I'm not an expert in this area either, but does your amp have regular wire input connections? If so, I know its a little more labor, but try that. Sometimes the "easy plug" RCA's can pick up electrical noise and send it through your amp. I helped a friend a friend of mine that had a similar issue, got rid of the RCA's and now it works great.

 

I'm no expert, but..................if you are experiencing distortion, you may want to reconsider your equipment.

 

Says the guy with the rolling Home Theatre!!!

 

Thanks everyone for your help. The amp is not normal, I've never seen an amp act like that. I ended up calling Arc and they confirmed what I thought. There is no way the radio could play at full volume with the gain turned all the way down. Since all the way down is not absolute zero I might hear something barely audible, but that is it. There is definitely something wrong with the amp, no question about it. Arc authorized a replacement and I am sending it back tomorrow.

Thanks again everyone.