Kenwood KAC-X4D User Manual

XR-4S
KAC-X4D

FOUR CHANNEL DIGITAL POWER AMPLIFIER 3 page 2-13

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

AMPLIFICATEUR 4 CANAUX DIGITAL 3 page 14-25

MODE D’EMPLOI

AMPLIFICADOR DE POTENCIA DIGITAL DE CUATRO CANALES 3 página 26-36

MANUAL DE INSTRUCCIONES

Take the time to read through this instruction manual.
Familiarity with installation and operation procedures will help you obtain the best
performance from your new power amplifier.

For your records

Record the serial number, found on the back of the unit, in the spaces designated on the
warranty card, and in the space provided below. Refer to the model and serial numbers
whenever you call upon your Kenwood dealer for information or service on the product.
Model XR-4S/KAC-X4D Serial number

US R esid enc e Only

Register Online

Regist e r your Kenwood pro d u c t at

www.Kenwoodusa.com

© B64-4324-00/00 (KV/EV)

Safety precautions

WARNING

To prevent injury or fire, take the following
precautions:

•

Mounting and wiring this product requires skills and

experience. For safety’s sake, leave the mounting and
wiring work to professionals.

• When extending the ignition, battery, or ground
wires, make sure to use automotive-grade wires or
other wires with the range of 14 mm² (AWG 6) to
21 mm² (AWG 4) to prevent wire deterioration and
damage to the wire coating.

• To prevent a short circuit, never put or leave any
metallic objects (such as coins or metal tools) inside
the unit.

• If the unit starts to emit smoke or strange smells,
turn off the power immediately and consult your
Kenwood dealer.

• Do not touch the unit during use because the
surface of the unit becomes hot and may cause
burns if touched.

CAUTION

To prevent damage to the machine, take the
following precautions:

•

Be sure the unit is connected to a 12V DC power

supply with a negative ground connection.

• Do not open the top or bottom covers of the unit.

• Do not install the unit in a spot exposed to direct
sunlight or excessive heat or humidity. Also avoid
places with too much dust or the possibility of water
splashing.

• When replacing a fuse, only use a new one with the
prescribed rating. Using a fuse with the wrong rating
may cause your unit to malfunction.

• To prevent a short circuit when replacing a fuse, first
disconnect the wiring harness.

FCC WARNING

This equipment may generate or use radio
frequency energy. Changes or modifications to this
equipment may cause harmful interference unless
the modifications are expressly approved in the
instruction manual. The user could lose the authority
to operate this equipment if an unauthorized change
or modification is made.

FCC NOTE

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment may cause harmful interference to radio
communications, if it is not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following
measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment
and receiver.

•

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a

circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.

•

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV

technician for help.

NOTE

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian
ICES-003.

NOTE

If you experience problems during installation,

•
consult your Kenwood dealer.

•

If the unit does not seem to be working right,

consult your Kenwood dealer.

2 English

Declaration of Conformity with
regard to the EMC Directive
2

004/108/EC

Manufacturer:

Kenwood Corporation
2967-3 Ishikawa-machi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo,

192-8525 Japan

EU Representative's:

Kenwood Electronics Europe BV
Amsterdamseweg 37, 1422 AC UITHOORN,
The Netherlands

Information on Disposal of Old Electrical

8Ω

2Ω

2Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

8Ω

4Ω

4Ω 4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω

4Ω4Ω4Ω

and Electronic Equipment (applicable for
EU countries that have adopted separate
waste collection systems)

Products with the symbol (crossed-out

wheeled bin) cannot be disposed as
household waste.
Old electrical and electronic equipment
should be recycled at a facility capable
of handling these items and their waste
byproducts. Contact your local authority
for details in locating a recycle facility
nearest to you. Proper recycling and waste
disposal will help conserve resources whilst
preventing detrimental effects on our
health and the environment.

This Product is not installed by the manufacturer of a
vehicle on the production line, nor by the professional
importer of a vehicle into an EU Member State.

Cleaning the unit

If the front panel gets dirty, turn off the power and
wipe the panel with a dry silicon cloth or soft cloth.

CAUTION

Do not wipe the panel with a hard cloth or a cloth
dampened by volatile solvents such as paint thinner
and alcohol. They can scratch the surface of the panel
and/or cause the indicator letters to peel off.

To prevent battery rise

When the unit is used in the ACC ON position without
turning the engine ON, it depletes the battery. Use it
after starting the engine.

Protection function

The protection function is activated in the following
situations:

This unit is equipped with a protection function for
protecting this unit and your speakers from various
accidents or problems that can occur.

When the protection function is triggered, the
PROTECTION indicator lights and the amplifier stops
operating.

•

When a speaker wire may be short-circuited.

• When a speaker output contacts ground.

• When the unit malfunctions and a DC signal is sent
to the speaker output.

7 Wiring

• Take the battery wire for this unit directly from the
battery. If it's connected to the vehicle’s wiring
harness, it can cause blown fuses etc.

• If a buzzing noise is heard from the speakers when
the engine is running, connect a line noise filter
(optional) to each of the battery wire.

• Do not allow the wire to directly contact the edge of
the iron plate by using Grommets.

• Connect the ground wire to a metal part of the car
chassis that acts as an electrical ground passing
electricity to the battery‘s negative · terminal.
Do not turn the power on if the ground wire is not
connected.

• Be sure to install a protective fuse in the power
cord near the battery. The protective fuse should
be the same capacity as the unit’s fuse capacity or
somewhat larger.

• For the power cord and ground, use a vehicle type
(fireproof) power wring cord with a current capacity
greater than the unit’s fuse capacity. (Use a power
wiring cord with the range of 14 mm² (AWG 6) to 21
mm² (AWG 4).

• When more than one power amplifier are going
to be used, use a power supply wiring wire and
protective fuse of greater current-handling capacity
than the total maximum current drawn by each
amplifier.

7 Speaker Selection

• The rated input power of the speakers that are
going to be connected should be greater than the
maximum output power (in Watts) of the amplifier.
Use of speakers having input power ratings that
are less than the output power of the amplifier will
cause smoke to be emitted as well as damage.

• The impedance of the speakers that are going
to be connected should be 2Ω or greater (for
stereo connections), or 4Ω or greater (for bridged
connections). When more than one set of speakers
are going to be used, calculate the combined
impedance of the speakers and then connect
suitable speakers to the amplifier.

Combined impedance

English 3

Installation

235 mm (9-1/4”)

217 mm (8-9/16”)

ø 6 (1/4”

)

192 mm (7-9/16”)

162 mm (6-3/8”)

Self-tapping screw
(ø5 × 18 mm (3/16" × 11/16"))

Installation board, etc.
(thickness : 15 mm (9/16") or more)

7 Accessories

Part name

Self-tapping screws
(ø5 × 18 mm (3/16" × 11/16"))

Hexagon Wrench (Large)

Hexagon Wrench (Small)

Terminal cover (Power
terminal)

External

View

7 Installation procedure

Since there are large variety of settings and
connections possible according to applications, read
the instruction manual well to select the proper
setting and connection.

1. Remove the ignition key and disconnect the
negative · terminal of the battery to prevent short
circuits.

2. Set the unit according to the intended usage.

3. Connect the input and output wires of the units.

4. Connect the speaker wires.

5. Connect the power wire, power control wire and
grounding wire following this order.

6. Install the installation fittings in the unit.

7. Attach the unit.

8. Connect the negative · terminal of the battery.

4 English

Number
of Items

4

1

1

1

CAUTION

• Do not install in the below locations;
(Unstable location, In a location that interferes
with driving, In a location that gets wet, In a dusty
location, In a place that gets hot, In a place that
gets direct sunlight, In a location that gets hit by
hot air)

• D

o not install the unit under the carpet.
Otherwise heat build-up occurs and the unit may
be damaged.

• I

nstall this unit in a location which allows heat to
easily dissipate.
Once installed, do not place any object on top of
the unit.

• T

he surface temperature of the amplifier will
become hot during use. Install the amplifier in a
place where people, resins, and other substances
that are sensitive to heat will not come into
contact with it.

• T

his unit has cooling fan to decrease the internal
temperature. Do not mount the unit in a place
where the cooling fan and ducts of the unit are
blocked. Blocking these openings will inhibit the
cooling of the internal temperature and result in
malfunction.

• W

hen making a hole under a seat, inside the
trunk, or somewhere else in the vehicle, check
that there is nothing hazardous on the opposite
side such as a gasoline tank, brake pipe, or wiring
harness, and be careful not to cause scratches or
other damage.

• D

o not install near the dashboard, rear tray, or air

bag safety parts.

• The installation to the vehicle should securely
fasten the unit to a place in which it will not
obstruct driving. If the unit comes off due to a
shock and hits a person or safety part, it may
cause injury or an accident.

• A

fter installing the unit, check to make sure that
electrical equipment such as the brake lamps,
turn signal lamps and windshield wipers operate
normally.

English 5

Connection

SPEAKER OUTPUT

BRIDGED

SPEAKER OUTPUT

BRIDGED

LEFT

RIGHT

A B

LEFT

RIGHT

P.CON

FUSE[30Ax2

]

GNDBATT.

LINE IN

L

A B

R

SPEAKER OUTPUT

BRIDGED

LEFT

RIGHT

A

SPEAKER OUTPUT

BRIDGED

LEFT

RIGHT

B

WARNING

Remove the ignition
key and disconnect the
negative · terminal of
the battery to prevent
short circuits.

CENTER UNIT
(CD receiver, etc.)

* Commercially available parts

RCA cable*

Hexagon Wrench
(Small)

Power control wire*

Hexagon Wrench
(Small)

Hexagon Wrench
(Large)

attached

Use the

Hexagon
Wrench.

Protective Fuse*

Battery wire*

Terminal cover

Battery

Ground wire*

WARNING

To prevent fire caused by a short in the

•
wiring, connect a fusible link or breaker
nearby the battery’s positive terminal.

Use the
attached
Hexagon
Wrench.

Left input

Right input

B channel input

A channel input

B channel
Right speaker

B channel
Left speaker

A channel
Right speaker

A channel
Left speaker

Bridged Connections

B channel
Speaker (Bridged)

A channel
Speaker (Bridged)

6 English

CAUTION

• If sound is not output normally, immediately turn
power off and check connections.

• B

e sure to turn the power off before changing the

setting of any switch.

• If the fuse blows, check wires for shorts, then
replace the fuse with one of the same rating.

• Check that no unconnected wires or connectors
are touching the car body. Do not remove caps
from unconnected wires or connectors to prevent
short circuits.

• Connect the speaker wires to appropriate speaker
connectors separately. Sharing the negative wire
of the speaker or grounding speaker wires to the
metal body of the car can cause this unit to fail.

• After installation, check that the brake lamps,
winkers, and wipers work properly.

7 About the Lead Terminals

1. Wire Thicknesses

You can use wires with the following thicknesses:

Battery wire and ground wire AWG 4 – AWG 6
Speaker wire AWG 8 – AWG 12

2. Strip the wire

Make a cut in the wire sheath (insulator made from vinyl, etc.)
at the position 10-13 mm (3/8" - 1/2") away from the end of the
wire, and then remove the unnecessary portion of the sheath
by twisting it.

3. Install the wire

Loosen the screw using the supplied hexagon wrench. Insert
the conductor of the wire in the terminal hole, and then
tighten the screw.

10 - 13 mm
(3/8" - 1/2")

Hexagon
Wrench
(Large)

Hexagon Wrench
(Small)

English 7

System examples

LPF

OFF

HPF LPF

FILTER

OFF

HPF

A B

LOW HIGH LOW

FREQ.RANGE

HIGH

BA

A B BA

INPUT

SEL

AA B

LPF

OFF

HPF LPF

FILTER

OFF

HPF

A B

LOW HIGH LOW

FREQ.RANGE

HIGH

BA

A B BA

INPUT

SEL

AA B

L

R

L

R

L

R

L

R

A

B

LPF

OFF

HPF LPF

FILTER

OFF

HPF

A B

LOW HIGH LOW

FREQ.RANGE

HIGH

BA

A B BA

INPUT

SEL

AA B

 4-channel system

CENTER

UNIT

 2-channel 2 way system

CENTER

UNIT

Front Left speaker
Front Right speaker

Rear Left speaker
Rear Right speaker

Left speaker (Tweeter)
Right speaker (Tweeter)

Left speaker (Woofer)
Right speaker (Woofer)

 2-channel + Subwoofer system

CENTER

UNIT

Left speaker (High pass)
Right speaker (High pass)

Subwoofer (Bridged)

8 English

Controls

P.CON

FUSE[30Ax2

]

GNDBATT.

SPEAKER OUTPUT

BRIDGED

LEFT

RIGHT

A

A B

SPEAKER OUTPUT

BRIDGED

LEFT

RIGHT

B

LINE IN

L

R

  





This is a 4 channel amplifier including 2 stereo
amplifiers in a body. One amplifier is referred to
as amplifier A and the other is amplifier B. This
unit is compatible with a large variety of systems
by combining the switches and functions
described in the following.

1 Fuse (30 A × 2)

NOTE

If you can’t find the specified capacity fuse at your
store etc., consult your Kenwood dealer.

2 Battery terminal

ower control terminal

3 P

Controls the unit ON/OFF.

NOTE

Controls the unit power. Be sure to connect it with
all the systems.

4 Ground terminal

eaker output terminals (A.ch/B.ch)

5 Sp

• Stereo Connections:

When you wish to use the unit as a stereo
amplifier, stereo connections are used.
The speakers to be connected should have an
impedance of 2Ω or greater. When multiple
speakers are to be connected, ensure that the
combined impedance is 2Ω or greater for each
channel.

• Bridged Connections:

When you wish to use the unit as a high-output
monaural amplifier, bridged connections are
used. (Make connections to the LEFT channel
9 and the RIGHT channel · SPEAKER OUTPUT
terminals.)
The speakers to be connected should have an
impedance of 4Ω or greater. When multiple
speakers are to be connected, ensure that the
combined impedance is 4Ω or greater.

6 LINE IN terminal (A.ch/B.ch)

English 9

Controls

INPUT

SENSITIVITY[V

]

FILTER

FREQUENCY[Hz

]

0.2

5

1

0.5

2

4

0.3

3

[

MIN

]

[

MAX

]

LPF

OFF

HPF LPF

FILTER

OFF

HPF

A B

LOW HIGH LOW

FREQ.RANGE

HIGH

BA

A B BA

0.2

5

1

0.5

2

4

0.3

3

[

MIN

]

[

MAX

]

150/7.5K

100/5K

200/10K50/2.5K

150/7.5K

100/5K

200/10K50/2.5K

INPUT

SEL

AA B







 



7 INPUT SEL. switch

This switch selects the input method of the
signals to be amplified by amplifiers A and B.

• A B position:

Amplifies both of the signals input to amplifiers
A and B.

• A position:

Amplifies only signal input amplifier A with
both amplifiers A and B.

8 INPUT SENSITIVITY control (A.ch/B.ch)

Set this control according to the pre-output level
of the center unit connected with this unit.

NOTE

For the pre-output level, refer to the
<Specifications> in the instruction manual of the
center unit.

9 FILTER FREQUENCY control (A.ch/B.ch)

This control adjusts the frequency band output
from this unit.
The frequency range is set with the "FREQ.
RANGE" switch.

10 English

0 FILTER switch (A.ch/B.ch)

This switch allows to apply high-pass or low-pass
filtering to the speaker outputs.

• HPF (High-Pass Filter) position:

The filter outputs the band of higher
frequencies than the frequency set with the
"FILTER FREQUENCY" control.

• OFF position:

The entire bandwidth is output without
filtering.

• LPF (Low-Pass Filter) position:

The filter outputs the band of lower frequencies
than the frequency set with the "FILTER
FREQUENCY" control.

- FREQ. RANGE swtich (A.ch/B.ch)

This switch selects the range of filter frequency.

= Cooling fan

~ Power indicator

THERMAL MANAGEMENT PROTECTION

Z





When the power is turned on, the Power indicator
lights.

! PROTECTION indicator

Lights this indicator when the protection function
is activated. (See page 3)

@ THERMAL MANAGEMENT indicator

Lights this indicator when the internal temperature
is high.

English 11