Soundstream Reference 700s Owner's Manual

SERIES AND PARALLEL WIRING

2-4 ohm drivers in parallel = 2 ohms

4-4 ohm drivers in parallel =1 ohm

2-4 ohm drivers in series = 8 ohms

SOUNDSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES

120 Blue Ravine Road Folsom California 95630 USA ph 916.351.1288 fax [phone]

rev C - 5.01.96

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REFERENCE

500s

700s

1000s

Power Amplifiers

OWNERS MANUAL

AND

INSTALLATION GUIDE

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CONGRATULATIONS!

You now own	the REFERENCE Amplifier, the product	of an
uncompromising	design and engineering philosophy.	Your

Soundstream REFERENCE amplifier will outperform any other amplifier in the world.

To maximize the performance of your system, we recommend that you thoroughly acquaint yourself with its capabilities and features. Please retain this manual and your sales and installation receipts for future reference.

Soundstream amplifiers are the result of American craftsmanship and the highest quality control standards, and when properly installed, will provide you with many years of listening pleasure. Should your amplifier ever need service or replacement due to theft, please record the following information, which will help protect your investment.

Model and Serial # ____________________________________

Dealer’s Name _______________________________________

Date of Purchase _____________________________________

Installation Shop ______________________________________

Installation Date ______________________________________

CAUTION!

Prolonged listening at high levels may result in hearing loss. Even though your new Soundstream REFERENCE amplifier sounds better than anything you’ve ever heard, exercise caution to prevent hearing damage.

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SPECIFICATIONS

POWER	4 Ω Stereo	2 Ω Stereo		1 Ω Stereo		1/2 Ω Stereo
	(8 Ω Bridged)	(4 Ω Bridged)		(2 Ω Bridged)		(1 Ω Bridged)
	(12 Vdc)
		REFERENCE500s
Watts	75 x 2	150 x	2	250 x	2	250 x 2
	(150 x 1)	(300 x	1)	(500 x	1)	(500 x 1)
		REFERENCE700s
Watts	125 x 2	250 x	2	350 x	2	350 x 2
	(250 x 1)	(500 x	1)	(700 x	1)	(700 x 1)
		REFERENCE1000s
Watts	200 x 2	400 x	2	500 x	2	500 x 2
	(400 x 1)	(800 x	1)	(1000 x 1)		(1000 x 1)
THD		<0.1%
Signal to Noise		>100 dB
Frequency Response		20 Hz to 20 kHz ± 0.5 dB
Stereo Separation		>90 dB
Damping		>200
Input Sensitivity		200mV - 2.0V, or 500mV to 5.0V
Input Impedance		10K ohms

Crossover Specifications

Low Pass: 45 - 180 Hz at 12 dB/Octave

High Pass: 45 - 180 Hz at 12 dB/Octave

LSE.Q (REFERENCE1000s)

0.7 - 2.8 Q (0 TO +9 dB), adjustment from 30 to 60 Hz

Dimensions (W x D x H)

REFERENCE500s: 11.0” x 9.8” x 2.25”

REFERENCE700s: 12.25” x 9.8” x 2.25”

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REFERENCE1000s: 16.0” x 9.8” x 2.25”

TROUBLESHOOTING

	PROBLEM	CAUSE
	No sound and power LED is not lit	∙ No power or ground at amp
		∙ No remote turn-on signal
		∙ Blown fuse near battery
	No sound, a power LED is lit, and	∙ No signal input
	the AIRBASS™ option has not	∙ The AIRBASS™ switch is in the
	been added.
		"IN" position. Move it to the
		"OUT" position
	Fault LED is lit	∙ Amp power supply fuse is blown
		or missing
	Repeatedly blown amp fuse, fre-	∙ Speaker or leads may be shorted
	quent activation of Smart Power	∙ Verify adequate amplifier ventila-
	Supply Circuit
		tion
	Not enough input sensitivity while	∙ Be sure both Left and Right Input
	using the Balanced input	Signal Switches are set to the
		"BAL" position
	Left and Right Input Overload indi-	∙ Input signal level is too high - re-
	cators lighting	adjust input gains, or select the
		0.5-5V input signal level range
	Alternator whine while using Un-	∙ Make sure the Right Input Signal
	balanced RCA inputs	Switch is in the "UNBAL" posi-
		tion.
		∙ Try the Left Input Signal Switch
		in the "BAL" and "UNBAL" posi-
		tion: leave the switch in the qui-
		etest position. This will not effect
		the performance of the amplifier.

SERVICE

Your Soundstream REFERENCE amplifier is protected by a limited warranty.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Design Features.................................................................	4 - 5
Reference500s Diagram ....................................................	6 - 7
Reference700s Diagram ....................................................	8 - 9
Reference1000s Diagram ..............................................	10 - 11
High Power / Auto High Current™ Power Supply Design	..... 12
Protection Circuitry ................................................................	12
Crossover Adjustments .........................................................	13
AIRBASS™...........................................................................	13
LSE.Q Theory and Use ..................................................	14 - 15
Selecting Input Modes...........................................................	16
Balanced / Unbalanced Input ................................................	17
Wiring & Wiring Diagram................................................	18 - 19
Installation and Mounting ......................................................	20
Level Setting .........................................................................	21
Troubleshooting ....................................................................	22
Service ..................................................................................	22
Specifications................................................................ .......	23

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DESIGN FEATURES

∙Uncompromising Design and Construction including mil-spec glass epoxy circuit boards and high current custom gold-plated solid brass connections that will accept up to 4 gauge power/ground wire.

∙Auto High Current™ - Soundstream’s newest exclusive circuit which automatically customizes your amplifier to its particular application— High Current, low impedance loads (multiple subwoofers, less than 2 ohms mono) or High Power, higher impedance loads (2 ohms mono and up).

∙Coherent StereoTM/Mixed Mono selection for either “pure” stereo operation or mixed mono for simultaneous stereo and mono.

∙ChassisinkTM Darlington Power Array - Soundstream’s “overbuilding” of the output section incorporates multiple output transistors instead of a few for faster, stronger power delivery. The

transistors are sandwiched between the circuit board and the heatsink in a design called ChassisinkTM to ensure cool, efficient amplifier operation.

∙PowerGrid Power Supply Design - All power supply components are located near one another, connected by thick, wide PCB traces, which ensures rapid, high current delivery. The entire power supply is isolated on one side of the circuit board while the audio stage is located opposite it, guaranteeing minimal noise.

∙Ultra-Low ESR Capacitance Bank - Multiple small input power capacitors are used to provide a lower ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance), which means more power in and out faster.

∙Smart Thermal Rollback - Most amplifiers shut off when they get too hot. In the unlikely event the REFERENCE amplifier reaches 85° C, it will gradually roll back its average power (without affecting the dynamics). Once the amplifier has cooled off, it returns to full power output. If overheating should continue, a second thermal sensing protection circuit will shut off the amplifier if the heatsink reaches 95° C.

∙Fault Monitor LED on the top panel notifies you of blown power supply fuses.

∙1/2 ohm Drive Ability - The REFERENCE amplifiers are designed to

INSTALLATION STEP5

LEVEL SETTING

The input levels are adjusted by means of the individual channel input level controls located on the front of the amplifier. This is a unique dual-stage circuit that adjusts both level and gain. This topology maintains better Signal to Noise ratios even when using sources with minimal output.

In the ideal situation, all components in the audio system reach maximum undistorted output at the same time. The reason is because an amplifier will only make what comes into it bigger. So, if you send it a distorted signal from the head unit, the amplifier is going to amplify distorted information. The same thing holds true if an outboard processor or crossover begins to distort before you have maximum output from the amplifier. By setting all components to reach clipping at the same time, you can maximize the output of your system. For the REFERENCE amplifiers, follow the following steps for the quickest, easiest means of setting the levels.

1.Turn the amp’s input levels to minimum position (fully counterclockwise).

2.Begin with the input level switch in the 0.5 - 5.0 Volt position.

3.Set source unit volume to approximately 3/4 of full volume.

4.While playing dynamic source material, slowly increase the amplifier’s input level until a near maximum undistorted level is heard in the system.

If your preamplifier / source unit has an extremely high output level, be sure to pay attention to the clipping indicators located on the top of the amplifier. These indicators will notify you if you are clipping the PREAMPLIFIER stage of the amplifier. If the amplifier's output is distorted and the clipping lights are not blinking, you are most likely clipping the OUTPUTS of the amplifier, or driving the speaker to distortion.

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