Summary of the content on the page No. 1
RUBICON
501/
Power Amplifier
Owner’s Manual
and
Installation Guide
1
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
Congratulations! You now own the Soundstream RUBICON amplifier, the product of an un- compromising design and engineering philosophy. Your Soundstream RUBICON amplifier will outperform any other amplifier in the world. To maximize the performance of your system, we recommend that you thor- oughly acquaint yourself with its capabilities and features. Please retain this manual and your sales receipt for future reference. Soundstream amplifiers are the result of American innovation and the high-
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
Table of Contents Design Features............................................................. p 4 - 5 Rubicon Amplifier Diagram............................................. p 6 - 7 Crossover and Phase Adjustments................................ p 8 Hawkins Bass Control™ Theory and Use ...................... p 9 - 10 Installation: Wiring, Diagram, and BIO Port .................... p 11 - 12 Installation: Mounting ..................................................... p 13 Installation: Level Set
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
DESIGN FEATURES ¨ ¨ SLA/SH™ ( Speaker Load Adapting / Subwoofer Hyper-Efficient) This ¨¨ new dual function technology currently operates in two different ways in different models. In subwoofer applications the power supply tracks the incoming audio signal and increases or decreases its own voltage level to mirror the input. This design results in enormous low impedance, low frequency stability and maximum efficiency, since no power is wasted maintaining an unnecessarily high voltage level i
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
¨¨¨¨¨ Output Clipping Indicator indicates clipping on the output stage of the amplifier. Monitoring the clipping indicators allows the user to achieve maximum Sound Pressure Level without clipping the amplifier. ¨¨¨¨¨ Dynamically Optimized Power Grid™ Power grid is evenly distrib- uted between primary and secondary power supplies, providing greater dynamics and improved RF filtering. ¨¨¨¨¨ Chassisink™ All transistors are ideally located and sandwiched be- tween the circuit board and the heatsi
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
CUP 0 i -R 0 +l SUB _ HAWKINS PHASE l BASS 00~1800 CONTROL I 1 SOUNDSTREAM I r HAWKINS 1 +12v GND REMOTE - + XaOVER FREQ BOOST LEVEL INPUT 810 PORT LP dB Iv FUSES 1 Sol/ IN 2 f-----l SONIC
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
KEY TO CALLOUTS 1. Power LED - Indicates amplifier power, either in High Power or Auto High Current. 2. Clip Indicators - Indicates the signal output level is too high and the output stage of the amplifier is clipping. 3. Phase Selector - Select between 0 or 180 degrees of output on speaker terminals. 4. Subsonic/Hawkins Bass Control Switch - Selectable subwoofer enhancement circuit. Select “SUB SONIC” to engage the Sub Sonic filter with no boost. Use the knob indicated by callout #9 to set th
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
CROSSOVER & PHASE ADJUSTMENTS The RUBICON amplifiers incorporate an on-board staggered electronic cross- over. No external electronic crossover is necessary. The low pass portion of the crossover can be set independently of the rest of the system. In many car audio installations, there is a tendency for a “midbass boom.” Because of their interior dimensions, most cars will resonate or ring at these midbass frequencies. If we design the system so there is reduced output in this region, the f
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
Hawkins Bass Control - Theory and Use Hawkins Bass Control (parametric) is a unique subwoofer control circuit included with the SUB . HAWKINS PHASE SONIC BASS CP*1800 Soundstream RUBICON501/ amplifier. It is ca- CONTROL pable of removing subsonic energy in program r HAWKINS 1 X*OVER FREQ BOOST material while boosting subwoofer frequencies. LP the frequency of operation and the other adjusts the range of boost. With both controls adjusted HZ HAWKINS 30-70 Hz fully counter-clockwise, no boost is a
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
Application Subwoofer drivers in general have excellent power handling character- istics over their operational band- width. This bandwidth is determined by many factors, including driver de- sign, and enclosure type. It is pos- sible to overdrive any subwoofer FIG. 5 LIMITED EXCURSION driver by sending powerful signals outside of its operational bandwidth. These potentially damaging signals can be removed by adding a subsonic filter. Figure 5 shows the effective- ness of the Hawkins Bass Con
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
( INSTALLATION STEP 1 WIRING POWER AND GROUND To ensure maximum output from your amplifier, use high quality, loss power and ground cables and connections. The amplifiers will accept up to 4 gauge power and ground cables. Determine from the chart below the minimum gauge power and ground wire for your application. up to 70’ up to 20’ RUB/CON 507/ 1 4 or 8 gauge I CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND FUSES EXTERNAL Like all audio components, the RUBICON amplifiers must be fused near the A fuse or circuit brea
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
REMOTE TURN-ON Connect the “Remote” line to the turn-on lead from the source unit. When Volts is received, the amplifier will turn on. SIGNAL CABLE Use a high quality cable that will be easy to install and has minimal signal loss to guarantee optimum performance. SPEAKER CABLE The amplifiers will accept up to 8 gauge speaker cable. Use a high quality, flexible, multi-strand cable for best performance and longevity. SAMPLE WIRING DIAGRAM r- r 1 +12v GND REMOTE - + PORT X-OVER I 1 1 FUSES To C
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
INSTALLATION STEP 2 INSTALLATION AND MOUNTING AMPLIFIER LOCATION The RUBICON amplifiers employ highly efficient circuitry, a custom-engineered heat sink, and a unique Chassisink construction to maintain lower operating temperatures. Additional cooling may be required if the amplifier is located in a tightly confined area or when driving especially low impedance loads at extremely high levels. When mounting the amplifier, it should be securely mounted to either a panel in the vehicle or an amp b
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
INSTALLATION STEP 3 LEVEL SETTING The input level is adjusted by means of the input level control located on the front of the amplifier. This is a unique dual-stage circuit that adjusts both level and gain. This topology maintains better S/N Ratio even when using sources with minimal output. In the ideal situation, all components in the audio system reach maximum undistorted output at the same time. If you send a distorted signal to an amplifier, it is simply going to amplify distorted inform
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
TRIDENT PROTECTION CIRCUITRY Your amplifier is protected against both overheating and short circuits by means of main power fuses and the following circuits: + Speaker Output Protection + Ground Fault Differential + Smart Power Supply Thermal Rollback & a Thermal Protection Circuit NOTE: If you experience blown main power supply fuses, if is like$ that the amplifier is seeing a dead short, either in the speaker wire or in the speaker itself. Rectify the problem before b/owing mu/tip/e fuses! DO
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
SERVICE Your Soundstream amplifier is protected by a limited warranty. Please read the enclosed warranty card for details. SPECIFICATIONS 4SZMono 2MMono 1 SZMono Maximum POWER (4 CI BIO Bridged) (2 a BIO Bridged) Rated (1 C2 BIO Bridged) (12.6 Vdc) (14.4 Vdc) (14.4 Vdc) Output 2ooWxl 4oow x 1 5oow x 1 500 wtts (800W x 1) (1ooowx1) W) I I THD co. 1% Signal to Noise >90 Frequency Response 20 Hz k 0.5 to 160 Hz 2 Damping >200 Input Sensitivity 200 to 5.0 Volts Input Impedance 10k Ohms Crossover
