Rockford Punch 400.4 Owner's Manual

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car audio

4-Channel Amplifiers
Operation & Installation

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Dear Customer,
Congratulations on your purchase of the world's finest brand of car audio amplifiers.

At Rockford Fosgate we are committed to musical reproduction at its best, and we are
pleased you chose our product. Through years of engineering expertise, hand crafts­manship and critical testing procedures, we have created a wide range of products that
reproduce music with all the clarity and richness you deserve.

For maximum performance we recommend you have your new Rockford Fosgate
product installed by an Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer, as we provide specialized
training through Rockford Technical Training Institute (RTTI). Please read your
warranty and retain your receipt and original carton for possible future use.

To add the finishing touch to your new Rockford Fosgate image order your Rockford
accessories, which include everything from T-shirts and jackets to hats and sunglasses.

To get a free brochure on Rockford Fosgate products and Rockford accessories, in the
U.S. call 602-967-3565 or FAX [phone]. For all other countries, call +001-602­967-3565 or FAX [phone].

PRACTICE SAFE SOUND™

CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE TO SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS
OVER 100dB MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING LOSS. HIGH
POWERED AUTO SOUND SYSTEMS MAY PRODUCE SOUND
PRESSURE LEVELS WELL OVER 130dB. USE COMMON SENSE
AND PRACTICE SAFE SOUND.

If, after reading your manual, you still have questions regarding this product, we
recommend that you see your Rockford Fosgate dealer. If you need further
assistance, you can call us direct at 1-800-795-2385. Be sure to have your serial
number, model number and date of purchase available when you call.

The serial number can be found on the outside of the box. Please record it in the
space provided below as your permanent record. This will serve as verification
of your factory warranty and may become useful in recovering your amplifier if
it is ever stolen.

Serial Number: ____________________
Model Number:____________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ............................................................................................1

Accessory Pack .......................................................................................1

Technical Design Features ......................................................................2

Design Features.......................................................................................5

Installation Considerations ......................................................................7

Mounting Location..................................................................................8

Battery and Charging...............................................................................9

Wiring the System ...................................................................................9

Using Passive Crossovers ......................................................................12

Table of Crossover Component Values..................................................13

Using the XCard....................................................................................14

Resistor Chart........................................................................................15

XCard Configurations ............................................................................16

Using the Signal Input Switch................................................................19

Installation ............................................................................................21

System Diagrams...................................................................................28

Rockford Fosgate Accessories................................................................32

Troubleshooting ....................................................................................34

Dynamic Power Measurements.............................................................37

400.4 Specifications ..............................................................................39

Warranty Information............................................................................40

International Information.......................................................................41

G

ETTING STARTED

Welcome to Rockford Fosgate! This manual is designed to provide
information for the owner, salesperson and installer. For those of you who
want quick information on how to install this product, please turn to the

Installation Section

of this manual or refer to the icons listed below. Other
information can be located by using the Table of Contents. We, at
Rockford Fosgate, have worked very hard to make sure all the information
in this manual is current. But, as we are constantly finding new ways to
improve our product, this information is subject to change without notice.

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Sections marked

ADVANCED OPERATION

include in-depth

technical information

Sections marked

INSTALLATION

include “slam dunk”

wiring connections

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Sections marked

TROUBLESHOOTING

include recommendations

for curing

installation problems

I

INTRODUCTION

The Punch 400.4 is a 4-channel amplifier which can deliver 400 watts
RMS. The amplifier utilizes a 2/4-channel input switch to eliminate
the need for signal splitters. Four internal XCard crossovers allow the
amplifier to be configured for use with many popular system designs
without the added cost of external processors. The Punch 400.4 is a
powerful 4-channel amplifier with integrated features which is of­fered at a competitive price.

We strongly recommend you have your Authorized Rockford Fosgate
Dealer install your new Punch amplifier. If you do choose to install it
yourself, please be sure to read the entire manual before beginning.

ACCESSORY PACK

Installation & Operation Manual
Punch Verification Certificate
(4) Amplifier mounting screws (#8 x 3/4" Phillips)
(10)Speaker & power connector screws (3/32" Allen )
(4) End cap mounting screws (9/64" Allen)
(1) Allen Wrench 9/64"
(1) Allen Wrench 3/32"
(1) AGU Fuseholder
(1) AGU 50 Amp Fuse

– 1 –

TECHNICAL DESIGN FEATURES

◆ TRANS•ANA

(TRANSconductance Active Nodal Amplifier)

The

TRANS•ANA

circuit that allows the audio signal to pass through the amplifier at low
voltage. The signal is directly level-shifted to the fixed high voltage
rails via a pair of driver transistors. Signal linearity is assured by an
active node formed by the drive transistors at ultrasonic frequencies.
This allows amplifier performance similar to trans•
highly stable and linear while utilizing the advantages of a non­floating power supply.

THE RESULT: An extended frequency bandwidth accurately supplied
to the output stages of the amplifier.

◆ TOP AZ (Tracking Operation Pre-Amplifier Zone)

The

TOPAZ

ground loop noise problems common to automotive amplifier design.
This innovative new development allows vastly improved isolation of
the input signal grounds from the power supply ground of the
amplifier. This is accomplished by allowing the source unit to control
the potential “environment” of the entire input structure or “zone” of
the amplifier. This process improves the noise rejection of the
amplifier by 30-40dB – an astounding 30-100 times better than
amplifiers without TOPAZ.

(TRANSconductance Active Nodal Amplifier) is a

(Tracking Operation Pre-Amplifier Zone) circuitry solves

nova

which is

THE RESULT: Elimination of troublesome ground loop noise between
source and amplifier.

◆ Pass-Thru Output

The Pass-Thru output provides a convenient source for daisy-chain­ing an additional amplifier without the need for extra RCA cables or
“Y” adapters. The Pass-Thru signal is derived from summing the Front
and Rear Left inputs to create a Left output, and summing the Front
and Rear Right inputs to create a Right output. When the amplifier is
used with 4-channel inputs, the Pass-Thru provides constant output
regardless of the source unit fade position. Additionally, the Pass­Thru has an XCard that can be set for High-Pass, Low-Pass or Full Range.

THE RESULT: Constant non-faded output for adding woofer amplifiers.

– 2 –

◆ DSM (Discrete Surface Mount) Technology

The

DSM

(Discrete Surface Mount) manufacturing process combines
the advantages of both discrete components and integrated circuitry.
Rockford Fosgate is the only American amplifier manufacturer to have
invested millions into this process. DSM components differ from
conventional discrete components in three ways. They are more
compact, more rugged, and they efficiently dissipate generated heat.
Using them wherever appropriate allows the advantages associated
with discrete circuitry to be retained while also providing room for
both highly advanced processing features and generous PC board
copper paths where needed. Their short lead-out structures allow
maximum audio performance and highest signal-to-noise ratios to be
obtained in amplifiers of desirable package size without resorting to
“amplifier-on-a-chip” shortcuts. These advantages are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

Thru-Hole

THE RESULT: Fewer connections, improved reliability, shorter
signal paths, superior signal-to-noise ratio and awesome sonic
performance.

Component

Solder

Surface Mount

Solder

◆ XCard (Internal Crossover)

The Punch amplifiers utilize internal active crossovers. These
crossovers have many performance advantages such as using
discrete components for exact frequency adjustments which are
far superior to potentiometers. Additionally, the XCard can be
configured for high-pass, low-pass and full range operation. With
slight modifications, many crossover frequencies and slope con­figurations can be achieved.

THE RESULT: Increased system design flexibility with a precise
electronic crossover without the limitations of conventional

potentiometer designs.

– 3 –

◆ NOMAD (NOn-Multiplying Advanced Decision)

The Punch amplifiers use an
output power under all operating conditions. Rockford Fosgate pio­neered and developed
the performance edge of our amplifiers. The innovative
Multiplying Advanced Decision) system is the most sophisticated ver­sion of this technique ever used, bringing previously unavailable levels
of accuracy, stability, temperature immunity and reliability to this
critical process. NOMAD makes advanced decisions based on device
voltages to precisely control the awesome levels of current available in
the output MOSFETs to safe values – but only when absolutely needed.

THE RESULT: Extremely fast protection system that always protects the
amplifier and never degrades the sound.

analog computer process

RTP

(Real Time Protection), a crucial element in

to maximize safe

NOMAD

(NOn-

◆ MOSFET Devices

Rockford Fosgate is one of the few manufacturers in the sound
community to utilize MOSFET devices in both the
the

output stages. MOSFET

Transistor) devices offer several important inherent advantages over

the 30 year old technology of bi-polar design. These advantages
include: thermal stability, switching speed, ultra low output imped­ance and wider bandwidth linearity. In addition, MOSFETs operate
very similar to vacuum tubes in which they are more linear than
bipolar transistors. However, MOSFETs can deliver the midrange
clarity without the limitations of transient response and high fre­quency phase shifting normally associated with tube operation.

(Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect

power supply

and

THE RESULT: Operational characteristics similar to vacuum tubes

without the performance limitations of tube designs.

– 4 –

DESIGN FEATURES

1. Cast Aluminum Heatsink – The cast aluminum heatsink of the Punch
amplifier dissipates heat generated by the amplifier's circuitry. The
inherent advantage of casting provides a 30% improvement of
cooling over conventional extrusion heatsink designs.

2. End Caps – The unique end caps conceal the wiring and input cables,
giving the amplifier a clean “stealth” look.

Phase

7

4/2

Input

9

R L
Rear

9

R L

Front

8 10

RR

L

Pass-Thru

Front

L

0° - 180°

Rear

6

Rear

+R–

B++L–

GND

LEDREM

–R+–L+

Front

5 4 113 3

3. Speaker Terminals – The heavy duty, gold-plated terminal block
connectors (+ and –) will accept wire sizes from 8 AWG to 18 AWG.
These gold-plated connectors are immune to corrosion that can
cause signal deterioration.

4. Power Terminals – The power and ground connectors on the Punch
amplifier are gold-plated and will accommodate up to 8 AWG wire
maximizing the input current capability of the amplifier.

5. REM Terminal – This gold spade terminal is used for the auto power/
remote turn-on of the Punch amplifier.

6. RCA Input Jacks – The industry standard RCA jacks provide easy
connections for signal level input. They are gold-plated to resist the
signal degradation caused by corrosion.

– 5 –

7. Signal Input Switch – This switch allows selection of 2-channel
or 4-channel source unit feed.

8. RCA Pass-Thru Jacks – The Pass-Thru provides a convenient
source for daisy-chaining an additional amplifier without run­ning an extra set of RCA cables from the front of the vehicle to the
rear amplifier location. One of the internal XCards can be
designated to the Pass-Thru, creating a dedicated low-pass, high­pass, or full range output.

9. Input Sensitivity Controls – The input level controls are preset to
match the output of most source units. They can be adjusted to
match output levels from a variety of source units.

10. Phase Switch – This switch enables you to easily invert the rear

channel phase without having to disconnect the speaker wires.

11. LED Power Indicator – The LED illuminates when the unit is
turned on.

12. XCard (Internal Crossover) – These built-in crossover cards are
configurable for a multitude of operating frequencies. The orien­tation of the card in its socket determines the function of high­pass, low-pass, or full range operation.

High-Pass

Low-Pass

Full Range

HP

LP

LP

HP

FULL

XCard 1

Front

XCards

XCard 1

XCard 2

Rear

XCards

Dual Filter

XCard 2

XCard 3

XCard 3

Pass-Thru

XCard

XCard 4

XCard 4

– 6 –

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

The following is a list of tools you will need for installing the Punch
amplifier:

Allen wrenches 9/64" & 3/32" (included) Voltmeter
Wire strippers Battery post wrench
Electric hand drill w/assorted bits Wire cutters
Wire crimpers Assorted connectors

This section focuses on some of the vehicle considerations for installing
your new Punch amplifier. Checking your battery and present sound
system, as well as pre-planning your system layout and best wiring routes
will save installation time. When deciding how to lay out your new
system, be sure that each component will be easily accessible for making
adjustments.

Before beginning any installation, be sure to follow these simple rules:

1. Be sure to carefully read and understand the instructions before
attempting to install the amplifier.

2. For safety, disconnect the negative lead from the battery prior to
beginning the installation.

3. For easier assembly, we suggest you run all wires prior to mounting
your amplifier in place.

4. Route all of the RCA cables close together and away from any high
current wires.

5. Use high quality connectors for a reliable installation and to mini­mize signal or power loss.

6. Think before you drill! Be careful not to cut or drill into gas tanks,
fuel lines, brake or hydraulic lines, vacuum lines or electrical wiring
when working on any vehicle.

7. Never run wires underneath the vehicle. Running the wires inside the
vehicle provides the best protection.

8. Avoid running wires over or through sharp edges. Use rubber or
plastic grommets to protect any wires routed through metal, espe­cially the firewall.

9. ALWAYS protect the battery and electrical system from damage with
proper fusing. Install the appropriate fuseholder and fuse on the
+12V power wire within 18” (45.7 cm) of the battery terminal.

10. When grounding to the chassis of the vehicle, scrape all paint from
the metal to ensure a good, clean ground connection. Grounding
connections should be as short as possible and always be connected
to metal that is welded to the main body, or chassis, of the vehicle.

– 7 –

MOUNTING LOCATION

The mounting location and position of your amplifier will have a great
effect on its ability to dissipate the heat generated during normal opera­tion. The design of our cast aluminum heatsink serves to easily dissipate
the heat generated over a wide range of operating conditions. However,
to maximize the performance of your amplifier, care should be taken to
ensure adequate ventilation.

Trunk Mounting

Mounting the amplifier vertically on a surface with the fin grooves running
up and down will provide the best cooling of the amplifier.

Mounting the amplifier on the floor of the trunk will work but provides less
cooling capability than vertical mounting.

Mounting the amplifier upside down to the rear deck of the trunk will not
provide proper cooling and will severely affect the performance of the
amplifier and is

Passenger Compartment Mounting

Mounting the amplifier in the passenger compartment will work as long
as you provide a sufficient amount of air for the amplifier to cool itself. If
you are going to mount the amplifier under the seat of the vehicle, you
must have at least 1" (2.54cm) of air gap around the amplifier's heatsink.

not

recommended.

Mounting the amplifier with less than 1" (2.54cm) of air gap around the
amplifier's heatsink in the passenger compartment will not provide proper
cooling and will severely affect the performance of the amplifier and is
recommended.

not

Engine Compartment Mounting

Rockford Fosgate amplifiers should
compartment. Not only will this void your warranty but could create an
embarrassing situation caused by the ridicule from your friends.

– 8 –

never

be mounted in the engine

BATTERY AND CHARGING

Amplifiers will put an increased load on the vehicle's battery and
charging system. We recommend checking your alternator and battery
condition to ensure that the electrical system has enough capacity to
handle the increased load of your stereo system. Stock electrical systems
which are in good condition should be able to handle the extra load of
any Rockford amplifier without problems, although battery and alterna­tor life can be reduced slightly. To maximize the performance of your
Rockford Fosgate amplifier, we suggest the use of a heavy duty battery
and an energy storage capacitor.

WIRING THE SYSTEM

CAUTION: Avoid running power wires near the low level input cables,
antenna, power leads, sensitive equipment or harnesses. The power wires
carry substantial current and could induce noise into the audio system.

• For safety, disconnect the negative lead from the battery prior to

beginning the installation.
Configure the internal XCard crossovers prior to installation. (Refer to

page 14 for more information.)

1. Plan the wire routing. Take care when running signal level RCA cables

to keep them close together but isolated from the amplifier's power
cables and any high power auto accessories, especially electric
motors. This is done to prevent coupling the noise from radiated
electrical fields into the audio signal. When feeding the wires through
the firewall or any metal barrier, protect them with plastic or rubber
grommets to prevent short circuits. Leave the wires long at this point
to adjust for a precise fit at a later time.

2. Prepare the B+ cable for attachment to the amplifier by stripping 5/8"

of insulation from the end of the wire. The use of 8 gauge power cable
can interfere with the installation of the end caps. Proper wire dress
can prevent this from occurring. To prevent the wire from fraying, strip
the insulation at a 45° angle. Insert the bared wire into the B+ terminal
with the long side of the insulation on the top. Bend the cable down
at a 90° angle. Tighten the set screw to secure the cable in place.

– 9 –

3. Mount the fuseholder within 18" of the battery using two (2) #8

screws. Disassemble the fuseholder. You should have 2 black
plastic end caps, 2 gold-plated fuse clips, a plastic spacer and the
fuseholder body. Trim the amplifier power cable to reach the
fuseholder and strip the wire 3/8". Slide one of the end caps over
the wire (narrow end first) and insert the wire into one of the fuse
clips. Tighten the set screw. Screw the black end cap to the
fuseholder body to secure the cable. Use the section of cable that
was trimmed earlier and connect it to the other end of the
fuseholder. Install the plastic spacer in the fuseholder and attach
the cable to the fuseholder body.

NOTE: The B+ cable MUST be fused 18" or less from the vehicle's
battery. Install the fuseholder under the hood and prepare the
cable ends as stated above. Connections should be water tight.

4. Strip 3/8" from the battery end of the power cable and crimp the

large ring terminal to the cable. Use the ring terminal to connect
to the battery positive terminal. Do not install the fuse at this time.

5. Prepare a length of cable to be used for the GND connection. Strip

5/8" of insulation from the end of the cable as described previously
and connect to the appropriate terminal of the amplifier. Prepare
the chassis ground by scraping any paint from the metal surface
and thoroughly clean the area of all dirt and grease. Strip the other
end of the wire and attach a ring connector. Fasten the cable to the
chassis using a screw.

6. Prepare the REM turn-on wire for connection to the amplifier by

stripping 1/4" of insulation from the wire end and crimping an
insulated spade connector in place. Slide the connector over the
REM terminal on the amplifier. Connect the other end of the REM
wire to a switched 12 volt positive source. The switched signal is
usually taken from the source unit's auto antenna or the accessory
lead. If the source unit does not have these outputs available, the
recommended solution is to wire a mechanical switch in line with
a 12 volt source to activate the amplifier.

7. Connect the source signal to the amplifier by plugging the RCA

cables into the input jacks at the amplifier.

– 10 –

8. Connect the speakers. Strip the speaker wires 5/8" and insert into
the appropriate terminal on the amplifier. Insert the bared wire into
the speaker terminal and tighten the set screw to secure into place.
Be sure to maintain proper speaker polarity.

DO NOT chassis

ground any of the speaker leads as unstable operation may result.

9. Perform a final check of the completed system wiring to ensure that
all connections are accurate. Check all power and ground connec­tions for frayed wires and loose connections which could cause
problems.

After the final inspection is complete, install the power fuse and

10.
enjoy listening. During the initial listening period, you may need
to “fine tune” any phasing and level settings within your particular
vehicle. To aid in this procedure, play a track with high musical
content and cruise around your neighborhood. After fully evaluat­ing the transient response of your system and making any final
adjustments, all your neighbors within a 1 mile radius will assume
that you have just successfully completed another upgrade to your
audio system for which they will probably spill thumbtacks on
your driveway.

– 11 –

USING PASSIVE CROSSOVERS

A passive crossover is a circuit that uses capacitors and/or coils and is
placed on speaker leads between the amplifier and speaker. The
crossover delegates a specific range of frequencies to the speaker for
optimum driver performance. A crossover network can perform one of
three functions: High-Pass (capacitors), Low-Pass (inductors or coils)
and Bandpass (combination of capacitor and coil).

The most commonly used passive crossover networks are 6dB/octave
systems. These are easy to construct and require one component per
filter. Placing this filter in series with the circuit will reduce power to
the speaker by 6dB/octave above or below the crossover point
depending on whether it is a high-pass or low-pass filter. More
complex systems such as 12dB/octave or 18dB/octave can cause
impedance problems if not professionally designed.

Passive crossovers are directly dependent upon the speaker's imped­ance and component value for accuracy. When passive crossover
components are used in multiple speaker systems, the crossover's
effect on the overall impedance should be taken into consideration
along with the speaker's impedance when determining amplifier
loads.

CAUTION: The Rockford Fosgate amplifiers are not recom-

mended for impedance loads below 2Ω stereo and 4Ω bridged
(mono) loads.

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TABLE OF CROSSOVER COMPONENT VALUES

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6 dB/Octave Low-Pass

Freq.
Hertz

2 OHMS

L

L

6 dB/Octave High-Pass

Speaker Impedance

4 OHMS

C L

C

C

8 OHMS

L C

80 4.1mH 1000µF 8.2mH 500µF 16mH 250µF
100 3.1mH 800µF 6.2mH 400µF 12mH 200µF
130 2.4mH 600µF 4.7mH 300µF 10mH 150µF

200 1.6mH 400µF 3.3mH 200µF 6.8mH 100µF
260 1.2mH 300µF 2.4mH 150µF 4.7mH 75µF
400 .8mH 200µF 1.6mH 100µF 3.3mH 50µF

600 .5mH 136µF 1.0mH 68µF 2.0mH 33µF
800 .41mH 100µF .82mH 50µF 1.6mH 26µF

1000 .31mH 78µF .62mH 39µF 1.2mH 20µF

1200 .25mH 66µF .51mH 33µF 1.0mH 16µF
1800 .16mH 44µF .33mH 22µF .68mH 10µF
4000 .08mH 20µF .16mH 10µF .33mH 5µF

6000 51µH14µF .10mH 6.8µF .20mH 3.3µF
9000 34µH 9.5µF68µH 4.7µF .15mH 2.2µF

12000 25µH 6.6µF51µH 3.3µF 100µH 1.6µF

6 dB/Octave High-Pass and Low-Pass Filters

L = Low-Pass (Inductor)
C = High-Pass (Capacitor)

For more information, see your Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer.

– 13 –

USING THE XCARD

The crossover functions are controlled through the use of an XCard
and can be set for high-pass, low-pass or full range operation. Each
crossover card has two faces: one face operates Full Range, the other
has arrows to indicate the edge for selecting HP (high-pass) or LP (low­pass) operation. Orient the card with the desired operating edge,
indicated by the arrow, toward the socket terminals inside the

amplifier. Firmly, but carefully, plug the card into the socket.

Low-Pass Full RangeHigh-Pass

➝

LP

HP

➝

➝

HP

LP

➝

FULL

↕

The crossover point can be altered by changing the 4 resistor values.
Use the following formula to select the appropriate resistor value to

be placed on the XCard.

3386

7234

= R (in kΩ) for .047µf cap

f

o

= R (in kΩ) for .022µf cap

f

o

Crossover Card

High Pass

R1

Low Pass
Full Range

R2

The actual formula is:

R =

1

2πfoc

R1

FULL

R2

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Where: R = ohms

fo = desired crossover frequency
c = capacitor in farads

ex: .047 x 10-6 for .047µf cap

– 14 –