Clarion APX400 Operating & Installation Manual Download Page 4

RIGHT, FRONT LEFT, REAR RIGHT and REAR LEFT. The Gain Controls
provide a wide adjustment range to accommodate output levels from any brand
of source unit.

Gain Controls

- Seperate Front and Rear Gain Controls allow you to set the

nominal operating level of the amplifier. The amplifier’s range, 250mV to
2.5V for RCA inputs or 500mV to 5V for speaker level inputs, can
accommodate input levels from virtually any brand of source unit.

Bass Boost Control 

- The amplifier also features a “high-Q” (i.e. narrow

frequency band) Bass Boost circuit.  It acts much like an equalizer, with
adjustable gain (from 0 to +18dB) fixed at 45Hz.  Use this feature to tune low-
frequency audio response to compensate for a less than ideal subwoofer
enclosure design.  The added boost produces rich, full bass tones that are
normally difficult to reproduce in the car audio environment.  Note: If Bass
Boost is undesired, set Bass Boost to 0dB.

High-pass/Low-pass Filter Controls

Freq (Hz) Controls

- The front crossover frequency is fully adjustable

between 55Hz and 550Hz.  The rear crossover frequency is fully adjustable
between 55Hz and 5500Hz (via the Rear Crossover Frequency Multiplier) for a
wide range of crossover points.  Use this feature, along with your speaker
manufacturer’s recommended crossover frequencies, to quickly design a more
advanced system (see Applications on page 6.)  NOTE: If either of the X-Over
Mode Switches is set to OFF, varying the Freq (Hz) Control will produce no
effect.

Rear X-Over Frequency Multiplier Switch

- When engaged, this switch

increases the crossover frequency of the rear channels by a factor of 10.
Example: If the Freq (Hz) dial is set for 240Hz, pushing in the multiplier
Switch changes the setting to 2400Hz.

X-Over Mode Switches

- These switches are equipped with 12dB per octave

electronic filters for precise frequency attenuation with minimal phase
distortion.  The steep crossover slopes keep midrange tones out of the
subwoofer and thereby eliminating an unnatural “nasal” tone quality in the
audio system.  Each filter is activated by sliding the X-Over Mode Switch to
either LP or HP.

Input Mode Switches

- These switches allow you to set the input mode for

front and rear channels.  Stereo input allows full left and right stereo operation.
Right (bridged) input allows single channel input for bridged operation.  This is
especially useful in high-powered systems when using the APX400.4M as a
bridged 2 channel amplifier.  L + R (sum mono) allows a stereo input to be
summed into a mono output.  

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Summary of Contents for APX400

Page 1: ......

Page 2: ...ulated PWM MOSFET power supply with low AM RFI and protection circuits for overheating and speaker shorts 2 ohm load capacity to drive a variety of speaker systems Gold plated input output connectors and an external automotive type fuse Aluminum heat sink for efficient heat dissipation Low profile compact size for space limited installations ABOUT THE MANUAL AND W ARRANTY To start enjoying your ne...

Page 3: ...keeps AM RFI at low levels so you won t hear unwanted noise when the level is cranked up Protection circuits safeguard the amplifier against overheating speaker shorts or improper load conditions that may occur All connections and controls are on the end panels and are easy to understand We use gold plated RCA and barrier connectors to ensure the best electrical connection for your system Included...

Page 4: ...tiplier for a wide range of crossover points Use this feature along with your speaker manufacturer s recommended crossover frequencies to quickly design a more advanced system see Applications on page 6 NOTE If either of the X Over Mode Switches is set to OFF varying the Freq Hz Control will produce no effect Rear X Over Frequency Multiplier Switch When engaged this switch increases the crossover ...

Page 5: ...s are unavailable WARNING When using the speaker high level inputs the Black wire must be grounded at the Radio Failure to do this will result in noise and improper operation CONNECTIONS FOR POWER AND SPEAKERS The rear panel of the APX400 4M contains power and speaker connections as shown below 3 1 Left Front Speaker Output 2 Right Front Speaker Output 3 Remote Turn on Input 4 Ground Input 5 Batte...

Page 6: ... used in a variety of system applications We ve enclosed some example systems to help plan your own installation 4 Channel Full Range Stereo System Figure 3 In this application the APX400 4M is used as a 4 channel amplifier to drive four full range speakers in stereo 4 ...

Page 7: ... System 2 Channels High Pass 2 Channels Low Pass Figure 4 In this 4 channel system the APX400 4M drives a pair of stereo satellites for the front and a pair of stereo subwoofers for the rear Note the filter settings 5 ...

Page 8: ...l Stereo System with Low Pass Bridged Mono Channel Figure 5 The APX400 4M can also be used to drive a pair of stereo satellites for the front and a single mono subwoofer for the rear Note the filter settings 6 ...

Page 9: ...2 Channel High Power Systems Satellite or Subwoofer Figure 6 The APX400 4M can be set up as a 2 channel high power amplifier to drive a pair of satellites or subwoofers 7 ...

Page 10: ...r 3 4 amplifier sections The table provides component values to create a 6dB per octave crossover at specified frequencies Use components that have a 5 tolerance and capacitors rated at 100V NOTE Choose the same frequency for both LP and HP crossovers Do not overlap frequencies as this may damage the amplifier 8 FREQ hz 80 100 125 150 200 L mH 8 0 6 4 5 1 4 2 3 2 C uF 497 398 318 265 199 ...

Page 11: ...d surface Avoid mounting to subwoofer enclosures or areas prone to vibration 3 Prior to drilling make sure proposed mounting holes will not cut into the fuel tank fuel lines brake lines under chassis or electrical wiring WIRING PRECAUTIONS Read all wiring precautions If you are not sure of the connections contact your authorized Clarion dealer 1 Before installation make sure the source unit Power ...

Page 12: ... you may need to add a second battery and possibly upgrade the alternator with a higher output rated model Consult your authorized Clarion dealer for recommendations 9 To avoid noise problems run the amplifier s positive power lead along one side of the vessel to the battery Run the remote turn on wire and RCA audio cables down the center and route the speaker wires along the remaining side If wir...

Page 13: ... select the desired mode LP for Low Pass HP for High Pass and OFF for Full Range 2 Using the Freq Hz Selection Control select the desired frequency If the desired frequency exceeds the range of the Freq Hz Selection Control press the Crossover Frequency Multiplier Switch to increase the value by a multiplier of 10 For example 55Hz x 10 550Hz or 550Hz x 10 5 5kHz 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 for both the...

Page 14: ...ud even at low Volume Control settings Until you get an audio feel of the system s power use care when adjusting controls 2 Turn the Balance Controls to their extreme positions and listen to the results Audio output should match control settings audio from the left speaker when balance is left 3 Increase the volume and verify that the amplifier reproduces audio at full frequencies without distorti...

Page 15: ...Turn down input gain move audio cables away from power wires Check power and ground connections on amplifier install an in line noise filter on source unit s power wire check alternator and or voltage regulator test for weak battery or add water to battery PRODUCT SPECS APX400 4M NOTES Frequency Response Signal Noise Ratio THD Input Sensitivity Low Level Input Sensitivity Speaker Level Max Power O...

Page 16: ...661 W Redondo Beach Blvd Gardena CA 90247 1 800 GO CLARION www clarion usa com APX400 4M 10 Rev 2 05 00 ...

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