Owner’s & Installation Manual
XC7420
4/3/2 Channel Full-Range Class D
System Amplifi er with DSP
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THANK YOU
Congratulations on your purchase of a Clarion XC7 Series amplifi er. This series of ultra
high speed digital switching amplifi ers was designed in the United States to offer sound
quality that exceeds that of many conventional Class AB designs while offering excellent
effi ciency. When installed and confi gured properly, XC7 amplifi ers will bring a new level
of realism and impact to your mobile entertainment system. To get the best performance
from your amplifi er, Clarion recommends that you have this amplifi er installed and
confi gured by an experienced professional.
XC-TUNE SOFTWARE AND DSP SETUP
The XC7420 amplifi er is designed to provide the highest possible performance from your
mobile entertainment system. In order to maximize the amplifi er’s ability to produce a
stable and accurate soundstage, all controls for the amplifi er have been integrated into the
Digital Signal Processor (DSP) circuitry of the amplifi er. There are NO analog controls on
this amplifi er.
A personal computer (laptop, netbook or tablet) running a Windows operating system
(Version 7, 8 or 10) with a USB 2.0 port is required to set up the XC7420 amplifi er using
the XC-Tune software application. The use of an Apple computer running Windows in
any kind of emulator mode (BootCamp, etc) is not supported. Computers connected
to the XC7420 should ideally be battery powered. The potential for ground loops from
12V Inverters or external power sources can lead to damage. If you aren’t 100% sure,
please operate the computer from battery power alone. Damage caused by improper
communication with any XC7 amplifi er is not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.
The XC-Tune Operators Manual can be found at: www.clarion.com/ca/
ABOUT THE MANUAL AND WARRANTY
This manual describes the basic requirements to install the Clarion XC7420 amplifi er. The
installation and confi guration of this amplifi er can be quite complex. If you do not possess
the necessary knowledge, experience and/or tools to perform this installation, please
contact your local authorized Clarion dealer to arrange for professional installation. Keep
all instructions and your sales receipt for future reference and warranty purposes.
XC7420 AMPLIFIER FEATURES
The Clarion XC7 Series of amplifi ers are designed with performance and convenience in
mind. Through the use of state-of-the art Digital Signal Processing and high speed output
devices, these amplifi ers offer a level of sound quality that has been unheard of in a high
speed switching amplifi er. The XC7420 amplifi er includes the following features:
• Ultra High Speed output devices for dynamic performance
• Pulse Width Modulated MOSFET Power Supply for effi cient power delivery
• Remote Turn-On with muting for silent start-up
• 6 Channel RCA Input
• 2 Channel RCA Output with DSP Processing
• 2 Ohm Stereo, 4 Ohm Mono Stable
• XC-Tune DSP (Input Mixing, Sensitivity, Crossovers, EQ and Time Alignment)
• DSP Confi gurable BC2 Remote Level control Included
• Speaker level input RCA adapters included
• TRI-ON Auto-Sense turn-on detection for OEM integration
• Corrosion resistant power, speaker and RCA connections
• Circuit Boards with a conformal coating to resist moisture damage
• Low Profi le design with corrosion resistant high effi ciency aluminum heat sink
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WARNING
Clarion products are capable of producing high sound pressure levels that can damage
your hearing and make it diffi cult for the driver of the vehicle to hear other cars or
emergency vehicles. Clarion wants you as a customer for life - please be responsible at all
times while enjoying your audio system. Clarion takes no responsibility for any personal
injury, loss, damage or loss of income associated with the use, or misuse of this product.
Please refer to the included warranty statement for details.
XC7420 CONNECTIONS AND CONTROLS
1. Two 30A ATO Fuses
2. +12V Constant Power Source
3. Remote Turn-On Connection
4. Ground Connection
5. Channel 5 Output RCA Connection
6. Channel 1 Input RCA Connection
7. Channel 3 Input RCA Connection
8. Channel 5 Input RCA Connection
9. TRI-ON Channel 1 Auto Sensing Control Switch
10. USB Connection Port
11. XC-Tune Bootloader Activation Switch
12. BC2 Remote Level Control Connection Jack
13. Channel 6 Output RCA Connection
14. Channel 2 Input RCA Connection
15. Power/Protect LED
16. Channel 4 Input RCA Connection
17. Channel 6 Input RCA Connection
18. Channel 1&2 Speaker Output Terminals
19. Channel 3&4 Speaker Output Terminals
MARINE READY DESIGN
All Clarion XC7 amplifi ers are Marine Ready. This means that the components used to
construct the amplifi er are, as much as possible, designed to withstand exposure to the
high humidity conditions commonly associated with marine applications. The Marine
Ready features include aluminum heat sinks, stainless steel hardware and a conformal
coating on the circuit boards.
The Marine Ready designation does not in any way imply that Clarion XC7 amplifi ers are
waterproof or water resistant. These amplifi ers must be installed in a location that will
remain dry at all times.
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6 875 9
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18 191614 17
1110
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GENERAL FUNCTION EXPLANATION
Setting Mixer/Gain Settings in XC-Tune
This adjustment is provided for each channel in order to adjust the amplifi er sensitivity
so that it will produce maximum power given a variety of different input signal voltages.
Setting this control correctly will ensure that you get maximum performance from your
amplifi er and is critical to ensuring that minimal noise and distortion is produced.
Clarion recommends the use of an Oscilloscope or distortion detecting device such as the
SMD DD-1 or DD-1+ Distortion Detector to properly set amplifi er sensitivity. A headroom
setting of approximately 10dB will help to ensure that music that is recorded at low levels
can still be reproduced at high volume levels. With this setting, it is the responsibility of the
operator to use the amplifi er in a manner that will not produce audible distortion.
Procedure (Oscilloscope) Method:
1. Obtain a test disc with a selection of Sine Waves recorded at -5dB and -10dB.
2. Turn the gain all the way down on the amplifi er (to the left).
3. Connect the ground terminal of the scope lead to the shield of the RCA cable
coming from the source unit. Do no connect the scope lead to the speaker output
terminals.
4. Connect the scope probe to a speaker terminal on the channel you want to adjust.
5. Select a Sine wave frequency that is well away from the chosen crossover frequency.
For midrange speakers use 1kHz at -5dB, use 40Hz at -10dB for subwoofers.
6. Turn the source unit up as high as possible without distortion.
7. Monitor the output waveform of the amp on the scope.
8. Increase the sensitivity of the amplifi er until the scope waveform shows a small fl at
spot on the top or bottom of the waveform. See Figure 2 for an example of what to
look for.
SMD DD-1 Method:
1. Following the instructions provided with the DD-1, use the 0dB track to confi rm the
output of the audio signal source is unclipped.
2. Connect the DD-1 to the output of the amplifi er and use an appropriate -5dB or -10dB
track. Increase the gain on the amplifi er until the Distortion LED illuminates
You should be able to turn the volume up to almost full (or wherever your source unit clips/
distorts) without hearing distortion. If you can’t turn the volume up most of the way without
distortion, the sensitivity control is not adjusted properly.
Sine wave unclipped
Clipped Sine wave
Sine wave well bellow clipping
Fig 1 - Sine Wave at different Levels Fig 2 - Close-Up of waveforms
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GENERAL FUNCTION EXPLANATION - CON’T
TRI-ON Auto Sensing Turn-ON Control Switch
All XC7 amplifi ers feature an automatic turn-on circuit called TRI-ON that will activate the
amplifi er without the need for a connection to the REM terminal. The switch has three
positions - SIG, OFF and DC.
SIG - Signal Detect Mode
In this setting, the amplifi er will monitor Channel 1 input for the presence of an audio
signal. The signal needs to be moderately loud in order for the amplifi er to activate.
NOTE: in some applications,if a speaker is still connected to the wires on this input, the
voltage produced from speakers moving when a door is closed may be adequate to trick
the amp to turn on. This is the least desirable setting.
OFF - Remote Turn-On Connection Mode
In this mode, the amplifi er turns on when a 12V signal is connected to the REM terminal.
This is the preferred method of turning on the amplifi er.
DC - DC Voltage Detection Mode
In this mode, the amplifi er will monitor Channel 1 input for the DC offset voltage produced
by a BTL type amplifi er. To check for the presence of BTL, you can monitor the DC
voltage on the speaker wires of the signal source. When you turn on the source, you
should see 5-6 Volts DC (or more) on the wires. The presence of this DC voltage will
activate the amplifi er.
Remote Turn-On Connection
When +12V is applied to this terminal, the amplifi er will turn on. When installing the
amplifi er with an after market source unit, this wire is typically Blue with a White stripe.
Some OEM source units have a wire that behaves similarly.
Speaker Connections
The XC7420 amplifi er is capable of driving reactive loads with a minimum nominal
impedance of 2 Ohms per channel and 4 Ohms when bridged. When wiring speakers
in stereo, the positive and negative leads from the speakers should connected to the
respective channels positive and negative connections on the amplifi er. When bridging the
amplifi er to drive a mono load, only the outside terminals should be used.
Input RCA Connections
The RCA Input connections should be connected
to the RCA Pre-amp outputs of an after market
head unit. If you are using a head unit or factory
amplifi er that only has speaker level outputs,
please use the high-level input adapters that
are included with each amp. Please wire them
according to the adjacent image. Note, there are components in these connectors used
to attenuate the signal. Do not substitute conventional RCA terminals for these adapters
or damage will occur. Damage from over-driving the input stage of the amplifi er is not
covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.
NOTE: When connecting to the output of a factory amplifi er, you may need to install
load resistors on the amplifi er outputs to compensate for the output fi ltering circuit of the
amplifi er. A 50 Ohm, 5 Watt resistor usually works well.
Red
White
Red
Black
White
Blue
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