About the Kicker Front Row™
Raises your music to front and center
Raises your music to front and center
Kicker's Front Row digital signal processor puts your music where it should be — right up in front of you, instead of down around your knees. A wired remote control panel lets you center the music to your listening position, add bass, and engage a simulated 5.1 Surround Sound that makes it seem like you're at a concert, sitting in the front row.
It starts with connections
The Front Row can take speaker-level input signals as well as regular RCA inputs, so it'll work with almost any car stereo, even a factory system. Kicker employs their Fail-Safe Integration Technology ( FIT™) to reject noise and stop any interference generated by your car's electronics, so you'll enjoy your music clean and pure. The Front Row can also take a single stereo input and create front, rear, and subwoofer channels, allowing you to rock out your whole ride.
Lots of control
Each channel (front, rear, and subwoofer) features its own gain control and a clip light so you can adjust for maximum signal strength with minimum chance of distortion.You can use the high- and low-pass filters to maximize the performance of your speakers and subs, and choose from three different slopes to fine tune speaker output. Finally, the Front Row features output level controls that deliver perfectly matched signals to your full-range and subwoofer amplifiers.
And that's not all
Each section features a selectable clip limiter that can monitor the signal and prevent distortion. The subwoofer section includes a variable subsonic filter that helps tune a sub for a ported box, and a variable phase control to get your sub meshing with the rest of your speakers. And speaking of bass, the Front Row features a variable bass boost and Kicker's SHOCwave™ feature, which generates bass parts in recordings that lack them, adding some rock-solid fun to your music.
Product highlights:
Features:
- 6-channel digital signal processor
- 28-/56-bit micro-controler with 24-bit AD/DA converters
- time alignment adjustments for front and rear speakers
- switchable 5.1 surround sound simulation
- Fail-Safe Integration Technology eliminates noise from your vehicle's electrical system
- wired remote controls speaker time alignment, bass restoration, bass boost, and surround sound features
- preamp and speaker-level inputs (speaker-level input requires an optional adapter)
Inputs, outputs, and more:
- input gain level controls with clip indicator LEDs
- selectable clip limiters prevents signal clipping
- front channels: variable high-pass filter (10-5K Hz at 12, 24, or 48 dB/octave)
- rear/surround channels: variable high-pass filter (10-500 Hz at 12, 24, or 48 dB/octave) and variable low-pass filter (50-5K Hz at 12, 24, or 48 dB/octave)
- subwoofer channels: variable low-pass filter (40-160 Hz at 12, 24, or 48 dB/octave)
- variable subsonic filter (10-80 Hz at 48 dB/octave)
- variable subwoofer phase control (0-180 degrees)
- KickEQ variable bass boost (0-15 dB at 45 Hz)
- SHOCwave variable bass restoration (0-12 dB, 1 octave below fundamental note)
Other specs:
- signal-to-noise ratio: 110 dB
- fuse rating; 2A x 1
- 18-gauge power and ground leads and a 2-amp fuse recommended wiring and hardware not included with equalizer
- dimensions: 7-1/16"W x 1-5/8"H x 7-3/4"D
- warranty: 2 years
- MFR # 12ZXDSP1
What's in the box:
Kicker Front Row™ owner's manual
- Front Row DSP
- Wired remote control
- 17' Remote cable (RJ-45 plug on both ends)
- Two 2-amp ATO fuses (one installed/one spare)
- Four 3/4" Self-tapping screws
- Remote mounting bracket
- Two 3/8" Self-tapping screws
- Owner's manual (English/ Spanish/ German/ French)
See the difference between "Open Box" and "Scratch & Dent" Outlet items
Customer reviews for Kicker Front Row™
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More details on the Kicker Front Row™
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Features
SHOCwave: The SHOCwave (Sub Harmonic Octave Creation) circuit restores low frequencies that are weaker in older recordings or lost in data compression. The effect is variable, 0-12 dB one octave below the existing bass output, reproducing deep bass that previously wasn't audible. The subwoofer channel must be operating with a full-range signal for this effect to work properly.
KickEQ: KickEQ is a variable bass boost control, giving you the option of increasing bass output, 0-15dB, at 45Hz. With the bass output increased, you may need to adjust the input gain control to avoid clipping the DSP or your amplifier.
Time Alignment: Using the Stage/Width control you can time align the front and rear channels independently, allowing you to re-center the sound stage and create a more realistic stereo image.
Fail-Safe Integration Technology (FIT): To accommodate the varying range of signal levels coming from today's factory and aftermarket radios, Fail-Safe Integration Technology (FIT) offers isolated differential inputs for significant noise reduction, and compatibility with virtually any radio.
Input Clip LED: An LED by each input gain dial lights when a clipped signal is sensed, making setting the gain easier.
Clip Limiter: Each set of output channels has a Clip Limiter circuit to minimize the distortion reaching the amplifier when the DSP's input signal is clipped. The Clip Limiter can be turned off.
Auto Turn-on: When using a speaker level input, the DSP can detect a 6-volt DC offset at the RCA inputs and turn on automatically.
Wired Remote Control: The included wired remote control is required to adjust the Stage (time alignment), KickEQ, SHOCwave, and surround sound features.
Note: The Remote Control measures approximately 2-3/8" wide x 1" high x 1-3/4" deep (2-3/4" deep including the knob and wiring).
Speaker Level Input: High level inputs can be used when the source device doesn't have preamp level outputs. The same RCA inputs on the processor are used for either speaker level or line level connections. When a speaker level signal is used, speaker wire to RCA adapters are needed (item number 206KISL, sold separately).
Surround Sound: The Surround button on the wired remote turns the surround sound effect on/off. When on, Kicker engineered algorithms process the rear channels and mimic the live rear fill of a concert.
Connections
Line Inputs: There are three pair of RCA inputs labeled Front, Rear/Surround, and Subwoofer. Each input accepts signals from 300mV to 10 volts and is compatible with line level and speaker level signals. Speaker level input will require a speaker wire to RCA adapter (item number 206KISL, sold separately).
Power: A removable screw terminal houses the power, ground, remote turn-on, and remote output connections. The remote output will turn on other devices in the system (max output 100mA). Kicker recommends 18 gauge or larger wire for all four terminals (12 gauge is the largest that will fit).
Line Outputs: Like the inputs, the three pair of RCA outputs are labeled Front, Rear/Surround, and Subwoofer. Each has independent crossover and output level controls.
Remote Control: The included wired remote control connects to the RJ-45 terminal on the output side of the DSP.
Controls
Front Channels:
- Input Gain: The rotary control is variable from 300mV to 10 volts to match the incoming signal voltage.
- Crossover Frequency: The front channel high pass crossover is always engaged. Depending on the frequency multiplier switch position, the frequency dial is adjustable from 10 Hz to 500 Hz (1x) or 100 Hz to 5 kHz (10x).
- Slope: The crossover slope can be set to 12, 24, or 48 dB/octave.
- Frequency Multiplier: This switch changes the crossover point adjustment range of the frequency dial; the 1x position results in a 10 Hz to 500 Hz range, and the 10x position results in a 100 Hz to 5 kHz range.
- Clip Limiter: on/off
- Output Level: The output level dial allows you to reach full amplifier output while minimizing the amplifier gain setting, thus improving the system's signal to noise ratio.
Rear/Surround Channels:
- Fader: If the connected source unit has a dedicated rear channel output connected to the DSP's rear input, set the Fader switch to On. When the Fader switch is Off, the front input is shorted to the rear input, and no connection is needed at the rear input.
- Input Gain: The rotary control is variable from 300mV to 10 volts to match the incoming signal voltage.
- High Pass Crossover Frequency: The rear channel high pass crossover is always engaged and is adjustable from 10 Hz to 500 Hz.
- Low Pass: The rear channel low pass crossover can be turned on/off. With the low pass turned on, the rear channel crossover acts as a band pass.
- Low Pass Crossover Frequency: Depending on the frequency multiplier switch position, the frequency dial is adjustable from 50 Hz to 500 Hz (1x) or 500 Hz to 5 kHz (10x).
- Slope: The crossover slope can be set to 12, 24, or 48 dB/octave.
- Frequency Multiplier: This switch changes the crossover point adjustment range of the low pass frequency dial; the 1x position results in a 50 Hz to 500 Hz range, and the 10x position results in a 500 Hz to 5 kHz range.
- Clip Limiter: on/off
- Output Level: The output level dial allows you to reach full amplifier output while minimizing the amplifier gain setting, thus improving the system's signal to noise ratio.
Subwoofer Channels:
- Input Switch: If the connected source unit has a dedicated subwoofer output connected to the DSP's subwoofer input, set the Input switch to Sub. When the input switch is set to Front, the front input is shorted to the subwoofer input, and no connection is needed at the subwoofer input.
- Input Gain: The rotary control is variable from 300mV to 10 volts to match the incoming signal voltage.
- Subsonic Frequency: The subsonic filter frequency is variable from 10 Hz to 80 Hz. The subsonic filter slope is fixed at 48 dB/octave.
- Low Pass Crossover Frequency: The subwoofer channel low pass crossover is always engaged and is adjustable from 40 Hz to 160 Hz.
- Slope: The crossover slope can be set to 12, 24, or 48 dB/octave.
- Phase: The subwoofer output phase is variable from 0° to 180°.
- Clip Limiter: on/off
- Output Level: The output level dial allows you to reach full amplifier output while minimizing the amplifier gain setting, thus improving the system's signal to noise ratio.
Auto Turn-on Switch: The amp offers two turn-on modes; select from:
- +12V: connect a wire from the remote turn-on lead of your source unit to the remote turn-on terminal on the DSP; this is the preferred turn-on method
- DC Offset: turns the DSP on when a 6-volt DC offset is detected at the RCA inputs (speaker level input is typically required)
Wired Remote Control: The wired remote control is required to use the Stage (time alignment), KickEQ, SHOCwave, and surround sound features. The remote has these controls:
- Front/Rear: chose which channels are adjusted using the Stage Width knob
- Stage Width: rotary knob to adjust front or rear time alignment
- Surround Sound: on/off
- Bass: rotary bass level knob (range is 0-11)
- KickEQ/SHOC: two position switch; specifies which feature the Bass knob is adjusting
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Love it. Do wish it would use the front and rear inputs for non fading bass when you don't have sub outputs on your radio. For those experiencing the speaker pop try connecting your other amp's remote turn on to the front row's remote out. It fixed it for me.
Chris from Ohio