Features

Overview: Kicker KXM Series amplifiers combine a small footprint and sleek design with ample power to drive your speakers and subwoofers. The KXM amps are designed for marine applications, with sealed controls and gasketed power terminals to protect them from moisture. New technology onboard lets you easily set the gain and maximize the output. KXM amplifiers feature FIT2 (Fail-Safe Integration Technology) circuitry to let you connect the amp to virtually any radio.

Marine Certified: The Kicker KMX Series amplifiers are made for marine applications. The power, ground, remote, and speaker terminals meet stringent standards set by the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) and the ABYC (American Boat & Yacht Council) for protection from moisture. The control panel has a drop-down door with a rubber gasket to keep moisture out. The internal circuit boards are conformal coated to protect them from water damage. On the outside, the aluminum chassis is UV-treated to protect it from harmful UV rays for long life.

Power Output: The KXMA800.5 is a 5-channel amplifier designed to power two pairs of speakers and a subwoofer in your vessel. The amplifier provides the following power output:

• 50 watts x 4 RMS at 4Ω stereo (≤1% THD+N, 14.4V) + 200 watts x 1 RMS at 4Ω mono (≤1.5% THD+N, 14.4V)
• 100 watts x 4 RMS at 2Ω stereo (≤1% THD+N, 14.4V) + 400 watts x 1 RMS at 2Ω mono (≤1% THD+N, 14.4V)
• 200 watts x 2 RMS at 4Ω bridged mono (≤1% THD+N, 14.4V)

Gain Matching: The Kicker KXMA800.5 makes it easy to set the input gain through a procedure called Gain Matching. The goal is to match the output of the source unit to the input level of the amplifier. The amp features a self-illuminating gain control knob that indicates when the amplifier is clipping, allowing you to properly set the gain. Kicker recommends setting the gain using test tones for best results.

SHOCwave: The SHOCwave (Sub Harmonic Octave Creation) feature can restore low frequencies that are lost due to compression in digital music files or in older recordings. Using the KXARC remote, you can adjust the SHOC level until the low frequencies are satisfactory. For the effect to work properly, the subwoofer channel must be operating with a full-range signal.

KXARC: The amplifier includes the KXARC wireless remote control that connects via Bluetooth. Not only can you adjust the amplifier gain, you can also set the phase (0° or 180°), control the SHOCwave feature, and monitor the amplifier's output for clipping. The remote features a rotary dial with a push button action to activate the indicated selection. The KXARC is powered by a CR2450 cell battery, and can control up to four amplifiers simultaneously.

Controls: The controls for the amplifier are located on the side of the amplifier behind a protective drop-down door. A 3mm Allen wrench is provided for gaining access to the controls. Independent controls are provided for Amp 1 (front channels), Amp 2 (rear channels), and Subwoofer channel. The controls include:

• Gain Control: These rotary Gain Controls let you match the output of the source unit to the amplifier. When setting the Gain, you should turn the source unit up to about 3/4 of the maximum volume, adjust the gain until the LED on the Gain Control illuminates (or audible distortion can be heard), and then back the gain down slightly.
• Crossovers: The amp has rotary controls for setting the crossovers for Amp 1, Amp 2, and Sub. The crossovers have a 24dB/octave slope.
  • Amp 1: The Amp 1 crossover can be set to high-pass, low-pass, or full-range (off) operations. The cutoff frequency can be set between 10Hz and 500Hz or between 100Hz and 5000Hz with the 1x/10x range switch set to 10x.
  • Amp 2: The Amp 2 crossover can be set to high-pass, low-pass, band-pass, or full-range (off) operations. The high-pass cutoff frequency can be set between 10Hz and 500Hz. The low-pass cutoff frequency can be set between 40Hz and 500Hz or between 400Hz and 5000Hz with the 10x range switch setting.
  • Subwoofer: The Subwoofer crossover is a non-defeatable low-pass filter with a variable cutoff between 40Hz and 160Hz. The Subwoofer channel also has a Subsonic filter that provides a cutoff point for lower frequencies that could potentially damage your speakers. These low frequencies may cause over-excursion in the drivers and waste amplifier power. You can set the subsonic filter between 10Hz and 80Hz to match your speaker's low-frequency capability.
• KickEQ Bass Boost: The KickEQ Bass Boost lets you adjust the boost level between 0dB and 18dB. The center frequency is set at 40Hz.
• Fader: You can feed an audio signal to the amplifier with three sets of input (front, rear, sub), two sets of inputs (front and rear), or with a single stereo input. The Fader button should be set to On for two sets of inputs, and Off to drive all channels with a single input.
• Sub Input: If there is no dedicated subwoofer output on the source unit, you can feed the sub channel with the Amp 2 input signal by setting the Sub Input button to Amp Input 2. If your head unit has a sub output, the button should be set to Sub Input.
• Radio Detect: If you are sending a high-level input signal to the amplifier, but the amp cannot detect it, the Radio Detect feature adds a load resistor to the inputs to tell the source unit that speakers are present. Radio Detect should not be used when using low-level inputs.

Auto Turn-on: The amplifier has three Auto Turn-on modes:

• Remote Turn On: The preferred auto turn-on method is to run an 18-gauge wire from the remote turn-on lead of the source unit to the Remote (REM) terminal on the amp. When a +12V signal is detected on the wire, the amplifier will turn on.
• Signal Sense: If your source unit lacks a remote turn-on lead (a factory head unit, for example), you can choose to turn on the amplifier via the signal sense method. When the incoming audio signal from the source unit is detected, the amplifier automatically powers up.
• DC Offset: Another way to turn on the amplifier when no turn-on lead exists is via DC Offset. When a 3V DC offset is detected on the source unit's speaker outputs, the amplifier automatically turns on.

Connections: The KXMA800.5 has set screw terminals for power, ground, and turn-on lead (REM). The amplifier uses 304-stainless steel screws and conformal coated PCB for increased weather resistance. The ABYC-compliant power and ground terminals will accept up to 1/0-gauge wire (4-gauge is recommended), and the turn-on lead will accept up to 8 gauge (18-gauge recommended). The set screws can be loosened/tightened with the supplied Allen wrench. The speaker outputs are set-screw terminals as well, and capable of accepting up to 8-gauge speaker wire. Three pairs of RCA jacks are provided for the Amp 1, Amp 2, and Sub inputs. The RCA inputs will receive either high or low level signals from your source unit. If you are using a high level signal, you can connect the source unit's speaker wires to optional Kicker KiSL speaker-to-RCA adapters, or splice the speaker wires to a male RCA plug. The RCA outputs can be used to feed the audio signal to another amplifier, if desired.

External Fuse: The amplifier does not include a built-in fuse, therefore an external fuse should be placed on the power wire, within 7" (U.S.C.G. standard) of the battery. It is recommended that a 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit and a 100A external fuse or circuit breaker be used when installing the amplifier.

Certified Power: Each amplifier is tested when it comes off of the assembly line. Tests are run for Total Harmonic Distortion, Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Protection Circuit, and Total Power Output. A Certified Power certificate with model and serial number is included with each amp with the measured power output figure, and a pass/fail grade for the other tests.