- DL manuals
- Zed Audio
- Amplifier
- Draconia
- Instruction & Installation Manual
Zed Audio Draconia Instruction & Installation Manual
Summary of Draconia
Page 1
Instruction and installation manual minotaur draconia dreadnought leviathan ra designed and manufactured in the united states of america.
Page 2
Index introduction page 1 myths, magic and facts pages 2 to 16 setting controls page 17 quality control page 18 installation instructions pages 19 to 20 specifications pages 21 to 25 minotaur pages 26 to 34 draconia/dreadnought pages 35 to 48 leviathan pages 49 to 61 ra . . . . Pages 62 to 66 sugges...
Page 3
Zed audio is proud to introduce our third line of innovative mobile amplifiers. The new products were carefully selected to fill the need of the car audio enthusiasts. The first is minotaur an all new single channel (mono block) rated at 600w into 4 ohm and 1000w into 2 ohm. This is not your normal ...
Page 4
Myths, magic and facts a mplifiers: what are they and what do they do? All amplifiers are basically power supplies! This will shock almost all who read this. Audio amplifiers are really a valve between the power supply and the speaker. This valve is “instructed” by the incoming audio signal to allow...
Page 5
Myths, magic and facts let us use a 50w amplifier as our example. We shall assume a lossless output stage and a perfectly regulated power supply capable of tons of current and enough rail voltage to supply 8 ohm loads.. The constant voltage amplifier will deliver 14.14 volts across whatever load we ...
Page 6
Myths, magic and facts class a and class b amplifiers do not have output filters and so the feedback network is always taken off from the output node of the amplifier. Class d amplifiers have a “monkey on their backs” in that they all have to have an output demodulator filter to get rid of the high ...
Page 7
Myths, magic and facts what we have is a big old amplifier with a 0.04 ohm “resistor” in series with the output. The dcr of the wire on the inductors is absolutely equal to a resistor with regards to straight dcr. The output impedance of the amplifier is at best 0.04 ohms and this does not take into...
Page 8
Myths, magic and facts class b amplifiers can be made more efficient by using some smart power supply technology. The “enemy” of the class b amplifier is the value of the power supply voltage required to deliver the specified output for that particular power. The technologies available are beyond th...
Page 9
Myths, magic and facts output level all the time, in fact very rarely. So referring back to the fact that the average level is about 10-15% of the maximum or peak power of the amplifier, the efficiency is substantially lower than the 90+%. Typically with a class d amplifier this figure is around 75%...
Page 10
Myths, magic and facts our design philosophies have been influenced by both the professional and home audio markets. Traditionally the professional market has been driven by reliability with sound quality as second. The home market was the reverse. Today however both reliability and sound quality ca...
Page 11
Page 9 myths, magic and facts oh i forgot some facts about cables i would like to mention. This applies really to home stereo. The typical rca patchcord cable length from cd player/tuner to the pre amplifier is maybe 1.5 metres (4.8’). Even if the capacitance between the inner conductor and shield i...
Page 12
Myths, magic and facts z ed does not recommend the use of power distribution blocks for the purpose of distributing the +12volt voltage to several amplifiers. The reason is that the vehicle’s battery is the lowest ac impedance point in the power grid of the vehicle. We want each amplifier to draw it...
Page 13
Myths, magic and facts d amping factor - this amplifier specification has been blown out of all proportion. What it means is the ability of the amplifier to resist a change in it’s output voltage. The formula is df= speaker z / amplifier output z (where z is impedance). So many manufacturers have cl...
Page 14
Myths, magic and facts b ridging two channels of an amplifier is not a magical thing. Most are mystified by the power figures quoted under the “bridge” column. It is actually very simple. When two channels are driving a common load, one channel is out of phase with the other by 180 degrees. So when ...
Page 15
Myths, magic and facts h eadroom - continued. So a 100w/ch amplifier running into 4 ohms must develop 20 volts across the speaker terminal. This requires a net (under load) rail voltage of about +/- 33 volts. Now for it to have 3db of headroom it must be capable of delivering 28.28 volts across the ...
Page 16
Myths, magic and facts s ubsonic filters and clipping. The former are simply steep slope high pass filters with a frequency range between 10 to 50hz. Their only function is to filter out those frequencies which lie below audibility. The woofer’s cone will not “flop” around as it does without the use...
Page 17
The following pages show some interesting facts about sound, hearing issues, power and most of all dispel many of the ill gained facts in the car audio industry. Decibels (db) power ratio voltage ratio 0.5 1.12 1.06 0.7 1.17 1.08 4.0 2.5 1.58 5.0 3.16 1.78 6.0 4.0 2.0 perceptions of increase in deci...
Page 18
Page 16.
Page 19
Setting the controls on amplifiers evel control - this control is the most misunderstood control on any amplifier. It’s sole l purpose in life is to level match the head unit’s output voltage to the gain structure of the amplifier so that the user can use the head unit’s volume control in the “best ...
Page 20
Quality control (qc) is a process which begins from the first designs entered into a computer and then never ends. Zed is continually striving to improve the products which we design and manufacture. All our semiconductors are purchased from either the manufacturer direct or through reputable distri...
Page 21
Installation instructions location: choose a suitable location in the vehicle which will allow sufficient airflow over the amplifier. The preferred mounting direction is with the heatsink fins in a vertical direction. However we do recognize that this is not always possible. Mounting the amplifier(s...
Page 22
Connecting the amplifier once the amplifier has been correctly mounted the electrical connections can now be made. The first step is to connect the loudspeakers. Using the appropriate size of wire (we recommend a min of #14) connect the speakers as shown in later diagrams, depending on which amplifi...
Page 23
Specifications specification minotaur continuous output power into 2 ohm 1300w x 1 continuous output power into 4 ohm 750w x 1 continuous output power 2 amplifiers bridged into 4 ohm 2600w x 1 continuous output power 2 amplifiers bridged into 8 ohm 1500w x 1 minimum speaker impedance 2 ohm minimum s...
Page 24
Specifications specification draconia continuous output power into 2 ohm 240w x 4 continuous output power into 4 ohm 150w x 4 continuous output power 2 channels bridged into 4 ohm 480w x 2 continuous output power 2 channels bridged into 8 ohm 300w x 2 minimum speaker impedance 2 ohm per channel mini...
Page 25
Specifications specification dreadnought continuous output power into 2 ohm 400w x 4 continuous output power into 4 ohm 250w x 4 typical output power into 4 ohm per channel (1% thd) 300w x 4 continuous output power 2 channels bridged into 4 ohm 800w x 2 continuous output power 2 channels bridged int...
Page 26
Specifications specification leviathan continuous output power into 2 ohm 330w x 6 continuous output power into 4 ohm 190w x 6 continuous output power into 6 ohm ++ 125w x 6 continuous output power into 8 ohm 100w x 6 typical output power into 4 ohm per channel (1% thd) 235w x 6 continuous output po...
Page 27
Page 25 specifications specification ra frequency response 15hz-240hz bandwidth limited input voltage range 0 to 2.25 volt (can be factory adjusted to any setting)t input impedance from 15hz to 240hz 10k ohm output impedance approximately 100 ohms output voltage can drive a 600 ohm load at 9v rms no...
Page 28
Page 26 minotaur minotaur is the first of our new generation of mono block/single channel amplifiers. These are capable of full range operation for those who demand high power for midrange and lower midrange drivers in multi way systems. However its primary goal is for sub woofers. The on board cros...
Page 29
Page 27 four (4) minotaurs may be connected in a parallel-bridge configuration when the need for ultra high power is required. Refer to the later diagrams. Graphs showing the difference between conventional and constant q equalizers low impedance loads - 1 ohm and below - our philosophy there is no ...
Page 30
Page 28 minotaur driving one or more speakers as a stand alone amplifier from a four output signal source. Fuse remote >3v + - + - battery 1/ 3 2 4 peak output line in line out +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 25hz 25hz 31hz 31hz 40h...
Page 31
Page 29 minotaur driving one or more speakers as a stand alone amplifier from a two output signal source. Fuse remote >3v + - + - battery 1/ 3 2 4 peak output line in line out +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 25hz 25hz 31hz 31hz 40hz...
Page 32
Page 30 minotaur driving one or more speakers as a stand alone amplifier from a four output signal source and set to flat mode. This drawing applies to any configuration where a single minotaur is used. Fuse remote >3v + - + - battery 1/ 3 2 4 peak output line in line out +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12...
Page 33
Two minotaurs driving one or more speakers each. Signal source shown as 2 but may be a 2 or 4 source (see previous drawings) + - + - 1/ 3 2 4 peak output line in line out +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 25hz 25hz 31hz 31hz 40hz 40hz...
Page 34
Two minotaurs bridged and driving one or more speakers signal source shown as 2 but may be a 2 or 4 source (see previous drawings pgs 28 and 29) + - 1/ 3 2 4 peak output line in line out +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 25hz 25hz 31h...
Page 35
Four minotaurs in a parallel/bridge mode configuration signal source shown as 2 but may be a 2 or 4 source (see previous drawings) 1/ 3 2 4 peak output line in line out +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 +12 +12 -12 -12 0 0 25hz 25hz 31hz 31hz 40hz 40hz 5...
Page 36
Four minotaurs in a parallel/bridge mode configuration continued. The masteramplifier receives the signals from the source unit. Slave 1 and the master are bridged as a pair as per instructions on page 32. The master drives from its non invert line output to slave 2 slave 2 drives slave 3 from its i...
Page 37
Draconia and dreadnought draconia and dreadnought are the first new 4 channel amplifiers. Draconia’s output is a modest 100w x 4 at 4 ohm but by no means a wimp when bridged as a 2 channel amplifier into 4 ohms where the amplifier delivers 400w/ch and 200w/ch into 8 ohms. Dreadnought at 225w x 4 at ...
Page 38
Draconia/dreadnought driving four channels all in flat mode using component speakers. Signal source is front and rear. Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 5...
Page 39
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k mode 11 48 20 30 40 44 15 flat flat hp lp/bp mode mode clip 1 2 3 4 ...
Page 40
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k mode 11 48 20 30 40 44 15 flat flat hp lp/bp mode mode clip 1 2 3 4 ...
Page 41
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k mode 11 48 20...
Page 42
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k mode 11 48 20...
Page 43
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k mode 11...
Page 44
Fuse remote >3v battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode mode 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4...
Page 45
Fuse remote >3v battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode mode 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 ...
Page 46
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 7...
Page 47
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 7...
Page 48
Fuse remote >3v + - battery the controls shown in green are applicable only chassis flat flat hp hp lp/bp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode mode 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55...
Page 49
1+ 1 2+ 2 bridge 3+ 3 4+ 4 bridge _ _ _ _ batt+ rem gnd minimum load is 2 ohm/channel or 4 ohm/ bridged pair power connections designed and assembled in the usa by zed audio draconia/dreadnought bridging instructions any pair of channels may be bridged independently of the others where the minimum l...
Page 50
Draconia/dreadnought front panel controls flat flat hp hp lp/bp lp/bp mode mode mode mode mode mode 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 55 4k 4k 85 85 135 135 290 290 760 760 1.5k 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k 55 4k 85 135 290 760 1.5k mode 11 48 20 30 40 44 15 flat hp lp/bp mode...
Page 51
Leviathan we are proud to introduce the second generation of the leviathan amplifier. The previous generation leviathan proved that there is a need for multi channel amplifiers (>4 channels) in the mobile market. Several improvements have been incorporated into the new amplifier. 1) channels 5+6 hav...
Page 52
11) run channels 1+2 as high pass and channels 3,4,5 and 6 as low pass for a typical front stage system. 12) run channels 1+2 in high pass for the front stage, channels 3+4 in high pass for the rear fill and channels 5+6 for the subs. 13) run channels 1+2 in high pass for the front stage tweeters, c...
Page 53
+ - the controls shown in green are applicable only leviathan run with all 6 channels with flat response battery remote >3v fuse the six (6) inputs can be driven from six different sources or y adapted as required 1+ 1 2+ 2 bridge 3+ 3 4+ 4 bridge 5+ 5 6+ 6 bridge _ _ _ _ _ _ batt+ rem gnd minimum l...
Page 54
Batt+ rem gnd minimum load is 2 ohm/channel or 4 ohm/ bridged pair bridge bridge bridge power connections designed and assembled in the usa by zed audio + - + - + - leviathan with 6 channels in flat response and bridged battery remote >3v fuse the three (3) inputs can be driven from three different ...
Page 55
The controls shown in green are applicable only leviathan with chs 1+2 in high pass battery remote >3v fuse these two inputs are driven from an applicable source 1+ 1 2+ 2 bridge 3+ 3 4+ 4 bridge 5+ 5 6+ 6 bridge _ _ _ _ _ _ batt+ rem gnd minimum load is 2 ohm/channel or 4 ohm/ bridged pair power co...
Page 56
The controls shown in green are applicable only leviathan with chs 3+4 in high pass battery remote >3v fuse these two inputs are driven from an applicable source inputs high pass level flat hp lp5+6 flat hp hp lp/bp lp bp lp5+6 high pass high pass level level low pass mode mode mode mode-lp/bp 0.25v...
Page 57
The controls shown in green are applicable only leviathan with chs 3+4 in low pass battery remote >3v fuse these two inputs are driven from an applicable source inputs high pass level flat hp lp5+6 flat hp lp/bp lp/bp lp lp bp lp5+6 high pass level low pass mode mode mode-lp/bp 0.25v 8.6v 0.25v 0.25...
Page 58
Leviathan with chs 3+4 in band pass battery remote >3v fuse the controls shown in green are applicable only these two inputs are driven from an applicable source inputs high pass level flat hp lp5+6 flat hp lp/bp lp bp lp5+6 high pass level low pass mode mode mode-lp/bp 0.25v 8.6v 0.25v 0.25v 8.6v 8...
Page 59
The controls shown in green are applicable only leviathan with chs 5+6 in low pass using 5+6 inputs battery remote >3v fuse these two inputs are driven from an applicable source these two inputs may be y-adapted and the channels run in bridge mode chs 5+6 may be run in bridge mode (min speaker imped...
Page 60
The controls shown in green are applicable only leviathan with chs 5+6 in low pass using inputs 1,2,3 and 4 battery remote >3v fuse these four inputs can be driven from either separate signal sources (front+rear outputs from hu) or from a mono signal source inputs high pass level flat hp lp5+6 flat ...
Page 61
The controls shown in green are applicable only leviathan with chs 5+6 in low pass using inputs 1,2,3 and 4 and ch 1,2,3 and 4 switched to lp5+6 battery remote >3v fuse these four inputs can be driven from either separate signal sources (front+rear outputs from hu) or from a mono signal source any p...
Page 62
Leviathan as a 2 channel tri-amplified system battery remote >3v fuse the controls shown in green are applicable only inputs high pass level flat hp lp5+6 flat hp lp/bp lp bp lp5+6 high pass level low pass mode mode mode-lp/bp 0.25v 0.25v 8.6v 8.6v 0.25v 0.25v 8.6v 8.6v 1 3 2 4 5 6 1+2 3+4 55 55 85 ...
Page 63
Page 61 leviathan jumper links to parallel the inputs instead of using external y-adaptors. Remove the lexan top and remove the three rca connector plugs from the main pcb. These are plugged into connectors as shown below. When re inserting them they can only lock in in one direction. Where these ju...
Page 64
Ra the egyptian sun god was the inspiration behind this new product. He is considered the father of gods, and was the most important and worshipped king of gods in ancient egypt.. We are sure that our humble version of ra will also be “worshipped”. It is truly a unique pre amplifier. The purpose beh...
Page 65
Once the signal leaves the low pass crossover it is routed to the sub harmonic synthesizer. I bet that most have never heard of such a device but they are common in pro audio and have been made for car audio however in much simpler forms. The basic principle is to take a band of frequencies and synt...
Page 66
The attack time determines how quickly the compressor can react to signals which are above the threshold. The release time determines how quickly the compressor releases the signal and return to normal gain. The ratio control sets the ratio of input level to output level and typically compressors ha...
Page 67
Instructions for setting the threshold control of the compressor. The compressor’s threshold control is relatively easy to set as long as one understands the various electronic “blocks” involved. Please read the following text carefully. Ra can be considered simply as a pre-amplifier, with variable ...
Page 68
Low pass 45 230 60 85 130 185 210 master 45hz 32hz threshold volume sub harmonic synthesizer compressor ra min max min max min max min max high low ra panel controls and connections we feel the panel controls require no further explanation ra power batt gnd rem inputs output l r fuse ground from rem...
Page 69
Page 67 some suggested systems using various combinations of zed amplifiers. 4 way using a minotaur and a leviathan : the leviathan is used for the lower mids (ch 5+6), upper mids (ch 3+4) and tweeters (ch 1+2), minotaur is used for the sub woofers. 4 way using draconia and dreadnought : the draconi...
Page 70
Troubleshooting amplifier will not power up. Check for battery power at amplifier’s power terminals. Check for voltage at remote terminal must be greater than 3 volts make sure protection led is off. If it is on, turn the amplifier off for 5 seconds and then power up again. If led comes on again ref...
Page 71
Limited warranty this zed audio product is warrantied to the original purchaser against defects in material and workmanship from the factory. This warranty is for a period of 90 days from date of purchase from zed audio corporation or an authorised dealer. This warranty is valid in the country in wh...
Page 72
All warranty claims shall be decided at the discretion of zed audio corporation or an appointed representative. Zed audio corporation reserves the right to make changes and/or improvements upon it’s products. We do not assume any obligation to install such changes and/or improvements to existing equ...
Page 73
Registration form name of owner: address: name of product(s) purchased: serial number: name and address from whom this product was purchased. Date of purchase please do not forget to mail a copy of the retail invoice or scan it an email to us. If you are mailing us your registration, you may print a...
Page 74
Page 72 new products scheduled for 2012 release owing to the bad economic climate we have decided to delay the launch of megalith and the tube hybrid amplifiers. We are instead launching 5 new products which will fit below these products in this manual. They are less expensive but do not lack featur...