Sony MHC-GN600, MHC-GN700, MHC-GN800, MHC-GN900, MHC-GX8800 Operating Instruction

4-244-569-13 (3)

Mini Hi-Fi Component System

Operating Instructions

Owner’s Record

The model and serial numbers are located at the rear of the unit. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product.

Model No. Serial No.

MHC-GN900 MHC-GN800 MHC-GN700/GX8800 MHC-GN600

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

WARNING

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.

To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.

Do not install the appliance in a confined space, such as a bookcase or built-in cabinet.

This appliance is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER product. The CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT MARKING is located on the rear exterior.

To prevent fire, do not cover the ventilation of the apparatus with newspapers, table-cloths, curtains, etc. And don’t place lighted candles on the apparatus.

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not place objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus.

Don’t throw away the battery with general house waste, dispose of it correctly as chemical waste.

NOTICE FOR THE CUSTOMERS IN THE U.S.A.

This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

WARNING

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: – Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. – Increase the separation between the equipment and

receiver.

– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit

different from that to which the receiver is connected.

– Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV

technician for help.

CAUTION

You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment.

Note to CATV system installer:

This reminder is provided to call CATV system installer’s attention to Article 820-40 of the NEC that provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable entry as practical.

ENERGY STAR

registered mark. As an ENERGY STAR® partner, Sony Corporation has determined that this product meets the

ENERGY STAR

energy efficiency.

is a U.S.

guidelines for

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

Notes on CD-R and CD-RW discs

This unit can play the following discs:

Type of discs Label on the disc

Audio CDs

The MHC-GN700/MHC-GX8800 consists of the following components:

– Tuner/CD player/Stereo cassette

deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-GN700/

HCD-GX8800

– Speaker System

• Front speakers SS-GN800

• Surround speakers SS-RS800

MP3 files

• Disc recorded in CD-R/CD-RW drives may not be played back because of scratches, dirt, recording condition or the drive’s characteristics.

• You cannot play a CD-R/CD-RW that is not finalized*.

• Playback of multi-session CD-R/CD-RW is not supported.

* A process necessary for a recorded CD-R/CD-RW

disc to be played back on the audio CD player.

About this manual

The instructions in this manual are for models MHC-GN900, MHC-GN800, MHCGN700, MHC-GX8800 and MHC-GN600. In this manual, the MHC-GN800 is used for illustration purposes unless stated otherwise.

The MHC-GN900 consists of the following components:

– Tuner/CD player/Stereo cassette

deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-GN900

– Speaker System

• Front speakers SS-GN900

The MHC-GN600 consists of the following components:

– Tuner/CD player/Stereo cassette

deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-GN600

– Speaker System

• Front speakers SS-GN800

Table of Contents

List of Button Location and Reference Pages

Main unit ............................................... 5

Subwoofer

Remote Control ..................................... 6

Getting Started

Hooking up the system .......................... 7

Inserting two R6 (size AA) batteries into

Setting the clock .................................... 9

Loading a CD ...................................... 10

Playing a CD

Playing a disc with MP3 audio

Programming the CD tracks

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

the remote ........................................ 9

–– Normal Play/Shuffle Play/

Repeat Play ................................... 10

tracks ............................................. 11

–– Program Play ............................ 13

The MHC-GN800 consists of the following components:

– Tuner/CD player/Stereo cassette

deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-GN800

– Subwoofer SS-WG800 – Speaker System

• Front speakers SS-GN800

• Surround speakers SS-RS800

MHC-GN800 only.

continued

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

Table of Contents (continued)

Tuner

Presetting radio stations ....................... 14

Listening to the radio

–– Preset Tuning ........................... 15

–– Manual Tuning ......................... 15

Tape

Loading a tape ..................................... 16

Playing a tape ...................................... 16

Recording to a tape

–– CD Synchro Recording/ Recording Manually/

Program Edit ................................. 17

Timer-recording radio programs ......... 18

Sound Adjustment

Adjusting the sound ............................. 20

Selecting the sound system

Using the subwoofer

Selecting the preset effect .................... 21

Adjusting the graphic equalizer and

storing the personal file ................. 21

Selecting the surround effect ............... 22

................ 20

.......................... 20

Display

Changing the spectrum analyzer

display ........................................... 23

Adjusting the brightness of the

display ........................................... 23

Changing the power illuminator .......... 23

Turning off the display

— Power Saving Mode ................. 23

Using the CD display .......................... 24

Other Features

Enhancing the video game sound

— Game Sync ............................... 25

Mixing video game sound with other

sound source

— Game Mixing ........................... 25

Singing along ....................................... 25

Falling asleep to music

— Sleep Timer .............................. 26

Waking up to music

— Daily Timer .............................. 26

Optional Components

Hooking up optional components ........ 28

Listening to audio from a connected

component ..................................... 29

Recording on a connected

component ..................................... 29

Connecting external antennas .............. 29

Troubleshooting

Problems and remedies ........................ 30

Messages ............................................. 32

Additional Information

Precautions .......................................... 33

Specifications ...................................... 34

MHC-GN800/GN700/GX8800 only.

MHC-GN800 only.

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

List of Button Location and Reference Pages

How to use this page

Use this page to find the location of buttons and other parts of the system that are mentioned in the text.

Main unit

ALPHABETICAL ORDER

A - D

ALBUM +/– qg (12, 13) AMP MENU rd (15, 23) CD r; (9–13, 17, 18) CD SYNC qj (17, 18) DECK A wk (16) DECK B wd (16–18) DIRECTION 9 (16–18) DISC 1~3 3 (10, 12, 13, 18) DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE 4 (10–12) Disc tray 6 (10) DISPLAY ra (23, 24) Display 2

E - L

EDIT 9 (18) EFFECT ON/OFF rf (21) FM MODE 8 (15, 32) GAME eh (25, 29) GAME EQ ea (21)

2 3

GAME INPUT (jacks) wj (17, 25) GAME MIXING ef (17, 25) GROOVE ed (20) IR (receptor) rs ILLUMINATION wl (23)

M - Q

MD (VIDEO) ej (29, 30) MIC (jack) wh (25) MIC LEVEL wg (25) MOVIE EQ qh (21) MUSIC EQ eg (21) OPEN/CLOSE Z 5 (10–12) P FILE wa (21, 22) PHONES (jack) wf (3 0) PLAY MODE 7 (10, 11, 13, 18,

31)

Power illuminator e; (23) PUSH ENTER q; (9, 13, 14, 18,

19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27)

4 5 6

Illustration number

PLAY MODE 7 (10, 11, 13, 18, 31)

R R

Name of button/part Reference page

R - Z

REC PAUSE/START qk (17, 18,

25)

REPEAT 8 (11, 12) SURROUND (MHC-GN900/

GN600 only) w; (22)

SURROUND SPEAKER MODE

(except for MHC-GN900/

GN600) w; (20) TAPE A/B ek (16, 17) TUNER/BAND el (14, 15) TUNER MEMORY 7 (14) VOLUME ws (20, 30)

SYMBOLS

@/1 (power) 1 hH (play) qa x (stop) qs X (pause) qd – . (go backward) qf > + (go forward) qf m (rewind) qg M (fast forward) qg

V/v/B/b q;

A A (Eject A) es A B (Eject B) ql

List of Button Location and Reference Pages

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

Subwoofer

(MHC-GN800 only)

ALPHABETICAL ORDER

A - Z

LINK (indicator) 2 (20) MATRIX SURR 1 (indicator) 3 (20) MATRIX SURR 2 (indicator) 4 (20) SUBWOOFER LEVEL 6 (20) SUBWOOFER ON/OFF 1 (20) SURROUND SPEAKER MODE 5 (20)

Remote Control

ALPHABETICAL ORDER

A - M

CD ql (9–13, 17, 18) CLEAR 7 (13, 18) CLOCK/TIMER SELECT 2

(19, 27)

CLOCK/TIMER SET 3 (9, 18, 26,

30)

D.SKIP 9 (10, 12) ENTER qd (9, 14, 18, 19, 21, 22,

23, 26, 27)

EFFECT ON/OFF qf (21) GAME w; (25, 29) MD (VIDEO) q; (29, 30)

P - Z

PRESET – wd (14, 15) PRESET + wf (14, 15) PRESET EQ qj (21) P FILE qh (21, 22) SURROUND (MHC-GN900/

GN600 only) qs (22)

SURROUND SPEAKER MODE

(except for MHC-GN900/

GN600) qs (20) SLEEP 1 (26) TAPE A/B qa (16, 17) TUNER/BAND qk (14, 15) TUNING – wa (14, 15)

TUNING + ws (14, 15) VOL +/– 8 (20)

SYMBOLS

@/1 (power) 4 nN (play) wg X (pause) 5 x (stop) 6 .(go backward) wd > (go forward) wf m (rewind) wa M (fast forward) ws

M/m/</, qg

X W V U

T S R

D E

ABC

D E

6 7

8 9

q; qa qs

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

Getting Started

Hooking up the system

Do the following procedure 1 to 6 to hook up your system using the supplied cords and accessories.

AM loop antenna

Subwoofer

Front speaker

(Right)

Surround

speaker (Right)

(MHC-GN800/

GN700/GX8800

only)

(MHC-GN800

only)

Main Unit

FM antenna

Front speaker

speaker (Left)

(MHC-GN800/

GN700/GX8800

Getting Started

(Left)

Surround

only)

1 Connect the front speakers.

Connect the speaker cords to the FRONT SPEAKER terminals.

2 Connect the surround speakers

(MHC-GN800, MHC-GN700 and MHC-GX8800 only).

Connect the speaker cords to SURROUND

Insert only the stripped portion.

Red/Solid (3)

Black/Stripe (#)

Red

SPEAKER terminals.

Insert only the stripped portion.

Black/Stripe (#)Blue/Solid (3)

Note

Keep the speaker cords away from the antennas to prevent noise.

Blue

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

3 Connect the subwoofer

220V

120V

230-

VOLTAGE SELECTOR

240V

(MHC-GN800 only).

Connect the subwoofer cords to the SUBWOOFER terminals and the system cord to the SYSTEM CONTROL jack. Be sure to match the color of the cord and terminals/jacks.

SUBWOOFER terminals

Insert only the stripped portion.

5 For models equipped with a voltage

selector, set VOLTAGE SELECTOR to the position of your local power line voltage.

Black/Stripe (#)Grey/Solid (3)

Grey

SYSTEM CONTROL jack

To disconnect

Notes

• Be sure to make this connection before you connect

the main unit’s power cord to a wall outlet.

• Place the subwoofer at least 0.3 meters (1 feet)

away from the main unit.

4 Connect the FM and AM antennas.

Set up the AM loop antenna, then connect it.

6 Connect the power cord to a wall outlet.

The demonstration appears in the display. When you press ?/1, the system turns on

and the demonstration automatically ends. If the supplied adaptor on the plug does not

fit your wall outlet, detach it from the plug (only for models equipped with an adaptor).

To connect optional components

See page 28.

To attach the speaker pads

Attach the supplied speaker pads to the bottom of the speakers to stabilize the speakers and to prevent them from slipping.

Ω

Extend the FM lead antenna horizontally

FM75 COAXIAL

–AM

AM loop antenna

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

Positioning the speakers (Except for MHC-GN900/GN600)

Place the front speakers at an angle of 45 degrees from your listening position.

Front speaker (L)

Main Unit

Subwoofer

0.3m

Front speaker (R)

Tip

With normal use, the batteries should last for about six months. When the remote no longer operates the system, replace both batteries with new ones.

Note

If you do not use the remote for a long period of time, remove the batteries to avoid possible damage from battery leakage.

Setting the clock

Getting Started

45º

Surround speaker (L)

* (MHC-GN800 only)

Place the subwoofer at least 0.3 meters (1 feet) away from the main unit.

Notice for carrying this system

Do the following to protect the CD mechanism.

Surround speaker (R)

1 Make sure that all discs are removed

from the main unit.

2 Hold down CD and then press ?/1 until

“LOCK” appears in the display.

3 Release ?/1 first, then release CD. 4 Unplug the AC power cord.

Inserting two R6 (size AA) batteries into the remote

1 Press ?/1 to turn on the system. 2 Press CLOCK/TIMER SET on the

remote.

3 Press M or m repeatedly to set the hour. 4 Press PUSH ENTER (or ENTER on the

remote).

5 Press M or m repeatedly to set the

minute.

6 Press PUSH ENTER (or ENTER on the

remote).

The clock starts functioning.

To adjust the clock

1 Press CLOCK/TIMER SET on the

remote.

2 Press M or m repeatedly to select

“CLOCK SET?” and then press PUSH ENTER (or ENTER on the remote).

3 Do the same procedure as steps 3 to

6 above.

Note

The clock settings are cancelled when you disconnect the power cord or if a power failure occurs.

R6 (AA) batteries

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

LINK

Loading a CD

1 Press OPEN/CLOSE Z.

The disc tray slides out.

2 Place a CD with the label side up on the

disc tray.

When you play a CD single, place it on the inner circle of the tray

To insert additional discs, press DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE to rotate the disc tray.

3 Press OPEN/CLOSE Z to close the disc

tray.

Playing a CD

––Normal Play/Shuffle Play/Repeat

Play

This system lets you play the CD in different play modes.

Disc tray number

Disc presence indicator

1 Press CD. 2 When playback is stopped, press PLAY

MODE repeatedly until the play mode you want lights up in the display.

Track number Playing time

ALL DISCS

SURR EFFECT V - GROOVE

LINK

Select

ALL DISCS (Normal Play)

1 DISC/ALBM (Normal Play)

ALL DISCS SHUF (Shuffle Play)

1 DISC SHUF/ ALBM SHUF (Shuffle Play)

PGM (Program Play)

To play

All CDs in the disc tray continuously.

The CD you have selected in the original order.

The tracks on all CDs in random order.

The tracks on the CD you have selected in random order.

The tracks on all CDs in the order you want them to be played back (see “Programming the CD tracks” on page 13).

3 Press hH.

Tip

You cannot change the play mode during playback. To change the play mode, press x to stop playback.

Other Operations

Stop playback

Pause playback

Select a track

Find a point in a track

Select a CD when playback is stopped

Switch to CD function from another source

Do this

Press x. Press X. Press again to

resume playback. Press > (to go forward)

or . (to go backward). Press and hold down M or

m during playback and release it at the point you want.

Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons or DISC SKIP EXCHANGE (or D.SKIP on the remote).

Press CD or one of the DISC 1~3 buttons (Automatic Source Selection).

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

LINK

Play repeatedly (Repeat Play)

Cancel Repeat Play

Exchange other CDs while playing

Remove the CD

All the tracks on the CD are played back repeatedly up to five times. You cannot select “REP” and “ALL DISCS SHUF” at the same time.

The current track is played back repeatedly until “REP 1” is cancelled.

Tips

• When you press CD or one of the DISC 1~3 buttons to switch to CD function from tuner, you may require a longer time to access the disc. Set “CD POWER ON” by CD manage function (page 15).

• If you press CD while the power is off, the power turns on and CD is selected as a function.

Do this

Press REPEAT repeatedly to select “REP”

Press REPEAT until “REP” or “REP 1” disappears from the display.

Press DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE.

Press OPEN/CLOSE Z.

or “REP 1”*2.

The disc must be in the ISO 9660* level 1, level 2 or Joliet format.

ISO 9660 Format

The most common international standard

for the logical format of files and folders

on a CD-ROM. There are several specification levels. In Level 1, file names must be in the 8.3 format (no more than eight characters in the name, no more than three characters in the extension “.MP3”) and in capital letters. Folder names can be longer than eight characters. There can be no more than eight nested folder levels. Level 2

specifications allow file names and folder

names up to 31 characters long.

––Normal Play/Shuffle Play/Repeat

Play

This system lets you play a disc with MP3 audio tracks in different play modes.

Playing a disc with MP3 audio tracks

About MP3 audio tracks

MP3 (MPEG 1 Audio Layer-3) is a standard technology and format for compressing a sound sequence. The track is compressed to about 1/10 of its original size. Sounds outside the range of human hearing are compressed while the sounds we can hear are not compressed.

Notes on discs

You can play MP3 audio tracks recorded on CD-ROMs, CD-Rs (recordable CDs) and CD-RWs (rewritable CDs).

ALL DISCS

Track number

Playing time

SURR EFFECT V - GROOVE

LINK

Disc tray number

Disc presence indicator

1 Press CD. 2 When playback is stopped, press PLAY

MODE repeatedly until the play mode you want lights up in the display.

continued

MHC-GN800 4-244-569-13 (3)

+ 25 hidden pages