Pioneer VSX-C301 User Manual

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL
RECEIVER

VSX-C301

Operating Instructions

T

hank 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.
In some countries or regions, the shape of the power
plug may sometimes differ from that shown in the
explanatory drawings. However, the method of con­necting and operating the unit is the same.

This product complies with the Low Voltage
Directive (73/23/EEC, amended by 93/68/EEC),
EMC Directives (89/336/EEC, amended by
92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC).

CAUTION:
THE STANDBY/ON BUTTON IS SECONDARY
CONNECTED AND THEREFORE DOES NOT SEPARATE
THE UNIT FROM MAINS POWER IN STANDBY
POSITION. THEREFORE INSTALL THE UNIT SUITABLE
PLACES EASY TO DISCONNECT THE MAINS PLUG IN
CASE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE MAINS PLUG OF UNIT
SHOULD BE UNPLUGGED FROM THE WALL SOCKET
WHEN LEFT UNUSED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

H017BEn

This product is for general household purposes.
Any failure due to use for other than household
purposes (such as long-term use for business
purposes in a restaurant or use in a car or ship)
and which requires repair will be charged for even
during the warranty period.

K041_En

Operating Environment

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

H045 En

VENTILATION: When installing this unit, make sure to leave space around the unit for ventilation to

improve heat radiation (at least 20 cm at top, 50 cm at rear, and 10 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.

H040 En

Before you start

Before you start

Checking the supplied accessories

Please check that you've received the following supplied
accessories:

• AM loop antenna

• FM wire antenna

• Power cable

• Dry cell batteries (AA Size / IEC R6P) x2

• Remote control unit

• Operating instructions

• Speaker cable labels

• Warranty card

Loading the batteries

The remote control operates on two AA batteries
(supplied).

1

2

Ventilation

• When installing this unit, make sure to leave space
around the unit for ventilation to improve heat
dispersal (at least 20 cm at the top, 50 cm at the rear,
and 10 cm at each side). If not enough space is
provided between the unit and walls or other
equipment, heat will build up inside, interfering with
performance and/or causing malfunctions. See
below for exceptions to this.

• Don’t place anything on top of the receiver except for
a Pioneer DV-464, 360, 454, 350, 444 or 545 DVD
player. If you do place one of these pieces of
equipment on top of the receiver be sure to leave the
ventilation space over it as prescribed above.

• If using a rack to hold the receiver make sure the
back of the rack and the left side are open.

• Also, if you’re using a case with glass doors, leave
the glass doors open when using the receiver.

• Do not place on a thick carpet, bed, sofa or fabric
having a thick pile. Do not cover the receiver with
fabric or other covering. Anything that blocks
ventilation will cause the internal temperature to
rise, which may lead to breakdown or fire hazard.

3

• 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 of 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.

• The receiver may become hot while in use, please
take care around it.

Maintenance of external surfaces

• Use a polishing cloth or dry cloth to wipe off dust and
dirt.

• When the surfaces are dirty, wipe with a soft cloth
dipped in some neutral cleanser diluted five or six
times with water, and wrung out well, and then wipe
again with a dry cloth. Do not use furniture wax or
cleansers.

• Never use thinners, benzine, insecticide sprays or
other chemicals on or near this unit, since these will
corrode the surfaces.

3

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Contents

Before you start

Checking the supplied accessories
Loading the batteries
Ventilation
Maintenance of external surfaces

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

01 Quick start guide

Introduction
Easy Setup

Connecting speakers
Connecting your TV and DVD player

Switching on and playing a DVD

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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. . . . . . . . . . . . 6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

02 Introductory information

Introduction to home theater
Features

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

03 Connecting your equipment

Rear panel

The AV Direct mode
Installing the receiver
When making cable connections
Connecting a DVD player and TV

Connecting a TV with a built-in digital TV tuner
Connecting a satellite/cable receiver or other
set-top box
Connecting other video components
Connecting equipment to the front panel inputs
Installing your speaker system

Connecting the speakers

Placing the speakers
Connecting antennas

AM loop antenna

FM wire antenna

Connecting external antennas
Operating other Pioneer components with this unit’s
sensor
Plugging in the receiver

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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. . . 10

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. . . 13

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

04 Controls and displays

Front panel

Display
Remote control

Operating range of the remote control

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

. . . . . . . . . . 20

05 Getting started

Using the Room Setup
Checking the settings on your DVD (or other)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

player
Playing a source

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

06 Home theater sound

Playing multichannel sources
Playing stereo sources
Listening with headphones
Using the Advanced Surround effects
Using the Sound Modes
Enhancing dialog
Listening with virtual surround back speakers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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. . . . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . 24

07 Using the tuner

Finding a station

MPX mode

RF attenuator mode
Tuning directly to a station
Memorizing station presets

Naming station presets

Listening to memorized station presets
Radio Data System (RDS)

Displaying RDS information

Searching for RDS programs
Enhanced Other Network (EON)

Program identification function

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

08 Using other functions

Selecting the input signal type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Using the sleep timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Resetting the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Default receiver settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

09 The System Setup menu

Making receiver settings from the System Setup

menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Setup menu options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Setting individual channel levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

10 Controlling other equipment

Using the remote control with other components. . . 34

Recalling preset codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Clearing preset codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Remote Direct function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

VCR / DVD / LD player and DVD recorder controls .36

Cable TV / satellite TV / digital TV / TV controls . . . . 37

Preset code list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

11 Additional information

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Surround sound formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Dolby Digital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Dolby Pro Logic II and Dolby Surround. . . . . . . . . . 41

DTS Digital Surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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Quick start guide

01

Chapter 1

Quick start guide

Introduction

This ‘Quick start guide’ shows you how to connect your
speakers, TV and DVD player to this receiver, and also
takes you through switching on and playing a DVD disc.

Easy Setup

This section shows you how to connect your speakers,
subwoofer, DVD player and TV to this receiver so you can
start enjoying home cinema sound right away.

Before you start, make sure everything you’re
connecting is switched off and unplugged.

Connecting speakers

This receiver has speaker terminals for front left and
right speakers (
(

C

) and two surround speakers (RS and LS). The
minimum speaker configuration is just the front left/
right speakers, but we recommend connecting all five if
possible. Note that surround speakers should always be
connected as a pair; do not connect just one surround
speaker. All the speakers you use should have a nominal
impedance between 6–16

L

and R in the diagram), a center speaker

Ω.

1 Connect your speakers to the receiver, as shown
in the diagram below.

Prepare the speaker cable by stripping about 1 cm of the
plastic shielding from each speaker wire.

Connect the front speakers to the
the center speaker to the

CENTER

surround speakers to the

FRONT L/R

terminal; and the

SURROUND L/R

terminals;

terminals.

Press on a tab to open a terminal; insert the exposed
wire, then release the tab to secure.

For correct sound it’s important that the positive and
negative terminals of the receiver and each speaker are
matched. To help you do this, attach the supplied
colored self-adhesive labels to one half of each speaker
cable.

2 Connect a powered subwoofer to the
SUBWOOFER OUT jack, as shown in the diagram
below.

Use a standard audio cable with RCA/phono plugs.

English

ANTENNA

AM LOOP

SPEAKERS

FRONT

SURROUND

CENTER

R

R

L

L

FM UNBAL 75Ω

DIGITAL IN

STB

DVR/TV

SUB

(DVD)

WOOFER

OPT1

OPT2

OUT

IN

OUT

CONTROL

DVD
(STB)

COAX

VSX-C301

RLC RSLS

VIDEO IN/OUT DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVD IN STB IN

LINE LEVEL

SW

AC IN

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01

Quick start guide

Connecting your TV and DVD player

1 Connect your DVD player to the receiver.

Connect a 21-pin SCART cable (not supplied) between
the AV output of your DVD player and the
connector of this receiver for the video and analog audio.
(See

Specifications

on page 42 for the pin assignment.)

For digital audio, connect a coaxial digital audio cable
(not supplied) between your DVD player’s coaxial digital
output and the

DVD(STB) COAX

jack on this receiver.

• If your DVD player doesn’t have a coaxial digital out
you can use an optical cable connected between the
optical output jack on your DVD player and the

STB(DVD) OPT1

VSX-C301

jack on this receiver. However, you

SPEAKERS

FRONT

R

L

DVD IN

AV

ANTENNA

AM LOOP

SURROUND

CENTER

R

L

FM UNBAL 75Ω

DIGITAL IN

STB

DVR/TV

SUB

WOOFER

OUT

DVD

(DVD)

(STB)
COAX

OPT1

OPT2

will have to reassign the input to DVD before using
for the first time. See

Optical input setting

on page 32

for how to do this.

• If you connect an optical digital cable, be careful
when inserting the plug not to damage the shutter
protecting the optical socket.

2 Connect your TV to the receiver.

Use a 21-pin SCART cable (not supplied) to connect the

DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV connector on this receiver to a

SCART input on your TV.

3 Connect the supplied AC power cable to the AC
IN on this receiver and plug in the other end to a
power outlet.

IN

OUT

CONTROL

VIDEO IN/OUT DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVD IN STB IN

AC IN

DIGITAL AUDIO OUT

COAXIAL

OPTICAL

DVD player

Switching on and playing a DVD

Once you switch the receiver on it will automatically
detect the speakers you have connected. Although there
are a number of more detailed settings you can make to
optimize the surround sound, you should be able to get
acceptable surround sound performance right away.

1 Switch on your TV and powered subwoofer.

Also make sure that your TV is set to the AV input you
connected the receiver to.

2 Switch on your DVD player.

When you do this, the receiver should automatically
switch on with

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DVD

selected as the input source.

AV CONNECTOR OUT

AV CONNECTOR IN

TV

3 Load a DVD and start playback.

This receiver will automatically decode Dolby Digital,
DTS, or Dolby Surround DVD-Video discs, according to
your speaker setup. In most cases, you won’t have to
make changes for realistic surround sound.

Other possibilities (like listening to a CD with
multichannel surround sound) are explained in

theater sound

on page 23.

Home

4 Use the MASTER VOLUME control (front panel or
remote) to adjust the volume.

• Turn down your TV’s volume so that you only hear
sound from this system.

Introductory information

02

Chapter 2

Introductory information

Introduction to home theater

You are probably used to using stereo equipment to
listen to music, but may not be used to home theater
systems that give you many more options (such as
surround sound) when listening to soundtracks.

Home theater refers to the use of multiple audio tracks
to create a surround sound effect, making you feel like
you're in the middle of the action or concert. The
surround sound you get from a home theater system
depends not only on the speakers you have set up in your
room, but also on the source and the sound settings of
the receiver.

DVD-Video has become the basic source material for
home theater due to its size, quality, and ease of use. The
true multichannel audio possible using DVD is what
creates a convincing surround sound effect and gives
you the feeling of ‘being there’.

Features

Dolby Digital and DTS decoding

Dolby Digital and DTS decoding brings theater sound
right into your home with up to six channels of surround
sound, including a special LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
channel for deep, realistic sound effects.

(page 23)

Dialog Enhancement

Use the Dialog Enhancement feature to accentuate
dialog and vocals in a program source and match the
vertical placement of the center channel with the front
left/right channels.

Virtual Surround Back mode

The Virtual Surround Back mode creates the illusion of a
surround back channel—an extra channel located
directly behind the listener—for added surround
realism.

Sound Modes

The Sound Modes offer useful effects for a number of
situations. For example, the Natural mode corrects for
the typical frequency response of small speakers;
Midnight mode is useful when you need to listen at low
volume but still want effective surround sound; S.Bass
boosts the low-end for a more driving sound.

Easy-to-use remote control

The remote control gives you not only complete control
over every function of this receiver, but also over other
components in your home theater system. Using a
system of preset codes, you can program the remote to
operate a wide range of other equipment.

(page 24)

English

(page 24)

(page 24)

Dolby Pro Logic II decoder

The built-in Dolby Pro Logic II decoder not only provides
full surround sound decoding for Dolby Surround
sources, but will also generate convincing surround
sound for any stereo source.

Surround and Advanced Surround modes

(page 24)

Used together with the Dolby Digital, DTS or Dolby Pro
Logic II modes, the Surround and Advanced Surround
modes are designed to enhance particular types of
program material by, for example, reproducing the
acoustic space of a concert hall for music-based
material.

(page 23)

Easy setup

Setting up for home theater sound is as easy as
connecting your speakers, a DVD player or other source,
and your TV. The Room Setup feature is a very quick and
simple way to enhance performance, while for complete
surround sound control you still have access to the full
range of surround sound settings.

The Energy-saving Design

This unit is designed to use less than 1 W of energy when
the receiver is in standby mode.

Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories.
"Dolby", "Pro Logic", and the double-D symbol are
trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

“DTS” and “DTS Digital Surround” are trademarks of
Digital Theater Systems, Inc.

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03

Connecting your equipment

Chapter 3

Connecting your equipment

Rear panel

12

SPEAKERS

FRONT

R

SURROUND

CENTER

R

L

L

SPEAKERS

FRONT

CENTER

R

L

VSX-C301

WOOFER

5 6

• Before making or changing the connections, switch
off the power and disconnect the power cable from
the power outlet.

1 SPEAKERS terminals
FRONT L/R, CENTER

terminals.

2 Antenna connections

AM LOOP

(page 15)
Connect the supplied AM loop antenna or an
outdoor antenna if reception is bad.

FM UNBAL 75Ω antenna terminal

Connect the supplied FM wire or an outdoor antenna
if reception is bad.

3 CONTROL IN jack / CONTROL OUT jack

Use to link Pioneer components together to enable all
components in the chain to use just one remote control
sensor.

4 AC IN

(page 16)

Connect the supplied AC power cable.

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(page 13)

and

SURROUND L/R

AM LOOP

SURROUND
R

L

SUB

OUT

speaker

(page 15)

ANTENNA

FM UNBAL 75Ω

ANTENNA

AM LOOP

STB

SUB

(DVD)

WOOFER

OPT1

OUT

STB

(DVD)
OPT1

(page 16)

3 4

IN

OUT

CONTROL

FM UNBAL 75Ω

DIGITAL IN

DVR/TV

OPT2

DIGITAL IN

DVR/TV

OPT2

IN

OUT

CONTROL

DVD
(STB)

COAX

DVD

(STB)

COAX

VIDEO IN/OUT DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVD IN STB IN

VIDEO IN/OUT

DVD IN STB IN

AV CONNECTOR

AC IN

DVR/TV IN/OUT

7

5 SUBWOOFER OUT jack

Connect a powered (active) subwoofer.

6 Digital connections

The three digital audio jacks are all inputs. Connect to
the digital outputs of digital source components such as
DVD and CD players, satellite receivers, etc.

STB(DVD) OPT1 jack

Optical digital audio jack for the
it is possible to reassign it to the

DVR/TV OPT2 jack

Optical digital audio jack for the

• When connecting optical cables, be careful when
inserting the plug not to damage the shutter
protecting the optical socket.

• When storing optical cable, coil loosely. The cable
may be damaged if bent around sharp corners.

(page 13)

(page 11)

(page 12)

STB

input (although

DVD

DVR/TV

AC IN

input).

input.

Connecting your equipment

03

DVD(STB) COAX jack (page 10)
Coaxial digital audio jack for the DVD input
(although it is possible to reassign it to the STB
input).

7 SCART AV connectors

The four SCART-type AV connectors carry video and
analog audio.

VIDEO IN/OUT AV connector (page 12)
AV connector for the VIDEO input. When the
receiver is set to any other input, that signal is output
from the VIDEO IN/OUT AV connector.

DVR/TV IN/OUT AV connector (page 10)
AV connector for the DVR/TV input. When the
receiver is set to any other input, that signal is output
from the DVR/TV IN/OUT AV connector.

DVD IN AV connector (page 10)
AV connector for the DVD input.

STB IN AV connector (page 11)
AV connector for the STB input.

The table below shows the input and output video
formats available for each AV connector.

Connector Input Output

DVD

STB

VIDEO Composite, S-video,

DVR/TV

Composite, S-video,

RGB

Composite, S-video,

RGB

RGB

Composite Composite, S-video,

–

–

Composite

RGB

from your satellite receiver to your VCR (both connected
to this receiver) without the receiver being switched on.
You could also use the AV Direct mode to watch a video,
using your TV’s speakers for the audio, without switching
on the receiver.

You can switch into AV Direct mode (from either standby
or on) using the AV DIRECT button on the remote
control. However, it’s also possible to set the receiver to
switch the AV Direct function on automatically when an
incoming signal is detected. See also AV Direct setting on
page 33.

The diagram below shows how the AV DIRECT and the
 STANDBY/ON buttons switch the receiver between
standby, AV Direct mode, and on.

Standby

AV DIRECT

AV Direct On

Standby

RECEIVER



AV Direct On

Installing the receiver

• When installing this unit, make sure to put it on a
secure and level plane that is stable.

• Don’t place it on the following places:
– on a color TV (the screen may distort)
– near a cassette deck (or close to a device that gives
off a magnetic field). This may interfere with the
sound.
– in direct sunlight
– in damp or wet areas
– in extremely hot or cold areas
– in places where there is a vibration or other
movement
– in places that are very dusty
– in places that have hot fumes or oils (such as a
kitchen)

English

• All AV connectors also have audio in. The

VIDEO and

DVR/TV connectors also have audio out.

• The VIDEO and DVR/TV connectors are compatible

with i/o-Link.A, T-V Link, Easy Link, MegaLogic,
SMARTLINK, Q-Link, DATALOGIC, NextTView Link, etc.

The AV Direct mode

The AV Direct mode allows the receiver to pass audio/
video signals arriving at one of the AV connector inputs
to the AV connector outputs without the sound being
output through the speakers connected to the receiver.
This allows you to operate your other components as if
they were connected directly to each other without the
receiver being on. One use for this is if you want to record

When making cable connections

Be careful not to arrange cables in a manner that bends
the cables over the top of this unit. If the cables are laid
on top of the unit, the magnetic field produced by the
transformers in this unit may cause a humming noise to
come from the speakers.

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03

Connecting your equipment

Connecting a DVD player and TV

Follow the instructions below, referring to the diagram,
to connect your DVD player and TV to the receiver.

1 Use a SCART cable to connect the DVD IN AV
connector to an AV connector on your DVD player.

This carries video and analog stereo audio signals from
your DVD player to this receiver.

2 Use a coaxial digital audio cable to connect the
DVD(STB) COAX jack to a coaxial digital audio
output on your DVD player.

This connection carries stereo and multichannel digital
audio.

If your DVD player doesn’t have a coaxial digital audio
out jack, it is possible to use an optical connection to the

STB(DVD) OPT1

jack. However, since by default this

STB

input is assigned to the
reassign it to the

DVD

connecting up everything else see

input, you will need to

input before you can use it. After

Optical input setting

on page 32 for how to do this.

3 Use a SCART cable to connect the DVR/TV IN/
OUT AV connector to an AV connector on your TV.

This connection carries video and analog stereo audio
between this receiver and your TV.

• If you want to connect a digital video recorder
between this receiver and your TV see

other video components

on page 12.

Connecting

• If your TV has a built-in digital TV tuner, see also

Connecting a TV with a built-in digital TV tuner

below.

VSX-C301

ANTENNA

AM LOOP

STB

SUB

(DVD)

WOOFER

OPT1

OUT

AV CONNECTOR OUT

FM UNBAL 75Ω

DIGITAL IN

DVR/TV

OPT2

IN

OUT

CONTROL

DVD

(STB)

COAX

TV

DIGITAL AUDIO OUT

COAXIAL

OPTICAL

DVD player

SPEAKERS

FRONT

SURROUND

CENTER

R

R

L

L

Connecting a TV with a built-in digital TV tuner

If your TV has a built-in digital TV tuner, you can connect
the digital audio output to this receiver to enjoy Dolby
Digital and DTS sound from digital TV broadcasts.

1 Complete step 3 in
above.

2 Use an optical digital audio cable to connect the
DVR/TV OPT2 jack to an optical digital audio output
on your TV.

Connecting a DVD player and TV

VIDEO IN/OUT DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVD IN STB IN

AC IN

AV CONNECTOR IN

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Connecting your equipment

03

Connecting a satellite/cable receiver or other set-top box

Satellite and cable receivers, and terrestrial digital TV
tuners are all examples of so-called ‘set-top boxes’.

1 Use a SCART cable to connect the STB IN AV
connector to an AV connector on the set-top box
component.

This carries video and analog stereo audio signals from
the set-top box component to this receiver.

2 Use an optical digital audio cable to connect the
STB(DVD) OPT1 jack to an optical digital audio
output on the set-top box component.

This connection carries stereo and multichannel digital
audio.

SPEAKERS

FRONT

SURROUND

CENTER

R

R

L

L

SUB

WOOFER

OUT

VSX-C301

If your set-top box component doesn’t have an optical
digital audio out jack, it is possible to use a coaxial
connection to the

DVD(STB) COAX

by default this input is assigned to the
will need to reassign it to the

STB

input before you can

use it. After connecting up everything else see

input setting

on page 32 for how to do this.

• If your satellite/cable receiver doesn’t have a digital
audio output, omit step

ANTENNA

AM LOOP

FM UNBAL 75Ω

DIGITAL IN

STB

DVR/TV
(DVD)
OPT1

OPT2

DIGITAL OUT AV CONNECTOR OUT

IN

OUT

CONTROL

DVD

(STB)

COAX

VIDEO IN/OUT DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVD IN STB IN

2

above.

jack. However, since

DVD

input, you

Coaxial

AC IN

English

STB

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03

Connecting your equipment

Connecting other video components

The

VIDEO IN/OUT

or other video player or recorder with analog audio. The

DVR/TV IN/OUT

audio connection (the
with digital video components, such as a DVD recorder,
that can play digital soundtracks.

1 Use a SCART cable to connect the VIDEO IN/OUT
AV connector to an AV connector on your VCR (or
other video component).

This allows playback from and recording to the VCR (or
other component).

AV connector can be used for a VCR

AV connector and associated digital

DVR/TV OPT2

VCR, etc.

VSX-C301

jack) can be used

SPEAKERS

SURROUND

FRONT

CENTER

R

R

L

2 Use a SCART cable to connect the DVR/TV IN/
OUT AV connector to an AV connector on your DVD
recorder (or other video component).

This allows playback from and recording to the DVR (or
other component), including RGB video.

3 Use an optical digital audio cable to connect the
DVR/TV OPT2 jack to an optical digital audio output
on your DVD recorder (or other video component).

This connection carries stereo and multichannel digital
audio.

AV CONNECTOR OUT

ANTENNA

AM LOOP

L

FM UNBAL 75Ω

DIGITAL IN

STB

DVR/TV

SUB

(DVD)

WOOFER

OPT1

OUT

IN

OUT

CONTROL

DVD
(STB)

COAX

OPT2

VIDEO IN/OUT DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVD IN STB IN

AC IN

12

En

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

VIDEO IN/OUT VIDEO IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVR, etc.

• Some TVs have both RGB and i/o-Link.A compatible
AV connectors, or a single AV connector is
switchable. See the instructions that came with your
TV for more details. This receiver is compatible with
both formats without the need to switch.

AV CONNECTOR IN

TV

• When the DVR is switched on, make sure that it is set
to the correct input so that audio/video from the
receiver gets passed through to the TV.

• When the receiver is unplugged or in standby (with
AV Direct off), you may be able to hear distorted
sound from the
the

DVR/TV IN/OUT

VIDEO IN/OUT

AV connector and

AV connector if a connected

component is playing.

Connecting your equipment

03

Connecting equipment to the front panel inputs

The

FRONT INPUT

video jack (

L/R

) and an optical digital audio input (

jacks include a standard (composite)

VIDEO

), stereo analog audio inputs (

DIGITAL

AUDIO

). You
can use these connections for any kind of audio/video
component, but they are especially convenient for
portable equipment such as camcorders, video games

VSX-C301

STANDBY/ON

DIGITAL INPHONES

VIDEO IN/OUT

FRONT INPUT
VIDEO AUDIO RL

AUDIO IN/OUT

DTS

2DIGITAL

DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL)

Portable DVD player, etc.

and portable audio/video equipment.

• Gently pull off the cover to access the front panel
jacks.

• The illustration below shows example connections to
a portable DVD player.

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER VSX-C301

SOUND MODE

2PRO LOGIC

COLOR BRIGHT MONITOR

PHONES

PHONESADVANCEDSTEREOAV DIRECT

II

INPUT SELECTOR

Place your fingers on either side of
the cover and remove it by pulling gently.

HOLDON/OFF

Installing your speaker system

To take full advantage of the receiver’s surround sound
capabilities connect front, center and surround
speakers, as well as a subwoofer. Although this is ideal,
other configurations with fewer speakers—no subwoofer
or no center speaker, or even no surround speakers—will

work. At the very least, front left and right speakers only
are necessary. Note that surround speakers should
always be connected as a pair; do not connect just one
surround speaker. All the speakers you use should have
a nominal impedance between 6–16

English

MASTER
VOLUME

R

UP

DOWN

Ω.

ANTENNA

AM LOOP

SPEAKERS

FRONT

SURROUND

CENTER

R

R

L

L

FM UNBAL 75Ω

DIGITAL IN

STB

DVR/TV

SUB

(DVD)

WOOFER

OPT1

OPT2

OUT

IN

OUT

CONTROL

DVD

(STB)

COAX

VSX-C301

RLC RSLS

VIDEO IN/OUT DVR/TV IN/OUT

AV CONNECTOR

DVD IN STB IN

LINE LEVEL

SW

AC IN

13

En

03

Connecting your equipment

Connecting the speakers

Before you can start connecting the speakers, make sure
that the speaker cable you’re going to use is properly
prepared with about 10mm of insulator stripped from
each wire, and the exposed wire strands twisted
together.

Each speaker connection on the receiver comprises a
positive (+) colored, and negative (–) black terminal. For
proper sound you should take care to match these up
with the terminals on the speakers themselves. To assist
you, use the supplied colored self-adhesive tags, affixing
a tag to each end of one half of each cable. Use the
tagged wire for the colored/positive terminal; use the
untagged wire for the black/negative terminal. Use the
different colors to help you identify which speaker cable
attaches to which speaker.

• Make sure that all the bare speaker wire is twisted
together and inserted fully into the speaker terminal.
If any of the bare speaker wire touches the back
panel it may cause the power to cut off as a safety
measure.

• These speaker terminals can be under HAZARDOUS
VOLTAGE. When you connect or disconnect the
speaker cables, to prevent the risk of electric shock,
do not touch uninsulated parts before disconnecting
the power cord.

1 Connect the front left and right speakers to the
FRONT L/R speaker terminals.

Press the spring-loaded tab to open a terminal, insert the
speaker wire, then release the tab to secure.

Placing the speakers

Where you put your speakers in the room has a big effect
on the quality of the sound. The following guidelines
should help you to get the best sound from your system.

• The subwoofer can be placed on the floor. Ideally, the
other speakers should be at about ear-level when
you’re listening to them. Putting the speakers on the
floor (except the subwoofer), or mounting them very
high on a wall is not recommended.

• For the best stereo effect, place the front speakers
2–3 m apart, at equal distance 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.

• When placing speakers near the TV, use
magnetically shielded speakers to prevent possible
interference, such as discoloration of the picture
when the TV is switched on. If you do not have
magnetically shielded speakers and notice
discoloration of the TV picture, move the speakers
farther away from the TV.

• If possible, install the surround speakers slightly
above ear level.

Center

Front R

Surround

R

Front L

Sub­woofer

Surround

L

• Make sure that all speakers are securely installed.
This not only improves sound quality, but also
reduces the risk of damage or injury resulting from
speakers being knocked over or falling in the event of
external shocks such as earthquakes.

2 Connect the center speaker to the CENTER
speaker terminals.

3 Connect the surround left and right speakers to
the SURROUND L/R speaker terminals.

4 Connect the subwoofer to the SUBWOOFER OUT
jack.

14

En