Blaupunkt Blau PCwg100, Blau PCwg120 User Manual

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PCwg100
PCwg120

Professional Quality Component Subwoofers
Subwoofers à composant de qualité professionnelle
Subwoofers con componente de calidad profesional
Subwoofers com componente de qualidade profissional

Purchase Date:

Retailer:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Telephone:

Installer:

Vehicle:

PURCHASE INFORMATION

OTHER NOTES

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING BLAUPUNKT!

KEY FEATURES

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Congratulations! You are the now the owner of an exceptional loudspeaker from the audio enthusiasts at Blaupunkt. Our
engineering staff has spent considerable time refining our ProComponent subwoofers in order to introduce great sound to
the consumer at an affordable price. Now entering our third generation of the PC family of product, we still feature the
rugged design and flexible installation. But now, we have evolved the speaker design with a new polypropelyne cone
material and more aggressive cosmetics.

Not only do we offer you a great product but also a supportive owners manual. This manual can be used as a teaching
guide due to its brief, but informative, explanations of loudspeaker and enclosure design and references to other reading
and computer materials available today. We are also are very concerned about the end consumer using proper installation
techniques for the highest performance possible from their new loudspeakers. MOST important are the concerns with
safety and the installation process. Since our Blaupunkt retail dealers have the tools and experience for an optimized and
safe installation, we always recommend they do the final vehicle integration. But, should you choose to install these
products yourself, please take the time to read this manual completely and abide by all precautions.

It has been repeatedly proven that remarkably high audio system performance can be achieved by moderately priced
components. 90% of all consumers really don’t need $500 woofers with 120 oz magnets for their listening habits. The
PCwg subwoofers are designed for HIGH POWER HANDLING LEVELS, HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS, and

FLEXIBLE INSTALLATION CHOICES.

The focus on our new subwoofers is the vacuum formed polypropylene cone material offering lighter mass compared to
older paper cones but without the flexing properties common to paper. This gives a much “tighter” bass response without
distortions often found at high listening levels. Below is a good summary comparing old cones with the new technologies.

In addition to the vacuum formed poly cones is the expansion of our extended pole program. The extended pole piece of
the subwoofer is lengthened by a few millimeters but the performance results are significant. The non-linear fields around
the voice coil’s gap are greatly reduced thus improved heat dissipation (higher power handling) and increased cone
movement control (higher power but with “cleaner” response).

Vacuum Formed Poly Cones

V ACUUM FORMED POLY

New “VFP” Vacuum Formed Polypropylene Cones

•Lightweight, and mechanically rigid, poly cones play louder with

less power

•Acoustically inert, poly cones do not “color” the sound of the music

•Environmentally resilient poly maintains shape & thickness,

ensuring premium tonal quality for years

Conventional Inexpensive Paper/Plastic Cones

•Non-uniform cone thicknesses (are heavy & often generate

internal “bending” motions)

•Self-resonant materials & construction (standing waves occur

yielding strong tonal shifts)

•Paper & cheap plastic cones warp & change mass over time

due to swings in temperature & humidity (degrading performance)

Speaker Cone

New “EXP” Extended Pole Design

• Increased cone travel for higher “clean” sound pressure

levels

• More symmetrical magnetic operating field for lower distortion

• Better heat dissipation offering higher power handling

capability

Conventional Magnetic Pole Design

• Limited linear cone travel (high level distortion at lower

volume levels)

• Uneven magnetic field distribution throughout cone travel

(common distortions)

• Average heat dissipation (therefore only average power handling)

Extended Pole Design

Before disassembling your beautiful new car you need some basic installation knowledge and skill with common hand and
power tools. Following such basic installation tips and warnings will prevent possible damage to the vehicle and also
prevent possible fires.

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AGAIN...READ THE MANUAL! There is a lot of helpful information in this manual that will save
time and prevent problems later.

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COVER THE VEHICLE WORK AREAS - Use fender covers or blankets to protect the work
areas from scratches or dings.

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DISCONNECT THE (-) LEAD ON THE BATTERY - No sparks or fires please!

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“REVIEW” THE INSTALLATION - Before using any tools or moving vehicle components, take
five minutes to review the installation intentions (e.g., verify that an enclosure will fit in an area
of a car before tearing out all the interior).

■

“REVIEW” THE VEHICLE - Before drilling any holes or cutting into any surfaces, make sure
there are no fuel or hydraulic lines behind the surfaces. Also make sure there are no wires
routed directly behind or near the desired mounting area (remember...screws can often extend
1-2 inches behind the mounting surface).

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ENSURE PROPER FIT - Before cutting or drilling, make sure the speaker will physically fit in
its desired location. Check for clearance around rear deck torsion bars or other structural
elements.

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EVERY CAR IS ASSEMBLED DIFFERENT - Every auto manufacturer uses different assembly techniques. Take care in
removing/modifying all trim panels and mounting surfaces since they often use unique screws or snap fasteners that are
difficult to replace if they are lost or broken.

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BE CAREFUL WITH CABLE ROUTING - When routing audio cables, make sure RCA and speaker wires are routed away
from high current power lines for audio amplifiers and vehicle systems lines when possible. This will help prevent noises
from creeping into the audio system, plus prevent potential damage to the vehicle wiring itself.

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BE CARFUL WITH ALL CONNECTIONS - When making connections, make sure each connection is clean and properly
secured. Observe all polarity markings carefully to ensure proper end performance.

■

CAUTION - FUEL TANKS AND FUEL LINES ARE NOW LOCATED DIRECTLY BENEATH THE REAR DECK IN MANY
CARS - CHECK FOR ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BEFORE EVEN CONSIDERING SUCH A MOUNTING LOCATION!

SAFETY CONCERNS

INSTALLATION WARNINGS!

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We always recommend you have your Blaupunkt speakers professionally installed but the installation process is often so
easy that the average consumer can achieve success with little trouble. Regardless of the person installing, you should be
sure to review the following points before proceeding with the installation:

■

READ THE MANUAL! Understanding the product and installation limitations before
lifting a screwdriver.

■

WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AT ALL TIMES - Flying debris are always dangerous.

■

PROTECT THE VEHICLE - Always disconnect the negative battery cable before
starting any kind of installation work. This prevents a possible high current electrical
short (potential fires).

■

HEAT - Keep all speakers away from nearby hot components such as amplifiers or
vehicle components that heat up over time such as hoses, high current wires, and
braking system components.

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GIVE YOURSELF LOTS OF TIME - Rushing to complete an installation nearly always ends up
with problems.

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DO NOT LISTEN AT HIGH SOUND LEVELS FOR A PROLONGED TIME - If connected to high power
amplifiers, these speakers have the potential to cause permanent hearing loss after listening at maximum
volume levels for several hours.

SYSTEM DESIGN GUIDELINES

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SYSTEM PLANNING
The largest possible impact on any audio system (home or car) is the tonal quality of the loudspeakers, their respective
placement, and their overall efficiency (loudness). A 4x20 watt amplifier and four dual-cone speakers is never going to make an
impressive performance. The first major improvement comes with the addition of a strong low frequency performance which
give the emotional sensation of “strength” to the audio system. Often many newer cars have acceptable coaxial speakers in
acceptable mounting locations. By adding a subwoofer speaker and amplifier, the system, although only moderate
performance, becomes surprisingly pleasant for most listeners. To move to the next step up in performance you must install
some good component speakers for the mids and highs (“satellite” speakers) then add a separate subwoofer speaker for the
lows.

SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
Speaker configurations are a common problem in autosound installations. We want to achieve a sound field in front of us (like a
live concert) as compared to sound partly from the front and partly behind us. This dictates good midrange and tweeter
speakers in front, usually mounted in the doors for good left/right balance, with high-pass crossovers set greater than 80-100
Hz. The best stereo image will occur when the front speakers are spaced as far forward as possible attempting to achieve
nearly equal distance from the speakers to the listening position. For deep bass a subwoofer is required but is nearly always
located behind us in a rear trunk or rear hatch area. If the subwoofer crossover is too high in frequency male voices can be
heard “gurgling” out of the subwoofer speaker and therefore pulls the sound-stage to the rear of the car, which is very unnatural
and therefore undesirable.

MULTI-CHANNEL SYSTEMS
Moving up to amplifiers around 4x50 watts on the satellite channels with component speakers is a common and acoustically
rewarding step. The improvements in acoustical left/right balance and stereo imaging are quickly obvious. By adding a
dedicated subwoofer amplifier the perceived “strength” of the system is
often dramatic.

In order to achieve such a multi-channel system a dividing network must
be installed that keeps the low frequencies out of the midrange speakers.
Such a “crossover” network directs the higher and lower frequencies to
their respective drivers. Such a crossover can be “passive” (simple coils
and capacitors) that limit the operating frequencies seen by their respective
speakers. A crossover can also be “active” where an electronic box must
be installed in front of a dedicated amplifier and process the signal via
small signal RCA cables before its amplification. In general, active
crossovers are most common for the low/mid transition area because they
best filter the low frequencies and are physically small compared to the
passive equivalent. Passive crossovers are most often used where they
provide adequate filtering in the mid/high frequency transition with satellite
midranges and their tweeters. Passive crossovers at these higher
frequencies require only small coils and capacitors so they are easy to
install and perform well.

AMPLIFIER POWER
Amplifier choice and power is important but less so compared to speaker choice and placement. Matching the rms (continuous)
power capability to that of the speaker is important but it should be noted that “under-powering” a system can often damage
more tweeters than providing slightly more power than stated by the speakers. If the speakers are rated to 50 watts rms, you
can often run 60-80 watt rms amplifiers without concern IF

the amps are not driven into clipping (deep distortion). IMPEDANCE
is the electrical resistance to AC current flow and is typically 4 ohms for most car speakers. Impedance loads should not fall
below the manufacturer’s recommended minimum impedance or the amp will heat up and sometimes shut down (2
ohms/channel is common).

SOUND QUALITY VS. LOUDNESS
All well designed sound system can provide good sound quality and still play loud. Above about 120 dB (decibels) the sound
isn’t perceived as getting much louder due to the non-linearities of the human ear. A four loudspeaker system with the per­speaker efficiency rating of 90 dB (1 watt/1 meter) will often achieve about 110-115 dB if driven by 100 watts per speaker
channel. (Although often debated, this is more than enough sound pressure level for most humans to enjoy and can easily

cause hearing loss if listened to at such levels for hours at a time.)

Passive X-over Sat Amplifier (4x50 W)

Sub Amplifier (2x100 W) Subwoofers

Tuner

SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURE TYPES

In the car audio world there are 5 types of subwoofer enclosures commonly used; Infinite Baffle, Sealed Box, Vented Box,
Single-Vented Band-Pass, and Dual-Vented Band-Pass. No single design is superior because each has its own
compromises in performance, power handling, and design/construction complexity. You need to make the choice based
upon personal listening habits and requirements.

Having “Multi-Box” design characteristics, your Blaupunkt subwoofer performs remarkably well in ALL installations, but is
optimized for Sealed, Vented, and Single-Vented Band-Pass configurations due to its moderate Qts values. Below is a
summary of these 5 popular enclosures. More importantly their respective advantages and disadvantages are noted so an
intelligent choice can be made regarding the best box for you.

INFINITE BAFFLE (a.k.a. “Free-air”) is simply a woofer installed in the back shelf of the
car that uses the trunk as the enclosure. Advantages: simple installation and adequate
performance; Disadvantages: only moderate sound pressure levels and poor power
handling.

SEALED BOX (a.k.a. “Closed Box”) offers one of the best compromise in performance
and power handling. Advantages: simple box construction, high power handling,
excellent transient response, and smooth low frequency roll-off. Disadvantages:
moderate to large box sizes, moderate efficiency, moderate sound pressure levels.

VENTED BOX (a.k.a. “Ported Box” and “Bass Reflex”) is simply a sealed box but with a
specifically tuned tube inserted. It extends the low frequency response compared to a
sealed box. Advantages: low cut-off frequency, low distortion in its operating pass-band,
excellent efficiency, good transient response, moderate power handling (in its pass-band),
and small box sizes. Disadvantages: complex design and limited power handling if
driven hard at very low frequencies (below port tuning frequency).

SINGLE-VENTED BAND-PASS (a.k.a. “4th Order Band-Pass”) is one of the best designs
for the car. It is basically a “compromise” between a sealed and vented box in
performance and reliability. Advantages: small box volumes, extended low frequency
performance, and can be used with VERY high power amplifiers. Disadvantages: slight
drops in efficiency compared to a vented box and increased box design and construction
complexity.

DUAL-VENTED BAND-PASS (a.k.a. “6th Order Band-Pass) is unfortunately often used in
the car as an acoustical “fog-horn” - lots of high-SPL but marginal tonal quality if the
enclosure isn’t precisely constructed. Advantages: tr

emendous SPL’s from VERY small
boxes Disadvantages: VERY complex construction and susceptibility to cone over­excursions for frequencies outside its operating region if a high quality electrical filter is
not used.

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