4
| JL Audio - 300/4
v3
Owner’s Manual
5
14) Make necessary adjustments to the input
sensitivity controls to obtain the right
overall output and the desired balance
in the system. See Appendix C (pages 16, 17)
for the recommended input sensitivity
setting method.
15) Enjoy the fruits of your labor with your
favorite music.
Power ConneCtions
Before installing the amplifier,
disconnect the negative (ground) wire
from the vehicle’s battery. This will prevent
accidental damage to the system, the vehicle
and your person during installation.
Bridged
Left
Right
+12VDC
Ground Remote
Front Filter Controls
Front Input Section
Front Speaker Outputs
Bridged
Left
Right
Rear Speaker Outputs
Left Ch.
Right Ch.
Filter Freq. (Hz)
Filter Slope
Freq. Range
Input Voltage
Input Sens.
Input Mode
12dB | 24dB
Filter Mode
Off | LP | HP
x1 | x10
Low | High
Rear Input Section
Left Ch.
Right Ch.
Input Voltage
Input Sens.
Low | High
2ch | 4ch
50
60
75
95
130
200
500
300/4
v3
Four-Channel Full-Range Amplifier
Rear Filter Controls
Filter Freq. (Hz)
Filter Slope
Freq. Range
12dB | 24dB
Filter Mode
Off | LP | HP
x1 | x10
50
60
75
95
130
200
500
+12V battery Connection
You will need to connect a power wire to
the vehicle’s positive battery terminal, using an
appropriate power ring or specialized battery
terminal connector, such as the JL Audio
XB-BTU or XD-BTS. This connection must
be tight and corrosion-free to ensure proper
connectivity. This wire MUST be fused
appropriately for safety. Any power wires run
through metal barriers (such as firewalls), must
be protected with a high quality insulating
grommet to prevent damage to the insulation
of the wire. Failure to do so may result in a
dangerous short circuit.
Power wire requirements
The 300/4v3’s “+12 VDC” and “Ground”
connections are designed to accept 4 AWG power
wire. 4 AWG pure copper wire is recommended
for any power wire run longer than 72 inches (180
cm). For runs shorter than 72 inches, 8 AWG pure
copper power wire is acceptable.
If you are installing the 300/4v3 with other
amplifiers and wish to use a single main power
wire, use 2 AWG or 1/0 AWG pure copper
wire as a main power wire. This 2 AWG or
1/0 AWG power wire should terminate into a
fused distribution block mounted as close to
the amplifiers as possible and should connect to
the 300/4v3 with 4 AWG or 8 AWG pure copper
power wire.
Please note that lower AWG numbers mean
bigger wire and vice-versa (1/0 AWG is the largest,
2 AWG is smaller, then 4 AWG, then 8 AWG, etc.).
I M P O R TA N T
!
We do not recommend the use of “copper-
clad aluminum wire” or “CCA” wire because
this wire is significantly less conductive than
pure copper wire. Only use pure copper power
wire, such as JL Audio’s Premium Power Wire.
Tinned copper wire (silver color) is acceptable as
the tin-plating is only a very minor component
of the wire.
Fuse requirements
The installation of a fuse on the main
power wire, within 18 wire inches (45 cm)
of the positive battery terminal is vital to
protect the wire and the vehicle from fire in
the event of a collision or short-circuit. The
fuse value at each power wire should be just
high enough for all of the equipment being run
from that power wire. Do not use a fuse with
a value that far exceeds the total fuse rating
of the electronics connected to the wire.
If only the 300/4v3 is being run from that
power wire, we recommend a 40A fuse be
used. AGU (big glass fuse) or MaxiFuse™ (big
plastic-body fuse) types are recommended.
If other amplifiers are also being powered from
a main power wire and exceed 80 amps in total
fuse rating, we recommend the use of an ANL
(large-blade) fuse and holder at the battery plus
a fused distribution block near the amplifiers.
Each amplifier must be fused independently at the
outputs of the fused power distribution block. We
recommend appropriately rated MaxiFuse™ fuses
and a JL Audio fused distribution block.
Please consult with your JL Audio
dealer to make sure that the wire, fuse
holder and fuse ratings are appropriate for
your system’s needs. The safety of your
installation depends on appropriate power
connections and fuse protection.
ProduCt desCriPtion
The JL Audio 300/4v3 is a four-channel full-
range amplifier utilizing patented Absolute
Symmetry™ Class A/B technology for all
channels. All channels benefit from JL Audio’s
exclusive R.I.P.S. power supply design which
optimizes the output of each channel pair for any
impedance between 1.5 and 4 ohms per channel.
The 300/4v3 can be operated in the
following modes:
1) As a full-system amplifier in bi-amp mode with
one pair of channels driving subwoofers in low-
pass mode (75W x 2 or 150W x 1) and the other
pair of channels driving main speakers in high-
pass mode (75W x 2).
2) As a four-channel satellite amplifier in a
bi-amplified system, delivering high-passed
signals to front and rear speaker systems.
The 300/4v3’s flexible input and crossover
sections permit operation with a wide variety
of source units and system configurations. The
300/4v3 can operate with a single pair of stereo
inputs or with separate inputs for front and rear
channels, if the source unit is equipped with front
and rear outputs.
tYPiCal installation sequenCe
The following represents the sequence for
a typical amplifier installation, using an
aftermarket source unit or OEM Interface
processor (like the CleanSweep® CL441dsp).
Additional steps and different procedures may
be required in some applications. If you have
any questions, please contact your authorized
JL Audio dealer for assistance.
1) Disconnect the negative battery post
connection and secure the disconnected cable
to prevent accidental re-connection during
installation. This step is not optional!
2) Run power wire from the battery location
to the amplifier mounting location, taking
care to route it in such a way that it will
not be damaged and will not interfere with
vehicle operation. 4 AWG is recommended
for wire runs greater than 72 inches (180
cm) in length. Use of 8 AWG power wire is
acceptable for shorter runs, such as from a
power distribution block to the amplifier or
from a trunk-mounted battery. Use a 2 AWG
or 1/0 AWG main power wire with a fused
power distribution block when additional
amplifiers are being installed with the 300/4v3
and powered from the same main power wire.
3) Connect power wire to the positive battery
post. Fuse the wire with an appropriate fuse
block (and connectors) within 18 inches (45
cm) wire length of the positive battery post.
This fuse is essential to protect the vehicle.
Do not install the fuse until the power wire
has been connected to the amplifier.
4) Run signal cables (RCA cables) and remote
turn-on wire from the source unit or interface
processor to the amplifier mounting location.
5) Run speaker wire from the speaker systems to
the amplifier mounting location.
6) Find a good, solid, bare metal grounding
point close to the amplifier and connect the
negative power wire to it using appropriate
hardware. Use minimum 8 AWG power wire,
no longer than 36 inches (90 cm) or 4 AWG
wire up to 60 inches (150 cm) long from the
amplifier to the ground connection point. In
some vehicles, it may be necessary to upgrade
the battery’s ground wire as well. (See page 6
for important notice).
7) Securely mount the amplifier using
appropriate hardware.
8) Connect the remote turn-on wire and the
positive and negative power wires to the
amplifier’s power connector plug. Then insert
the power connector plug into the amplifier’s
power connector receptacle, pushing firmly.
9) Connect the RCA input cables
to the amplifier.
10) Connect the speaker wires to the speaker
connector plugs and insert the plugs firmly
into the speaker connector receptacles.
11) Carefully review the amplifier’s control
settings to make sure that they are set
according to the needs of the system.
12) Install power wire fuse (40A for a
single 300/4v3) and reconnect the negative
battery post terminal.
13) Turn on the source unit at a low level
to double-check that the amplifier is
configured correctly. Resist the temptation
to crank it up until you have verified the
control settings.