VELOCITY REFERENCE SUBWOOFER VPW 380 - Subwoofer BLAUPUNKT - Free user manual and instructions

Product type	Subwoofer
Brand	Blaupunkt
Model	Velocity Reference Subwoofer VPW 380
Series	Velocity Reference
Primary use	Bass reproduction in a vehicle
Compatible enclosure types	Infinite baffle, sealed enclosure, bass-reflex, single or double vented bandpass, isobaric configuration
Recommended enclosure material	MDF or birch plywood (19–25 mm thick)
Recommended cable cross-section	At least 4 mm²
Recommended bass-reflex port diameter	10 to 15 cm
Acoustic damping material	Sheep wool or polyester fleece (5–10 cm thick)
Cleaning and maintenance	Clean with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid moisture.
Safety – Installation	Disconnect the battery before any intervention. Follow the vehicle manufacturer's instructions (airbag, alarm, etc.).
Safety – Mounting	Do not drill near sensitive components (battery, cables, fuse box). Do not mount on flexible rear shelves.
Repairability	The enclosure must allow later access to the speaker for repair. Contact Blaupunkt customer service.
Warranty	Manufacturer's warranty for products purchased in the EU. Conditions at www.blaupunkt.de.
General information	Manufactured by Blaupunkt GmbH, Robert Bosch Str. 200, 31139 Hildesheim, Germany.
Manufacturer's website	www.blaupunkt.de

Frequently Asked Questions - VELOCITY REFERENCE SUBWOOFER VPW 380 BLAUPUNKT

What type of enclosure do you recommend for the VPW 380 subwoofer?

The subwoofer can be used with several types of enclosures: infinite baffle, sealed enclosure, bass-reflex, single or double vented bandpass, or isobaric configuration. The choice depends on your sonic preferences and available space. For a good compromise, the sealed enclosure is recommended for its power handling and impulse response.

What thickness of wood should I use to build the enclosure?

It is recommended to use MDF boards or birch plywood with a thickness of 19 to 25 mm to ensure rigidity and avoid vibrations.

How to safely install the subwoofer?

Before any installation, disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. Follow the vehicle manufacturer's safety instructions (airbags, alarms, etc.). When drilling, avoid damaging cables or the battery. Do not mount the subwoofer on a flexible rear shelf.

What cable cross-section to use between the amplifier and the subwoofer?

Use cables with a minimum cross-section of 4 mm² and keep them as short as possible to minimize losses.

How to maintain the subwoofer?

Clean the exterior with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid any contact with moisture. Regularly check the connections and the seal of the enclosure.

What to do if the subwoofer produces unwanted noise?

Check the enclosure's seal, the connections, and the speaker's mounting. Make sure the enclosure is sufficiently reinforced to avoid vibrations. Adding acoustic damping material (sheep wool or polyester) can reduce resonances.

Can I use this subwoofer with a high-power amplifier?

Yes, single vented bandpass enclosures support very high-power amplifiers. However, always respect the permissible input loads and avoid extreme cone excursion below the tuning frequency.

Where to find spare parts for this subwoofer?

Contact Blaupunkt customer service via their website www.blaupunkt.de or by mail at: Blaupunkt GmbH, Robert Bosch Str. 200, 31139 Hildesheim, Germany.

What is the warranty on this subwoofer?

The manufacturer's warranty applies to products purchased in the European Union. Terms are available at www.blaupunkt.de.

Can I install the subwoofer myself?

It is recommended to have the subwoofer installed by an authorized Blaupunkt dealer to ensure quality and reliability. If you do it yourself, strictly follow the safety and mounting instructions in the manual.

USER MANUAL VELOCITY REFERENCE SUBWOOFER VPW 380 BLAUPUNKT

Thanks for choosing Blaupunkt!

Congratulations on your purchase of your new Blaupunkt Velocity-Series subwoofers. We have invested tremendous effort in the design process of the new Blaupunkt Velocity-Series subwoofers, Reference series, in order to achieve superior musical performance.

For maximum performance and reliability, we highly recommend that your new Blaupunkt Velocity-Series subwoofers be installed by an authorized Blaupunkt dealer. By using our Blaupunkt Velocity-Series component speakers and amplifiers, you can be assured of making the best out of your high-quality audio hi-fi system without spoiling the sound by using components of inferior quality.

For additional information on the Blaupunkt product line (technical data, user notes, and soon also a simulation program for subwoofer housings), visit our Internet site at: http://www.blaupunkt.de

We provide a manufacturer guarantee for our products bought within the European Union. You can view the guarantee conditions at www.blaupunkt.de or ask for them directly at:

Blaupunkt GmbH

Hotline

Robert Bosch Str. 200

31139 Hildesheim

Germany

Safety precautions

Before starting to mount your speakers, please read carefully the instructions on installation and connection.

Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery before carrying out installation and connection work. Observe the vehicle manufacturer's safety instructions (regarding airbags, alarm systems, trip computers, vehicle immobilizers).

When drilling holes, take care to avoid damage to vehicle components (battery, cables, fuse boxes). Do not mount the subwoofer onto flexible rear decks (hatchback vehicles) or anywhere where they may fall forward.

SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURE TYPES

Sound is created by the movement of the woofer cone back and forth. If a woofer cone moves forward creating a positive pressure wave, this same motion creates a negative pressure at the back of the woofer. If these two waves combine due to the lack of a wall separating the front of the speaker sound from the back, the output from the woofer is effectively cancelled thus substantially reducing the bass output of the speaker. This wall is absolutely necessary and is referred to as an acoustical "baffle". It can be accomplished using a box of some kind or simply the rear package shelf of an automobile to isolate the front and back waves of the speaker.

COMMON ENCLOSURE TYPES

In the car audio world there are five types of subwoofer enclosures commonly used: INFINITE BAFFLE, SEALED BOX (closed box), VENTED BOX (bass reflex), SINGLE-VENTED BANDPASS (often incorrectly referred to as “5th” order), DUAL-VENTED BANDPASS (often incorrectly referred to as “7th” order). No single design is superior because each has its own compromise in performance, power handling and design complexity. The bandpass name implies a “built-in” acoustical response which has a natural highpass response (30 Hz for example) but also a lowpass response suppressing high frequencies (e.g., > 80 Hz).

INFINITE BAFFLE (fig. a) designs simply use the trunk of the car for its acoustical enclosure and the rear deck to isolate the front and rear sound paths. Advantages include simple installation and adequate performance for most systems. Disadvantages include poor power handling capacity and substandard transient response.

SEALED boxes (fig. b) offer one of the best compromises in power handling and performance. Because of the “air spring” provided by the box the advantages include simple box construction, higher power handling, excellent transient response, and smooth low frequency roll-off. Disadvantages include only moderate efficiencies at low frequencies and the need for large box volumes.

VENTED boxes (fig. c) extend the low frequency response below that of the sealed box by using a port tube. Advantages include extended low frequency response, lower distortion due to smaller cone movements in its passband, good efficiency, good transient response, moderate size boxes and higher power capacity. Disadvantages include increased complexity in box design and possible woofer damage due to over-excursion of the woofer cone below the cut-off frequency of the vented box.

SINGLE-VENTED BANDPASS boxes (fig. d) are relatively new (about 5 years in the car) but offer some advantages of both the sealed and vented designs. Advantages include reasonable efficiency, small box volumes, good transient response, extended low frequency performance and can be used with very high power amplifiers. Disadvantages include slightly lower efficiency compared to a vented box and increased complexity in box design and construction.

DUAL-VENTED BANDPASS boxes (fig. e) vent the sound from the front and back of the woofer through individually tuned enclosures on the front and rear of the woofer. The advantage of this design is its high efficiency over a narrow frequency band. Disadvantages include complex design and construction, large box volumes, poor transient response, and susceptibility to cone over-excursions (damage) for sound outside its primary frequency band.

ISOBARIC WOOFER CONFIGURATIONS

Increasing in popularity in recent years is the compound woofer design, more commonly known as the "Isobaric" design. Isobaric actually means "constant pressure," which is the case when two woofers move an encapsulated pocket of air between them in the same direction.

This arrangement acts like a single speaker, which effectively reduces the required box volumes for a subwoofer system by 50%, which is substantial if you are space-limited. Unfortunately, the trade-off for space is the 3 dB loss in efficiency, but this is usually recovered with increased amplifier power. Care must be taken to avoid air leaks between the two woofers, and final speaker wiring and impedance loads must be carefully watched.

ISOBARIC CONFIGURATION (TANDEM)

SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURE CONSTRUCTION

Before starting final box assembly, some basic construction issues should be mentioned:

• Infinite baffle construction in a car is done by simply cutting a piece of wood that will act as an acoustical divider, isolating the front and rear sound of the woofer. This piece of wood is mounted inside the trunk of the car under the rear deck, or against the back of the rear seat, and should have some kind of caulking to seal off all residual air leaks.
• Box construction can take on nearly any shape since we are dealing with low frequencies. Odd shapes that are difficult to cut and glue should be avoided.
• Particle board, MDF, or high-grade birch plywood are good materials to build boxes of thicknesses of 19 to 25 mm.
• All seams in the box should be glued, screwed, and caulked to prevent wall separation over time due to vibration and environmental changes within the car. Cross bracing is important for large boxes to prevent wall vibration.
• Acoustical damping material (sheep wool or fiberglass batting 5 to 10 cm thick), attached to 50% or more of the interior walls, helps reduce box noise and also increases the box volume seen by the woofer by 10-20%. The application of self-adhesive damping mats to the inside walls also helps to eliminate wall resonances.
• The cables running from the amplifier to the subwoofer should be as short as possible with a cable cross section of at least 4 mm².
• The final box should be rock solid and air tight, but should also remain serviceable should a woofer be damaged for any reason.
• When possible, use 10 to 15 cm diameter port tubes to avoid wind noise from smaller diameter sizes. PVC plumbing pipe in various diameters is available at most hardware stores with "elbow" pipes allowing you to bend the tubes inside the box.
• Try to always use active (electronic) crossovers, such as those built into our Velocity amps, for example.

ISOBARIC WOOFER CONFIGURATIONS

ISOBARIC WOOFER CONFIGURATIONS

TUNING SUBWOOFER BOXES

SUBWOOFER BOX TYPES

ISOBARIC WOOFER CONFIGURATIONS

ISOBARIC BASS REFLEX BOXES

BUILDING A BASS REFLEX BOX

ISOBARIC WOOFER CONFIGURATIONS

ISOBARIC WOOFER CONFIGURATIONS

SUBWOOFER CABINET CONSTRUCTION

12" SUBWOOFER • TECHNICAL DATA
Nominal diameter	12.0 in (300 mm)
Nominal impedance	2/2 Ω (ea. coil)
DC resistance (Re)	2 Ω (ea.)
Resonance frequency (fs)	42 Hz
Frequency Response	40-200 Hz
Total Q factor (Qts)	0.48
Mechanical Q (Qms)	4.3
Electrical Q (Qes)	0.54
Equivalent air volume (Vas)	13.5 ltr's
Effective cone area (Sd)	41,5 in 2
Voice coil diameter	75,5 mm
Voice coil former material	Carbon,Fiberglass (CFG)
Linear excursion (Xmax)	±15 mm
Continuous power (Pe)	1200 W (3600 peak)
Sensitivity (SPL)	93 dB

VPw 300

Recommended box designs • Boxenempfehlung • Conception recommandée des enceintes • Box raccomandati • Aanbevolen boxen • Rekommendationer • Recomendaciones de cajas de altavoz • Caixas recomendadas • Anbefaling af bokse

Sealed:	no recommendation
Vented:	30 litersPort: D = 10 cm, L = 60 cm rounded on both sides
Bandpass:	no recommendation

VPw 380

Specifications • Technical data • Caractéristiques techniques • Specifiche • Specificaties • Specifikationer • Especificaciones • Especificações • Specifikationer

15" SUBWOOFER • TECHNICAL DATA
Nominal diameter	15.0 in (380 mm)
Nominal impedance	2/2 Ω (ea. coil)
DC resistance (Re)	2 Ω (ea.)
Resonance frequency (fs)	28 Hz
Frequency Response	25-200 Hz
Total Q factor (Qts)	0.37
Mechanical Q (Qms)	3.6
Electrical Q (Qes)	0.37
Equivalent air volume (Vas)	60.6 ltr's
Effective cone area (Sd)	73 in 2 (0.051 m 2 )
Voice coil diameter	100.0 mm
Voice coil former material	Carbon,Fiberglass (CFG)
Linear excursion (Xmax)	±15 mm
Continuous power (Pe)	1500 W (4.500 peak)
Sensitivity (SPL)	93 dB

VPw 380

Recommended box designs • Boxenempfehlung • Conception recommandée des enceintes • Box raccomandati • Aanbevolen boxen • Rekommendationer • Recomendaciones de cajas de altavoz • Caixas recomendadas • Anbefaling af bokse

Sealed:	no recommendation
Vented:	45 litersPort: D = 10 cm, L = 65 cm rounded on both sides
Bandpass:	no recommendation

VPw 460

Specifications • Technical data • Caractéristiques techniques • Specifiche • Specificaties • Specifikationer • Especificaciones • Especificações • Specifikationer

18" SUBWOOFER • TECHNICAL DATA
Nominal diameter	18.0 in (460 mm)
Nominal impedance	2/2 Ω (ea. coil)
DC resistance (Re)	2 Ω (ea.)
Resonance frequency (fs)	37 Hz
Frequency Response	20-200 Hz
Total Q factor (Qts)	0.60
Mechanical Q (Qms)	3.8
Electrical Q (Qes)	0.71
Equivalent air volume (Vas)	36,7 ltr's
Effective cone area (Sd)	113 in 2
Voice coil diameter	100.0 mm
Voice coil former material	Carbon,Fiberglass (CFG)
Linear excursion (Xmax)	±15 mm
Continuous power (Pe)	1800 W (5.400 peak)
Sensitivity (SPL)	94 dB

VPw 460

Recommended box designs • Boxenempfehlung • Conception recommandée des enceintes • Box raccomandati • Aanbevolen boxen • Rekommendationer • Recomendaciones de cajas de altavoz • Caixas recomendadas • Anbefaling af bokse

Sealed:	no recommendation
Vented:	60 liters2x Port: D = 10 cm, L = 80 cm rounded on both sides
Bandpass:	no recommendation

Service numbers / Service numbers / Service numbers / Service numbers / Service numbers / Service numbers / Service numbers / Service numbers / Service numbers

Country:		Phone:	Fax:	WWW:
Germany	(D)	0180-5000225	05121-49 4002	http://www.blaupunkt.com
Austria	(A)	01-610 390	01-610 393 91
Belgium	(B)	02-525 5444	02-525 5263
Denmark	(DK)	44 898 360	44-898 644
Finland	(FIN)	09-435 991	09-435 99236
France	(F)	01-4010 7007	01-4010 7320
Great Britain	(GB)	01-89583 8880	01-89583 8394
Greece	(GR)	210 94 27 337	210 94 12 711
Ireland	(IRL)	01-4149400	01-4598830
Italy	(I)	02-369 62331	02-369 62464
Luxembourg	(L)	40 4078	40 2085
Netherlands	(NL)	023-565 6348	023-565 6331
Norway	(N)	66-817 000	66-817 157
Portugal	(P)	01-2185 00144	01-2185 11111
Spain	(E)	902-120234	916-467952
Sweden	(S)	08-7501500	08-7501810
Switzerland	(CH)	01-8471644	01-8471650
Czech. Rep.	(CZ)	02-6130 0441	02-6130 0514
Hungary	(H)	01-333 9575	01-324 8756
Poland	(PL)	0800-118922	022-8771260
Turkey	(TR)	0212-3350677	0212-3460040
USA	(USA)	800-2662528	708-6817188
Brasil(Mercosur)	(BR)	[phone]	[phone]
Malaysia(Asia Pacific)	(MAL)	[phone]	[phone]