Sony MHC-BX3 manual

1 Mini Hi-Fi Component System ©2000 Sony Corporation Operating Instructions 3-868-163- 13 (2) MHC-BX3/DX3 Owner’s Record The model and serial numbers are located on the rear panel. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. _______________ Serial N[...]

2 WARNING To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only. Do not install the appliance in a confined space, such as a bookcase or built-in cabinet. This appliance is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER product. The CLASS 1 LASER P[...]

3 T able of Contents Getting Started Step 1: Hooking up the system ............ 4 Step 2: Setting the time ......................... 6 Step 3: Presetting radio stations .......... 7 Saving the power in standby mode ..... 9 Basic Operations Playing a CD ......................................... 10 Recording a CD .................................... [...]

4 2 4 3 1 Getting Started Step 1: Hooking up the system Follow steps 1 through 4 of the following procedure to hook up your system using the supplied cords and accessories. AM loop antenna Front speaker (Left) Front speaker (Right) Insert only the stripped portion. Black/Stripe ( # ) Red/Solid ( 3 ) FM antenna R + L + – Notes • Keep the speaker[...]

5 VOLTAGE SELECTOR 120V 220V 230 - 240V FM75 AM COAXIAL FM75 AM Extend the FM lead antenna horizontally. AM loop antenna Extend the FM lead antenna horizontally. AM loop antenna continued 3 For models with a voltage selector, set VOLTAGE SELECTOR to the local power line voltage. 4 Connect the power cord to a wall outlet. The demonstration appears i[...]

6 1 3,5 2,4 To attach the front speaker pads Attach the supplied front speaker pads to the bottom of the speakers to stabilize the speakers and prevent them from slipping. Inserting two size AA (R6) batteries into the remote Tip With normal use, the batteries should last for about six months. When the remote no longer operates the system, replace b[...]

7 23 41 ?/1 (Power) continued Shuttle Step 3: Presetting r adio stations You can preset a total of 30 preset stations (20 for FM and 10 for AM). 2 Press . or > repeatedly to set the hour. 3 Press ENTER. The minute indication flashes. 4 Press . or > repeatedly to set the minute. 5 Press ENTER. The clock starts working. Tip If you make a mistak[...]

8 TUNED STEREO 4 Press ENTER. The station is stored. 5 Repeat steps 1 through 4 to store other stations. To tune in a station with a weak signal Press + or – (or TUNING +/– on the remote) repeatedly in step 2 to tune in the station manually. To set another station to an existing preset number Start over from step 1. After step 3, turn the shutt[...]

9 DISPLAY Saving the power in standby mode (MHC-BX3 only) You can lower the power consumption to a minimum (Power Saving Mode) and save energy in the standby mode. ?/1 (Power) To erase a preset station 1 Press and hold TUNER MEMORY until a preset number appears in the display. 2 Turn the shuttle until it clicks to select the preset number you want [...]

10 1 Press Z OPEN/CLOSE and place a CD on the disc tray. If a disc is not placed properly, it will not be recognized. To insert a second and third disc, press DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE to rotate the disc tray. 2 Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons. The disc tray closes and playback starts. If you press hH when CD is selected as the function and the disc tr[...]

Basic Operations 11 To Do this Stop playback Press x . Pause Press X . Press again to resume playback. Select a track During play or pause, press > (to go forward) or . (to go back). Find a point in Turn the shuttle clockwise a track (to go forward) or counterclockwise (to go back) until it clicks and hold (or press and hold down J or j on the r[...]

12 1 Press A and insert a recordable tape into deck B. 2 Press CD. 3 Press Z OPEN/CLOSE and place a CD. Then press Z OPEN/CLOSE again to close the disc tray. When the CD you want to record is not selected, press DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE repeatedly to select the CD you want. 4 Press CD SYNC HI-DUB. Deck B stands by for recording and the CD player stands [...]

Basic Operations 13 m M M m +/– STEREO/ MONO VOLUME jJ lL hH Ss HS s TUNER/BAND VOL +/– PRESET +/– TUNING +/– Listening to the r adio –– Preset Tuning Preset radio stations in the tuner's memory first (see “Step 3: Presetting radio stations” on page 7). 2 1 Preset number* Frequency ?/1 (Power) continued MHz TUNED STEREO Turn co[...]

14 Recording fr om the r adio You can record the radio program on a tape by calling up a preset station. You can use TYPE I (normal) tape. 1 Press A and insert a recordable tape into deck B. 2 Press TUNER/BAND to select the band you want. p With the side you want to record facing forward 5 1 2 3 To Do this Turn off the radio Press ?/1 . Adjust the [...]

Basic Operations 15 m M M m jJ lL hH Ss HS s TAPE A/B VOL +/– hH s l L j J Playing a tape You can use TYPE I (normal) tape. You can also use ./> to quickly search for songs you want to hear (AMS* function). To select either deck A or B, press TAPE A/B repeatedly. * AMS (Automatic Music Sensor) x VOLUME . > X 1 2 3 Turn the shuttle until it [...]

16 1 Press TAPE A/B. To select deck A or B, press TAPE A/B repeatedly. 2 Press A and insert a recorded tape in deck A or B. 3 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select g to play one side. Select j to play both sides. To play both decks in succession, select RELAY (Relay Play)*. 4 Press hH . Press hH again to play the reverse side. The tape starts playin[...]

Basic Operations 17 p Recording fr om a tape — High-speed Dubbing 4 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select g to record on one side. Select j (or RELAY) to record on both sides. 5 Press REC PAUSE/START. Dubbing starts. To stop dubbing Press x . Tips • When you dub on both sides, start recording from the front side. If you record from the reverse s[...]

18 t Using the CD display You can check the remaining time of the current track or the entire CD. When a CD TEXT disc is loaded, you can check the information stored on the disc, such as the disc titles or artist names. When the unit detects CD TEXT discs, the “CD-TEXT” indication appears in the display. The CD Player ?/1 (Power) DISPLAY t , Pr[...]

19 REPEAT Playing the CD tr acks r epeatedly –– Repeat Play This function lets you repeat a single CD or all CDs in Normal Play, Shuffle Play, and Program Play. , Press REPEAT during playback until “REPEAT” appears in the display. Repeat Play starts. Do the following procedure to change the repeat mode. To cancel Repeat Play Press REPEAT re[...]

20 Playing the CD tr acks in random or der –– Shuffle Play You can play all the tracks on one CD or all CDs in random order. 1 Press CD, then place a CD. 2 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “SHUFFLE 1 DISC” or “SHUFFLE ALL DISCS” appears in the display. “SHUFFLE ALL DISCS” shuffles all the CDs in the player. “SHUFFLE 1 DISC” shuf[...]

21 1 Press CD, then place a CD. 2 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PGM” appears in the display. 3 Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons to select a CD. To program all the tracks on a CD at once, proceed to step 5 while “AL” appears in the display. 4 Press . or > until the desired track appears in the display. 5 Press ENTER. The track is pro[...]

22 To Press Check the CHECK on the remote program repeatedly. After the last track, “CHECK END” appears. Clear a track from CLEAR on the remote in the end stop mode. Clear a specific CHECK on the remote track repeatedly until the number of the track to be erased appears, then press CLEAR. Add a track to the 1 Select the disc tray with a program[...]

23 You can record from CD, tape, or radio as you like. For example, you can record just the songs you want or record from the middle of the tape. 1 Insert a recordable tape into deck B. 2 Press the function button of the source you want to record (e.g., CD). When you want to record from TAPE A, press TAPE A/B repeatedly until TAPE A is selected. 3 [...]

24 1 Place a CD and insert a recordable tape into deck B. 2 Press CD. 3 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PGM” appears in the display. 4 Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons to select a CD. To program all the tracks on a CD at once, proceed to step 6 while “AL” appears in the display. 5 Press . or > until the desired track appears in the di[...]

25 8 Press X to insert a pause at the end of side A. “P” appears in the display and the total playing time resets to “0.00” in the display. 9 Repeat steps 5 and 6 for tracks from the same disc or steps 4 to 6 for tracks from another disc to program the remaining tracks to be recorded on side B. 10 Press CD SYNC HI-DUB. Deck B stands by for [...]

26 Looping part of a CD — Loop With the Loop function, you can repeat part of a CD during playback. This lets you create original recordings. , Press and hold LOOP on the remote during playback at the point you want to start the Loop function, and release to resume normal play. To adjust the loop length Press MENU +/– on the remote while pressi[...]

27 GROOVE PHONES You can reinforce the bass, create a more powerful sound, and listen with headphones. For a powerful sound (GROOVE) Press GROOVE. The volume switches to power mode, the equalizer curve changes, and the GROOVE button lights. Press GROOVE again to return to the previous volume. To listen through the headphones Connect the headphones [...]

28 t Changing the spectrum analyzer display You can enjoy changing the display while listening to the music. , Press SPECTRUM. Every time you press the button, the display changes as follows: SPECTRUM 1 x SPECTRUM 2 x SPECTRUM 3 x IMAGE PATTERN x SPECTRUM OFF* ?/1 (Power) Effect ROCK POP JAZZ DANCE SOUL ORIENTAL ACTION DRAMA SF GAME USER FILE For S[...]

29 Selecting surr ound effect You can enjoy surround effect. , Press SURROUND repeatedly to select the surround effect you desire. Every time you press the button, the display changes as follows: SURROUND ON ( SURROUND ) Y SURROUND OFF (off) Note When you choose other sound effect, the surround effect will be canceled. ?/1 (Power) SURROUND 15 2,3 ?[...]

30 3 Press v or V on the controller to adjust the level. 4 Repeat steps 2 and 3. 5 Press ENTER when finished. This setting is automatically stored as USER FILE. Tips • If you want to select the previously adjusted equalizer settings (USER FILE), press v on the controller. (When using the remote, press ON/ OFF to activate the equalizer effect and [...]

31 Other Features 1 3,5 ?/1 (Power) 2,4 continued To check the RDS information Each time you press DISPLAY, the display changes as follows: t Station name* x Frequency x Program type* x Clock display x Effect status * If the RDS broadcast is not received, the station name and program type may not appear in the display. Locating a station by program[...]

32 Using the Radio Data System (RDS) (continued) 1 Press PTY/DIRECTION while listening to the radio. 2 Turn the shuttle until it clicks to select the program type you want. See the “List of program types” section below. 3 Press ENTER. The unit starts searching the preset RDS stations (“SEARCH” and the selected program type are shown alterna[...]

33 y 3 2 1,5 1 Turn MIC LEVEL to MIN to turn down the microphone control level. 2 Connect an optional microphone to MIC. 3 Press KARAOKE PON repeatedly to obtain the karaoke effect you desire. Every time you press the button, the display changes as follows: KARAOKE PON Effect status before entering KARAOKE PON mode* * KARAOKE PON is canceled. The m[...]

34 1 Do the procedure for singing along (steps 1 through 5 on pages 33 and 34). Then, insert a tape in deck B. 2 Press the function button of the source you want to record (e.g., CD). When you want to record from TAPE A, press TAPE A/B repeatedly until TAPE A is selected. 3 Press REC PAUSE/START. Deck B stands by for recording. The indicator on REC[...]

35 lL hH Ss SLEEP Falling asleep to music — Sleep Timer You can set the system to turn off at a preset time, so you can fall sleep to music. You can preset the time to be turned off in 10 minutes increments. 4 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select g to record on one side. Select j (or RELAY) to record on both sides. 5 Press REC PAUSE/START. Record[...]

36 You can wake up to music at a preset time every day. Make sure you have set the clock (see “Step 2: Setting the time” on page 6). 1 Prepare the music source you want to play. • CD: Insert a CD. To start from a specific track, make a program (see “Programming the CD tracks” on page 21). • Tape: Insert a tape with the side you want to [...]

37 1 Tune in the preset radio station (see “Listening to the radio” on page 13). 2 Press CLOCK/TIMER SET. “SET (DAILY 1)” appears. 3 Press l or L repeatedly to select “REC”, then press ENTER. “ON” appears and the hour indication flashes in the display. You can record a preset radio station from a specified time. To timer-record, you[...]

38 REC Connecting audio components Select one of the following connections, depending on the component to be connected and method of connecting. Refer to the instructions of each component. Connecting an MD deck for digital recording You can record from CD into the MD deck digitally by connecting an optional optical cable. 4 Set the time to start r[...]

39 To the audio output of the MD deck To the audio output of the video deck Connecting a VCR By connecting the audio output jacks of your VCR to the MD/VIDEO (AUDIO) IN jacks using an optional audio cable, you can enjoy video playback in powerful stereo sound. Make sure to match the color of the plugs and the connectors. To listen to the sound of t[...]

40 AM antenna Connect a 6- to 15- meter (20- to 50- feet) insulated wire to the AM antenna terminal. Leave the supplied AM loop antenna connected. Jack type A Jack type B Connecting external antennas Connect the external antenna to improve the reception. Refer to the instructions of each component. FM antenna Connect the optional FM external antenn[...]

41 Notes on CDs • Before playing, clean the CD with a cleaning cloth. Wipe the CD from the center out. • Do not use solvents such as benzene, thinner, commercially available cleaners or anti-static spray intended for vinyl LPs. • Do not expose the CD to direct sunlight or heat sources such as hot air ducts, nor leave it in a car parked in dir[...]

42 T roubleshooting If you run into any problem using this stereo system, use the following check list. First, check that the power cord is connected firmly and the speakers are connected correctly and firmly. Should any problem persist, consult your nearest Sony dealer. General The display starts flashing as soon as you plug in the power cord even[...]

43 There is severe hum or noise. • A TV or VCR is placed too close to the stereo system. Move the stereo system away from the TV or VCR. The sound from the connected source is distorted. • If “VIDEO” appears in the display when you press MD (VIDEO), switch the display to ”MD” (see ”Note: Connecting audio components” on page 39). “[...]

44 Tape Deck The tape does not record. • No tape in the cassette holder. • The tab has been removed from the cassette (see “To save a tape permanently” on page 41). • The tape has reeled to the end. The tape does not record nor play or there is a decrease in sound level. • The heads are dirty. Clean them (see “Cleaning the tape heads?[...]

45 AUDIO POWER SPECIFICATIONS: (MHC-BX3 U.S.A. model only) POWER OUTPUT AND TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: with 6 ohm loads both channels driven, from 120-10,000 Hz; rates 75 watts per channel minimum RMS power, with no more than 10% total harmonic distortion from 250 milliwatts to rated output. Amplifier section Canadian model: MHC-BX3: Continuous RMS[...]

46 AM tuner section Tuning range Pan-American models: 530 – 1,710 kHz (with the interval set at 10 kHz) 531 – 1,710 kHz (with the interval set at 9 kHz) European and Middle Eastern models: 531 – 1,602 kHz (with the interval set at 9 kHz) Other models: 531 – 1,602 kHz (with the interval set at 9 kHz) 530 – 1,710 kHz (with the interval set [...]

47 General Power requirements North American model: 120 V AC, 60 Hz European model: 230 V AC, 50/60 Hz Australian model: 230-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz Mexican model: 120 V AC, 60 Hz Other models: 120 V, 220 V or 230 - 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz Adjustable with voltage selector Power consumption U.S.A. model: MHC-BX3: 140 watts Canadian model: MHC-BX3: 130 watts E[...]

48 S Saving recordings 41 Selecting the audio emphasis 27 Setting the time 6 Shuffle Play 20 Sleep Timer 35 Sound adjustment 27, 29 Speakers 4 Station name 31 T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z Tape Select Edit 25 Timer falling asleep to music 35 timer-recording 37 waking up to music 36 Troubleshooting 42-44 Tuner 7, 13, 31-33 Tuning interval 9 Sony Corporation P[...]