Rogue audio Rp-7 User manual

RP-7

Vacuum Tube Preamplifier

Owner’s Manual

Rogue Audio, Inc.

3 Marian Lane

rodheadsville, PA 18322

Issue date: 02/15/17

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Introduction 2

2) Unpacking your preamplifier 2

3) Installing the RP-7 into your system 3

4) peration of the RP-7 preamplifier 5

5) Troubleshooting 7

5) Registration of your preamplifier 7

6) Fuse values 8

7) Specifications 8

8) Product Registration and Warranty 9

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-7

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. pen 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.

INSTALLING THE RP 7 INTO YOUR SYSTEM

Place the RP-7 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 into the rear of the preamp ( shown in

Figure ). 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 7 preamplifier:

Connections are made to the inputs on the rear panel of the preamplifier shown in

Figure 1. Three sets of RCA line level (CD player, tuner, DAC, etc…) inputs are

provided along with two pairs of balanced XLR connectors.

Connecting a home theater processor or surround receiver:

The RP-7 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-7. When the RP-7 is turned off, these inputs

automatically route the home theater signal directly to the power amp completely

bypassing the active circuitry in the RP-7. When turned on, the RP-7 controls

your sources and outputs the audio signal to your power amp. Note that no

additional buttons or switches need to be changed.

XLR

utputs

XLR

Inputs

RCA

utputs

Unity

Gain

Inputs

Processor

Loop

RCA Inputs

IEC

Receptacle

Fixed

utput

Power

Switch

Connecting an audio processor to the RP 7:

The RP-7 has a processor loop which allows various types of processors

(equalizer, room correction, bass enhancement, etc.. ) to be used. There are two

sets of RCA jacks on the rear of the preamp labeled “in” and “out”. Connect the

processor “out” on the rear of the RP-7 to the inputs on your processor. Connect

the outputs of the processor to the jacks labeled “in on the rear of the RP-7. When

the processor button is pushed a blue LED below the button will indicate that the

source signal is going through the processor. With the button out the signal

bypasses the processor. Note that if no processor is connected and the button is

pushed then the signal is interrupted and there will be no output from the

preamplifier. This feature is also accessible via the hand held remote.

Connecting the RP 7 to the power amplifier:

There are four pairs of variable (preamplifier) outputs on the RP-7. Two pairs are

RCA and two pairs are balanced XLR connectors. These volume controlled

outputs are used to connect the RP-7 to your power amplifier and any other device

requiring a variable output (e.g. a subwoofer or a second amplifier).

Connecting a subwoofer:

A second set of preamplifier outputs labeled can be used for connecting a

subwoofer to the RP-7. 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-7 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 7 PREAMPLIFIER

Powering up the System:

After all your connections have been made, you are now ready to turn the

preamplifier on. A primary power switch is located on the rear of the unit and is

shown in figure 1. You can leave this switch on all the time and it will keep the

solid state portions of the RP-7 energized even though the unit is powered down.

Very little power is used in standby and the RP-7 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-7 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-7 is

ready to use. A ten second software lockout prevents turning the unit on and off in

quick succession. After turning on the preamplifier, turn on the power amplifier

and source material and you are ready for listening. The first time that your

preamp is turned on (and anytime it has been unplugged from the power outlet) it

is best to let the solid state components charge up for a few moments before

turning on the preamp. To do this, simply plug the RP-7 in and turn on the rear

power switch. Wait a minute or so and then power on at the front panel. This only

needs to be done when the RP-7 has been disconnected from the wall or the rear

switch has been turned off.

NOTE – The RP 7 will not play music for approximately 45 seconds

after power on while the preamp goes through its sequential start up.

Figure 2

Headphone

Jack

Processor

Button

Buttonswitc

Balance

Control

Display

Defeat

Mono

Button

Volume

Control

Mute LED

Power

Button

Switches and Controls:

The RP-7 is a full function preamplifier. The volume and balance controls are

extremely accurate attenuators which change in 0.5dB increments. The

preamp also has a processor loop, mono button, mute function (on

remote), power on/off button, and 5 input select buttons. All of these

functions are conveniently accessible on the hand held remote. A high

quality LED indicates the input and volume. When using the balance

control the volume levels of both channels are displayed. The following

sections discuss operation of these controls.

Volume Control

The volume control has 192 steps which vary in 0.5dB increments. At turn on the

RP-7 defaults to a relatively low volume. The volume can be turned

continuously until reaching a reading at either 0 (min) or 200 (max).

Tactile Switches (buttons)

Power - If the RP-7 is turned off, pressing the power button will initiate the

start-up sequence and the blue LED above the button will light. If the unit is

on, the turn off sequence will begin and the blue LED will be extinguished.

Mono – Combines the left and right channels. When activated the blue LED

above the button will be lit.

Selector buttons – Pressing any of these will engage the selected input . A

blue LED above the button indicates the chosen input which is also displayed

on the screen.

Processor - activates the processor loop. When activated the blue LED above

the switch will light. Please note that if there is no processor connected

pushing this button will interrupt the signal (no sound will be heard).

Display defeat – Pressing this button toggles the display on and off. When the

display is off a single blue pixel remains to indicate the display is operative.

Remote Control

The RP-7 hand held remote contains most 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 1dB

increments down to -15dB and then jumps to -90dB. 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-7 includes a performance tube based 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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Speaker Hum

If hum can be heard from more than a few inches from the loudspeaker, there

is probably a ground loop. Be 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

Turn off the main power switch on the rear of the RP-7. Wait one minute then

turn the rear panel switch back on. 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.

Processor button is pushed in with no processor or with the processor turned

off.

Tape monitor button is pushed in with no signal.

One channel does not play

Check that the balance pot 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 wner 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.

FUSE VALUES

115V version - 1 A slow blow located on left rear of chassis.

230V version - 0.5 A slow blow located on left rear of chassis

RP 7 SPECIFICATIONS

Tube Complement Four 12AU7/ECC82 tubes

Frequency Response 1Hz – 50KHz

THD <0.1%

Gain 12dB

Rated utput 1V RMS

utput Impedance 50 hms

Maximum utput 9V rms 18V rms (balanced)

Main Unit Dimensions 18.5” W x 17” D x 4.5” H

Weight 30 Lb

Shipping Weight 45 Lb

Power Requirements 115/230V – 50/60Hz

LIMITED WARRANTY

Warranty Period

This product has been manufactured under the highest standards of quality and workmanship. Rogue Audio

Inc. (hereinafter “Rogue Audio”) warrants this product against defects in material or workmanship as

follows:

With the exception of vacuum tubes, Rogue Audio warrants to the original purchaser of this product all

parts of this product against defects in material and workmanship for a period of three years from the date of

retail purchase. Rogue Audio warrants the vacuum tubes for a period of six months from the date of retail

purchase. Any defective parts will be replaced free of charge, excluding shipping and handling.

Proof of purchase in the form of a bill of sale or recited invoice which indicates that the product is within

the warranty period must be presented to obtain warranty service. Rogue Audio suggests that the purchaser

retain the dealer’s bill of sale as evidence of the date of retail purchase.

What’s Not Covered

This warranty does not cover cosmetic damage or any damage that results from product misuse, product

abuse, installation error, connection to an improper voltage supply, accident, improper maintenance,

alterations, modifications not authorized in writing by Rogue Audio, lightening, power surges, or acts of God.

Use of any other than Rogue Audio factory parts may void this warranty.

This warranty does not cover the cost of parts and labor which would be otherwise provided without charge

under this warranty, obtained from any source other than Rogue Audio.

This warranty applies only to consumer use of this product and does not cover any product that is used in

any trade or business, or in an industrial or commercial application.

This warranty applies only to the original purchaser of this product when purchased from an

Authorized Rogue Audio dealer.

This warranty is valid only in the United States.

YOUR RIGHTS

R GUE AUDI LIMITS ITS BLIGATI NS UNDER ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES UNDER STATE

LAWS T A PERI D N T T EXCEED THE WARRANTY PERI D. S ME STATES D N T

ALL W LIMITATI NS N H W L NG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, AND S ME STATES

D N T ALL W THE EXCLUSI N R LIMITATI N F INCIDENTAL R C NSEQUENTIAL

DAMAGES, S THE AB VE LIMITATI NS R EXCLUSI NS MAY N T APPLY T Y U. THIS

WARRANTY GIVES Y U SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND Y U MAY HAVE THER

RIGHTS WHICH MAY VARY FR M STATE T STATE.

To Obtain Service

To obtain service, you must contact Rogue Audio and obtain a return authorization number. The product

must be delivered to Rogue Audio in its original packaging prepaid at the following address:

Rogue Audio Inc.

3 Marian Lane

Brodheadsville, PA 18322

Table of contents

Rogue Audio RP-7 User manual