Kicker I4.2 User manual

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Congratulations! You have just purchased one of the latest in a long line of
exceptional car audio speakers from Stillwater Designs. Your KICK R Impulse
was designed and engineered by the same team which created many other
international award winning KICK R components like the Solo-Baric®, XPL®,
and Resolution™ drivers. It contains a number of cutting-edge features to
give you outstanding performance and dependability when installed in a
properly designed system.
Thanks for buying KICK R. njoy.
I4.2, I5.2, I57.2, I6.1, I6.2
Component Speaker Systems
KICKER IMPULSE COMPONENT SYSTEM FEATURES
With your new KICKER Impulse Component System you can expect excellent frequency
response across all but the lowest frequencies normally covered by subwoofers
For the smoothest response at the high frequencies, a one–inch titanium dome is
matched with a neodymium magnet structure In order to absorb back waves and provide
superior transient response, a felt damping plug is placed behind the dome For tweeter
reliability, the voice coil is bathed in a Ferrofluid™ solution A choice of surface or flush
swivel mounts, and our innovative Coaxial Tweeter Mounting option on the I5 2, I572, I61
& I6 2, is included to allow flexibility in placing the tweeter in the best location for sound
quality
A seamless transition from the woofer to the tweeter is achieved with the inclusion of a
second-order 12dB per octave two-way passive crossover at 4 5KHz This computer-aided
design also includes dual incandescent tweeter protection elements
Woofers feature curvilinear injection molded polygraphite cones, with butyl rubber sur-
rounds, for smooth extended frequency response Kapton™ voice coil formers and black-
ened metal parts in the motor assembly provide exceptional thermal power handling capa-
bility

Installati n Instructi ns
KICKER Impulse Component System woofers are specifically designed for mounting in
freeair applications While the speakers don’t need a sealed box to work in, for optimum
performance it is important to isolate the sound coming off the front of the driver from
the sound coming off the back of the driver
This isolation is usually accomplished by using the correct size driver in a factory speaker
location Grills are included for use in installations that mount the driver in custom loca-
tions
The tweeter mounts separately to allow the installer to choose the best location for
sound quality and imaging Two mounting schemes are included to allow more versatility
on tweeter location, plus a coaxial option on the I5 2, I572, I61 and I6 2
M unting:
The easiest mounting location for the woofers is in the front factory speaker locations
This isn’t always available on all vehicles due to small cutouts or no stock cutout at all If
custom door-mounting locations are desired for your drivers, be careful to avoid interfer-
ence from window and/or door lock mechanisms The first step is to find a location on the
door panel that will accept the size of speaker chosen Now remove the door panel from
the door and check for the operation of the window all the way up and down Also try to
avoid structural metal and braces if metal must be cut to mount the speakers
On custom locations that use the supplied grill, mount them as indicated in
this diagram The I572 and I4 2 are not supplied with grills
The best location for the tweeter is usually high up on the door and as far forward as is
possible without interference from the dashboard If the chosen place is flat and space
behind the door panel allows the use of the recessed mounting cup, follow the mounting
arrangement in this diagram:
2

(Mounting, continued)
After checking for clearance, cut a 2–1/8" hole in the door panel Mount the recess cup
from the outside with the mounting clip on the inside of the door panel The 8-32x1/2"
flathead screw joins the two pieces together
If the surface mounting arrangement for the tweeter works out best, then the
following diagram shows how it works A #8 flathead sheet metal screw is supplied to
attach the surface mount cup to the door panel
With either of these tweeter mounting schemes, the wiring and insertion of the tweeter
are the same The short wires attached to the tweeter are fed through the larger hole in
the mount; then the tweeter is snapped into the mount
If any of the drivers are mounted in the door, it is necessary to run the supplied wire
through the door jamb This wire should be kept away from sharp edges and the possibility
of getting pinched An existing boot in the door jamb is the ideal place to run the wires,
but sometimes this does not exist or is inaccessible Drilling holes to run wires through is
very tricky, and caution must be exercised not to drill into other wiring or mechanisms Any
time a wire is run through a bare hole, it is necessary to insert a rubber grommet first
The supplied crossovers should not be mounted in the doors or any other location that
is subject to moisture Inside the kickpanels or under the dash are ideal locations for the
crossovers in most vehicles
Front Door Body
Front Dash
Kick Panel
To Crossover
Wiring Holes
w/Grommets
(Installed)
To Speaker
3

Wiring
There are three sets of wires supplied with the Kicker Impulse Component Systems One
set has two different size female connectors ( 205" and 110") and is designed to plug on to
the terminals of the woofer The other end of this wire goes to the woofer output on the
supplied crossover Also supplied are two sets of wires with no connectors on either end
One will go from the tweeter output on the crossover to the short wire coming out of the
tweeter; join using the supplied butt connectors The last set of wires is used to join the
input of the crossover to the output of your source unit
C axial Tweeter M unting f r I5.2, I6.1 and I6.2
Expl ded Parts Diagram (I5.2, I6.1, I6.2)
1 Pick the best location for mounting the speaker (see Mounting)
2 If necessary, cut an appropriate size hole for the woofer
–
–
–
+
+
+
Woofer
Tweeter
Butt
Connectors
Impulse
Crossover
+
–
Source
Other
Channel
4

3 Place the speaker (without the grill ring) in the hole and position with
mounting screw holes straight across from each other Mark the mounting holes
and draw a line around the top of the speaker basket
4 Remove the speaker from the hole
5 Drill a 1/4" hole on the line you just drew,
approximately halfway between the top two
mounting hole locations Please note that the
position of this hole is critical; too high and it
will be visible once the grill is installed, too low
and the tweeter wire may get pinched. If there
is metal beneath the panel where this hole is to be
drilled, put a 1/4" grommet in the hole from the
back side
6 Do the preliminary wiring by bringing the con-
nector end of the woofer and tweeter wires within
reach inside the woofer hole
7 Snap the tweeter into the tweeter bridge,
making sure the K logo is positioned correctly and
that the wires exit through the larger hole in the
tweeter cup
8 Snap the tweeter bridge assembly into the grill ring
9 Route the tweeter wires through the groove on the
back of the tweeter bridge as shown in the diagram
10 Push the tweeter wires through the hole you drilled
in Step 5 Working through the woofer cutout (watch for
sharp edges!), connect the tweeter wires to the wires
attached to the tweeter output on the crossover using the
supplied butt connectors
11 Connect the woofer wires from the crossover directly
to the driver
12 After positioning the tweeter bridge/grill ring assem-
bly on the front of the woofer, carefully place the entire
assembly in the mounting hole Please note: at this time carefully push any extra wire back
into the 1/4" hole, making sure that the wire goes around the speaker without getting
pinched
13 Secure the entire assembly to the mounting surface using the supplied screws
14 Carefully push the grill in place
15 Once your system is operational, you can experiment with swiveling the tweeters for
the best sound quality
5

C axial Tweeter M unting f r I57.2
Expl ded Parts Diagram (I57.2)
1 Drill a 1/4" hole next to where the woofer basket
will mount This is for the tweeter wires Install a 1/4"
rubber or plastic grommet
2 Snap the tweeter into the tweeter bridge and
route the tweeter wire through the groove in the
back of the bridge as shown in diagram
3 Hook up the tweeter wires to the wire coming
from the tweeter output on the crossover
4 Hook the woofer wires directly to the terminals
on the woofer
5 Snap the tweeter bridge into the slots in the
front gasket of the woofer
6 Mount this whole assembly in the
factory 5" X 7" opening
7 Once your system is operational, and before the
door panel is reinstalled, you can experiment with
swiveling the tweeters for the best sound quality
6

SPECIFICATIONS
I6.2 I6.1 I5.2 I4.2 I57.2
Midbass/Midrange (in ) 6 5 6 5(6 25od) 5 25 4 0 5 x 7
Tweeter (in , mm 1 0,25 1 0, 25 1 0, 25 1 0, 25 1 0, 25
Frequency Response (Hz) 33-21k 35-21k 38-21k 58-21k 35-21k
Peak Power (watts) 150 150 125 100 150
Continous Program 75 75 65 50 75
Power (watts)
Mounting Hole 5-5/8, 143 5, 127 4-7/8,124 3-11/16, 94 4-15/16 x6-1/8, 125 x 181
Diameter (in , mm)
Mounting Depth (in , mm) 2-9/16, 65 2-7/16, 62 2-7/16, 62 1-7/8, 48 2-7/16, 62
Sensitivity (dB 1w/1m) 88 88 88 88 88
Crossover Point (kHz) 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5
Crossover Slope (db/octave) 12 12 12 12 12
After reading this manual, if you have more questions about the installation of your
KICKER component, see the Authorized KICKER Dealer where you made your purchase You
may also call our Technical Services Line at [phone] or contact us via the internet on
www kickercom
For superior midbass performance, ask your Authorized Kicker Dealer for
the KICKER Impulse I6 0 Midbass Component System which comes with two
specially-tuned 6 5-inch (6 25-inch o d ) Midbass Drivers and two way passive
crossover networks optimized for use with your component system
7

• Install slips (screwdriver holes)
• Damage caused by exposure to water
and/or excessive heat.
• Damage through negligence, misuse, or
accident.
• Items physically damaged due to abuse.
• Freight damage.
• The cost of shipping product to Stillwater
Designs Service.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
Stillwater Designs maintains a goal of 24-hour service for all returns. Delays may be incurred if
lack of replacement inventory or parts is encountered.
INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY
Contact your International Stillwater Designs dealer or distributor concerning specific
procedures for your country’s warranty policies.
P.O. Box 459 • Stillwater, Oklahoma 74076 • U.S.A. • 405 624-8510
• Items previously repaired by any
unauthorized repair facility.
• Items returned from unauthorized
individuals or dealers.
• Return shipping on non-defective items.
• Speakers damaged due to amplifier
clipping or distortion.
• Speakers with silicon caulk used for gasket
material.
KICK R drivers 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. The threshold of pain is always an indicator that the sound level is
too loud and may permanently damage your hearing.
Please use common sense when controlling volume!
WARNING:
FEBRUARY 2000
SPEAKER SYSTEMS LIMITED WARRANTY
Stillwater Designs warrants this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship under
normal use for a period of one (1) year from date of original purchase, unless this product is labeled “B
Stock”, in which case it is warranted for ninety (90) days from date of purchase. Should service be neces-
sary under this warranty for any reason due to manufacturing defect or malfunction during the warranty
period, Stillwater Designs will replace or repair (at its discretion) the defective merchandise with equiva-
lent merchandise at no charge. Warranty replacements on “B-Stock” may have cosmetic scratches and
blemishes. Discontinued products may be replaced with equivalent products.
This warranty is valid only for the original purchaser and is not extended to owners of the product
subsequent to the original purchaser. Any applicable implied warranties are limited in duration to a peri-
od of the express warranty as provided herein beginning with the date of the original purchase at retail,
and no warranties, whether express or implied, shall apply to this product thereafter. Some states do not
allow limitations on implied warranties, therefore these exclusions may not apply to you.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights; however you may have other rights that vary from state
to state.
WHAT T D IF Y U NEED WARRANTY R SERVICE
Defective merchandise must be returned to your local Authorized Stillwater Designs
(Kicker/Impulse) Dealer for warranty. Assistance in locating an Authorized Dealer can be obtained by
writing or calling Stillwater Designs direct. You can confirm that a dealer is authorized by asking to see a
current authorized dealer window decal.
If it becomes necessary for you to return defective merchandise, call the Kicker Customer Service
Department at [phone] for a Return Authorization (RA) number. Package all defective items in the
original container or in a package that will prevent shipping damage, and return to
Stillwater Designs, 5021 North Perkins Road, Stillwater, K 74075
The RA number must be clearly marked on the outside of the package. Return only defective compo-
nents. Return of entire cabinets, system packs, pairs, etc. increases your return freight charges. Non-
defective items received will be returned freight collect.
Include a dated proof-of-purchase from an Authorized Dealer. Warranty expiration on items
returned without proof-of-purchase will be determined from the manufacturing date code. Coverage
may be invalidated if this date is greater than one (1) year previous to the date item is sent in. Freight
must be prepaid; items received freight collect will be refused.
Failure to follow these steps may void your warranty. Any questions can be directed to the Kicker
Customer Service Department at [phone].
WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
This warranty is valid only if the product is used for the purpose for which it was designed.
It does not cover: