ARC Audio XDI User Manual
®
Full Range
Hybrid Class D
HIGH PERFORMANCE AUDIO AMPLIFIER
ARC AUDIO warranties all new XDi Amplifiers against defects in
ARC AUDIO WARRANTY
material and workmanship for a period of ONE (1) YEAR from the original
date of purchase. This warranty is not transferable and applies only to the
original retail purchaser of the product from an authorized ARC AUDIO
retailer. Upon inspection by ARC AUDIO should services be necessary under
this warranty for any reason due to manufacture defects ARC AUDIO will, at
its sole discretion, repair or replace the defective product with new or similar
conditioned product at no charge.
THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER INSTALLATION OR
DAMAGE RESULTING FROM ACCIDNT, MISUSE, ABUSE,
IMPROPER WIRING, OPERATION OUTSIDE OF THE
MANUFACTURES RECOMMENDATIONS OR SPECIFICATIONS,
OR AGAINST INSTRUCTIONS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. IN
ADDITION ANY PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN OPENED,
TEMPERED WITH OR MODIFIED, OR IF ANY SERIAL NUMBERS
HAVE BEEN REMOVED WILL NOT BE COVERED BY ANY PART
OF THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY.
All warranty returns should be sent to ARC AUDIO freight prepaid
and must be accompanied by proof of purchase (a copy of the original sales
receipt). Direct returns from consumers or non-authorized retailers will be
refused unless specifically authorized by ARC AUDIO with a valid return
authorization number.
All warranty returns should be packed in original packaging and
must be accompanied by a copy of the original sales receipt. Product
damaged in shipment will not be covered under this warranty. The
customer or retailer may choose to have this damage repaired at the
normal “Out of Warranty” repair cost.
In no event will ARC AUDIO be liable for incidental, consequential,
or other damages resulting from the use of this product, this includes but is
not limited to, damage of hearing, property or person, damage based upon
inconvenience or on loss of use of the product, and to the extent permitted by
law, damages for personal injury. This warranty gives you specific legal
rights, and you may have other rights, which vary from state to state. This
warranty applies to products sold and used in the United States of America. In
all other countries please contact your distributor
REV 1.00
®
Thank you for purchasing an ARC Audio Hi-Performance Amplifier.
This ARC Audio amplifier uses a Full Range Class D architecture that significantly
improves efficiently, lowers heat output and current draw. Don’t be fooled by the
small size. Class D amplifiers make more power for there size then traditional designs
making installation a breeze without compromising storage space.
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 XXD 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 excessive 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 seat belt bolts for
grounding.
Remember, the ground must carry the same high current as the positive power
wire.
To reduce the risk of noise, run all signal cables away 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 use a rubber grommet to prevent the power wire from
shorting and to reduce the risk of fire. A 8 gauge or larger wire should be used
for power and ground connections. We recommend a fuse be installed on the
power wire within 18 inches of the battery for safety.
Setting the Gains
So you're worried that your 8 Volt output head unit will be too much for the
ARC Audio's 4 Volt input stage.
Don't Be
ARC Audio Amplifiers input stage is rated to 4 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.
1 2
5
MIN
55
PO
/
CT
40
H
100
z
REMO
0
SUB
GAIN
REMOTE
FRONT
POWER/
PROTECT
FRONT
BASS BOOST
0
REAR
0
5
LOW
GH
1
BASS
BOOST
FUSES
2
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
R
L
FRONT
REAR
GAIN
R
MIN MAX
L
MIN MAX
GAIN
system.
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
R
low spots in the frequency response.
L
FRONT
REAR
GAIN BASS BOOST
R
MIN MAX
MA
L
MIN MAX 55 250
GAIN BASS BOOST LOW HIGH
FRONT
55 250015
55 250015
1
FULL
LOW HIGH
LOW HIGH
FULL
LOW HIGH
REAR
55 250
POWER/
PROTECT
REMOTE
FRONT
Phase Shift Control
"Timing is everything". In a typical stereo installation the mid bass speakers are in the
front of the car between 3 to 5 feet from you ear. The sub woofer is all the way in the
back, 9 to 12 feet way. Sometimes more. The Phase control can be used to compensate for this difference in
distance by causing the sound
from both speakers to arrive at
your ear at the same time. This
can really help bring the bass
up front making the system
sound more like a live performance.
SUB
GAIN
MIN MAX
1
015
BASS BOOST
PHASE
0
180
0
40Hz 100Hz
z
BOOST FREQ
0
H
R
L
FRONT
SUB
55 250
LOW
REMOTE
POWER/
WER
PROTE
PROTECT
TE
3
RR
LR
LINE OUT
Bass Boost cont.
The XDi amplifier feature a
Quasi Parametric Bass EQ Bass Boost with adjustments for
both Boost Level and Boost Frequency. Begin your adjustments at low volume. Turn the
Bass Boost Level control about 1/2 way up. Next, turn the Bass Boost Frequency up and
down. This will take some tweaking but try to find the setting that gives you a richer and
fuller sound without over working the subwoofer. Play several different kinds of music
to test your adjustment You may find you
have to go back and make some changes
and compromises to get it sounding right
with an assortment of music. Use Bass
Boost carefully. The demands on power
output are tremendous. Try to minimize
the use by changing woofer position or the
GAIN BASS
enclosure size.
10 50
SUB
SONIC
015MIN MAX 55 250
50
LOW
40Hz 100Hz
BOOST
BOOST
FREQ
0
0
PHASE
0
180
Subsonic Filter
A Subsonic filter acts like a crossover but at very low frequencies. It removes sounds that
are so low in frequency that the speaker cannot reproduce them. You see the cone
moving but hear no sound. This can be
very hard on your woofer especially at
high power. If you are using a ported
subwoofer enclosure at high power you
should use a Subsonic Filter to limit cone
movement at very low frequencies.
R
015MIN MAX 55 250
10 50
GAIN BASS
L
SUB
SONIC
LOW
5
BOOST
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 them into the block terminal while being careful that
there is no loose or frayed strands of wire and
tighten the Allen 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 protec-
FRONT
tion.
Know your total ohm load before you
make any connections.
LEFT
BRIDGED
REAR
RIGHT
4
FUSES
25 X
25 X 2
Loading...