Directed Audio A502 User Manual

OWNER’S

MANUAL

A502

A404

models

LIMITED TWO-YEAR CONSUMER WARRANTY

Directed Electronics, Inc. promises to the

original purchaser, to replace this product

should it prove to be defective in workman-

ship 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 two-

year 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 autho-

rized 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 rein-

stallation 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 CALI-

FORNIA LAWS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY,

CALIFORNIA.

FEATURES

„ High-speed MOSFET switching

power supply and complimentary

bipolar outputs.

„ Variable input sensitivity optimizes

match with different signal sources.

„ Chrome-plated wire terminals and

RCA connectors ensure maximum

signal transfer.

„ Stereo, mono, or simultaneous

stereo/mono operation.

„ Thermal, DC offset, reverse polarity.

„ Rugged two-piece extruded heat

sink and cover.

„ Selectable 12dB/octave two-way

crossover.

„ Unity gain pass-through RCA jacks.

„ Switchable 8 dB bass EQ function.

WARNING

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 vehi-

cles. Use common sense and practice

safe listening habits when listening to or

adjusting your audio system.

INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

1. Please read this owner’s manual

carefully before installing this ampli-

fier.

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 recom-

mendations for the individual ampli-

fiers 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 neces-

sary, upgrade it by adding an addi-

tional 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.

2. Disconnect the battery ground

terminal prior to making any elec-

trical 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 venti-

lation 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.

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 spot

welded.

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 automo-

tive electronics and the lower your

7. Always fuse your power connection

within 8 to 10 inches of the battery

speaker load, the more heat is

generated. For low impedance

speaker applications or restricted

ventilation installations, an external

cooling fan may be advisable.

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.

9. Battery and ground connections to

the vehicle should be made with

crimped ring terminals of the appro-

priate size (surface area is what

counts); soldering the terminals

after crimping is also recom-

mended.

FRONT PANEL CONNECTIONS/CONTROLS A502-A404

RCA Input Jacks -

Accepts line level

frequencies and is used for

subwoofers speakers.

outputs from head units or signal

processors at voltages between

150mV and 7.5 volts.

Bass EQ Switch

- Adds an additional

8 db of boost to the speaker output

when on.

RCA Output Jacks -

These pass

through RCA jacks can be used to

send the input signal to a second

amplifier.

Light Bar/Fan

- Allows connection

LED light bar or

optional

of an

optional

additional cooling fan for

the amplifier.

Gain Control -

Controls amplifier

sensitivity and is used to match the

input level of the amplifier to the

output level of the signal source.

Status LED

- Will illuminate GREEN

to indicate the amplifier is on and

operating normally, and will be illu-

minated RED if the amplifier shuts

down due to short circuit, DC offset,

or overheating detected by on-

board protection circuitry.

Crossover Selection Switch

Controls the type of filter for the on-

board 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

Input Mode Switch

- Selects 2 or 4

channel operation (model A404

only).

FIGURE 1—AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS A502 FRONT

FIGURE 2—AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS A404 FRONT

FIGURE 5—LED/FAN HARNESS

BLACK

BLUE

TO LEDs

TO FAN

BLACK

RED

REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS

Power Fuse -

Remote Turn On

- This terminal

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. The A502 uses 1-30A fuse,

and the A404 uses 1-30A fuse.

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.

Ground -

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

(+) 12 Volt Power

- 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.

WARNING: Always protect this power wire by installing a fuse

or circuit breaker of the appropriate size within

12 inches of the battery terminal connection.

Speaker Terminals

- Connect the

wire. DO NOT connect this terminal

directly to the vehicle battery

ground terminal or any other

factory ground points.

speakers to these terminals. (Refer

to the Wiring Diagram section of

this guide.)

FIGURE 3—AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS A502 REAR

FIGURE 4—AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS A404 REAR

SPEAKER WIRING DIAGRAMS A502

Stereo operation (top view)

L CH

R CH

Mono operation (top view)

L CH

R CH

Simultaneous stereo/mono operation (top view)

INDUCTOR

CAP

L CH

R CH

SUB

CAP

SPEAKER WIRING DIAGRAMS A404

Stereo Operation - 2 Channel (top view)

L CH

FRONT

(RIGHT)

R CH

L CH

REAR

(LEFT)

R CH

NOTE:

For bridged two channel operation as shown in this diagram, connect right channel RCA cables to the front inputs of the

amplifier, and left channel RCA cables to the rear inputs of the amplifier. For summed subwoofer applications, connect

RCA cables per the input jack marking.

Stereo Operation - 4 Channel (top view)

FRONT

(LEFT)

L CH

FRONT

(RIGHT)

R CH

REAR

L CH

(LEFT)

REAR

(RIGHT)

R CH

Simultaneous Stereo (top view)

INDUCTOR

CAP

L CH

R CH

L CH

R CH

SUB

FRONT

CAP

INDUCTOR

SUB

REAR

CAP

2 Channel Stereo with Mono Sub (top view)

SUB

L CH

R CH

L CH

R CH

REAR

(LEFT)

REAR

(RIGHT)

CROSSOVER SETTINGS AND GAIN ADJUSTMENT

Your Directed Audio power amplifier 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

selection 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 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!

LED TUBE INSTALLATION (OPTIONAL)

This Directed Audio amplifier has been designed with a custom heat sink that can

accommodate two (optional—not supplied) VARAD LED tubes.

1. Before installing the LED tubes, remove and discard the mounting feet from the

VARAD LED tubes.

2. Slide each LED tube assembly into your Directed Audio amplifier heat sink. Ensure

that the LEDs are facing out for optimal visibility. The wires from the LED tube

assembly should be on the signal input end of the amplifier. The Black wire from

the LED tube is ground and the Black/White wire from the LED tube is power.

4. Run the two wires from the tube assembly and connect them to the 4-pin

LED/FAN input connector. Refer to the LED/FAN harness diagram given earlier in

this manual.

NOTE:

If the optional fan IS NOT being used, it is recommended that the second LED tube be wired to this circuit. If the optional

fan is being used, it is recommended that the second LED tube be wired in parallel with the first LED tube.

Use the following cross reference chart to select the proper length VARAD LED tube for

use with your Directed Audio amplifier.

Directed Amplifier—VARAD Cross Reference Chart

Directed Part Number

Directed Model

VARAD Model

HLX6, HL6, HLW9

HLX12, HL12, HLW15

HLX6, HL6, HLW9

HLX6, HL6

QTY Required

45120

45125

45150

45155

45095

45100

45105

45110

A502

A802

A404

A1004

D600

D800

D1200

D2400

D2205

HLX12, HL12

45165

(2) HLX12, (2) HL12

2 or 4

CEA SPECIFICATIONS

A502

Power Output: 90 Watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms and < 1% THD+N

Signal to Noise Ratio: -70 dBA (reference 1 Watt into 4 ohms)

Additional Power: 125 Watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohm and < 1% THD+N

A404

Power Output: 45 Watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms and < 1% THD+N

Signal to Noise Ratio: -80 dBA (reference 1 Watt into 4 ohms)

Additional Power: 50 Watts RMS x 4 at 2 ohm and < 1% THD+N

SPECIFICATIONS

A502

A404

RMS continuous

75W x 2

35W x 4

Power 4 Ohm ¹

RMS continuous

125W x 2

250W x 1

50W x 4

Power 2 Ohm ²

RMS continuous Power

100W x 2

Bridged 4 Ohm ³

Dynamic Power Rating

(IHF-202 Standard) 4 Ohms

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

200W

300W

Greater than 90 dB

Frequency Response

Damping Factor

20-20,000 Hz 0.25 dB 20-20,000 Hz 0.25 dB

Greater than 100 Greater than 100

Switchable high or low pass Switchable high or low pass

12 dB/octave,100Hz 12 dB/octave,100Hz

+8 dB, centered at 40Hz +8 dB, centered at 40Hz

20K ohms 20K ohms

Variable from 250 mV to Variable from 250 mV to

Crossover

Bass Equalization

Input Impedance

Input Sensitivity

7.5 volts

2 to 8 ohms, stereo

4 to 8 ohms, bridged

10 to 16 VDC

2 to 8 ohms, stereo

4 to 8 ohms, bridged

10 to 16 VDC

Output Impedance

Supply Voltage

Fusing and Power

30A

Minimum Cable Requirements

(AWG) (Per amp, trunk

mounted)

#10

1. RMS continuous power driven into 4 ohms from 20 to 20,000 Hz @ 14.4VDC with less

than 0.08% THD+N.

2. RMS continuous power driven into 2 ohms from 20 to 20,000 Hz @ 14.4VDC with less

than 0.15% THD+N.

3. RMS continuous power bridged into 4 ohms from 20 to 20,000 Hz @ 14.4VDC with

less than 0.15% THD+N.

The company behind this system is Directed Electronics, Inc. Since

its inception, Directed has had one purpose, to provide customers with the finest

vehicle security, car stereo products, rear seat entertainment, and accessories avail-

able. The recipient of more than 20 patents in the field of advanced electronic tech-

nology, Directed is ISO 9001 registered.

Directed Electronics, Inc.

Vista, California 92081

www.directed.com

Directed® is committed to delivering world-class quality

products and services that excite and delight our customers.

Quality Directed products are sold and serviced throughout North America and around the world

Call 800 274 0200 for more information about our products and services

G45120.150 12/04

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