Rogue Audio RP-1 User manual

RP-1
Vacuum Tube Preamplifier
Owner’s Manual
Rogue Audio, Inc.
3 Marion Lane
rodheadsville, PA 18322
Issue date: 11/19/15
1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Introduction 3
2) Unpacking your preamplifier 3
3) Installing RP-1 preamp into your system 4
4) Operation of the RP-1 preamplifier 5
5) The phono preamplifier 7
6) Troubleshooting 10
7) Registration of your preamplifier 10
8) Fuse values 11
9) Specifications 11
10) Product Registration and Warranty 12
2

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase decision! We at Rogue Audio truly believe that our equipment
provides the “smartest” value in high-end audio. If you have never owned a vacuum tube
preamplifier you will be thrilled by the silky-smooth sound and incredible detail that only a tube
preamplifier can provide. And with the RP-1 preamplifier, you can be sure that you are getting
the very best in tube amplification. We at Rogue Audio are extremely proud of our products and
want you to enjoy them to their fullest potential. So please, take the time to read through this
short manual so that you can be confident that you have set up your preamplifier properly.
UNPACKING YOUR PREAMPLIFIER
Tools required none
WARNING - This preamplifier uses voltages that could cause injury or death.
Never open the preamplifier while it is plugged in, and always wait at least 30
minutes after turning the unit off before unplugging the electrical cord and opening
the unit. Lethal voltages can remain in the electronics after the unit is unplugged.
Your new preamplifier has been painstakingly inspected for cosmetic flaws during and after
assembly. In order not to damage the cosmetic appearance of your preamplifier it is important
that you follow the unpacking instructions carefully.
1. Open the shipping carton and remove the box containing the remote control and power cord
from the carton.
2. Carefully lift the preamplifier out of the carton, and remove the foam pads and plastic bag.
3. Save the packing materials. The packing materials and box have been carefully designed to
protect your valuable equipment during shipping so you don’t want to throw them away.
3

INSTALLING THE RP-1 PREAMP INTO YOUR SYSTEM
Place the RP-1 on a flat stable surface with at least 1” of airspace above the preamplifier for
ventilation. Do not place any other electronic components or any other objects on top of the
preamplifier.
Insert the IEC end of the detachable power cord into the rear of the preamp (shown in Figure 1).
Plug the opposite end of the power cord into an appropriate power outlet. It is recommended that
both the preamplifier and power amplifier are plugged into the same wall outlet if possible
(perhaps using a power outlet strip) in order to avoid creating a ground loop.
Figure 1
Connecting sources to the RP-1 preamplifier
Connections are made to the inputs on the rear panel of the preamplifier shown in Figure 1. Line
level (CD player, tuner, DAC, etc…) connections are made via the four pairs of RCA inputs. If
you are using a turntable connect it to the RCA phono inputs. There is also a grounding lug for
the turntable if required.
Connecting a home theater processor or surround receiver
The RP-1 features unity gain bypass inputs that allow you to integrate your two channel music
system into a multichannel home theater system. This conveniently enables you to share speakers
and amps between the two without changing interconnect or speaker cables.
Simply connect the left and right front preamplifier outputs from your processor to the HT inputs
on the RP-1 When the RP-1 is turned off, these inputs automatically route the home theater
signal directly to the power amp completely bypassing the active circuitry in the RP-1. When
turned on, the RP-1 controls your sources and outputs the audio signal to your power amp. Note
that no additional buttons or switches need to be changed.
4
RP-1 Preamp
Outputs
Unity Gain
HT Inputs
Line 1-4
Inputs
Phono
Ground
Fixed
Outputs
IEC
Receptacle
Phono
Inputs

Connecting the RP-1 to the power amplifier
There are two pairs of variable (preamplifier) outputs on the RP-1. These volume controlled
outputs are used to connect the RP-1 to your power amplifier and any other device requiring a
variable output (e.g. a subwoofer). Unless you are biamping you will only need the first pair of
outputs (labeled “out 1”) to connect the RP-1 to your amp.
Connecting a subwoofer
The second set of preamplifier outputs labeled “out 2” can be used for connecting a subwoofer to
the RP-1. The signal to these outputs is identical to the signal going to the power amp and varies
with the volume control. Note that these outputs can also be used for biamping or running a
second power amp located elsewhere.
Connection to the fixed outputs
The RP-1 has one pair of fixed outputs. These outputs are connected to the source and will
output whatever signal is being used for the preamp. The volume is “fixed” and does not vary
with the volume control. You can use these to feed a signal to an external headphone amp or a cd
burner, etc….
OPERATION OF THE RP-1 PREAMPLIFIER
Powering up the System
After all your connections have been made, you are now ready to turn the preamplifier on. When
the unit is plugged into the wall it is automatically placed in standby mode. You can leave the
RP-1 plugged in all the time and it will keep the solid state portions of the RP-1 energized even
though the unit is powered down. Very little power is used in standby (less than 1 watt) and the
RP-1 will sound its best shortly after turn on. The power button located on the front panel is
shown in figure 2 and is used to power the RP-1 on and off between listening sessions. Your
preamplifier features soft-starting to prolong tube life as well as to suppress turn-on transients. A
countdown timer on the display shows the time remaining before the RP-1 is ready to use. After
turning on the preamplifier, turn on the power amplifier and source material and you are ready
for listening.
NOTE – The RP-1 will not play music for approximately 30 seconds after power on
while the preamp goes through its sequential start-up.
5

Figure 2
Switches and Controls
The RP-1 is a full function preamplifier. The volume and balance controls are extremely accurate
stepped attenuators which change in 1 d increments. The preamp has a mute function (on
remote), power on/off button, selector switch (in the volume control), display on/off switch (in
the balance control). All of these functions are conveniently accessible on the hand held remote.
A high quality OLED display indicates the selected input and volume. When using the balance
the relative volumes of the two channels are displayed. The following sections discuss operation
of these controls.
Volume Control
The volume control has 50 steps which vary in 1 d increments. At turn on the RP-1 defaults to
a relatively low volume. The volume can be turned continuously until reaching a reading at
either 0 (min) or 50 (max).
Selector Switch (located in the volume knob)
The input selector switch is activated by pushing in on the volume knob. Each successive push
will step through the four line inputs and phono input.
Balance Control
The balance control has 63 steps which vary in 1d increments. At turn on the RP-1 defaults to a
left/right balanced output. When the balance knob is turned in either direction, the relative
volume of the attenuated channel is displayed in negative d . Either channel can be attenuated
down to -65d with the final step being down -90d (mute).
6
Headphone
Jack
alance
Control
Volume
Control
Power
utton
Display on/off
(push button)
Input Selector
(push button)

Display On/Off Switch (located in the balance knob)
Pushing in the balance knob will toggle the display on and off. When “off” only a small blue
LED segment remains to show that the preamplifier is turned on. When the display is toggled
back on the current input and volume are displayed.
Remote Control
The RP-1 hand held remote contains all of the functions located on the front panel. In
addition, the remote also features a mute button that mutes the output of the preamplifier.
The balance operation on the remote is slightly different than the knob on the faceplate. The
remote balance operates in 1d increments down to -15d and then jumps to -90d . This
allows fine adjustment where it is most typically needed yet facilitates the extinguishing of
the channel without going through all of the intermediate steps.
Headphone Jack
The RP-1 includes a headphone amplifier that uses a ¼” (6.35 mm) standard headphone jack.
For performance reasons the jack does not include a switch to break the audio signal. To
mute the output from the preamp either mute the preamp or turn off your power amp.
Phono Preamplifier
The RP-1 includes a high performance phono section that is suitable for the vast majority of
phono cartridges available today. It is user configurable and has adjustments for gain,
capacitance and resistive loading. The RP-1 is shipped with the gain set at 45 dB and the
loading set at 47K. This set up is appropriate for most high output cartridges. efore removing
the cover to make any loading or gain adjustments, power off the RP-1 and let it drain off any
voltages for at least 30 minutes. Leave the RP-1 plugged into the wall during this time so that
the voltages can drain down properly. After the RP-1 has sat for at least 30 minutes disconnect
the power cord from the wall or rear of the unit.
WARNING - This preamplifier uses voltages that could cause injury or death.
Never open the preamplifier while it is plugged in, and always wait at least 30
minutes after turning the unit off before unplugging the electrical cord and opening
the unit. Lethal voltages can remain in the electronics after the unit is unplugged.
Remove the 10 cover screws using a #2 Phillips screwdriver and pull off the cover.
7

Setting the cartridge loading – The cartridge loading DIP switches are located on the right
hand side of the main circuit board (figure 3). It is important to point out that the cartridge
manufacturers recommended loading should be considered as a starting point and not an
absolute. Systems and turntable setups vary significantly and if you want to get the most out of
your analog setup, take the time to find the settings that sound best in your system.
Slide switches for setting the phono gain
Figure 3
Resistive loading – There are two sets of DIP switches (S3 and S5) for setting the resistive
loading (one per channel). The four switches are labeled A, ,C and D. Figure 3 shows all
switches in the off position (47K ohms). The loading options are given in Table 1 on the
following page.
8
DIP switches for
resistiv

Resistive Loading Table (see figure 3)
A B C D resistance
on on on off 30 Ω
on off off off 50 Ω
off on on off 75 Ω
off on off off 100 Ω
off off on on 230 Ω
off off on off 300 Ω
off off off on 1K Ω
off off off off 47K Ω
Table 1
Setting the phono gain - The two slide switches S6 and S4 are used to set the gain and are
located on the right side of the main circuit board (Figure 3).
If the switches are placed in the “H” direction 60 d of gain is provided which is sufficient for
most low output cartridges. When the switches are placed in the “L” position the phono provides
45 d of gain which is suitable for moving magnet (MM) and high output moving coil (MC)
cartridges.
A setting of 45 d gain and 47K loading is shown in Figure 3.
9

TROUBLESHOOTING
Speaker Hum
If hum can be heard from more than a few inches from the loudspeaker, there is probably a
ground loop. e sure to have the amp and all sources plugged into the same outlet if possible.
If this fails to cure the hum, call customer service at Rogue Audio for further advice 570-
992-9901.
Unit does not turn on
Check that the power cord connection is secure and that the rear power switch is turned on
Unplug the power cord from the rear of the RP-1. Wait ten minutes then plug the preamp
back in. Wait 30 seconds then press the power button on the front panel (e.g. reboot).
Unit does not play
Check that the interconnects are connected to the proper input or output.
Check that the interconnects are connected securely.
.
One channel does not play
Check that the balance control is centered.
Check that the tubes are seated correctly and securely
For further problems, please call Rogue Audio Technical Support at 570-992-9901.
OWNER AND WARRANTY REGISTRATION FORM
Included with this manual is an Owner and Warranty Registration Form. Please take a minute to
fill out this card and return it to Rogue Audio. This card must be returned within 30 days of
purchase to validate the warranty.
10