ZVOX 425 User Manual

READ THIS FIRST – IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZVOX 425 SYSTEM

Power Sources. The ZVOX 425 can be operated only with a

60HZ 120VAC power source.

WARNING

• TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD. DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

• THIS APPLIANCE SHOULD NOT BE EXPOSED TO DRIP­PING OR SPLASHING WATER AND THAT NO OBJECT
FILLED WITH LIQUIDS SUCH AS VASES SHALL BE
PLACED ON APPARATUS.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral
triangle, 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.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended
to alert the user of the presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompa­nying this product.

All safety and operating instructions should be read
before your ZVOX® 425 is operated.

Safety instructions and operating instructions should be
kept for future reference.

All warnings on the product or in the operating instruc­tions should be followed.

Operate your ZVOX 425 in accordance with the instruc­tions.

Do Not Use Near Water. Do not use your ZVOX 425

near water, such as a bathtub, sink, swimming pool
or wet basement. To reduce the risk of fire or electric
shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or
moisture, To avoid dripping and splashing, no objects
filled with liquids, such as vases, should be placed
on your ZVOX 425.

Object Entry. Never use probes of any kind to reach
into the 425 as they may touch voltage points or
short parts that could result in a fire or electric
shock.

Stable Placement. Do not place the 425 on an
unstable cart, stand, bracket or table. The 425 may
fall, causing serious injury to a child or adult and
serious damage to the product.

Ventilation. The heat sink (a black finned metal
panel located under the front grille) REQUIRES

ventilation to ensure reliable operation of the system
and to prevent it from overheating. This area must not
be blocked or covered. Do not allow a soft surface
such as carpet, bedding or a sofa to cover the heat
sink. The system should not be placed in a built-in
installation such as a bookcase or a rack unless
proper ventilation is provided.

Heat. Place system away from radiators, stoves,
heat vents or other heat sources.

Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polar­ized or grounding

type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one
wider than the other. The wide blade is provided for
your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your
outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.

Damage Requiring Service. Unplug your ZVOX 425 and refer
servicing to an authorized service center when the following
conditions occur:

• When the power supply cord or plug is damaged or frayed.

• If liquid is spilled into the unit.

• If the unit has been exposed to rain or water.

• If the unit does not work normally by following the operating

• If the unit has been dropped or physically damaged.

• If the unit exhibits a distinct change in performance.

Unplug Before Cleaning. Unplug your ZVOX system from
wall outlet or other power source before cleaning. Use a damp
cloth for cleaning. Do not use solvents or chemical cleaning
agents.

Disconnect Device. The MAINS plug is used as the disconnect
device. Do not do anything to make it difficult to disconnect the
MAINS power plug -- it should remain readily operable.

Attachments. Do not use any adapters or attachments not
recommended by ZVOX Audio, as they may cause hazards.

Servicing. Do not attempt to service this product yourself. Do
not remove the cover. Refer all servicing to qualified service
personnel.

Replacement Parts. Do not allow anyone to use replacement
parts other than those recommended by the manufacturer.
Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock or
other hazards.

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

2 Year Limited Warranty.

To the original purchaser, ZVOX Audio LLC will warrant the
ZVOX 425 system to be free of defects in material and
workmanship for a period of two (2) years from date of
purchase. With respect to defects, ZVOX will, at its option,
replace the product or repair the defect in the product with
no charge to the original purchaser for parts or labor.
Customer is responsible for shipping charges where
required.
This warranty does not extend to any defect, malfunction or
failure caused by misuses, abuse, accident, faulty hookup,
defective associated equipment or use of the system with
equipment for which it is not intended.
This warranty is only valid when the system is returned to
the retailer that sold the ZVOX 425 system to the original
purchaser.
This is the sole and express warranty. This warranty is in
lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, of mer­chantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise. In no event
shall ZVOX Audio LLC be liable for incidental or conse­quential damages or have any liability with respect to
defects other than the obligations set forth as stated.
To ensure warranty coverage, it is incumbent upon the
original purchaser of the ZVOX 425 system to inform the
retailer of the defect within the warranty period. The only
acceptable method of establishing warranty status is a
copy of the original proof of purchase indicating customer’s
name and purchase date.

Do Not Overload Outlets. Don’t overload your wall
outlets or power strip. This can result in the risk of
fire or electric shock.

instructions.

Lightning. Unplug your unit during a lightning
storm, or when it is left unattended and unused
for long periods of time. This will prevent damage
due to lightning and power line surges.

Stable Furniture. If the system is placed on a
piece of furniture or a cart, use caution when
moving the cart/system combination to avoid
injury from tip-over.

Do Not Abuse The Power Cord. Install the 425
where no one can step on or trip on the power cord.
Never yank to disconnect the cord from an outlet.
Keep the cord away from heated surfaces. Do not
pull the cord around sharp edges or corners. Do not
allow cord to hang over the edge of table or counter.

ZVOX

Great Sound Made Simple

ZVOX Audio, LLC, 59 Thomas Road, Swampscott, MA 01907 USA

[e-mail] www.zvoxaudio.com

Installation and Operating Instructions: ZVOX 425 Single-Cabinet Surround Sound System

1. Remove the ZVOX 425’s outer carton. Then open the inner
carton by removing the tape on the side marked “OPEN THIS
SIDE.” Remove the 425 from the inner box by grasping each
end, using the bass ports as handholds.

2. Set the 425 down on a solid surface and carefully remove
the foam packing sleeve. Leave the 425 “upside down” so that
its input panel is facing upward. Unpack AC cord, remote
control and audio connecting cords from accessories box.

3. Connect AC power supply cord to the outlet market “120V
60Hz” on back panel.

Warning: Don’t plug AC cord into outlet before it is
connected to the power connector on the rear of unit.

AC Power
Connector

Input 1

4. Plug the supplied audio connecting cable into the red and
white RCA jacks labeled “Input 1” on the bottom/rear of the
ZVOX 425.

5. Carefully turn the 425 upright and position it on a stable shelf
above or below your TV, attempting to center the 425 with the
TV’s screen. Alternately, you may use optional wall-mounting
hardware (purchased separately) to mount the 425 to the wall
above or below your TV, using the four 6mm threaded inserts
located on the back panel of the 425. Warning: Do not use
standard screws in these metric inserts. Be sure to carefully
follow the mounting instructions supplied with the wall-mount
hardware. Note: When wall-mounting the 425, the plastic feet
on the bottom can be removed by carefully prying them off with
a butter knife.

6. Plug the AC cord into a 120 volt, 60 Hz electrical outlet.

7. Plug the other end of supplied audio connecting cord into the
“Audio Out” jacks of your TV, DVD player, cable box or satellite
receiver. Note: we recommend connection to your TV’s audio
out jacks.

8. Switch the power switch on the rear to the “On’ position.

9. Push the “MENU” button on your TV remote control, then
choose “AUDIO” — and navigate through the menu options to
choose “SPEAKER: OFF” and “AUDIO OUT: VARIABLE”
(sometimes called “AOV” on a TV’s menu). This allows you to
control the volume of the ZVOX system using your TV’s remote
control. If your TV’s audio output can’t be switched to “VARI-

ABLE,” simply control the volume of the ZVOX 425 by using
the supplied remote control. Alternatively, you may be able to
program your TV remote, or a programmable/learning remote to
control audio levels with any of the following codes: Candle

1004, Hisense 1237 or Aiwa 1036.

10. Insert the battery in the ZVOX 425
remote control. To do so, use a thumb­nail to gently pinch in the two small
vertical ribs on the bottom of the back
of the remote — while at the same
time pulling out the battery tray, using
the horizontal slot.

Place the battery in the tray (with the
printed side facing up), and gently push
the tray back into the remote.

11. Turn on the ZVOX 425 by pushing
the power button on the remote control
– or the middle button on the front
panel. A blue light should come on
behind the front panel button.
NOTE: In normal operation the unit will
go into standby mode 5-8 minutes after

it stops receiving an audio signal (for
example, when you turn off your TV).
The front panel light will turn from blue
to amber in standby mode. When the signal returns (after you
turn your TV on), the light will turn blue again. To defeat this
“automatic standby” mode, press the “AUTO ON/OFF” button
once (the light will blink). To restore the setting, press the
button again.

12. Adjust volume with the Volume “+” and “–” buttons. There
are 22 levels of volume adjustment. Note that the blue front
panel light will flash with every push of a button. When you
have reached maximum (or minimum) volume, the blue light will
stop blinking. The light reacts this way for all settings – VOL­UME, PHASECUE, SUBWOOFER and TREBLE.

13. When “MUTE” button is pushed, and volume is muted, the
blue light will flash until volume is un-muted with a second push
of the button.

14. PHASECUE buttons control the ZVOX virtual surround
sound system. There are nine levels of PHASECUE adjust
ment. When you turn up the PHASECUE control, the audio
should sound wider or “bigger.” In many cases you will hear
stronger with live music, live sporting events and well-recorded
movies and TV programs. With many programs — especially

news shows and sitcoms — PHASECUE will have little effect.
NOTE: If you find that crowd noises or movie special effects
are “drowning out” the dialog, try turning down the PHASECUE
control. This will put more focus on dialog clarity.

15. There are nine levels of SUBWOOFER control. You may
need to experiment with SUBWOOFER levels because speaker
position and program material have a big effect on bass. If the
audio sounds thin, try turning up the SUBWOOFER control. If
the bass sounds overly loud, “boomy” or distorted, turn down
the SUBWOOFER control.

16. There are nine levels of TREBLE control. The adjustment
this control makes is very subtle. Experiment until you think
the sound is not too “bright” and not too “dull.” Most people set
the treble control once and leave the setting in that position.

Rear Inputs

• “INPUT 1” jacks are for connecting audio connector cable from
TV, PC or other audio source.

• “INPUT 2” jacks are for a second, mixing input. They will work
correctly only if another device is already connected to the “Input
1” jacks. Note: If you have two devices connected and playing at
the same time (e.g. TV and MP3 player), you will hear both
devices. If you want to connect 3 or more devices – we suggest
you use an input switching device (available at Radio Shack).

• “LINE OUT” jacks are for use with an optional external powered
subwoofer. This is a “full range” (all frequencies, not just bass)
monaural connection, and should only be used with a subwoofer
that has a variable crossover. We suggest you set the crossover
at approximately 90 Hz – but try different settings near there.

Front Panel Inputs & Controls

• The “INPUT” jack on the front panel is a stereo 3.5mm mini-jack.
You can use it to connect the audio output of an MP3 player, PC,
or camcorder to the ZVOX 425 – using our supplied cord. When a
device is connected to the front panel input, all sound signals
coming into the rear inputs are automatically muted.

• The “VOLUME” up/down buttons work just like those on your
remote control.

• The middle button is a POWER on/off control. It works just like
the one on your remote control. It glows blue when the unit is on.
It turns yellow in standby mode.

• The “PHASECUE” up/down buttons control the ZVOX virtual
surround system. They work just like the PHASECUE buttons on
your remote.

• The red panel to the right of the PHASECUE buttons is the IR
(infrared) sensor for the remote control.

The S.A.N.E. (Sudden Audio Noise Eliminator) Control

Many modern movies are recorded so that, every once in a while,
there will be a dramatic increase in volume level. Explosions, car
crashes, sudden musical interludes – even crowd noises during
sporting events – can sometimes “blast you out of your seat.” This
can be a problem, especially at night when other members of your
household may be sleeping. The S.A.N.E. knob on the rear panel
of the ZVOX 425 can be used to minimize the sudden increase in
volumes in scenes like these. It essentially compresses the
sound so that it is more even from scene to scene. The more you
turn up the knob, the more the sound will be uniform in volume
from scene to scene.

A few opportunities for fine-tuning.

• If you hear a consistent “hiss” or hum, try turning UP the volume
of your TV or other audio source, and then set the ZVOX volume
level LOWER.

• Please keep in mind that your ZVOX 425 is a highly accurate
audio system that may reveal noise or distortion that other
speakers did not reproduce.

• The PhaseCue control adjusts the size of the perceived “sound
stage.” Feel free to adjust it when playing different kinds of audio.
Some people prefer slightly more, or less PhaseCue effect. Some
prefer higher settings for movies, and lower settings for music.

Questions? Email us at [e-mail]