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Save the RB-976 shipping carton and all enclosed packing mate-
rial for future use. Shipping or moving the RB-976 in anything
other than the original packing material may result in severe dam-
age to your amplifier.
Fill out and send in the owner’s registration card packed with the
RB-976. Also be sure to keep the original sales receipt. It is your
best record of the date of purchase, which you will need in the
event warranty service is ever required.
Placement
Because of its high power output, the RB-976 may generate con-
siderable heat. The heat sinks and ventilation openings in the am-
plifier are more than capable of dissipating this heat under normal
conditions, but don’t smother your amplifier. There must be ad-
equate clearance around the chassis. The ventilation slots in the
top cover must be unblocked, and there must be reasonable air-
flow around the amplifier. Use common sense when placing the
amplifier in a cabinet or when stacking other equipment.
Likewise, remember the weight of the amplifier when you select
an installation location. Make sure that the shelf or cabinet can
support its considerable bulk. Again, use common sense.
Protection Circuitry
The RB-976 features a thermal protection circuit that protects the
amplifier against potential damage in the event of extreme or
faulty operating conditions. Unlike many designs, the RB-976’s
protection circuit is independent of the audio signal and has no
impact on sonic performance. Instead, the protection circuit
monitors the temperature of the output devices and shuts down
the amplifier if temperatures exceed safe limits.
Most likely, you will never see this protection circuitry in action.
However, should a faulty condition arise, one or more channels of
the amplifier will stop playing.
If this happens, turn the amplifier off, let it cool down for several
minutes, and attempt to identify and correct the problem that
caused the protection circuitry to engage. When you turn the am-
plifier back on, the protection circuit will automatically reset.
In most cases, the protection circuitry activates because of a fault
condition such as shorted speaker wires, or inadequate ventila-
tion leading to an overheating condition. In very rare cases, highly
reactive or extremely low impedance speaker loads could cause
the protection circuit to engage.
If the protection circuitry triggers repeatedly and you are unable
to isolate and correct the faulty condition, contact your authorized
Rotel dealer for assistance in troubleshooting.
AC Power and Controls
AC Power Input
9
Because of its high power rating, the RB-976 can draw consider-
able current. Therefore, it should be plugged directly into a 2-pin
polarized wall outlet. Do not use an extension cord. A heavy duty
multi-tap power outlet strip may be used if it (and the wall outlet)
is rated to handle the current demanded by the RB-976 and all the
other components connected to it.
Be sure the power switch on the front panel of the RB-976 is
turned off (in the out position). Then, connect the supplied power
cord to the AC power outlet.
Your RB-976 is configured at the factory for the proper AC line
voltage in the country where you purchased it (either 115 volts AC
or 230 volts AC with a line frequency of either 50 Hz or 60 Hz). The
AC line configuration is noted on a decal on the back panel.
Note: Should you move your RB-976 amplifier to another country,
it is possible to reconfigure your amplifier for use on a different
line voltage. Do not attempt to perform this conversion yourself.
Opening the enclosure of the RB-976 exposes you to dangerous
voltages. Consult a qualified service person or the Rotel factory
service department for information.
If you are going to be away from home for an extended period of
time such as a month-long vacation, it is a sensible precaution to
unplug your amplifier (as well as other audio and video compo-
nents) while you are away.
Power Switch
1
and Power Indicator
2
The power switch is located on the front panel of your amplifier. To
turn the amplifier on, push the switch in. The LED indicator above the
switch will light, indicating that the amplifier is turned on. To turn the
amplifier off, push the button again and return it to the out position.
Channel and Bridged Mono Indicator Lights
3
4
When a channel pair is in stereo mode the two channel indicator
lights for those channels will light. When a channel pair is in
Bridged Mono mode, the two Channel Indicator Lights are turned
off and the Bridged Mono Indicator Light for that channel pair is
turned on. Refer to the Input Configuration and Connection section
on the following page for more information.
Level Adjust Controls
5
The Level Adjust controls enable you to individually adjust the in-
put sensitivity of the three channel pairs. They can be used to set
the sound output balance of the speakers in a home theater sys-
tem, or control the volume level in the various rooms when the
RB-976 is used to drive the speakers in a multi-room installation.
The setting of the Input Selector Switch does not affect the opera-
tion of the Level Adjust controls.
2
SIX CHANNEL POWER AMPLIFIER RB-976