JL Audio J2500.1 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, 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 our Technical Support Department
at (954) 443-1100 during business hours.
OWNER’S MANUAL
500W Monoblock Subwoofer Amplifier
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2 JL Audio®
3
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:
The outer shell of your JL Audio amplifier is
designed to remove heat from the amplifier
circuitry. For optimum cooling performance,
this outer shell 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.
Mounting the amplifier upside down is
strongly discouraged.
If mounting the amplifier under a seat,
make sure there is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of
space above the amplifier’s outer shell 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 appropriate
hardware so that it does not come loose in the
event of a collision or a sudden jolt to the vehicle.
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.
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
high-power 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
th e w ar ran ty.
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.
Reversed | Normal
Output Polarity
LP Filter Frequency (Hz)Input Sens. Bass Boost
min max
40 130 O +12dB
Power
Remote
Level
Port
LEFT
RIGHT
LEFT
RIGHT
Preamp
Outputs
Amplifier
Inputs
Left & Righ t
Preamp Out put Jacks
(pg. 8)
Left & Righ t
Preamp Inp ut Jacks
(pg. 6)
Remote
Level Port
(pg. 8)
Power/Prote ction
Status Indi cator
(pg. 9)
Output Polarity
Switch
(pg. 7)
Bass Boost
Control
(pg. 8)
Filter
Frequenc y Selector
(pg. 7)
Input Sensitiv ity
Control
(pg. 6)
Chassis Ground
Connector
(pg. 5)
+12 V Power
Connector
(pg. 5)
Fuses
(pg. 5)
Remote Turn-On
Connector
(pg. 6)
Speaker Outputs
(pg. 9)
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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 person during installation.
Speaker Output (Mono)FUSES + 12VDC
RemoteGround
The J2-500.1’s “+12 V DC ” (positive) and
“Ground” (ground) connections are designed to
accept 4 AWG power wire. 4 AWG is a minimum
power wire size for this amplifier.
If you are installing the J2-500.1 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
J2-500.1 with 4 AWG power wire.
Note: that smaller AWG numbers mean bigger
wire and vice-versa (1/0 AWG is the largest,
2 AWG is smaller, then 4 AWG, then
8 AWG, etc.).
To connect the power and ground wires to the
amplifier, strip 1/2-inch (12 mm) of insulation
from each wire and insert the bare wire into the
the appropriate terminal block positions on the
J2-500.1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to secure the
wire via the screw on the top of each terminal.
The “Ground” connection should be made
using 4 AWG wire 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, metal-to-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
insulating 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 (or larger) when installing a J2-500.1.
FUSE REQUIREMENTS
While the J2-500.1 has four 15A ATC fuses
on its power connection panel, these do nothing
to protect the vehicle from a dangerous short
circuit in the power wire. They only protect the
amplifier. It is absolutely vital that the main
power lead 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 J2-500.1 is being run from that power
wire, we recommend a 60A fuse be used. AFS or
MAXI-type fuses are recommended.
Speaker Output (Mono)FUSES + 12VDC
15A15A15A15A
RemoteGround
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The JL Audio J2-500.1 is a monoblock
subwoofer amplifier utilizing Class B
technology. Its frequency response is limited
to the range below 125 Hz. It is not designed
for driving midrange speakers or tweeters.
It has been optimized for low-frequency
amplification. For detailed specifications,
please refer to Appendix B (page 11).
TYPICAL INSTALLATION SEQUENCE
The following represents the sequence
for a typical amplifier installation, using an
aftermarket source unit or OEM Interface
product. 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 optiona l!
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 J2-500.1.
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.
5)
Run speaker wire from the speaker systems
to the amplifier mounting location.
6)
Find a good, solid metal grounding point
close to the amplif ier and connect the negative
power wire to it using appropriate hardware.
Use minimum 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 battery
ground wire. (See page 5 for important notice).
7)
Securely mount the amplifier using
appropriate hardware.
8)
Connect the positive and negative power
wires to the amplifier.
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.
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 (60A for a single J2-500.1)
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 necessar y adjustments to the input
sensitivity controls to obtain the right
overall output and the desired balance
in the system. See Appendix A (page 10)
for the recommended input sensitivity
setting method.
16)
Enjoy the fruits of your labor with your
favorite music.
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