

System Type 4 / Type de système 4 ................................................................

System Description

Network Jumper Setting / Réglage du cavalier du circuit ...........................

Others / Autres

External dimensions / Dimensions externes ........................................................

Specifications / Spécifications..............................................................................

...................................................................................

............................................................

..........................................................

............................................................

........................................................

/

Description du système ..............................................

3
4
5
6
7

9/27
10/28
12/30
12/30
14/32
18/36
18/36
19/37
21/39
21/39
22/40
24/42
24/42
25/43

44
46

2

Parts List / Liste des pièces

Woofer / Woofer

12 345 67

X5

Unité principale
Bague de la grille
Grille
Bague d’accouplement

Main Unit

1

Grille Ring

2

Grille

3

Adapter Ring

4

English

5
6

7

Screw M4 x 10
Screw ø4 x 19

Hexagonal
Wrench

X5

1
2
3
4

Tweeter / Tweeter

89 p e

rt

Main Unit

8

Mounting Cup

9

Terminal Cover

p

Spring

q

Mounting Clip

w

y

English

e
r
t
y
u
i

qw

X2

u

Screw ø4 x 19
Screw M4 x 25
M4 Nut
Mounting Ring
Screw ø4 x 12
Gasket

X4

i

Unité principale

8

Coupelle de

9
montage

Couvre-bornes

p
q Ressort

Collier de fixation

w

X5

Français

Vis M4 x 10

5

Vis ø4 x 19

6

Clé hexagonale

7

Français

Vis ø4 x 19

e

Vis M4 x 25

r

Écrou M4

t

Bague de montage

y

Vis ø4 x 12

u

Garniture

i

English/Fran

çais

2-way crossover network / Circuit répartiteur à 2 voies

o; a

X3

English

Crossover network

o

Jumper Puller

;

Screw ø4 x 19

a

Circuit répartiteur

o

Mécanisme de tirage du cavalier

;

Vis ø4 x 19

a

Français

3

Woofer Installation / Installation du woofer

Installation without a grille / Installation sans grille

6

X5

Installation with a grille / Installation avec grille

6

X5

Installation with adapter rings / Installation avec bagues d’accouplement

Speaker Wire Connections/
Raccordement des fils
d’enceinte

1. Insert the speaker wires

through the connection
holes. / Insérer les fils
d’enceinte dans les trous
de raccordement.

2. Fasten with a hexagonal

wrench. / Serrer avec une
clé hexagonale.

4

5

6

X4

X5

Tweeter Installation / Installation du tweeter

Installation with springs / Installation avec ressorts

r

X1

Installation with a mounting cup (Installation from the front) /
Installation avec coupelle de montage (Installation par l’avant)

u

X1

Apply the supplied terminal
cover to prevent short circuits
from occurring when metallic or
other conductors are in the
vicinity of the installation area. /
Appliquer le couvre-bornes
fourni afin d’éviter que des
court-circuits ne se produisent
lorsque des conducteurs
métalliques ou autres se
trouvent à proximité de la zone
d’installation.

English/Fran

çais

Installation with fastening rings / Installation avec bagues de serrage

e

X5

5

Network Installation / Installation du circuit

a

X3

Note /Remarque:

Do not install the Crossover network where it will be exposed to moisture such as
under the floor mat or near the air conditioner. This may cause a malfunction./
Ne pas installer le circuit répartiteur dans un endroit où il sera exposé à l’humidité,
comme sous la moquette ou près du climatiseur. Cela risque de provoquer un mauvais
fonctionnement.

6

Network connections / Connexions du circuit

Insert the signal link jumpers highlighted in gray firmly following each connection example. If the
jumper is not connected properly as described, it might result in malfunction of amplifier.

Insérez fermement les cavaliers de liaison de signal soulignés en gris en suivant chaque exemple de
raccordement. Si le cavalier n’est pas relié correctement comme décrit, il pourrait avoir comme
conséquence le défaut de fonctionnement de l’amplificateur.

Connection Example 1 / Exemple de connexion 1

When connecting to single amp/single wiring /
Lors du raccordement avec un seul amplificateur/câblage simple



SIGNAL

LINK

+

–

Amplifier/

Amplificateur

Connection Example 2 / Exemple de connexion 2

When connecting to bi-amp/bi-wiring /
Lors du raccordement avec deux amplificateurs/câblage double



English/Fran

çais

Amplifier/

Amplificateur

Amplifier/

Amplificateur

Caution

Précaution

SIGNAL

LINK

+



–

Connect properly by following the manual. Otherwise it might result in fire or
accident.

Reliez correctement en suivant le manuel. Autrement il pourrait avoir comme
conséquence le feu ou des accidents.

7

8

Crossover Network Introduction

It is common knowledge that the automotive interior is one of the most inhospitable
environments for high-fidelity sound, and that every vehicle poses its own unique set of
installation and acoustic challenges. While many of these problems can often be over­come with proper speaker placement, equalization, or other techniques, the attempt is
a time consuming task without guaranteed results. Yet with all these tools and methods
available, it is surprising to realize that one of the most powerful tuning tools has been
misunderstood or neglected by so many for so long. It is for this reason that Alpine has
developed the most advanced crossover network design in the history of car audio.

Much of the difference between demo-board and in-car performance can be attributed
to the fact that crossover networks have been traditionally tuned for only one specific
application – usually the demo-board. Without taking into account typical real world
installations, the transition between drivers and resultant frequency response will be
degraded for the majority of vehicles that installers are confronted with today. Through
Alpine’s unique phase coherent flat summation design methodology, however, it is now
possible to optimize performance for a variety of installations by intentionally altering
various filter characteristics. By achieving an “in-phase” condition between drivers in
the overlapping frequency range at the listening position, image smear, response aber­rations and other typical problems can be dramatically reduced or eliminated altogether.
This “phase linkage” technique can be thought of as a kind of passive time correction in
the crossover region.

With Alpine’s introduction of such revolutionary processing technologies as digital time
correction and adaptive equalization, all of this may seem superlative. Unfortunately
however, such processing can significantly increase system complexity and therefore
may not be practical for every situation. Additionally, without careful use of time correc­tion for each individual speaker in the system, integration problems between them can
remain. Subsequently, it may be advantageous to use such processing to compensate
for seating position bias in conjunction with the phase correction of the passive network
for the transition between individual drivers. Simply stated, the flexibility of the
AlpineF#1Status™ crossover network allows it to be a complimentary solution for achiev­ing the best of both worlds, either as a stand alone solution or an integral component of
a partially active system.

English

As with all AlpineF#1Status™ products, it is the attention to the smallest details that
truly brings out ultimate performance... or in a word, MicroDynamics™. From the hand
coated crosscut wood fiber cones to the symmetric drive motor structures, nothing is
left to chance. This philosophy is carried throughout every aspect of the SPX-Z15M
speaker system, including the components, layout and design of the crossover network.
All series capacitors are the highest grade metalized polypropylene, and all series
inductors are heavy gauge air core. All elements are intentionally placed in such a way
to as to minimize any chance for magnetic or thermal influence, and all signal path
lengths are minimized with extra heavy circuit board traces. In the end, this level of
quality and attention to detail has but one purpose, to bring true sonic realism to the
automotive environment once and for all.

9

Jumper Group Function

Although recommendations are made for the most common system types in the follow­ing pages, there are actually over 250 unique and useful jumper combinations available
for a wide variety of vehicles, installations and personal tastes. While this flexibility has
obvious advantages, too many choices can also be confusing. Therefore, it will be help­ful to understand the function of each jumper group in order to tune the network more
effectively:

TW-HP:

Although essentially a selectable high-pass filter, this section provides the major part of
the phase correction and response compensation of the network. By altering the slope,
Q, cut-off frequency and phase shift of the high-pass filter, it is possible to create “phase
linkage” with the woofer. This proper summation in the frequency and time domains is
what produces the seamless blend necessary for optimum imaging, staging, focus and
tonal balance in a multi-element system.
These relationships are affected by the distance and angle of both drivers relative to the
listener, their proximity to each other, and certainly the vehicle’s interior as well. While
it is beyond the scope of this manual to describe each potential network combination in
detail, the following filter types are possible for the high-pass section of the network:

BYPASS

C2

6dB/45°

R1

R2

R3

R4

R5

4dB/30°

2dB/15°

0dB/0°

-2dB

-4dB

+

C1

HP-1 HP-4

HP-5

HP-2

L1 L2 L3

HP-3

OUT

IN

OUT

+

–

IN

–

R1 = 1.0Ω
R2 = 2.2Ω
R3 = 3.9Ω
R4 = 5.6Ω
R5 = 8.2Ω

C1 = 4.7µF
C2 = 12µF
L1 = 0.17mH
L2 = 0.24mH
L3 = 0.52mH

1st Order:

•

No HP jumpers

• HP1 + HP4

2nd Order:

• HP1 + HP2 + HP3 + HP4

• HP1 + HP2 + HP3 + HP4 + HP5

• HP1 + HP2 + HP4

• HP1 + HP3 + HP4

• HP1 + HP4 + HP5

• HP2 + HP3 + HP4

• HP2 + HP4

• HP3 + HP4

3rd Order:

• HP1 + HP2

• HP1 + HP3

• HP1 + HP2 + HP3

• HP1 + HP2 + HP3 + HP5

• HP1 + HP2 + HP5

4th Order:

• HP2 + HP4 + HP5

• HP3 + HP4 + HP5

TW PHASE:

This jumper group provides a means by which the tweeter connection can easily be
reversed. By flipping the tweeter polarity “in” or “out” of phase (0° or 180°), it is possible
to achieve proper phase linkage for a wider variety of applications.

10

TW LEVEL:

In general, this section provides precise level adjustment for optimum performance or
personal taste. However, it also allows for “tilting” of the filter frequency response in
order to compensate for the natural high frequency roll-off associated with off-axis lis­tening angles. In other words, tweeter level jumper selection will have a specific effect
upon both Q and cut-off frequency of each high-pass filter configuration. This effect can
be seen in the filter transfer function graphs for the various system types. If the TW-HP
section is set to bypass in favor of an electronic crossover, the off-axis feature will no
longer function, but basic level adjustment will still be possible.

WF-LP:

In addition to functioning as a selectable low-pass filter, this section also provides part
of the phase correction and response compensation of the network. By shifting the
phase appropriately within the crossover region, it is possible to achieve “phase link­age” with the tweeter, producing a seamless blend or transition between the two drivers.
This relationship is affected by the distance and angle of both drivers relative to the
listener, but also by their proximity to each other. Since in this case, most of the manipu­lation of the overlapping region is being done in the tweeter high-pass filter, less varia­tion of the woofer low-pass is necessary. Subsequently there are basically two possibili­ties for the LPF:

st

-

• LP1 = low Q 1

• LP2 = semi-1

+

2nd order roll off (starting at 6dB/oct. ending at 9dB/oct.)

st

Order (shallow 3-4dB/oct. roll off)

BYPASS

L4

+

R10

C3

LP-1

LP-2

–

R10 = 2.2Ω
C3 = 33µF
L4 = 0.39mH

–

English

SIGNAL LINK:

The signal link jumpers provide a parallel connection between the input sides of the two
terminal blocks, allowing a single input connection to be made without the use of extra
terminals or wiring.

Caution:
These jumpers

must be removed when used in a bi-amp configuration to prevent

possible damage to amplifiers.

11

System Type 1

System Description

In this system type, the woofer and tweeter are mounted close together. While the kick
panel is one of the more common locations to achieve this, it is certainly not the only
one. What is most significant, is that by mounting the two drivers in close proximity with
a minimized off-axis angle at the greatest distance possible from the listening position,
it provides one of the best arrangements for optimum imaging in the vehicle. Since
there are varying degrees of axis and pathlength that will be achievable for each driver
in typical installations, four basic configurations are provided to accommodate the most
common cases.

• Type-1A is the default setting of the network, and assumes essentially on-axis positioning
with equal pathlength of both woofer and tweeter to the listening position.

• Type-1A (Option) is as above, but provides a more shallow roll-off and lower Q for the
tweeter high-pass filter as an alternative.

12

• Type-1B is optimized for installations where build out for better on-axis positioning is pos­sible, and the tweeter is mounted vertical over the woofer.

• Type-1C is for particular cases where flat to the surface mounting is required, and the
tweeter is mounted over the woofer necessitating some delay for proper alignment of the
two drivers.

English

13

System Type 1

Network Jumper Setting

Type-1A: Pathlength to the listening posi-

tion is considered to be equal in this case,
with relative on-axis positioning of both driv­ers. Phase linkage accomplished with a rela­tively high Q 3rd Order high-pass filter on the
tweeter, resulting in a 12dB/oct. roll-off at the
starting point that steepens to 18dB/oct.
below 2kHz. The woofer low-pass is a semi­1st Order with a very gradual slope of 3-4dB/
oct. As a result, the acoustic crossover point
between the two drivers is 2.8kHz.

10

0

–10

–20

–30

–40

–50

2.0Hz 3.0Hz 100Hz 300Hz 1.0kHz 3.0kHz 10kHz 30kHz

HP-1

HP-2

LP-1

TW HP

HP-3

WF LP

LP-2

HP-4

HP-5

BYPASS

BYPASS

SPX—Z15M

SIGNAL

LINK

TW PHASE

IN

+6dB/45°

+4dB/30°

OUT

TW LEVEL

+2dB/15°

IN

OUT

–4dB

–2dB

0dB/0°

+

—

Notes:

• Highlighted tweeter level jumpers are the recommended settings for each configura­tion, but some user adjustment may be desirable.

• Transfer function simulations only illustrate the effect of the filter upon the input sig­nal, and therefore do not represent the actual frequency response of the system.

• If separate channels of amplification are used (bi-wire mode), the appropriate signal
link jumpers must be removed.

14