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 |  JL Audio - MHD900/5 Owner’s Manual  

3

Cooling efficiency Considerations: 

The outer shell of your JL Audio amplifier 

is designed to remove heat from the amplifier 
circuitry. For optimum cooling performance, 
this outer shell should be exposed to as large a 
volume of air as possible. Enclosing the amplifier 
in a small, poorly ventilated chamber can 
lead to excessive heat build-up and degraded 
performance. If an installation calls for an 
enclosure around the amplifier, we recommend 
that this enclosure be ventilated with the aid  
of a fan. In normal applications, fan-cooling  
is not necessary.

 

 

Mounting the amplifier upside down is  

strongly discouraged.

If mounting the amplifier under a seat,  

make sure there is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of  
space above the amplifier’s outer shell to permit  
proper cooling.

ProteCt Your Hearing! 

We value you as a long-term customer. For 

that reason, we urge you to practice restraint in 
the operation of this product so as not to damage 
your hearing and that of others in your vessel. 
Studies have shown that continuous exposure to 
high sound pressure levels can lead to permanent 
(irreparable) hearing loss. This and all other 
high-power amplifiers are capable of producing 
such high sound pressure levels when connected 
to a speaker system. Please limit your continuous 
exposure to high volume levels.

While driving, operate your audio system in 

a manner that still allows you to hear necessary 
noises to operate your vessel safely (horns, 
sirens, etc.).

serial number  

In the event that your amplifier requires 

service or is ever stolen, you will need to have 
a record of the product’s serial number. Please 
take the time to enter that number in the space 
provided below. The serial number can be found 
on the bottom panel of the amplifier and on the 
amplifier packaging. 
 

Serial Number:  

 

installation aPPliCations

This amplifier is designed for operation in 

vessels with 12 volt, negative-ground electrical 
systems. Use of this product in vessels with 
positive ground and/or voltages other than 12V 
may result in damage to the product and will void 
the warranty.

This product is not certified or approved for 

use in aircraft.

Do not attempt to “bridge” the outputs of this 

amplifier with the outputs of a second amplifier, 
including an identical one.

Planning Your installation

It is important that you take the time to read  

this manual and that you plan out your 
installation carefully. The following are some 
considerations that you must take into account 
when planning your installation. 

Filter Frequency

Selector

(pg. 11)

Filter Frequency

Selector

(pg. 10)

Input Voltage

Selection

(pg. 9)

Infrasonic Filter

Selector

(pg. 11)

Input Sensitivity

Control

(pg. 10)

Input Mode

Selection

(pg. 9)

Filter Slope

Selection

(pg. 11)

Filter Frequency

Selector

(pg. 11)

Input Sensitivity

Control

(pg. 10)

Filter Slope

Selection

(pg. 11)

Input Sensitivity

Control

(pg. 10)

Power Status

Indicator

(pg. 15)

Filter Slope

Selection

(pg. 11)

Left & Right 

Input Jacks:

Subwoofer

(pg. 9)

Left & Right 

Input Jacks:

Front Channels

(pg. 9)

 

Speaker Outputs

(pgs. 13-14)

Jack for

Remote Level

Control Knob

(pg. 13)

Left & Right 

Input Jacks:

Rear Channels

(pg. 9)

Chassis Ground 

Connector

(pgs. 6-7)

Remote Turn-On 

Connector

(pgs. 6-7)

+12 V Power 

Connector

(pgs. 6-7)

safety Considerations: 

Your amplifier needs to be installed in a dry,  

well-ventilated environment and in a manner  
which does not interfere with your vessel’s factory 
installed electronic devices. You should also take 
the time to securely mount the amplifier so that 
it does not come loose in the event of a collision/
sudden jolt or as a result of the repeated vibrations 
the vessel is prone to during normal operation. 

 

stupid mistakes to avoid:

•  Check before drilling any holes in your vessel to 

make sure that you will not be drilling through 
the hull, a fuel tank, fuel line, wiring harness or 
other vital vessel system.

•  Do not run system wiring outside or underneath 

the vessel. This is an extremely dangerous 
practice which can result in severe damage to 
your vessel and person.

•  Protect all system wires from sharp edges 

(metal, fiberglass, etc.) by carefully routing 
them, tying them down and using grommets 
and loom where appropriate.

•  Do not mount the amplifier in the engine 

compartment or in any other area that will 
expose the amplifier circuitry to the elements.

While this amplifier is specially designed  

for marine applications, it is not waterproof 

and it should not be mounted where it is likely 

to get wet.

Summary of Contents for MHD900/5

Page 1: ...ed dealer has the training expertise and installation equipment to ensure optimum performance from this product Should you decide to install the amplifier yourself please take the time to read this ma...

Page 2: ...ertified or approved for use in aircraft Do not attempt to bridge the outputs of this amplifier with the outputs of a second amplifier including an identical one Planning Your Installation It is impor...

Page 3: ...make sure that they are set according to the needs of the system 12 Install power wire fuse 60A for a single MHD900 5 and reconnect the negative battery post terminal 13 Turn on the source unit at a...

Page 4: ...ropriately for safety Any positive power wires run through metal barriers must be protected with a high quality insulating grommet to prevent damage to the insulation of the wire Failure to do so may...

Page 5: ...channels This means that the Input Sens rotary controls will operate within that voltage window If you are using an aftermarket source unit with preamp level outputs this is most likely the position t...

Page 6: ...of the amplifier decreases for a given input voltage when the Input Range switch is placed in the High position The output increases with the switch in the Low position While this may sound counter i...

Page 7: ...high frequency HF speakers and are separately filtered to send appropriate frequency ranges to each speaker system The most common application of bi amplification in mobile audio is to drive a subwoo...

Page 8: ...f this is happening in your system have your charging system inspected to make sure it is working properly If no problem is found with the supply voltage to the amplifier and you are still seeing alte...

Page 9: ...Power Main Channels Stereo 100W RMS x 4 4 11V 14 5V 75W RMS x 4 1 5 3 11V 14 5V Rated Power Main Channels Bridged 200W RMS x 2 8 11V 14 5V 150W RMS x 2 3 6 11V 14 5V Rated Power Subwoofer Channel 500W...

Page 10: ...6 20 0 V 32 0 V 44 7 V 4 20 0 V 24 6 V 44 7 V 3 16 0 V 21 2 V 38 7 V 2 12 3 V not recommended 31 6 V 1 5 10 6 V not recommended 27 4 V Appendix B Precise Frequency Selection Chart Filter FREQ Detent P...

Page 11: ...r Connector Plugs The speaker wire connectors are designed to accept up to 12 AWG wire Make sure to strip the wire to allow for a sufficient connection with the metal inside each terminal How do I pro...

Page 12: ...22 JL Audio MHD900 5 Owner s Manual 23 INSTALLATION NOTES Use this diagram to document your amplifier s switch and control positions...

Page 13: ...s on implied warranties therefore these exclusions may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state If you need serv...

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