Phoenix Gold Z Series User manual

Model: Z8150V2 - Z10150
8” & 10” Slim
Active Bass
Enclosures
u MOSFET PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) Power Supply u Thermal, overload and speaker short protection
u Soft turn-on circuit u Remote turn-on/turn-off circuit
u Variable input gain control u Variable low and subsonic crossovers
u Variable bass boost (0 to 18dB) u Variable phase (0 to 180 degree)
u RCA low level and high level inputs u Auto Power On: ON/OFF
u LED power and protection indicators u Remote subwoofer level control
FEATURES

Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Slim enough to t underseat or any other hide away location both 8” & 10” Slim
Active Bass Enclosures offer a quick and easy way to add a high-powered
subwoofer solution to your audio system.
The integrated amplier in the subwoofer features both subsonic and low pass
crossovers, and a control for adjusting the input sensitivity from 0.2V to 6V.
Both high level (speaker level) and low level (RCA type) inputs are present,
making this a universal solution for use with any head unit or other input source.
For further exibility, a variable bass boost control has been included allowing
you to control the subwoofer from the front seat.
INTRODUCTION
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
When rst unpacking your new amplied
subwoofer, please check that the
package contains all of the items right.
If something is missing, contact the store
where you purchased the product.
u Amplied subwoofer
u Remote subwoofer level control
u Remote subwoofer control cable
u High level input harness/wire
u Mounting hardware
KEY FEATURES
u MOSFET PWM (Pulse Width
Modulated) Power Supply
u Thermal, overload and speaker
short protection
u Soft turn-on circuit
u Remote turn-on/turn-off circuit
u Variable input gain control
u Variable low and subsonic crossovers
u Variable bass boost (0 to 18dB)
u Variable phase (0 to 180 degree)
u RCA low level & high level inputs
u Auto Power On: ON/OFF
u LED power & protection indicators
u Remote subwoofer level control

© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
u Variable bass boost (0 to 18dB)
u Variable phase (0 to 180 degree)
u RCA low level & high level inputs
u Auto Power On: ON/OFF
u LED power & protection indicators
u Remote subwoofer level control
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
Before installing and using your new amplied subwoofer, please become
familiar with all the information contained in this manual. Please keep this
manual in a safe place for future reference.
u Do not open or attempt to repair this unit yourself. Dangerous high voltages
are present which may result in electric shock. Refer any repairs to a qualied
service technician.
u To avoid risk of electric shock or damage to the unit, do not permit any of
this equipment to become damp or wet. If this does occur, immediately
unplug the power wires and send the product to your local dealer or service
centre as soon as possible.
u If there is smoke or any peculiar odour present during use or if there is
damage to any of the enclosures components, immediately unplug the
power cord and send the product to your local dealer or service centre as
soon as possible.
SHOCK HAZARD
Do not open the case of this product. There are dangerous voltages present
within the unit. There are no user-serviceable parts within the unit.
PROTECTION CIRCUITRY
The built-in amplier incorporates special protection circuitry which will disable
the amplier if any of the following should occur:
u Input overload u Short circuit u Extremely high temperatures
If any of these conditions are detected, the amplier will go into a
self-protection mode, and the PROTECT LED on the control panel will glow
RED in colour.

Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
What should I do if the POWER STATUS LED turns RED?
If you observe that the POWER STATUS LED IS RED, please check the system
carefully to determine what has caused the protection circuit to engage.
To reset the amplied subwoofer when it is in PROTECT mode, turn the power off
to the system (usually by turning off the head unit or other signal source which
feeds the amplier) and then turn it on again.
If the internal amplier has shut down due to thermal overload, you should rst
allow it to cool down before restarting.
If the shut down was due to either an input overload or a short circuit, be sure
to correct these conditions before attempting to power up the subwoofer
again.
MOUNTING THE SUBWOOFER
1. Find a suitable location in the
vehicle in which to mount the
amplier. A typical location is
shown opposite.
2. Make sure there is sufcient air
circulation around the intended
mounting location.
under vehicle seat
3. Mark the location for the mounting hole screws by positioning the cabinet
where you wish to install it. Make a small mark to identify the position and
remove the unit.
Thoroughly clean the area you plan to attach the subwoofer, using a vacuum
cleaner.

© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
CONNECTING THE SUBWOOFER
Before connecting any wiring look through this manual and identify the
diagrams to follow for power, input and speaker connections for your particular
installation. Be sure you understand all the connections before you proceed.
1. Connect the ground terminal to the closest point on the chassis of the
vehicle. Keep this ground wire to less than 39” (100cm) in length.
Use 8 gauge (or heavier) wire.
2. Connect the remote terminal to the remote output of the head unit using
16 gauge (or heavier) wire.
3. Connect an empty fuse holder within 18” (45cm) of the car battery, and
run 8 gauge (or heavier) cable from this fuse to the amplier location.
4. Check that the fuse holder doesn’t contain a fuse. Next, connect the fuse
holder to the “BATT+” connection on the amplier.
5. Connect all line inputs using high-quality cables.
6. Insert fuse(s) into battery fuse holders.
7. Recheck all connections before powering up the subwoofer.
8. Set all level controls to minimum position, and set all crossover
control/switches to the desired frequency points.
9. Power up the head unit and the subwoofer. Then set the volume control
on the head unit to about 75% volume, and adjust the subwoofer’s input
level controls to just below the level of distortion.
10. Further ne tuning of the various controls may be necessary to obtain
best results.
Do not mistake the input level control for a volume control! It is designed
ONLY to match the output level of your audio source to the input level of
your subwoofer.
Do not adjust this input level to maximum unless your input level requires it.
Ignoring these instructions will result in an input overload to the amplier in
the subwoofer, and excessive audio distortion. It can also cause the
protection circuit to engage.
Don’t misuse the level control!

Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Front Panel controls & features
1. REMOTE LEVEL CONTROL PORT - Attach the included remote level control to adjust the
volume level of the subwoofer independently.
2. INPUT GAIN CONTROL - After you have installed your system, turn this control to
minimum. Turn the head unit on (and the subwoofer will turn on via the
remote connection). Turn the head unit volume to about 75% full level. Slowly turn up the
subwoofer input gain control until you hear a small amount of
distortion. Then reduce the level until the distortion is completely gone. Leave the control
at this setting.
3. SUBSONIC FILTER - Use this control to lter out low frequency noise and
rumble.
4. BASS BOOST - The bass boost feature will increase the sound level in the bass
frequencies.
5. LOW PASS FILTER - This control permits you to dene the frequency range you want
the subwoofer amplier to receive.The subwoofer will reproduce all sound BELOW the
frequency you set. If the rest of your system is weak on the mids, you may wish to set this
control relatively high. If the midrange is well covered by the rest of your system, you will
probably want the subwoofer to only receive lower frequency signal.
6. PHASE - Use this control to help compensate for time alignment problems in the system.
Such problems usually result from having the subwoofer at a
different distance from the listener than the other speakers in the system.
7. AUTO POWER ON
The AUTO POWER ON (ON / OFF) is for high level (speaker-level) connections. When the
switch is in the “ON” position, the subwoofer AUTO POWER ON when there is signal input.
If the amplier detected no signal input, the amplier will auto turn off. If you prefer to
use the remote turn on/off connection, the switch is in the OFF position.
8. POWER STATUS LED
The green LED lights up when the unit is powered on and functioning correctly.
Should a problem be detected then the red light will illuminate.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
Rear Panel controls & features
1. POWER TERMINALS
2. FUSE - The fuse in the left socket is the fuse which provides protection for the circuitry.
Do not use a fuse with a different value and NEVER replace the fuse with a wire or coin.
3. SPARE FUSE - The right fuse socket is a storage location for a spare fuse. If the left fuse
blows, you may replace it with this fuse. Please ensure it is the correct fuse amperage.
4. HIGH LEVEL (speaker level) INPUTS
If your head unit does not have RCA outputs, you can use the speaker outputs for the
audio source for the subwoofer. Use the supplied cable and wire harness and connect
the outputs properly as shown in the connection diagram in this manual.
5. LOW LEVEL RCA INPUTS
Low level inputs are the recommended way to introduce the audio signal to the
subwoofer if RCA outputs are present on your head unit or other signal source (such
as a sound processor).
1 2 3 54

Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Low Level Input Wiring
Low-level (RCA) input wiring is preferred for best audio performance.
Most boot or hatchback installations will require a 5m RCA cable, while pickup
trucks and under-seat installations will require a 3m RCA cable. Always use a
high quality cable.
NOTE: Do not connect BOTH the high level and low level inputs from your
receiver to your amplier at the same time!
To Audio outputs of head
unit or signal processor
The high level input(s) should only be used when your receiver lacks RCA
outputs. If the RCA outputs are not present, connect the speaker outputs from
the receiver to the high level input connector of the amplier. Be sure to
observe polarity to avoid audio phase problems.
High Level Input Wiring
NOTE: Do not connect BOTH the high level and low level inputs from your
receiver to your amplier at the same time!

© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
WHITE L+
GREY R+
L- WHITE/BLACK
R- GREY/BLACK
To speaker Terminals
of head unit
BLACK
Power Connections
Connect the ground terminal to the closest point on the chassis of the vehicle.
Keep this ground wire to less than 39” (100 cm) in length. Use 8 gauge
(or heavier) wire.
Connect the remote terminal to the remote output of head unit using 16 gauge
(or heavier) wire.
Connect an empty fuse holder within 18” (45 cm) of the car battery, and run 8
gauge (or heavier) cable from this fuse to the amplier location. Then connect
the fuse holder to the “BATT+” (+12V) connection on the subwoofer rear panel.
Battery
Chassis ground point
Fuse
to REMOTE TURN-ON terminal of head unit

Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Power Connections
If you are using the High Level Inputs and wish to use the auto turn on feature
you must set the auto turn on switch to ON. The subwoofer will then turn on
when a signal is detected. If there is no signal detected then the subwoofer will
switch off.
Remote Level Control Connection
Remote
Level Control
Install the remote control securely under the
dash or in a similar location where using it
will not distract the driver.
Battery
Chassis ground point
Fuse
to REMOTE TURN-ON terminal of head unit

© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
Z8150V2 Z10150
RMS power 150W RMS 150W RMS
THD <0.4% @ 100Hz <0.4% @ 100Hz
Signal-to-noise ratio >90dB >90dB
Frequency response 20Hz-150Hz 20Hz-150Hz
Input Sensitivity, High Level 0.5V 0.5V
Input Sensitivity, High Level 110mV 110mV
Low Pass Filter 50Hz-150Hz 50Hz-150Hz
Bass Boost 0-18dB @ 45Hz 0-18dB @ 45Hz
Subsonic Filter 20Hz-50Hz 20Hz-50Hz
Variable Phase 0-180o0-180o
Fuse Rating 20A 20A
Subwoofer 8” - 2Ohm 10” - 2Ohm
Dimensions (L x W H) mm 354 x 250 x 68 354 x 250 x 68
Specications

Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures
© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Troubleshooting
SYMPTOM POSSIBLE REMEDY
Amplier will not
power up
Check to make sure you have a good ground connection.
Check that the Remote Input (Turn-On) has at least 5VDC.
Check that there is battery power on the (+) terminal.
Check that there is at least 12V.
Check all fuse, replace if necessary.
Make sure that the Protection LED is not illuminated. If it is glowing red,
shut off the amplier briey, and then repower it.
Protection LED comes
on when amplier is
powered up
Check the amplier is not too hot.
No output
Check that the fuses are OK.
Check that the unit is properly grounded.
Check that the remote Input (Turn-On) has at least 5V DC
Check that the RCA audio cables are plugged into the proper inputs.
Low Output Reset the Level Control.
Check the Crossover Control settings.
Distorted sound
Check that the Input Level Control is set to match the signal level of the head unit.
Always try to set the Input Level as low as possible.
Check that all crossover frequencies are properly set.
Check for short circuits on the speaker leads.
Amplier
gets very hot
Check that there is good air circulation around the amp. In some applications, it
may be necessary to add and external cooling fan.
Engine noise
(static type)
This is usually caused by poor quality RCA cables, which can pick up radiated noise.
Use only the best quality cables, and route them away from power cables.
Engine Noise
(alternator whine)
Check that the RCA grounds are not shorted to the vehicle chassis
Check that the head unit is properly grounded.

© 2018 Phoenix Gold • www.phoenixgold.com
Z Series Slim Active Bass Enclosures