Cadence Q DRIVE SERIES Stereo Amplifier User Manual
Contents
1. DAINVE E ES E lt MS Cxcdence 2 INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing a Cadence Q Series amplifier Over the past years the technology used to create audio amplifiers has grown by leaps and bounds We have tens of thousands of satisfied customers still using our first generation Ultra Drive amplifiers which are more than 10 years old Our competition is satisfied with just continuing to build the same units year after year without thought for improvement but not Cadence We consider it our mission to use our expertise in developing the latest technologies and to bring you the absolute best sounding most powerful amplifiers on the market and of course ata reasonable price We are very proud to introduce this third generation of Q Series amplifiers featuring C FORCE technology ARVA and ADR circuitry You will be amazed at the quality and power that these new amps offer You will Boom Harder with Q Series amplifiers We have spared no expense in designing these amplifiers creating the most rugged reliable powerful and best performing amplifiers In fact we are so sure of the quality we backup every Q Series amplifier with our exclusive two year warranty which exemplifies our commitmentto excellence in car audio musical reproduction See enclosed warranty card for details Please read this installation guide carefully for proper use of your Cadence power amplifier Should you need technical assistance during or after your inst2. Boost osa 2 Full Range 2 Channel Channels 1 amp 2 4 ohm or 2 ohm per channel THREE CHANNEL SYSTEM Bridged 4 ohm Subwoofer VARIOUS IMPEDANCE WIRING 4 X DUAL VC 8 OHM SPEAKERS WITH SERIES VOICE COILS ALL IN PARALLEL 4 4 OHM SERIES SINGLE VOICE COIL PARALLEL SINGLE VOICE COIL SPEAKERS SPEAKERS 2 OHM TO 4 OHM AMPLIFIER 2 OHM AMPLIFIER 2 OHM SERIES DUAL VOICE COIL SPEAKERS 2 2 OHM 11 Please note that the minimum impedance load for single Cadence Q Series amplifiers is 2 ohm stereo and 4 ohm mono bridged Lower impedance loads will cause overheating and may damage the amplifiers Do not mix different type and different impedance speakers in the series and or parallel combinations as unequal power sharing and acoustic outputs will result PARALLEL DUAL VOICE COIL SPEAKERS AMPLIFIER 2 X DUAL VC 2 OHM SPEAKERS WITH SERIES VOICE COILS ALL IN PARALLEL OUTPUT POWER 4 Ohm Stereo Power 2 Ohm Stereo Power 4 Ohm Bridged Mono Power Dimensions LxWxH Due to constant product improvements these specifications are subject to change without notice High current rated powers are at amplifier minimum distortion and are for competition purposes Not responsible for typographical errors Copyright by Cadence Sound Systems Inc 2003 2
3. system Be sure to run the RCA cables on the opposite side of the vehicle that you used to carry the power and ground leads of the amplifier USING THE BUILT IN LOW PASS ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER All the Q Series amplifiers feature 12dB per octave fully adjustable low pass and high pass electronic crossovers For Low Pass systems set the crossover mode switch to LOW PASS Now the knob marked FREQUENCY will control the low pass frequencies from 50Hz to 250Hz A frequent mistake made is setting the low pass frequency too low especially when using vented subwoofer enclosures We recommend that for most installations you do not set the frequency knob lower than 100Hz the 12 o clock position When using the amplifiers for component speakers or coaxials you will want to set the mode switch to HI PASS The FREQUENCY control knob adjusts the high pass frequencies between 50Hz and 250Hz Do not attach tweeters directly to these amplifiers even in the high pass mode without a secondary passive crossover to protect them 250Hz high pass is not a frequency high enough for tweeters Level Frequency Bass Boost Hi e en G MAX 50Hz 250HzOdB 16dB Q Series two channel crossover section located under the light up plastic plate Boom ADJUSTING THE SYSTEM Once the system is operational the first thing to do is set all crossover points to approximate settings In the case of the basic subwoofer system Low Pass filter crossov
4. x 125 Watts 1 x 250 Watts 9 x 10 75 x 2 5 SPECIFICATIONS Q2150 Q2300 2 x 125 Watts 2 x 175 Watts 2 x 175 Watts 2 x 250 Watts 1 x 350 Watts 1x 500 Watts COMMON TO ALL MODELS Input level adjustment range Low pass filter adjustment range Low pass filter slope Bass boost range Bass boost center frequency adjustment range Signal to noise ratio Damping factor Minimum THD amp N Frequency Response Q4100 4 x 75 Watts 4 x 125 Watts 2 x 250 Watts 12 75 x 10 75 x 2 5 17 75 x 10 75 x 2 5 13 75 x 10 75 x 2 5 150 mV to 5 Volt 50 Hz to 250 Hz 12 dB octave 0 dB to 12 dB 45 Hz 100 dB 2200 O 100 Hz 0 0596 20Hz 35KHz
5. 5Hz The boost control allows you to add up to 12dB of Bass Drive effect Utilize the Bass Drive to tailor your bass response to your systems needs Please keep in mind that by adding Bass Drive you are adding stress on your speakers Make sure your speakers can handle the extra power output It would be foolish to add 12dB of gain to low excursion 8 and 10 Subwoofers ADR ACTIVE DYNAMIC REGULATION Cadence Q Series amplifiers feature our proprietary ADR Active Dynamic Regulated power supplies 100 HexFET devices are utilized in the power supply for high speed 100KHz switching frequencies The power supplies are capable of supplying the main amplifier with a considerable amount of reserve voltage for peak high demand situations The ADR circuit provides full bandwidth power for authoritative bass response high current output into low impedance loads and increased headroom The ADR is supplied with power via a high speed high temperature capacitance bank and 100 pure copper rails on the PCB enabling fast transient response to musical demands CLASS AB AUDIO STAGE PERFORMANCE The audio output section of the Q Series amplifiers feature Japanese studio grade high current BiPolar audio transistors Unlike other manufacturers who use a host of different type transistors not originally designed for audio output ie power supply transistors motor control transistors to produce the audio signal You can only imagine what they sound li
6. TION BASICS 5 POWER GROUND WIRING The Q Series amplifiers are supplied with built in fuses never replace the fuse that the amp came with with one of alarger value We suggest you construct a Red wiring harness with 2 additional fuse One fuse should be located near the car battery This fuse near the battery offers protection against damage from short circuits to the car chassis between the battery and the amplifier A second fuse closer to the amplifier offers additional safety to the amplifier itself This fused red power wire should be attached to the amplifier power terminal marked 12V The wire harness should be made of red primary cable of at least 4 8 gauge The harness should terminate in a large ring terminal for connection directly to the positive terminal of the car battery Use a spade plug to attach the wire which connects to the amplifier location marked 12V Asecond black color wire of equal gauge should be used as a ground connection to a welded chassis member When connecting the ground wire make sure that there is no paint or other insulator blocking a good ground connection When installing multiple amplifiers mount them in close proximity so that they can all share the same ground point Attach the black ground wire to the amplifier screw terminal marked Ground We recommend that you use the Cadence ZIK 8 or ZIK 4 amplifier installation kit which contains all the cabling and accessories necessary for a good reliable i
7. Turn the system off and reduce the gain on the amplifier or volume from your head unit this should result in a corrected condition DC Offset Protection Should any DC voltage try to enter the amplifier via the speaker terminals it will cause the amplifier to shut down and not operate until this condition is remedied This circuit will also protect damaging high DC voltages from reaching your speakers should your amplifier ever miss function INSTALLATION BASICS Before you begin with your installation disconnect the NEGATIVE terminal from your car s battery This safety precaution will avoid possible short circuits while wiring your amplifier Cadence amplifiers operate on 12 volt negative ground systems only It is recommend that you layout your sound system design on paper first This will help you during the installation so that you will have a wiring flow chart and not miss wire any of your components Mount the amplifier in the trunk or hatch area of your vehicle Never install an amplifier in the engine compartment or on the firewall Please be sure to leave breathing room around the amplifier heatsink so that it can dissipate the heat it produces efficiently The amplifier can be installed either horizontally or vertically When mounting the amplifier on the trunk floor be sure to watch for your gas tank gas lines and electrical lines Do not drill or mount any screws where they might penetrate the gas tank of your car INSTALLA
8. allation please call our technical line between 9 30 am and 5 00 PM EST at 732 370 5400 Read this entire guide fully before attempting your installation WARNING BE AWARE Use of this amplifier at extreme high volumes for extended periods of time may cause hearing loss and or hearing damage During periods of prolonged high volume levels it is recommended that you use ear safety devices Playing Cadence amplifiers at high volume levels while driving will impair your ability to hear necessary traffic sounds While driving always keep your sound volume at reasonable levels We at Cadence want you listening for many years to come When installing the amplifier secure it tightly An unmounted amplifier in your car can cause serious injury to passengers and damage to your vehicle if itis setin motion by an abrupt driving maneuver or short stop arder C AcIERCE FEATURES 3 GOLD PLATED TERMINALS All the terminals on the amplifier are solid brass and gold plated for high conductivity and minimum impedance loss The power and ground terminals are extra large and capable of accepting 4 8 gauge wire The speaker terminals can accept 16 gauge wire When wiring the amplifier be sure to strip just enough wire that fits into the terminal so that bare wires do not touch each other or the amplifier chassis and cause a short circuit POWER AND PROTECTION CIRCUITRY Q Series amplifiers feature our unique IC controlled protection circuitry This soph
9. ent speakers or coaxial you will want to set the mode switch to HI PASS The FREQUENCY control knob adjusts the high pass frequencies between 50Hz and 250Hz Do not attach tweeters directly to these amplifiers even in the high pass mode without a secondary passive crossover to protect them 250Hz high pass is not a frequency high enough for tweeters MOUNTING 7 MOUNTING THE AMPLIFIERS LIGHT UP ACRYLIC COVERS Choose a convenient mounting location with unobstructed airflow The Q amplifiers feature four plastic mounting tabs located at the amplifiers four corners You will need to remove i e red blue and orange The cover is held down with four thumb the light up acrylic panel and the chrome trim plate to access these mounting tabs screws The amplifier crossover and gain controls are located Using the supplied screws gently mount the amplifier in to position Do not over tighten the screws under the cover Please note that the length of the four thumb screws are different there are two short ones and two long ones The shorter screws are for the lower shelf of the acrylic cover while the longer screws fit the raised shelf area of the acrylic cover There is an area of multiple white neon LED bulbs underneath q P the cover which transmit the light through the cover By simply A T changing the cover you can change your amplifier installation SEN color to either blue red or orange a E Please take special care not to
10. er at 100 Hz or so Setthe Bass Boost equalizer controls to 0 dB Now you should set the amplifiers LEVEL adjustment The knob accessible on the top of the amplifier marked Input Level adjusts the input sensitivity from 150mV to 5Volts To adjust the input sensitivity turn the control using a small flat head screwdriver fully counter clock wise to the minimum position Do not apply any pressure while turning as this might break the control unit Adjust your radio volume level to maximum volume Now turn the level control on the amplifier clockwise towards the Maximum marking and until audible distortion occurs When you begin to hear any distortion in the sound back down one notch and your ampis set Itis helpful to have a second person to help you setthe gain When setting up a multi amp system set each amplifier s gain separately Start off with the bass amplifier then adjust the highs amplifier s level control to match Once you are satisfied with the level control settings use the equalizer controls to adjust the System tonal level for personal preference Keep in mind that after equalizing you may have to go back and reset the level controls The level control of any car amplifier should not be mistaken for a volume control It is a sophisticated device designed to match the output level of your source unit to the input level of the amplifier Do not adjust the amplifier gain to maximum unless your input level requires it If
11. erature of 80 degrees Celsius the amplifier will turn off Once the amplifier cools down simply reset the amplifier by its Remote connection turn the amplifier off and then on again once you have giventhe amplifier a chance to cool down and the amp will once again begin to play If you live in a hot climate we suggest installing additional cooling fans in your trunk to exhaust the hot air which can build up in the trunk this will help keep the ambient temperature in the trunk as low as possible so that your amps work flawlessly and without any musical interruption Speaker Short Circuit Protection Should your speakers short circuit due to voice coil burn out or should the amplifier sense an impedance too low to handle the Protection LED will light indicating a diagnostic condition Turn off your system disconnect one speaker at a time and try to determine which speaker might be faulty Correct the condition and restart the amplifier You must reset the amplifier by turning off and then on by the Remote power for proper operation after correcting a diagnostic condition Boom Clipping or total shutdown may also be a result of a bad ground connection or loose ground If you find that your speakers and speaker wires are not shorted please check your ground connection Input Overload Protection This circuit will either shutdown the amplifier completely or make the amplifier spurt on and off indicating that it is in a diagnostic condition
12. isticated circuit constantly monitors the heatsink internal temperature and various voltages adjusting the amp automatically and protecting it from dangerous conditions The 2 LEDs located on the input side of the amplifier provide indication of the amplifier status the Power LED will light when the amplifier is receiving proper power ground and remote voltages and the IC monitoring sequence indicates the amp is functional In case the amplifier encounters a diagnostic condition as listed below the second LED will light indicating a Diagnostic condition When a diagnostic condition is sensed the amplifier will then turn into a self preservation mode and if the cause of the diagnostic condition is not corrected will eventually shut off There are certain critical diagnostic conditions which will turn the amplifier off immediately 1 Speaker short circuit 2 Input Overload 3 Thermal overload 4 Reverse Polarity To reset the amplifier you must first diagnose what caused the problem correct the fault and restartthe system See the Trouble Shooting page for further details MUTE CIRCUIT The Q Series amplifiers feature an anti thump mute and delay circuit This eliminates irritating and speaker damaging turn on and turn off transients normally experienced with less expensive amplifiers BASS DRIVE EQUALIZATION CIRCUITRY A narrow Q shelving equalization circuit is included in the amplifiers The equalization system is preset at 4
13. ke Cadence uses only true audio transistors These transistors were designed and engineered to produce music That s why Cadence amplifiers sound better They are cleaner with lower distortion higher current capable and more reliable We challenge you to test listen a Cadence amplifier and hear the difference yourself A FEATURES ARVA AUTOMATIC RAIL VOLTAGE ADJUSTMENT CIRCUITRY Cadence Q Series amplifiers feature ARVA circuitry in their power supply This circuit constantly monitors the output stage and under high current demands will adjust the power supply rail voltages so that enough power is available for peak situations The ARVA also improves the damping factor of the amplifier when playing low impedance mono loads Cadence Q Series amplifiers have tighter sounding bass reproduction thanks to this unique circuitry BATTERY VOLTAGE CadenceQ Series amplifiers are rated and regulated to 13 8 volts and below Increasing voltage to 14 4 volts will increase the power output of the amplifier in the same proportion Maximum input voltage is 14 4 volts while the minimum voltage is 12 volts DO NOT EXCEED 14 4 INPUT VOLTAGE Cadence Q Series amplifiers are not competition style amplifiers PROTECTION CIRCUITRY Cadence amplifiers incorporate many outstanding protection circuits to help protect the amplifier from being damaged during operating conditions Thermal Protection When the amplifier reaches an unsafe operating temp
14. m or 2 ohm Load Minimum ernie Per Channel in 4 Channel Stereo LI LI O O 222 22 INSTALLATION WIRING 10 S e bridged O O 7 TE O B REMOTE 12V s B REMOTE 12V Ma H bridged bridged S e e Ges T T T T Bmn D o NS A BA HILL amp level Frequency Bass Boost AS Wats DI MIN MAX 50Hz 250Hz 048 14648 BRIDGED MONO SYSTEM Bridged 4 ohm Subwoofer TWO CHANNEL AMPLIFIER OPTIONS Jim en Level Frequency Bass Boost ENS MIN MAX5OHz 250Hx 048 16d Hi level Frequency Bass Boost Are CO GRAS min max sons 250Hz O4B 4645 TWO CHANNEL BRIDGED SYSTEM Two Bridged 4 ohm Subwoofers FOUR CHANNEL AMPLIFIER OPTIONS o gt bridged O B REMOTE 12V LEFT RIGHT O E O Bw ee v wv e wv gx B REMOTE 12 O2men bridged bridged A 2 y y v v AS NX E o E olo fuse Cr o 20 amp Level Frequency Bass Boost pi di ER Bus I MIN MAX 5OHz 250HrOdB 16d8 ES E Em dh FULL RANGE LIS COMPONENT SYSTEM 4 ohm Component Kit with Passive Crossovers Boom HiQFRdgy Level Frequency Bass Boost Pass j Pass MIN MAX 50Hz 250HrOdB i di level Frequency Bass
15. nstallation Over the years we have received many an amp back to our service department with melted power ground terminals The cause of this is a bad ground connection When there is a lack of good ground heat builds up at the weakest point which is the contact screw of the terminal Over time the heat generated will begin to melt the terminal It is a good practice to feel the power and ground wires with your hands near their amplifier connection after having played the amp for a while If the wires feel hot to the touch you probably have a bad or loose connection If you are sure of your connections and the wires still feel hot to the touch you should upgrade the gauge of the wire to next heaviest gauge REMOTE TURN ON CONECTION The remote turn on connection is located on the barrier strip next to the power and ground connections This connection is responsible for turning the amplifier on and off with the rest of the system A smaller gauge wire can be used to make this connection to your radio s power antenna lead Should your system not have any turn on leads you can wire the remote terminalto an accessory lead which turns on with your ignition SETTING THE TOP PANEL CONTROLS AUDIO PREAMP INPUT The Q Series amplifiers feature RCA preamp inputs Run RCA cables from your sound source to the inputs of the amplifier We suggest the use of high quality shielded RCA patch cords to help reduce and eliminate unwanted electrical noise from your
16. scratch the surface of the acrylic N covers Clean them only with a soft damp towel The use of any Lee cleansers may scratch the surface and remove the silver stamping of the logo CE C Replacement covers and thumb screws are available from ul Jo ooa od co Cadence All Q series amplifiers come with three molded acrylic covers in 8 INSTALLATION WIRING LI LI PEU level Frequency Bass Boost bridged B REMOTE 12V Den RIGHT LC Y Y 9 0 MIN MAX 50Hz 250HzOdB 16dB Ground Remote turn on J zl 7 UN Woofers Speakers 4 ohm or 2 ohm minimum load per channel in stereo 22 22 Ground TT TIT o S INE A bass ES ANS boost E C A A g A e Q ES DRIVE md urne Uu H i Optional RM 2 Line level A Dashboard Remote inputs from head unit Bass Boost Control INSTALLATION WIRING a O 20 am ri e ri e EA a E x tT D C 6 1 PEE 7 A H e E c E Y we MIN esos a OdB 16d Am en Level Frequency Bass Boost BEE rn Max sons 250Hz OdB 1648 30m lt 4 U fuse 20 amp Remote turn on E THHI FADS ZANA Ground Fuse at battery fal JOIN ZO 4 Channel HP FR LP Mode 4 oh
17. your unit has been professionally installed please do not change the gain settings set by the installer he is the professional Your system can also be extremely sensitive to noise when the LEVEL is set to maximum and does not match your input signal The gain adjustments need to be made only once when first setting upthe system Boom GREET MIN MAX5OHz 250HzOdB 16dB Frequency Bass Boost USING THE ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER 4 CHANNEL MODEL The four channel models feature separate crossovers for channels 1 2 and 3 4 All the Q Series amplifiers feature 12dB per octave fully adjustable low pass and high pass electronic crossovers FOUR CHANNELAMPLIFIER CONFIGURATIONS 1 All four channels High Pass for internal component speakers in doors and rear decks 2 Channels 1 and 2 High Pass for front component speakers while channels 3 and 4 are wired to subwoofers 3 Bridge channels 1 and 2 for single high power subwoofer channel Bridge channels 3 and 4 for second high power subwoofer channel For Low Pass systems set the crossover mode switch to LOW PASS Now the knob marked FREQUENCY will control the low pass frequencies from 50Hz to 250Hz A frequent mistake made is setting the low pass frequency too low especially when using vented subwoofer enclosures We recommend that for most installations you do not set the frequency knob lower than 100Hz the 12 o clock position When using the amplifiers for compon
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