FD2100 FD2200 FD4100 FD4150
Congratulations!
Thank you for purchasing an ARC Audio Hi-Performance Amplifier.
ARC Audio amplifiers are conservatively rated and produce more power per channel than others in there class. Manufactured to the highest standards of quality and reliability to deliver years of listening enjoyment.
ARC Audio…SOLID CONSTRUCTION for SOUND Car Audio Systems.
Warning
We build all ARC Audio products to play at high volumes for extended periods of time. Your ears however are not designed for high volume listening. This product can easily generate volumes that can permanently damage your hearing. We urge you to limit your exposure to very high volume sound.
You may also find your state has laws governing the volume of an audio system in a car. Please be aware of all local and state laws in you area.
A properly tuned and operated audio system will deliver years of enjoyment when used properly.
Installation Instructions
ARC Audio FD Series Amplifiers are designed for easy installation in your vehicle. To ensure proper operation of your new purchase, please follow the suggestions we have listed below:
Warning
Please check the suitability of the installation location before you begin. Do not cut any of the car’s structure. Pay close attention to what is behind the panels or carpet. Often the manufacture will hide wires, computers or other electronic devices in the exact areas you wish to install in.
If you do not have experience with automotive electrical and mechanical systems contact a professional installer. Paying a qualified installer is almost always cheaper then paying a dealership to repair your car.
Locating the Amplifier
The amplifiers must be securely mounted to a solid surface. Please select a dry location in the trunk or passenger compartment only. Do not mount the amplifier to any area that may have excess vibration (like the subwoofer box). Position the amplifier in an area that receives sufficient airflow for proper heat dissipation.
Supplying Enough Power
The Laws of Nature
Your amplifier Does NOT make power. It converts power, or current, from your cars electrical system and turns it into a high power musical energy. If the amp can't get all the power it needs it will not produce its full output. Your ARC Audio amplifier will produce Full output for longer then other amps on the market today. If the Voltage or Current drops too low even our amplifiers will drop below their rated output. Make sure your vehicle charging system is in good working order. Any Hi-Performance audio amplifier will increase the demand on your alternator and battery. If you are unsure have your charging system tested by a professional technician.
The Ground!!!
Warning: Read this Carefully
The ground wire should be connected directly to the chassis of your vehicle. Find a clear location close to the amplifier and remove all the paint and sound deadener. Use a #10 or larger screw to secure it. Never use seatbelt bolts for grounding.
Remember, the ground must carry the same high current as the positive power wire. It is recommended in high power application that you upgrade your vehicles factory battery ground lead to the frame and engine grounding points to ensure the best possible circuit to allow you to receive all of the power benefits you new amplifier has to offer.
To reduce the risk of noise, run all signal cable from any vehicle or power supply wiring.
Running the Cables
Carefully run the power and signal cables through the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Always make sure to use an insulated grommet to prevent the power wire from shorting when passing any cables thru a metal panel and to reduce the risk of fire. Always use the proper size power wiring when installing your new amplifier. Depending on the size of your amplifier a 4 gauge or larger wire should be used for power and ground connections. It is also advised and recommended that a fuse be installed on the power wire within 18 inches of the batter or power source for safety.
Setting the Gains
So you're worried that your 4 Volt output head unit will be too much for the ARC Audio's 2.5 Volt input stage.
Don't Be
ARC Audio Amplifiers input stage is rated to 2.5 volts RMS @ 1KHz without clipping.
Music is very dynamic. Nothing like a 1KHz test tone. It would be rare to see a peak as high as a test tone. Furthermore, your head unit produces its output at full volume but when you tune your system you always set the head unit to 70% of maximum volume.
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Input Section
Because of the wide range of head unit output configurations all ARC Audio amplifiers have an adjustable input sensitivity or “Gain”.The gain is not a volume or a power limiting control like a throttle. It makes the amp more sensitive to input from the stereo. With the gain up the amp will reach full output at a lower volume setting on the deck. At higher gain settings the amp also becomes more sensitive to noise from the car’s electrical system. Try to run the gain at the lowest setting possible for you system.
There is no correct gain setting. Because speakers require different power demands to reach the same output, the gains most often need to be used to compensate for these differences. If you tried to set all the gains at half way you would probably find the system didn’t sound very good. Using good judgment and listening carefully to each speaker is still the best way to tune a system.
Input Mode Switch
All ARC Audio amplifiers include an input mode switch. This switch controls the signal being sent to the amplifier sections. Most 2-channel amplifiers can be bridged into a single channel however if the signal to the channels is not exactly the distortion will increase significantly. The mode switch solves this problem by offering 3 modes of operation.
Stereo
This is simple 2 channel stereo operation. Use this setting for most applications that do not involve bridging the output.
Bridge (R IN)
On a 2-channel amp only the Right channel input will be split and sent to both outputs. You need only use the Right gain. On a 4 channel the right RCA will be sent to the front outputs. The left RCA will be sent to the rear outputs. This is a great way of get high power to a component set. The amplifier now acts like a 2 channel that makes full power at 4 ohms.
L+R SUM MONO
This is the mode for bridging a subwoofer. Both the left and right channels are combined into a mono signal that is then split and sent to both output. This will give you a true mono output.
Crossover Controls
A crossover is a device that removes unwanted frequencies from a speaker or amplifier. A tweeter can easily be destroyed by bass notes if they are not filtered out. Likewise a subwoofer will not sound natural if it is playing midrange notes. A crossover removes these sounds from the
speaker. As you might guess, careful adjustment is need to ensure that all the speakers are playing the right sounds and that you are
left with no “holes” or low spots in the frequency response.
Bass Boost
This amp has a fully adjustable bass boost. Both the frequency and the level of the boost are adjustable. Start with a small increase in the level control. Then “sweep” the frequency up and down. Listen carefully for an improvement in the sound of the bass. If you do not hear any improvement then the
woofer does not need any boost.
Use Bass Boost carefully. The demands on power output are tremendous. Try to minimize
the use by changing woofer position or the enclosure size.
Speaker outputs
This amplifier is a multi channel amplifier design. Meaning it has more than one channel of speaker outputs. It is equipped with a large block style terminal for speaker connection. Make this connection carefully and neatly. Strip your wire back and twist the exposed leads and insert into the block terminal while being careful that there is no loose or frayed strands of wire and tighten the Phillips head screw down on the terminal till the wire is tightly secured in place. If the wires ever come in contact with each other the amplifier will go into protection.
Know your total ohm load before you make any connections.
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