Speaker Connection
Speaker Selection
We recommend using loudspeakers with a nominal impedance of 4 ohms or higher with the RB-06. You should exercise some caution in driving multiple pairs of speakers in parallel configuration, because the effec- tive impedance the amplifier sees is cut in half. For example, when driving two pair of 8 ohm speakers, the amplifier sees a 4 ohm load. When driving multiple speakers in parallel, it is recommended that you select speakers with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms or higher. Speaker impedance ratings are less than precise. In practice, very few loudspeakers will present any problems for the RB-06. See your authorized Rotel dealer if you have any questions.
Speaker Wire Selection
Use insulated two-conductor stranded wire to connect the RB-06 to the speakers. The size and quality of the wire can have an audible effect on the performance of the system. Standard speaker wire will work, but can result in lower output or diminished bass response, particularly over longer distances. In general, heavier wire will im- prove the sound. For best performance, you may want to consider special high-quality speaker cables. Your authorized Rotel dealer can help in the selection of appropriate cables for your system.
Polarity and Phasing
The polarity — the positive/negative orienta- tion of the connections — for every speaker and amplifier connection must be consistent so all the speakers will be in phase. If the polarity of one connection is mistakenly re- versed, bass output will be very weak and stereo imaging degraded. All wire is marked so you can identify the two conductors. There may be ribs or a stripe on the insulation of one conductor. The wire may have clear insulation with different color conductors (copper and silver). There may be polarity indications printed on the insulation. Identify the positive and negative conductors and be consistent with every speaker and amplifier connection.
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Stereo Speaker Connection 9
The RB-06 has two pairs of color coded binding posts on the back panel. These con- nectors accept bare wire, connector lugs, or dual banana type connectors (except in the European Community countries where their use is not permitted).
Route the wire from the RB-06 to the speakers. Give yourself enough slack so you can move the components enough to allow access to the speaker connectors.
If you are using dual banana plugs, connect them to the wires and then plug into the backs of the binding posts. The hexagonal thumbscrews of the binding posts should be screwed in all the way (clockwise).
If you are using terminal lugs, connect them to the wires. If you are attaching bare wires directly to the binding posts, separate the wire conductors and strip back the insulation from the end of each conductor. Be careful not to cut into the wire strands. Unscrew (turn counterclockwise) the binding post hexagonal thumbscrews. Place the connector lug or wire around the binding post shaft. Turn the hex- agonal thumbscrews clockwise to clamp the connector lug or wire firmly in place.
Note: Be sure there are no loose wire strands that could touch adjacent wires or connectors.
Bridged Mono Operation 4
[ S e e F i g u r e 3 f o r b r i d g e d o p e r a - tion j u m p e r s e t t i n g a n d c o n n e c t i o n illustration.]
The two channels of the RB - 06 can be “bridged”. In this configuration the single channel produces a massive 180 watts! This feature allows you to increase the overall power output of your system by bridging the RB-06 and adding a second bridged RB-06. Or the RB-06 is bridged to drive a monophonic subwoofer. Note however that when the RB-06 is bridged the speaker con- nected to it must have an impedance of 8 ohms or more.
In order to use the RB-06 in bridged mode, three “jumper” connectors inside the amplifier must be moved from one set of pins to another. This task should be done by a qualified
English
technician. See your authorized Rotel dealer. In addition the RB-06 is connected to the other components in a different way. When the RB-06 is setup for bridged operation the Bridged Mono indicator light 4on the front panel will light.
Resetting Jumpers
Before opening the RB-06 cabinet to reset the jumpers, the power cord must be unplugged from the wall. DO NOT OPEN THE CABINET OF THE RB-06 BEFORE THE POWER CORD HAS BEEN UNPLUGGED FROM THE WALL. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL EXPOSE YOU TO HAZARDOUS VOLTAGES.
After the power cord has been unplugged, remove the screws that hold the cabinet cover in place and slide the cover off the amplifier. Locate the three jumper pin blocks labeled S 601, S 602 and S 603. The factory standard (stereo) position of the jumpers is on pins 1 and 2 of each block. There is a * mark on the circuit board next to this posi- tion. To convert the RB-06 to bridged mono move all three jumpers so they are on pins 2 and 3 of each jumper pin block. Replace the cover of the cabinet. Do not plug the
RB-06 power cord back into the wall outlet until the cabinet cover has been replaced.
Input Connection
When using the RB-06 in bridged mono mode, connect the cable from the preampli- fier output to the left input. No connection is made to the right input.
Bridged Speaker Connection
When using the RB-06 in bridged mono mode, the wire to the speakers is connected to the positive terminals of the left and right channels. Connect the wire that goes to the positive terminal of the speaker to the posi- tive terminal of the left channel of the RB-06. Connect the wire that goes to the negative terminal of the speaker to the positive terminal of the right channel of the RB-06. No con- nections are made to the negative terminals of the RB-06.
