JL Audio ACP110LG-TW1 operation manual

OWNER’S MANUAL

50

80

125100

200

Low-Pass

Filter Freq. (Hz)
Turn-On
Mode

Remote
Level
Control

Low-Level Inputs

High-Level

Inputs

FUSE
(30A)

(L) (R)

Input

Sensitivity

Min. Max.

Signal | DC | Rem

0 | 180 deg.

+12 VDC GND Remote

Output
Polarity

Power Connections

Power
(green)

Protect

(red)

MicroSub+ / PowerWedge+

Amplied Subwoofer Systems with DCD™ Amplier Technology

Thank you for purchasing a JL Audio amplified subwoofer system for

your automotive sound system.

Your subwoofer system has been designed and manufactured to exacting

standards to provide high-quality sub-bass performance and years of

musical enjoyment in your vehicle. For maximum performance, we

highly recommend that you have your new subwoofer system installed

by an authorized JL Audio retailer. Your authorized retailer has the

necessary training, expertise and installation equipment to ensure

optimum performance from this product. Should you decide to install

your subwoofer system yourself, please take the time to read this manual

thoroughly so as to familiarize yourself with it installation requirements

and setup procedures.

If you have any questions regarding the instructions in this

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

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

assistance, please call the JL Audio Technical Support Department at

[phone] during business hours.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

• Install this subwoofer system in a dry, well­ventilated location that does not interfere
with your vehicle’s safety equipment (air bags,
seat belt systems, ABS brake systems, etc.).

• Securely mount the subwoofer system so
that it does not come loose in the event of
a collision or a sudden jolt to the vehicle.

• Check before drilling to make sure that you
will not be drilling into 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/injur y.

• Protect all system wires from sharp edges by
carefully routing them, tying them down and
using grommets and loom where appropriate.

• Secure all wiring as needed, using cable
ties or wire clamps to protect them
from moving parts and sharp edges.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

(1) Enclosure with subwoofer(s), built­in DCD™ amplifier and grille(s)
(1) Power Connection plug
(1) High-Level input plug
(1) F use
(1) User manual

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Enclosed subwoofer system with built­in DCD™ Class D amplifier and specially
engineered, low-impedance driver(s).

ABOUT DCD™ TECHNOLOGY

JL Audio’s exclusive DCD™ amplifier technology
combines direct power conversion with an ultra­high current output section and unique low­impedance drivers to extract maximum power and
efficiency. By directly converting a vehicle’s 12V
supply into speaker power, DCD™ amplifiers are
free of traditional switching power supplies, thus
enabling them to be very compact, while generating
remarkable power output with unprecedented
efficiency (up to 94%). This also permits DCD™
amplifiers to operate at much cooler temperatures
than conventional amplifiers.

WARNING! DCD™ amplified subwoofer
systems use very specific components. Never
use a DCD™ amplifier or its companion
subwoofer(s) with incompatible, non-DCD™
products. Doing so will void the warranty
and may cause severe damage/injury.

INSTALLATION APPLICATIONS

The built-in amplifier used in this subwoofer
system is designed for operation in vehicles
with 12V, negative-ground electrical systems.
Using this product in systems 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.

INSTALLATION PROCEDURE/CONNECTIONS

All connections are located on the amplifier
panel of the enclosure. All connections are made
via RCA-ty pe or quick-disconnect plugs, making it
easy to remove the enclosure quick ly, anytime you
need additional space in your vehicle.

1. Disconnect the NEGATIVE battery post
connection and secure the disconnected
cable to prevent accidental reconnection
during insta llation. This is an essential

safety precaution during installation!

2. Run power wire from the battery location to
the amplifier’s “+12 VDC” connection, taking
care to route it in such a way that it will not be
damaged and will not interfere with vehicle
operation. 8 AWG is the recommended

power wire size for this amplifier.

3. An appropriate fuse at the main power
wire to the amplifier is vital for vehicle
safety. This fuse must be installed within 18
inches (45 cm) of the positive (+12V) batter y
post connection. If this is the only device
connected to this main wire, use a 30A fuse.
Do not install the fuse until the power wire
has been securely connected to the amplifier.

4. Find a good, solid meta l grounding point
close to the amplifier panel and connect the
negative power wire to it using appropriate
hardware. Use the same sized wire used
for the +12V connection, no longer than 36
inches (90 cm) from the amplifier’s ground
(GND) connector to the ground connection
point. 8 AWG is the recommended

ground wire size for this amplifier.

5. Run a wire from the source unit’s positive
(+12V) remote turn-on output to the
amplifier’s “Remote” connection. If your
source unit does not have a dedicated remote
turn-on output, you may elect to use one of
the automatic turn-on options, configured via
the amplifier’s “Turn-On Mode” switch. (See
“Control Panel Settings and Adjustments.”)

6. Signal Input (Low-Level): Connect the
amplifier’s RCA input jacks to the source
unit’s preamp level output jacks. You may
run a stereo or a mono signal into the

2 JL AUDIO

®

inputs of the amplifier. The amplifier’s

50

80

125100

200

Low-Pass

Filter Freq. (Hz)

Turn-On

Mode

Input

Sensitivity

Min. Max.

Signal | DC | Rem 0 | 180 deg.

Output
Polarity

Power

(green)

Protect

(red)

input section automatically sums stereo
signals to mono for the internal amplifier
section. When feeding a single, low-level
RCA input connection, use a Y-adaptor
splitter to split the mono signal and connect
it to both Left and Right RCA inputs.

7. Signal Input (High-Level): If your system
does not offer a preamp level signal option,
you can connect speaker level signals directly
to the “High-Level Inputs” connector using
the supplied 4-pin plug and wire harness.
Simply splice the appropriate left/right
and positive/negative wires to the included
harness, and plug the harness into the “High­Level Inputs” connector on the amplifier. The
amplifier will attenuate the high-level signal
to make it compatible with its input stage.
Refer to the table below for corresponding
wire color information. Make sure to observe
correct polarity in making high-level input
connections. Failure to do so will result
in a loss of signal (poor performance).

8. Make necessary adjustments to the
input sensitivity and filter controls.

9. With the optional RBC-1 Remote Level
Control (sold separately), you can control
the amplifier’s output level from the
front of the vehicle. Connect the RBC-1
to the amplifier’s panel-mounted RJ11
input jack. (Refer to Appendix B)

POWER CONNECTIONS PLUG

To connect the power wires and remote
turn-on wire to the amplifier, unplug the
“Power Connections” plug from the amplifier
panel (pull back firmly) and back out the set
screws on the connector plug using a Phillips
head screwdriver. Strip 3/8 inch (10 mm) of
insulation from the end of each wire and insert
the bare wire into the receptacle on the power
connector plug, seating it firmly so that no
bare wire is exposed. While holding each wire
in place, tighten each set screw firmly, taking
care not to strip the head of the screw.

Warning! Never make power connections with
a “live” wire. Always disconnect the negative
battery post before making any connections or
adjustments to a 12V power connection! Failure
to make safe, tight, high-integrity connections
can result in fire and extensive damage!

Remote

Level

Control

(L) (R)

Low-Level Inputs

Power Connections

+12 VDC GND Remote

FUSE
(30A)

High-Level

Inputs

Connection Description

Power

Connections

Low-Level Inputs

(RCA Jacks)

High-Level Inputs

(4-Pin

Connector)

Remote Level Control RJ11 Input Jack for RBC-1 (sold separately)

+ +12 VDC Positive (+12V) Power Connection

– GND Negative (GND) Ground Connection

R Remote Positive (+12V) Remote Turn-On Input

(L) White RCA Ch. 1 Input Left Channel Signal Input

(R) Red RCA Ch. 2 Input Right Channel Signal Input

White

White/Black (–) Left Channel Negative

Gray

Gray/Black (–) Right Channel Negative

Ch. 1 Input

Ch. 2 Input

(+) Left Channel Positive

(+) Right Channel Positive

MicroSub+ / PowerWedge+ with DCD™ Amplifier Technology 3

Turn-On

50

80

125100

200

Low-Pass

Filter Freq. (Hz)

Turn-On

Mode

Remote

Input

Sensitivity

Min. Max.

Signal | DC | Rem 0 | 180 deg.

Output
Polarity

Mode

Low-Pass

Filter Freq. (Hz)

80

50

Output

125100

Polarity

0 | 180 deg.

200

CONTROL PANEL SETTINGS
AND ADJUSTMENTS

Use the amplifier’s panel mounted settings and

controls to integrate and adjust the performance

Input

Sensitivity

Min. Max.

Signal | DC | Rem

of your subwoofer system to your vehicle and
listening preference.

Switch Setting Mode / Function

Input

Sensitivity

Turn-On

Mode

Variable

Rem

DC

Signal

Adjusts the input stage of the amplier to match the source unit’s output
voltage for maximum clean output (refer to Appendix A)

Conventional

(Preferred)

DC-Oset Sensing

(Auto)

Signal

Sensing (Auto)

Connect to the source unit’s +12V remote turn-on output

Turns on and o by detecting the presence of small DC
signal in OEM audio outputs; connect to the source unit’s
high-level/speaker outputs

Turns on by detecting full-range audio signal in OEM
outputs; turns o after 30 seconds without signal;
connect to the source unit’s high-level/speaker outputs

Low-Pass

Filter Freq.

(Hz)

Output
Polarity

Variable

Adjusts the low-pass lter cuto frequency,
variable from 50-200 Hz, 12 dB/Octave

0 Normal speaker polarity

180 deg. Polarity reversed 180 degrees

Power

Protect

(green)

(red)

STATUS LED / PROTECTION CIRCUITRY

A bi-color LED located on the amplifier panel is

used to indicate the amplifier’s operational status.

“Power (green)”: Lights up green to indicate

the amplifier is turned on and operating normally.

“Protect (red)”: Lights up red to indicate the

amplifier’s protection circuitry has been activated
due to thermal overload. When the protection
mode is activated, the amplifier outputs are muted
to protect its circuitry. When the amplifier cools,
the amplifier will return to its normal operation
and the LED will turn green.

4 JL AUDIO

®

Enclosure Specications

Model Driver(s)

ACP108LG-W3v3 (1) 8W3v3-0.40 0.40 Ω 250 W

ACP208LG-W3v3 (2) 8W3v3-0.40 0.20 Ω 500 W

ACP110LG-TW1 (1) 10TW1-0.25 0.25 Ω 400 W

ACP112LG-TW1 (1) 12TW1-0.25 0.25 Ω 400 W

ACS110LG-TW1 (1) 10T W1-0.25 0.25 Ω 400 W

ACS112LG-TW1 (1) 12T W1-0.25 0.25 Ω 400 W

Nominal

Impedance

RMS Power

@ 14.4V,

<1% THD+N

Dimensions

18.5 in x 11.125 in x 5.125 in

470 mm x 283 mm x 130 mm

36.625 in x 11.125 in x 5.125 in
905 mm x 283 mm x 130 mm

21 in x 13.5 in x 6.625 in

533 mm x 343 mm x 168 mm

23.75 in x 15.75 in x 9.25 in

603 mm x 400 mm x 235 mm

18.5 in x 11.125 in x 5 in

470 mm x 283 mm x 127 mm

21 in x 13.5 in x 6.625 in

533 mm x 343 mm x 168 mm

DCD™ Amplier Specications (All Models)

Input

Voltage Range

70 mV – 1.40 V (Low)

or

280 mV – 5.4 V (High)

Warning - Never use a DCD™ amplifier or its companion subwoofer(s) with incompatible, non-DCD™ products.

Filter Type, Range,

Slope

Low-Pass,

50 – 200 Hz,

12 dB/Octave

Doing so will void the warranty and may cause severe damage/injury.

Output

Polarity

0 or 180
degrees

Remote Bass

Controller

RBC-1 (sold
separately)

Power/GND Wire

8 AWG

(recommended)

Fuse

Rating

30A

MicroSub+ / PowerWedge+ with DCD™ Amplifier Technology 5

APPENDIX A

Input Sensitivity Level Setting

Follow the steps below to adjust the input
sensitivity of the amplifier to achieve overall
system balance.

1) Turn off or set to center all processing (bass/
treble, loudness, EQ, etc.) on the source unit. Set
the source unit’s fader control to center position
and its subwoofer level control (if applicable) to ¾
of maximu m.

2) Turn the amplif ier’s “Input Sensitivity”
control to the “Min.” position.

3) While playing a dynamic audio track,
increase the head unit volume until the subwoofer
output distorts. Then, reduce the volume by one
step (or until the subwoofer’s output is no longer
distorted).

4) Increase the “Input Sensitivity” until the
subwoofer output is distorted.

5) Reduce the “Input Sensitivity” slightly until
the subwoofer output is no longer distorted.

6) Listen to the overall system and adjust the
“Input Sensitivity” downward if the subwoofer
output requires attenuation to achieve the desired
system balance.

APPENDIX B

With the optional RBC-1 Remote Level
Control (sold separately), you can control the
subwoofer volume from the front of the vehicle.
The RBC-1 connects to the jack labeled “Remote
Level Control” on the amplifier panel using
a standard telephone cable (supplied with the
RBC-1). When connected to the amplifier, the
Remote Level Control operates as follows. At
full counter-clockwise rotation, the audio will
mute completely. At full clockwise rotation, the
level will be the same as if the R BC-1 was not
connected at all. In other words, it operates strictly
as a level attenuator. Care should be ta ken to
securely mount this control in a manner that does
not interfere with the vehicle’s operation. When
setting the amplifier’s input sensitivit y, the Remote
Level Control should be unplugged or at full
clockwise rotation (maximum level).

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
subwoofer systems are capable of producing
high sound pressure levels. 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.).

6 JL AUDIO

®

TROUBLESHOOTING

Problem Possible Cause Solution

How to properly set
input sensitivity

Amplifier doesn’t
turn on

Intermittent output,
fluctuates when I tap
on it or hit a bump

Output shuts off after
a while



Faulty fuse

Poor connection
integrity

Insufficient “Remote”
input

Poor connection
integrity

Overheating condition
(Thermal Protection)

Please refer to Appendix A to set the input sensitivity for
maximum, low-distortion output.

Remove fuse and check with continuity meter. Replace if
necessary.

Check “+12 VDC”, “GND”, and “Remote” leads for pinched
wires; ensure tight connections.

Make sure there is a sufficient +12V supply at the “Remote”
connection; if not, a relay may be required.

Make sure wiring insulation has been properly stripped back
at connection points for good contact area.

Make sure the signal input connections (low-level or high­level) are making good contact.

Make sure enclosure is positioned allowing the amplifier
adequate space for ventilation and heat dissipation.

MicroSub+ / PowerWedge+ with DCD™ Amplifier Technology 7

LIMITED WARRANT Y - AMPLIFIED SUBWOOFER SYSTEMS (USA)

JL Audio warrants this product to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two
(2) years from the original date of purchase. This warranty is not transferable and applies only to the
original purchaser from an authorized JL Audio dealer. Should service be necessary under this warranty
for any reason due to manufacturing defect or malfunction, JL Audio 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 modification 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
wa rra nty.

Warranty is void if the product’s serial number has been removed or defaced.

Any applicable implied warranties are limited in duration to the period of the express warranty as
provided herein beginning with the date of the original purchase at retail, and no warranties, whether
express or implied, shall apply to this product thereafter. Some states do not allow limitations on implied
warranties, therefore these exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights,
and you may also have other rights, which vary from state to state.

If you need service on your JL AUDIO product:

All warranty returns should be sent to JL Audio ’s Service Facility freight-prepaid through an
authorized JL Audio dealer and must be accompanied by proof of purchase (a copy of the original sales
receipt). Direct returns from consumers or non-authorized dealers will be refused unless specifically
authorized by JL Audio with a valid return authorization number. Warranty expiration on products
returned without proof of purchase will be determined from the manufacturing date code. Coverage may
be invalidated as this date is previous to purchase date. Non-defective items received will be returned
freight-collect. Customer is responsible for shipping charges and insurance in sending the product to JL
Audio. Freight damage on returns is not covered under warranty.

For Service Information in the U.S.A. please call

JL Audio Customer Service: [phone]

9:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Eastern Time Zone)

JL Audio, Inc

10369 North Commerce Pkwy.

Miramar, FL 33025

(do not send product for repair to this address)

International Warranties:

Products purchased outside the United States of America are covered only

by that country’s distributor and not by JL Audio, Inc.

SKU -011424-03-2015