Kicker SX900.4 User Manual

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Introduction

SX900.4 / SX700.4

SX .4 Series

Amplifier

Owner’s Manual

Four Channel Models:

Attention:

Please record your purchase information in the area

provided below. We recommend attaching the original

sales receipt or a copy of it to this manual for future

reference.

If you require service on this amplifier during the

warranty period, you will need to provide this

information and a copy of the receipt to Kicker to

validate your warranty.

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR RECEIPT!

Authorized Kicker Dealer:

Purchase Date:

Amplifier Model Number:

Amplifier Serial Number:

_____________________________________________

Congratulations!

You have just purchased the latest in amplifier

technology to carry the famous KICKER name. Your KICKER SX amplifier employs the latest in DSP to give you total control over the sound. It is designed and

built to give you years of powerful and trouble-free

performance in SPL contests and on the street.

Please read this installation manual, it contains

valuable information to help you get the most out of

your new SX .4 amplifier.

This is your “fuel for Livin’ Loud ™”!

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Features

Low Impedance Operation Stable into 2 ohm stereo or 4

ohm mono loads.

SORT Protection Circuitry (Short circuit, Over-voltage,

Reverse polarity, Thermal) Protects amplifier from accidents and

out of spec operation.

MOSFET Power Supply Provides high efficiency operation. PAST (Pre Amp Signal Transfer) Output RCA jacks to pass the

incoming signal to another amplifier or component.

SAMS (Stereo And Mono Simultaneously) Amplifier will operate

into a bridged mono load and a stereo load at the same time.

Low Pass Filter Fully adjustable digital crossover with variable

slope and crossover frequency. 30Hz - 20kHz in 1/12 octave spacing. OFF - 36dB per octave slope in 6dB increments.

High Pass Filter Fully adjustable digital crossover with variable

slope and crossover frequency. 10Hz - 16kHz in 1/12 octave spacing. OFF - 36dB per octave slope in 6dB increments.

KickEQ Fully adjustable single band digital parametric equalizer

with variable Q (bandwidth), variable center frequency and variable boost or cut. Q range .5 - 10 in .5 steps. Center frequency 20Hz - 20kHz in 1/12 octave steps. Boost or cut range +/-18dB.

Adjustable Phase The output phase of each channel can be

set at 0 Degrees or 180 Degrees. Left and Right channels can be linked or independently adjusted.

UltraMatch Gain Structure Digital input gain control with five

selectable gain ranges (1 volt, 2 volt, 4 volt, 8 volt, 16 volt) with 12dB of adjustment in each range in .5dB steps. Left and Right channels can be linked or adjusted independently.

SickBay and On Board Diagnostics Various tools to

troubleshoot installation issues and check amp status.

Kompressor A 4-setting, user-selectable bass compressor

used to fatten up your sub bass. OFF, RED-LINE, CONTOUR and ATTACK with +/-24dB of adjustment to compensate for speaker size, speaker location, vehicle size or listening style.

ISIS (pronounced “eye-sis”) (Indicate Status & Input Settings)

The user interface to view or adjust current settings and check the status of your Kicker SX amplifier.

BLAST Port (Bass Level And Signal Transfer) Provides

Remote Bass Level Control and control signal transfer between multiple SX amplifiers.

EndKaps Cast aluminum, custom, removable covers to protect

and hide all your wiring connections to the amplifier. Can be prepped and painted any custom color you choose.

SASA (Shake AStick At) So many more features...it is more

than you can Shake AStick At. (It’s an Oklahoma thing!) Read on to find out!

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Features

ISIS

VFD Display

Meet the ISIS interface (Indicate Status & Input Settings).

The

ISIS (pronounced “eye-sis”) allows you to view the

current conditions and settings of your amplifier as well as change the many user-adjustable settings.The

ISIS system

consists of the VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) and the nine soft touch buttons that make up the KEYPAD.

ISIS

VFD

ISIS

KEYPAD

Here is a brief description of the indicators found on the VFD.

AMP1 - Indicates amplifier 1 is selected for adjustment. AMP2 - Indicates amplifier 2 is selected for adjustment. LOCK - Indicates the amplifier controls are locked out and not

usable.

LEFT - Indicates an action or adjustment of the left channel. SYS - Indicates you are in the system menu. RIGHT - Indicates an action or adjustment of the right channel. MUTE - Indicates you are in the mute menu or the mute

function is active.

AMP1

LOCK

GAIN EQ LPF HPF KOMP

LEFT RIGHT

SYS

PHASE

AMP2

MUTE

** kicker

MEM-1

MEM-2 MEM-3 MEM-4

AMP1

LOCK

LEFT RIGHT

GAIN EQ LPF HPF KOMP

** kicker

MEM-1

M1 M2 M3 M4

ESC ENT

SYS

MEM-2 MEM-3 MEM-4

HOME

AMP2

PHASE

MUTE

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Features

VFD DISPLAY - continued

GAIN - Indicates you are in the gain menu. EQ - Indicates you are in the equalizer menu. LPF - Indicates you are in the low pass filter menu. HPF - Indicates you are in the high pass filter menu. PHASE - Indicates you are in the phase menu. KOMP - Indicates you are in the Kompressor menu. MEM-1 - Memory preset 1 activated. MEM-2 - Memory preset 1 activated. MEM-3 - Memory preset 1 activated. MEM-4 - Memory preset 1 activated.

KEYPAD

The keypad consists of nine buttons that allow you to adjust

your amplifier.

M1 - Used to select memory preset 1 or to store current

settings into preset 1.

M2 - Used to select memory preset 2 or to store

current settings into preset 2.

M3 - Used to select memory preset 3 or to store

current settings into preset 3.

M4 - Used to select memory preset 4 or to store

current settings into preset 4.

ESC - Used to exit the current menu. ENT - Used to enter the selected menu.

HOME - Used to return to the Main menu and

other functions explained later.

UP - Used to advance up through menu selections

and/or adjust amplifier controls.

DOWN - Used to advance down through menu

selections and/or adjust amplifier controls.

These controls and their usage will be explained later with

more detail in each menu usage section.

ESC

ENT

HOME

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Features

End Panel Views

The BLAST Port is used to connect the Remote Bass Level Controller and for transferring control signals from one SX amplifier to another SX amplifier. An RJ45 cable is required to connect the BLAST Port (Out) of one amp to the BLAST Port (In) of another. This is only required if you want to control more than one amplifier with the same Bass Level Controller. More details on this further in the manual.

The speaker terminals are custom-machined connectors with full protective shrouds and are designed to accept heavy gauge speaker wire assures maximum power transfer and damping with minimal power loss.

Gold-plated RCA input connectors and PAST jacks provide solid input and output connections for your pre-amp signal.

Custom-machined power block accepts up to a 2 Ga wire for both power and ground connections and up to an 8 Ga for remote turn-on assures maximum power transfer with minimal loss.

On-board fusing (number of fuses vary by amp size) to protect amplifier against over current conditions and reverse polarity.

Power LED indicates amplifier is powered up and operating.

Check Fuse LED indicates a fault with the end panel fuses. This could be fuses which are not seated properly, faulty fuses or blown fuses.

BLAST Port In BLAST Port Out

Left + Left Right + Right -

Left PAST Amp 2 Left Input Amp 1 Left Input

Amp 1 Right Input Amp 2 Right Input Right PAST

Power LED Check Fuse LED Fusing

Ground Remote + 12 Volt

Right Right + Left Left +

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Installation

Mounting

When selecting a location to mount your Kicker amplifier be sure it is structurally sound and that there are no items behind the area that could be damaged by the screws. Check for wiring, brake lines, fuel lines, gas tanks, etc.

All amplifiers generate heat under normal operation. Be sure to choose a location that allows adequate ventilation for the amplifier. Also consider that the air temperature inside an automobile’s trunk can reach upwards of 140 degrees fahrenheit. An amplifier mounted in the trunk may require additional cooling such as extra fans moving air around the amplifier’s chassis or ventilating the trunk to exchange the hot air in the trunk for cooler air outside. If possible, mounting the amp in the passenger compartment will allow cooler operation.

Remember that the controls on top of the amp will need to be accessible for adjustment later. Keep this in mind as you choose your amplifier’s mounting location.

Now that you are ready to mount your amplifier, use the supplied 3mm allen wrench to remove the amplifier EndKaps. This will give you access to the mounting holes in the amplifier and all wiring connections.

See Fig. 1

With the EndKaps removed, you now have access to the four mounting holes in the mounting feet and all wiring connections. Drill 4 holes using a 7/64” drill bit and use the supplied #8 screws to mount the amplifier.

See Fig. 2

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Remove

AMP1

SYS

LEFT RIGHT

LOCK GAIN EQ LPF HPF KOMP

PHASE

** kicker

MEM-1

MEM-2 MEM-3 MEM-4

M1 M2 M3 M4

ESC ENT

HOME

Remove Remov

Remov

AMP2 MUTE

AMP1

AMP2

LOCK

MUTE

SYS

LEFT RIGHT

PHASE

GAINEQ LPF HPF KOMP

** kicker

MEM-2 MEM-3 MEM-4

MEM-1

M1 M2 M3 M4

ESC ENT

HOME

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Installation

Wiring

Signal is input into the amplifier using the low level RCA input connections. If your source unit does not have RCA output connectors you will need to use a Hi-Lo level signal adapter. See your Kicker dealer for more details on this.

The output (PAST) RCA jacks provide an unaltered signal output to feed another amplifier or component.

The use of twisted pair interconnects is recommended for all installations to minimize noise. When routing these cables through the automobile, try to keep them away from factory wiring harnesses and other power wiring. If you need to cross any of this wiring do so at a 90 degree angle to reduce the possibility for noise problems.

When working with power connections it is always recommended that you disconnect the battery to prevent accidents.

The ground should be connected to the amplifier first before making any of the other connections. This wire should be as short as possible (24 inches or less) and connected to a paint/corrosion free solid metal area of the car’s chassis. Use the same gauge wire as recommended for the amplifier’s power connection to the battery. Adding an additional ground wire between the car battery’s negative post and the car chassis of this same gauge (or larger) is also recommended.

If you ever need to remove the amp from the vehicle after it has been installed, the ground wire should be the last wire disconnected from the amplifier, just the opposite of when you installed it.

A fuse must be installed within 18 inches of the battery to protect the power wire feeding your amplifier. This fuse should be of at least the same value used in the amplifier but no higher than the capacity of the power wire. See the charts below for wire size and fusing recommendations.

Model Fuse Size W

ire Size

Wire Size Length Maximum Fuse

SX700.4 SX900.4

80A 120A

4 GA 1/0 GA

8 Ga 4 Ga 1/0 Ga 1/0 Ga 8 Ga 4 Ga 1/0 Ga 1/0 Ga

70 Amps 175 Amps 250 Amps 400 Amps 40 Amps 90 Amps 150 Amps 200 Amps

Less than 10 feet in length

10 feet to 20 feet in length

Front

SOURCE UNIT

Rear

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Installation

System Diagrams

FOUR CHANNEL OPERATION (STEREO)

SX.4 series amplifiers are capable of operating into a minimum impedance of 2 ohms per channel in stereo operation.

TWO CHANNEL OPERATION (BRIDGED )

SX.4 series amplifiers are capable of operating into a minimum impedance of 4 ohms when in bridged operation.

AMP 2

_ +

RIGHT SPEAKER(S)

AMP 1

GROUND

REMOTE

TURN-ON

18"

or less

+12V

FUSE

BATTERY

AMP1 LOCK

LEFT RIGHT

SYS

GAIN EQ LPFHPF KOMP

** kicker

MEM-2 MEM-3 MEM-4

MEM-1

M1 M2 M3 M4

ESC ENT

HOME

PHASE

AMP2 MUTE

SIGNAL OUT

R R+

L L+

R R+ L- L+

AMP 1 IN

AMP 2 IN

RIGHT SPEAKER(S) LEFT SPEAKER(S)

_ +

LEFT SPEAKER(S)

AMP 2 BRIDGED AMP 1 BRIDGED

SPEAKER(S)

REMOTE

TURN-ON

or less

+12V

BATTERY

GROUND

18"

FUSE



 



    

**kicker



  

   

 





 

SIGNAL OUT

R+ L

L+

R+

L+

AMP 1 IN

AMP 2 IN

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Installation

STEREO AND BRIDGED SIMULTANEOUSLY

SX.4 series amplifiers are capable of operating into a minimum impedance of 2 ohms per channel in stereo mode and 4 ohms bridged in mono mode. AMP 1 can be bridged while AMP 2 is in stereo OR

AMP 2 can be bridged while AMP 1 is in stereo.

These are just a few of the many ways you can use your SX.4 series Kicker amplifier. These system diagrams are designed to give you a basic understanding of the most common uses for this amplifier. For more complex systems see the Authorized Kicker Dealer where you made your purchase.

NOTE: For maximum performance from your Kicker SX .4 amplifier,

we recommend using Genuine Kicker Installation Accessories.

Visit your local dealer or visit www.Kicker.com to learn more.

GROUND

AMP 1 IN

AMP 2 IN

SIGNAL OUT

SPEAKER(S)

RIGHT

LEFT

SPEAKER(S)

REMOTE

TURN-ON

or less

+12V

BATTERY

18"

FUSE







 

   

** kicker



  

   

 



 



R+

L L+

R+ L- L+

BRIDGED

SPEAKER(S)

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

Installation

USING THE SIGNAL OUTPUT JACKS (PAST)

The Output (Pre Amp Signal Transfer) RCA jacks allow you to send the incoming signal from the AMP 1 RCA input jacks on one Kicker SX.4 series amplifier to another amplifier or processor without the need for Y cables. The signal from the PAST jacks is identical to the signal fed to the amplifier via its AMP 1 RCA input jacks and is not affected by any of the amplifier’s built-in digital signal processing.

Most head units with high voltage outputs should be capable of driving up to ten amplifiers in a chain.

If only using one RCA cable to feed signal into your SX.4 series amplifier, be sure to use the AMP 1 input on the amplifier. The AMP 1 input will feed signal to AMP 2 and the PAST RCA jacks.

If your source unit has front and rear RCA outputs and you want to enable fading, simply use an additional cable to connect AMP 2 to your source unit.

SOURCE UNIT

AMP 2 RCA CABLE (REAR)

AMP 1 RCA CABLE (FRONT)

To Next Amplifier or Processor

SX .4 Series Amplifiers

INSTALLATION

USING THE REMOTE BASS LEVEL CONTROL & BLAST

You can use the Remote Bass Level Control to control the

output of your amplifier from the front of the car.

Mount the controller by simply screwing the metal bracket to the chosen location and then slide the housing onto the bracket until it snaps into place.

Route the cable from the controller to the BLAST input jack on the amplifier chassis. That’s it.

If you wish to control more than one amplifier with your remote, you will simply need to use a RJ45 cable (not supplied but available at any Radio Shack, computer store or electronics center) to connect the BLAST output jack of the first amp to the BLAST input jack of the next amplifier.

On a KICKER SX.4 series amplifier you can control AMP 1, AMP 2 or both of them using the Remote Bass Level Controller. There is a setting you must adjust in the DSP to ‘tell’ the amplifier which one you want to control. See the Operation section of this manual for instructions on how to adjust this setting.

BACK VIEW

Mounting Surface

SUPPLIED

CABLE

SIDE VIEW

AMP 2 RCA CABLE (REAR)

AMP 1 RCA CABLE (FRONT)

OPTIONAL

RJ45 CABLE

OPTIONAL

RJ45 CABLE

SOURCE UNIT

To Next Amplifier or Processor

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