Audio Control EPIC-160 Owner's Manual

tmtm

In-Dash Bass Processor/SPL Meter

Owner’s Enjoyment Manual

ongratulations on your purchase of the world’s finest in-dash

bass restoration processor with an SPL (sound pressure level)

display . Whether this is your first product from the rainforest dwellers of AudioControl or you are already a firm believer, you will definitely enjoy the EPIC-160. Remember, it comes from AudioControl, the experts at bass enhancement and building SPL displays and measurement tools.

Now before you start salivating too much just thinking about what the EPIC-160 can add to your system, take a few minutes to sit back, have a latté, decaffeinated if necessary , and read through this manual. It contains lots of useful facts and information (and besides, we spent a lot of time writing it)!!

Features Of The EPIC-160

Here are some of the cool features that are enclosed in this magical box:

• Patented bass restoration circuit

- U.S. Patent #4,698,842

• SPL display up to 160 dB

• Battery Voltage indicator

• Speaker level inputs

• Para-BASS Controls

• Balanced differential inputs

22410 70th Avenue West • Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 USA Phone 425-775-8461 • Fax 425-778-3166 • www.audiocontrol.com

page 1

FEATURES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Patented Bass Restoration: The EPIC-160 contains the most

popular bass maximization circuitry in the world made famous by The Epicenter. This circuit accurately recreates and injects low frequency information back into the signal path. What that means in everyday terms is that the EPIC-160 will give more bass impact to your best compact discs, MP3 tracks or even your old tapes (if you happen to have any lying around). US Patent #4,698,842.

SPL display: AudioControl designs and manufactures a

complete line of professional real time analyzers/SPL meters and microphone calibrators that are used by professional sound contractors, studio engineers and are the standard measurement tools for sound-off organizations like IASCA and USACi. It is that background that lets us equip the EPIC-160 with a 160 dB capable microphone and SPL display .

Battery Voltage Indicator: The EPIC-160 gives you the

option of measuring the SPL output of your system and it also allows monitoring of the battery voltage of your system. Wonder why your SPL is a little lower this week versus last? Many times you should check your cars electrical system to make sure it is still putting out like it used to.

Speaker Level Inputs: If you are like most people and like

the look and features of your factory installed source unit but feel it’s lacking power (and bass), we have good news. The EPIC-160 has a unique high impedance speaker level input that will interface with most factory installed source units (even Bose) and let you add amplifiers and speakers to your hearts content. However, unlike some of the cheesy LOC’ s (line output converters) available, the EPIC-160 offers a very high fidelity sound quality input.

Para-BASS

your bass, and control it. The EPIC-160 uses our Para- BASS equalization circuit to help shape the enhanced bass to match with your speaker system.

Bulletproof W arranty: The most

important feature of all. Every AudioControl product is selflessly designed and manufactured by the occupants of our rainforest factory . We take every effort to ensure that you will have

Equalization: The EPIC-160 will increase

page 2

many years of enjoyment out of your EPIC-160. To ensure the performance of your new toy , we highly recommend that you allow

your authorized AudioControl dealer to perform the

installation. Not only do they have all the right knowledge and tools, but also in the unlikely chance the

EPIC-160 should fail, we will back it with a limited

five years parts and labor warranty . Should you

choose to install it yourself we will still give you

one-year parts and labor warranty . To activate your warranty, you need to FILL OUT AND

SEND IN YOUR WARRANTY CARD!

W e also recommend that you save your invoice or sales slip as proof of installation and ownership. Not only is it necessary for warranty purposes, but should your EPIC-160 turn up “missing” some day while you are out watching the salmon run, you will find insurance companies are very unforgiving without proof of purchase.

We interrupt your reading of this manual to provide the impatient people with “Quick Install” information and guidelines:

The AudioControl EPIC-160 was designed to produce bass like you have never heard before. With that said it is important to take the following precautions during its use.

1. If you have an equalizer in your system, turn down any bass tone

controls and initally use the EPIC-160 to pump up your bass. Otherwise, the results could be, shall we say ... interesting.

2. You will want to reduce any bass tone control, loudness control,

or other secondary bass controls prior to turning on the EPIC-

160. Once your system is up and running, you may then opt to use them again, although we doubt it!

3. Good bass response requires an appropriate choice of speakers

and amplification. Since the bass frequencies always require more power and cone area than higher frequencies...BE PREPARED. Small speakers (smaller than 6x9 or 8”) and lack of power will be detrimental to your system (and themselves).

Now back to your previously interrupted Owner’s Enjoyment

Manual

page 3

Quick Install Information

The EPIC-160 needs to be installed in the signal path between a source unit and an external amplifier(s). Although it can be installed after an equalizer, it must be installed BEFORE A

CROSSOVER.

Figure 1: Basic EPIC-150 System

Once this is done, you need to hook up + 12 volt power, -12 volt ground, remote turn-on, and connect the illumination wire. If you need to know more, then read on. Heck, if you don’t think you need to know more, you should still read on, because you can never know too much.

FACTORY SETTINGS

Shipped Options Page #

Para-BASS Frequency Center 40Hz 27-63Hz 9

Para-BASS Bandwidth W ide Range from 30-250Hz 9 Input Grounding Balanced Unbalanced 7 Ground Isolation Isolated 200ohm or Ground 7 Choice of beverage Micro-brew Latté 16

Note: Moving jumpers or adjusting the Para-BASS controls can change these configurations.

page 4

A GUIDED TOUR OF THE EPIC-160

The Front Panel

Ê Bass Restoration Control a.k.a. “The Knob”: This knob controls how much of the restored bass is added to your audio signal. Being that it is a knob, this means you can SLOWLY increase or decrease the amount of processed bass. (Read as: LISTEN FIRST, CRANK SECOND!)

Ë Restoration: By pushing in this switch you engage the bass restoration circuit.

Ì Para-BASS Controls: These two knobs control the Para- BASS equalization functions of the EPIC-160. The “Frequency” knob allows you to select the center frequency that you want the EPIC-160 bass maximization circuit to affect. The “Width” knob adjusts how wide of a range around the center frequency the EPIC160 will affect.

Í dB/V olts: Although this sounds like a new heavy metal group, this switch allows you to select whether the display on your EPIC-160 is showing SPL levels in dB (decibels) or electrical levels in volts. Rock on!

Î Peak Hold: If you ever got high score on Space Invaders but nobody was there to watch, you know what this switch is for. When engaged, the display on your EPIC-160 will show the highest SPL or voltage reading that it measured (as long as your EPIC-160 is turned on).

➏

SPL/V oltage Display: This super bright display will show

either the sound pressure levels or battery voltage depending on where the dB/Volts switch is set.

Ð Bass Restoration Indicator: If this light is flashing, your car should be bump’n!

ÑÑ

Ñ High SPL Warning Indicator: Since you will probably

ÑÑ

brush over our warning about SPL and potential hearing damage, this indicator light comes on at 120 dB to give you a gentle warning about how loud your system is.

ÒÒ

Ò 160 dB Microphone: Behind this tiny little hole is the micro-

ÒÒ

phone element that measures your systems SPL. Should you wish to have very low readings make sure you cover this opening.

ÌÍ

ÏÐ

ÑÑ

ÒÒ

Figure 2: EPIC-160 Front Panel

page 5

+ 11 hidden pages