JL Audio 505 User Manual

Thank you for purchasing a JL Audio amplifier for

your automotive sound system.

Your amplifier has been designed and manufactured to exacting

standards in order to ensure years of musical enjoyment in your

vehicle. For maximum performance and extended warranty

coverage, we highly recommend that you have your new amplifier

installed by an authorized JL Audio dealer. Your authorized

dealer has the training, expertise and installation equipment to

ensure optimum performance from this product. Should you

decide to install the amplifier yourself, please take the time

to read this manual thoroughly so as to familiarize yourself

with its installation requirements and setup procedures.

If you have any questions regarding the instructions in this

manual or any aspect of your amplifier’s operation, please contact

your authorized JL Audio dealer for assistance. If you need further

assistance, please call the JL Audio Technical Support Department at

[phone] during business hours (Eastern Time Zone).

JL AUDIO 500/5

five-channel system amplifier

owner’s manual

PLANNING YOUR INSTALLATION

It is important that you take the time to read
this manual and that you plan out your installation
carefully.The following are some considerations
that you must take into account when planning
your installation.

Cooling Efficiency Considerations:

Your JL Audio amplifier employs an advanced
type of heat management, called RealSink™.This
feature takes advantage of convection and radiation
effects to remove heat from the amplifier circuitry.
For optimum cooling performance, the vertical heat
sinks located at the back of the amplifier should be
exposed to as large a volume of air as possible.
Enclosing the amplifier in a small, poorly ventilated
chamber can lead to excessive heat build-up and
degraded performance. If an installation calls for an
enclosure around the amplifier, we recommend that
this enclosure be ventilated with the aid of a fan. In
normal applications, fan-cooling is not necessary, but
you still need to follow some basic guidelines:

• Amplifier mounted vertically with heat sink fins

pointing up: Optimum

• Amplifier mounted horizontally,

right side up: Good

• Amplifier mounted horizontally, but upside down:

Fair (not recommended if there is less than 1 inch
(2.5 cm) clearance above the amplifier heat sinks)

• Amplifier mounted vertically with heat sink fins

pointing laterally: Fair

• Amplifier mounted vertically with heat sink fins

pointing down: Poor (not recommended)

If mounting the amplifier under a seat, make sure
there is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space above the
amplifier heat sink fins to permit proper cooling.

Safety Considerations:

Your amplifier needs to be installed in a dry,
well-ventilated environment and in a manner
which does not interfere with your vehicle’s safety
equipment (air bags, seat belt systems,ABS brake
systems, etc.).You should also take the time to
securely mount the amplifier using the supplied
screws so that it does not come loose in the event
of a collision or a sudden jolt to the vehicle (20 lbs.
of aluminum traveling at 60 MPH will hurt you).

Stupid Mistakes to Avoid:

• Check before drilling any holes in your vehicle to

make sure that you will not be drilling through a
gas tank, brake line, wiring harness or other vital
vehicle system.

• Do not run system wiring outside or underneath

the vehicle.This is an extremely dangerous
practice which can result in severe damage to
your vehicle and person.

• Protect all system wires from sharp metal

edges and wear by carefully routing them,
tying them down and using grommets and
loom where appropriate.

• Do not mount the amplifier in the engine

compartment, under the vehicle, on the roof
or in any other area that will expose the amplifier
circuitry to the elements.

JL AUDIO 500/5 3

Input Sensitivity Control

(pg. 6)

Rear High-Pass

Filter Slope

Selection / Defeat

(pg. 8)

Ambience Mode

Selector

(pg. 17)

Input Voltage

Range Selector

(pg. 6)

Input Voltage

Range Selector

(pg. 6)

Selects

2ch/4ch Mode

(pg. 7)

Selects Bandpass

or High-Pass

Mode for

Output Filter

(pg. 7)

Front Filter

Slope Selection

(pg. 7)

Rear Frequency
Range Selector

(pg. 8)

Front Frequency

Range Selector

(pg. 8)

Selects Front Filter

Cutoff Frequency

(pg. 8)

Input Sensitivity

Control

(pg. 6)

Left and Right

Input Jacks

(pg. 6)

Left and Right

Input Jacks

(pg. 6)

Rear Speaker

Outputs

(pg. 11)

Front Speaker

Outputs

(pg. 11)

Front Input Section

Input Sens.

Input Voltage

Low/High

Left Ch.

Right Ch.

Front Filter Section

Freq. Range

x1/x10

HP Filter Freq.(Hz)

Front Speaker Outputs

Filter Slope

12dB/24dB

Filter Mode

Off/BP/HP

Rear Speaker Outputs (25Wx2)

Rear Input Section

Input Sens.

Input Voltage

Low/High

Left Ch.

Right Ch.

L-R Ambience

Off/On

Rear Filter Section

Freq. Range

x1/x10

Filter Freq. (Hz)

High-Pass Filter

Off/12dB/24dB

F/R Input Mode

2ch/4ch

Also sets
low-pass
cutoff for
Front Ch.
Bandpass

filter (when

selected)

Rear
Inputs

Only

Front

and

Rear

Selects Rear Filter

Cutoff Frequency

(pg. 8)

Left and Right

Sub Input Jacks

(pg. 6)

Subwoofer Low­Pass Filter Slope

Selection / Defeat

(pg. 9)

Input Sensitivity

Control

(pg. 6)

Infrasonic Filter

Defeat Switch

(pg. 10)

Preamp Output

Signal Selector

(pg. 9)

Left and Right

Preamp Output Jacks

(pg. 9)

Jack for

Remote Bass

Control Knob

(pg. 10)

LF Boost

Control
(pg. 10)

Input Voltage

Range Selector

(pg. 6)

Selects Output

Filter Cutoff

Frequency

(pg. 9)

Positive

Subwoofer

Outputs
(pg. 11)

Subwoofer Input

Mode Selector

(pg. 7)

Remote Turn-On

Connector

(pg. 6)

Chassis Ground

Connector

(pg. 5)

+12 V Power

Connector

(pg. 5)

Negative

Subwoofer

Outputs

(pg. 11)

JL AUDIO 500/5

five-channel system amplifier

+12VDC Ground Remote

Subwoofer Output (250Wx1)

Sub LP/F+R Inputs/Front

Subwoofer Channel Control Section

Input Sens.

Input Voltage

Low/High

Independent Sub Input

Sub LP Filter

Off/12dB/24dB

Preamp Output Section

Signal From

Filter Freq. (Hz)

Remote Bass

Port

Off/30Hz

LF Boost (dB)

Input From:

Ind./F+R/Front

Infrasonic Filter

Left

Right

Left Ch.

Right Ch.

+1

+13

+3

+7

+10

PROTECT YOUR HEARING!

We value you as a long-term customer. For that
reason, we urge you to practice restraint in the
operation of this product so as not to damage your
hearing and that of others in your vehicle. Studies
have shown that continuous exposure to high
sound pressure levels can lead to permanent
(irreparable) hearing loss. This and all other high­power amplifiers are capable of producing such high
sound pressure levels when connected to a speaker
system. Please limit your continuous exposure to
high volume levels.

While driving, operate your audio system in a
manner that still allows you to hear necessary noises
to operate your vehicle safely (horns, sirens, etc.).

SERIAL NUMBER

In the event that your amplifier requires service
or is ever stolen, you will need to have a record of
the product’s serial number. Please take the time to
enter that number in the space provided below.
The serial number can be found on the bottom
panel of the amplifier and on the amplifier packaging.

Serial Number:

_______________________________

INSTALLATION APPLICATIONS

This amplifier is designed for operation in vehicles
with 12V, negative-ground electrical systems. Use of
this product in vehicles with positive ground and/or
voltages other than 12V may result in damage to the
product and will void the warranty.

This product is not certified or approved for
use in aircraft.

Do not attempt to “bridge” the outputs of this
amplifier with the outputs of a second amplifier,
including an identical one.

2 JL AUDIO 500/5

12) Carefully review the amplifier’s control
settings to make sure that they are set according to
the needs of the system.

13) Install power wire fuse (50A for a
single 500/5) and reconnect the negative
battery post terminal.

14) Turn on the source unit at a low level
to double-check that the amplifier is configured
correctly. Resist the temptation to crank it up until
you have verified the control settings.

15) Make necessary adjustments to the input
sensitivity controls of the subwoofer channel and
front and rear channel pairs to obtain the right
overall output and the desired balance between
their outputs. See Appendix B (page 22) for the
recommended input sensitivity setting method.

16) Enjoy the fruits of your labor with your
favorite music.

POWER CONNECTIONS

Before installing the amplifier, disconnect the
negative (ground) wire from the vehicle's battery.
This will prevent accidental damage to the system,
the vehicle and your body during installation.

The 500/5's “+12 VDC” and “Ground”
connections are designed to accept 4 AWG power
wire. 4 AWG is the only recommended

power wire size for this amplifier.

If you are installing the 500/5 with other
amplifiers and wish to use a single main power wire,
use 2 AWG or 1/0 AWG main power wire
(depending on the overall current demands of all
the amplifiers in the system).This 2 AWG or 1/0
AWG power wire should terminate into a
distribution block mounted as close to the amplifiers
as possible and should connect to the 500/5 with
4 AWGpower wire.

Please note that smaller AWG numbers mean
bigger wire and vice-versa (1/0 AWG is biggest, 2
AWG is smaller, then 4 AWG, then 8 AWG, etc.).

JL AUDIO 500/5

five-channel system amplifier

+12VDC Ground Remote

To connect the power wires to the amplifier, first
back out the set screw on the top of the amplifier,
using the supplied 2.5 mm hex wrench. Strip
1/2 inch (12 mm) of insulation from the end of
each wire and insert the bare wire into the
receptacle on the front panel of the amplifier, seating
it firmly so that no bare wire is exposed.While
holding the wire in place, tighten the set screw
firmly, taking care not to strip the head of the screw.

The ground connection should be made using
the same gauge wire as the power connection
(4 AWG) and should be kept as short as possible,
while accessing a solid piece of sheet metal in the
vehicle.The surface of the sheet metal should be
sanded at the contact point to create a clean, metal­to-metal connection between the chassis and the
termination of the ground wire. The use of a star
washer to lock down the connection is advisable.

Any wires run through metal barriers (such as
firewalls), must be protected with a high quality
rubber grommet to prevent damage to the
insulation of the wire. Failure to do so may result in
a dangerous short circuit.

Many vehicles employ small (10 AWG - 6 AWG)
wire to ground the battery to the vehicle chassis and
to connect the alternator's positive connection to the
battery.To prevent voltage drops, these wires should
be upgraded to 4 AWG when installing amplifier
systems with main fuse ratings above 60A.

FUSE REQUIREMENTS

It is absolutely vital that the main power wire(s)
to the amplifier(s) in the system be fused within
18 inches (45 cm) of the positive battery post
connection.The fuse value at each power wire
should be high enough for all of the equipment
being run from that power wire. If only the
500/5 is being run from that power wire, we
recommend a 50A fuse be used. AGU (big glass
fuse) or MaxiFuse™ (big plastic-body fuse) types
are recommended.

No fuse is required or recommended directly
before the amplifier power connection. If one is
desired, we recommend the use of a 50A AGU fuse
or MaxiFuse™ type.

IMPORTANT

!

JL AUDIO 500/5 5

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The JL Audio 500/5 is a five-channel system
amplifier utilizing patented Absolute Symmetry™
Class AB technology for its front and rear channels
and patented Class D technology for its subwoofer
channel. Front and subwoofer channels benefit from
JL Audio's exclusive R.I.P.S. power supply design
which optimizes the output of each section for any
impedance between 1.5 and 4 ohms per channel.

The staggered power distribution of the front
and rear channel pairs (100W x 2 for front and
25 x 2 for rear) allows for a wide variety of
application options.The 500/5 can be operated in
the following modes:

1) As a full-system amplifier in bi-amp mode with
its subwoofer channel driving subwoofers in low­pass mode (250W x 1), front channels driving front
component speakers (100W x 2) in high-pass
mode and rear channels driving rear component
speakers in high-pass mode (25W x 2).

2) As a full-system amplifier in a tri-amplified
system, delivering band-passed signals through its
front channels to mid-bass/mid-range speakers and
high-passed signals through its front channels to
tweeters.

The 500/5's flexible input and crossover sections
permit operation with a wide variety of source units
and system configurations.The 500/5 can operate
with a single pair of stereo inputs or with separate
inputs for front and rear channel pairs, if the source
unit is equipped with front and rear outputs.The
subwoofer channel can be driven with a discrete
signal from a source unit’s subwoofer output or can
receive its signal from the front and/or rear channel
inputs.

The 500/5's preamp output can send pass­through signals from the front inputs only, the
subwoofer inputs only OR a sum of the front and
rear input signals.This allows the connection of
additional subwoofer amplifier(s) or full-range
amplifiers.

TYPICAL INSTALLATION SEQUENCE

The following represents the sequence for a
typical amplifier installation, using an aftermarket
source unit. Additional steps and different
procedures may be required in some applications.
If you have any questions, please contact your
authorized JL Audio dealer for assistance.

1) Disconnect the negative battery post
connection and secure the disconnected cable to
prevent accidental re-connection during installation.

This step is not optional!

2) Run power wire (minimum 4 AWG) from

the battery location to the amplifier mounting
location, taking care to route it in such a way that
it will not be damaged and will not interfere with
vehicle operation. Use 2 AWG or 1/0 AWG
power wire if additional amplifiers are being
installed with the 500/5.

3) Connect power wire to the positive battery
post. Fuse the wire with an appropriate fuse block
(and connectors) within 18 inches (45 cm) wire
length of the positive battery post. This fuse is

essential to protect the vehicle. Do not install the
fuse until the power wire has been connected to
the amplifier.

4) Run signal cables (RCA cables) and remote

turn-on wire from the source unit to the amplifier
mounting location.There are several ways to provide
input to the 500/5. Please read the rest of this manual
carefully to choose the best one for your system.

5) Run speaker wire from the speaker systems to
the amplifier mounting location.

6) Find a good, solid metal grounding point close
to the amplifier and connect the negative power wire
to it using appropriate hardware. Use 4 AWG power
wire, no longer than 36 inches (90 cm) from the
amplifier to the ground connection point. In some
vehicles, it may be necessary to upgrade the batter y
ground wire. (See page 5 for important notice).

7) Securely mount the amplifier using the
supplied screws.

8) Connect the positive and negative power
wires to the amplifier. A fuse near the amplifier is
not necessary.

9) Connect the remote turn-on wire
to the amplifier.

10) Connect the RCA input cables
to the amplifier.

11) Connect the speaker wires to the amplifier.

4 JL AUDIO 500/5

any amplifier in the system beyond the maximum
level established during the procedure outlined in
Appendix B (page 22). Doing so will result in
audible distortion and possible speaker damage.

Be aware that all three “Input Sens.”
adjustments will have to be made, regardless of
how many input cables are feeding the amplifier.
These controls will allow you to set the
appropriate relative levels for the Front, Rear and
Subwoofer Channels.

Subwoofer “Input From” Selection:

Located to the left of the “Input Voltage” switch
in the “Subwoofer Channel Control Section” is a
switch labeled “Input From”.This switch
determines whether the subwoofer channel will
receive its input from the “Independent Sub Input”
jacks (select “Ind.”) or from a sum of the Front and
Rear Channel Input signals (select “F+R”) or from
the Front Channel Inputs only (select “Front”).

Front and Rear Channel “Input Mode” Selection:

Located to the right of the rear channel input
jacks in the “Rear Input Section” is a switch
labeled “F/R Input Mode”.This switch determines
whether the front and rear channels will receive
their input independently (select “4ch”) or from
the “Rear Input Section” jacks only (select “2ch”).

CROSSOVER CONTROLS

Crossovers are groups of individual electronic filters
which allow only certain frequency ranges to pass
through them by attenuating frequencies outside
the selected range. These filters allow the user to
specify what frequency range will be sent out of
each channel section of the amplifier.This, in turn,
allows each speaker system to only reproduce a
range of frequencies it is well-suited for, resulting in
reduced distortion and improved fidelity.

Front Filter Section:

1) “Filter Mode” Control: Located in the “Front

Filter Section”, this switch allows you to configure

the Front Channel filter into one of three modes:
“Off” (Defeated): Defeats the filter for the Front
Channels completely, allowing the full range of
frequencies present at the inputs to feed that pair
of channels.This is useful for systems utilizing
outboard crossovers or requiring full-range
reproduction from these channels.
“BP” (Bandpass): Configures the Front Channel
Filter to attenuate frequencies above the selected
filter frequency and below the frequency selected in
the Rear Channel High-Pass Filter. This creates a
true bandpass filter well-suited for driving mid-bass
or mid-range speakers in a tri-amplified system (see
page 18 for details).
“HP” (High-Pass): Configures the Front Channel
Filter to attenuate frequencies below the selected filter
frequency. Useful for connection of component
speakers to the front channels in a bi-amplified system.

2) “Filter Slope” Control: This switch allows you
to select from two filter slopes.
“12dB”: Configures the Front Channel Filter to
attenuate frequencies below the selected filter
frequency at a rate of 12 dB per octave
(Butterworth alignment).
“24dB”: Configures the Front Channel Filter to
attenuate frequencies below the selected filter
frequency at a rate of 24 dB per octave (Linkwitz­Riley alignment).

Fro

Input

Low

Le

Front Filter Section

Freq. Range

x1/x10

HP Filter Freq.(Hz)

Filter Slope

12dB/24dB

Filter Mode

Off/BP/HP

JL AUDIO 500/5 7

TURN-ON LEAD

The 500/5 uses a conventional +12V remote
turn-on lead, typically controlled by the source unit's
remote turn-on output.The amplifier will turn on
when +12V is present at its “Remote” input and
turn off when +12V is switched off. If a source unit
does not have a dedicated remote turn-on output,
the amplifier’s turn-on lead can be connected to
+12V via a switch that derives power from an
ignition-switched circuit.

The 500/5's “Remote” turn-on connector is
designed to accept 18 AWG – 8 AWG wire. 12
AWG is more than adequate for this purpose.
To connect the remote turn-on wire to the
amplifier, first back out the set screw on the top of
the amplifier, using the supplied hex wrench. Strip
1/2 inch (12mm) of wire and insert the bare wire
into the receptacle on the front panel of the
amplifier, seating it firmly so that no bare wire is
exposed.When using smaller wire, it may be
necessary to strip 1 inch of insulation from the wire
and fold the bare wire in half prior to insertion.
While holding the wire in the terminal, tighten the
set screw firmly, taking care not to strip the head of
the screw and making sure that the wire is firmly
gripped by the set screw.

INPUT SECTIONS

Three left/right pairs of RCA type jacks are
provided for input (one pair for the subwoofer
channel, one pair for the rear channels and one pair
for the front channels).There are several ways that
the 500/5's inputs can be configured. Please read the
“System Configurations” section of this manual (page

14) carefully to determine the proper configuration
for your application.

Input Voltage Range:

A wide range of signal input voltages can be
accommodated by each of the 500/5's input stages
(200mV – 8V).This wide range is split up into two
sub-ranges, accessible via switches located in each
input section of the amplifier. Be aware that

each input section's “Input Voltage” switch
will have to be configured, regardless of
how many inputs are actually feeding the
amplifier.

The “Low” position on each “Input Voltage”
switch selects an input sensitivity range between
200mV and 2V.This means that the Input Sensitivity

rotary control will operate within that window. If
you are using an aftermarket source unit, with
conventional preamp-level outputs, this is most likely
the position that you will use.

The “High” position on each “Input Voltage”
switch selects an input sensitivity range between
800mV and 8V.This is useful for cer tain high-output
preamp level signals as well as speaker-level output
from source units and small amplifiers.To use
speaker-level sources, splice the speaker output
wires of the source unit or small amplifier onto a
pair of RCA plugs.

The output of the amplifier will decrease for a
given input voltage when the “Input Range” switch
is placed in the “High” position. Conversely, the
output will be higher with the switch in the “Low”
position.While this may sound counter-intuitive, it is
consistent with the descriptions above.

Input Sensitivity Adjustment:

Located next to the “Input Voltage” switch in
each input section is a rotary control labeled “Input
Sens.” Once the appropriate “Input Voltage” range
has been selected, this control can be used to
match up the signal level of the system to produce
the desired level from the amplifier. Rotating the
control clockwise will result in higher sensitivity
(louder for a given input voltage). Rotating the
control counter-clockwise will result in lower
sensitivity (quieter for a given input voltage.) Be
aware that each of the three “Input Sens.”
adjustments will have to be made, regardless of
how many inputs are feeding the amplifier.These
controls will allow you to set the appropriate
relative levels for the subwoofer channels and the
front and rear channels.

To properly set each set of amplifier channels
for maximum clean output, please refer to
Appendix B (page 22) in this manual. After using
this procedure, you can then adjust the relative
level of each channel pair by adjusting the input
sensitivity downward on either or both channel
pairs, if they require attenuation to achieve the
desired system balance.

Do not increase the “Input Sens.” setting for

IMPORTANT

!

IMPORTANT

!

6 JL AUDIO 500/5

Subwoofer Channel Filter:

The 500/5's subwoofer channel filter (located in
the “Subwoofer Channel Control Section”
employs an advanced state-variable, low-pass active
filter. This feature is designed to attenuate
frequencies above its filter frequency, so that the
system's subwoofers do not reproduce any audible
midrange content.The low-pass filter in the 500/5 is
fully variable between 40 Hz and 200 Hz via the
“Filter Freq.” control knob and features the ability
to select between a moderate “12dB” per octave
or a steep “24dB” per octave slope.

1) “Sub LP Filter”: This switch, located in the
Subwoofer Channel Control Section, configures the
low-pass filter for the subwoofer channel into one
of three modes.

“Off”: Defeats the filter for the subwoofer
channels completely, allowing the full range of
frequencies present at the input to feed the sub
channel.This is useful for systems utilizing outboard
crossovers. Keep in mind that defeating the “Sub LP

Filter” also defeats the “LF Boost” and “Infrasonic
Filter”.With the “Sub LP Filter”defeated (“Off ”), the

subwoofer channel's upper frequency response limit
is 500 Hz, due to its bass-specific Class D design.

“12dB”: Configures the filter for the subwoofer
channel to attenuate frequencies above the selected
filter frequency at a rate of 12 dB per octave
(Butterworth alignment).

“24dB”: Configures the filter for the subwoofer
channel to attenuate frequencies above the selected
filter frequency at a rate of 24 dB per octave
(Linkwitz-Riley alignment).

Depending on the subwoofer system and the
vehicle, different slopes may be required to produce
a smooth transition to the midbass speakers in the
system. Experiment to find the slope which best
matches the acoustic requirements of your system.

Hint: A trunk mounted sub whose output has to
“fight” through a rear deck or a back seat often

Subwoofer Channel Control Section

Input Sens.

Input Voltage

Low/High

Independent Sub Input

Sub LP Filter

Off/12dB/24dB

Filter Freq. (Hz)

Remote Bass

Port

Off/30Hz

LF Boost (dB)

Input From:

Ind./F+R/Front

Infrasonic Filter

Left

Right

+1

+13

+3

+7

+10

benefits from the 12 dB per octave slope which lets
more upper bass content pass through. A sub that
fires directly into the listening environment is more
likely to benefit from a 24 dB per octave slope.

The above hint is not a “set-in-stone” r ule…You
should always listen to the system carefully to
determine the best choice as vehicle acoustics and
other factors play a big role in choosing the most
appropriate filter slope.

2) “Filter Freq. (Hz)” The filter frequency
markings surrounding this rotar y control are for
reference purposes and are generally accurate to
within 1/3 octave or better. If you would like to
select the filter cutoff frequency with a higher level
of precision, consult “Chart A2” in Appendix A of
this manual (page 20).

PREAMP OUTPUT SECTION

The 500/5 incorporates a flexible preamp
output section, permitting additional amplifiers
to be added to the system.This pre-amp output
can be configured three different ways using
the switch labeled “Signal From” in the

“Preamp Output Section”.

1) “Sub LP”: The preamp output delivers the

same mono-summed signal that is feeding the
500/5's subwoofer channel when the “Sub LP”
mode is engaged, including all the low-pass filtering,
“LF Boost” and “Infrasonic Filter” processing that is
selected. This mode is useful for feeding an
additional (slave) subwoofer amplifier (the JL Audio
250/1 matches the 500/5’s subwoofer channel
perfectly). For more information on adding
additional subwoofer amplifiers in master / slave
mode, please refer to Appendix C on page 24.

2) “F+R Inputs” (Front + Rear): This is a pass­through mode for the preamp output, delivering a
sum of the signals being fed to the “Front Input
Section” and “Rear Input Section” of the amplifier
(If the input signal is full-range, the preamp output

Sub LP/F+R Inputs/Front

Preamp Output Section

Signal From

Rem

Of

Infras

Left Ch.

Right Ch.

JL AUDIO 500/5 9

Depending on the speaker system and the
vehicle, different filter slopes may be required to
produce a smooth transition between the sound of
different speakers in the system. Experiment to find
the slope which best matches the acoustic
requirements of the system.The sharper “24dB”
setting will do a better job of protecting small
speakers with limited power handling.The shallower
“12dB” octave setting allows the front speakers to
reproduce more content below the cutoff frequency.

3) “Freq. Range” Control: When thrown to
the right, this switch multiplies the cutoff
frequency selected by the rotary “Filter Freq.
(Hz)” control by a factor of 10. In the “x1”
position, the range of the rotary control is
50 - 500 Hz (as marked). In the “x10”
position, the range of the rotary control is
500 Hz - 5 kHz (5000 Hz).

4) “Filter Freq. (Hz)” The filter frequency
markings surrounding this rotar y control are for
reference purposes and are generally accurate to
within 1/3 octave or better. If you would like to
select the filter cutoff frequency with a higher level
of precision, consult the charts in Appendix A
(page 20) of this manual.

Rear Filter Section:

The rear channels of the 500/5 can be
operated through the amplifier's built-in rear high­pass filter.This attenuates frequencies below the
one selected by the “Filter Freq.” control in the
Rear Filter Section.

1) “High-Pass Filter” Control: This switch allows
you to defeat the Rear Channel Filter or select from
two different filter slopes.
“Off”: Defeats the filter completely, allowing the full
range of frequencies present at the inputs to feed
that pair of channels.This is useful for systems
utilizing outboard crossovers or requiring full-range
reproduction from these channels.

Input Volta

Low/Hig

Left C

Rear Filter Section

Freq. Range

x1/x10

Filter Freq. (Hz)

High-Pass Filter

Off/12dB/24dB

Also sets
low-pass
cutoff for
Front Ch.
Bandpass

filter (when

selected)

“12dB”: Configures the filter for that pair of
channels to attenuate frequencies below the
selected filter frequency at a rate of 12dB per
octave (Butterworth alignment).

“24dB”: Configures the filter for that pair of
channels to attenuate frequencies below the
selected filter frequency at a rate of 24dB per
octave (Linkwitz-Riley alignment).

Depending on the speaker system and the
vehicle, different filter slopes may be required to
produce a smooth transition between the speakers
in the system. Experiment to find the slope which
best matches the acoustic requirements of your
system.The sharper “24dB” setting will do a better
job of protecting small speakers with limited power
handling.The shallower “12dB” octave setting
allows the rear speakers to reproduce more low­frequency content.

If you are using the 500/5 in tri-amp mode,
these rear filter controls will determine the
tweeter crossover frequency and slope.We
recommend that you use the sharper “24dB”
position for most tweeters.

2) “Freq. Range” Control: When thrown to the
right, this switch multiplies the cutoff frequency
selected by the rotary “Filter Freq. (Hz)” control by
a factor of 10. In the “x1” position, the range of the
rotary control is 50 - 500 Hz (as marked). In the
“x10” position, the range of the rotary control is
500 Hz - 5 kHz (5000 Hz).

3) “Filter Freq. (Hz)” The filter frequency
markings surrounding this rotar y control are for
reference purposes and are generally accurate to
within 1/3 octave or better. If you would like to
select the filter cutoff frequency with a higher level
of precision, consult “Chart A1” in Appendix A
(page 20) of this manual.

8 JL AUDIO 500/5

the “12dB” or “24dB” position.These features will
not work with the “Sub LP Filter” switch in the
“Off” position. This is to prevent cascading the
processing of multiple amplifiers when configured in
a master / slave arrangement. If you are using an
external active crossover and would like to use the

“LF Boost” and “Infrasonic Filter” features, set the
“Amp LP Filter” switch on “12dB” and rotate the
frequency selection knob fully clockwise to the “200
Hz” position.This will activate the bass processing

features without significantly affecting the crossover
point selected by the external active crossover.

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

The 500/5 employs JL Audio's exclusive
Regulated, Intelligent Power Supply (R.I.P.S.) design
on its front and subwoofer channels.The operation
of the R.I.P.S. system is independent for each pair of
channels.This sophisticated power supply allows the
amplifier to produce its optimum power (100 watts
x 2 for the front channels and 250 W x 1 for the
subwoofer channel over a wide range of speaker
impedances. Unlike conventional amplifiers that
require a specific impedance to produce optimum
power, the R.I.P.S.-equipped 500/5 gives you the
freedom to use a variety of speaker configurations
that achieve final nominal impedances between 1.5
– 4Ω per channel (without sacrificing power output
or sound quality).When bridged, the front channel
pair will optimize output between 3 – 8Ω.The rear
channel pair will optimize output between 6 - 8Ω.

The operation of the R.I.P.S. circuitr y is entirely
automatic and adjusts itself every time the amplifier
is turned on according to the lowest impedance
present at the speaker load.There are no user
controls to configure.The system operates through
multiple stages of impedance optimization, choosing
the stage most appropriate to the actual impedance
of the speakers you connect to it.

Re

Freq.

x1/

Filter F

Subwoofer Output (250Wx1)

q. (Hz)

If you connect a load higher than 4Ω nominal
per channel (or 8Ω in bridged mode for the front
and rear channels), power will drop by half with
every doubling of impedance above 4Ω stereo /
8Ω mono. If you connect a load lower than 1.5Ω
nominal per channel, the amplifier protection
circuitry activates a “safe” mode which reduces
amplifier power to protect the circuitry from
failure (the yellow “Low Ω” LED lights to indicate
that this has happened). See page 12 for details.

Speaker loads below 1.5Ω nominal per channel
are not recommended and may cause the amplifier
output to distort excessively.

The rear channels of the 500/5 do not employ
R.I.P.S. optimization and are designed to deliver rated
power into loads between 3 and 4Ω per channel.
Operating the rear channels below 3Ω may result in
excessive distortion and/or shutting down of these
channels and is not recommended.

BRIDGING CONSIDERATIONS

Bridging is the practice of combining the output
of two amplifier channels to drive a single load.
When bridged, each channel produces signals of
equal magnitude, but opposite polarity.The
combined output of the two channels provides
twice the output voltage available from a single
channel.The 500/5 has been designed for bridging
of its front and rear channel pairs without the need
for input inversion adaptors.

Operating bridged channel pairs into a load lower
than 3Ω is not recommended.

To bridge a pair of channels, use the “Left +” and
“Right –” speaker connectors only (the “Left –”
and “Right +” remain unused).Then connect a
mono signal to both left and right RCA inputs for

Front Speaker Outputs

IMPORTANT

!

IMPORTANT

!

IMPORTANT

!

JL AUDIO 500/5 11

will be full-range.) This signal is not affected by the
“LF Boost” or “Infrasonic Filter” processing
selected for the amplifier.When the 500/5 is being
used to drive front, rear and subwoofer speaker
systems, this preamp output mode will deliver a
summed front/rear signal to an additional
subwoofer amplifier, while permitting fading of the
front and rear speaker systems from the source
unit.

3) “Front”: This is a pass-through mode for the
preamp output, delivering the same signal that is
being fed to the “Front Input Section” of the
amplifier (If the input signal is full-range, the preamp
output will be full-range.) This signal is not affected
by the “LF Boost” or “Infrasonic Filter” processing
selected for the amplifier.

If the “Output Mode” switch is in the “Sub LP”
position and the “Sub LP Filter” switch is in the
“Off” position, the preamp output will be a
12dB/octave low-pass with the “Bass Control”
processing added to it. THIS IS NOT A

PREFERRED OPERATING MODE. DO NOT
USE THIS MODE FOR MASTER / SLAVE
CONFIGURATIONS.

Note:The signal level of the “Preamp Output” is
affected by the setting of the “Input Voltage”
switches (of the input section(s) chosen by the
“Signal From” switch). See the “Input Voltage
Range” section (page 6) for details on input voltage
settings.The preamp output level is not affected by
the “Input Sens.”rotary controls.

CAUTION

!!

BASS PROCESSING

The 500/5's subwoofer channel control section
also includes some basic bass processing tools.
These consist of two primary components: a
fixed-frequency, 24 dB / octave infrasonic filter and
a fixed-frequency / “Q”, single-band equalizer
centered at 48 Hz.

1) “Infrasonic Filter”: The infrasonic filter is a
24 dB / octave high-pass filter, with a fixed cutoff
frequency of 30 Hz.This filter is designed to
conserve amplifier power and protect subwoofer
systems without audibly degrading the sub-bass
output.With ported enclosures, the use of the
infrasonic filter is highly recommended to protect
the speaker(s) from excessive excursion below box
tuning.With sealed enclosures, the use of the filter is
less necessary, but can still help protect the speaker
system.The infrasonic filter can be completely
defeated by selecting the “Off ” position on the
“Infrasonic Filter” switch.This bypasses all signal
from flowing through the circuit.

2) LF (Low-frequency) Boost: This feature
allows the user to control the boost of a fixed “Q”,
fixed-frequency equalization band centered at 48
Hz.The “LF Boost” rotary control determines how
much boost (in dB) you are adding to the bass
signal. A range of 0-15 dB of boost is available. If no
boost is desired, rotate the “LF Boost” control fully
counterclockwise.

The “Remote Bass Port” allows the connection
of an optional remote boost knob (the RBC-1)
that can be mounted in the front of the vehicle.
This optional control takes the place of the “LF
Boost” knob on the amplifier when connected
and bypasses the “LF Boost” rotary control on
the amplifier.

The “LF Boost” and “Infrasonic Filter” features
will only operate when the subwoofer channel's
filter is activated with the “Sub LP Filter” switch in

IMPORTANT

!

Subwoofer Channel Control Section

Input Sens.

Input Voltage

Low/High

Independent Sub Input

Sub LP Filter

Off/12dB/24dB

Filter Freq. (Hz)

Remote Bass

Port

Off/30Hz

LF Boost (dB)

Input From:

Ind./F+R/Front

Infrasonic Filter

Left

Right

+1

+13

+3

+7

+10

10 JL AUDIO 500/5