The new c-series KICKER Competition™ and Freeair™ drivers feature the latest
advancements in loudspeaker design from Stillwater Designs, the most
famous name in car audio subwoofers.
COMPETITION™ & FREEAIR™
FEATURES OF KICKER C-Series DRIVERS
Hemispherical Polymineral Cone w/
- High rigidity under pressure for accurate linear control
ISD™ (Inverted Structural Dome)
- Stops enclosure pressure loss to reduce “pump-down”
- High internal dampening
- Excellent sunlight, pollution and moisture resistance
Double Stitched Surround
- Prevents cone/surround separation at high excursions
Blackened Pole Piece
- Improved heat transfer
Uniplate™
- Improved thermal and magnetic transfer between
pole and backplate
Extended Pole Piece
- Cooler operation increases power handling
- Improved magnetic field linearity around the voice coil gap
Vented Pole Piece
- Pressure relief under the center dome improves low bass
Extended Backplates
- Prevent damaging voice coil “bottoming”
Perimeter Venting
- Measurably lower operating temperature and
freer cone motion
Hi-Temp Kapton Voice Coil Formers
- Protects against warped, rubbing voice coils
Long Throw Voice Coil
- Enormous cone excursion capabilities
High Power Lead Wires
- Stops lead breakage
- Reduces power robbing resistance losses
INSTALLING YOUR NEW KICKER DRIVER
Enclosure construction: Your enclosure should be made of 1/2" (8" drivers and smaller) or
3/4" (10" drivers and larger) material, minimum. Avoid low density materials such as common
particle board. The recommended materials are high density particle board, medium density
fiberboard (MDF) or high quality, void free 7-or-13-ply plywood such as marine plywood.
Include glue blocks to strengthen the corners of your box, and add cross-braces if you detect
panel vibration. Use quality wood glue such as Elmer’s Professional or Titebond (NOT silicone
rubber, hot glue or caulk!), and seal inside joints with a pressed-in bead of silicone rubber to be
absolutely certain that no air leaks exist. If your design includes multiple woofers operated at
high power, seal each woofer in its own enclosure.
WARNING! - the use of silicone rubber to seal in a woofer will void your warranty! If any sealing
is needed in addition to the speaker’s gasket, use caulking cord or vinyl weather strip.
Loosely fill a sealed box about half full with polyester fiber (typically used as pillow filling). Line
the inside of a vented box with 1" fiberglass insulation.
Schedule 40 PVC pipe is recommended for making port tubes for vented enclosures. The pipe
should be “roughed up” before gluing it into the box with silicone rubber or epoxy. The inside
end of the vent should be at least one diameter from the nearest cabinet wall. Rounded edges
on the vent can be useful in reducing vent “chuffing” noises.
Remember to observe polarity. Hooking up one or more woofers in reverse phase will
drastically reduce bass output.
