Page 1
ELITE
ELITE.5
OWNER’S MANUAL
Page 2
Elite Amplier Owner’s Manual
FEATURES
INTRODUCTION:
Thank you for purchasing a Phoenix Gold Elite.5 amplier, we are condent it will be the nest amplier you
have ever owned.
The Elite ampliers feature only the highest grade of audio components such as Burr Brown op-amps,
Monolithic signal capacitors, and audiophile Sanken output transistors. The result is unparalleled sonic
performance in a mobile audio amplier. With proper installation this amplier is overbuilt to last a lifetime,
thank you for choosing Phoenix Gold.
ELITE.5 dETAILS:
• Class A/B and D Hybrid Topology
• Burr Brown Operational Ampliers
• Monolithic Signal Capacitors
• Audiophile Sanken Output Devices
• Three Overbuilt Unregulated Power Supplies
• Handwound Power Supply Transformers
• Triple Darlington Output Stage
• Isolated Pre-Amp Section
• Crossovers have 41 Detents for Exact Frequency Selection
• Aluminum Shaft Potentiometers
• Panel Mounted RCAs
• Clip Indicators
• Extruded Aluminum Heatsink with Evenow Technology
• Integrated Cooling via Endcap Vents
• Each Amp is Shipped in its Own Soft Felt Protective Cover
• High Temperature Plexiglass Cover
• RMD - Remote Voltage Display Ready
• Remote Level Control with Clip Indicator Included
• Audio Precision Quality Control Verication
• Power Output Birth Certicate
© 2012 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Page 3
Elite Amplier Owner’s Manual
SPECIFICATIONS
FRONT AND REAR CHANNELS
Frequency Response: ± 1dB from 20Hz to 50kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio: >110dB
High and Low Pass Crossovers: 18dB per Octave
Front/Rear High Pass Crossover Range: 20Hz to 4kHz
Rear Low Pass Crossover Range: 40Hz to 4kHz
Low Level Input Range: 200 millivolts to 8 volts
Lowest Recommend Load: 4 ohms Bridged or 2 ohms Stereo
Typical Eciency: 55%
Damping Factor Greater than 200
SUBWOOFER CHANNEL
Frequency Response: ± 1dB from 20Hz to 300Hz
Signal to Noise Ratio: >100dB
Low Pass Crossover: 24dB per Octave
Subsonic Filter: 24dB per Octave
Low Pass Crossover Range: 30Hz to 300Hz
Subsonic Crossover Range: 10Hz to 55Hz
Low Level Input Range: 200 millivolts to 8 volts
Lowest Recommend Load: 1 ohm
Typical Eciency: 85%
Damping Factor: Greater than 200
RMS Power 14.4Vdc ≤1% THD 100 x 4 @ 4 ohms Stereo
150 x 4 @ 2 ohms Stereo
300 x 2 @ 4 ohms Bridged
RMS Power 14.4Vdc ≤ 1% THD 700 x 1 @ 2 ohms
1100 x 1 @ 1 ohm
Note: A power birth certicate is included for each amplier. Elite
ampliers are VERY CONSERVATIVELY rated and will exceed the
RMS power rating by up to 30%.
Recommended Fuse Size: 150 amp
Power/Ground Wire Size: 1/0 Gauge
Dimensions: 23.3” L x 10.5” W x 2.6” H
592mm L x 267mm W x 66mm H
A NOTE ABOUT SPECIFICATIONS....
Elite ampliers were engineered to be the best sounding mobile ampliers on the
planet. Numbers on this sheet of paper can not truly convey the dynamics and
realism these ampliers can deliver. Enjoy
!
© 2012 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Page 4
ELITE.5 FUNCTIONS
Elite Amplier Owner’s Manual
INPUTS
Connect preamp signal cables from headunit to these inputs. The front,
rear and sub inputs must be used. For example, if only the front input is
used then the rear and subwoofer speaker outputs will have no output
signal.
SUBSONIC CROSSOVER FREQUENCY
Controls the highpass crossover point for the speaker outputs to
eliminate extreme low frequencies.
PHASE
This allows the phase of the subwoofer channel’s output to be adjusted
from 0 to 180 degrees. This adjustment can help achieve better “up front”
subwoofer bass and resolve subwoofer cancellation problems in certain
installations. Each installation is dierent, slowly adjust and listen for best
results.
REMOTE LEVEL CONTROL
This port is for connecting the subwoofer remote level control. This is not a bass
boost, it controls the level of the subwoofer channel only.
HP OR LP CROSSOVER FREQUENCY
Controls the crossover point for the speaker outputs. See page 8 for exact crossover
settings.
LEVEL
Used to reach maximum amplier power with a wide variety of headunits.
REAR CONFIG
FLAT:
Crossovers are turned o
HP:
High pass crossover is on
LP/BP:
Low and High Pass crossovers are on, creating a Bandpass (BP) setting for
midbass or midrange speakers.
+12V
This must be connected to the fused positive terminal (+12V) of the car’s
battery. The fuse must be located within 18 inches of the battery.
REMOTE
This must be connected to switched +12V, usually a trigger wire coming
from the head unit or ignition.
GROUND
This must be connected to the negative terminal of the car’s battery or
bolted to a clean, unpainted part of the chassis of the vehicle.
RMD
Optional RMD Voltage Display plugs into this port. Sold separately.
© 2012 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
CLIP INDICATOR
Lights when the amplier reaches near maximum output. Under normal
operation the clip indicator should be ashing during the peaks of the
music. The clip indicator should not stay lit for long periods of time (more
than 2 or 3 seconds), if this is the case you need to reduce system volume
or level of the amplier.
PROTECT INDICATOR
Lights red if there is a problem with the audio system. For example, speaker
wire is pinched/shorted, the amplier is running too low of an impedance
or reached an unsafe temperature.
SPEAKER OUTPUTS
Used to connect the amplier to speakers. Front and rear minimum
impedance is 4 ohms bridged or 2 ohms stereo, subwoofer channel is
1 ohm. Use Left + and Right - to bridge the front or rear channels. The
subwoofer speaker terminal is located on the signal side of the amplier.
Page 5
Elite Amplier Owner’s Manual
All crossover frequency potentiometers have 41 detents or “clicks” so the end user can set the exact cross over frequency desired.
CROSSOVER SETTINGS
SUB CHANNEL
clicks
1 58 315
2 58 315
3 57 308
4 57 304
5 57 298
6 56 292
7 55 286
8 55 280
9 55 274
10 54 267
11 52 260
12 51 238
13 49 221
14 45 207
15 43 193
16 42 182
17 40 172
18 39 162
19 37 153
20 36 146
21 35 139
22 33 133
23 32 125
24 30 104
25 26 89
26 24 78
27 22 69
28 20 63
29 18 57
30 17 52
31 16 48
32 14 44
33 13 42
34 13 39
35 12 37
36 11 35
37 11 33
38 11 32
39 11 32
40 11 32
41 10 32
Subsonic
(10~55hz)LP(30~300Hz)
FRONT AND REAR
CHANNELS
clicks
1
2 4.2k 3.9k
3 3.8k 3.0k
4 2.4k 2.4k
5 1.8k 2.1k
6 1.5k 1.8k
7 1.4k 1.7k
8 1.2k 1.5k
9 1.0k 1.4k
10 965 1.3k
11 878 1.0k
12 660 817
13 511 656
14 425 549
15 349 477
16 308 416
17 268 377
18 244 343
19 218 315
20 201 291
21 185 268
22 170 252
23 153 223
24 115 174
25 90 135
26 73 111
27 61 96
28 53 83
29 46 73
30 42 65
31 37 59
32 34 53
33 31 49
34 28 45
35 26 42
36 25 39
37 23 37
38 23 37
39 23 37
40 23 36
41 23 36
HP
(20~4kHz)
4.2k
(40~4kHz)
LP
3.9k
© 2012 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Page 6
TROUBLESHOOTING
Elite Amplier Owner’s Manual
No power:
Check voltage at the amplier with a DMM (volt
meter), +12v and R (with head unit on) the voltage
should register between 11.5V and 14.4V when using
the attached ground lead of the amplier. Check
fuse at the battery. Use a meter to verify connection
from one end of the fuse to the other, breaks may not
always be visible. If the fuse is blown, check the power
wire and also the amplier for a short. If the short is in
the amplier itself, see your Phoenix Gold dealer. If no
short is present, replace the fuse.
power without souNd:
Turn the amplier o and check all input and output
signal cables and power connections. Check the
speakers for shorts with a DMM (volt meter) or by
connecting them to another audio source. After
making sure everything is correct, turn the amplier
on again.
power, No souNd, protect led lit:
The red PROTECT LED lights when the amplier shuts
down for either thermal or over-current protection.
A high internal amplier operating temperature will
trigger thermal shutdown: after it cools about 5°C,
the amplier will restart. A shorted speaker lead or
operation into unusually low impedance loads will
trigger over-current shutdown: cycle power at the
amplier R terminal to restore operation. Check for
shorted speaker wiring or damaged speakers or
crossover systems if over-current shutdown occurs.
freQueNt amplifier shutdowN with
automatic recoVerY:
This indicates chronic amplier thermal shutdown
because of operation at consistently high internal
temperatures. High operating temperature can be
caused by inadequate ventilation. Make sure you are
not running a lower than recommend impedance.
Also check for damaged speakers or passive crossover
systems. Finally, chronic thermal shutdown may result
from otherwise normal operation of the amplier at
elevated output power levels, which can be resolved
by providing additional amplier cooling, installing a
higher-power amplier, or reducing amplier output
level.
Its critical that Elite ampliers have the proper power
and ground wiring from the vehicle’s electrical system.
Too small of power wire or improper terminations can
cause voltage drops and the amplier to engage its
protection.
power cYcles oN/off QuicKlY:
The power indicator going o repeatedly when the
audio system is on. Check the amplier’s connection
to the battery. Check battery voltage. If low, recharge
or replace the battery. Check all ground connections.
No souNd from oNe or more chaNNels:
Check the balance control in the head unit. Check
speaker connections. Check signal input connection.
Very low output: Check your head unit’s fader control
or the amplier’s input sensitivity level. Make sure
subsonic frequency control is not set too high and LP
frequency control is not set too low at the same time.
© 2012 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
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Elite Amplier Owner’s Manual
SYSTEM TUNING
1. Install all system fuses.
2. Set the amplier’s input sensitivity controls to their
minimum positions (full counterclockwise).
3. Set all amplier crossover switches according to
your system’s design.
4. Make preliminary adjustments to the crossover
frequency, usually around 80Hz is good starting
point for high and low pass. It may be necessary to
ne tune the crossover frequency later for the best
overall sound quality.
5. If using a Remote Subwoofer Level Control, set it to
maximum (full clockwise).
6. Turn the headunit on with the volume set to
minimum.
7. Visually check the amplier’s has turned on by the
power LED.
8. Check the condition of all other components to
make sure they are powered up.
9. Set the headunit’s tone controls, balance, and fader
to the center (at) position. Turn o any loudness or
other signal processing features.
10. Set the volume control of the headunit for
maximum undistorted output (on most headunits
this will be approximately 7/8 of maximum
volume). Use a very clear and dynamic recording.
14. Listen to various musical selections to check
overall system balance. Compare front to rear,
midbass to midrange, etc. If one speaker set is too
loud compared to another, then its level must be
lowered to blend correctly with the other speakers.
Note: For subwoofers controlled by the Remote
level control, keep the level setting from step 11
or 12. Use the control to blend subwoofers with
the rest of the system. The correct subwoofer
volume will change depending on road noise and
dierences in recordings.
15. Fine tune crossover frequencies to achieve the
smoothest possible blending of each speaker set.
16. Adjust the Bass Equalization Controls on the
amplier, headunit or processor upstream if
necessary to increase output.
Note: Use these controls sparingly. Every 3dB
of boost requires double the power at 45Hz. If
your subwoofer system requires a lot of boost to
sound good, there may be a problem. Look for
out-of-phase woofers, a leaking subwoofer box, or
incorrect box size.
17. With all levels set correctly, the system will reach
overall maximum undistorted output at the
volume level set in step 10.
11. Turn up the sensitivity or input level control on
the amplier until the speakers reach maximum
undistorted output.
12. Repeat sensitivity level adjustments for all other
ampliers.
13. Reduce the headunit’s volume to a comfortable
level.
© 2012 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
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Phoenix Gold
A Division of AAMP of America™
13190 56th Court
Clearwater, Florida 33760
P: 888-228-5560
info@phoenixgold.com
www.phoenixgold.com
© 2012 AAMP of Florida, Inc
Designed and Engineered in the USA
LIMITED WARRANTY ON AMPLIFIERS
Phoenix Gold warrants this product to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the original date of purchase. This
warranty is not transferable and applies only to the original purchaser from an authorized Phoenix Gold dealer in the United States of America only. Should service
be necessary under this warranty for any reason due to manufacturing defect or malfunction, Phoenix Gold will (at its discretion), repair or replace the defective
product with new or remanufactured product at no charge. Damage caused by the following is not covered under warranty: accident, misuse, abuse, product
modication or neglect, failure to follow installation instructions, unauthorized repair attempts, misrepresentations by the seller. This warranty does not cover
incidental or consequential damages and does not cover the cost of removing or reinstalling the unit(s). Cosmetic damage due to accident or normal wear and
tear is not covered under warranty.
INTERNATIONAL WARRANTIES:
Products purchased outside the United States of America are covered only by that country’s Authorized Phoenix Gold reseller and not by Phoenix Gold. Consumers
needing service or warranty information for these products must contact that country’s reseller for information.
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