JBL A601GTi User Manual / Operation Manual ▷ View online
PRO POWER
TM
Automotive Amplifier Owner’s Manual A302GTi
A601GTi A1201GTi
Thank you for purchasing a JBL
GTi Series amplifier. In order that
we may better serve you, should you
require warranty service on your new
amplifier, please retain your original
purchase receipt and return the
enclosed warranty registration card.
GTi Series amplifier. In order that
we may better serve you, should you
require warranty service on your new
amplifier, please retain your original
purchase receipt and return the
enclosed warranty registration card.
Warning: Playing loud music in
an automobile can hinder your
ability to hear traffic as well as
permanently damage your hearing.
We recommend listening at low
levels while driving. JBL accepts no
liability for hearing loss, bodily injury
or property damage resulting from
use or misuse of this product.
an automobile can hinder your
ability to hear traffic as well as
permanently damage your hearing.
We recommend listening at low
levels while driving. JBL accepts no
liability for hearing loss, bodily injury
or property damage resulting from
use or misuse of this product.
Important: Installation of
automotive stereo components
can require extensive experience in
performing a variety of mechanical
and electrical procedures. Although
these instructions explain how to
install GTi Series amplifiers in a
general sense, they may not show
the exact installation methods for
your particular vehicle. If you feel
you lack the tools or experience
necessary, ask your authorized JBL
car audio dealer about professional
installation options.
automotive stereo components
can require extensive experience in
performing a variety of mechanical
and electrical procedures. Although
these instructions explain how to
install GTi Series amplifiers in a
general sense, they may not show
the exact installation methods for
your particular vehicle. If you feel
you lack the tools or experience
necessary, ask your authorized JBL
car audio dealer about professional
installation options.
Installation Warnings and Tips
• Always wear protective eyewear
• Always wear protective eyewear
when using tools.
• Turn off all audio systems and
other electrical devices before you
start. Disconnect the (–) negative
lead from your vehicle’s battery.
start. Disconnect the (–) negative
lead from your vehicle’s battery.
• Check clearances on both sides
of a planned mounting surface
before drilling any holes or
installing any screws. Remember
that the screws can extend
behind the surface.
before drilling any holes or
installing any screws. Remember
that the screws can extend
behind the surface.
• At the installation sites, locate and
make a note of all fuel lines,
hydraulic brake lines, vacuum lines
and electrical wiring. Use extreme
caution when cutting or drilling in
and around these areas.
hydraulic brake lines, vacuum lines
and electrical wiring. Use extreme
caution when cutting or drilling in
and around these areas.
• Before drilling or cutting holes, use
a utility knife to remove unwanted
fabric or vinyl to keep material
from snagging in a drill bit.
fabric or vinyl to keep material
from snagging in a drill bit.
• When routing cables, keep input
signal cables away from power
cables and speaker wires.
cables and speaker wires.
• When making connections, ensure
that they are secure and properly
insulated.
insulated.
• If the amplifier’s fuse must be
replaced, use only the same type
and rating as a replacement. Do
not substitute another kind.
and rating as a replacement. Do
not substitute another kind.
Choosing a Location and
Mounting the Amplifier
Amplifiers need air to stay cool.
Suitable mounting locations are
under seats (provided the amplifier
doesn’t interfere with the seat
adjustment mechanism), in the trunk
or in any other location that provides
enough air for the amp to cool itself.
Do not mount the amplifier with the
heatsink facing downward, as this
makes convection cooling of the
amplifier impossible.
Mounting the Amplifier
Amplifiers need air to stay cool.
Suitable mounting locations are
under seats (provided the amplifier
doesn’t interfere with the seat
adjustment mechanism), in the trunk
or in any other location that provides
enough air for the amp to cool itself.
Do not mount the amplifier with the
heatsink facing downward, as this
makes convection cooling of the
amplifier impossible.
Mount the amplifier so that it is not
damaged by the feet of back-seat
passengers or by the shifting of cargo
in the trunk. Mount the amplifier so
that it remains dry – never mount an
amplifier outside the car or in the
engine compartment.
damaged by the feet of back-seat
passengers or by the shifting of cargo
in the trunk. Mount the amplifier so
that it remains dry – never mount an
amplifier outside the car or in the
engine compartment.
Using the amplifier as a template,
mark the location of the mounting
holes on the mounting surface, drill
pilot holes, and attach the amplifier
to the mounting surface using
screws. Make sure the amplifier
is mounted securely.
mark the location of the mounting
holes on the mounting surface, drill
pilot holes, and attach the amplifier
to the mounting surface using
screws. Make sure the amplifier
is mounted securely.
02
The Official Brand of Live Music
SPEAKER OUTPUTS
+BATT REM
POWER
GND
+
CAPTAP
FUSES 40A x 3
—
A1201GTi
R
L
INPUT
LEVEL
LEVEL
4V 55mV
REMOTE
LPF
FREQ
30Hz 320Hz
BASS
BOOST
0dB +6dB
HEAD
UNIT
STATUS
MONITOR
REM
(GRN)
+BATT
(RED)
GND
(BLK)
CAR BODY
(GROUND)
CAR
BATTERY
+
CAR BODY
(GROUND)
(GROUND)
+
—
EXTERNAL
CAPACITOR
(OPTIONAL)
CAPACITOR
(OPTIONAL)
SUBWOOFER
FUSE/CIRCUIT
BREAKER
BREAKER
FUSE/CIRCUIT BREAKER
AND WIRE SIZE MUST BE
APPROPRIATELY SIZED FOR
THE ELECTRICAL LOAD OF
THE SYSTEM. INSTALLATION
SHOULD BE WITHIN 18 INCHES
OF THE BATTERY + TERMINAL.
AND WIRE SIZE MUST BE
APPROPRIATELY SIZED FOR
THE ELECTRICAL LOAD OF
THE SYSTEM. INSTALLATION
SHOULD BE WITHIN 18 INCHES
OF THE BATTERY + TERMINAL.
SUB LEVEL
CONTROL
SUB LEVEL
MIN
MAX
LEFT SIDE
OF
AMPLIFIER
OF
AMPLIFIER
R
L
FRONT INPUTS
REAR INPUTS
RIGHT SIDE
OF
AMPLIFIER
OF
AMPLIFIER
SUBWOOFER
Figure1. Connecting the A1201GTi and A601GTi
Figure 2. Connecting the A302GTi
03
PRO POWER
TM
BRIDGED
SPEAKER OUTPUTS
+BATT REM
POWER
GND
+
CAPTAP
FUSES 20A x 3
—
A302GTi
R
L
INPUT
LEVEL
LEVEL
4V 250mV REMOTE
HPF
40Hz 400Hz
LPF
40Hz 400Hz
X-OVER FREQUENCY
HPF FLAT LPF
ST BR
ST BR
HEAD
UNIT
REM
(GRN)
+BATT
(RED)
GND
(BLK)
CAR
BATTERY
BATTERY
+
CAR BODY
(GROUND)
(GROUND)
+
—
BRIDGED
SPEAKER OUTPUTS
+BATT REM
POWER
GND
+
CAPTAP
FUSES 20A x 3
—
EXTERNAL
CAPACITOR
(OPTIONAL)
CAPACITOR
(OPTIONAL)
SUBWOOFER
FULL-RANGE
SPEAKER
ST BR
SPEAKER OUTPUTS
+BATT REM
POWER
GND
+
CAPTAP
FUSES 20A x 3
BRIDGED
—
ST BR
FULL-RANGE
SPEAKER
SUBWOOFER
C1
C2
L1
FUSE/CIRCUIT
BREAKER
FUSE/CIRCUIT BREAKER AND WIRE SIZE MUST BE
APPROPRIATELY SIZED FOR THE ELECTRICAL LOAD
OF THE SYSTEM. INSTALLATION SHOULD BE WITHIN
18 INCHES OF THE BATTERY + TERMINAL.
APPROPRIATELY SIZED FOR THE ELECTRICAL LOAD
OF THE SYSTEM. INSTALLATION SHOULD BE WITHIN
18 INCHES OF THE BATTERY + TERMINAL.
FULL-RANGE
SPEAKER
SPEAKER
CAR BODY
(GROUND)
(GROUND)
STATUS
MONITOR
Wiring the Power Connections
Refer to Figures 1 and 2 for connector
locations. All the GTi Series amplifiers
will accept up to 4-gauge power and
ground wire. To determine the mini-
mum acceptable power and ground
wire gauge, consult the chart below.
Refer to Figures 1 and 2 for connector
locations. All the GTi Series amplifiers
will accept up to 4-gauge power and
ground wire. To determine the mini-
mum acceptable power and ground
wire gauge, consult the chart below.
*Length of wire to be used.
For Power, Remote and Ground
connections, strip off one end of each
jacket to reveal bare wire for insertion
into the connectors. Connect a wire
from the GND connector on the
amplifier to the nearest bare-metal
chassis component – you should
scrape away the paint to ensure
good conductivity. Next, connect a
wire between the BATT terminal on
the amplifier and the POS (+) terminal
of the vehicle’s battery. Pass the wire
through a factory-installed grommet in
the firewall, or install a grommet if a
factory grommet is not available. You
must install an in-line fuseholder and a
fuse within 18 inches of the vehicle’s
battery. The fuse you install must have
at least the same amperage rating as
the sum of the amperage ratings of
the fuses in the amp’s chassis. This
will protect the vehicle in case of a
short circuit. Connect a wire between
the REM terminal of the amplifier
and the “remote out” lead on the
vehicle’s radio. If your radio does not
provide a “remote out” lead, the REM
terminal may be connected to the
radio’s ignition lead.
connections, strip off one end of each
jacket to reveal bare wire for insertion
into the connectors. Connect a wire
from the GND connector on the
amplifier to the nearest bare-metal
chassis component – you should
scrape away the paint to ensure
good conductivity. Next, connect a
wire between the BATT terminal on
the amplifier and the POS (+) terminal
of the vehicle’s battery. Pass the wire
through a factory-installed grommet in
the firewall, or install a grommet if a
factory grommet is not available. You
must install an in-line fuseholder and a
fuse within 18 inches of the vehicle’s
battery. The fuse you install must have
at least the same amperage rating as
the sum of the amperage ratings of
the fuses in the amp’s chassis. This
will protect the vehicle in case of a
short circuit. Connect a wire between
the REM terminal of the amplifier
and the “remote out” lead on the
vehicle’s radio. If your radio does not
provide a “remote out” lead, the REM
terminal may be connected to the
radio’s ignition lead.
Length*
A302GTi A601GTi A1201GTi
4 Ft.
8-Gauge
8-Gauge
8-Gauge
4–7 Ft.
8-Gauge
8-Gauge
8-Gauge
7–10 Ft.
8-Gauge
8-Gauge
8-Gauge
13–16 Ft.
4-Gauge
8-Gauge
4-Gauge
16–19 Ft.
4-Gauge
4-Gauge
4-Gauge
Connecting an Optional
Stiffening Capacitor
You may connect an optional
outboard stiffening capacitor (sold
as an accessory at many car audio
dealers) to your GTi Series amplifier.
For best performance, mount the
capacitor as close to the amp as
possible, using the shortest wires
possible to connect the capacitor
to the CapTap™ connections on the
amplifier. Choose the wire gauge
according to the chart on page 3.
Make sure to connect the capacitor
observing proper polarity. Failure to
observe proper polarity may cause
damage to the capacitor and/or the
amplifier. Use at least a 1-Farad
capacitor, or a combination of
smaller capacitors, connected in
parallel, that have a total capacitance
equal to or greater than 1 Farad,
for an A1201GTi and A302GTi.
Use at least a 500uF capacitor or
combination of capacitors in parallel
for the A601GTi. Use the following
formula to determine the total
capacitance of several capacitors
connected in parallel:
Stiffening Capacitor
You may connect an optional
outboard stiffening capacitor (sold
as an accessory at many car audio
dealers) to your GTi Series amplifier.
For best performance, mount the
capacitor as close to the amp as
possible, using the shortest wires
possible to connect the capacitor
to the CapTap™ connections on the
amplifier. Choose the wire gauge
according to the chart on page 3.
Make sure to connect the capacitor
observing proper polarity. Failure to
observe proper polarity may cause
damage to the capacitor and/or the
amplifier. Use at least a 1-Farad
capacitor, or a combination of
smaller capacitors, connected in
parallel, that have a total capacitance
equal to or greater than 1 Farad,
for an A1201GTi and A302GTi.
Use at least a 500uF capacitor or
combination of capacitors in parallel
for the A601GTi. Use the following
formula to determine the total
capacitance of several capacitors
connected in parallel:
Ct = C1 + C2 + C3…
Where Ct is total capacitance and
C1, C2 and C3 are the capacitance
values of the individual capacitors
connected in parallel.
C1, C2 and C3 are the capacitance
values of the individual capacitors
connected in parallel.
Note: If you must use several
smaller caps in parallel, use caps
of equal value.
smaller caps in parallel, use caps
of equal value.
Wiring the Speaker Output
Connections
All the GTi Series amplifiers will
accept up to 8-gauge speaker wire.
Connections
All the GTi Series amplifiers will
accept up to 8-gauge speaker wire.
A302GTi
Connect the speakers observing
proper polarity to the speaker
output connector. The total nominal
impedance of the speaker system
connected to the amplifier when the
amplifier is driven in stereo must be
at least 2 ohms.
Connect the speakers observing
proper polarity to the speaker
output connector. The total nominal
impedance of the speaker system
connected to the amplifier when the
amplifier is driven in stereo must be
at least 2 ohms.
If you are bridging the amplifier,
connect the speaker wires to the
terminals marked “bridged”, observing
proper polarity. The total nominal
impedance of the speaker system
connected to the amplifier must
be at least 4 ohms in bridged mode.
connect the speaker wires to the
terminals marked “bridged”, observing
proper polarity. The total nominal
impedance of the speaker system
connected to the amplifier must
be at least 4 ohms in bridged mode.
If you are running the amp in
Tri-Mode (stereo and mono
simultaneously): Connect the satellite
speakers to the speaker connector
as you would a pair of stereo
speakers. Connect the subwoofer
to the terminals marked “bridged”.
Refer to the chart below to determine
the capacitor and inductor values
you’ll need to route bass signals to
the woofer, and midrange and high
frequencies to the satellite speakers.
These passive crossover components
will also ensure that the impedance
of the speaker system doesn’t drop
below 2 ohms.
Tri-Mode (stereo and mono
simultaneously): Connect the satellite
speakers to the speaker connector
as you would a pair of stereo
speakers. Connect the subwoofer
to the terminals marked “bridged”.
Refer to the chart below to determine
the capacitor and inductor values
you’ll need to route bass signals to
the woofer, and midrange and high
frequencies to the satellite speakers.
These passive crossover components
will also ensure that the impedance
of the speaker system doesn’t drop
below 2 ohms.
A1201GTi, A601GTi
Connect the woofers to the amplifier
observing proper polarity. Although
these amplifiers have a single chan-
nel, duplicate positive and negative
connectors are provided to facilitate
the connection of multiple woofers.
You may use either + terminal and
either – terminal on the amplifier.
Connect the woofers to the amplifier
observing proper polarity. Although
these amplifiers have a single chan-
nel, duplicate positive and negative
connectors are provided to facilitate
the connection of multiple woofers.
You may use either + terminal and
either – terminal on the amplifier.
Wiring the Input Signal
Connections
Connect a pair of signal cables with
RCA-type connectors between the
RCA-type input connectors on the
amplifier and the RCA-type output
connectors on the source unit.
Connections
Connect a pair of signal cables with
RCA-type connectors between the
RCA-type input connectors on the
amplifier and the RCA-type output
connectors on the source unit.
The A1201GTi and A601GTi have
been designed to provide constant
bass regardless of the position of the
source unit’s front to rear fader. Use
of this feature requires that all four
inputs are connected to the source
unit as labeled on the amplifier: front,
rear, right and left. If nonfading
bass is not important in your system,
connect a pair of inputs to either
the front or rear input connectors
on the amplifier.
been designed to provide constant
bass regardless of the position of the
source unit’s front to rear fader. Use
of this feature requires that all four
inputs are connected to the source
unit as labeled on the amplifier: front,
rear, right and left. If nonfading
bass is not important in your system,
connect a pair of inputs to either
the front or rear input connectors
on the amplifier.
Installing the Remote Level
Control (A1201GTi and A601GTi
only) and Status Monitor
Choose a suitable location for the
status monitor. There must be at
least 2" clearance behind the
mounting surface. Cut a rectangular
hole 3-1/4" by 1-5/8". Connect the
red wire to a constant 12V+ source,
the black wire to ground and the
green wire to the remote turn-on
wire from the head unit. Connect
the RJ45 cable between the amplifier
and the status monitor. Connect the
RJ11 cable between the status
monitor and the remote level control.
Turn the screws located on the front
panel clockwise to engage the
mounting tabs and continue turning
the screws clockwise to tighten the
status monitor in its location. See
Figure 3 below.
Control (A1201GTi and A601GTi
only) and Status Monitor
Choose a suitable location for the
status monitor. There must be at
least 2" clearance behind the
mounting surface. Cut a rectangular
hole 3-1/4" by 1-5/8". Connect the
red wire to a constant 12V+ source,
the black wire to ground and the
green wire to the remote turn-on
wire from the head unit. Connect
the RJ45 cable between the amplifier
and the status monitor. Connect the
RJ11 cable between the status
monitor and the remote level control.
Turn the screws located on the front
panel clockwise to engage the
mounting tabs and continue turning
the screws clockwise to tighten the
status monitor in its location. See
Figure 3 below.
Figure 3. Mounting the status monitor
FREQUENCY
INDUCTOR CAPACITOR
Crossover
6dB/oct. LP 6dB/oct. HP
(4-ohm)
(4-ohm)
(4-ohm)
75Hz
8.0mH
530µF
100Hz
6.4mH
400µF
125Hz
5.0mH
318µF
150Hz
4.2mH
265µF
175Hz
3.6mH
227µF
200Hz
3.2mH
198µF
3.25 in.
PO
WE
R
MO
DE
1.6 in.
0.5 in. m
ax
thickness
TO REMOTE
LEVEL CONTROL
LEVEL CONTROL
TO AMPLIFIER
REMOTE
ON
(GRN)
GND
(BLK)
BATT+
(RED)
04
The Official Brand of Live Music
Display