Audiopipe AQX-400.2, AQX-300.4 Owners Manual

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English

Congratulations!
Thank you for purchasing an Audiopipe Hi-Performance Amplifier.

Audiopipe amplifiers are conservatively rated and produce more power per channel than others in
there class. Manufactured to the highest standards of quality and reliability to deliver years of
listening enjoyment.

Audiopipe SOLID CONSTRUCTION for SOUND Car Audio Systems.

Warning

We build all Audiopipe products to play at high volumes for extended periods of time.
Your ears however are not designed for high volume listening. This product can easily generate
volumes that can permanently damage your hearing. We urge you to limit your exposure to very
high volume sound.
You may also find your state has laws governing the volume of an audio system in a car. Please
be aware of all local and state laws in your area.
A properly tuned and operated audio system will deliver years of enjoyment when used properly.

Installation Instructions

Audiopipe AQX Series Amplifiers are designed for easy installation in your vehicle. To ensure proper
operation of your new purchase, please follow the suggestions we have listed below:

Warning

Please check the suitability of the installation location before you begin. Do not cut any of the car's
structure. Pay close attention to what is behind the panels or carpet. Often the manufacturer will
hide wires, computers or other electronic devices in the exact areas you wish to install in.

If you do not have experience with automotive electrical and mechanical systems contact a
professional installer. Paying a qualified installer is almost always cheaper than paying a dealership
to repair your car.

Locating the Amplifier

The amplifiers must be securely mounted to a slid surface. Please select a dry location in the trunk
or passenger compartment only. Do not mount the amplifier to any area that may have excess
vibration (like the subwoofer box). Position the amplifier in an area that receives sufficient airflow
for proper heat dissipation.

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Supplying Enough Power

The Laws of Nature

Your amplifier does NOT make power. It converts power, or current, from your cars electrical system
and turns it into a high power musical energy. If the amplifier can't get all the power it needs, it will
not produce its full output. Your Audiiopipe amplifier will produce full output for longer than other
amplifiers on the market today. If the Voltage or Current drops too low even our amplifiers will drop
below their rated output. Make sure your vehicle charging system is in good working order. Any
Hi-performance audio amplifier will increase the demand on your alternator and battery. If you are
unsure have your charging system tested by a professional technician.

The Ground!!!

Warning: Read this carefully
The ground wire should be connected directly to the chassis of your vehicle. Find a clear location
close to the amplifier and remove all paint and sound deadener. Use a #10 or larger screw to secure
it. Never use seat belt bolts for grounding.

Remember, the ground must carry the same high current as the positive power wire. It is recommended
in high power application that you upgrade your vehicles factory battery ground lead to frame and
engine grounding points to ensure the best possible circuit to allow you to receive all of the power
benefits you new amplifier has to offer.

To reduce the risk of noise, run all signal cable from any vehicle or power supply wiring.

Running the Cables

Carefully run the power and signal cables through the passenger compartment of the vehicles.
Always make sure to use an insulated grommet to prevent the power wire from shorting when
passing any cables thru a metal panel and to reduce the risk of fire. Always use the proper size
power wiring when installing your new amplifier. Depending on the size of your amplifier a 4 gauge
or larger wire should be used for power and ground connections. It is also advised and recommended
that a fuse be installed on the power wire within 18 inches of the batter or power source for safety.

Setting the Gains

So you're worried that your 4 Volt output head unit will be too much for the Audiopipe's 2.5 Volt
input stage.

Don't Be

Audiopipe Amplifiers input stage is rated to 2.5 volts RMS @ 1KHz without clipping.
Music is very dynamic. Nothing like a 1KHz test tone. It would be rare to see a peak as high as a
test tone. Furthermore, your head unit produces its output at full volume but when you tune your
system you always set the head unit to 70% of maximum volume.

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Input Section

Because of the wide range of head unit output configurations all Audiopipe amplifiers have an
adjustable input sensitivity or 'Gain". The gain is not a volume or a power limiting control like a
throttle. It makes the amp more sensitive to input from the stereo. With the gain up the amp will
reach full output at a lower volume setting on the deck. At higher gain settings the amp also becomes
more sensitive to noise from the car's electrical system. Try to run the gain at the lowest setting
possible for your system.

There is no correct gain setting. Because speakers require
different power demands to reach the same output, the gains
most often need to be used to compensate for these

FRONT

GAIN

REAR
GAIN

INPUT

R

differences. If you tried to set all the gains at half way you
would probably find the system didn't sound very good. using
good judgment and listening carefully to each speaker is still
the best way to tune a system.

FRONT

(2 CH IN)

L

REAR

Input Mode Switch

All Audioipipe amplifiers include an input mode switch. This switch controls the signal being sent
to the amplifier sections. Most 2-channel amplifiers can be bridged into a single channel however
if the signal to channels is not exactly the distortion will increase significantly. The mode switch
solves this problem by offering 3 modes of operation.

Stereo

This is simple 2 channel stereo operation. Use this setting for most applications that do not involve
bridging the output.

Bridge (R IN)

On a 2-channel amp only the Right channel input will be split and set to both outputs. You need
only use the Right gain. On a 4 channel the RCA will be sent to the front outputs. The left RCA will
be sent to the rear outputs. This is a great way of get high power to a component set. The amplifier
now acts like a 2 channel that makes full power at 4 ohms.y

L+R SUM MONO

This is the mode for bridging a subwoofer. Both the left and
right channels are combined into a mono signal that is then
split and sent to both output. This will give you a true mono
output.

L & R SUM MONO
BRIDGED (F R IN)
STEREO

FRONT

L & R SUM MONO

BRIDGED (F L IN)

REAR

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Crossover Controls

A crossover is a device that removes unwanted frequencies from a speaker or amplifier. A tweeter
can easily be destroyed by bass notes if they are not filtered out. Likewise a subwoofer will not
sound natural if it is playing midrange notes. A crossover removes these sounds from the speaker.
As you might guess, careful adjustment is need to ensure that all the speakers are playing the right
sounds and that you are left with no "holes" or low spots in the frequency response.

x12dB
x24dB

95

55055

Hz

x1
x10

20065

FREQ

RANGE

95

20065

55055

Hz

FRONT (FREQ) REAR (FREQ)

Bass Boost

This amp has a fully adjustable bass boost. Both the frequency and the level of the boost are
adjustable. Start with a small increase in the level control. Then "sweep" the frequency up and
down. Listen carefully for an improvement in the sound of the bass.
If you do not hear any improvement then the woofer does

BASS

BOOST

not need any boost. Use Bass Boost carefully. The demands
on power output are tremendous. Try to minimize the use
by changing woofer position or the enclosure size.

REMOTE

0 18

dB

Speaker Outputs

This amplifier is a multi channel amplifier design. Meaning it has more than one channel of speaker
outputs. It is equipped with a large block style terminal for speaker connection. Make this connection
carefully and neatly. Strip your wire back and twist the exposed leads and insert into the block
terminal while being careful that there is no loose or frayed strands of wire and tighten the Phillips
head screw down on the terminal till the wire is tightly secured in place. If the wires ever come in
contact with each other the amplifier will go into protection.

know your total ohm load before you make any connections.

BRIDGED (4ΩMIN)

L (2ΩMIN) R (2ΩMIN)

RL

FRONT

REAR

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1. Disconnect the negative cable from the car battery. Tape up the end so it is isolated from the
battery.

2.

Run the power wire (4 AWG min.) from the battery to the amplifier. Plan this part of the
installation carefully. This cable will carry very high current. if it should short to the body and
it is not properly fused it could catch fire.

3.

Connect the power wire to the battery using a fuse capable of the total current load of all
amplifiers connected. Don't install the fuse yet. Wait until the end. Locate the fuse as close
as possible to the battery. If the fuse is further than 18 inches (wire length) from the battery
you should reevaluate the wire and fuse placement.

Find the closest clear metal area to the amp for ground. Sand, grind or scrape all paint and

4.
undercoating from the body and screw the ground securely to the body.

It is advisable to test the ground with an ohmmeter between the ground cable and
the negative battery cable to insure a good low resistance connection. Some alloys
used in modern cars do not offer the best ground. If you believe this the case consult
with the vehicle manufacturer.

5. Run the speaker wire to the speakers. It is advised that you leave some extra wire at this point.
You can "clean it up" later.

If you haven't already done so, mount the amp now.

6.

Connect the power and ground to the amplifier.

7.

Only after this step should you install the fuse at the battery.

8. Connect the remote wire from the head unit to the amplifier. Now is good time to turn on the
amp for the first time. Make sure it turns on the properly and does not go into into protect.

Connect the speaker wire to the amp and speakers (make sure the amp is off first). Make sure

9.
the polarity (+ and -) is correct.

10. Connect the RCA's to the amp.

11. Double check the amplifier controls at this time. Make sure everything is set correctly for your
system.

12. Now you're ready to play it for the first time. It is best to leave the gain all the way down at first.
Start with the head unit volume low and work your way up.

13.

Now you can tune the amp. Take your time and make only one adjustment at a time. It may
take some time to get the system fully adjusted. During this time the amp is drawing current
from the battery. You should check the battery voltage from time and re-charge it if it gets low.
Battery voltage can affect the way the amplifier performs.

14.

You're done. Now have fun.

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INPUT

R

GAIN

L

BRIDGED (4ΩMIN)

L (2ΩMIN) R (2ΩMIN)

AQX-400.2

Bridged 4 Ohms

Set to LOW

110

55

Hz

550

FREQ

CROSSOVER

240

FREQ

330

RANGE

x1
x10

SPEAKER LEVEL IN

GND TURN ON +12V

BASS

BOOST

0

dB

18

REMOTE

RL

Set to L+R SUM

FULL
HIGH
LOW

L R

GND

POWER

L&R SUM
BRIDGED (R IN)
STEREO

40 AMP

Stereo Full Range or High Pass

AQX-400.2

INPUT

R

GAIN

L

BRIDGED (4ΩMIN)

L (2ΩMIN) R (2ΩMIN)

BASS

BOOST

0

dB

18

REMOTE

RL

Set to HIGH or FULL

110

55

Hz

550

FREQ

CROSSOVER

240

FREQ

330

RANGE

x1
x10

SPEAKER LEVEL IN

GND TURN ON +12V

Set to STEREO

FULL
HIGH
LOW

L R

GND

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POWER

L&R SUM
BRIDGED (R IN)
STEREO

40 AMP