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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations for choosing an Xtreme
Series power amplifier, by Directed
Audio. This high performance product
has been designed and engineered by
Directed Electronics, the industry leader
in high quality automotive security and
audio equipment since 1990. With the
Xtreme Series power amplifiers,
Directed Audio continues to set new
standards of performance, reliability,
and affordability in the mobile electronics industry.
Featuring high-efficiency MOSFET power
supplies and flexible built-in crossovers
housed in a rugged, extruded aluminum
extrusion with black chrome trim
panels, Xtreme power amplifiers will
excite and delight car audio enthusiasts
with years of high performance audio
reproduction.
Xtreme Series amplifiers come with a
two-year limited warranty if sold and
installed by an authorized Directed
dealer. If not installed by an authorized
dealer, Xtreme Series amplifiers are
covered by a one-year, parts-and-labor
limited warranty. Be sure to retain your
original purchase receipt, and refer to
the warranty section of this guide for full
details about your coverage.
Congratulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Limited Two-Year Consumer Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Front Panel Connections/Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Input Wiring Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Crossover Settings and Gain Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Rear Panel Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Speaker connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Bridge Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
LIMITED TWO-YEAR CONSUMER WARRANTY
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
Directed Electronics, Inc. promises to the
original purchaser, to replace this product
should it prove to be defective in workmanship or material under normal use, for a
period of two years from the date of
purchase by the dealer as indicated by the
date code marking of the product
PROVIDED the product was installed by an
authorized Directed dealer. During this twoyear period, there will be no charge for this
replacement PROVIDED the unit is returned
to Directed, shipping pre-paid. If the unit is
installed by anyone other than an authorized Directed dealer, the warranty period
will be 1 year from the date of purchase by
the dealer as indicated by the date code
marking of the product. During this 1-year
period there will be no charge for this
replacement PROVIDED the unit is returned
to Directed, shipping pre-paid. This warranty
is non-transferable and does not apply to
any unit that has been modified or used in a
manner contrary to its intended purpose,
and does not cover damage to the unit
caused by installation or removal of the unit.
This warranty is void if the product has been
damaged by accident or unreasonable use,
neglect, improper service or other causes
not arising out of defects in materials or
construction. ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO EXPRESS
WARRANTY, IMPLIED WARRANTY,
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND
WARRANTY OF NON-INFRINGEMENT OF
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ARE EXPRESSLY
EXCLUDED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT
ALLOWED BY LAW, AND DIRECTED
NEITHER ASSUMES NOR AUTHORIZES
ANY PERSON TO ASSUME FOR IT ANY
LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SALE OF THE PRODUCT. DIRECTED HAS
ABSOLUTELY NO LIABILITY FOR ANY AND
ALL ACTS OF THIRD PARTIES INCLUDING
ITS AUTHORIZED DEALERS OR
INSTALLERS. Unit must be returned to
Directed, postage pre-paid, with: consumer’s
name, telephone number, and address,
authorized dealer’s name and address, and
product description. IN ORDER FOR THIS
WARRANTY TO BE VALID, YOUR UNIT
MUST BE SHIPPED WITH PROOF OF
INSTALLATION BY AN AUTHORIZED
DIRECTED DEALER. ALL UNITS RECEIVED
BY DIRECTED FOR WARRANTY REPAIR
WITHOUT PROOF OF DIRECTED DEALER
INSTALLATION WILL BE COVERED BY THE
LIMITED 1-YEAR PARTS AND LABOR
WARRANTY. Note: This warranty does not
cover labor costs for the removal and reinstallation of the unit. BY PURCHASING THIS
PRODUCT, THE CONSUMER AGREES AND
CONSENTS THAT ALL DISPUTES BETWEEN
THE CONSUMER AND Directed SHALL BE
RESOLVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CALIFORNIA LAWS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA.
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
High-powered car audio
systems may produce sound
pressure levels that exceed the
threshold at which hearing loss may
result.
They may also impair a driver’s ability to
hear traffic sounds or emergency vehicles. Use common sense and practice
safe listening habits when listening to or
adjusting your audio system.
WARNING
FEATURES
High-speed MOSFET power supplies
Complimentary bipolar transistor
outputs
Mono/stereo/mixed mono opera-
tion (1500X mono only)
2 ohm stereo stable/4 ohm mono
stable (1500X 2 ohm mono
stable)
Built-in 2-way variable crossovers
(1500X LP only)
+6 or +12 dB switchable bass
boost (4600X switchable +12dB)
Adjustable input gain
Power/status LED's
Thermal, short-circuit, over-current,
and reverse polarity protection
Gold-plated RCA inputs
Heavy duty screw terminals accept
up to 8 AWG cables
1. Please read this owner’s manual
carefully before installing this amplifier.
2. Disconnect the battery ground
terminal prior to making any electrical connections.
3. Check for any hazards or obstruc-
tions such as gas tanks, fuel or
brake lines, and wiring harnesses
before mounting the amplifier.
4. Pick a mounting location that will
provide adequate access and ventilation and protect the amplifier
from heat, moisture, and dirt.
5. Avoid sharp metal areas when
routing cables to the amplifier, and
run RCA cables away from the
power cables and other potentially
noisy car harnesses.
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
6. The amplifier should be grounded
with a short, heavy gauge wire
connected directly to the car at a
bare metal surface, preferably
scraped body sheet metal. Do not
use factory ground locations, seat
bolts, or brackets that are
spotwelded.
7. Always fuse your power connection
within 8 to 10 inches of the battery
terminal. Use a fuse or circuit
breaker rated slightly more than the
on-board fuse(s) of the
amplifier(s). The gauge of power
wire used should take into account
the total current draw of the
system, and the length of wire
used. IASCA and other auto sound
competition organizations have
charts available for this; you can
also find a chart in the MECP study
guide. Minimum wire gauge recommendations for the individual amplifiers are listed on the specification
page. Always use the same gauge
wire for the amplifier ground that
you use for the power wire. Be sure
to examine the battery ground
cable of the vehicle, and if necessary, upgrade it by adding an additional ground wire that is the same
gauge as the amplifier power wire.
Remember, the amplifier can only
deliver its rated output when it is
not current limited by the power
and ground supply wires.
8. This amplifier is designed to drive a
speaker load that measures from 2
to 8 ohms. Keep in mind that heat
is the long-term enemy of automotive electronics and the lower your
speaker load, the more heat is
generated. For low impedance
speaker applications or restricted
ventilation installations, an external
cooling fan may be advisable.
9. Battery and ground connections to
the vehicle should be made with
crimped ring terminals of the appropriate size (surface area is what
counts); soldering the terminals
after crimping is also recommended.
10. Due to the high-frequency MOSFET
switching power supply, filtering the
power cable is not generally
required (remember that the amp
can’t deliver full output if the power
supply is restricted). Proper
grounding of the signal source is
mandatory for the amplifier to
reach its performance peak. If the
RCA inputs are not grounded
adequately via the signal source,
electrical noise from the vehicle
may be picked up in the system.
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
1.
RRCCAA IInnppuutt JJaacckkss --
Accepts line level
outputs from head units or signal
processors at voltages between
150mV and 4 volts.
2.
IInnppuutt GGaaiinn AAddjjuussttmmeenntt --
Controls
amplifier sensitivity and is used to
match the input level of the amplifier to the output level of the signal
source.
3.
CCrroossssoovveerr FFrreeqquueennccyy AAddjjuussttmmeenntt --
Adjusts the crossover point for the
on-board active crossovers.
4.
CCrroossssoovveerr SSeelleeccttiioonn SSwwiittcchh --
Controls the type of filter for the onboard active crossover. FLAT does
not attenuate any frequencies and
is for full-range speaker systems.
HPF attenuates low frequencies and
is used for mid-range speakers and
tweeters. LPF attenuates high
frequencies and is used for
subwoofers speakers.
5.
BBaassss EEQQ SSwwiittcchh
- Adds an additional
6 or 12 db of bass boost to the
speaker output (4600X 12 db
only).
6.
SSttaattuuss LLEEDD
- Will light BLUE to indicate the amplifier is on and operating normally, and will be RED if
the amplifier shuts down due to
short circuit, or overheating
detected by on-board protection
circuitry.
NNOOTTEE::
The 2300X and 4600X amplifiers require that
the system remote power be cycled off and on
again to restart the amplifier after a protection
shutdown.
The 1500X amplifier will cycle off and automatically turn back on when the fault condition clears.
The amplifier should be inspected for proper ventilation clearance on all sides of the amplifier (2inches). The speaker wiring should be inspected
for any shorts.
NNOOTTEE::
The 1500X and 2300X amplifiers have one
combined Power/Protection (BLUE/RED) LED,
the 4600X amplifier has separate Power (BLUE)
and Protection (RED) LEDs.
FRONT PANEL CONNECTIONS/CONTROLS
NNOOTTEE::
The step numbers listed below are referenced on the Input Wiring Diagram.
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
1
45
2 3 36
LPF HPF
INPUT WIRING DIAGRAMS
1
45
2 63
X-OVER
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
2 3 23
45 45
FOUR CHANNEL 4600X
1 1
6 6
POWER PROTECT
LPF HPF
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
CROSSOVER SETTINGS AND GAIN ADJUSTMENT
Your Xtreme Series power amplifier by Directed Audio needs to be adjusted carefully to
achieve maximum performance. These are some guidelines to follow when fine-tuning
the amplifier.
For full-range and simultaneous stereo/mono bass applications, the crossover selec-
tion switch should be set to FLAT. If the amplifier is driving your subwoofers, set the
switch to LPF, and for mid-bass/midrange output, set to HPF.
The crossover frequency control needs to be adjusted to suit your particular system.
For subwoofer applications, try to keep the setting low enough to prevent the
image smearing (you should not be able to hear male voices from the subwoofer)
but not so low as to create a gap between the subwoofer and the midbass/midrange speakers. For mid-bass/midrange settings, try to keep the setting
low enough to keep your sound stage in front of you, without overdriving the
speaker. It will be to your advantage to spend some extra time with this adjustment, listening to familiar music or system set-up discs to achieve the kind of
musical reproduction that you prefer.
The gain adjustment allows you to set proper signal match for clean, quiet ampli-
fier operation. For full-range and simultaneous stereo/mono bass applications,
start by playing some music you are familiar with. With the gain adjustment on
the amplifier in the middle of its rotation, bring up the volume on your head unit
to the 3/4 volume setting or until you start to hear distortion or clipping. If you
hear distortion before you reach the 3/4 volume setting of your head unit, reduce
the gain setting on the amplifier and start to raise the head unit volume again.
When you can listen to the music at or slightly above 3/4 on your head unit
without audible distortion, slowly raise the gain of the amplifier until distortion is
heard, then back off the gain until the distortion is not audible. This setting will
allow you to reach full output with all but the quietest of source material, while
avoiding excessive noise in the system.
The same procedure should be used for adjusting the amplifier when the on-board
crossover is set to LPF or HPF, but you will also have to take into consideration the
effect that gain adjustment has on system frequency response and imaging.
Again, plan on spending some time with music that you know, getting the gain
and crossover settings the way you like. Test discs and analyzers may help with this
process, but in the end it's your ears that count - listen to the music!
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
1.
SSppeeaakkeerr OOuutt TTeerrmmiinnaallss
- Connect
the speakers to these terminals.
(Refer to the
Speaker Connection
section of this guide.)
2.
PPoowweerr FFuussee --
This fuse protects the
amplifier against internal electrical
damage and is meant to protect the
amplifier only. All other power
connections should be fused at the
source.
3.
((++)) 1122 VVoolltt PPoowweerr
- Connect this
terminal through a FUSE or CIRCUIT
BREAKER to the positive terminal of
the vehicle battery or the positive
terminal of an isolated audio
system battery.
WWAARRNNIINNGG::
Always protect this power wire by installing a fuse
or circuit breaker of the appropriate size within
12 inches of the battery terminal connection.
4.
RReemmoottee TTuurrnn OOnn
- This terminal
turns on the amplifier when (+) 12
volt is applied to it. Connect it to
the remote turn on lead of the head
unit or signal source. If a (+) 12
volt remote turn lead is not available, a Remote Power Adapter
(P/N #55000) can be used to
supply a remote turn on signal. DO
NOT connect this terminal to
constant (+) 12 volt.
5.
GGrroouunndd --
Connect this terminal
directly to the sheet metal chassis
of the vehicle using the shortest
wire necessary to make this
connection. Always use wire of the
same gauge or larger than the (+)
12 volt power wire. The chassis
connection point should be scraped
free of paint and dirt. Use only
quality crimped and/or soldered
connectors at both ends of this
wire. DO NOT connect this terminal
directly to the vehicle battery
ground terminal or any other
factory ground points.
REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS
MONO CHANNEL 1500X
FUSES
SPEAKER
4 Ohm
SPEAKER
4 Ohm
TWO SPEAKER CONNECTION
FUSES
SPEAKER
2-4 Ohm
ONE SPEAKER CONNECTION
25A fuses
25A fuses
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
TWO CHANNEL 2300X
FOUR CHANNEL 4600X
FUSES
BRIBRI
Note that the two speakers & four
speakers have been connected to the
four terminal following the (+) and (-)
graphic. Your speaker terminals may be
marked (+) and (-) or there may be red
dot by one terminal which means the
same as (+).
Connecting the speakers in this manner
assures that the two speaker cones will
move in and out together according to
the original recording. If one of the two
speakers is reversed, stereo imaging
and bass response will be degraded.
25A fuses
25A fuse
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
BRIDGE MODE
TWO CHANNEL 2300X
SPEAKER
4 Ohm
FOUR CHANNEL 4600X
FUSES
BRIBRI
SPEAKER
4 Ohm
SPEAKER
4 Ohm
Note that the two speakers & four
speakers have been connected to the
four terminal following the (+) and (-)
graphic. Your speaker terminal may be
marked (+) and (-) or there may be red
dot by one terminal which means the
same as (+).
Connecting the speakers in this manner
assures that the two speaker cones will
move in and out together according to
the original recording. If one of the two
speakers is reversed, stereo imaging
and bass response will be degraded.
25A fuse
25A fuses
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
SPECIFICATIONS
Xtreme models 1500X 2300X 4600X
Type Mono block 2-channel 4-channel
Maximum Power 500 watts 300 watts 600 watts
Continuous Power @ 4 ohms 150 x 1 50 x 2 50 x 4
(watts RMS)
Continuous Power @ 2 ohms 250 x 1 75 x 2 75 x 4
(watts RMS)
Damping Factor >50 >50 >50
Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz 20Hz-20kHz 20Hz-20kHz
+/- 1dB +/- 1dB +/- 1dB
S/N Ratio -90dBA -90dBA -90dBA
(Full power into 4 ohms)
Crossover LP 50-250Hz Variable Variable
12dB Slope HP/LP HP/LP
50-250Hz 50-250Hz
12dB Slope 12dB Slope
Bass EQ Switch Switch Switch
+6/+12dB +6/+12dB +12dB
@ 50Hz @ 50Hz @ 50Hz
Input Sensitivity 200mV-4V 100mV-4V 100mV-4V
Protection Thermal, Overcurrent, Short Circuit, Reverse
Polarity
Fuse Size 25A x 2 25A 25A x 2
Minimum Power Wire Gauge 10 12 10
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© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc
© 2003 Directed Electronics, Inc. - All rights reserved - G43000/10/15 01/04
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