KAC-8103D - Audio Amplifier KENWOOD - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	Mono audio amplifier
Brand	KENWOOD
Model	KAC-8103D
Maximum output power	1000 W
Rated output power (4 Ω, 20 Hz - 200 Hz, 0.5% THD)	300 W × 1
Rated output power (2 Ω, 100 Hz, 0.8% THD)	500 W × 1
Frequency response (+0, -3 dB)	5 Hz - 200 Hz
Input sensitivity	0.2 V (MAX.) - 5.0 V (MIN.)
Input impedance	10 kΩ
Signal-to-noise ratio	100 dB
Low-pass filter frequency	50 - 200 Hz (variable, -24 dB/oct.)
Subsonic filter frequency	15 Hz / 25 Hz (switchable, -18 dB/oct.)
Bass boost	0 - +18 dB (variable, 40 Hz)
Minimum load impedance	2 Ω
Operating voltage	14.4 V (11 - 16 V allowable)
Current consumption	40 A
Dimensions (W × H × D)	318 × 64 × 286 mm
Weight	2.9 kg
Inputs	RCA (line) input or speaker-level input
Outputs	Speaker terminals (2 Ω - 4 Ω) and line output (LINE OUT)
Protection	Protection against short circuit, overheating, overvoltage, and DC voltage
Cleaning	Soft dry cloth; do not use solvents
Safety	Professional installation, use correct fuse rating, disconnect battery before installation
Included accessories	Self-tapping screws (4), terminal covers, speaker input cable

Frequently Asked Questions - KAC-8103D KENWOOD

What is the output power of the KAC-8103D amplifier?

The maximum output power is 1000 W. The rated output power is 300 W × 1 at 4 Ω (20 Hz - 200 Hz, 0.5% THD) and 500 W × 1 at 2 Ω (100 Hz, 0.8% THD).

What is the minimum speaker impedance I can use with this amplifier?

You can use speakers with an impedance of at least 2 Ω. For multiple connections, calculate the combined impedance.

How to adjust the low-pass filter (LPF)?

Use the LPF Frequency control to adjust the cutoff frequency between 50 and 200 Hz. This sends only low frequencies to the subwoofer.

What to do if the POWER indicator does not light up?

If the POWER indicator does not light up, the protection function may be activated. Check the speaker connections (short circuit or grounding), power supply (voltage and ground), and the unit's temperature.

How to adjust the gain level (input sensitivity)?

Turn the INPUT SENSITIVITY control to match the level of the preamp. It ranges from 0.2 V (MAX) to 5.0 V (MIN). Consult the head unit's manual for its output level.

Can I connect both RCA inputs and speaker-level inputs?

No, do not connect both input types simultaneously. This could damage the unit. Use one or the other.

How to prevent the amplifier from overheating?

Install the unit in a well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight. Do not cover it and ensure heat can dissipate. The surface may become hot, avoid contact.

What type of power cable should I use?

Use an automotive power cable of at least 8 mm² (AWG8) for battery and ground. A fuse must be installed near the battery with the correct rating.

How to clean the KAC-8103D amplifier?

Wipe the surface with a soft dry cloth. Do not use chemicals like alcohol or thinner, which may damage the finish.

What to do if the sound is distorted or of poor quality?

Check the polarity of the speaker connections (+ and -), ensure no cables are pinched, and that the switches (LPF, ISF, Bass Boost) are set correctly.

USER MANUAL KAC-8103D KENWOOD

Take the time to read through this instruction manual. Familiarity with installation and operation procedures will help you obtain the best performance from your new power amplifier.

For your records

Record the serial number, found on the back of the unit, in the spaces designated on the warranty card, and in the space provided below. Refer to the model and serial numbers whenever you call upon your Kenwood dealer for information or service on the product. Model KAC-8103D Serial number

US Residence Only

Register Online

Register your Kenwood product at

www.kenwoodusa.com

WARNING

To prevent injury or fire, take the following precautions:

• When extending the ignition, battery, or ground wires, make sure to use automotive-grade wires or other wires with a 8mm^2 (AWG 8) or more to prevent wire deterioration and damage to the wire coating.
• To prevent a short circuit, never put or leave any metallic objects (such as coins or metal tools) inside the unit.
• If the unit starts to emit smoke or strange smells, turn off the power immediately and consult your Kenwood dealer.
• Do not touch the unit during use because the surface of the unit becomes hot and may cause burns if touched.
• Mounting and wiring this product requires skills and experience. For safety's sake, leave the mounting and wiring work to professionals.

CAUTION

To prevent damage to the machine, take the following precautions:

• Be sure the unit is connected to a 12V DC power supply with a negative ground connection.
• Do not open the top or bottom covers of the unit.
• Do not install the unit in a spot exposed to direct sunlight or excessive heat or humidity. Also avoid places with too much dust or the possibility of water splashing.
• When replacing a fuse, only use a new one with the prescribed rating. Using a fuse with the wrong rating may cause your unit to malfunction.
• To prevent a short circuit when replacing a fuse, first disconnect the wiring harness.

NOTE

• If you experience problems during installation, consult your Kenwood dealer.
• If the unit does not seem to be working right, consult your Kenwood dealer.

FCC WARNING

This equipment may generate or use radio frequency energy. Changes or modifications to this equipment may cause harmful interference unless the modifications are expressly approved in the instruction manual. The user could lose the authority to operate this equipment if an unauthorized change or modification is made.

FCC NOTE

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment may cause harmful interference to radio communications, if it is not installed and used in accordance with the instructions. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Information on Disposal of Old Electrical and Electronic Equipment (applicable for EU countries that have adopted separate waste collection systems)

Products with the symbol (crossed-out wheeled bin) cannot be disposed as household waste.

Old electrical and electronic equipment should be recycled at a facility capable of handling these items and their waste byproducts. Contact your local authority for details in locating a recycle facility nearest to you. Proper recycling and waste disposal will help conserve resources whilst preventing detrimental effects on our health and the environment.

This Product is not installed by the manufacturer of a vehicle on the production line, nor by the professional importer of a vehicle into an EU Member State.

Cleaning the unit

If the front panel gets dirty, turn off the power and wipe the panel with a dry silicon cloth or soft cloth.

CAUTION

Do not wipe the panel with a hard cloth or a cloth dampened by volatile solvents such as paint thinner and alcohol. They can scratch the surface of the panel and/or cause the indicator letters to peel off.

To prevent battery rise

When the unit is used in the ACC ON position without turning the engine ON, it depletes the battery. Use it after starting the engine.

Protection function

The protection function is activated in the following situations:
This unit is equipped with a protection function for protecting this unit and your speakers from various accidents or problems that can occur.
When the protection function is triggered, the Power indicator goes OFF and the amplifier stops operating.

• When a speaker wire may be short-circuited.
• When a speaker output contacts ground.
• When the unit malfunctions and a DC signal is sent to the speaker output.
• When the internal temperature is high and unit won't operate.
• When a ground wire of the center unit (cassette receiver, CD receiver, etc.) or this unit is not connected to a metal part serving as an electrical ground passing electricity to the battery's negative terminal.

Wiring

• Take the battery wire for this unit directly from the battery. If it's connected to the vehicle's wiring harness, it can cause blown fuses etc.
• If a buzzing noise is heard from the speakers when the engine is running, connect a line noise filter (optional) to each of the battery wire.
• Do not allow the wire to directly contact the edge of the iron plate by using Grommets.
• Connect the ground wire to a metal part of the car chassis that acts as an electrical ground passing electricity to the battery's negative terminal. Do not turn the power on if the ground wire is not connected.
• Be sure to install a protective fuse in the power cord near the battery. The protective fuse should be the same capacity as the unit's fuse capacity or somewhat larger.
• For the power cord and ground, use a vehicle type (fireproof) power wiring cord with a current capacity greater than the unit's fuse capacity. (Use a power wiring cord with a diameter of 8mm^2 (AWG 8) or greater.)
• When more than one power amplifier are going to be used, use a power supply wiring wire and protective fuse of greater current-handling capacity than the total maximum current drawn by each amplifier.

Speaker Selection

• The rated input power of the speakers that are going to be connected should be greater than the maximum output power (in Watts) of the amplifier. Use of speakers having input power ratings that are less than the output power of the amplifier will cause smoke to be emitted as well as damage.
• Use speakers that have an impedance of 2 or greater. When more than one set of speakers are going to be used, calculate the combined impedance of the speakers and then connect suitable speakers to the amplifier.

Combined impedance

NOTE

• Do not remove the dressing cover.

Accessories

Part name	External View	Number of Items
Self-tapping screws (ø5 × 18 mm)		4
Terminal cover (Small) (Power terminal)		1
Terminal cover (Large) (Speaker terminal)		1
Speaker level input cable		1

Installation procedure

Since there are large variety of settings and connections possible according to applications, read the instruction manual well to select the proper setting and connection.

1. Remove the ignition key and disconnect the negative terminal of the battery to prevent short circuits.
   2.Set the unit according to the intended usage.
2. Connect the input and output wires of the units.
3. Connect the speaker wires.
4. Connect the power wire, power control wire and grounding wire following this order.
   6.Install the installation fittings in the unit.
5. Attach the unit.
6. Connect the negative terminal of the battery.

CAUTION

• Do not install in the below locations;
  (Unstable location, In a location that interferes with driving, In a location that gets wet, In a dusty location, In a place that gets hot, In a place that gets direct sunlight, In a location that gets hit by hot air)
• Do not install the unit under the carpet. Otherwise heat build-up occurs and the unit may be damaged.
• Install this unit in a location which allows heat to easily dissipate.
  Once installed, do not place any object on top of the unit.
• The surface temperature of the amplifier will become hot during use. Install the amplifier in a place where people, resins, and other substances that are sensitive to heat will not come into contact with it.
• When making a hole under a seat, inside the trunk, or somewhere else in the vehicle, check that there is nothing hazardous on the opposite side such as a gasoline tank, brake pipe, or wiring harness, and be careful not to cause scratches or other damage.
• Do not install near the dashboard, rear tray, or air bag safety parts.
• The installation to the vehicle should securely fasten the unit to a place in which it will not obstruct driving. If the unit comes off due to a shock and hits a person or safety part, it may cause injury or an accident.
• After installing the unit, check to make sure that electrical equipment such as the brake lamps, turn signal lamps and windshield wipers operate normally.

WARNING

To prevent fire caused by a short in the wiring, connect a fusible link or breaker nearby the battery's positive terminal.

CAUTION

• If sound is not output normally, immediately turn power off and check connections.
• Be sure to turn the power off before changing the setting of any switch.
• If the fuse blows, check wires for shorts, then replace the fuse with one of the same rating.
• Check that no unconnected wires or connectors are touching the car body. Do not remove caps from unconnected wires or connectors to prevent short circuits.
• Connect the speaker wires to appropriate speaker connectors separately. Sharing the negative wire of the speaker or grounding speaker wires to the metal body of the car can cause this unit to fail.
• After installation, check that the brake lamps, winkers, and wipers work properly.

NOTE

• Do not connect cables and leads to both RCA cable input jacks and the speaker level input terminals simultaneously, for this may cause malfunction or damage.

• Commercially available parts

RCA cable or Speaker level input connection

RCA cable connections

• Speaker level input connections

Power wire and Speaker wire connection

① Fuse(40A×1)

NOTE

If you can't find the specified capacity fuse at your store etc., consult your Kenwood dealer.

② Battery terminal

③ Ground terminal

④ Power control terminal

Controls the unit ON/OFF.

NOTE

Controls the unit power. Be sure to connect it with all the systems.

⑤ Speaker output terminals

As this unit accepts speakers with a minimum impedance of 2 ohms, connect speakers with 2-ohms or higher impedance to these terminals.

CAUTION

The rated input of the speakers should be no less than the maximum output of the amplifier. Otherwise malfunction may result.

BASS BOOST LEVEL control

Sets the low frequency level to be compensated.

LPF(Low-Pass Filter) FREQUENCY control

This control adjusts the frequency band output from this unit.

⑧ ISF (infrasonic filter) switch

Ultralow frequencies that cannot be reproduced even by a subwoofer speaker do not become sound but become unnecessary oscillations, which affect the sound by causing distortion, etc. Setting this switch to "15 Hz" or "25 Hz" cuts the frequencies below the respective frequency. This improves the reproduction performance of the speakers by eliminating unnecessary oscillations which will not become sound.

INPUT SENSITIVITY control

Set this control according to the pre-output level of the center unit connected with this unit, or to the maximum power output of the genuine-accessory car stereo.

Use the diagram on the right as a guide.

NOTE

For the pre-output level or the maximum power output, refer to the

in the instruction manual of the center unit.

10 Speaker level input terminals

NOTE

• The genuine-accessory car stereo shall have a maximum power output of no more than 40W .
• Do not connect the speaker output leads from a power amplifier (Optional) to the speaker level input terminals of this unit, for this may cause malfunction or damage.
• Do not connect cables and leads to both RCA cable input jacks and the speaker level input terminals simultaneously, for this may cause malfunction or damage.
• Connect the power control lead to a power supply which can be turned ON/OFF by the ignition key switch (ACC line). With this connection, shock noise may be generated when the power of the genuine-accessory car stereo is switched ON/OFF.

LINE IN terminal

LINE OUT terminal

The signal that's input from the line input terminal is output.

③ Power indicator

When the power is turned on, the Power indicator lights. If the Power indicator does not light when the power is turned on, the protection function may be activated. Check whether there is any indication of trouble. (See page 2)

What might appear to be a malfunction in your unit may just be the result of slight misoperation or miswiring. Before calling service, first check the following table for possible problems.

PROBLEM	POSSIBLE CAUSE	SOLUTION
No sound. (Blown fuse.)	· Input (or output) cables are disconnected. · Protection circuit may be activated. · Volume is too high. · The speaker cord is shorted.	· Connect the input (or output) cables. · Check connections by referring to <Protection function>. · Replace the fuse and use lower volume. · After check the speaker cord and fixing the cause of the short, replace the fuse.
The output level is too small (or too large).	· The input sensitivity adjusting control is not set to the correct position.	· Adjust the control correctly referring to <Controls>.
The sound quality is bad. (The sound is distorted.)	· The speakers wire are connected with wrong ⊕ / ⊙polarity. · A speaker wire is pinched by a screw in the car body. · The switches may be set improperly.	· Connect them properly checking the ⊕ / ⊙ of the terminals and wires well. · Connect the speaker wire again so that it is not pinched by anything. · Set switches properly by referring to <Controls>.

Specifications

Specifications subject to change without notice.

CEA-2006

RMS Watts per channel @ 4 ohms, 1 % THD+N. 300W× 1

Signal to Noise Ratio (Reference: 1Watt into 4 ohms) 85 dBA

Audio Section

Max Power Output. 1000 W

Rated Power Output (+B = 14.4V)

(4Ω) (20 Hz - 200 Hz, 0.5 % THD). 300 W × 1

(4Ω) (DIN45324, +B = 14.4 V). 300 W × 1

(2Ω) (100 Hz, 0.8% THD) .500 W × 1

Frequency Response (+0, -3 dB). 5 Hz - 200 Hz

Sensitivity (rated output) (MAX.) 0.2 V

(MIN.) 5.0 V

Input Impedance 10 kΩ

Signal to Noise Ratio. 100 dB

Low Pass Filter Frequency (-24 dB/oct.) .50 - 200 Hz (variable)

Infrasonic Filter Frequency (-18 dB/oct.) 15 / 25 Hz

Bass Boost Circuit . 0- +18 dB (variable)

Bass Boost Frequency 40 Hz

General

Operating Voltage 14.4 V (11 - 16 V allowable)

Current Consumption 40 A

Installation Size (W× H× D) 318 x 64 x 286 mm

12-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 11-1/4 inch

Weight 2.9 kg (6.4 lbs)

AVERAGEMENT