Hifionics BRZ2100.1D, BRZ3000.1D PRO, BRZ2400.1D, BRZ1200.1D, BRZ1700.1D User Manual 2

BRZ1200.1D / BRZ1700.1D / BRZ2100.1D

BRZ2400.1D / BRZ3000.1D PRO

HIFONICS BRUTUS

HIGH PERFORMANCE AMPLIFIERS

The BRUTUS BRZ Series products have been designed to a very high level of performance, with features unavailable in any other product. All of the amplifiers have variable crossovers built in, with added touches such as subsonic filter, bass equalization and an HFR-3 remote control module that allows overall Level control from reach of the drivers seat.

To insure years of listening pleasure, all amplifiers have a built in diagnostic mode that will detect shorted speaker leads, low impedance, dangerous high temperatures, DC shorts and will shut down the amp to help prevent damage.

General Installation Procedure............................................................................................................................................1

AMPLIFIER FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS...............................................................................................................................2

BRZ1200.1D / BRZ1700.1D / BRZ2100.1D / BRZ2400.1D / BRZ3000.1D PRO

BRZ1200.1D Applications....................................................................................................................................................3

BRZ1700.1D Applications....................................................................................................................................................4

BRZ2100.1D / BRZ2400.1D / BRZ3000.1D PRO Applications...........................................................................................5

Setting up systems after installation for best performance.............................................................................................6

Trouble Shooting and Diagnostics.....................................................................................................................................7

Features and Specifications................................................................................................................................................8

Product Warranty..................................................................................................................................................................9

Check out our videos of new products,

events and technical tutorials at

www.youtube.com/maxxsonicsusainc

The contents of this manual may not be reproduced or copied with out the written consent of MAXXSONICS USA, Inc.

GENERAL INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

System Design

The success of any car stereo system relies on several factors, such as the system design, execution of the installation, and system setup. Please remember that any system is only as good as its weakest link.

Please remember that higher power systems are not necessarily useful purely for high sound pressure levels, but also to establish a headroom capability, to reproduce musical peaks cleanly without distortion. Lower power amplifiers will clip earlier than their more powerful cousins, and cause loudspeaker failure when overdriven, due to the harmonics generated by a clipped signal, thus overheating voice coils.

Amplifiers should be mounted with the fins running horizontally for best convection cooling, to minimize overheating. Purchase the best quality RCA cables you can afford, for reliability and less engine noise interference in the audio system.

Installation

WOOD

It is highly recommended that the amplifier be mounted to a board of MDF or other solid structure using the 4 mounting screws provided. Avoid mounting the amplifier to metal as this can introduce noise and other unwanted issues. When mounting the amplifier, ensure that it is mounted HORIZONTALLY, as shown in the diagram above, for optimal heat dissipation. Mounting amplifiers to speaker enclosures is not recommended as this can cause damage to the amplifier components. When choosing a location for mounting the amplifier, ensure that you check for clearance from wires, gas tank, electrical devices and brake lines etc.

General:

Run the wiring so that RCA cables are at least 18“ away from power and speaker cables. Keep RCA cables away from electrical devices in the vehicle that can cause electrical noise, such as electric fuel pumps, emission control modules and other on-board electronic modules.

H F

Power and ground connections(see the features matrix on page 8 for proper gauge cables per amplifier):

Use a sufficient gauge power cable and ground cable using the chart below as reference to what size wire you require. Brutus series amplifiers require at least 4 gauge power wire. In a multi amplifier system, add the total value of the manufacture recommended fusing to get your total system amperage. Some applications may require multiple runs of power wire to meet the system requirements. In multi amplifier systems it is advisable to mount a large enough fuse right at the battery, and run one or multiple +12 volt power cables to a fused distribution block near the amplifiers. It is then a simple matter to connect the +12 volt terminal of each amplifier to the distribution block. During this process, please ensure that the main power fuse is removed to avoid shorting the electrical system. The main fuse must be within 12” of the vehicles battery.

Ground each amplifier with as short a ground lead as possible directly to the vehicle chassis using at least 4 gauge wire or equivalent to the size of the amplifiers’ power wire. Use a ground distribution block, if you wish, but it is extremely important to keep the main ground lead from this distribution block to the chassis as short as possible , not more than 12“. The ground connection integrity to the chassis is very important, and the best way to achieve a good, solid electrical and mechanical contact is to use a large round crimp lug, crimped and soldered to the ground cable. The next step is to scrape the paint off the vehicle chassis , slightly larger than the ground lug, at the connection point. Drill a clearance hole in the chassis, the same size as the lug hole, and use a bolt, spring washer and nut to securely fasten the ground lug. Use petroleum jelly to coat the bolt/lug connection, to prevent oxidization with time.

TIP: Use the same approach when installing head units, equalizers or any audio equipment for that matter - run short individual grounds from each piece directly to

the vehicle chassis, to minimize ground loops and system noise. All power, ground and speaker connections should be crimped and soldered for reliability. Make sure that none of the cable insulation can chafe against exposed metal in the vehicle, causing short circuits to the chassis.

WIRE LENGTH

SYSTEM AMPERAGE

35-50

50-65

68-85

85-105

105-125

125-150

7-10 ft. 10-13 ft. 13-16 ft.

16-19 ft. 19-22 ft. 22-28 ft.

NOTE: This Matrix is a general rule

WIRE GAUGE

of thumb. Please refer to the manufacturers specific requirements. Brutus specifications can be found on page 8.

Safe connection sequence:

After all cables are run, connect speaker wires to the speakers and amplifiers, then run and plug in RCA cables. Next, connect all power, ground, and remote turn on leads. Now connect all +12 volt cables to the amplifier/s and distribution blocks and fuse holders. Finally, connect the main +12 volt cable to the battery, with the main fuse removed, and we are almost ready to power up the system.

Power up the system:

The following procedure may seem like overkill, but there is nothing more frustrating when turning on a system for the first time, and it does not work properly immediately. First, make sure the head unit is off, and turn all level controls to minimum (counterclockwise), including the head unit volume control. Set all equalizers to 0 dB (no boost), and all crossover frequency controls at approximate frequencies, as recommended by the loudspeaker manufacturer. Set all input selector and crossover switches as required for the application. Remove all amplifier fuses, and insert the main fuse at the battery. If the fuse does not blow, you can insert the fuse in one of the amplifiers, and we are ready to turn on the system. Turn the head unit on, insert a CD, or select a radio station, and increase the head unit volume control. If the system sounds fine, turn off the head unit, and install fuses in the remaining amplifiers, one by one, till the complete system is powered up and functioning properly.

AMPLIFIER FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS

BRZ1200.1D / BRZ1700.1D MONO AMPLIFIERS

INPUT OUTPUT INPUT LEVEL PHASE REMOTE BASS EQ SONIC LOW PASS

L L

R R

BALANCED

9V 0.2V 0 180 0dB 10dB 15Hz 35Hz 35Hz 250Hz

BRZ2100.1D / BRZ2400.1D / BRZ3000.1D PRO MONO AMPLIFIERS

INPUT OUTPUT INPUT LEVEL PHASE REMOTE BASS EQ SONIC LOW PASS

L L

R R

The line input signal is routed directly to the line output RCA’s jacks regardless of the crossover settings. The REMOTE jack allows the addition of the HFR-3 module which controls the Level. .- SUBSONIC allows control from 15Hz to 35Hz

- BASS EQ allows control from 0dB to 10dB

- LOW PASS allows control from 35Hz to 250Hz

- PHASE shift allows 0 degrees to 180 degrees LEVEL: allows you to match the amplifier input level (gain) to the Radio/CD player output level.

- POWER: indicates that the amp has power, ground and remote turn-on input via a green L.E.D.

- PROTECT: indicates that the amplifier has detected a fault and will not operate. There are several possible problems that can cause the amplifier to go into the protect mode. See the trouble shooting guide in the back of the manual for details.

- BALANCED INPUT: Accepts line level balanced input from 0.4v to 18v.

BALANCED

9V 0.2V 0 180 0dB 10dB 15Hz 35Hz 35Hz 250Hz

SUB

POWER

PROTECT

SUB

HFR-3

POWER PROTECT

OUTPUT MASTER

INPUT SLAVE

BOOST

MIN MAXX

OUT

The 1 channel mono amplifiers are capable of 4, 2 & 1 ohm loads and can be used in any of the “bi-amplifier” systems described in the 2 and 4 channel Zeus and HFi amp manuals.

CAUTION: DO NOT OPERATE ANY AMPLIFIER BELOW THE INTENDED IMPEDANCE. YOU WILL CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE AMPLIFIER THAT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY PRINTED IN THE BACK OF THE MANUAL.

Mono amps: 4, 2 & 1 Ohms.

Amplifier Feature Descriptions:

BALANCED INPUT: Accepts balanced line inputs from 0.4 volts to 18 volts. LINE INPUT: The Line Inputs are the RCA input jacks labeled “LINE INPUT”. This is where the Radio/CD player RCA outputs connect to. The Line Inputs accept

unbalanced RCA inputs from 0.2 volts to 9 volts. LINE OUTPUT: The Line Outputs are a direct pass-through from the inputs. The RCA input signal from the radio/CD player is routed through the amplifier and out of the Line Outputs. The outputs would connect to another amp Line Inputs in a multi-amp set-up.This allows you to daisy chain multiple amps from a single set of RCA cables from the radio/CD player. LEVEL: The input level control allows you to match the amplifier input sensitivity to the output level of the RADIO/CD player from 0.2 Volts to 9 volts when using unbalanced RCA cables. The Level control needs to be adjusted to match the Line Level Sensitivity (this is the amount of voltage the radio/CD player RCA’s provide. Example: If the radio/CD player Line Level Sensitivity is 4 volts, adjust the amp Level control to 4 volts.

SUBSONIC: The variable Subsonic filter is for subwoofer applications that require very low tuning frequencies typically around 15Hz - 35Hz. BASS EQ: Variable Bass Boost from 0 to 10dB at a fixed 45Hz. LOW PASS: Fully adjustable crossover from 35 to 250Hz. PHASE SHIFT: The Phase Shift is fully adjustable from 0 to 180 degrees and this allows you to control the timing of the subwoofers. This is commonly used when

the subwoofers are installed in each front door. POWER/PROTECT: The amplifier has built-in monitoring devices and protection circuits that monitor all vital functions of the amplifier. The Protection light does not come on to indicate there is a failure, it comes on when it detects an improper operation. Common issues that cause Protection status are:

- THERMAL: The amp has an internal temperature sensor that will automatically shut off the amp if it reaches dangerous temperature levels.

- OVER LOAD: If the amp is run at an improper impedance, the amp will shut down. If you are “CLIPPING” speakers / subwoofer(s), the light will blink to indicate a hard clip.

- DC PROTECT: In the unlikely event the amp should internally fail, the amp will shut down to prevent a DC voltage output to the speakers or sub. REMOTE: The HFR-3 Remote Module plugs into the Remote jack and allows you to adjust the Level. MASTER/SLAVE: Allows for Linking/Strapping two amplifiers to a single subwoofer or multiple subwoofers that are wired together. (BRZ2100.1D, BRZ2400.1D and BRZ3000.1D PRO models)

BRZ1200.1D MONO AMPLIFIER APPLICATIONS

Basic application

Interconnect cable checklist:

- Connect the line inputs to a Radio/CD RCA outputs or line output of the Minimum final loudspeaker impedance: full range primary amplifier with good quality RCA cables. A “Y” adapter - 1 ohm. may be needed as shown in the diagram.

- Use at least 16 gauge speaker wiring. These amplifiers have dual speaker terminals, simplifying the hookup of multiple speakers. The 2 positives are the same and the 2 negatives are the same.

Crossover frequency control checklist:

- LOW PASS: 35Hz to 250Hz

- SUBSONIC:15 Hz to 35 Hz

- BASS EQ: 0 to 10dB

- PHASE: 0 to 180 degrees Level control checklist:

- Refer to the section “Setting up systems after installation for best

performance”

R R

L L

INPUT OUTPUT INPUT LEVEL PHASE REMOTE BASS EQ SONIC LOW PASS

DESIGNATED

MONO LINE INPUT

BOOST

HFR-3

MIN MAXX

BALANCED

9V 0.2V 0 180 0dB 10dB 15Hz 35Hz 35Hz 250Hz

SUB

POWER

PROTECT

FULL RANGE

STEREO LINE INPUT

Y-ADAPTOR

NOT USED

Note: You can use the Radio/CD designated mono line output

or a full range stereo line output. For full range stereo line output, you will need an optional “Y-Adaptor” as shown

MONO

SUBWOOFER

1-OHM MINIMUM

SPEAKER OUTPUT

- - + +

FUSE

TO BATTERY +12v VIA FUSE

POWER INPUT

GND REM BATT+12V

REMOTE TURN-ON CHASSIS GROUND

Dual Subwoofer Application

DESIGNATED

MONO LINE INPUT

BOOST

HFR-3

MIN MAXX

PARALLEL MONO

SUBWOOFERS

2-OHMS SVC EACH MINIMUM,

or 4-OHMS DVC EACH MINIMUM

R R

L L

INPUT OUTPUT INPUT LEVEL PHASE REMOTE BASS EQ SONIC LOW PASS

BALANCED

9V 0.2V 0 180 0dB 10dB 15Hz 35Hz 35Hz 250Hz

SUB

SPEAKER OUTPUT

- - + +

FUSE

MONO

SUBWOOFERS

TO BATTERY +12v VIA FUSE

POWER INPUT

POWER

PROTECT

GND REM BATT+12V

REMOTE TURN-ON CHASSIS GROUND

+ 9 hidden pages