3-868-163-13(1) Mini Hi-Fi Component System Operating Instructions 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 No.
INFORMATION 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 PRODUCT MARKING is located on the rear exterior. NOTICE FOR THE CUSTOMERS IN THE U.S.A.
Table 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 .................................... 12 Listening to the radio ........................... 13 Recording from the radio .................... 14 Playing a tape ........................................
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 FM antenna 2 3 1 4 Front speaker (Right) Front speaker (Left) Notes 1 Connect the speakers. Connect the speaker cords of the front speakers to the SPEAKER jacks as below. Insert only the stripped portion. R + L + – Red/Solid (3) Black/Stripe (#) 4 • Keep the speaker cords away from the antennas to prevent noise.
2 Connect the FM/AM antennas. 3 For models with a voltage selector, set VOLTAGE SELECTOR to the local power line voltage. Set the AM loop antenna up, before connecting it. Jack type A AM loop antenna VOLTAGE Extend the FM lead antenna horizontally. SELECTOR 230 - 240V FM 75 120V 220V AM 4 Connect the power cord to a wall outlet. The demonstration appears in the display. When you press ?/1, the system turns on and the demonstration automatically ends.
Step 1: Hooking up the system (continued) 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. Step 2: Setting the time You must set the time before using the timer functions. The clock uses a 24-hour system on the European model, and a 12-hour system on other models. The 24-hour system is used for illustration purposes.
2 Press . or > repeatedly to set the hour. 3 Press ENTER. The minute indication flashes. Step 3: Presetting radio stations You can preset a total of 30 preset stations (20 for FM and 10 for AM). ?/1 (Power) 4 Press . or > repeatedly to set the minute. 5 Press ENTER. 2 3 The clock starts working. Tip If you make a mistake, start over from step 1. To change the time The previous explanation shows how to set the time while the power is off.
Step 3: Presetting radio stations (continued) 4 Press ENTER. The station is stored. 1 Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to select FM or AM. 2 Press and hold + or – (or TUNING +/– on the remote) until the frequency indication starts to change, then release. Scanning stops automatically when a station is tuned in. “TUNED” and “STEREO” (for a stereo program) appear. MHz STEREO TUNED 5 Repeat steps 1 through 4 to store other stations.
To erase a preset station 1 Press and hold TUNER MEMORY until a preset number appears in the 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) DISPLAY 2 Turn the shuttle until it clicks to select the preset number you want to erase. Select “ALL ERASE” when you want to erase all the preset stations. 3 Press ENTER. “COMPLETE” appears.
Basic Operations 1 Playing a CD — Normal Play Press Z OPEN/CLOSE and place a CD on the disc tray. If a disc is not placed properly, it will not be recognized. You can play up to three CDs in a row. DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE hH ?/1 (Power) x 1 PLAY MODE X Place with the label side up. When you play a CD single (8 cm CD), place it on the inner circle of the tray. 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.
To Do this Tips 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 a track Turn the shuttle clockwise (to go forward) or counterclockwise (to go back) until it clicks and hold (or press and hold down J or j on the remote). Release it when you find the desired point .
3 Recording a CD — CD Synchro Recording 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. The CD SYNC HI-DUB button lets you record from a CD to a tape easily. You can use TYPE I (normal) tape. DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE ?/1 (Power) hH 3 5 Press Z OPEN/CLOSE and place a CD. Place with the label side up. When you play a CD single (8 cm CD), place it on the inner circle of the tray.
Listening to the radio 1 Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to select FM or AM. 2 Turn the shuttle until it clicks (or press PRESET +/– on the remote) to tune in the desired preset station. –– Preset Tuning Preset radio stations in the tuner's memory first (see “Step 3: Presetting radio stations” on page 7). ?/1 (Power) Turn counterclockwise STEREO/ (or press PRESET – MONO on the remote) for lower preset numbers.
Listening to the radio (continued) To Do this Turn off the radio Press ?/1. Adjust the volume Turn VOLUME (or press VOL +/– on the remote). To listen to non-preset radio stations Use manual or automatic tuning in step 2. For manual tuning, press + or – (or TUNING +/– on the remote) repeatedly. For automatic tuning, press and hold + or – (or TUNING +/ – on the remote). Recording from the radio You can record the radio program on a tape by calling up a preset station. You can use TYPE I (normal) tape.
3 Turn the shuttle until it clicks to tune in a preset station. Turn counterclockwise for lower preset numbers. M m Preset number M m Turn clockwise for higher preset numbers. Frequency 4 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) MHz TUNED Playing a tape STEREO 4 ?/1 (Power) 3 X x Shuttle Press REC PAUSE/START.
Playing a tape (continued) 1 Press TAPE A/B. To select deck A or B, press TAPE A/B repeatedly. 2 4 Do this Stop playback Press x. Pause Press X. Press again to resume playback. Fast-forward Turn the shuttle clockwise until it clicks while playing the front side or counterclockwise until it clicks while playing the reverse side (or press J or j on the remote).
Recording from a tape 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. — High-speed Dubbing You can use TYPE I (normal) tape. Dubbing starts. ?/1 (Power) 4 p To stop dubbing Press x. Tips • When you dub on both sides, start recording from the front side. If you record from the reverse side, recording stops at the end of the reverse side.
The CD Player 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. ?/1 (Power) , Press DISPLAY.
Playing the CD tracks repeatedly –– Repeat Play This function lets you repeat a single CD or all CDs in Normal Play, Shuffle Play, and Program Play. To cancel Repeat Play Press REPEAT repeatedly until “REPEAT” or “REPEAT 1” disappears from the display. Notes • If you press PLAY MODE until ”SHUFFLE ALL DISCS” appears, “REPEAT” is canceled automatically. • During Program Play, the program is also repeated up to five times.
Playing the CD tracks in random order –– Shuffle Play To cancel Shuffle Play Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “SHUFFLE” or “PGM” disappears from the display. The tracks continue playing in their original order. To select a desired CD You can play all the tracks on one CD or all CDs in random order. Press DISC 1~3. ?/1 (Power) Tips 3 DISC 1~3 2 > 1 Shuttle 1 Press CD, then place a CD. 2 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “SHUFFLE 1 DISC” or “SHUFFLE ALL DISCS” appears in the display.
Programming the CD tracks 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. –– Program Play You can make a program of up to 32 tracks from all the CDs in the order you want them to be played. ?/1 (Power) 4p7 4 To program all the tracks on a CD at once, proceed to step 5 while “AL” appears in the display. 2 4 Press . or > until the desired track appears in the display.
Programming the CD tracks (continued) To cancel Program Play Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PGM” or “SHUFFLE” disappears from the display. To Press Check the program CHECK on the remote repeatedly. After the last track, “CHECK END” appears. Clear a track from the end CLEAR on the remote in stop mode. Clear a specific track CHECK on the remote repeatedly until the number of the track to be erased appears, then press CLEAR.
The Tape Deck Recording on a tape manually 4 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select g to record on one side. Select j (or RELAY) to record on both sides. 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. 5 Press REC PAUSE/START. ?/1 (Power) x 6 4 Recording starts. 6 Press hH to start playing the source to be recorded. To Press Stop recording x. Pause recording REC PAUSE/START.
Recording a CD by specifying track order — Program Edit You can record tracks from all the CDs in the order you want. When programming, make sure the playing times for each side do not exceed the length of one side of the tape. 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.
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 recording and the CD player stands by for playback. The indicator on REC PAUSE/START flashes. 11 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select g to record on one side.
DJ Effects Looping part of a CD Flashing part of a CD — Loop — Flash With the Loop function, you can repeat part of a CD during playback. This lets you create original recordings. With the Flash function, you can “flash” the CD sound during playback. This lets you create original recordings.
Sound Adjustment Adjusting the sound You can reinforce the bass, create a more powerful sound, and listen with headphones. ?/1 (Power) Selecting the audio emphasis The audio emphasis menu lets you select the sound characteristic according to the type of music you are listening to. Selecting the effect from the music menu ?/1 (Power) GROOVE Controller PHONES For a powerful sound (GROOVE) Press GROOVE. The volume switches to power mode, the equalizer curve changes, and the GROOVE button lights.
Selecting the audio emphasis (continued) , Press b or B on the controller (or MENU +/– on the remote) to select the preset you desire. The preset name appears in the display. See the chart “Music menu options”. Changing the spectrum analyzer display You can enjoy changing the display while listening to the music. ?/1 (Power) To select USER FILE Press v on the controller. To cancel the effect Press V on the controller or ON/OFF on the remote repeatedly so that “EFFECT OFF” appears in the display.
Selecting surround effect Adjusting the graphic equalizer You can enjoy surround effect. You can adjust the sound by raising or lowering the levels of specific frequency ranges. ?/1 (Power) Before operation, first select the audio emphasis you want for your basic sound. ?/1 (Power) 2,3 SURROUND , Press SURROUND repeatedly to select the surround effect you desire.
Adjusting the graphic equalizer (continued) 3 Press v or V on the controller to adjust the level. 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 press MENU +/– repeatedly until “USER FILE” appears in the display.) • To use the controller, see page 28.
Other Features Using the Radio Data System (RDS) (European model only) What is the Radio Data System? Radio Data System (RDS) is a broadcasting service that allows radio stations to send additional information along with the regular program signal. This tuner offers convenient RDS features like station name display and location of stations by program type. RDS is available only on FM stations.
Using the Radio Data System (RDS) (continued) DRAMA Radio plays and serials. 1 Press PTY/DIRECTION while listening to the radio. CULTURE Programs about national or regional culture, language, and social concerns. 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 alternately in the display).
TRAVEL Programs about travel. Not for announcements that are located TP/TA. LEISURE Programs on recreational activities such as gardening, fishing, cooking, etc. JAZZ Jazz programs. COUNTRY Country music programs. Singing along: Karaoke (MHC-DX3 only) You can sing along by turning down the singer’s voice. You need to connect an optional microphone. ?/1 (Power) VOLUME NATION M Programs featuring the popular music of the country or region. OLDIES Programs featuring oldies music. FOLK M Folk Music Programs.
Singing along: Karaoke (continued) 4 5 Start playing the music and adjust the volume. Mixing and recording sounds ?/1 (Power) x 6 4 Adjust the microphone volume by turning MIC LEVEL. When you are done Turn MIC LEVEL to MIN and disconnect the microphone from MIC, then press KARAOKE PON repeatedly until “m” disappears. Notes • With some songs, vocals may not be canceled when you select “KARAOKE PON”. • During KARAOKE PON, equalizer and surround settings cannot be changed.
4 5 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select g to record on one side. Select j (or RELAY) to record on both sides. Press REC PAUSE/START. Recording starts. 6 Press hH to start playing the source to be recorded. 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. Start singing along with the music. SLEEP To stop recording hH S Press x.
Waking up to music 4 — Daily Timer “ON” appears and the hour indication flashes in the display. 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). 3 1 9 CLOCK/TIMER SELECT 4,5,7 Press l or L repeatedly to select “DAILY 1 (or 2)”, then press ENTER. hH S l L j J H S s 4,5,8 5 s Set the time to start playback. Press l or L repeatedly to set the hour, then press ENTER. The minute indication starts flashing.
8 Press ENTER. The type of timer (DAILY 1 or DAILY 2), followed by the start time, stop time, and the music source, appear, then the original display appears. 9 Turn off the power. To check the setting Press CLOCK/TIMER SELECT and press l or L repeatedly to select the respective mode (DAILY 1 or DAILY 2), then press ENTER. To change the setting, start over from step 1. To cancel the timer operation Press CLOCK/TIMER SELECT and press l or L repeatedly to select “TIMER OFF”, then press ENTER.
Optional components Timer-recording radio programs (continued) 4 Connecting audio components Set the time to start recording. Press l or L repeatedly to set the hour, then press ENTER. The minute indication starts flashing. REC Press l or L repeatedly to set the minute, then press ENTER. The hour indication flashes again. 5 Set the time to stop recording following the above procedure. The start time, followed by the stop time, the preset radio station to be recorded (e.g.
Connecting an MD deck for listening to music Make sure to match the color of the plugs and the connectors. To listen to the sound of the connected MD deck, press MD (VIDEO). To the audio output of the MD 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.
Connecting external antennas Connect the external antenna to improve the reception. Refer to the instructions of each component. 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 Insulated wire (not supplied) FM antenna Connect the optional FM external antenna. You can also use the TV antenna instead.
Additional Information Precautions Notes on CDs Before operating the system, check that the operating voltage of your system is identical with the voltage of your local power supply. • 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.
Precautions (continued) Before placing a cassette in the tape deck Take up any slack in the tape. Otherwise the tape may get entangled in the parts of the tape deck and become damaged. When using a tape longer than 90 minutes The tape is very elastic. Do not change the tape operations such as play, stop, and fast-winding (etc.) frequently. The tape may get entangled in the tape deck. Cleaning the tape heads Clean the tape heads after every 10 hours of use.
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). “0:00” (or “12:00 AM”) flashes in the display. • A power interruption occurred. Set the clock and timer settings again. The timer does not function. • Set the clock correctly.
Troubleshooting (continued) 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” on page 42). •The record/playback heads are magnetized. Demagnetize them (see “Demagnetizing the tape heads” on page 42).
Specifications 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 power output (reference) 60 + 60 watts (6 ohms at 1 kHz, 10% THD) Total harmonic distortion less than 0.
Specifications (continued) AM tuner section Tuning range Pan-American models: Tape player section Recording system Frequency response Wow and flutter 4-track 2-channel stereo 40 – 13,000 Hz (±3 dB), using Sony TYPE I cassette ±0.15% W.Peak (IEC) 0.1% W.RMS (NAB) ±0.2% W.Peak (DIN) Tuner section FM stereo, FM/AM superheterodyne tuner FM tuner section Tuning range Antenna Antenna terminals Intermediate frequency 87.5 – 108.0 MHz FM lead antenna 75 ohm unbalanced 10.
General Power requirements North American model: European model: Australian model: Mexican model: Other models: Power consumption U.S.A. model: MHC-BX3: Canadian model: MHC-BX3: European model: MHC-BX3: Other models: MHC-DX3: Dimensions (w/h/d) MHC-BX3/DX3: Mass U.S.A.
K Index Karaoke 33 L, M A Adjusting the graphic equalizer 29 the sound 27 the volume 11, 14, 16 Antennas 5, 40 Loop 26 N, O Normal Play 10 P, Q B Batteries 6 C CD player 10-12, 18-22 CD Synchro Recording 12 Clock setting 6 Connecting 4-6,38-40 D, E Daily timer 36 Display 18 F, G Flash 26 R H, I, J High-speed Dubbing 17 Hooking up optional components 38-40 the antennas 5, 40 the power 5 the system 4 48 Sony Corporation Playing a CD 10 a preset station 13 a tape 15 tracks in random order (Shuff
