wrote in message
ups.com

I just ordered a JVC RX-D302B receiver from Crutchfield.
Actually, this is #2 - I sent back #1, a
scratch-and-dent, because it quickly became almost too
hot to touch on top and filled the living room with the
smell of hot circuitry. It seemed to work fine otherwise,
no overheating shutdown, but still. Now #2, which is new,
is doing the same thing, and I'm wondering what is going
on. Is this normal? I'm using Polk Audio R40 speakers.

What are the operational conditions when this nastiness happens?

If it happens when you are playing your system loud, maybe no problem.

If it happens when you just turn the receiver on, with no speakers or other
cables attached, then you have a problem.

You could have one or more shorted speaker cables.