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Blaupunkt speaker features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Safety concerns and installation warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Installation tools & guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
System design guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Subwoofer enclosure types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Active & passive electrical configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Basic mathematics for enclosure construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Sample boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Final subwoofer enclosure construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Additional reference information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76-79
Blaupunkt technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Limited warranty information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80-81
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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 subwoofers in order to introduce great sound to the consumer
at an affordable price. But now, we have evolved the speaker design with a new TPC cone material.
Not only do we offer you a great product but also a supportive owners manual. Although technically informative, 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 to us are 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. Our subwoofers are designed for HIGH POWER HANDLING LEVELS, HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS,
and FLEXIBLE INSTALLATION CHOICES.
The focus on our new subwoofers is the TPC 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 TPC 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).
“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)
TPC – TRANSPARENT POLYMER CONE
• LIGHTWEIGHT: The TPC injected plastic cones are lightweight and
mechanically rigid, allowing the speakers to play louder with less power
than conventional paper or poly cones.
• ACOUSTICALLY INERT: The TPC cones move the air in as linear as
possible. This creates an ‘up front’ sound without adding ‘coloration’ to
the original recording.
• ENVIRONMENTALLY RESILIENT: Shape and thickness of the TPC
cones are rigidly controlled in the manufacturing process. This ensures
premium sound accuracy from speaker to speaker and maintains sound
accuracy for many years to come.
• SEE THROUGH: TPC cones allow the user to see inside the speaker.
With simple back-lighting, the visual effects of the TPC cones moving
with the beat of the music are captivating.
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.
■
AGAIN...READ THE MANUAL! There is a lot of helpful information in this manual that will
save time and prevent problems later.
■
COVER THE VEHICLE WORK AREAS - Use fender covers or blankets to protect the work
areas from scratches or dings.
■
DISCONNECT THE (-) LEAD ON THE BATTERY - No sparks or fires please!
■
“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).
■
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.
■
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.
■
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.
■
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.
■
GIVE YOURSELF LOTS OF TIME - Rushing to complete an installation nearly always ends
up with problems.
■
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.
For most installations, simple hand tools are adequate if replacing the factory speakers. If the factory locations, or other
convenient mounting locations are not used, you will need power tools for drilling and cutting plastics and metal. A good
starting list is summarized below:
■
Tape measure and ruler
■
Marking pen and starting punch
■
Phillips and flat blade screwdrivers (small and medium sizes)
■
Nylon wire bundle ties
■
Pliers: standard vice-grip and needle nose styles
■
Light-duty trim pry-bar for removing door trim
■
Cutting shears or nibbling tool for cutting thin and medium gauger metal
■
Wire cutters, wire strippers, electrical tape, crimping pliers and appropriate
crimp-on terminals
■
Power drill with appropriate sized drill bits (1/8", 3/16", and 1/4" to start)
■
Electric jig-saw (sabre saw)
We strongly recommend that you have your Blaupunkt speakers professionally installed. If you choose to do your own
installation please note the following important information:
■
Before cutting any trim or metal make sure your final installation will clear all moving parts, factory cables, wires, and
hoses.
■
Be sure to leave enough slack in the wiring to prevent the need to pull or street wires if service is needed later.
■
Tie down all loose wires with nylon wire ties to prevent them from getting caught in moving parts or shorted out due to
abrasions from moving over time.
■
Never mount speakers in a vehicle’s wheel wells or areas where they may be subjected to moisture or road spray.
■
Proper speaker polarity must be observed. The polarity positive side is marked by a (+) symbol or a red colored dot.
At low frequencies woofers out of phase will acoustically cancel one another thus resulting in little bass output.
■
Although components used in Blaupunkt speakers exceed most production quality standards, speaker frames can still
be twisted by improper installation on uneven surfaces.
■
This can occur when surfaces are heavily padded or carpeted and the screws are unevenly tightened or over
tightened. The results will be a damaged voice coil assembly due to knocking it off center.
■
When installing more than one speaker per amplifier channel be sure that the combined impedance values will not
damage the amplifier should they be too low (i.e., a common minimum impedance value of 2 ohms is common).
■
Speaker wire size should be sufficient to carry the full power of the amplifier (16 gauge or larger is sufficient in about
90% of all audio systems assuming <100 watt amplifiers and wire runs under 20 feet)
■
Speaker wires should be electrically and physically isolated from the vehicle and routed away from any factory wiring
that carries high currents or noises (e.g., ABS brake systems and engine computer signals)
FINAL SYSTEM TEST & TROUBLESHOOTING
Once the system is installed, turn on the total audio system main power switch and SLOWLY turn the volume up using a
music selection with a full range of frequencies. If you experience any of the following problems take corrective action
immediately to prevent damage to the speaker, amplifier, and vehicle.
INSTALLATION TOOLS
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
– 6 –
NO SOUND AT ALL -orVERY LOW SOUND LEVELS
Verify the amplifiers are on and gain controls at mid-position
Verify RCA level signals exist with small test amplifier
Verify power, ground, and RCA cabling to all channels is correct
Verify adequate voltage to the amps (12-14 volts in most vehicles)
Install another outboard speaker at the amp to see if sound comes out
Replace the amplifier
Verify adequate voltage to the amps (12-14 volts in most vehicles)
Check that speaker load impedances are 2 ohms or greater per
channel
Check for a pinched wire or wire shorted to vehicle ground somewhere
Lower input gain to amp - you may be over-driving the input stage
The amp must have adequate ventilation - it may be getting too hot
POWER AMP CYCLES ON/OFF -orHIGH DISTORTION LEVELS
SYSTEM DESIGN GUIDELINES
– 7 –
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.)
Tuner
Passive X-over Sat Amplifier (4x100 W)
Sub Amplifier (2x100 W) Subwoofers
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