DS18 X1 Ultra Compact Class D 1 Channel Amplifier Owner’s Manual

June 5, 2024
DS18

DS18 X1 Ultra Compact Class D 1 Channel Amplifier Owner’s Manual

WHERE ARE YOU HEADED?

Thank you for choosing DS18/X series amplifier!
Your choice of candy series amps indicates a desire for high quality music reproduction in the automobile. DS18/X amplifier brings to you over four decades of car audio expertise. So weather you are a daily driver music lover, or a serious car audio competitor. DS18/X amplifiers have the product for you.
To take full advantage of the DS18/X amplifier gear you have just purchased, please read and follow the instructions in this manual. As with all of our products, professional installation by an authorized dealer is highly recommended. Otherwise, the performance of your new gear may not be satisfactory.

In addition to the installation services and expertise offered by an authorized DS18/X amplifier dealer, the warranty of this product may be extended when installed by an authorized DS18/X amplifiar dealer.
Be sure to ask your authorized DS18/X amplifiar dealer about wheather your product may qualify for an extended warranty. You are headed in the right direction with DS18/X amplifier.

INTRODUCTION

The DS18/X amplifier for high quality audio reproduction for the audiophile and the everyday listener a like. Allowing you the ability to taylor the sound to best fit the speakers and your listening preferences ensures solid electrical connections that resist corrosion. Fully variable crossover.
Aditionally, they may be used in conjuction with outboard passive or active crossovers, depending on the complexity required by the system. the 12dB per octave slope offers steep roll-off above or below the selected frequency.
Protection circuitry against overload, short circuit, thermal, low voltage, high voltage, and reverse polarity.
This protecction features are designed to protect the amplifier from missuse, as well as from common causes of amplifier failure.

INSTALLATION

Professional installation by an authorized DS18/X Series amps dealer is highly recommended!
Otherwise, the performance of your new gear may not be satisfactory. In the event that you decide to do your own installation, please read and follow this manual very carefully. Failure to do so may compromise the integrity of this product, your automobile, and possibly avoid the product warranty.
Amplifiers are generally mounted in the hatch/trunk are of a car or SUV, and under or behind the seat of most pick up trucks.
Select a location that will provide adequate ventilation for the amplifier. Avoid mounting the amplifier with the fins facing down.
The fins should be facing up, either vertically or horizontally. Secure the amplifier with the screws provided.

INPUT

Before securing the amplifier, inspect the mounting location carefully to ensure that you do not drill into or damage any electrical, hydraulic, fluid or fuel lines.

Input Section
Because of the wide range of head unit output configurations all DS18/X Series amps have an adjustable input sensitivity of “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 your 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 judgement and listening carefully to each speaker is still the best way to tune a 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 in need to ensure that all the speakers are playing the right sounds and that you are left with no “holes” or low spots in the frequency response.

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 quick disconnected plugs 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 flat 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 protection. Know your total ohm load before you make any connections.

INSTALLATION OF X1

NOTE
If Only connect ONE subwoofer whether #1 or #2, the maximum
Impedance of subwoofer requires 1 ohm;
If connect BOTH subwoofer on #1 and #2, the maximum impedance of each subwoofer require 2 ohm!

INSTALLATION OF X1

INSTALLATION OF X2

INSTALLATION OF X2

INSTALLATION OF X4

INSTALLATION OF X4

X4 BRIDGED MODE

X4 BRIDGED MODE

WARRANTY

Please visit our website DS18.com for more information on our warranty policy.

We reserve the right to change products and specifications at any time without notice.
Images may or may not included optional equipment.

SPECIFICATIONS

CLAss CLAss-D / DIGITAL CLAss-D / DIGITAL CLAss-D / DIGITAL
R TYPE MICRO MONOBLOCK AMP MICRO STEREO FULL RANGE MICRO STEREO FULL RANGE
CHANNELS 1 2 4
TOTAL WATTS (PEAK) 900W 1140W 1320W
RMS POWER @ 4 OHM 140W X 1CH 140W X 2CH 70W X 4CH
RMS POWER @ 2 OHM 2200W X 1CH 230W X 2CH 140W X 4CH
RMS POWER @ 1 OHM 300W X 1CH
RMS POWER @ 4 OHM BRIDGE 380W X 1CH 220W X 2CH
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 20HZ-500HZ 20HZ-20KHZ 20HZ-20KHZ
SIGNAL/NOISE RATIO >90 >90 >90
CY @ 4OHM >80% >80% >80%
DAMPING FACTOR >200 >201 >202
THD % / DISTORCION ARMONICA TOTAL (THD)% <0.2% <0.2% <0.2%
LOW LEVEL INPUT RANGE 0.2-5V 0.2-5V 0.2-5V
SELECTABLE X-OVER FIXED LPF LPF/FLAT/HPF LPF/FLAT/HPF
X-OVER FILTER RANGE 50HZ-250HZ 40HZ-400HZ FIXED 80HZ
BASS BOOST RANGE 0-18
BASS BOOST FREQUENCY 40HZ
INFRAS LTER 10-55HZ
PHASE SELECTOR 0 – 180 DEGREES
MINIMUM IMPEDANCE 1 OHM 2 OHM 2 OHM
LED INDICATOR POWER/PROTECTION POWER/PROTECTION POWER/PROTECTION
POWER INPUT SIZE 12gA 12gA 12gA
FUSE RATING 30A 40A 45A
REMOTE LEVEL CONTROL YES – DASH MOUNT
THERMAL PROTECTION YEs / SI YEs / SI YEs / SI
OVER-LOAD PROTECTION YEs / SI YEs / SI YEs / SI
DC OUTPUT PROTECTION YEs / SI YEs / SI YEs / SI
SHORT CIRCUIT OUTPUT PROTECTION YEs / SI YEs / SI YEs / SI
VOLTAGE INPUT PROTECTION YEs / SI YEs / SI YEs / SI
DIMENSIONS LXWXH (INCHES) 5.54 X 3.24 X 1.37” /

140.8 X 82.4 X 34.8 MM

| 5.54 X 3.24 X 1.37” /

140.8 X 82.4 X 34.8 MM

| 5.54 X 3.24 X 1.37” /

140.8 X 82.4 X 34.8 MM

HEATSINK LENGTH| 4.75” / 120.8MM| 4.75” / 120.8MM| 4.75” / 120.8MM
COMPACT SIZE TO EASY INSTALLATION FOR ANY APPLICATIONS| YES / SI| YEs / SI| YEs / SI
STABLE/RELIABLE FOUR LAYERs TRACEs PCB DESIGN| YEs / SI| YEs / SI| YEs / SI
SURFACE MOUNT COMPONENT| YEs / SI| YEs / SI| YEs / SI
AUDIO PRECIsION QUALITY CONTROL        CATION| YEs / SI| YEs / SI| YEs / SI
CATION 2CH/4CH INPUT SELECTOR| NO / NO| NO / NO| YEs / SI

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Before you start disconnect the negative cable from the battery. Tape up the end so it is isolated from the battery.
  2. Run an appropiate gauge wire from the battery to the amplifier. Plan this part of the installation carefully. This cable will carry very high current. If it should short to the body and it is not properly fused it could catch fire.
  3.  Connect the power wire to the battery using a fuse capable of the total current load of all amplifiers connected. Don’t install the fuse yet. Wait until the end. Locate the fuse as close as posible to the battery. The fuse is further that 18 inches (wire lenght) from the battery you should reevaluate the wire and fuse paclement.
  4.  Find the closest clear metal area to the amp for a ground. Sand, grind or scrape all paint and undercoating from the body and mscrew the ground securely in place. It is advisible to test the ground with an ohmmeter between the ground cable and the negative battery cable to ensure a good low resistance connection. Some alloys used in some modern cars do not offer the best ground. If you believe this is the case, consult with the vehicle manufacturer.
  5. Run the speaker wire to the speakers. it is advised that you leave some extra wire at this point! You can clean it up later.
  6. If you haven’t already done so, mount the amp now.
  7. Connect the power and ground to the amplifier (only after this step should you install the fuse at the battery)
  8. Connect the remote wire from the head unit to the amplifier. Now is a good time to turn on the amplifier for the first time and make sure it turns on properly and does not go into protection.
  9. Connect the speaker wires to the amp and speakers (make sure the amp is off first) make sure the polarity (+ and -) are correct
  10. Connect the RCA’s to the amp.
  11. Double check the amplifier’s control at this time. Make sure everything is set correctly for your system.
  12. Now you are ready to play it for the first time. It is best to leave the gain all the way down at first. Start with the head unit volume low and make your way up.
  13. Now you can tune the amp. Take your time and make only one adjustment at a time. It may take some time to get the system fully adjusted. During this time the amp is drawing current from the battery. You should check the battery voltage from time to time and recharge it if it gets low . That’s it . You are done, have fun !

References

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