Parasound Z Custom, Zpre3 Owner's Manual

Z Custom
Zpre3

Stereo Preamplifier

Owner’s Manual

®

Parasound®Z Custom™Zpre3 Owner’s Manual Page 2

Important Safety Instructions

The lightning flash with the arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of
“dangerous voltage” inside the product that may constitute a risk of electric shock.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and
maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying the product.

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL

1. Read Instructions — Read all the safety and operating instructions before operating this product.

2. Retain Instructions — Retain safety and operating instructions for future reference.

3. Heed Warnings — Adhere to all warnings on the product and in the operating instructions.

4. Follow Instructions — Follow all operating and use instructions.

5. Cleaning — Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. Clean the outside of
the product only.

6. Attachments — Do not use attachments that are not recommended by the product manufacturer; they may be hazardous.

7. Water and Moisture — Do not use this product near water.

8. Accessories — Do not place this product on an unstable cart or stand. The product may fall, causing bodily injury and
damage to the product. A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and
uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart to overturn.

9. Ventilation — Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation to ensure reliable operation of the product and
to protect it from overheating. These openings must not be blocked or covered. This product should not be placed in a
built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided.

10. Power Sources — Operate this product only from the type of power source indicated on the label. If you are not sure of
the type of power supply to your home, consult your dealer or local power company. This product is equipped with a three ­prong grounding plug. This plug will only fit into a grounding power outlet. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet,
contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding plug.

11. Power Cord Protection — Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by
items placed upon or against them.

12. Lightning — Unplug the unit from the wall outlet for added protection during a lightning storm and when it is left
unattended and unused for long periods of time. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power line
surges.

13. Overloading— Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords. This can result in a fire or electric shock.

14. Inserting Objects into Unit — Never push objects of any kind into this product through any openings; they may touch
dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in fire or electric shock.

15. Servicing — Do not attempt to repair or service this product yourself. Opening or removing covers may expose you to
dangerous voltage and other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

16. Damage Requiring Service — Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified
service personnel under the following conditions: a) If the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.
b) If liquid has been spilled into the product. c) If the product has been exposed to rain or water. d) If the product does not
operate normally by following the operating instructions. e) If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way. f) If
the product exhibits a distinct change in performance.

17. Replacement Parts — When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts
specified by the manufacturer. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock, and other hazards.

18. Safety Check — Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety
checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition.

19. Wall or Ceiling Mounting — Mount the product to a wall or ceiling only as recommended.

20. Heat — The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, and other
products (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

Parasound®Z Custom™Zpre3 Owner’s Manual Page 3

Parasound®Z Custom™Zpre3 Owner’s Manual Page 4

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of this precision audio product and thank you for selecting
Parasound. We are proud to offer you this versatile preamplifier, knowing that it will bring you many years of
enjoyment and dependable operation. Please take a few moments to read the following instructions so you
can enjoy all the benefits of your new Zpre3’s advanced performance capabilities.

You can find details of the Zpre3’s specifications and advanced technology at www.parasound.com.
Enjoy.

The Parasound Staff

www.parasound.com

 Keep your Purchase Receipt/Dealer Invoice for future reference
 Keep the carton in the event it is needed in the future

Record the 5 digit serial number located on the bottom side of your Zpre3 in the space below. Also note
your Parasound dealer’s name and telephone number. Your purchase receipt-dealer invoice is required to
determine if your Zpre3 is eligible for Parasound warranty service. We recommend that you make an extra
copy of your original purchase receipt-dealer invoice and store it inside the Zpre3’s carton. If the Zpre3
should require warranty repair you will need its original carton and foam packing inserts to ship it.

Please do not throw away the carton or foam packing inserts.

Parasound Zpre3 Serial # ____________________
Parasound Dealer: ___________________________________
Parasound Dealer Phone Number: _______________________
Date of Purchase: ____________________________________

Important Warranty information

There is no Parasound warranty for this unit if it was not purchased from an Authorized
Parasound Dealer. Investigate warranty coverage statements made by unauthorized dealers very carefully,

as Parasound will not provide service under our warranty and you will need to depend entirely upon the
unauthorized dealer for warranty service. A list of Authorized Parasound Dealers and detailed warranty
information is available at www.parasound.com or you can call Parasound at [phone] between 8:30
am and 4 pm Pacific time.

A missing or altered serial number could indicate that this unit was re-sold by an unauthorized
dealer or is stolen merchandise. If this unit is missing its serial number or the serial number has
been altered, you should return it to your dealer immediately for a full refund.

Parasound®Z Custom™Zpre3 Owner’s Manual Page 5

Table of Contents

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Placement and Ventilation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Rear Panel Layout and Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Audio Input Connections

Inputs 1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Front Panel AUX Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Bypass Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Audio Output Connections

Fixed & Variable Stereo Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Fixed & Variable Mono Outputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Connecting a Subwoofer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Headphone Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

12 Volt, IR and RS-232 Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Front Panel Display and Controls

Multifunction Volume / Select Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Selecting Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Bass, Treble and Balance Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Remote Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Renaming Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Special Volume Features

Setting the Turn On Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Favorite Volume Memory (Mem button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

If You Require Assistance or Warranty Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Specifications and Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15