Installation . . . as easy as 1, 2, 3
1. Mounting Choose a structurally sound location to mount your Kicker amplifier. The controls on the
top of the amplifier need to be accessible for adjustment. Make sure there are no items behind the area
where the screws will be driven. Choose a location that allows at least 4” (10cm) of open ventilation for
the amplifier. If possible, mount the amplifier in the climate-controlled passenger compartment. Drill four
holes using a 7/64” (3mm) bit and use the supplied #8 screws to mount the amplifier.
2. 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 between
the battery's negative post and the vehicle chassis
of this same gauge (or larger) is recommended.
Use a twisted pair(s) of RCA (low-level)
interconnect cable to feed the audio signal to the
amplifier. If you are using only one pair of RCA
inputs, connect the RCA cable to the AMP 1
inputs. All three (or five ZX700.5) channels will
work with a single pair of RCA input cable; the
fader will not operate. Keep the RCA cable away
from factory wiring harnesses and other power
wiring. If you need to cross this wiring, cross it at a
90 degree angle.
Only use speaker wire (high-level) inputs if your source unit does not have RCA type outputs. When
using both sets of high-level inputs for the ZX700.5, the supplied RCA dummy plugs must be inserted
into the RCA AMP 2 inputs in order for the fader to work properly. In any other configuration do not use
the RCA dummy plugs. Never use shorting plugs in any configuration. See Figure 1.
Install a fuse within 18” (45cm) of the battery and in-line with the power cable connected to your
amplifier. If you ever need to remove the amplifier from the vehicle after it has been installed, the ground
wire should be the last wire disconnected from the amplifier--just the opposite as when you installed it.
See the chart below for power and
ground wire size, and fusing
recommendations.
3. Configuration The following diagrams show the most common configurations for your Kicker ZX
series amplifier.
Four (ZX700.5) / Two Channel (ZX550.3) Operation with Subwoofer These ZX amplifiers are
capable of operating into a minimum impedance of 2 ohms per channel in stereo operation and
2 ohms mono in the subwoofer channel. See Figure 3.
Bridged (Mono) Operation (ZX700.5) The ZX700.5 series amplifier is capable of operating into a
minimum impedance of 4 ohms when in bridged operation. This allows you to bridge AMP 1 to run the
“right” side and AMP 2 to run the “left” side. You will need two RCA Y-Adapters for this configuration.
Each AMP is stable down to 4 ohms in this configuration. See Figure 4.
INSTALLATION
ZX.3/ZX.5AMPLIFIER
ZX550.3 / ZX700.5
Multi-ChannelModels:
ZX.3/ZX.5SeriesAmplifier
Owner’sManual
Congratulations on your
KICKER purchase
Please record your purchase
information and keep your sales
receipt for validation of warranty.
Authorized Kicker Dealer:
Purchase Date:
Amplifier Model Number:
Amplifier Serial Number:
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