Viper Viper 600.1 User manual

model
d600.1
d1200.1

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations for choosing a Viper
Audio power amplifier from Directed
Electronics, the industry leader in high
quality automotive security and audio
equipment since 1990.
With the introduction of Viper Audio
power amplifiers, Directed Electronics
continues to set new standards of
performance, reliability, and affordability
in the mobile electronics industry.
Featuring high-efficiency MOSFET power
supplies, flexible on-board crossovers,
and state of the art audio design, Viper
Audio power amplifiers will excite and
delight the mobile sound enthusiast with
years of high-quality audio reproduction.
Viper Audio power amplifiers come with
a two-year limited warranty if installed
by an authorized Viper dealer. If not
installed by an authorized dealer, Viper
Audio power amplifiers are covered by a
one-year, parts-and-labor limited
warranty.
Be sure to retain your original sales
receipt and refer to the warranty section
of this guide for full details about your
coverage.
Limited Two-Year Consumer Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Wire Connector Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Front Panel Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Rear Panel Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Top Panel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Top Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Speaker Wiring Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Combining Amplifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Parallel Synced Gain Connections/Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
External Synced Bridged Connections/Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Multiple Amplifier Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Crossover Settings and Gain Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
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 one year from the date of purchase
by the dealer as indicated by the date code
marking of the product. During this one-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 ONE-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.
LIMITED TWO-YEAR CONSUMER WARRANTY

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
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.
WARNING
FEATURES
Super-efficient Class D PWM design
runs much cooler than conventional
amps.
High-speed MOSFET switching
power supply.
High-current complimentary MOSFET
outputs stable into 1 ohm loads.
Thermal, DC offset, reverse polarity,
and short circuit protection with
status LED.
Master/slave RCA jack functions
support two amps bridged to one
load.
Top-mounted controls located under
illuminated Viper snake logo trim
piece.
Continuously variable 24 dB/
octave low-pass crossover.
Variable 20-50 Hz, 24 dB/octave
subsonic filter.
Variable 12 dB bass EQ function.
Variable phase adjustment.
Remote subwoofer level control
supplied.
Variable input sensitivity optimizes
match with different signal sources.
Gold-plated screw-block plugs and
RCA jacks ensure maximum signal
transfer.
Rugged one-piece extruded heat
sink finished with injection-molded
mounting feet.

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
1. Please read this owner’s manual
carefully before installing this ampli-
fier.
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
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 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’s 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 1
to 4 ohms. Keep in mind that heat
is the long-term enemy of automo-
tive electronics and the lower your

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
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 appro-
priate size (surface area is what
counts); soldering the terminals
after crimping is also recom-
mended.
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.
Power and speaker wire connections on
Viper Audio power amplifiers are
performed with the use of specially
designed connectors that allow for ease
of wire termination and installation
convenience.
Poor connections are a common cause
of poor sound quality or amplifier perfor-
mance. Making proper wire connections
is paramount to a reliable, quality sound
system.
Please follow these recommendations to
ensure a problem free installation:
1. Always use the proper gauge wire
for the connector.
2. Cut wires to the minimum length
necessary.
3. Trim the wire ends so bare wire
does not protrude from the
connector after termination.
4. Always tighten the connector
screws firmly at least twice, once
during installation and once more
before returning the car to the
customer.
CCAAUUTTIIOONN::Over tightening the screws can cause them to
strip, creating loose connections. Tighten the
screws twice firmly for a permanent, solid connec-
tion.
WIRE CONNECTOR PLUGS

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
1. RRCCAAIInnppuuttJJaacckkss- Accepts line level
outputs from head units or signal
processors at voltages between
150mV and 8 volts.
2. RRCCAASSyynnccOOuutt//SSllaavveeIInnJJaacckk
Sync Out - This RCA jack sends a
Synced or in-phase gain matched
output signal to a slave amplifier
when connected in the Parallel
Synced Gain combination. It is a
Synced output when the
slave/master switch is in the
MASTER position only.
Slave In - This RCA jack accepts
input from a master amplifier. It is
for use in the Parallel Synced Gain
and External Synced Bridged combi-
nations. It is a slave input when the
slave/master control switch is in
the SLAVE position only.
3. RRCCAABBrriiddggeeOOuuttppuuttJJaacckk- This output
sends an out-of-phase signal to a
slave amplifier when connected in
the External Synced Bridged combi-
nation. (Refer to the
Combined
Amplifiers
section of this guide.)
4. SSllaavvee//MMaasstteerrSSwwiittcchh- Controls
whether the amplifier is a slave or
master when connected in
combined amplifier configurations.
(Refer to the
Combined Amplifiers
section of this guide.)
5. RReemmootteeSSuubbLLeevveellCCoonnttrrooll- Controls
the subwoofer amplifier gain
controls from a remote location for
ease of adjustment during listening.
WWaarrnniinngg::DO NOT connect a level control knob from other
manufacturers to the Remote Sub Level Control of
any Viper amplifier. Even though the connectors fit
properly, the control knob and connector pin posi-
tions may be different and the amplifier will be
damaged.
FRONT PANEL CONNECTIONS
FIGURE 1—AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS d600.1/d1200.1 FRONT
3
145
2

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
1. RReemmootteeTTuurrnnOOnn- 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
on 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.
2. SSuubbOOuuttTTeerrmmiinnaallss- Connect
subwoofers to these terminals.
(Refer to the
Speaker Wiring
Diagrams section of this guide.)
3. SSttaattuussLLEEDDss- The Power LED will
light GREEN to indicate the amplifier
is on and operating normally. The
GREEN LED will turn off and the
Protection LED will light RED when
the amplifier has shut itself down
due to speaker short circuit, DC
offset, or overheating.
4. PPoowweerrFFuusseess- These fuse(s) protect
the amplifier against internal elec-
trical damage and are meant to
protect the amplifier only. All other
power connections should be fused
at the source.
5. ((++))1122VVoollttPPoowweerr- 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.
6. 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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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
FIGURE 2—AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS d600.1 REAR
2
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46
3
FIGURE 3—AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS d1200.1 REAR
2
15
46
3

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
TOP PANEL CONTROLS
FIGURE 4—AMPLIFIER CONTROLS TOP
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1. IInnppuuttGGaaiinnAAddjjuussttmmeenntt- Controls
the amplifier’s sensitivity and is
used to match the input level of the
amplifier to the output level of the
signal source.
2. CCrroossssoovveerrFFrreeqquueennccyyAAddjjuussttmmeenntt-
Adjusts the crossover point for the
on-board active crossover.
3. VVaarriiaabblleeBBaassssEEQQ- Adds 0 to12db
of additional boost to the
subwoofer output when active.
4. SSuubbPPhhaasseeAAddjjuussttmmeenntt- Controls
the phase of the subwoofer output
from 0 to 180 degrees.
5. SSuubbssoonniiccFFrreeqquueennccyyAAddjjuussttmmeenntt-
Adjusts the cutoff point for subsonic
frequencies. Frequencies below the
adjustment point will be attenuated
by 24db per octave.
6. VVaarriiaabblleeSSuubbssoonniiccFFiilltteerrSSwwiittcchh-
Turns the variable subsonic filter
control on/off.
4
1
2
3
5

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
Control Panel Cover
The amplifier’s gain and filter controls
are mounted under the elliptical control
panel cover. Magnets hold the cover
snugly and allow easy access.
TTooiinnssttaalllltthheeccoovveerr- Place the
straight end of the control panel
cover into the notched end of the
amplifier’s top panel while
elevating the curved end. Lower the
curved end of the cover until the
magnets make contact.
TToorreemmoovveetthheeccoovveerr- Place a finger
on the curved end of the cover
while lifting up the straight end
with your thumb. When the
magnets lose contact, lift and
remove the cover.
Illuminated Window
Alignment
The illuminated window comes attached
to the control panel cover with a light
adhesive tape. An additional supply of
precut adhesive tape is included in the
hardware pack.
1. Firmly hold the control panel cover
while gently pressing against the
window from the top. If the
window will not release easily, use
a small flat tool to pry it loose. Pry
slowly and evenly from several
points to avoid deforming or
cracking the window.
2. Apply two of the precut pieces of
adhesive tape to the corners of the
window that don't have tape. Make
sure to apply the tape to the side
that makes contact with the cover.
Save the other two precut pieces of
tape for future use.
3. Turn the illuminated window so the
Viper snake logo will be in an
upright position when the cover is
re-attached to the amplifier. Press
the window onto the underside of
the control panel cover using the
positioning pins for alignment.
Viper Badge Mounting
The Viper Badge can be rotated in 90-
degree increments to accommodate the
amplifier’s final mounting position.
1. Determine the final mounting posi-
tion of the amplifier.
2. Determine the position required for
the badge to be viewed horizontally.
3. Remove the protective cover for the
adhesive tape on the under side of
the badge.
4. Align the badge guideposts with the
holes in the amplifier top panel.
5. Press down firmly until the logo is
securely attached to the amplifier.
TOP PANEL FEATURES

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
SPEAKER WIRING DIAGRAMS
Single subwoofer connection (bottom view)
Two subwoofer connection (bottom view)
NNOOTTEE::The dual + and -- subout terminals of the d600.1/d1200.1 are paralleled internally and the combined load impedance should
be taken into consideration when connecting multiple subwoofers.

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
The Viper d600.1/d1200.1 subwoofer
amplifiers have the capability of
connecting two or more amplifiers of the
same power rating together in a
master/slave combination for increased
power with accurate level matching. They
are the Parallel Synced Gain and External
Synced Bridged combinations.
WWAARRNNIINNGG::DO NOT attempt to combine amplifiers of different
power ratings. These amplifier combinations work
correctly only if the master and slave amplifiers are
identical models.
Parallel Synced Gain
In this master/slave combination the
master amplifier pre-amp controls remain
active and the slave amplifier pre-amp is
bypassed. This allows the master ampli-
fier to control gain, filter, and sub-level
on both amplifiers.
This combination allows the amplifiers to
drive their own separate subwoofer(s)
while being synced together via an in-
phase audio pre-amp signal from the
master amplifier. Wiring connections to
the amplifier subwoofer outputs in this
combination should be standard in-phase
configurations, creating a parallel
speaker connection. (Refer to
Parallel
Synced Gain
section of this guide for
amplifier and speaker connection
diagrams.)
NNOOTTEE::One master amplifier can control up to three slave
amplifiers in this combination. Multiple identical
master/slave combinations can be added to any
given system.
External Synced Bridged
In this master/slave combination the
master amplifier pre-amp controls remain
active and the slave amplifier pre-amp is
bypassed. This allows the master amplifier
to control gain, filter, and sub-level on both
amplifiers. This combination allows the
amplifiers to drive common subwoofer
loads while being synced together via an
out-of-phase audio pre-amp signal from the
master amplifier. In this subwoofer wiring
configuration the master amplifier sends the
positive signal to the subwoofer while the
slave amplifier sends the negative signal,
making an externally bridged speaker
connection. (Refer to
External Synced
Bridged
section of this guide for amplifier
and speaker connection diagrams.)
NNOOTTEE::Amplifiers in this combination can only be connected
in matched pairs. Multiple matched pairs may be
added to drive separate subwoofer loads in a given
system.
Combined Amplifiers Gain
and Filter Settings
Set the Subsonic, EQ, and other filter
settings on the master amplifier to the
positions that achieve the best sound
quality. Adjustment guidelines are
discussed in the
Crossover and Gain
Adjustment
section of this guide.
COMBINING AMPLIFIERS

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1. IInnppuuttSSiiggnnaall- Connect these RCA
jacks as described in the Front Panel
Connection section of this guide.
2. SSllaavvee//MMaasstteerrSSwwiittcchh
Set the slave/master switch
on the master amplifier to the
MASTER position.
Set the slave/master switch
on the slave amplifier to the SLAVE
position.
Setting the slave/master
switch on both amplifiers will auto-
matically set the I/O RCA jack
configuration according to each
amplifier’s slave or master designa-
tion.
NNOOTTEE::One master amplifier can control up to three slave
amplifiers in this combination. Multiple identical
master/slave combinations can be added to any
given system.
3. RReemmootteeSSuubbLLeevveellCCoonnttrrooll- Connect
the Remote Sub Level Control to the
master amplifier only. The master
amplifiers subwoofer gain is used to
set the overall gain for all synced
amplifiers, then the Remote Sub
Level Control can adjust the gain of
all synced amplifiers.
4. SSiiggnnaallCCoonnnneeccttiioonn- Connect an RCA
cable between the SYNC OUT RCA
jack of the master amplifier and the
SLAVE IN RCA jack of the slave
amplifier as shown in the Figure 5.
5. SSuubbwwooooffeerrSSppeeaakkeerrCCoonnnneeccttiioonn- In
this amplifier combination each
amplifiers must drive its own sepa-
rate subwoofer(s). Connect the
speaker terminals of each amplifier
to any combination of one or more
subwoofers that results in nominal
impedance between one and four
ohms. Make sure that each amplifier
sees the same speaker impedance.
PARALLEL SYNCED GAIN CONNECTIONS/SETTINGS

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
FIGURE 5—PARALLEL SYNC GAINED d600.1/d1200.1
5
Subwoofer Wiring (bottom view)
NNOOTTEE::The dual + and -- subout terminals of
the d600.1/d1200.1 are paralleled
internally and the combined load imped-
ance should be taken into consideration
when connecting multiple subwoofers.
SUB LEVEL
MIN MAX
INPUT I/O
SLAVE IN
SYNC OUT
BRIDGE OUT
R
L
SLAVE MASTER
REMOTE
INPUT I/O
SLAVE IN
SYNC OUT
BRIDGE OUT
R
L
SLAVE MASTER
REMOTE
2
2Do Not Use
3
Do Not Use
Master
Slave
4
1
Do Not Use

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
1. IInnppuuttSSiiggnnaall- Connect these RCA
jacks as described in the
Front
Panel Connection section of this
guide.
2. SSllaavvee//MMaasstteerrSSwwiittcchh
Set the slave/master switch
on the master amplifier to the
MASTER position.
Set the slave/master switch
on the slave amplifier to the SLAVE
position.
Setting the slave/master
switch on both amplifiers will auto-
matically set the I/O RCA jack
configuration according to each
amplifier’s slave or master designa-
tion.
NNOOTTEE::Amplifiers in this combination can only be
connected in matched pairs. Multiple matched
pairs may be added to drive separate subwoofer
loads in a given system.
3. RReemmootteeSSuubbLLeevveellCCoonnttrrooll-
Connect the Remote Sub Level
control to the master amplifier
only. The master amplifier gain
control is used to set the overall
gain for both amplifiers, and
then the Remote Sub Level
control can adjust the gain of
both amplifiers.
4. SSiiggnnaallCCoonnnneeccttiioonn- Connect an RCA
cable between the BRIDGE OUT RCA
jack of the master amplifier and the
SLAVE IN RCA jack of the slave
amplifier as shown in Figure 6.
5. SSuubbwwooooffeerrSSppeeaakkeerrCCoonnnneeccttiioonn- In
this amplifier combination the
Subwoofer speaker terminals of
both amplifiers drive common
subwoofer(s). Use the following
speaker connection diagram when
connecting the subwoofers to the
amplifiers. Connect the amplifiers
speaker terminals to any combina-
tion of one or more subwoofers that
results in a nominal impedance
between 2 and 4 ohms. DO NOT
connect loads of less than 2 ohms
when connecting to amplifiers in
the External Synced Bridged combi-
nation.
WWAARRNNIINNGG::Two wires of 12AWG minimum must be connected
between the negative sub out terminals of the
master and slave amplifiers.
EXTERNAL SYNCED BRIDGED CONNECTIONS/SETTINGS

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
FIGURE 6—EXTERNAL SYNC BRIDGED d600.1/d1200.1
5
Subwoofer Wiring (bottom view)
SUB LEVEL
MIN MAX
INPUT I/O
SLAVE IN
SYNC OUT
BRIDGE OUT
R
L
SLAVE MASTER
REMOTE
INPUT I/O
SLAVE IN
SYNC OUT
BRIDGE OUT
R
L
SLAVE MASTER
REMOTE
12
2Do Not Use
3
Do Not Use
Master
Slave
4
NNOOTTEE::The dual + and -- subout terminals of the
d600.1/d1200.1 are paralleled inter-
nally and the combined load impedance
should be taken into consideration when
connecting multiple subwoofers.
The audio signal to the slave amplifier is
180° out of phase. The subwoofer’s
negative terminal must be connected to
the slave amplifier’s positive terminal.
Do Not Use

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© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
The Viper d600.1/1200.1 subwoofer
amplifiers can also be used in multiples
of the master/slave combinations
allowing for unlimited expansion to a
systems subwoofer section. To use
multiples of amplifier combinations the
following directions must be adhered to
for best results.
AAuuddiioossiiggnnaall- Divide the head unit
or processor audio signal to the
master amplifiers by using RCA Y
adapters. Be sure to divide them an
even number of times to ensure the
input level at each master amplifier
is matched.
RReemmootteeSSuubbLLeevveellCCoonnttrrooll- The
Remote Sub Level Control cable can
be divided several times to connect
to each master amplifier. This can
be accomplished by using one or
more Directed Remote Sub Level
cable splitters. Standard single-to-
double phone line splitters and
accessories from a local electronics
store can also be used.
For systems with more than two
master/slave combinations, use
multiple single-to-double splitters.
Do not use phone splitters that
divide the signal more than once
per splitter or splitters designed for
multiple uses.
AAmmpplliiffiieerrccoonnffiigguurraattiioonn- Set up
each master/slave amplifier combi-
nation as described for the combi-
nation type being used. (Refer to
the
Parallel Synced Gain or the
External Synced Bridged section of
this guide for amplifier and speaker
connection descriptions.)
MULTIPLE AMPLIFIER COMBINATIONS

20
© 2002 Directed Electronics, Inc
CROSSOVER SETTINGS AND GAIN ADJUSTMENT
Your Viper Audio power amplifier needs to be adjusted carefully to achieve maximum
performance. These are some guidelines to follow when fine-tuning the amplifier.
Because this amplifier is only designed for subwoofer applications, the low-pass
crossover is active at all times. The crossover point is adjustable to allow more
precise system operation.
Try and keep the setting low enough to prevent 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 mid-bass/midrange speakers. 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. 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 mate-
rial, while avoiding excessive noise in the system.
For systems using the Remote Sub Level Adjustment, increase the subwoofer gain
on the amplifier by 25% and set the Remote Sub Level knob to the center position
after making all system gain and filter adjustments. This will give the Remote Sub
Level Control a wider range of adjustment to the subwoofer output.
You should take into consideration the effect that gain adjustment has on system
frequency response and staging. 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!