Kenwood XR-S17P manual K-STAT:Better Sound at All Volume Levels, Channel& 2-ChannelAmps

Double Your Bass

When two 4-ohm speakers of the same impedance are connected in parallel to a single amp channel (both speakers’ ‘+’ terminals are connected directly to the ‘+’ terminal on the amplifier, and the same for the ‘–‘ side), it cuts the impedance in half. Therefore, two 4-ohm woofers become one 2-ohm woofer system, which doubles the power output of the amp. This also doubles the amount of cone area producing sound. So instead of doubling the amount of amps in the car to get more bass, you can just double the number of subs in the car! (Keep in mind, this same system connected to a bridged 2-channel amplifier would be unstable as the bridged amplifier would see a 1-ohm load.)

K-STAT: Better Sound at All Volume Levels

Many amplifiers will have higher distortion when they first power up be- cause it takes time to reach the optimal operating temperature. K-STAT (Kenwood Self Tracking Audio Transistor) technology on the KAC-X20 and KAC-X40 multi-channel amplifiers is a Kenwood patented output transistor that biases automatically based on heat. It does this much faster than a conventional transistor and offers solid audio benefits. The biasing circuit, which ensures the amplifier adjusts property, is built into the device rather than installed separately. This streamlined design re- sults in lower distortion both when the amp powers up, and at full power. K-STAT technology also reduces thermal resistance but increases power for improved sound quality.

4-Channel & 2-Channel Amps

If you’re working with full-range or component speaker systems, the KAC-X20 2-channel and KAC-X40 4-channel amplifiers are an excellent match. The KAC-X40 4-channel amp is 70 Watts x 4 RMS @ 4 ohms with variable low pass filter, infrasonic filter, selectable phase inverter, K-STAT technology, and an advanced cooling system. The KAC-X20 2-channel amp is 180 Watts x 2 RMS @ 4 ohms with variable low pass filter, vari- able high pass filter, infrasonic filter, phase inverter, K-STAT technology, and cooling system.

Kenwood 4/3/2-channel amps include the KAC-8404 and KAC-6404. The KAC-7204, KAC-6202, and KAC-5203 are stereo/bridgeable. Depending on the number of speakers you want to power, use a 2-channel amp to power two full range speakers or two subs, with one on each channel. Otherwise, you can bridge the amp to single channel operation for a single woofer or woofers (be careful not to drop the impedance below 4 ohms bridged). A 4-channel amp can be bridged to 2-channel mode to power a pair of subs or full range speakers.

eXcelon multi-channel amplifers KAC-X20 and KAC-X40 have K-STAT output devices with built-in thermistors with temperature detection and com- pensation.

High Pass/Low Pass Crossovers

All Kenwood amplifiers have built in crossover networks that should be properly set to maximize performance. Not even a Kenwood speaker can cover the entire range of human hearing, so most speakers are de- signed to cover sections of that range. Woofers cover low frequencies. Mid range drivers pick up where the woofers leave off, and the tweeters take over at the high frequencies. Woofers sound really bad playing mid range, and mid range drivers distort and bottom out trying to play bass. Tweeters just burn up if they play anything but the highest frequencies. Pay attention to electronic crossovers because they filter out frequencies speakers shouldn’t play.

The high-pass crossovers in Kenwood amplifiers cut-off low frequencies so that the front and rear speakers get only the frequencies that they were designed to handle. This improves power handling so they can play louder with more clarity and less distortion.

Low-pass crossovers do basically the same thing—subwoofers are de- signed to play bass notes. The low-pass crossovers in Kenwood amps cut off higher frequencies, letting the front and rear speakers do all the singing while the subwoofer happily thumps out low bass notes.

eXcelon Two-year Warranty

Don’t forget to remind customers that eXcelon amplifiers include a two- year warranty—twice the warranty period of many other manufacturers.

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