Owner's manual

There is NO user serviceable part inside the RA 921. Please do not open the cabinet, as this will expose
you to the risk of potentially dangerous high voltage and the risk of shock. This could also damage the
circuits and possibly void your warranty.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
We have designed this integrated amplifier to be easy to use. The controls are simple but comprehensive.
The POWER button will turn the amplifier ON and OFF. Push it in and the amplifier will turn ON. The
POWER indicator light will illuminate at the same time. If you push the POWER button again the amplifier
will go OFF and the power indicator light will extinguish.
We have included a speaker disconnect function in the HEADPHONE jack on this amplifier. When
headphones are plugged into the front panel headphone jack, the speakers are automatically disconnected.
If you have headphones with a 3.5 mm mini plug you should ask your ROTELhi fi Authorized Dealer for an
adapter plug to convert them for use with the headphone jack on the RA 921.
To adjust the bass and treble content of the music, please use the front panel BASS and TREBLE controls.
Turning the BASS or TREBLE controls to the right will increase the bass or treble. Turning the controls to
the left will decrease the bass or treble.
The VOLUME control will allow you to turn the LEFT (L) and RIGHT (R) channels of music up or down in
level at the same time. Rotation clockwise will increase the volume, rotation counterclockwise will decrease
the volume. Adjust the BALANCE by turning it left or right, to shift the apparent center of the image or to
center the sound from an out of balance signal.
The MONITOR selector switch will allow you to choose the source (normal operation) or to listen to a
recording during playback. If you have a 3-head cassette deck, 3-head reel to reel tape deck or a DAT
recorder capable of reading and writing at the same time, the MONITOR switch will allow you to immediately
compare the source to the recording in progress.
The FUNCTION selector switch will select the source that you wish to hear. We have provided inputs for
PHONO, CD, TUNER, and AUX.
BACK PANEL CONNECTIONS
The back panel has INPUT, OUTPUT and SPEAKER terminals for connecting source components and
speakers in your stereo system. The INPUTS are clearly labeled. The LEFT and RIGHT channels are
clearly designated. Please be certain that the LEFT channel and RIGHT channel connections are not
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reversed. This will not harm anything but it will make the orchestra sound backwards for classical music
fans.
AUX will be ideal for the connection of a stereo TV monitor with audio output jacks, a DVD player, a hi fi
video tape recorder, a Laser Disc player, a CD-ROM or DVD ROM drive. The CD and TUNER connections
are clearly labeled for your convenience. PHONO connections are for a moving magnet (MM) phono
cartridge. A ground terminal is included for your turntables phono cable to minimize hum in the phono
signal. The phono section is designed for use with a moving magnet phono cartridge. Please do not connect
a CD player, tape deck or other line level component to this input..
The TAPE connections have IN and OUT connections. These are to send a signal to (OUT) the recorder
and then to receive a signal back from (IN) the recorder. Check all connections and read the owners manual
for your recorder if you are in doubt about the labels.
The SPEAKER terminals will accept one pair of speakers. Speakers with rated impedance of 4 to 8 ohms
will work well with the RA 921. Speakers rated for higher than 8 ohms impedance will also work well but
these are not very common.
You may connect the speakers with bare wire or banana plugs. (Non CE mark models) Please be certain to
observe the correct polarity of the wires as well as the left and right channel connections. The RED (+)
speaker terminals are to be connected to the RED or POSITIVE terminals on your speakers. The BLACK (-)
speaker terminals are to be connected to the black or negative terminals on your speakers. If you make
these connections incorrectly you will have a vague stereo image and very little bass response from your
speakers.
If you are in doubt about the sound when listening then you should reverse the positive and negative
connections on the back of one speaker only. If the stereo image becomes more specific and the apparent
bass response improves, the speaker connections should be rechecked to ensure correct connection. You
may also confirm this by placing the speakers face to face 75 mm apart (~3 ) and playing music with strong
bass content as a source. The connection that has the most bass output is the correct connection. When
connected in this way, the incorrect connection will have very little sound output as each of the two speakers
will attempt to cancel the sound the other is making due to the opposite polarity and movement of the
drivers.
If you connect your speakers with bare wire, strip approximately 1 1/2 mm (~1/2 ) of the insulation from the
end of the wire and connect to the terminal of the amplifier by turning it around the center post of the
speaker terminal. The speaker terminal knob should be turned counterclockwise to extend the terminal for
connecting. When you have wrapped the wire around the post, tighten the speaker terminal by turning the
knob clockwise to grasp the wire FIRMLY.
Ensure that NO LOOSE WIRE is outside the terminal housing. Repeat this operation for all the terminals. If
you use Banana plugs they may be connected to the end of the speaker terminals by pushing them into the
holes provided.
HUM AND NOISE IN A STEREO SYSTEM
In any high fidelity stereo installation it is possible for noise to be created by the physical location of some of
the components. If your system has hum or excessive noise it is possible to diagnose this before trying to
have repairs made to a properly functioning component. If the system only hums with one source
component then it should be unplugged from the system. Turn the VOLUME down or turn the POWER off
before you unplug the suspected component.
If the system still hums after the suspected component has been removed, you may require service. First
though, you should disconnect all the other components, except the speakers. If there is no hum after this,
something in the system is either in need of physical relocation or repair. Connect the components one by
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INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
MODEL NO.RA-921
POWER CONSUMPTION:180W
PHONO CD TUNER AUX TAPE
LEFT
RIGHT
+ RIGHT - - LEFT +
SPEAKERS
AVIS
:
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE-NE PAS OUVRIR.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
IN OUT
SPEAKER IMPEDANDE
4 OHMS MINIMUM
WARNING:TO REDUCE THE
RISK OF THE FIRE OR ELECTRICAL
SHOCK. DO NOT EXPOSE THIS
EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
ROTEL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
POWER