Coustic 161SE, Owner'S Manual

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WELCOME
. . . to the Coustic world of power and clarity. The new 161SE amplifier delivers the cleanest
music you’ve ever heard at any power level in the 12-volt environment. Besides the sleek con-
toured design, the 161SE amplifier has all the latest and most sophisticated audio features. This
manual offers you a guided tour of all these exciting features. For the best sonic reproduction,
please follow the installation suggestions and recommendations as closely as possible. The time
you spend will prove to be worthwhile when you sit back and enjoy the high fidelity music!
To further explore the potential of your Coustic amplifier, we recommend you match it with our
dynamic full-range speakers or subwoofers and electronic crossovers.
Whatever you need for your ultimate car audio system, look to Coustic for a wide range of car
audio components to meet the most critical demands.
That’s because . . . COUSTIC ROCKS!
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, or otherwise, without the prior written permis-
sion of Coustic or Mitek Corporation.
Please take a moment to register your purchase on line at coustic.com.
Please also record the serial number of your amplifier in the space provided below and keep this
manual for future reference, as well as your sales receipt as proof of ownership. (The serial num-
ber of your amplifier is marked on the bottom of its metal chassis.)
Serial Number:
Date of Purchase:
FEATURES
BUILT-IN ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER
An electronic crossover has many advantages over passive crossovers - lower cost, simplified yet
more flexible system design, lower distortion and higher gain structure. The 161SE power amplifi-
er is equipped with built-in 18dB per octave electronic crossovers that can be configured for full-
range, high-pass or low-pass applications.
OVER-CURRENT, SHORT CIRCUIT AND DC OFFSET PROTECTION
The sophisticated circuitry monitors abnormal conditions such as voltage spikes, oscillation, DC
offset or short circuit. When any of these undesirable conditions exceed their respective preset lim-
its, the circuit will shut down the audio system briefly and lights up the protection indicator to iden-
tify the problem for immediate attention. Once the problem is resolved, the amplifier will resume
operation automatically.
HIGH SPEED HIGH CURRENT MOSFET SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY
High current MOSFET transistors are used in the power supply section to minimize internal heat
and maximize reliability. Furthermore, the combination of the very high pulse-width-modulated
(PWM) switching frequency and the extra large filter capacitance guarantees stronger and deeper
transient bass response.
HIGH CURRENT/HIGH VOLTAGE FULLY COMPLEMENTARY OUTPUT STAGE
Complementary output stage audio circuitry has long been a hallmark of "exotic" home amplifier
design. Coustic is one of the very few car audio manufacturers to incorporate such elaborate
audio circuitry into its power amplifiers.
LINE OUTPUTS
The amplifiers full-range line outputs can be used to feed signals to another amplifier for your
future expansion or for setting up a more sophisticated system.
WIDE RANGE INPUT SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT
The input sensitivity level of this amplifier can be easily varied from as low as 100 mV to as high
as 5.0 volts by adjusting the control on the Input Panel.
LINE LEVEL AND SPEAKER LEVEL INPUTS
The 161SE features pre-amp inputs for use with head units that have RCA or line level outputs.
This amplifier also features speaker level inputs allowing the amplifier to work with head units that
donot have RCA or line level outputs. The audio signal can be obtained by simply connecting the
amplifiers speaker level input wires to the head units speaker level outputs wires. If you are using
a floating or common ground car radio, this amplifier is the best fit for your system. It is compati-
ble with floating or common ground car radio speaker outputs even without a floating ground
adapter.
MULTI-FUNCTION PROTECTION INDICATOR
When the red protect indicator lights up it signifies a high operating temperature is detected and
the amplifier is temporarily shut down to allow for a cooling period. As soon as the temperature
returns to a safe level, the amplifier will restart and resume normal operation.
This indicator also lights up when the amplifier detects either an over-current situation, shorted
speaker outputs or a DC offset at the outputs. Turn off the amplifier, double-check all inputs and
speaker connections to make sure there is no short or inappropriate inputs. If all connections are
in order, turn on the amplifier to resume operation.
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