Rotel RMB-1587 MKII Seven Channel Amplifier - Silver

Rotel Built the RMB-1587MKII to Run Every Channel Flat Out

Many multi-channel amplifiers quote a big number for one channel. Ask all of them to work at once and that number falls. Rotel rates the RMB-1587MKII the other way round. It makes 155 watts per channel into 8 ohms with all seven channels driven.

Drop to 4 ohms and each channel makes 250 watts, still with all seven working. Use just two channels into 4 ohms and each one makes 335 watts. A loud scene never has to borrow power from the quiet channels.

Seven Channels in One Box Instead of Three

One chassis covers a 7.1 system, or 5.1.2 with a pair of height speakers. That is two fewer amplifiers, two fewer power cords, and two fewer shelves to find. The front panel stands 5U tall and Rotel packs rack ears in the box.

What Two Toroidal Transformers Actually Buy You

Rotel builds the power supply on two of its own high-current toroidal transformers. Eight bulk storage capacitors hold 120,000µF between them. That reserve is what lets all seven channels reach full output together rather than taking turns.

The measured numbers are quiet ones. Total harmonic distortion stays under 0.03%, and intermodulation distortion under 0.03% as well. Signal-to-noise ratio is 111 dB A-weighted. Channel separation beats 55 dB. Damping factor is 330 at 1 kHz into 8 ohms, and gain is 26.6 dB.

Four Fans, and a Switch to Silence Them

Four fans move air through the chassis. A rear switch offers Fan Auto or Fan Off, so a closed rack gets airflow and an open listening room stays silent. Either way, leave four inches of clearance around the case.

Thermal and over-current protection watches the output devices and the current they carry, and it sits outside the audio path. Should a fault arise, the amplifier stops and the front-panel power light blinks. That tells you to look before you listen again.

Who Is This Seven-Channel Amplifier Best For?

• You run a full 7.1 or 5.1.2 system — every channel gets its 155 watts into 8 ohms at the same moment, so a busy soundtrack keeps its surround and height detail instead of thinning out when the room gets loud
• Your speakers dip toward 4 ohms — 250 watts per channel into 4 ohms with all seven driven means you buy an amplifier once, rather than replacing one that ran out of current halfway through a film
• Your gear lives in a rack — a 5U panel, rack ears in the box, and 12V trigger in and out let the whole stack wake and sleep with the processor, so nothing gets left switched on overnight
• The amplifier sits well away from your processor — balanced XLR inputs on all seven channels carry signal down a long cable run without collecting hum along the way
• You will pair it with a processor or receiver — this is a power amplifier, so volume, input switching and surround decoding all happen upstream; feed it from the preamp outputs of one of our home theater receivers or an AV processor and it drops straight into the system

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run seven preamp outputs from your processor into the amplifier. Every channel takes an RCA cable or an XLR cable, and you use one set or the other. Then run speaker cable from the binding posts, which accept bare wire, lugs, or dual banana plugs.

Add a 3.5 mm cable to the 12V trigger input and the amplifier follows your processor on and off. The trigger output hands that signal to the next component in the rack. One button, whole system.

Pairs Well With

A power amplifier wants a few things around it. These are the categories most RMB-1587MKII owners shop next.

• Home theater receivers — the preamp outputs that feed all seven channels
• Interconnect cables — seven balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA runs from the processor
• Speaker cables — heavier wire to hold the bass over a long run
• Power conditioners — clean feed for an amplifier that can draw 1400 watts

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a receiver or processor with this amplifier?

Yes. The RMB-1587MKII amplifies, and leaves decoding and switching upstream. Feed it from the preamp outputs of an AV receiver or processor.

How much power does it make with all seven channels running?

It makes 155 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 250 watts per channel into 4 ohms. Rotel quotes both figures with all seven channels driven together.

Can I use the XLR and RCA inputs at the same time?

Use one set at a time. Rotel's manual asks you to connect either the balanced or the unbalanced inputs on a channel, and never both together.

What speaker impedance does it want?

Rotel recommends speakers of 4 ohms nominal or higher. Wiring several pairs in parallel halves the load the amplifier sees, so pick 8 ohms or higher for that.

Will it fit an equipment rack?

It will. The front panel measures 5U, or 8¾ inches, and the rack ears ship with it. Allow about four inches of clearance for air.

What happens if a speaker wire shorts or the amplifier overheats?

Protection circuits shut it down and the front-panel power light blinks. Switch it off, let it cool, clear the fault, then switch it on again to reset.

See It in Action

Audio Advice spends nine minutes with Rotel's MKII multi-channel amplifiers:

Ooberpad's look at the RMB-1587MKII, with English subtitles switched on:

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