OWNER’S MANUAL

6.50-inch (165 mm) 2-Way Component System

Thank you for choosing JL Audio loudspeakers for

your automotive sound system.

We strongly recommend that you have your new loudspeakers installed by

an authorized JL Audio dealer. Your authorized dealer has the training,
expertise and installation equipment to ensure
optimum performance of these loudspeakers in your vehicle.

If you decide to install the loudspeakers yourself, please read this manual
thoroughly to familiarize yourself with their installation
requirements and setup procedures.

Should you have any questions regarding the instructions in this manual,
please contact your authorized JL Audio dealer for assistance, or call the
JL Audio Technical Support Department at (954) 443-1100
during business hours (USA - Eastern Time Zone).
 B A
D

Woofer Physical Dimensions

Frame Outer Diameter (A) 6.25 in. / 159 mm
Mounting Hole Diameter (B) 5.02 in. / 128 mm
Motor Outer Diameter (C) 3.15 in. / 80 mm
Mounting Depth - speaker only (D) 2.07 in. / 53 mm
Mounting Depth - with ring 1.79 in. / 45 mm

A
D
D
C
A

Tweeter Fixture Physical Dimensions Flush-Mount Surface-Mount

Fixture Outer Diameter (A) 1.67 in. / 42 mm 1.71 in. / 43 mm
Fixture Mounting Hole Diameter (B) 1.46 in. / 37 mm N/A
Fixture Mounting Depth (C) 0.40 in. / 10 mm N/A
Tweeter Frontal Protrusion (D) 0.23 in. / 6 mm 0.76 in. / 19 mm

Crossover Network Physical Dimensions

Width (A) 1.96 in. / 50 mm
Height (B) 0.90 in. / 23 mm
Depth (C) 1.34 in. / 34 mm

Due to ongoing product development, all specifications are subject to change without notice.

2 | JL Audio - C1-650 Owner’s Manual

C1-650 SPECIFICATIONS: GETTING STARTED
• Turn off the audio system. It is also
Continuous Power Handling: 50 Watts advisable to disconnect the negative (–)
Recommended Amp Power: 10-75 Watts per channel (RMS) terminal of your vehicle’s battery whenever
Efficiency: 90.5 dB @ 1W / 1m | 96.5 dB @ 1W / 0.5m performing installation work.
Sensitivity: 93.0 dB @ 2.83V / 1m • Before cutting, drilling or inserting any screw,
Nominal Impedance: 4 ohm check clearances on both sides of the planned
Frequency Response: 48 Hz - 24 KHz ± 3 dB mounting surface. Also check for any potential
obstacles, such as window tracks and motors,
Woofer: wiring harnesses, etc. Check both sides of the
Injection-molded, mineral-filled, polypropylene cone vehicle, many vehicles are not symmetrical!
Rubber, positive roll surround • Always wear protective eyewear.
1.0 in. (25 mm) diameter voice coil
Flat, Conex® spider with integrated lead wires SPEAKER PLACEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Ferrite Magnet Grilles are not included with C1 speakers, as they
are designed for installation into OEM (factory)
Tweeter: speaker locations, located behind factory grilles.
Edge-driven, silk-suspended aluminum dome Should you need grilles, you will need to purchase
0.75 in. (19 mm) diameter diaphragm / voice coil aftermarket grilles separately.
Ferrofluid cooling / damping
Neodymium magnet !! WA R N I N G
Prolonged exposure to sound pressure levels in
Crossover: excess of 100dB can cause permanent hearing
Natural roll-off, low-pass loss. These high-performance loudspeakers can
2nd order, high-pass filter with inductor and exceed this level. Please exercise restraint in their
electrolytic capacitor operation in order to preserve your ability to enjoy
their fidelity.
Included Components and Parts:
• Two (2) C1-650cw 6.50-inch (165 mm) woofers
• Two (2) C1-075ct 0.75-inch (19 mm) tweeters
• Two (2) surface-mount tweeter fixtures
• Two (2) C1-075cthp in-line, high-pass filters on
4 ft. (1.2 m) wire harnesses
• Two (2) metal spring clips (for tweeter flush-mounting)
• Eight (8) #8 x 0.75-inch (19mm) sheet metal screws
• Eight (8) #8 x 0.25-inch (6mm) thread forming screws
• Four (4) #6 x .625-inch (22 mm) sheet metal screws
• Eight (8) mounting clips
• Two (2) 4.7 mm female crimpable connectors
• Two (2) 2.8 mm female crimpable connectors
• Two (2) 10mm stud bolts with fixed M4 nut
• Two (2) 25mm stud bolts with fixed M4 nut
• Two (2) M5 nuts
• Two (2) multi-application speaker adaptor rings

Due to ongoing product development, all specifications are subject to change without notice.

3
 SPEAKER PLACEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
A component system gives you the ability to place DIAGRAM A:
the woofer and tweeter separately in your vehicle Less Desirable Speaker Placement
interior. This can be good or bad, depending on how
it’s done. As a general rule, the tweeters should be
placed relatively close to the woofers for best tonal
balance and most coherent imaging (the closer, the
better). Any separation greater than 8 inches (20 cm)
is likely to result in degraded sound quality.
Avoid placing tweeters where they will be blocked
by objects in the interior of the car (including seated
occupants). When selecting a mounting location,
look at both sides of the car to make sure that this DIAGRAM B:
location is clear on both sides. More Desirable Speaker Placement
You can always experiment with tweeter
placement before committing to a final mounting
location. Simply connect the rest of the system and
allow plenty of wire length for the tweeters. Using
hook and loop or similar material, attach the tweeters
in different locations until you find the one where
they perform best.
Woofers will usually be placed into factory
speaker locations. If you have some woofer mounting
flexibility, keep the following in mind: Lower !! WA R N I N G
mounting locations, such as the lower front corner Double check the clearance for both speakers
of a door or a kick-panel provide the greatest path before proceeding. Many cars are different from
length distances for the sound emitted by the one side to the other!
woofer. For this reason, they are generally more
desirable than higher mounting locations. Higher
mounting locations often result in extreme near-
side soundstage bias which compromises the stereo
listening experience.

4 | JL Audio - C1-650 Owner’s Manual

TWEETER INSTALLATION CROSSOVER NETWORK INSTALLATION
C1 tweeters have been designed for surface The crossover networks supplied with your C1
or flush-mounting. Before choosing a method, System should be installed in a dry location inside
carefully inspect the desired mounting location your vehicle. DO NOT INSTALL THEM INSIDE
to determine which method will work best. OF A DOOR! Doors often get wet on the inside,
Surface-Mount: uses the supplied surface- which can damage your crossover networks and
mount fixture and requires the drilling of three could potentially damage your entire sound system.
holes (one for the wires and two for the mounting Use plastic cable ties or a similar fastener to securely
screws). This application is useful when mounting mount each crossover to avoid coming loose in the
the tweeters to a panel that has insufficient clearance event of a collision, sudden jolt or repeated vibrations
behind it for the tweeter’s magnet structure. during normal use. Make sure that your mounting
Flush-Mount: yields a custom-installed location will not cause damage to wiring or any other
appearance and requires a 1-1/2-inch (38 vital component of your vehicle.
mm) diameter hole to be cut in the vehicle
panel, with at least 0.40-inch (10 mm) of TWEETER CONNECTIONS
clearance behind the mounting surface for Run the wire leads from the crossovers to
the tweeter and up to 1.45-inch (37 mm) for the tweeter mounting locations and to the speaker/
the stud bolts used to mount each tweeter. amplifier outputs. Then connect the harness wire
leads to the speaker/amplifier outputs and tweeters,
TWEETER PROTECTION observing correct polarity. See Diagram C below
The C1 crossover networks are equipped with for details.
an advanced electronic tweeter protection circuit
designed to minimize the possibility of tweeter !! WA R N I N G
failure. This electronic device monitors current going It is absolutely vital that your component
to the tweeter and will disconnect the tweeter from tweeter is connected, as shown in Diagram C.
the signal when it senses overload. Should this occur Failure to connect the tweeter as shown will
while listening to the audio system, simply reduce the result in damage which is NOT covered under
volume for a few seconds and the protection circuit warranty. Only use in-line filters clearly marked
will reset itself automatically. “C1-075cthp”.

DIAGRAM C:
Tweeter / Crossover Wiring

Tweeter

Tweeter Crossover

From Woofer
or Amplifier

5
 DIAGRAM D:
Surface-Mount Tweeter Installation

CLICK!

SURFACE-MOUNT INSTALLATION
1) Remove the vehicle panel and check to ensure that 7) Feed the tweeter wires through the rectangular
the mounting screws will have adequate clearance. hole in the mounting fixture and the 1/4-inch hole
2) Place the surface-mount fixture on the you drilled in the panel. Then, snap the tweeter
vehicle panel at the desired mounting location into the surface-mount fixture.
with the mounting screw holes positioned 8) Connect the tweeter’s wires to the wire leads from
vertically, at twelve and six o’clock. the crossover, observing correct polarity.
3) Mark the location of the two mounting screw 9) Re-install the vehicle panel, taking care to
holes and the approximate center of the route the new wiring so as not to interfere
right rectangular cutout (for the wires). with any vehicle mechanisms (window
4) Using a 1/16-inch (1.5 mm) drill bit, drill a pilot mechanisms, for example).
hole through the panel at the two screw locations.
5) Using a 1/4-inch (6 mm) drill bit, drill
the hole for the tweeter’s wires at the
location you marked in step 3.
6) Screw the surface-mount fixture to the
vehicle panel using the supplied #6
sheet metal screws (hand-tighten).

6 | JL Audio - C1-650 Owner’s Manual

DIAGRAM E:
Flush-Mount Tweeter Installation

10 mm length < OR > 25 mm length

Stud bolts are provided in two lengths to accommodate different panel thicknesses.

FLUSH-MOUNT INSTALLATION
1) Detach the preinstalled surface-mount 6) Attach the spring clip from behind the panel using
fixture by inserting a small flat screwdriver the supplied M5 nut and tighten by hand until the
into the slots behind the tweeter flange tweeter is tight on the panel. Do not overtighten.
and carefully pry open to release. 8) Connect the tweeter’s wires to the wire leads from
2) Remove the vehicle panel and check the desired the crossover, observing correct polarity.
mounting location to ensure that there is adequate 9) Re-install the vehicle panel, taking care to
clearance behind the panel for the tweeter’s route the new wiring so as not to interfere
magnet structure and mounting hardware. with any vehicle mechanisms (window
3) Carefully cut a 1-7/16-inch (37 mm) diameter hole mechanisms, for example).
in the vehicle panel. This will achieve a snug fit and
allow the tweeter flange to conceal the cut line.
4) Select a suitable length stud bolt for your panel’s
thickness and screw its short end into the rear of the
tweeter using the fixed M4 nut to tighten.
5) Insert the tweeter from the front of the panel (do
not attach the spring clip at this time).

7
 Speaker Wiring: Speaker Installation in Factory Locations:
If you will be using the factory speaker wires, it may Your new speakers have been designed to install,
be necessary to change the terminations. This may without modifications, into most vehicles with
be accomplished by using an adaptor plug or simply OEM speaker locations that accept a 6.50-inch (165
by cutting the factory connector off and using the mm) speaker. Many factory 6.50-inch speakers use
supplied crimp connectors to terminate the speaker four mounting screws, which will line up with the
wires. The larger connector is for the positive terminal mounting holes on your C1-650cw woofers.
and the smaller connector is for the negative terminal Adaptor rings are included for installation into
of each C1-650cw. many GM, Honda and other vehicles or those
If you choose to run new speaker wires, protect all equipped with oversized 6.75-inch speaker openings.
wiring from sharp edges by carefully routing them, Simply remove any unnecessary mounting tabs from
securing them and using grommets and loom where each adaptor ring and install, as shown in Diagrams
appropriate. If you are running wires into a door, use F and G (page 9).
existing factory wiring boots whenever possible. If It is absolutely vital that the speaker frame fits into
you are drilling new holes, file their edges and install the mounting hole cleanly. This must be checked prior
rubber grommets into each hole. Wires running into to tightening the screws. Never force the frame into
car doors should be covered with a protective, flexible a hole that is too small, and do not attempt to tighten
PVC sleeve. Make sure that the wires will clear door the speaker onto an uneven surface. This will damage
hinges and other structures in the door. your speakers.
The speaker should fit so that air does not leak
!! WA R N I N G around the mounting flange. Air leaks will cause a
Double check the clearance for both speakers severe degradation in sound quality. Seal any air leaks
before proceeding. Many cars are different from with an automotive-grade sealant material.
one side to the other!
!! WA R N I N G
Hand-tighten the screws evenly in a criss-cross
pattern to avoid bending the speaker frame or
stripping the mounting screws.

8 | JL Audio - C1-650 Owner’s Manual

DIAGRAM F:
Speaker Installation with Adaptor Ring (GM applications)

DIAGRAM G:
Speaker Installation with Adaptor Ring (Honda/other applications)

9
LIMITED WARRANTY - AUTOMOTIVE SPEAKER SYSTEMS (USA)

JL AUDIO warrants these speakers (and crossover networks, where applicable) to be free of defects in
materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year.
This warranty is not transferable and applies only to the original purchaser from an authorized
JL AUDIO dealer. Should service be necessary under this warranty for any reason due to manufacturing
defect or malfunction, JL AUDIO will (at its discretion), repair or replace the defective product with new or
remanufactured product at no charge. Damage caused by the following is not covered under warranty: accident,
misuse, abuse, product modification or neglect, failure to follow installation instructions, unauthorized repair
attempts, misrepresentations by the seller. This warranty does not cover incidental or consequential damages
and does not cover the cost of removing or reinstalling the unit(s). Cosmetic damage due to accident or normal
wear and tear is not covered under warranty.

Any applicable implied warranties are limited in duration to the period of the express warranty as provided
herein beginning with the date of the original purchase at retail, and no warranties, whether express or implied,
shall apply to this product thereafter. Some states do not allow limitations on implied warranties, therefore these
exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights
which vary from state to state.

If you need service on your JL AUDIO product:

All warranty returns should be sent to JL AUDIO freight prepaid through an authorized JL AUDIO
dealer and must be accompanied by proof of purchase (a copy of the original sales receipt.) Direct
returns from consumers or non-authorized dealers will be refused unless specifically authorized by
JL AUDIO with a valid return authorization number. Warranty expiration on products returned
without proof of purchase will be determined from the manufacturing date code. Coverage may be
invalidated as this date is previous to purchase date. Return only defective components. If one speaker
fails in a system, return only that speaker component, not the entire system. Non-defective items
received will be returned freight-collect. Customer is responsible for shipping charges and insurance
in sending the product to JL AUDIO. Freight damage on returns is not covered under warranty.

For Service Information in the U.S.A. please call

JL Audio Customer Service: (954) 443-1100
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Eastern Time Zone)

JL Audio, Inc
10369 North Commerce Pkwy.
Miramar, FL 33025

International Warranties:
Products purchased outside the United States of America are covered only
by that country’s distributor and not by JL Audio, Inc.

Printed in China C1-650-011817