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Installation and Connections
AC Power Considerations
Ensure that the unit is plugged into an outlet capable of supplying the correct voltage and current specied
for your model. Remember to account for the electrical power that other components will require if they
share a common wall socket or electrical circuit. The majority of household electrical sockets in places other
than the kitchen and garage are 15 amperes maximum. Most CD players and other source components
are fairly low current items. When both channels are driven, the Emotiva RPA-1 requires a minimum of 10
amperes @ 120 volts or 5 amperes @ 230 volts when driven into 8 ohms. It should be sucient to allow the
other devices such as preampliers and A/V source units to share a wall socket, but power ampliers such
as the RPA-1 and a video display (big screen TV or video projector) should be provided a SEPARATE electrical
connection on a SEPARATE circuit. As the RPA-1 has a minimum requirement that can consume nearly one
entire circuit, please use a second (separate) electrical connection for other devices. DO NOT plug the RPA-1
into a power strip or extension cord unless the device is specically designed and rated for high current use.
Refer to your preamplier, A/V source component(s), and video display owner’s manuals to learn the power
requirements so you can safely plan your electrical power requirements for your home entertainment
system.
Upon powering up the RPA-1 with the front panel switch or via trigger input (switch on the rear panel must
be set to “ON”), you will notice the front panel center LED status light illuminates blue. This indicates the
amplier is on, functioning normally, and ready for operation. If you experience a red LED light while the
amplier is on during high output operation, this indicates a “peak” condition (also called “clipping”). If the
status LED in the center is solid red and the amplier has shut down, this indicates a fault condition. For
more information on diagnosing the fault, please refer to the troubleshooting section of this manual.
Physical Placement
Place the RPA-1 on a at, level surface. Please distribute the weight equally on the four feet. Please give this
unit adequate ventilation for proper cooling when placing. If this unit is placed in a cabinet, please make
sure that the cabinet’s rear is open to fresh air and there are at least 6 inches of free air space above the
amplier and 1 inch on each side. If the amplier is located on a carpeted surface, place a board under the
amplier’s feet. If the cabinet’s design will not accommodate an open rear, install two small brushless DC
fans (such as those used in computer cases) to provide continuous air ow into and out of the cabinet.
Do NOT block the ventilation holes on the RPA-1. The RPA-1 is equipped with massive toroidal power
transformers. These transformers generate a magnetic eld that could induce a hum in a turntable
(particularly a turntable equipped with a moving coil cartridge). Do NOT place a turntable directly above or
directly adjacent to the RPA-1.
Before placing the RPA-1 on a shelf, verify that the weight bearing capacity of the shelf is 45 lbs
or greater. The amplier is heavy and should be placed toward the bottom of an audio rack to minimize the
rack being unnecessarily top heavy.
