Product Spotlight: JBL Stadium 62CF

If you have been to a concert, club, or movie theater, you have likely had the chance to experience JBL audio products. With a corporate pedigree that dates back over a century, JBL products are leaders in many market segments, especially portable speakers and car audio products. In this spotlight, we will take a close look at the JBL Stadium 62CF component speaker set.

The Stadium 62CF is a 6.5-inch component speaker set that includes a pair of woofers, a pair of 0.75-inch tweeters, passive crossover networks, mounting adapters for the woofers, and several options for tweeter mounting hardware.

The JBL Stadium 62CF 6.5-inch component speaker set delivers smooth and detailed performance and impressive value.

Woofer Features and Specifications

The woofers are based on a sturdy and rigid injection-molded chassis. An integrated terminal block with large gold-plated Phillips-head set screws handles electrical connections. Up front, the woofers feature a glass-fiber woofer cone and dust cap for a good balance of rigidity and damping. The drivers use the JBL Plus One+ design, which maximizes cone area to improve efficiency and low-frequency extension. These 6.5-inch class drivers have an effective cone area (Sd specification) of 143.14 square centimeters. Comparable products are typically around 120 square centimeters. This is an increase of almost 20%, which means more efficiency and bass output.

The woofers feature a high-roll rubber surround to ensure long-term durability. The speakers are rated for 110 watts of continuous power, with peaks of 330 watts. While we’re discussing specifications, the Stadium 62CF woofer’s mounting depth is 2.125 inches, and the required cutout is 5.125 inches. The Stadium 62CF set is designed as a factory replacement solution and, as such, doesn’t come with grilles for the woofers.

Another unique feature of the Stadium 62CF speakers is that the voice coils are wound to a nominal impedance of three ohms. This helps whatever amplifier you are using produce a little extra power without the impedance being so low as to affect distortion performance. The lower impedance also bumps efficiency, which JBL rates at 93 dB at 2.83 volts measured at 1 meter. This makes the set ideal for installations powered directly by a factory-installed or aftermarket head unit. However, the high power handling also allows the set to be used with a moderately powerful aftermarket amplifier.

Tweeter and Crossover Features

The tweeters in the Stadium 62CF kit feature an edge-driven aluminum dome design. JBL states that the tweeters will play up to 40 kHz, making them ideal for high-resolution audio systems. The kit includes mounting hardware for flush and surface-mount installations.

The Stadium 62CF kit includes a pair of passive crossover networks housed in slender plastic cases. The crossovers include two switches. The first selects an output level for the tweeter of 0 or -3 dB. This is a good feature if the tweeters are mounted much closer to the listening position than the midrange, and your installer needs to attenuate their output. The second switch selects between two-way and three-way operation. JBL offers a two-inch midrange set, the Stadium 22S, and a three-inch set, the Stadium 32S, which can be paired with the Stadium 62CF to create a three-way system.

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with JBL Stadium Speakers!

If you are shopping for a speaker system that leverages intelligent features to deliver impressive audio performance, consider the JBL Stadium 62CF set. The JBL Stadium series includes 5.25-inch component speakers, along with 6×9-, 6×8-, 5.25-, and 6.5-inch coaxial models. You can learn more about JBL car audio products by visiting their website and following them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: AudioControl A600.4

If you have been around the car audio industry for as long as we have, then you have likely used an audio processor in your vehicle. This veteran company is recognized worldwide for its line output converters, equalizers and crossovers. A few decades later, the brand has introduced several series of amplifiers. Their latest offering is the Altitude Series. In this spotlight, we’ll check out the four-channel A600.4 amp.

AudioControl A600.4 Specifications and Features

The A600.4 four-channel amp is rated to produce 100 watts of power per channel when driving four-ohm loads. That output increases to 150 watts per channel when driving two-ohm loads. When each pair of channels is bridged to a four-ohm load, the amp produces 300 watts of power.

With respect to performance, the amp has a THD+N specification of <0.21% and a signal-to-noise ratio of 107 dBA referenced to full power.

Let’s start with a unique feature included in the A600.4 – Valet mode. When a 12-volt signal is applied to the Valet input, the maximum power the amp can produce is reduced to 25% of its maximum output. The malfunction indicator LED will illuminate orange when the amp is in Valet mode. If you are concerned about someone abusing your car audio system, this feature is perfect for keeping your speakers safe.

The A600.4 is also equipped with AudioControl’s Great Turn-On (GTO) circuit. The amp can be activated by applying 12 volts to the remote input. Alternatively, when in GTO mode, the amp will detect the ~6-volt bias on the speaker wires of a factory-installed or aftermarket radio. If your installer is integrating the amp into a vehicle with a full-bridge amplifier, Audio mode will monitor the inputs for the presence of an audio signal to wake the amp up.

Another unique feature of the A600.4 is its use of Linkwitz-Riley alignments on the crossovers. While the slopes are still shallow at 12 dB / Octave, they will sum smoothly around the crossover point because the signal will be -6 dB at the knee frequency. Butterworth crossovers are only at -3 dB at the crossover point, which results in a 3 dB bump when the acoustic signals sum. In short, your system will sound better and have improved clarity around the crossover frequency with this design.

The amplifier is based on an aluminum extrusion and features uniquely styled end-caps for a clean appearance. A removable panel on top of the amp conceals all the signal adjustments and the set screws for the power and speaker connections.

All connections are made along the front edge of the amp using high-quality terminal blocks for 4-AWG power and ground, and 12-AWG speaker wire connections.

AudioControl A600.4 — All connections are made along the front edge of the amp for a tidy installation.

Signal Processing Information

Each pair of channels has a sensitivity control that is adjustable from 0.5 to 6 volts on the RCA inputs and 1.5 to 20 volts on the speaker-level inputs. The speaker inputs are on an eight-pin Molex plug, and AudioControl calls this the LC Direct connection. The amp has a two or four-channel input switch. In two-channel mode, the signal on channel 1 (LC Direct or RCA) is copied to channel 3, and the signal on channel 2 is copied to channel 4. This is ideal if you are connecting that amp to something like a Bluetooth streaming device as a signal source. Each pair of channels has a Max input indicator. This LED will illuminate when the input is maximized and should flash occasionally when playing music recorded at high volume levels.

The crossover on each pair of channels is adjustable between 50 and 500 Hz, or when the x10 switch is enabled, 500 to 5 kHz. This is enough range to handle subwoofer to midrange speakers, or midrange to tweeters. The crossovers on both channel pairs can operate in high- or low-pass mode to ensure maximum system design flexibility.

The amp has an RCA output terminal that can be used to feed an audio signal to an additional amplifier like the A800.1 800-watt monoblock to power a subwoofer.

Finally, there is a connection for an optional ACR-1 remote level control. When connected, you can adjust the output level of channels 3 and 4 to suit your mood or the music you’ve chosen.

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with AudioControl

If you are shopping for a well-equipped four-channel amplifier to enhance your car audio system, drop by a local authorized AudioControl retailer and ask about the new Altitude Series A600.4. You can find a dealer near you using the locator tool on the AudioControl website.

Be sure to follow AudioControl on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay up to speed with all their new products and solutions.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Hertz CP4.800

When choosing an amplifier for your car audio system, consider quality, features, physical size and power production to ensure a worthwhile investment. The mobile audio amplification experts at Hertz have recently released a new product line called Cento Power that specifically addresses these factors. In this spotlight, we’ll look at the four-channel CP4.800 amplifier.

Hertz CP4.800 Specifications

The Hertz CP4.800 is, as mentioned, a four-channel amplifier. The amp is rated to produce 110 watts of power when driving four 4-ohm speakers. That output increases to 190 watts per channel when driving four 2-ohm speakers. Hertz is generous with their configuration specifications. If one pair of channels is driving a set of four-ohm speakers and the other is bridged to a subwoofer, the mono channel can produce as much as 400 watts of power. If both pairs of channels are bridged to four-ohm speakers, the output is 380 watts each. All specifications are provided at 1% THD.

In terms of performance specifications, Hertz rates the amp as having a signal-to-noise ratio of 101 dBA when driven with 1 volt of input. Concerning harmonic distortion, the amp is rated at 0.02% when producing 100 hertz at 70% of rated power. While both numbers are quite good, keep in mind that the specifications aren’t compliant with ANSI/CTA-2006-D industry standards.

A key highlight of the Cento Power CP4.800 is that it qualifies as a true High-Resolution product with frequency response rated as 10 Hz to 48 kHz. If you are playing FLAC or WAV files through a high-resolution source unit, the extra bandwidth is a blessing.

Hertz CP4.800 — The CP4.800 is impressively compact for its power output capabilities.

Amplifier Layout and Connections

The CP4.800 is based around a compact cast aluminum heatsink that’s 8.07 inches long, 6.1 inches wide and stands 1.89 inches tall. All the connections are made along the front edge of the amp, and the controls are concealed beneath a removable panel on the top of the chassis.

The amp has a two-position terminal block on the left end that will accept 4-AWG power and ground cables. Beside that is a 40-amp ATC fuse to protect the amp against reverse polarity power connections. From there, we have six Molex connectors. The first plug on the bottom has four RCA jacks on pigtails for the main low-level inputs. Two additional RCA output jacks can be used to feed another amp. The next two plugs have four positions and are the speaker-level inputs to the amp. The RCA inputs can accept an input range of 320 millivolts to 8 volts. The speaker-level inputs will take 1.6 to 40 volts RMS.

Above the RCA inputs is a two-position jack for the remote turn-on input and output. Besides that, there is another two-position jack for the remote volume control. The optional HRC-02 control allows you to adjust the output of the rear channels to fine-tune the system when the low-pass filter is active.

The last plug is a larger-gauge eight-position jack for the speaker output wires.

Signal Processing and Adjustments

As mentioned, all the adjustments and controls are located on the top of the amp under a removable cover. Starting on the top left, there is a switch for the Automatic Remote Turn-on (ART) feature. When enabled, the amp should turn on when the factory source unit connected to the speaker-level inputs is activated. Below that is a button to select the source for the rear channels. They can be fed from the front inputs in a two-channel system or the rear inputs for complete system control from the source unit.

Each pair of channels has a level/gain control, a crossover function switch and a crossover frequency adjustment control. The crossover function switch selects between high-, low-pass, or full-range operation. The crossovers have second-order 12 dB/octave filtering that’s adjustable between 50 Hz and 4 kHz.

The rear channels include a bass boost control that can add up to 9 dB around 50 Hz. Finally, each pair of channels has a mono input selector. With both enabled, the amp could be used as a two-channel unit where the Left RCA feeds both front channels and the Left RCA on the rear input feeds both rear channels. The mono button is also helpful if your radio has only a single subwoofer output jack.

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with the Hertz CP4.800

If you are looking for a compact, high-power amplifier with good system application flexibility, drop by a local authorized Hertz car audio retailer and ask about the new Cento Power Series CP4.800. You can find an authorized retailer near you using the locator tool on their website.

Be sure to follow Hertz on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for information on all their latest product releases and events the team attends.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: KICKER MSC65

There are dozens of companies manufacturing marine-grade speakers. That certainly doesn’t mean that all the speakers sound good and have equivalent performance. KICKER, a company known for developing car audio, powersports and marine audio solutions, recently launched their M-Class Premium Series of marine products. This spotlight will look at the MSC65 6.5-inch coaxial speaker from this high-end family. Let’s check it out!

MSC65 Specifications

The KICKER MSC65 speakers have a published frequency response of 55 Hz to 25 kHz with an efficiency of 89 dB at 1W/1M. Recommended amplifier power is 15 to 100 watts, while peak power handling is 200 watts. The mounting requirements are a 5-7/16” hole with 3-9/16” of depth behind them.

Features of the KICKER MSC65

The MSC65 is a 6.5-inch coaxial that’s designed around a glass-filled nylon chassis. The chassis provides a stable platform for the magnet and moving assembly. At the heart of the speaker is a carbon-fiber-infused polypropylene woofer cone. A Santoprene synthetic rubber surround provides a compliant connection at the top edge of the cone that will last for many years.

For a tweeter, each speaker uses a textile material called Teteron to provide smooth, audiophile-grade performance. The tweeters have a diameter of 28mm (1.1 inches), so they can play low enough to prevent the woofers from becoming directional. The speakers use an integrated -12 dB/octave passive crossover at 3.2 kHz, which helps to ensure smooth and natural sound.

A perforated metal mesh grille protects the tweeters. An eight-spoke grille above the woofer cone supports the whole assembly. This eliminates the need for a pole piece, thereby increasing the woofer’s cone area to improve efficiency and bass production. Each pair of speakers includes both the white and charcoal grilles.

Electrical connections for the speaker are made via two-position Deutsch-style connectors to ensure a reliable, water-resistant connection. The speakers feature RGBW LED illumination, which lights up the cone from an LED strip wrapped around the tweeter’s neodymium magnet. The optional KMLC LED Lighting Remote controller can control the five-wire lighting system. Alternatively, the lighting can be hard-wired to a specific color to match your boat.

KICKER MSC65 — The MSC65 set includes both charcoal and white grilles along with RGBW lighting to add a little extra style.

Real Marine™ Products

KICKER has invested significant resources into ensuring the entire series of M-CLASS products is up to the toughest challenges Mother Nature can dish out. All the speakers and subwoofers are tested for resistance to corrosion from salt under the ASTM B117 standard. They are also tested for colorfastness and resistance to chalking or fading due to prolonged UV exposure under the ASTM G154 standard. Finally, they have an IPX66 water-resistance rating thanks to integrated mounting gaskets on the backs of all the speakers. You can be confident that your purchase from KICKER will last for many years.

Upgrade Your Boat with KICKER M-Class Speakers and Subwoofers Today!

If the sound system on your boat doesn’t put a smile on your face when you turn up the volume, drop by an authorized KICKER retailer today and ask them about the amazing new M-Class marine audio products like the MSC65. You can find an authorized dealer using the locator tool on their website. For more information on KICKER marine, powersports and car audio products, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and of course, their amazing YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: KICKER LX1200.5

If you’ve been paying attention, then you’ll know that DSP-equipped car audio amplifiers are pretty common these days. KICKER introduced a new series of amplifiers called LX. These beasts are not only packed with serious power production capabilities, but they include digital signal processing and a unique configuration solution that separates them from everything else on the market. We’ll focus on the five-channel LX1200.5 in this Product Spotlight.

What is the KICKER LX1200.5 Amplifier?

The KICKER LX1200.5 is a five-channel amp with an integrated digital signal processor. The amp is based on a cast aluminum chassis that measures 12.625 inches in length, 8.875 inches in width and stands 2.375 inches tall. All the connections are hidden under a removable panel along the long edge of the amp. The panel is held in place with magnets for a clean and tidy appearance. Wire connections are made via terminal blocks with heavy-duty set screws. Interestingly, there are only three controls on the amp, which are gains for the subwoofer, AMP1 and AMP2 channels.

Power-wise, KICKER rates the output of AMP1 and AMP2 at 125 watts per channel into four-ohm loads and 175 watts per channel when driving two-ohm loads. The channel pairs can be bridged to provide 350 watts into a single four-ohm load. The subwoofer channel produces 300 watts into a four-ohm load, 550 watts into two ohms and an impressive 700 watts when driving a one-ohm load. All specifications include the 14.4-volt, less than 1% THD+N qualifications, so you know they are comparable to other quality brands. The amplifier’s signal-to-noise ratio is greater than 75 dB, referencing one watt of output into a four-ohm load.

OEM Audio Integration

The KICKER team knows that many amplifier installations in modern vehicles use factory-installed source units. This means the amplifiers need to accept speaker-level signals. The LX1200.5, like other models in the LX Series includes fully differential speaker inputs that can take up to 40 volts of signal without needing an external interface. In low-level mode, the preamp inputs accept up to 5 volts.

The amplifier also has two turn-on modes. The amp can be activated with the typical 12-volt signal from an aftermarket source unit or switched to DC offset detection to monitor the speaker wires for a voltage from a factory radio. KICKER calls this their FIT+ technology.

Speaking of integration, the LX amplifiers have input gain matching LEDs that illuminate when you have reached the maximum output capabilities of the amplifier.

Integrated Digital Signal Processing

Unlike most DSP-equipped amplifiers on the market that require a laptop or tablet to set up, KICKER includes a controller with the amp called the LX Control Center. This compact controller features a two-line LCD screen, four rotary encoders and buttons to access different amp channels and functions.

In terms of signal processing, your installer can apply high-pass, low-pass or band-pass crossover to each of the three channels on the amp. The high-pass filters are adjustable from 20 Hz to 5 kHz and the low-pass from 40 Hz to 5 kHz. Slopes can be set to 12 or 24 dB Linkwitz-Riley alignments or 12, 18 or 24 dB/octave Butterworth. You’ll want to use the Linkwitz alignment so you can set the crossover points at the same frequencies. The subwoofer channel low-pass filter is adjustable from 20 to 160 hertz and there is an infrasonic filter that can be set from 10 to 80 Hz to control subwoofer cone excursion.

KICKER includes a signal delay for the left channels on both AMP1 and AMP2. Your installer can delay the output of the left channels, which correlate to the speakers closest to the listening position in 0.1 millisecond steps, up to a maximum of 10 milliseconds. When set properly, adding delays to the closer speakers can help improve imaging and staging.

The subwoofer channel has a parametric equalizer that can be set between 20 and 80 hertz with a Q factor between 1 and 5 and a maximum gain of 6 dB. If you want to add a little Kick, no pun intended, this is the perfect solution. The LX amps also include SHOCwave 2.0. This feature analyzes audio information and creates a harmonic one octave below the fundamental to restore audio information lost by many factory-installed amplifiers. If you want to rumble, SHOCwave 2.0 can do it!

Once your installer is done setting up the amp, the LXCC (LX Control Center) can be disconnected from the RJ45 port, and the included LX Remote Control (LXRC) can be plugged in. This multifunction remote controls the subwoofer level and SHOCwave 2.0 functionality and even shows battery voltage using the LEDs around the perimeter.

Full Amplifier Family

The new LX series from KICKER includes the LX1200.5 five-channel we’ve discussed, a seven-channel LX1300.7 and the monster LX3000.1 3000-watt monoblock in the same chassis size. The LX series includes a four-channel LX500.4 and LX850.1, LX1250.1 and LX1300.7 in a smaller 9.625-inch long chassis. The width and height of all the amps are the same, so mixing and matching models is easy.

Speaking of design flexibility, the little illuminated badge in the center of the amp can be rotated 180 degrees to align with however your installer configures the amps in your vehicle.

Upgrade Your Car Audio Experience with KICKER LX-Series Amplifiers

If you are shopping for an impressively featured, high-performance amplifier for your car audio system, drop by a local authorized KICKER retailer and ask about the new LX series models, like the LX1200.5. They can design a system around these products, integrate it into your vehicle and configure it to sound amazing.

You can find an authorized retailer using the locator tool on the KICKER website. Be sure to follow the KICKER on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Check out the KICKER Unmasked LIVE show for weekly updates on new products and their unique technologies.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: JBL Stadium 62CF

Woofer Features and Specifications

Tweeter and Crossover Features

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with JBL Stadium Speakers!

Product Spotlight: AudioControl A600.4

AudioControl A600.4 Specifications and Features

Signal Processing Information

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with AudioControl

Product Spotlight: Hertz CP4.800

Hertz CP4.800 Specifications

Amplifier Layout and Connections

Signal Processing and Adjustments

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with the Hertz CP4.800

Product Spotlight: KICKER MSC65

MSC65 Specifications

Features of the KICKER MSC65

Real Marine™ Products

Other KICKER M-Class Solutions

Upgrade Your Boat with KICKER M-Class Speakers and Subwoofers Today!

Product Spotlight: KICKER LX1200.5

What is the KICKER LX1200.5 Amplifier?

OEM Audio Integration

Integrated Digital Signal Processing

Full Amplifier Family

Upgrade Your Car Audio Experience with KICKER LX-Series Amplifiers

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