KEY AMPLIFIERS Owner’s Manual KEY180.
KEY180.4 AMPLIFIER OWNER’S MANUAL IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING PROLONGED CONTINUOUS OPERATION OF AN AMPLIFIER, SPEAKER, OR SUBWOOFER IN A DISTORTED, CLIPPED OR OVER-POWERED MANNER CAN CAUSE YOUR AUDIO SYSTEM TO OVERHEAT, POSSIBLY CATCHING FIRE AND RESULTING IN SERIOUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPONENTS AND/OR VEHICLE. AMPLIFIERS REQUIRE UP TO 4 INCHES (10CM) OPEN VENTILATION. SUBWOOFERS SHOULD BE MOUNTED WITH AT LEAST 1 INCH (2.5CM) CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE FRONT OF THE SPEAKER AND ANY SURFACE.
Wiring: Disconnect the vehicle’s battery to avoid an electrical short. Then connect the ground wire to the amplifier. Make the ground wire short, 24” (60cm) or less, and connect it to a paint-and-corrosion-free, solid, metal area of the vehicle’s chassis. Adding an additional ground wire of this same gauge (or larger) between the battery’s negative post and the vehicle chassis is recommended. Keep the audio signal cable away from factory wiring harnesses and other power wiring.
If needed, cut off the RCA connections to use hi-level input. For multiple amplifier installations where distribution blocks are used, each amplifier should have its proper-rated fuse, or breaker, installed between the amplifier and the distribution block within eighteen inches of the block, or on the distribution block if it provides for fusing.
STANDARD (FULL-RANGE) OPERATION minimum impedance of 4 ohms per channel + – + – + – + – BI-AMP OPERATION minimum impedance of 4 ohms per channel woofers must be installed to rear (AMP 2) channels tweeters must be installed to front (AMP 1) channels Bi-Amp switch must be ON! + – tweeter + – + – + – tweeter woofer woofer 5
OPERATION TIME DELAY KICKER EQ BI-AMP MODE COMPRESSION FADER AUTO TURN-ON HI-PASS FILTER OPTIONS 60Hz 80Hz 120Hz OFF 12V ON OFF OFF EN EN AMP1&2 DC OFF ON ON DF LIMITER DF LIMITER MIC INPUT INPUT AMP1 AMP2 0 GAIN 11 0 GAIN 11 RADIO DETECT Automatic Turn-On Selection: The KEY series offers two different automatic turn-on modes that can be selected on the end panel; +12V and DC Offset. Using the DC Offset mode causes the REM wire to have +12V out for turning on additional amplifiers.
TIME DELAY: Set to enable (EN) for all speaker’s output to reach the driver or microphone location at the same time. Set to defeat (DF) to turn time delay off. KICKER EQ: Set to enable (EN) to turn KICKER EQ on (recommended), set to defeat (DF) to turn KICKER EQ off. When OFF, the frequency response curve will be flat. BI-AMP MODE: The majority of systems require this switch to be OFF. Turn ON only if your speakers are wired in “Bi-Amp” mode (refer to BI-AMP operation picture on page 5).
KEY AUTO SETUP KEY Activation Button The KEY Activation Button is a multi-function button attached to the included microphone that will begin the Auto Setup process, toggle between Auto Setup optimized audio and the original audio once the Auto Setup process has been completed, or clear previous Auto Setup settings. The Auto Setup consists of several tune-up steps including individual speaker equalization, KICKER EQ, time delay and speaker sensitivity matching.
Q: Can I put more than one KEY amplifier in my car? A: Yes, however the Auto Setup program is designed to optimize the front-sound stage only. Only one KEY amplifier can use the Auto Setup feature. Q: Can I use the KEY amplifier in addition to a subwoofer: A: Yes, but care must be taken. Make sure you disconnect your subwoofer prior to the Auto Setup process. The subwoofer must stay quiet during the Auto Setup so the KEY amp can hear what the car speakers sound like without interference.
TROUBLESHOOTING If your amplifier does not appear to be working, check the obvious things first such as blown fuses, poor or incorrect wiring connections, incorrect setting of crossover switch and gain controls, etc. There are Power (PWR) & Protection (PRT) LEDs on the side panel of your KICKER KEY series amplifier. Depending on the state of the amplifier and the vehicle’s charging system, the LEDs will glow either green or red.
ELECTRONICS LIMITED WARRANTY When purchased from an Authorized KICKER Dealer, KICKER warrants this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of TWO (2) YEARS from date of original purchase with receipt. If this product is identified as “Refurbished” or “B Goods”, the warranty is limited to a period of THREE (3) MONTHS from the date of original purchase. In all cases you must have the original receipt.
INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY Contact your International KICKER dealer or distributor concerning specific procedures for your country’s warranty policies. WARNING: KICKER products are capable of producing sound levels that can permanently damage your hearing! Turning up a system to a level that has audible distortion is more damaging to your ears than listening to an undistorted system at the same volume level.
©2017 Stillwater Designs
KEY180.4 QUICK-START GUIDE | GUÍA DE INICIO RÁPIDO GUIDE DE DÉMARRAGE RAPIDE | SCHNELLSTARTANLEITUNG Mounting | Montaje | Montage | Befestigung: Wiring | Cabelado | Câblage | Verkabelung: If needed, cut off the RCA connections to use hi-level input. De ser necesario, desconecte las conexiones RCA para utilizar la entrada de alto nivel. Coupez, au besoin, les connexions RCA pour utiliser une entrée haute. Durchtrennen Sie gegebenenfalls die RCA-Verbindungen, um einen High-Level-Input zu verwenden. 1.
Configuración automática de KEY Desconecte cualquier altavoz o subwoofer que no esté conectado al amplificador KEY, de fábrica o genérico. Desactive la cancelación de ruido activo y el aumento de ruido activo. Deberá cargar una fuente para ruido rosa desde su unidad de control, ya sea CD, MP3, AUX, Bluetooth, USB, etc. Se recomienda un audio descomprimido para lograr mejores resultados, ya que esto garantizará una total amplitud en el espectro de frecuencias (20 Hz–20 kHz). Visite www.kicker.