3-862-011-12(1) Mini Hi-Fi Component System Operating Instructions f MHC-GRX8 / RX88 / RX99 / R800 ©1997 by Sony Corporation 1
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. Laser component in this product is capable of emitting radiation exceeding the limit for Class 1. This appliance is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER product. The CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT MARKING is located on the rear exterior.
Table of Contents Getting Started Step 1: Hooking up the system ............ 4 Step 2: Setting the time ......................... 6 Step 3: Presetting radio stations .......... 7 Connecting optional AV components . 9 Basic Operations Playing a CD ......................................... 12 Recording a CD .................................... 14 Listening to the radio ........................... 15 Recording from the radio .................... 16 Playing a tape ........................................
Getting Started Step 1: Hooking up the system Do the following procedure 1 to 5 to hook up your system using the supplied cords and accessories. Surround speaker* (Right) Surround speaker* (Left) 1 1 AM loop antenna FM antenna 5 2 1 1 3 1 4 Front speaker (Right) Front speaker (Left) * MHC-GRX8/RX99/R800 only 1 Connect the speakers. 1 Connect the speaker cords of front speakers to the SPEAKER jacks of the same color . Keep the speaker cords away from the antennas to prevent noise.
Keep the speaker cords away from the antennas to prevent noise. Jack type B Extend the FM lead antenna horizontally. Insert only the stripped portion. AM loop antenna R L FM CO 75 AX + IAL + AM – Solid (‘) Stripe (’) 3 Set VOLTAGE SELECTOR to position of your local power line voltage (for models with a voltage selector). VOLTAGE Set up the AM loop antenna, then connect it. Jack type A Extend the FM lead antenna horizontally.
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 is on a 24-hour system for the European and Russian models, and a 12-hour system for other models. The 12-hour system model is used for illustration purposes.
3 Press ENTER/NEXT. The minute indication flashes. Step 3: Presetting radio stations You can preset the following number of stations: 4 Turn the jog dial to set the minute. 5 Press ENTER/NEXT. The clock starts working. – 2 band model: 20 for FM, 10 for AM. – 3 band model: 20 for FM, 10 for MW, and 10 for SW (or LW, depending on the model you purchased). – 4 band model: 20 for FM, 10 for MW, 10 for LW, and 5 for UKV. Tips • If you’ve made a mistake, start over from step 1.
Step 3: Presetting radio stations (continued) 3 Press TUNER MEMORY. A preset number appears in the display. 1 Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly until the band you want appears in the display. n The bands you can receive vary depending on the model you purchased. Be sure to check which bands you can receive.
Connecting optional AV components To enhance your system, you can connect optional components. Refer to the instructions of each component. Connecting an MD deck for analog recording Make sure to match the color of the plugs and the connectors. To listen to the sound of the connected MD deck, press FUNCTION repeatedly until “MD” appears.
Connecting optional AV components (continued) Connecting a VCR Make sure to match the color of the plugs and the connectors. To listen to the sound of the connected VCR, press FUNCTION repeatedly until “VIDEO” appears. To the audio output of the VCR Connecting outdoor antennas Connect the outdoor antenna to improve the reception. FM antenna Connect the optional FM outdoor antenna. You can also use the TV antenna instead.
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 Screw clamp Insulated wire (not supplied) FM 75 AM y Ground wire (not supplied) Jack type B Insulated wire (not supplied) Screw clamp FM CO75 AX IA L AM y Ground wire (not supplied) Important If you connect an outdoor antenna, ground from y terminal with the screw clamp. To prevent a gas explosion, do not connect the ground wire to a gas pipe.
Basic Operations 1 Playing a CD — Normal play Press § and place up to two CDs 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. (Power) CD (P 2 DISC SKIP/ EX-CHANGE 1 With the label side up. When you play a single CD, place it on the inner circle of the tray. To insert a 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 play starts.
Do this Tips Stop play Press p. Pause Press CD (P (P on the remote). Press again to resume play. Select a track During play or pause, turn the jog dial clockwise (to go forward) or counterclockwise (to go back) and release it when you reach the desired track. (Or press + (to go forward) or = (to go back) on the remote.) Find a point in a track Press and hold down ) or 0 during play and release it at the desired point.
2 Recording a CD Then press again to close the disc tray. If the indicator for the tray you want to record is not lit green, press DISC SKIP/ EX-CHANGE repeatedly so that it lights green. — CD Synchro Recording The CD SYNC button lets you record from a CD to a tape easily. You can use TYPE I (normal) or TYPE II (CrO2) tapes. The recording level is adjusted automatically. (Power) p 4 1 DISC SKIP/ EX-CHANGE 2 Press § and place a CD. With the label side up.
Listening to the radio 1 –– Preset Tuning The bands you can receive vary depending on the model you purchased. Be sure to check which bands you can receive. Every time you press the button, the band changes as follows: 2 band model: FM ˜ AM 3 band model: FM n MW n SW Preset radio stations in the tuner's memory first (see “Step 3: Presetting radio stations”). 2 1 n (Power) Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly until the band you want appears in the display.
Listening to the radio (continued) To listen to non-preset radio stations Use manual or automatic tuning in step 2. For manual tuning, press + or – repeatedly. For automatic tuning, press and hold + or –. Tips • Pressing TUNER/BAND when the power is off automatically turns the power on and tunes to the last received station (One Touch Play). • You can switch from another source to the radio just by pressing TUNER/BAND (Automatic Source Selection).
3 Press § and insert a blank tape into deck B. With the side you want to record facing forward 4 Press r REC. Deck B stands by for recording. 5 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select A to record on one side. Select ß (or RELAY) to record on both sides. 6 Press P PAUSE. Playing a tape You can use any type of tape, TYPE I (normal), TYPE II (CrO2) or TYPE IV (metal) , since the deck automatically detects the tape type.
Playing a tape (continued) 1 Press § and insert a recorded tape in deck A or B. With the side you want to play facing forward 2 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select A to play one side. Select ß* to play both sides. To play both decks in succession, select RELAY (relay play).** 3 Press TAPE A (or TAPE B) ( (DECK A (or DECK B) ( on the remote). Press TAPE A (or TAPE B) 9 to play the reverse side. (Press DECK A (or DECK B) ( again on the remote to play the reverse side.) The tape starts playing.
Recording from a tape 3 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select A to record on one side. Select ß (or RELAY) to record on both sides. 4 Press P PAUSE. — High-speed Dubbing You can use TYPE I (normal) or TYPE II (CrO2) tapes. The recording level is automatically adjusted. (Power) 1 p DOLBY NR 1 Dubbing starts. 3 To stop dubbing Press p. 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 To check the total playing time and the number of tracks on a CD Press DISPLAY in the stop mode. You can check the remaining time of the current track or that of the CD. (Power) DISPLAY / Press DISPLAY during playback.
Playing the CD tracks repeatedly To cancel Repeat Play Press REPEAT so that “REPEAT” or “REPEAT 1” disappears from the display. –– Repeat Play This function lets you repeat a single CD or all CDs in normal play, Shuffle Play and Program Play. (Power) PLAY MODE REPEAT / Press REPEAT during playback until “REPEAT” appears in the display. Repeat Play starts. Do the following procedure to change the repeat mode.
Playing the CD tracks in random order –– Shuffle Play To cancel Shuffle Play Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “SHUFFLE” or “PROGRAM” 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. Tips (Power) 1 DISC 1~3 3 2 Jog dial 1 Press FUNCTION repeatedly until “CD” appears in the display, then place a CD.
Programming the CD tracks 1 Press FUNCTION repeatedly until “CD” appears in the display, then place a CD. –– Program Play 2 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PROGRAM” appears in the display. 3 Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons to select a CD. 4 Turn the jog dial until the desired track appears in the display. You can make a program of up to 32 tracks from all the CDs in the order you want them to be played.
Programming the CD tracks (continued) To cancel Program Play Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PROGRAM” 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 lights up, then press CLEAR.
The Tape Deck Recording on a tape manually 4 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select A to record on one side. Select ß (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. The recording level is adjusted automatically. 5 Press P PAUSE. (Power) 2 p DOLBY NR Recording starts. 6 1 4 Start playing the source to be recorded. To Press Stop recording p.
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. (Power) 2 3 4 11, EDIT 1 1 Place a CD and insert a blank tape into deck B. 2 Press FUNCTION repeatedly until “CD” appears in the display. 3 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PROGRAM” appears in the display. 4 Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons to select a CD.
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. Deck B stands by for recording and the CD player stands by for playback. The indicator on TAPE B ( (for front side) lights up. 11 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select A to record on one side. Select ß (or RELAY) to record on both sides. 12 Press P PAUSE. Recording starts.
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. (Power) LOOP Jog dial / Press and hold LOOP during playback at the point you want to start the Loop function, and release to resume normal play.
Using the drum pads / Tap drum PAD A or B to produce With the drum pads, you can add percussion during playback. This effect can be used with any source, to create original recordings. To change the drum sound BEAT LEVEL (Power) Jog dial the respective sound. Turn the jog dial while holding PAD A or B (or press SELECT > or . while holding PAD A or B on the remote) to select the sound you desire. You can select from a variety of different drum sounds.
/ Press BEAT ON/OFF during Using the beat functions playback at the point you want to start the beat. The button’s indicator lights up. With the beat functions, you can enjoy a variety of rhythms. They can be used with any source, to create original recordings. BEAT LEVEL (Power) Jog dial To change the speed Turn the jog dial while holding BEAT SPEED (or press SPEED ? or / on the remote) to select the speed you desire (BPM 60~160).
Using the BEAT JAM function Using the AUTO BPM function This function automatically synchronizes the sounds of PAD A and B with the sound source. This function automatically synchronizes the rhythm of the current beat pattern with the sound source. 1 Start playing a source. 1 Start playing a source. 2 Press BEAT JAM repeatedly to select the jam mode you desire. 2 Select a beat pattern. The button’s indicator lights up. Every time you press the button, the display changes as follows: . PAD MODE .
Sound Adjustment Adjusting the sound You can reinforce the bass, create a more powerful sound, and listen with headphones. (Power) GROOVE MUTING* Notes • With some songs, the music will sound distorted when you use the DBFB system with the graphic equalizer if the bass is too strong. Adjust the bass slowly while listening to music so that you can monitor the effect of the adjustment. • Cancelling GROOVE sets DBFB to “DBFB ” and flattens the equalizer curve.
Selecting the audio emphasis To cancel the effect Press EFFECT on the front panel (or the remote) repeatedly so that “EFFECT OFF” appears in the display. Music menu options The audio emphasis menu lets you select the sound characteristic according to the sound you are listening to. “SUR ” appears if you select an effect with surround effects. The personal file function (see “Making a personal audio emphasis file”) lets you store your own effects.
Selecting surround effects Adjusting the graphic equalizer You can enjoy surround effects. You can adjust the sound by raising or lowering the levels of specific frequency ranges. (Power) SURROUND Before operation, first select the audio emphasis you want for your basic sound. (Power) 2 4 6 / Press SURROUND repeatedly to select the surround effect you desire.
4 Making a personal audio emphasis file Turn the jog dial to adjust level. VOLUME ALL DISCS ß 5 Repeat steps 3 and 4. 6 Press ENTER/NEXT when finished. Note If you choose another menu audio emphasis (other than “EFFECT OFF”) the adjusted sound effect is lost. To retain the adjusted sound effect for future use, store it in a personal file. (See “Making a personal audio emphasis file”.
Making a personal audio emphasis file (continued) 3 4 Use the jog dial to select the file number (P FILE) where you want to store the sound effect. Press ENTER/NEXT. The adjusted sound effects are stored under the selected file number. The settings previously stored at this memory location are erased and replaced by the new settings. Switching the speaker formation –Sonic formation (MHC-GRX8 / RX99 / R800 only) You can select from four speaker formations depending on your listening situation.
NORMAL mode LINK mode The surround speakers provide reverberation and reflective sound effects that emphasize the sound from the front speakers. The same sound is output from the front speakers and surround speakers. For instance, when you want to listen to the same sound in two rooms, it is suitable to set the front speakers and the surround speakers in each room.
Other Features Using the Radio Data System (RDS) (For 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.
1 Press PTY. 2 Turn jog dial to select the program type you want. See the “List of program types” section below. 3 Press ENTER/NEXT. The unit starts searching the preset RDS stations (“SEARCH” and the selected program type are shown alternately in the display). When the tuner receives a program, the preset station number flashes.
Singing along: Karaoke You can sing along with any stereo CD or tape by turning down the singer’s voice. You need to connect an optional microphone. 3 (Power) 4 Start playing the music and adjust the volume. 5 Adjust the microphone volume by turning MIC LEVEL. When you are done Turn MIC LEVEL to MIN and disconnect the microphone from MIX MIC, then press KARAOKE PON/MPX repeatedly so that “h” disappears. Note With some songs, vocals may not be cancelled when you select “KARAOKE PON”.
Mixing and recording sounds (Power) 2 p To stop recording Press p. Tips 5 1 • If acoustic feedback (howling) occurs, move the microphone away from the speakers or change the direction of the microphone. • If you want to record your voice through the microphone only, you can do so by selecting the CD function and not playing a CD. Notes • If you press EFFECT or recall a sound effect, the karaoke mode is cancelled.
Falling asleep to music Waking up to music — Sleep Timer 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”). — Wake-up Timer You can let the system turn off at the preset time, so you can sleep to the music. You can preset the time to be turned off by 10 minutes. 9 TIMER SELECT 2 SLEEP / Press SLEEP.
4 Turn jog dial to select DAILY 1 or 2, then press ENTER/NEXT. “ON” appears and the hour digits flash in the display. 1 2 REC SLEEP Press TIMER SELECT and turn the jog dial to select the respective mode (DAILY 1 or DAILY 2), then press ENTER/NEXT. To change the setting, start over from step 1. To cancel the timer operation VOLUME ALL DISCS ß 5 To check the setting Press TIMER SELECT and turn the jog dial to select “TIMER OFF”, then press ENTER/ NEXT. Set the time to start playback.
Timer-recording radio programs 4 Set the time to start recording. Turn the jog dial to set the hour, then press ENTER/NEXT. The minute indication starts flashing. 1 2 REC SLEEP To timer-record, you must preset the radio station (see “Step 3: Presetting radio stations”) and set the clock (see “Step 2: Setting the time”) beforehand. 7 TIMER SELECT VOLUME ALL DISCS ß Turn the jog dial to set the minute, then press ENTER/NEXT. The hour indication flashes again.
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 FUNCTION, switch the display to “MD”. “0:00” (or “12:00”) 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 45). •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 46). •The record/playback heads are magnetized. Demagnetize them (see “Demagnetizing the tape heads” on page 46).
Specifications Amplifier section MHC-RX88/RX99: DIN power output (rated) 80 + 80 watts (8 ohms at 1 kHz, DIN) Continuous RMS power output (reference) 100 + 100 watts (8 ohms at 1 kHz, 10% THD) Music power output (reference) 170 + 170 watts (8 ohms at 1 kHz, 10% THD) MHC-GRX8/R800: The following measured at AC 120, 220, 240 V 50/60 Hz DIN power output (rated) 105 + 105 watts (8 ohms at 1 kHz, DIN) Continuous RMS power output (reference) 130 + 130 watts (8 ohms at 1 kHz, 10% THD) Peak music power output (refe
Specifications (continued) AM tuner section Tuning range 2 Band type: 531 – 1,602 kHz (with the interval set at 9 kHz) 530 – 1,710 kHz (with the interval set at 10 kHz) 3 Band/4 Band type: European and Russian models: MW: 531 – 1,602 kHz (with the interval set at 9 kHz) LW: 153 – 279 kHz (with the interval set at 3 kHz) Middle Eastern models: MW: 531 – 1,602 kHz (with the interval set at 9 kHz) SW: 5.95 – 17.
Index A Adjusting the audio emphasis 33 the sound 32 the volume 13, 15, 18 Antennas 5, 10 Auto BPM 31 Automatic Source Selection 13, 16, 18 B Batteries 6 Beat functions 30 Beat Jam 31 C CD player 12, 20 CD Synchro Recording 14 Clock setting 6 Connecting. See Hooking up D Drum pads 29 Display 20, 33 K Karaoke 40 L, M Loop 28 N Normal Play 12 O One Touch Play 13, 16, 18 P, Q Pads.
Sony Corporation Printed in Malaysia
