ETON EC 500.4S (01) PDF Document

Continuous exposure to sound pressure levels over 100dB may cause permanent hearing loss. High powered auto sound systems, like those using the ETON EC 500.4S, may produce sound pressure levels well over 130dB. You should use common sense and practice safe sound.

Please follow these safety instructions when handling your ETON EC 500.4S:

CAUTION: To prevent injury and damage to the unit, please read and follow the instructions in the manual. We want you to have enjoyment from this system, not a headache.

CAUTION: If you feel unsure about installing this system yourself, have it installed by a qualified ETON technician.

CAUTION: Before installation, disconnect the battery negative (-) terminal to prevent damage to the unit, fire and/or possible injury.

The symbol with “WARNING” is intended to alert the user to the presence of important instructions. Failure to heed the instructions will result in severe injury or death.

The ETON EC 500.4S features several controls and connections for optimal performance:

A. Power Fuse: If the Fuse should blow, never replace with one of greater value than the original.

B. Power Connector terminals: Connects Power, Ground, and Remote.

D. RCA Input Jacks – Line Level from Radio Pre-outs: The industry standard RCA jack provides an easy connection for signal level input. They are platinum to resist the signal degradation caused by corrosion.

E. Level Control: This can be adjusted to match output levels from a variety of source units.

F. Crossover Filter Switch:

HPF for High Pass – Mid-Tweeter.

Flat for All Pass – Full Range.

LPF for Low Pass – Subs.

G. Adjustable Crossover Frequency Control: 50-500Hz or 500Hz – 5KHz @ 12dB/octave for 2 and 4 channel models.

I. Speaker Connections: Follow correct polarity, and do not Ground any speaker wires. Do not connect any speaker wires together.

J. Pass Thru Outputs: The Pass-Thru provides a convenient source for daisy-chaining an additional amplifier without running an extra set of RCA cables from the front of the vehicle to the rear amplifier location.

O. Crossover Multiplier Range Switch: This is used to set the multiplier for the crossover frequencies between x 1 and x 10. The setting x 1 leaves the adjustable crossover frequency from 50Hz to 500 Hz, while 500 Hz to 5KHz in the setting x 10.

The following is a list of tools needed for the installation of your ETON EC 500.4S:

Volt/Ohm Meter

Wire strippers

Wire crimpers

Wire cutters

#2 Phillips screwdriver

Battery post wrench

Hand held drill w/assorted bits

1/8″ diameter heat-shrink tubing

Assorted connectors

Adequate Length-Power wire

Adequate Length-Remote Turn-on Wire

Adequate Length-Grounding Wire

Before beginning any installation, follow these simple rules:

1. Be sure to carefully read and understand the instructions before attempting to install the unit.

2. For safety, disconnect the negative lead from the battery prior to beginning the installation.

3. For easier assembly, we suggest you run all wires prior to mounting your unit in place.

4. Route all of the RCA cables close together and away from any high current wires.

5. Use high quality connectors for a reliable installation and to minimize signal or power loss.

6. Think before you drill! Be careful not to cut or drill into gas tanks, fuel lines, brake or hydraulic lines, vacuum lines or electrical wiring when working on any vehicle.

7. Never run wires underneath the vehicle. Running the wires inside the vehicle provides the best protection.

8. Avoid running wires over or through sharp edges. Use rubber or plastic grommets to protect any wires routed through metal, especially the firewall.

9. ALWAYS protect the battery and electrical system from damage with proper fusing. Install the appropriate fuse holder and fuse on the +12V power wire within 18″ (45.7 cm) of the battery terminal.

10. When grounding to the chassis of the vehicle, scrape all paint from the metal to ensure a good, clean ground connection. Grounding connections should be as short as possible and always be connected to metal that is welded to the main body, or chassis, of the vehicle.

The mounting position of your amplifier will have a great effect on the sound and performance produced.

Engine Compartment

Never mount this unit in the engine compartment. Mounting the unit in the engine compartment will void your warranty.

Passenger Compartment Mounting

Mounting the amplifier in the passenger compartment will work as long as you provide a sufficient amount of air for the amplifier to cool itself. If you are going to mount the amplifier under the seat of the vehicle, you must have at least 1″ (2.54cm) of air gap around the amplifier’s heatsink.

Mounting the amplifier with less than 1″ (2.54cm) of air gap around the amplifier’s heatsink in the passenger compartment will not provide proper cooling and will severely affect the performance of the amplifier and is strongly not recommended.

To maximize the performance of your amplifier, we suggest the use of a heavy duty battery and an energy storage capacitor.

CAUTION: Avoid running power wires near the low level input cables, antenna, power leads, sensitive equipment or harnesses. The power wires carry substantial current and could induce noise into the audio system.

1. Plan the wire routing. Keep RCA cables close together but isolated from the amplifier’s power cables and any high power accessories, especially electric motors. This is done to prevent the noise from radiated electrical fields into the audio signal. When feeding the wires through the firewall or any metal barrier, protect them with plastic or rubber grommets to prevent short circuits. Leave the wires long at this point to adjust for a precise fit at a later time.

2. Prepare the power cable for attachment to the amplifier by stripping 1/2″ of insulation from the end of the wire. Insert the bared wire into the B+ terminal and tighten the set screw to secure the cable in place. NOTE: The B+ cable MUST be fused 18″ or less from the battery. Install the fuse holder under the hood and prepare the cable ends as stated above. Connections should be water tight.

3. Trim the power cable within 18″ of the battery and strip 1/2″ of insulation from the end of the wire.

4. Strip 1/2″ from the battery end of the power cable and crimp a large ring terminal to the cable. Use the ring terminal to connect to the battery positive terminal. DO NOT install the fuse at this time.

5. Prepare the grounding cable for attachment to the amplifier by stripping 1/2″ of insulation from the end of the wire. Insert the bared wire into the GND terminal and tighten the set screw to secure the cable in place. Prepare the chassis ground by scraping any paint from the metal surface and thoroughly clean the area. Strip the other end of the wire and attach a ring connector. Fasten the cable to the chassis using a non-anodized screw and a star washer.

6. Prepare the REM turn-on wire for connection to the amplifier by stripping 1/2″ of insulation from the wire end. Insert the bared wire into the REM terminal and tighten the set screw to secure the cable into place. Connect the other end of the REM wire to a switched 12 volt positive source. The switched voltage is usually taken from the source unit’s accessory lead. If the source unit does not have this output available, the recommended solution is to wire a mechanical switch in line with a 12 volt source to activate the amplifier.

7. Securely mount the amplifier to the vehicle or amp rack. Be careful not to mount the amplifier on cardboard or plastic panels. Doing so may enable the screws to pull out from the panel due to road vibration or sudden vehicle stops.

8. Connect the source signal to the amplifier by plugging the RCA cables/high level inputs into the input jacks at the amplifier. Connect the speakers. Strip the speaker wires 1/2″ and insert into the speaker terminal and tighten the set screw to secure into place. Be sure to maintain proper speaker polarity. DO NOT chassis ground any of the speaker leads as unstable operation may result.

9. Perform a final check of the completed system wiring to ensure that all connections are accurate. Check all power and ground connections for frayed wires and loose connections which could cause problems.

The ETON EC 500.4S is a 4-channel amplifier that can be configured in the following ways:

4-Channel Mode:

Connect up to four speakers, one to each of the four speaker output channels (Front Left, Front Right, Rear Left, Rear Right). The minimum impedance for each speaker in this mode is 2 Ohms.

3-Channel Bridged Mode:

Connect two speakers to the front channels (Front Left and Front Right), with a minimum impedance of 2 Ohms each.

Connect a single speaker (typically a subwoofer) to the bridged rear channels. This is done by connecting the speaker’s positive (+) lead to the Rear Left positive (+) terminal and the speaker’s negative (-) lead to the Rear Right negative (-) terminal. The minimum impedance for the bridged speaker is 4 Ohms.

To adjust the level setting on your ETON EC 500.4S, follow these steps:

1. Turn the amplifier levels all the way down.

2. Turn the source unit (head unit) volume up until distortion is audible and then turn it down a bit until the distortion is inaudible. This will be about two thirds all the way up on most source units.

3. Next, turn the amplifier level setting up until once again distortion is audible and then back it down until the distortion is inaudible.

To adjust the crossover on your ETON EC 500.4S:

Placing the switch in the HPF position sets the amplifier to the high pass mode, enabling frequencies above the cut-off point to pass, adjustable between 50-500Hz or 500 Hz – 5KHz.

Placing the switch in the Flat position sets the amplifier to the all pass mode, preventing any crossover adjustment, allowing all frequencies to pass.

Placing the switch in the LPF position sets the amplifier to the low pass mode, enabling frequencies below the cut-off point to pass, adjustable between 50-500Hz or 500 Hz – 5KHz.

To set the desired frequency, turn the crossover adjustment knob all the way down. With the system playing, turn the crossover adjustment knob up slowly until the desired crossover point is achieved.

Staggered Power (Model EC 500.4S): Two separate power supplies with two separate output sections for the front and rear channels. In essence, it is 2 completely separate amplifiers sharing the same chassis. More power is created on the rear channels to allow the performance to be delivered where it is needed most.

Specifications subject to change without notice