Pioneer VSX-AX3-K, VSX-AX3-S Operating Instruction

NOTE: THE NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS COMPARTMENT WARNING IS LOCATED ON THE APPLIANCE BONNET

Thank you for buying this Pioneer product. Please read through these operating instructions so you will know how to operate your model properly. After you have finished reading the instructions, put them away in a safe place for future reference.

Installing the Receiver

VENTILATION: When installing this unit, make sure

to leave space around the unit for ventilation to improve heat radiation (at least 60 cm at top, 10 cm at rear, and 30 cm at each side).

WARNING: Slot and openings in the cabinet are

provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, to prevent fire hazard, the openings should never be blocked and covered with items, such as newspapers, tablecloths, curtains, etc. Also do not put the apparatus on the thick carpet, bed, sofa, or fabric having a thick pile.

TWO VOLTAGE SELECTOR

Operating Environment SWITCHES (multi-voltage model only)

Only multi-voltage model is provided with these switches. European models are not provided with these switches.

Main voltages in Saudi Arabia are 127 V and 220 V only. Never use this model with the 110 V setting in Saudi Arabia.

There are two VOLTAGE SELECTORS. Be sure both of these are set correctly. Always check

that these selectors are set properly before plugging the power cord into the wall outlet.

1. Disconnect the power cord.

2. Use a small-sized screwdriver.

3. Insert the screwdriver into the groove of the

smaller voltage selector and adjust until the voltage is the same as at the larger one.

Operating environment temperature and humidity:

+5°C – +35°C (+41°F – +95°F); less than 85%RH

(cooling vents not blocked)

Do not install in the following locations

• Location exposed to direct sunlight or strong artificial light

• Location exposed to high humidity, or poorly ventilated location

H040 En

[For European model]

CAUTION 220 V Power source voltage is factory adjusted 220 volts. If

your area is different, change voltage selectors settings.

Table of Contents

Features ................................................6

Before You Start ................................... 7

Checking the Supplied Accessories ................................. 7

Preparing the Remote Control .......................................... 7

Loading the batteries ..................................................... 7

Operating range of remote control unit ....................... 8

Opening the Front Panel ...................................................8

Switching video system between PAL and NTSC ............ 8

Easy Setup Guide Part 1 ....................... 9

Home Theater: The Basics ................................................9

1) Your Home System .................................................... 9

2) The Source Material ..................................................9

3) The Listening Modes ................................................. 9

Conclusion ...................................................................... 9

1 Hooking Up Your DVD Player and TV .......................... 10

Digital Connections .....................................................10

2 Speaker Connections .................................................... 11

3 Setting up the Main Unit .............................................. 12

4 Assigning the Digital Inputs ........................................ 12

Easy Setup Guide Part 2 ..................... 13

1 Auto Surround Sound Setup ........................................ 13

2 Playing a DVD with Surround Sound .......................... 15

Connecting Your Equipment ............. 16

Connecting your TV .......................................................... 16

Connecting Video Components ...................................... 17

Connecting a DVD player ............................................ 17

Connecting VCRs or DVRs .......................................... 18

Connecting a Video Component

to the Front Panel ........................................................ 18

Connecting Satellite TV (SAT) Components .............. 19

Connecting Analog Audio Components ........................ 20

Connecting to the Multi Channel Analog Inputs

(DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD

(SACD) compatible player) .......................................... 21

Connecting Digital Audio Components ......................... 22

Digital Input Default Settings .....................................23

Connecting the Radio Antennas .................................... 24

Using outdoor antennas .............................................. 24

Connecting Speakers ....................................................... 25

Speaker impedance ..................................................... 26

Placing Your Speakers ..................................................... 27

Speaker placement ...................................................... 27

Power Connections (AC IN) ............................................27

Power Connections (AC OUTLETS)

(European model only) ..................................................... 27

Displays and Controls ........................ 28

Front Panel ....................................................................... 28

Remote Control ................................................................30

Display ............................................................................... 33

Back Panel ........................................................................ 34

Setting Up for Surround Sound ........ 36

Surround Back System .................................................... 37

NORMAL Setup ................................................................ 38

Speaker Setting ............................................................ 39

Channel Level ...............................................................41

Speaker Distance ......................................................... 42

Basic Operation .................................. 43

Stereo and Multichannel Playback .................................43

Selecting the Input Signal ........................................... 44

Listening Modes ............................................................... 45

Stereo modes ................................................................45

MOVIE modes (SURROUND mode) ........................... 46

MUSIC modes (SURROUND mode) ........................... 47

Adjusting the Effect of a Listening Mode ...................48

Adding/Adjusting the Effect in

Dolby Pro Logic II Music Mode ................................... 48

Listening with ACOUSTIC CAL EQ .................................. 49

Digital Noise Reduction (DIGITAL NR Function) ........... 49

Listening in MIDNIGHT Mode .........................................50

Listening in LOUDNESS Mode ........................................50

Adjusting Bass and Treble ..............................................51

Listening with Sound Delay ............................................. 51

Listening in Audio Scaler mode ......................................52

Multi Channel In Playback ...............................................52

Surround Back Channel Modes ...................................... 53

Surround Back Channel Mode ...................................53

Virtual Surround Back Mode ....................................... 53

Dual Mono setting and playback ....................................54

Using Headphones ...........................................................54

Video Select ......................................................................55

Adjusting the Brightness of the Display (DIMMER) ......55

Using the Tuner .................................. 56

Automatic and Manual Tuning .......................................56

MPX Mode ....................................................................56

RF ATT Mode (European model only) ......................... 56

Channel Step Setting (multi-voltage model only) ..........57

To Change Channel Steps ........................................... 57

Direct Access Tuning ....................................................... 57

Memorizing Frequently Used Stations ...........................58

Naming Memorized Stations ...........................................59

Recalling Memorized Stations ........................................60

An introduction to RDS (European model only) ............ 61

Using the RDS display .................................................61

Searching for RDS programs

(European model only) ..................................................... 62

Basics of EON (Enhanced Other Network information)

(European model only) ..................................................... 63

Using EON (European model only) ................................. 63

Clearing all stations from the RDS or EON search

(European model only) ..................................................... 64

Table of Contents

Remote Control of

Other Components ............................ 65

Setting Up the Remote Control

to Control Other Components ........................................ 65

Recalling Settings Stored

in the Remote Control ................................................. 65

Programming Signals from

Other Remote Controls (LEARNING Mode) ............... 66

Using Remote Control with Other Components ........... 67

CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/DVD Recorder/

Cassette Deck operations ........................................... 67

Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV operations ........................... 68

Setting up the Direct Function ....................................... 69

Using Other Functions ....................... 70

Recording from Audio/Video Components .................... 70

SPEAKERS B Setup ......................................................... 71

Stereo playback in another room

(SECOND ZONE) .......................................................... 71

Bi-amping the front speakers

(FRONT BI-AMP) .......................................................... 71

SPEAKERS Button ....................................................... 72

Connecting Additional Amplifiers .................................. 73

The PIONEER SR System:

Operating other PIONEER components ........................ 74

Multi Operations .............................................................. 75

Performing Multi Operations ...................................... 76

System Off ........................................................................ 77

Using SYSTEM OFF ...................................................... 77

Resetting the Remote Control ........................................ 78

Erasing Multi Operations ............................................ 78

Erasing Learning Remote Control Commands ......... 78

Erasing All Remote Control Settings ......................... 78

Resetting the Main Unit .................................................. 79

Techno Tidbits and

Problem-solving ................................. 94

Dolby ................................................................................. 94

Dolby Digital ................................................................. 94

Dolby Pro Logic II ......................................................... 94

Dolby Digital Surround EX ..........................................94

DTS .................................................................................... 94

DTS ................................................................................ 94

DTS-ES .......................................................................... 95

DTS Neo:6 ..................................................................... 95

DTS 96/24 ...................................................................... 95

THX .................................................................................... 95

Troubleshooting ............................................................... 96

Preset Code Brands ....................................................... 102

Specifications (European model) ................................. 103

Specifications (multi-voltage model) ............................ 104

Fine Tuning Your System .................. 80

THX CINEMA Setup ......................................................... 80

Assigning the Digital Inputs ........................................... 81

Function Rename ............................................................ 82

Expert System Settings ...................... 83

EXPERT Setup .................................................................. 83

Crossover Network ....................................................... 84

Fine Channel Level ....................................................... 85

Fine Channel Delay ...................................................... 86

Acoustic Calibration EQ .............................................. 87

Bass Peak Level ........................................................... 92

Dynamic Range Control .............................................. 93

EXPERTBASICPREPARATION SURROUND SETUPEASY SETUP GUIDE

Before You Start

Features

Multichannel Acoustic Calibration EQ System (MCACC)

In order to make setting up as easy as possible for users we have created the MCACC system. This unique and convenient way of getting good surround sound from the receiver makes trouble-free setup a snap. With the included microphone plugged into the front panel the MCACC system creates a monitoring environment to establish the parameters of the sound for the specific room you are using. The MCACC system adjusts the parameters to establish excellent surround sound effects and offers you studio quality home theater sound with minimum effort.

Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24 and the Latest Audio and Video Formats

The VSX-AX3 is equipped with Dolby Digital EX decoding, the very latest Dolby Digital contribution to home theater with surround back speakers in addition to surround speakers. These additional speakers make home theater even more realistic and powerful. Naturally, you can also play all existing audio formats, including the recently developed Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS-ES Extended Surround formats on the VSX-AX3 as well. On the video side, the component video output is fully compatible with high definition, progressive-scan digital video (720p).

*Lucasfilm and THX are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lucasfilm, Ltd. and TM. Surround EX is a jointly developed technology of THX and Dolby Laboratories, and is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.

*Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby”, “Pro Logic”, “Surround EX” and double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

*“DTS”, “DTS-ES Extended Surround” and “Neo:6” are trademarks of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.

Universal Player Compatibility (DVD Audio/Super Audio CD [SACD])

The receiver incorporates the latest technology and is able to handle cutting edge audio formats, like DVD Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD) which are just hitting the market. Its high compatibility offers a variety of inputs to decode all types of sources at the highest possible quality. The receiver’s multichannel input connections lets you hook up eight discrete channels of audio.

Audio Scaler (HI BIT/HI SAMPLING)

This new technology enables the user to hear CD and DVD, as well as other soundtracks at a wider dynamic range, allowing for finer audio reproduction. This Audio Scaler approximates the audio of high end formats just becoming available now.

The Energy-saving Design

The European model is designed to use 0.8 W of energy when the receiver is in standby mode, while the multivoltage model is designed to use 0.9 W.

Before You Start

Checking the Supplied Accessories

Please check that you have received all of the following supplied accessories.

AM Loop Antenna FM Wire Antenna

Microphone for Auto

Remote Control Unit

Memo:

Multi-voltage model has two power cords. These accessories will be different depending on the country of purchase. Please use the correct cord for your country.

Surround Sound Setup

“AA” IEC LR6 batteries x 2

Microphone Stand for Auto

Surround Sound Setup

AC Power Cord x 1 (European model) x 2 (multi-voltage model)

Operating

Instructions

Preparing the Remote Control

Loading the batteries

Load the batteries into the remote control as shown below. Please use alkaline batteries. When you notice a decrease in the operating range, replace all batteries with new ones.

123

“AA” IEC LR6

batteries x 2

PREPARATION

CAUTION!

Incorrect use of batteries may result in such hazards as leakage and bursting. Observe the following precautions.

• Never use new and old batteries together.

• Insert the plus and minus sides of the batteries properly according to the marks in the battery case.

• Batteries with the same shape may have different voltages. Do not use different batteries together.

• When disposing of used batteries, please comply with governmental regulations or environmental public institution’s rules that apply in your country or area.

Before You Start

Operating range of remote control unit

The area in which you can use the remote control to operate the VSX-AX3 is fairly large. To use, point the remote control toward the remote sensor on the front panel of this unit while within the range shown below.

Remote control may not function properly if:

• There are obstacles between the remote control and the remote sensor.

• Direct sunlight or fluorescent light is shining onto the remote sensor.

• The receiver is located near a device emitting infrared rays.

• Operated simultaneously with another remote control which uses infrared rays.

Opening the Front Panel

To open the front panel push gently on the lower third of the panel with your finger.

Switching video system between PAL and NTSC

This receiver is able to use two types of video systems for its OSD (on screen display) either PAL or NTSC. If you don’t match the system on the amplifier with your home system no OSD will appear on your TV. The default setting is PAL. If you use this system you don’t need to make any settings here. People with multi-system TVs don’t need to worry about changing the setting either. If necessary, follow the instructions below to switch the type of video system.

1 Put the receiver in the STANDBY

mode.

2 While holding down the TONE + but-

ton press the STANDBY/ON button.

The video system type will change depending on the state the receiver was previously in. The new type, either PAL or NTSC, will appear in the display. It will be shown for about seven seconds and then the receiver

returns to normal operating mode.

Displays & Controls

Easy Setup Guide Part 1

Home Theater: The Basics

Most consumers are used to using stereo equipment to listen to music but many people are not used to home theater systems that give you many more options when listening to soundtracks. In fact, home theater is not really complicated and this little guide should give you an understanding of the basics. Home theater refers to the use of multiple audio tracks combined with multiple speakers to create a surround sound effect. There are three different factors involved in getting surround sound. Each contribute to what kind of sound you get. These factors are:

1) The equipment you are using for your home theater setup. Particularly important is the number of speakers you are using. We call this your speaker configuration.

2) The ‘source’ material you are using. This is the actual product (like a DVD) or broadcast (like cable TV) you are listening to/watching. We call this the source.

3) The last factor is the listening mode you choose on the VSX-AX3 receiver. These are explained below and in subsequent chapters but most likely the PRO LOGIC II MOVIE for moves and the PRO LOGIC II MUSIC for music will be fine. Let’s start with the home theater setup you have in your home.

1) Your Home System

The heart of your system is the VSX-AX3 receiver and it is very flexible in getting you theater-like surround sound. You can use this receiver with anywhere from two to seven speakers (front left, front right, center, surround left and right, and surround back left and right) and a subwoofer to get home theater surround sound. We recommend you use seven speakers and a subwoofer. If this is not possible follow the instructions in “Auto Surround Sound Setup” in the “Easy Setup Guide Part 2” and you will still be able to get good surround sound. Also, a DVD player is essential for home theater and you can also hook up satellite or cable TV tuner to this receiver and get a more home theaterlike sound from these sources.

2) The Source Material

DVDs have become the basic source material for home theater because they are convenient to use and offer excellent sound and picture quality as well as allow users to enjoy home theater soundtracks with more than two channels of audio. For example, Dolby Pro Logic plays back four channels (front left, front right, center and a single channel for both surround speakers), Dolby Digital and DTS sources usually have six discrete channels (front left, front right, center, surround left and right and a channel that powers the subwoofer) of sound. Since the subwoofer channel is only for bass sounds it is expressed as .1 of a channel and this multichannel setup has been named 5.1 channel sound. It is important you consult the manual that came with your DVD player as well to make sure the player is outputting a surround soundtrack and all the other settings are appropriate for your home theater setup.

EASY SETUP GUIDE PREPARATION

3) The Listening Modes

This receiver has many different listening modes and they are designed to cover all the speaker configurations and types of sources you might be using. In general, the PRO LOGIC II MOVIE listening mode is the easiest way to get realistic surround sound for movies. For music the basic listening mode for music is PRO LOGIC II MUSIC.

To listen to music in stereo simply choose the STEREO listening mode. Other possibilities (like listening to a stereo CD with all seven speakers or taking a stereo source and getting multichannel home theater-like sound) are explained in listening modes (page 45).

Conclusion

These are the three basic factors that contribute to your home theater sound. The easiest thing is to hook up seven speakers and a subwoofer and simply play your DVDs with PRO LOGIC II MOVIE listening mode. This will give you realistic and enjoyable home theater sound. First hook up your equipment, like your DVD player, TV and speakers. Then follow the Easy Setup Guide instructions to set up your system for surround sound. It is very important you do one of the surround sound setups to get optimal sound from your receiver.

For more details on any of the information presented here check the main section of the manual.

Easy Setup Guide Part 1

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

1 Hooking Up Your DVD Player and TV

In order to use Dolby Digital/DTS soundtracks, which are at the heart of home theater, you need to hook up your DVD player with digital audio connections. You can do this by either a coaxial or an optical connection, you don’t need to do both. The quality of these two types of connections is the same but since some DVD players only have one type of digital terminal you need to figure out which yours has and hook it up to the appropriate terminal on the receiver. In order to do this you will need the proper cable. For coaxial connections you can use a coaxial digital cord or a regular RCA video cord, which have the same type of plugs. For optical connections you will need a special optical cable which you can buy at your local stereo store. For more information on cords and cables see page 23. You should also hook up your DVD player with analog audio connections. Use regular RCA stereo cords for these connections. Also hook up the video connection on your DVD player, and your TV to this receiver. For your TV it’s easiest to use a regular composite (RCA) video cord, as shown below.

Digital Connections

Some DVD players have both coaxial and optical terminals, but there is no need to connect both. If your DVD player has a coaxial terminal (not a PCM-only output) for the audio out hook it up using this terminal. Follow the diagram below. This is the best scenario, as you will be able to follow the default settings of this receiver and won’t need to assign the digital inputs (you should use DIGITAL IN 3).

If your DVD player only has an optical terminal for the audio output you can hook it up using one of the DIGITAL IN terminals 1 or 2 (for example, DIGITAL IN 2). In this case, you will need to assign the digital input (which means tell the receiver which input you used for your DVD digital audio). See page 12 for this.

RCA video cord

(CD)

RCA stereo cord

RCA video cord

coaxial cordcoaxial cord optical cord

S-VIDEO

DVD player

(not a PCM-only output)

You only need to make one DIGITAL connection.

Easy Setup Guide Part 1

2 Speaker Connections

Home theater is designed to be setup with five, or seven speakers (front left and right; center; surround left and right; and, optimally, surround back left and right) and a subwoofer, but you can use this receiver with fewer speakers. Hook up the speakers you have to the A speaker terminals on the back of the receiver. If you only have two speakers hook them up as FRONT. If you have three hook up the single speaker as CENTER. Follow the diagram below in order to hook up all your speakers. A center speaker is very important for watching films because in digital soundtracks the dialog comes from the center speaker. If you do not have a center speaker you must tell the receiver the center channel is off or when you listen to digital soundtracks you won’t hear any dialog. This can be done automatically by following the “1 Auto Surround Sound Setup” instructions from page 13 in this Easy Setup Guide. If possible, use surround back speakers. These speakers are important to take full advantage of all the sound channels on new, eight channel home theater DVDs. The diagram below also explains how to hook up a subwoofer which provides realistic bass sounds. For the subwoofer use a mono (single plug) RCA cord and for the other speakers use regular speaker cords. Make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the R terminal and the speaker on the left to the L terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative (+/–) terminals on the receiver match those on the speakers.

owere

subwoofer

TV/monitor

Center

speaker

Front

speaker

(Right)

Surround

speaker

(Right)

Surround

speaker

(Left)

Front

speaker

(Left)

EASY SETUP GUIDE

urround back

speaker (Left)

Memo:

• We recommend speakers with a nominal impedance rated 8 Ω - 16 Ω , but you can change the speaker

impedance setting of the receiver (see page 26).

• If you only have one surround back speaker hook it up to the left surround back terminal.

• If you use a THX certified subwoofer use the THX INPUT jack on the subwoofer (if your subwoofer has one) or switch the filter position to THX on your subwoofer.

• When you attached your speaker wire to the speaker terminal make sure that not even one strand of wire touches the back of the receiver. If this happens it could short out the receiver.

Surround back

speaker (Right)

 Speaker terminals

1 Twist exposed wire strands together tightly.

2 Loosen speaker terminal and insert exposed wire.

3 Tighten terminal.

Easy Setup Guide Part 1

3 Setting up the Main Unit

1 Connect the supplied AC power cord to the AC IN on this receiver and plug in the

other end to a wall outlet. 2 Press the OFFON button to put the receiver in ON mode. 3 Press the  STANDBY/ON button to switch the receiver ON.

4 Assigning the Digital Inputs

This is only necessary if you did not hook up your DVD player to DIGITAL IN 3 using a coaxial cable but rather connected it to one of the optical digital inputs. The following example shows how to assign the DIGITAL IN 2 jack to DVD.

1 Turn on the receiver and your TV,

press the RECEIVER button on the remote control.

2 Press the SYSTEM SETUP button.

The SYSTEM SETUP menu appears on your TV (if it doesn’t, refer to page 10 to make sure you have properly connected the receiver to your TV).

3 Looking at the on-screen display on

your TV, use the  buttons to select INPUT ASSIGN. Press the ENTER button.

4 DIGITAL IN-SELECT should be

selected, if not use the  buttons to select it. Press the ENTER button.

5Use the  buttons to select

DIGITAL-2 and press ENTER.

The default setting for the DIGITAL-2 jack is CD-R.

6Use the  buttons to select DVD/

LD and press ENTER.

7 Press the SYSTEM SETUP button.

The receiver exits the setup process.

Listeni S

)

Easy Setup Guide Part 2

1 Auto Surround Sound Setup

If setting up your surround sound speakers seems like it’s going to be an involved task you only need to use this quick, automatic method, known as the MCACC system, to achieve good surround sound. You’ll need to hook up the microphone so that the receiver can hear and judge the distance, size, sound character and sound pressure level of the speakers and thus know what settings to make. First turn the volume down, then plug the microphone into the SETUP MIC jack on the front panel of the receiver and put the microphone into its stand. Follow the step-by-step guide to setting up your surround sound below. This will customize the surround sound for your listening environment. If you want to personalize your surround sound setups by making the settings manually go to “Setting Up for Surround Sound” (starting on page 36) and “EXPERT Setup” (starting on page 83). Make sure all the components you need, especially speakers, have been properly connected before you do the steps described here.

microphone

Center Speaker

Front Speaker (L)

Position

urround Speaker (L

microphone stand

Front Speaker (R)

Subwoofer

urround Back

Speaker (L)

Surround

Speaker

(R)

urround

Back

Speaker

(R)

1 Hook up the microphone to the

SETUP MIC jack on the Front Panel.

2 Place the microphone at your normal

listening position.

Use a table, chair or something else to put the microphone at the same height as you usually listen to your system from.

If you have a tripod you can affix the mic stand to it.

3 Switch on the receiver and your TV.

Make sure your TV is set to this receiver as you will use the on-screen displays (OSDs) on your TV to follow these instructions.

4 If you have a subwoofer turn it on.

5 Press the RECEIVER button on the

remote control.

EASY SETUP GUIDE

6 Press the SYSTEM SETUP button and

use the on-screen display (OSD) that appears on your TV.

7 The arrow should be pointing at

SURROUND SETUP, press ENTER.

Easy Setup Guide Part 2

8 Select AUTO SETTING with the 

buttons and press ENTER.

9 Some auto setup instructions will be

listed, make sure to follow them.

Make sure you have: hooked up the microphone and moved obstacles to the speakers out of the way. If you have a subwoofer make sure it is turned on and has the volume turned up.

WARNING: The test tones are very loud!! Make sure there are no infants or small children in the room and that no one who will be scared, upset or injured by loud noise is present. You yourself may want to wear earplugs. It is possible to lower the volume of test tones, but this could result in incorrect speaker settings.

10 If you have followed all setup

instructions and warnings above make sure that the arrow is pointed to START and press ENTER. Be prepared for loud test tones.

Try to be as quiet as possible after hitting ENTER. The test tones may take up to 30 seconds.

The volume automatically increases to 0 dB, then the system will output some test tones and establish ambient noise levels, the microphone status, and what speakers you hooked up.

Speaker Distance

11 Check the speaker settings on the OSD.

If they match your speaker configuration make sure OK is selected and press ENTER. The test tones will be output loudly again. The test tones may take up to 5 minutes this time.

After they have finished, you see the SPEAKER SYSTEMS CHECK screen. If you want to view the settings select NEXT and press ENTER repeatedly. If not, simply go to step 13.

If they do not match the speaker configuration you hooked up and you want to try again select RETRY with  buttons and press ENTER. Follow the instructions above from step 10.

If you get an error message instructing you to do something, follow the instructions and RETRY with  buttons and press ENTER.

If the speaker settings do not match the speaker configuration you connected and you want to input the settings manually select ERR FIX SP with the  buttons, press ENTER. Go to step 12.

If you see an ERR message in the right side column, there may be a problem with the speaker connection. If selecting RETRY doesn’t fix the problem, turn off the power and check the speaker connections.

Memo:

• Make sure the room environment follows the guidelines displayed on the OSD during auto setup. If the room environment is not optimal for auto setup (too much ambient noise, obstacles blocking the speakers from the microphone, etc.) the final settings may be incorrect. Check for household appliances (air conditioner, fridge, fan, etc.) that may be affecting the environment and switch them off if necessary.

• Screens will turn off after three minutes and the receiver will automatically exit from the setup process.

• If you leave CHECK!! or other error message on the screen for three minutes, or you choose CANCEL at anytime during the setup, the settings made up to that point will be cleared.

• After completing the Auto Surround Sound Setup, ACOUSTIC CAL EQ ON (ALL CH ADJUST) is set automatically.

• Some older TVs may interfere with the operation of the mic. If this is the case turn the TV off when doing Auto Surround Sound Setup.

Easy Setup Guide Part 2

12 Use the  buttons to select a

speaker press ENTER. Then use the  buttons to select the size of each speaker individually. Press ENTER. Use the  buttons to select OK and press ENTER.

The system will output another series of test tones to establish the proper channel level, channel delay and acoustic calibration EQ. Again, be prepared for loud test tones.

After it has finished, you see the SPEAKER SYSTEMS CHECK screen. If you want to view the settings select NEXT and press ENTER repeatedly. If not, simply go to the next step.

13 Select EXIT and press ENTER to go

back to the SURROUND SETUP menu. Then choose EXIT twice to return to normal use.

You should now have settings that will give you good surround sound. The MCACC indicator will light and the surround sound settings are complete.

EASY SETUP GUIDE

2 Playing a DVD with Surround Sound

1 Make sure the receiver, your TV, your subwoofer and your DVD player are

switched ON.

2 Press the DVD/LD button on the remote control.

You should see DVD/LD in the display on the receiver.

3 Play a DVD then adjust the MASTER VOLUME.

Memo: To get a more refined sound, make the sound settings in “EXPERT Setup” on page 83.

If you’re having trouble getting surround sound playback look at this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide:

Q1: Even though I’m playing a DVD I’m not getting 5.1 channel playback. A1: Either the DVD is not set for digital output, or the Dolby Digital/DTS output settings are not correct.

Set the DVD player to output a digital signal and set the Dolby Digital and DTS output properly. If you are unsure how to do this check the DVD initial setup in the manual that came with your DVD player.

Q2: There is no sound from the subwoofer or it is very low. A2: There is a good possibility you haven’t reached a part of the DVD that has an LFE channel (which feeds

the subwoofer) yet. The LFE channel only appears in selected parts of the soundtrack. Continue playing and listen for the subwoofer.

If you want to hear more sound from the subwoofer set it to PLUS (see page 39 for more information and consult the Memo on page 40).

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting your TV

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Connect your TV to the jacks as shown below. Hook up with either S video or composite video cords (the quality descends in this order) but you must use the same type of video cords to hook up your DVD player (and all other video components) as you use to hook up your TV. If you plan to hook up your DVD player with S video cords hook up your TV with them as well. Composite video cords, which look just like regular RCA audio cords (see page 20) but have only one cable are the most common.

*The arrows indicate the direction of the signal.

TV/monitor

S Video

Composite Video

S video cables produce clearer picture reproduction by sending separate signals for the luminance and the color.

Composite video cords are the most common or standard video cord but also the lowest quality. The color on the connector is yellow to distinguish it from regular RCA audio cords which have white and red connectors (see page 20). It is important to use a true composite video cord and not an audio cord (though they look exactly the same) because the impedance is different and this will affect the picture quality.

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting Video Components

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Connect your video components as shown on this and the following page. For video components (for example, a DVD player) there are two types of connections to make, video and audio. Hook up your video signal with either S video or composite video cords (the quality descends in this order) but you must use the

same type of cord as you used to hook up your TV.

For the audio signal, in order to use digital soundtracks like Dolby Digital or DTS you must hook up a digital input, with either a coaxial or optical cord (see page 23). It is also a good idea to hook up your components with analog audio connections as well.

If you want to record from your DVD player composite (or S video) cord connections and analog audio connections are necessary.

Connecting a DVD player

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Hook up your audio signal with either a coaxial or optical digital cords (you don’t need to do both). If you have a DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD (SACD) compatible player, see page 21.

You need to hook up your audio with analog connections as well. *The arrows indicate the direction of the signal.

DIGITAL OUT

ANALOG

AUDIO

(not a PCM-only output)

VIDEO

OUT

S-VIDEO

DVD player

PREPARATION

Memo:

• Be sure to make either a digital coaxial or digital optical connection (pictured in this diagram as DIGITAL jack 3 or DIGITAL jack 2) but you don’t need to make both.

• If your digital connections are different than the default settings (see page 23) you will need to assign the digital jacks to the proper component(s).

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting VCRs or DVRs

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Connect the video out of your VCR/DVR using either S video or composite video cords, depending on how you connected the receiver to your TV (see page 16). Use analog audio cords for the audio signal. To record, you also need to connect a set of audio/video outputs from the receiver to the audio/video inputs on your VCR/ DVR. Note that to record video from a source component, the video connection from the source to the receiver and from the receiver to the recorder must be the same type.

VCR/DVD recorder

VCR

Connecting a Video Component to the Front Panel

Connect a portable DVD player, video game console or any video component to the front panel as show here. Front video connections are accessed via the front panel input selector as VIDEO. You cannot assign the digital input on the front panel.

Be careful! For portable DVD players you will need a specialized optical cord (for the audio) that has a mini optical plug on one end and a regular optical plug on the other.

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting Satellite TV (SAT) Components

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Hook up the video signal with either S video, or composite video cords, depending on how you connected the receiver to your TV (see page 16).

For the audio signal, in order to use digital soundtracks broadcast you must hook up a digital input. Use either a coaxial or optical cable, it doesn’t matter which (see page 23). We recommend hooking up your audio with analog cables as well (see below).

*The arrows indicate the direction of the TV signal.

VIDEO

COMPO-

VIDEO

NENT

OUT

S-VIDEO

Satellite tuner

DIGITAL

ANALOG

DIGITAL

AUDIO

PREPARATION

Memo:

If your digital connections are different than the default settings (see page 23) you will need to assign the digital jacks to the proper component(s).

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting Analog Audio Components

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Connect your audio components to the jacks as shown below. These are all analog connections and your analog audio components (turntable, cassette deck) use these jacks. Remember that for components you want to record with you need to hook up four plugs (a set of stereo ins and a set of stereo outs), but for components that only play (like a turntable) you only need to hook up one set of stereo plugs (two plugs). If you want to record to/from digital components (like a CD-R) to/from analog components you must hook up your digital equipment with these analog connections.

*The arrows indicate the direction of the audio signal.

CD player

CD recorder

ANALOG

Cassette deck

 Audio cords

Use (RCA) audio cords (not supplied) to connect the audio components.

Connect red plugs to R (right) and white plugs to L (left).

Be sure to insert completely.

Memo:

Depending on where the cassette deck is placed, noise may occur during playback of your cassette deck which is caused by leakage flux from the transformer in the receiver. If you experience noise, move the cassette deck farther away from the receiver.

Turntable (etc)

If you use a turntable with this LINE IN jack only connect one with a built-in phono equalizer.

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting to the Multi Channel Analog Inputs (DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD (SACD) compatible player)

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

If you have a DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD (SACD) compatible player, or are using an external Dolby Digital/ DTS decoder, connect it to the multichannel analog inputs as shown below.

Components equipped with

5.1 (7.1) channel analog output jacks

PREPARATION

Memo:

If you use only one surround back input, be sure to hook up to the SURROUND BACK L jack.

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting Digital Audio Components

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Connect your digital components as shown below. The VSX-AX3 has two coaxial and two optical inputs for a total of four digital inputs on the rear panel plus one digital input on the front panel. In order to use digital soundtracks like Dolby Digital or DTS (among others) you need to make digital audio connections. You can do this by either a coaxial or an optical connection (you don’t need to do both). The quality of these two types of connections is the same but since some digital components only have one type of digital terminal, it is a matter of matching like with like (for example, the coaxial out from the component to coaxial in on the receiver).

Hook up your audio signal with either a coaxial or optical digital cords (you don’t need to do both). If you hook up your DVD/LD player using component video cable connections you might need to setup your DVD player for component video output as well. See your DVD manual for details.

There are two optical digital out jacks (the CD recorder is connected to one in the diagram below). If you connect this to the optical input on a digital recorder (currently these include MD, DAT and CD-R) you can make direct digital recordings with this unit.

We also recommend hooking up your digital components to analog audio jacks (see “Connecting Analog Audio Components” on page 20) in order to make recordings (some digital sources may be protected against making digital copies).

*The arrows indicate the direction of the audio signal.

DIGITAL

OUTPUT

DIGITAL DIGITAL

OUTPUT

INPUT

(PLAY)

(REC)

DIGITAL

OUTPUT

(not a PCM-only output)

DIGITAL

OUTPUT

Satellite tuner

CD recorder

DVD player

CD player

Connecting Your Equipment

 Coaxial cords/Optical cables

Commercially available digital audio coaxial cords (standard video cords can also be used) or optical cables (not supplied) are used to connect digital components to this receiver.

Be sure to insert completely and in the case of the optical cable, right-side up. If it is inserted improperly it can break the shutter on the optical terminal (this won’t, however, affect the connection or insertion of an optical cable).

Coaxial cord (or standard [composite] video cord)

Optical cable

Digital Input Default Settings

Unlike analog connections, the jacks for digital connections are not dedicated to one type of component, they can be used freely. Thus you must tell the receiver what digital component is connected to which jack so your components will be in sync with the names on the remote control buttons and the like. To avoid having to assign the digital inputs you can hook up your equipment in accordance with the receiver’s default settings.

The default settings are: DIGITAL IN 1 (optical): TV/SAT

DIGITAL IN 2 (optical): CD-R/TAPE1 DIGITAL IN 3 (coaxial): DVD/LD DIGITAL IN 4 (coaxial): CD

See “Assigning the Digital Inputs” on page 81 if the way you hook up your equipment is different from the default settings listed here.

PREPARATION

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting the Radio Antennas

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Connect the supplied FM wire antenna and the AM loop antenna to the ANTENNA terminals as shown below. These antennas should provide adequate reception quality in most cases, but connecting outdoor antennas should noticeably improve sound quality.

FM wire antenna

 AM loop antenna

1 Assemble the antenna.

AM loop antenna

2 Twist exposed wire strands together and insert.

3 Attach to a wall, etc. (if desired) and face toward the direction providing the best reception.

Using outdoor antennas

 To improve FM reception

Connect an external FM antenna.

PAL connector

75Ω coaxial cable

 To improve AM reception

Connect a 5 – 6 meter length of vinyl-coated wire to the AM LOOP ANTENNA terminal in addition to the supplied AM loop antenna.

For best possible reception, suspend horizontally outdoors.

AM loop antenna

Outdoor antenna

5-6 m

Indoor antenna (vinyl-coated wire)

Connecting Your Equipment

Connecting Speakers

Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

We recommend a full complement of seven speakers and a subwoofer as shown here but, naturally, everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner described below.

One of the latest features of home theater is the use of surround back speakers. These speakers add even greater realism in movie sound effects and some new discs with soundtracks in Dolby Digital or DTS incorporate these channels. See page 27 for speaker placement.

In general, make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the R terminal and the speaker on the left to the L terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative (+/–) terminals on the receiver match those on the speakers.

Powered

subwoofer

TV/monitor

Center

speaker

Front

speaker

(Right)

Surround

speaker

(Right)

Surround

speaker

(Left)

Front

speaker

(Left)

PREPARATION

urround back

speaker (Left)

Memo:

• We recommend speakers with a nominal impedance rated 8 Ω - 16 Ω , but you can change the speaker impedance setting of the receiver (see page 26).

• If you only have one surround back speaker hook it up to the left surround back terminal.

• If you are using a THX certified subwoofer use the THX INPUT jack on the subwoofer (if your subwoofer has one) or switch the filter position to THX on your subwoofer.

Surround back

speaker (Right)

 Speaker terminals

1 Twist exposed wire strands tightly together.

2 Loosen speaker terminal and insert exposed wire.

3 Tighten terminal.

Connecting Your Equipment

Speaker impedance

You can change the speaker impedance for VSX-AX3 but we recommend using speakers with an impedance of 8 Ω - 16 Ω (the default setting). If you are using 6 Ω - less than 8 Ω impedance speakers, you need to change the impedance setting. Use any speaker rated between 6 Ω - 16 Ω .

First put the receiver in STANDBY mode, then press the power button while holding down the SPEAKERS button.

The receiver will reset to the new impedance setting. With this method you can choose the 8 Ω - 16 Ω setting or the 6 Ω - 8 Ω setting.

(This display indicates an 8Ω

- 16Ω impedance setting.)

(This display indicates a 6Ω - less than 8Ω impedance setting.)

Connecting Your Equipment

Placing Your Speakers

Proper speaker placement is essential to realize the best sound from your system. It is very important for speaker placement to read the instructions that come with your speakers so please be sure to do so.

Speaker placement

If you have a multiple speaker arrangement the placement of the speakers is extremely important. To achieve the best possible surround sound, install your speakers as shown below. Make sure all speakers are installed securely to prevent accidents and improve sound quality. Some speakers are designed to be floor-standing but others benefit greatly from speaker stands which raise them off the floor. Be sure to read your speaker manuals for the best placement of the speakers.

Memo:

• When installing speakers near the TV, we recommend using magnetically shielded speakers to prevent distortion in the color of the TV screen. If you do not have magnetically shielded speakers and notice discoloration of the TV screen, place the speakers farther away from the TV.

• Install the center speaker above or below the TV so that the sound of the center channel is localized at the TV screen.

• THX recommends that if you have two surround back speakers you place them close together.

Front Speaker

(L)

Surround

Speaker (L)

Surround Back

Speaker (L)

Center Speaker

Front Speaker

Surround Back

Speaker (R)

(R)

Subwoofer

Surround

Speaker (R)

PREPARATION

CAUTION:

When installing the center speaker on top of the TV, be sure to secure it with suitable means.

Power Connections (AC IN)

Plug in the power cord to a wall outlet after you have finished hooking up the rest of your equipment.

CAUTION!

Do not use any other power cord than the one supplied with this unit.

Power Connections (AC OUTLETS) (European model only)

[SWITCHED TOTAL 100 W MAX]

Power supplied through this outlet is turned on and off by this unit’s STANDBY/ON button. Total electrical power consumption of connected equipment should not exceed 100 W.

CAUTION!

• Do not connect appliances with high power consumption such as heaters, irons, or television sets to the AC OUTLET in order to avoid overheating or fire risk. This can cause the receiver to malfunction.

• The equipment should be disconnected by removing the mains plug from the wall socket when not in regular use, e.g. when on vacation.

CAUTION!

DO NOT CONNECT A MONITOR OR TV SET TO THIS UNIT’S AC OUTLET.

Displays & Controls

Displays and Controls

Front Panel

All the controls on the front panel are explained and/or referenced here. To open the front panel push gently on the lower third of the panel.

European model

1 MULTI JOG dial

You can use this dial for many purposes. When you press the SET UP button (13), you can use it to perform SYSTEM SETUP operations; select a function or a listening mode or do TUNER EDIT functions (in TUNER mode).

2 STANDBY/ON button

Press to switch the receiver ON or into STANDBY mode.

3 OFF ON button

Press to switch the receiver between OFF and STANDBY mode or ON.

4 Listening mode buttons (page 45)

There are two types of SURROUND modes: MOVIE: Press to put the receiver into MOVIE

mode (see page 46).

MUSIC: Press to put the receiver into MUSIC

mode (see page 47).

multi-voltage

model

STEREO/DIRECT (see page 45): Switches the

receiver into STEREO mode if it was in a different sound mode or toggles between DIRECT and STEREO mode.

5 ENTER button

Use this button to enter information concerning the SYSTEM SETUP, listening mode or the tuner.

6 STANDBY indicator

Lights when the receiver is in STANDBY mode.

7 Remote sensor

Receives the signals from the remote control.

8 Display (see page 33) 9 MCACC indicator (see pages 13 and 49)

Lights when the ACOUSTIC CAL EQ is on. (After the Auto Surround Sound Setup has been completed the ACOUSTIC CAL EQ is set on and this display will light.)

Displays and Controls

10 MULTI CH IN button

Use this button to select the component you have hooked up to the MULTI CH IN terminals (for example, a DVD-Audio player).

11 ACOUSTIC EQ button (see pages 49 and

87)

Press to switch on/off and select the type of acoustic calibration EQ.

12 MASTER VOLUME dial

Use to raise or lower the volume of the receiver.

13 MULTI JOG CONTROL buttons

SET UP

Press to switch the SYSTEM SETUP mode.

RETURN

Press to move back one step in the SYSTEM SETUP process.

14 SIGNAL SELECT button (see page 44)

Press SIGNAL SELECT repeatedly to select one of the following:

AUTO – If there are analog and digital signals input, the receiver automatically selects the digital signal.

DIGITAL – To select an optical or coaxial digital signal.

ANALOG – To select an analog signal.

15 HI-BIT HI-SAMPLING button (see

page 52)

Use this button to switch the AUDIO SCALER mode on or off.

16 SB CH MODE button (see page 53)

Use this button to turn the surround back channels ON/OFF/AUTO or switch the virtual surround back mode between ON/OFF/AUTO.

17 Tuner control buttons (see page 56)

BAND

Press to select the AM or FM band.

CLASS

Press repeatedly to switch the preset station classes.

SELECT

Switches the –/+ buttons between station memory and frequency select modes.

–/+

Selects station memories or frequencies when using the tuner.

TUNER EDIT

Press to memorize and name a station for recall using the MULTI JOG and ENTER buttons.

18 CHARACTER/SEARCH button

(see page 62)

Use to search for different program types in RDS mode.

19 EON MODE button (see pages 63–64)

Use to search for different programs that are transmitting traffic or news information.

20 PHONES jack

Connect headphones for private listening (no sound will be heard through the speakers).

21 SPEAKERS (A/B) button (see page 72)

The use of this button depends on how the SURRBACK SYSTEM (see page 37) is set. If NORMAL SYSTEM is chosen this button toggles between A and OFF. If SECOND ZONE is chosen this button toggles between A, B, A+B and OFF. If FRONT BI-AMP is chosen this button toggles between A+B and OFF.

22 TONE CONTROL buttons (see page 51)

TONE button

This button switches between TONE on and off, which bypasses the tone circuitry.

BASS/TREBLE button

Use to select whether the bass or treble will be adjusted.

–/+ buttons

Use to adjust the frequency levels.

23 SETUP MIC jack (see page 13)

Plug in the set up mic here. This is very important in order to set up your system and get proper surround sound.

24 VIDEO INPUT jacks (see page 18)

DIGITAL IN

Digital input for connecting a game console, DVD player or video camera (etc.), that has an optical digital connection.

S-VIDEO

Video input for connecting a portable DVD player or video camera (etc.), that has an S video out.

VIDEO / AUDIO (L/R)

Video input for connecting a portable DVD player or video camera (etc.), that has standard RCA video/audio outputs.

25 MIDNIGHT button (see page 50)

Switches the MIDNIGHT listening mode on or off.

26 LOUDNESS button (see page 50)

Switches the LOUDNESS mode on or off.

PREPARATION

Displays and Controls

Remote Control

This page describes the buttons on the remote control used to operate the receiver.

1  RECEIVER (STANDBY/ON) button

Press to turn power of the receiver on or to standby (off).

2 MULTI CONTROL buttons

These buttons are the basic controls that switch the mode of the receiver and the remote control, which allows you to control your other components.

TV CONT: Press so that the remote control can operate the TV control commands.

3 Listening mode buttons (see page 45)

SURROUND buttons (MOVIE, MUSIC, & ENTER):

MOVIE: Press to put the receiver into MOVIE

listening mode (see page 46). MUSIC: Press to put the receiver into MUSIC

listening mode (see page 47).

: Use to select the MOVIE or MUSIC

listening mode. ENTER: Use this button to enter information

concerning the listening modes. STEREO/DIRECT (see page 45): Switches the

receiver into STEREO mode if it was in a different sound mode or toggles between DIRECT and STEREO mode.

4 SYSTEM SETUP button

Use for all system setups, including the speaker and sound systems. For more information see “Setting Up for Surround Sound” starting on page 36. For a DVD player use this button to bring up the DVD menu and for a tuner use this button in the same way as the TUNER EDIT button.

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