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is something wrong with my Rotel amp?

post #1 of 14
11/19/09 at 1:24pm
Thread Starter 
(Mods, please move this if it's in the wrong forum. Thank you!)

Hi all,

I finally set up my integrated Rotel amp, the 810a with my Paradigm speakers. It sounds AMAZING! However, I've noticed that every time I turn the Rotel on, there's a 'popping' noise and the woofer moves a bit.

Is this normal? I've read online about amps from 20 - 30 years ago having a soft start, but I'm not sure if mine does, or did, and now it's faulty.

Is this fixable? Will it cost an arm and a leg? Should I just buy a Harman Kardon 430 receiver that I've been eyeballing? (This place is the worst!)

Thanks!
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post #2 of 14
11/19/09 at 7:51pm
Thread Starter 
Anybody???
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post #3 of 14
11/19/09 at 7:55pm
Some amps do this, usually ones without a output muting circuit upon power on.
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post #4 of 14
11/19/09 at 8:46pm
Rotel will give free pdf copies of their service manuals away... shoot them an email. And as mentioned, take it to a tech. Having the service manual with schematics will make the tech's life easier and might save you a bit.
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post #5 of 14
11/20/09 at 12:44am
Thread Starter 
I just emailed Rotel. Thanks
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post #6 of 14
11/20/09 at 12:08pm
Don't stop by here often but wanted to say the behavior you describe is not unexpected from some amps. I've a small NAD integrated that drove my bookshelf woofers to full excursion on turn-on & there was nothing wrong with the amp.

This is the amp passing a bit of DC prior to coming up to operating temp. I'd not worry if your woofers move just "a bit". But with my NAD I felt I had to install something like this. If you or a friend are handy electronically it may not be that big a deal, hardest part could be finding 14v->18v AC (or DC if you bypass that part's bridge rect) & figuring out how to interrupt speaker feed. Of course it could be external to the amp & use a bitty wallwart. But I think its overkill/unnecessary for what you are describing.

Edit: the fleabay thing requires common ground/black/- speaker out & noted it for its 3-sec muting delay more than its offset protection.
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post #7 of 14
11/21/09 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 
So, I emailed Rotel and they got back to me pretty quickly. However, the link for manuals has absolutely NOTHING for my 810a. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I wonder where else I can get a pdf manual?

Anyway, after talking with a few more people, this 'problem' is actually normal for my amp. So I'm no longer worried.

cfcubed, I'm not really electronically handy, so I think I'll pass :P But you're right: it's probably overkill.

Thanks all!
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post #8 of 14
11/21/09 at 2:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by punkaroo View Post
So, I emailed Rotel and they got back to me pretty quickly. However, the link for manuals has absolutely NOTHING for my 810a. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I wonder where else I can get a pdf manual?

Anyway, after talking with a few more people, this 'problem' is actually normal for my amp. So I'm no longer worried.
I have one of these amps and may have the manual somewhere. But this is completely normal behaviour. It's a British designed minimalist '80s amp and sounds really nice as they put all the effort into the layout and build quality rather than adding all kinds of electronical bells and whistles like muting circuits.

Given the provenance just count yourself fortunate it has an on/off switch. My '80s Naims don't.
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post #9 of 14
11/21/09 at 3:01pm
My Rotel 850 did that. I always just turned the speaker selection to "OFF" when I went to stand by and then switch back to "A" after I turned it on.
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post #10 of 14
11/22/09 at 1:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by punkaroo View Post
So, I emailed Rotel and they got back to me pretty quickly. However, the link for manuals has absolutely NOTHING for my 810a. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I wonder where else I can get a pdf manual?

Anyway, after talking with a few more people, this 'problem' is actually normal for my amp. So I'm no longer worried.

cfcubed, I'm not really electronically handy, so I think I'll pass :P But you're right: it's probably overkill.

Thanks all!
Did you specifically ask them for the service manual and not for the owners manual? Normally they don't keep the service manuals online IIRC. I know I had to email them for my RCD-991 and they just sent it in the email reply.
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post #11 of 14
11/22/09 at 2:07pm
Thread Starter 
I think I asked for the owner's manual. Crap!
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post #12 of 14
11/24/09 at 2:16am
Manual:::http://www.rotel.com/content/manuals...ved/ra-810.pdf
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post #13 of 14
11/24/09 at 7:25am
All my old Rotel Amps did this to some extent (I've had four all from the mid 90's). I don't think it's anything to worry about.
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post #14 of 14
11/24/09 at 10:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ford2 View Post
Thanks, but it's the 810a
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