y Mica Filled Polypropylene Cone A high performance cone that lives up to the Solo-Baric® standard. Any
normal cone would crumble under the stress that the Solo-Baric® L5 motor structure puts on the cone. This will
give you deeper and stronger bass at higher listening levels with less distortion.
y
Kicker engineered rear cone brace In order to keep up with the demands on the cone at extreme listen-
ing levels, the rear brace has been redesigned and strengthened to reduce the cone flex at these listening levels.
The brace works in conjunction with the other components of the cone to insure that cone flex does not decrease
the output of the woofer.
y Increased Surround Radius In order to achieve high SPL, the woofer needs to have an extreme Xmax (the
distance the woofer moves in one direction). In order to do this, the woofer needs a large enough surround that
will allow the cone to reach Xmax while handling the stress of doing so. The Solo-Baric® L5 borrows surround technology from it’s brother the L7 and handles this requirement with ease.
y WARG (Wrap ARound Gasket) Instead of using cork gaskets, which can separate, the new Solo-Baric® L5s have a
one piece gasket that wraps around the front and back of the mounting flange. It is more durable and ergonomically pleasing to the eye. The previous cork gaskets could tear off or if you were transplanting the speaker into
another box, they could stay adhered to the old box causing you to order another gasket. These problems are
eliminated with the new rubber gaskets. They not only look better, but also function better by eliminating the
chance for air leaks.(provided the box is built correctly!) We still recommend if you are carpeting the box, to cut
away any carpet that is under the woofer mounting flange.
y SSD (Spun Spoke Design) The basket not only looks impressive, but it is extremely functional. This stamped
steel basket provides a solid foundation for the motor assembly insuring that all the parts work together in harmony and prevent shifting or misalignment. Without a solid foundation, the speaker’s various parts could shift under
extreme excursion causing premature failure and add unwanted noise to the music. If misaligned, the voice coilcould rub the inner wall of the motor structure and thus exposing the bare windings, which would cause speaker
failure. The same thing happens if the coil former rubs the pole-piece. The damaged former exposes the windings
causing speaker failure. When other speakers are pushed to their limits they tend to make noises that add coloration to the music. When you’re LIVIN’LOUD you only want to hear the music the artist intended you to hear, not
a bunch of unwanted ringing.
y Perimeter Venting Without the perimeter venting along the side of the speaker, hot air would be trapped in
with the voice coil. This will cause the structure to heat up quicker and cause power compression, which results in
decreased output, as well as shorter speaker life. Perimeter venting causes a vortex cooling effect around the coil
which exchanges the hot air around the voice coil for cooler air outside the speaker. It also releases pressure from
under the spider to allow the speaker to work in a more linear fashion. All of this translates into cooler operating
temperatures which will allow the speaker to sound and perform better.
y Blackened One Piece Uniplatewith Vented Hyper-Extended Pole
1.
Provides enhanced heat transfer for cool operation and maximum power handling. The heat is transferred
from the pole piece to the back plate, effectively acting like a radiator in an engine. This lowers the operating temperature of the voice coil. Note:The increase in temperature increases the impedance of the speak-er. This results in lower output and is referred to as Power Compression.
2.
Reduces non-linear magnetic fields around the voice coil gap for superior cone motion control. The
extended pole assures the voice coil is always in the magnetic field when moving peak to peak. When the speaker
reaches it’s Xmax, the voice coil is still in the gap between the pole piece and magnet structure due to its extended
pole-piece.
3.
Releases pressure under ISD for freer cone motion and enhanced low frequency response. Air trapped
under the ISD is forced out though the pole-piece to allow the cone to move freely. Heat and pressure build up
under the ISD and need to be released to allow the speaker to function properly.
y High-Temp Kapton® Voice Coil Former Heat is the primary enemy to the life of a speaker, which is one of
the reasons we use Kapton® voice coil formers. Kapton® is a man-made product that is light, durable and heatresistant. The Kapton® former acts as an insulator to keep the heat of the voice coil from breaking down the adhesive that connects the voice coil to the cone. During high excursion and prolonged exposure to heat, the Kapton®
former holds it’s shape and does not expand or contract. As a bonus, Kapton® is also a very quiet material during
operation and does not discolor the music by adding unwanted sound
y ISD (Inverted Structural Dome
))
Kicker was one of the first companies to switch to the Inverted Structural
Dome. We have designed a cone with a groove for the ISD to lock into, further adding strength to the structure.
When a cone reaches it’s peak it wants to buckle because it’s momentum keeps it moving out. The ISD provides
structural support for the cone to resist buckling. NOTE: When the cone buckles, the output of the woofer
decreases. Therefore, the ISD is not just a cosmetic thing, it is an integral part of the woofer to maintain it’s maximum performance.
y Stitched Surround A signature of KICKER woofers has always been the stitched surround. It prevents the sur-
round from separating from the cone at high excursions. When the woofer is moving back and forth it puts a lot
of strain on the adhesive that is holding the surround to the cone and often causes the two to separate. Stitching
the surround to the cone eliminates this from happening.
If stitching were inexpensive, everybody would do it!
y
Dual Ultra-Length Voice Coils A speaker can obtain extreme Xmax only when the voice coil is long enough
and can sustain the stress. Dual voice coils give the installer the option of several different wiring configurations
compatible with any amplifier.
y Sleeved High-Power Tinsel Lead Wires Resist lead breakage and power robbing resistance losses under
demanding conditions. When a speaker is being pushed to it’s limits there is a lot of strain being put on the leads,
especially on high performance woofers like the Solo-Baric® L5. Sleeving tinsel leads help strengthen them to resist
breakage.
y
Spring-Loaded Nickel Plated Terminals On a High Performance speaker like the Solo-Baric® L5, you would
expect nothing less than a High Performance terminal. They allow the installer to use the maximum gauge wire to
minimize power losses for the ultimate Ground Poundin’ system.
One-Piece extended Pole, invented by Stillwater Designs,
creates a broad, symmetrical magnetic field for superior
power handling, precise voice coil control, and minimal
deep bass distortion.
Deep bumped back plate Lets voice coil
reach maximum excursion without bottoming-out.
ABS(Auxiliary Bracing Structure)
Adds rigidity to the outer edge of
the cone to further reduce cone flex
under extreme excursion.
Thank you for your support of Kicker products, and especially our Solo-Baric® L5 (patent pending) square subwoofers. The Solo-Barics® SL5s are truly unique products in a world of round subwoofers. Our technical and R&D
staffs have designed some extreme enclosures beyond the small sealed boxes Solo-Barics® are famous for. They
have unleashed the awesome capabilities of the L5s.
In this paper we will explore some applications for the Solo-Baric L5 complete with box drawings and cut sheets
plus some important information regarding the break-in period for this ground-breaking speaker.
Importaant Breaak--In Informaation
Due to the complex nature of the Solo-Baric L5s they require a little extra time to break-in. Especially in sealed
enclosures, break-in is a must in order for woofers to produce optimum low bass response. Due to the high performance suspension system incorporated in the Solo-Barics® they are very stiff “out of the box”. Approximately
two weeks of daily playing will allow the suspension to break-in and reach its optimum equilibrium. The “brokenin “ sub will exhibit stronger bass performance, smoother response, and greater low bass extension.
For those of you with more sophisticated audio equipment, the Solo-Barics can be broken-in on the test bench
overnight with the following procedure.
Solo-Baric Freeair Break-in Procedure
1. Connect the speaker to a power amp of about fifty watts or more. The speaker should not be mounted in any
enclosure - just freeair.
Please make sure it will not walk off the bench while it is playing!
2. Connect an audio generator to the input of the power amp, and adjust the generator to approximately 45Hz for
the S8L5, 35 Hz for the S10L5, 30 Hz for the S12L5, and 20 Hz for the S15L5.
3. Now adjust the gain on the amplifier and generator so that the cone is moving to Xmax. This can be determined
visually by looking at the “blur depth” of the logo on the ISD. A close approximation will do. On the S8L5 this will be
about 3/4”, on the S10L5 about 1”, on the S12L5 about 1”, and on the S15L5 about 1 1/4”.
NOTE: Keep in mind that as the speaker is used under normal conditions the break-in will continue, so if you don’t
have time for the complete break-in period the speaker will still break-in itself under normal usage.
The Kicker Solo-Baric SL5 woofers are designed to give more output than an equivalent round speaker. The SL5 is
amazing when used in the recommended sealed boxes. These sealed enclosure SQ recommendations will give the
smoothest response with the most energy at really low frequencies, around 20 to 30 Hz.
The recommended
Compaact
sealed boxes are in line with our traditional Solo-Baric enclosures. They deliver
massive amounts of high impact bass and can be driven with punishing levels of amplifier power.
One of the benefits of the L5-Series high performance suspension system is that the Solo-Barics can operate in
larger sealed enclosures for ultra sound quality (SQ) applications without significantly sacrificing their power handling. This extra bass extension and smoothness can be obtained by simply using a larger sealed enclosure. The box
can be “sized up” all the way up to the maximum SQ enclosure, which has a very flat response, with greatly extended sub bass.
Solo-Baric L5 series woofers also perform well in any sealed enclosure between the Compact and SQ sizes.
These systems will exhibit some benefits of both (high impact and low extension) generally sounding more like the
box to which they are most closely sized.
Recommended Enclosures
- Moderate Efficiency -
Model
Compact SQ
S8L5 .33 cu.ft. Power Handling = 300W .75 cu.ft. Power Handling =300W
9.34 l 21.24 l
S10L5 .66 cu.ft. Power Handling = 450W 1.0 cu.ft. Power Handling =450W
18.69 l 28.32 l
S12L5 .88 cu.ft. Power Handling = 600W 2.0 cu.ft. Power Handling = 600W
24.92 l 56.64 l
S15L5 1.5 cu.ft. Power Handling = 750W 6.0 cu.ft. Power Handling = 750W
42.48 l 69.92 l
NOTE: All sealed boxes should be 50% filled with loose polyfil. Allow about two weeks break-in time for the Solo-Barics to reach
optimum low bass performance.
Characteristics of Sealed Enclosures
The most basic and simple of all speaker enclosures is the sealed box or acoustic suspension design.
The acoustic suspension design has several advantages; it is easy to build, easy to tune and offers high power
handling, tight response and extended low end output. Acoustic suspension enclosures produce lower bass
because they roll off at 12 dB per/octave. Cone motion is better controlled at all frequencies because of the constant pressure on the back side of the cone. This enables you to run more power to the woofer. They are called
acoustic suspension enclosures because the air inside the box acts like a viscous brake to control the woofer. That
is why the box needs to be sealed tight. If there are any air leaks the woofer cannot function properly because
there is very little force being exerted back on the woofer.
P
ros
1 - High power handling capability
2 - Extended low frequency response and smooth roll off (12 dB/octave).
3 - Excellent transient response.
4 - Tolerant of minor enclosure size variations.
5 - Easiest enclosure to build.
Graph 1 > Acoustic On Axis Response: SPL, Phase dB
C
Ported/Vented Enclosure Applications
Ported Solo-Barics incorporate massive slot loaded ports with ultra low air velocity for ground pounding street
bass that will make your hair stand on end (if you have any left)! These are the enclosures of choice for outrageous
street bass and high performance SPL contests.
The following chart shows three recommended ported enclosures for each Solo-Baric driver.
Compact has increased bass efficiency over a sealed enclosure, yet can still fit in tighter applications. It is the
smallest design that will work well for each woofer. Although it is the smallest ported enclosure the output from 30
to 80 HZ will be considerably higher than that of a sealed box. This smallest vented design is for places where you
can only give up the room normally taken up by two L5s in the normal small sealed boxes. The two other ported
designs have proportionately more output in this region.
Street Bass is a medium sized enclosure that will kick out bass that can be heard for blocks away. And it does
go LOW!
Finally, SPL / Deep Bass is a large enclosure that has it all. It is high efficiency and will deliver the output needed
to win SPL contests, yet low frequencies go all the way down to the basement - with power that will shake the
foundations! We’re talking truly awesome.
If space is not at a premium and you want to get the most from your Solo-Baric L5, try one of these designs. You
won’t be disappointed. Note: You must add the port volume to the volume of the box! See the cut
A vented enclosure is not much more complex than a sealed box. It consists, basically, of a box with a hole in it.
However, despite its simple design, vented boxes are considerably harder to get good performance from than
sealed boxes - although many times the extra effort can be worth it.
The vent in the enclosure interacts with the volume of air in the cabinet and with the driver to help increase output and reduce cone excursion at and around the tuning frequency. In fact, at box tuning, almost all the bass is
produced by the vent - NOT the woofer.
The trick in building a vented box is to get the right size enclosure and the right size vent. You can’t be too far
off on either of these factors or your speaker’s performance will suffer. In particular, using a too-small box or a toohigh vent tuning frequency can eliminate bass instead of increasing it. Porting a sealed box that is too small usually
does nothing to improve frequency response. The vent placement within the enclosure is also important. You must
leave at least the equivalent of the vent’s diameter between the vent and any inside wall. For example, you would
not place a vent with a -3” diameter within 3” of any wall. The same is true for clearance between the vent opening
and the bottom of the enclosure.
Pros
1 - Reduced cone excursion and reduced distortion around vent tuning.
2 - Increased output capabilities around vent tuning.
3 - Vented boxes give you that extra “Bump” that is preferred in certain types of music.
Cons
1 - Total loss of cone control below vent tuning, which can result in high distortion and driver mechanical failure.
2 - Midrange sound coming from inside the box through the vent can produce unpleasant sound coloration.
3 - Vented enclosures are more sensitive to changes such as temperature, humidity and driver fatigue.
4 - Enclosure design is more complex and the enclosure itself must be more solidly constructed because internal
pressure at frequencies around vent tuning can be nearly twice as high as a sealed enclosure.
5 - Vented enclosures usually don’t sound as fast as sealed boxes because of the resonant effects of the vent tuning, which is always slightly out of phase with the driver’s output.
Graph 1 > Acoustic On Axis Response: SPL, Phase dB
C
All the cubic feet numbers given in the supplied charts include the displacement of the woofer. For the ported
boxes the displacement of the port must be added to the final design. It will be impractical to use round ports for
these designs. The rectangular port information given will yield the best results.
Always use 3/4” or thicker MDF and make sure all the joints are secure and well sealed. The peak pressure in a
ported box can exceed that of a sealed enclosure. All of these
designs need some internal bracing. Be sure to add 2”x2” to 3”x3”
triangle braces between each of the larger unsupported panels.
Kicker recommends using a good grade of wood glue and silicone
sealer for an airtight box.
Note:If you prefer an ultra-smooth bass response, you should
loosely fill your ported Solo-Baric Enclosure with polyfil. If you do
so, the entrance to the port (inside the box) must be covered with
hardware cloth, chicken wire, or expanded metal to prevent the
polyfil from being blown out through the port. Use of polyfil will
slightly decrease efficiency, but will deepen and extend low bass
response.
Do not install a ported box with the port against a solid
surface. The port opening must remain unobstructed.
Use the smallest dimension of the rectangular port as
the minimum amount of space required between the
port and any surface to insure unrestricted airflow.
If you would like to use a vented enclosure, but the box designs we provide you with (in this manual) do not fit
because of width or depth the designs can be modified. The shape of the enclosure is not vital, but The Volume
Is
.
The volume, of the design you choose, must stay the same. The following diagrams provide you with some help
If you are going to bend the port at 90° you will need to add 1/2 of the ports height to the length! See Below.
Example:
(Fig. 1)
H
port = 3”
W
port = 10”
L
port
= 20”
(Fig. 2)
Since
H
port
is 3” you need to add 1.5”(
1/2 of
H
port
) to
L
port
. This means that
L
¹ + L² = 21.5”
Always measure
L
¹ and L² down the
center to get an accurate measurement!
Front
45°
Wedge
Round Over
Inner Corner
Top
3"
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
3"
10"
10"
L 2
20"
3"
L 1
Here are a couple more examples of the different shape enclosures you can build. The woofer can be mounted
on the same side as the port or the back side of the enclosure can be slanted to fit up against your back seat.. On
the cut sheets we provide, change the dimensions to accommodate the woofer and the vent on the same side.
Make sure the internal volume does not change!
The following diagrams are the most popular wiring configurations when using Dual voice coil woofers. They
show a typical single channel wiring scheme. Check the amplifier’s owners manual for minimum impedance the
amplifier will handle before hooking up the speakers. Remember: 4 Ohm mono is equivalent to 2 Ohm stereo.
• Items previously repaired by any
unauthorized repair facility.
• Items returned from unauthorized
individuals or dealers.
• Return shipping on non-defective items.
• Speakers damaged due to amplifier
clipping or distortion.
• Speakers with silicon caulk used for gasket
material.
KICKER drivers are capable of producing sound levels that can permanently
damage your hearing! Turning up a system to a level that has audible distortion is more damaging to your ears than listening to an undistorted system at the same volume level. The threshold of pain is always an indicator that the sound level is too loud and may permanently damage
your hearing.
Pleaase use common sense when controlling volume!!
WARNING:
SPEAKER SYSTEMS LIMITED WARRANTY
Stillwater Designs warrants this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period
of one (1) year from date of original purchase from an Authorized Kicker Dealer, unless this product is labeled
“B Stock”, in which case it is warranted for ninety (90) days from date of purchase. Should service be necessary under this warranty for any reason due to manufacturing defect or malfunction during the warranty period, Stillwater Designs will replace or
repair (at its discretion) the defective merchandise with equivalent merchandise at no charge. Warranty replacements on “BStock” may have cosmetic scratches and blemishes. Discontinued products may be replaced with equivalent products.
This warranty is valid only for the original purchaser and is not extended to owners of the product subsequent to the
original purchaser. Any applicable implied warranties are limited in duration to a 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; however you may have other rights that vary from state to state.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED WARRANTY OR SERVICE
Defective merchandise must be returned to your local Authorized Stillwater Designs (Kicker) Dealer for warranty. Assistance in
locating an Authorized Dealer can be obtained by writing or calling Stillwater Designs direct. You can confirm that a dealer is
authorized by asking to see a current authorized dealer window decal.
If it becomes necessary for you to return defective merchandise, call the Kicker Customer Service Department at (405)6248510 for a Return Authorization (RA) number. Package all defective items in the original container or in a package that will prevent shipping damage, and return to
Stillwater Designs, 5021 North Perkins Road, Stillwater, OK 74075
The RA number must be clearly marked on the outside of the package. Return only defective components. Return of entire
cabinets, system packs, pairs, etc. increases your return freight charges. Non-defective items received will be returned freight
collect.
Include a dated proof-of-purchase from an Authorized Dealer. Warranty expiration on items returned without proof-ofpurchase will be determined from the manufacturing date code. Coverage may be invalidated if this date is greater than 18
months previous to the date item is sent in. Freight must be prepaid; items received freight collect will be refused.
Failure to follow these steps may void your warranty. Any questions can be directed to the Kicker Customer Service
Department at (405)624-8510.
WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
This warranty is valid only if the product is used for the purpose for which it was designed.
It does not cover:
June 2002
P.O. Box 459 x Stillwater, Oklahoma 74076 x U.S.A. x 405 624-8510
or www.Kicker.com
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