Arcam FMJ MS250 User manual

MS250

MS250
2
Safety guidelines
Important safety instructions
This product is designed and manufactured to meet strict
quality and safety standards. However, you should be aware
of the following installation and operation precautions.
1. Take heed of warnings and instructions
It is important that you:
A. read all the safety and operating instructions before
operating this equipment.
B. keep this handbook for future reference.
C. follow all instructions and adhere to all warnings in the
handbook or on the equipment.
2. Water and moisture
Do not use this appliance near water.
The presence of electricity near water can be dangerous
– for example next to a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in
a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc.
3. Object or liquid entry
Take care that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled,
dripped or splashed into the case through any openings.
Liquid-lled objects such as vases should not be placed on
the unit.
4. Ventilation
Do not block any of the ventilation openings.
Do not place the unit on a bed, sofa, rug or similar soft surface,
or in an enclosed bookcase or cabinet, since ventilation
may be impeded. We recommend a minimum distance of
50mm around the sides and top of the equipment to provide
adequate ventilation.
5. Heat
Do not install the unit near any heat producing equipment
such as radiators, stoves or other appliances (including
other ampliers) that produce heat.
6. Climate
The appliance has been designed for use in moderate
climates.
7. Racks and stands
Only use a rack or stand that is recommended for use with
audio equipment. If the equipment is on a portable rack it
should be moved with great care, to avoid overturning the
combination.
8. Power sources
The unit is supplied with a market-suitable electrical plug.
Do not substitute or modify the supplied plug – see your
dealer if a replacement is required.
The mains plug or the appliance connector is used as the
disconnect device. The MS250 must be installed in a manner
that makes disconnection possible.
9. Grounding
The MS250 is Class I construction and must be connected to
a socket outlet with a protective earthing connection. Ensure
that the grounding means of the appliance is not defeated.
10. Power-cord protection
Power supply cords should be routed so that they are
protected against being walked on or pinched, particularly at
plugs and the point where they exit from the unit.
11. Protection from electrical storms
Unplug the unit during lightning storms or when unused for
long periods of time.
12. Abnormal smell
If an abnormal smell or smoke is detected from the
appliance, turn the power off immediately and unplug the
unit from the wall outlet. Contact your dealer immediately.
13. Cleaning
Unplug the unit from the mains supply before cleaning.
The case should normally only require a wipe with a soft,
dry, lint-free cloth. Do not use paint thinners or other
chemical solvents for cleaning.
We do not advise the use of furniture cleaning sprays or
polishes as they can cause indelible white marks if the unit
is subsequently wiped with a damp cloth.
14. Servicing and repair
Refer all servicing to qualied servicing personnel.
Servicing is required when the unit has been damaged in
any way, such as:
A. the power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged,
or
B. liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the
enclosure, or
C. the appliance has been exposed to rain or moisture, or
D. the appliance does not appear to operate normally or
exhibits a marked change in performance, or
E. the appliance has been dropped or the enclosure
damaged.
Safety compliance
This product has been designed to meet the IEC 60065
international electrical safety standard.
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove cover (or back). No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing
to qualied service personnel.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of re or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.
The lightning ash with an 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 sufcient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance
(servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
CAUTION: In Canada and the USA, to prevent electric shock, match the wide blade of the plug to the wide slot in the socket and
insert the plug fully into the socket.

English
MS250
3
Safety guidelines .................................................. 2
Important safety instructions ............................... 2
Safety compliance .............................................. 2
End User Licence Agreement (‘EULA’)................... 4
Before you start! ................................................... 5
What’s in the box? .............................................. 5
Inserting the batteries into the remote control........ 5
Conventions used in this document ....................... 6
Before making connections .................................. 6
Installing and connecting...................................... 7
Positioning the unit ............................................. 7
Back panel connections ....................................... 7
General connection advice ................................... 8
Connecting to a power supply .............................. 8
Front-panel controls ............................................. 9
Using the CR-425 remote control ........................ 10
Operating the MS250 .......................................... 11
The menu system ............................................. 11
Switching on .................................................... 11
Playing CDs ......................................................... 12
Storing a CD on the MS250.................................. 13
Playing stored music........................................... 15
Internet radio ..................................................... 17
Playlists .............................................................. 18
Creating a playlist............................................. 18
Listening to a playlist ........................................ 19
Adding tracks to a playlist.................................. 19
Editing a playlist............................................... 20
Managing your stored music library .................... 21
Creating a CD ...................................................... 22
System and User Settings ................................... 24
The Audio menu ............................................... 24
The Content menu ............................................ 25
The Display menu............................................. 26
The Network menu ........................................... 26
The Region menu ............................................. 27
The System menu............................................. 27
The Time menu ................................................ 28
The Archive music menu.................................... 28
Advanced features .............................................. 29
Zones ............................................................. 29
External audio sources ...................................... 29
Playing music stored on a portable MP3 player
or other USB storage device............................... 29
Playing music over the network .......................... 29
Copying music les ........................................... 30
Connecting to a network and the Internet .......... 31
Local Area network congurations....................... 31
Testing your Internet connection......................... 32
Advanced network conguration information ........ 32
Remote control codes ......................................... 33
Technical specications ...................................... 34
Guarantee ........................................................... 35
Online registration .............................................. 35
Contents
Welcome, and thank you for buying the Arcam MS250.
The MS250 is designed to act as a central repository
and distribution system for all your digital music. It can
distribute high quality music programming to multiple rooms
in your house using both analogue and digital connections.
It can distribute music stored on the MS250, and also music
stored on computers connected to your home Ethernet
network.
You can use your MS250 to:
<Store and catalogue your entire CD collection
<Play Internet radio stations
<Play CDs
< Create CDs from your own music selections (‘playlists’)
<Access and play music stored on your computer
network
<With four independent Zones, it can direct music from
any source (including two external sources, such as a
DAB tuner or record deck) around your home.
The MS250 uses very high quality digital-to-analogue
conversion to ensure superb reproduction in the analogue
output chain. Depending on the system settings, the stored
copy of a CD will be identical to the original, with no quality
loss. We hope that you have many hours of enjoyment from
this product, in whichever room you choose to listen.

MS250
4
End User Licence Agreement (‘EULA’)
You have acquired a device (‘DEVICE’) which includes software licensed by ARCAM from one or more
software licensors (‘ARCAM’s SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS’).
Such software products, as well as associated media, printed materials and ‘online’ or electronic
documentation (‘SOFTWARE’) are protected by international intellectual property laws and treaties. The
SOFTWARE is licensed, not sold. All rights reserved.
IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT (‘EULA’), DO NOT USE THE DEVICE.
INSTEAD, PROMPTLY CONTACT ARCAM FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON RETURN OF THE UNUSED DEVICE FOR A
REFUND. ANY USE OF THE SOFTWARE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO USE OF THE DEVICE,
WILL CONSTITUTE YOUR AGREEMENT TO THIS EULA (OR RATIFICATION OF ANY PREVIOUS
CONSENT).
GRANT OF SOFTWARE LICENSE. This EULA grants you the following license:
<USE. You may use the SOFTWARE only on the DEVICE
<NOT FAULT TOLERANT. The SOFTWARE is not fault tolerant. ARCAM has independently
determined how to use the SOFTWARE in the DEVICE and the SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS have relied
upon ARCAM to conduct sufcient testing to determine that the software is suitable for such use.
<NO WARRANTIES FOR THE SOFTWARE. The SOFTWARE is provided ‘AS IS’ and with all
faults. The entire risk as to satisfactory quality, performance accuracy, and efforts (including lack
of negligence) is with you. Also, there is no warranty against interference with your enjoyment
of the SOFTWARE or against infringement. If you have received any warranties regarding the
DEVICE or the SOFTWARE, those warranties do not originate from, and are not binding on
SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS.
<NO LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN DAMAGES. Except as prohibited by law, SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS
shall have no liability for any indirect, special, consequential or incidental damages arising from
or in connection with the use or performance of the SOFTWARE. This limitation shall apply even
if any remedy fails of its essential purpose. In no event shall SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS be liable for
any amount in excess of U.S. Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars (U.S.$250.00).
<LIMITATIONS ON REVERSE ENGINEERING, DECOMPILATION, AND DISASSEMBLY. You
may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE except and only to the
extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.
<SOFTWARE TRANSFER ALLOWED BUT WITH RESTRICTIONS. You may permanently
transfer rights under this EULA only as part of a permanent sale or transfer of the DEVICE, and
only if the recipient agrees in full to this EULA. If the SOFTWARE is available as an upgrade to
the DEVICE, any transfer must also include any prior versions of the SOFTWARE.
<EXPORT RESTRICTIONS. You acknowledge that SOFTWARE is subject to U.S. and European
Union export jurisdiction. You agree to comply with all applicable international and national laws
that apply to the SOFTWARE, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, as well as
end-user, end-use and destination restrictions issued by U.S. and other governments.
<USE RESTRICTIONS. This DEVICE is not intended for use in medical, life saving, or life
sustaining applications and no liability whatsoever is accepted by ARCAM, nor by the SOFTWARE
SUPPLIERS, for any failure of the DEVICE when used in this manner

MS250
5
Before you start!
Using this handbook
This handbook has been designed to give you all the information you need to install, connect, set-up and
use your Arcam MS250. The supplied remote control handset is also described.
It may be that your MS250 has been installed and set-up as part of your Hi-Fi installation by a qualied
Arcam dealer. In this case, you may wish to skip the sections of this handbook dealing with installation
and setting up the unit, and move directly to the sections dealing with operating the MS250. Use the
contents list on page 3 to guide you to these sections.
Safety
Safety guidelines are set out on page 2 of this handbook.
Many of these items are common sense precautions, but for your own safety, and to ensure that you do
not damage the unit, we recommend that you read them. This is a Class I product and requires an earth
connection.
End User Licence Agreement
You must read and agree to the terms of the End User Licence Agreement on the previous page before
using the MS250. In common with most software, in buying the MS250 device you have not purchased
the software code, but instead have purchased a licence to use the code on the device.
What’s in the box?
Check that the following items are in the box when you receive it:
<Arcam MS250
<Arcam CR-425 remote control with 2 ‘AAA’ batteries — the remote control model number is
shown on the front near the base of the remote control;
<Mains power lead appropriate for the mains supply in your area;
<Product registration card and envelope.
If any of these items are missing or incorrect, please contact your Arcam dealer immediately.
Inserting the batteries into the remote control
The remote control requires 2 ‘AAA’ batteries to operate. To insert the batteries
into the remote control, please follow these instructions:
1. Open the battery compartment cover on the back of the remote control.
2. Insert two AAA batteries into the battery compartment, following the
polarity indications given inside the compartment itself.
3. Close the cover.
Notes on inserting the remote control batteries
<Incorrect use of batteries can result in hazards such as leakage and
bursting.
<Do not mix old and new batteries together.
<Do not use different kinds of battery together—although they may look
similar, different batteries may have different voltages.
<Ensure that the plus (+) and minus (–) ends of each battery match the
indications in the battery compartment.
<Remove batteries from equipment that is not going to be used for a
month or more.
<When disposing of used batteries, please comply with governmental (or
other) regulations that apply in your country or area.
Using the remote control
Please keep in mind the following when using the remote control:
<Ensure that there are no obstacles between the remote control and the
remote sensor on the MS250. The remote has a range of about seven
meters. (If the remote sensor is obscured, the remote control input jack
on the rear panel is available. Please contact your dealer for further
information.)
< Remote operation may become unreliable if strong sunlight or uorescent
light is shining on the remote sensor of the MS250.
<Replace the batteries when you notice a reduction in the operating range
of the remote control.


A. Open the cover of the remote control
battery compartment
B. Insert the batteries into the remote
control


C. Close the cover of the remote control
battery compartment

MS250
6
Conventions used in this document
Zones
The MS250 supports up to four zones. The term ‘Zones’ refers to the four stereo analogue outputs
supported by this product. Zone 1 corresponds to the room where the MS250 is situated: Zones 2, 3 and
4 are the other three analogue output locations.
Before making connections
Before connecting your equipment it is important to think about the following points, as these will affect
your choice of connections and subsequent use of the system.
Video
Normal, everyday control of the MS250 is by remote handset (or the front panel control buttons) and the
front panel display. However, to access certain features of the MS250, you will need to connect a TV or
monitor. A USB or PS/2 keyboard can also be added to make text entry more convenient.
Your MS250 supports three different video connection types: VGA, S-Video, or Composite video. Choose
a connection that your TV/monitor supports.
Audio inputs
Two stereo line-level inputs are provided on the rear panel to allow routing and recording of analogue
sources, such as a DAB tuner. The audio signal from theses inputs can be routed to any of the Zones.
If you wish to listen to more than two external sources, you may wish to invest in an external switch or
pre-amp to use for input selection.
Note that to connect a record deck to the MS250 you will require a phono pre-amp.
Audio outputs
The MS250 supports analogue, digital (S/PDIF) and networked audio connections.
With the possible exception of networked connections, all of these methods require you to route cables
from the MS250 to an appropriate amplier or receiver in the remote location. Analogue connections
require a stereo phono cable to be routed to an amplier; digital connections require a remote receiver
or D/A converter; and networked connections require a PC or similar network audio receiver.
Think carefully about the type of connection you wish to use for each remote location before starting to
equip a new multi-room installation: we recommend asking your dealer for advice at the planning stage
before installation work is commissioned.

MS250
7
Positioning the unit
< Place the MS250 on a level, rm surface. Ensure that the surface you have chosen is strong
enough to take the weight of the MS250.
<Avoid placing the unit in direct sunlight or near sources of heat or damp.
< Do not place the unit on top of an amplier or other source of heat.
<Ensure adequate ventilation. Do not place the unit in an enclosed space such as a bookcase
or closed cabinet unless there is good provision for ventilation. The MS250 is designed to run
warm during normal operation.
< Make sure the IR receiver on the front panel is unobstructed or you may nd the remote control
is unreliable. If line-of-sight is impractical, an infrared remote repeater can be used with the rear
panel IR connectors (REMOTE IN).
<Do not place your record deck on top of this unit. Record decks are very sensitive to the noise
generated by mains power supplies which will be heard as ‘hum’ if the record deck is too close.
Back panel connections
Video output
A video connection may be used to view the menus of the MS250 on a TV or computer monitor. The
MS250 does not have to be connected to a video display for day-to-day use, as all basic functionality is
available via the front-panel. However, to gain access to advanced features, for product conguration,
and for improved ease-of-use, a video display is required.
There are three different video outputs available from the MS250: VGA, S-Video and Composite Video.
Choose one that your display supports, connect it with a suitable cable and, if required, congure the
output to match using the ‘TV Standard’ menu option within Settings )Display.
4S-Video The S-Video output (also known as S-VHS or Y/C) is commonly supported by
display devices worldwide. Connect the S-VIDEO output of the MS250 to the
S-Video input of the display device using an S-Video cable of an appropriate length.
5Composite
video
If your display device offers a composite input (sometimes labelled CVBS or just
‘video’), connect this to the COMPOSITE video output of the MS250 using a 75Ω
phono cable suitable for video use.
2VGA The 15-pin VGA connector is used commonly by computer monitors and is often
available on other display devices. The MS250 produces SVGA output for this port.
Note that you may connect equipment such as AV receivers in the signal path between the MS250 and
the display device, as long as the connected equipment also supports the type of video signal you intend
to use. For instructions on how to connect AV equipment, consult the manual for that equipment.
Keyboard connector 1
Characters can be entered into an on-screen text eld using the CR-425 remote control. If you have a
large number of track titles to enter by hand, however, you’ll nd that connecting an external keyboard
is much more convenient.
You can connect either a PS/2 or a USB keyboad. If you are using a PS/2 keyboard, connect it to the
KEYBOARD socket before the MS250 is powered on, otherwise it may not be recognised. A USB keyboard
can be connected to the BACKUP USB connector on the rear panel or to the front panel USB connector.
You can connect or disconnect a USB keyboard at any time.
Installing and connecting
ZONE4ZONE 3
ZONE2ZONE 1ZONE 1
115–230VAC
100CVA MAX
ZONE 1
COAXOPTICAL
ZONE 4ZONE3
ZONE2ZONE 1
S-VIDEO COMPOSITE
VIDEO
RS232
CONTROL
VGA
KEYBOARD
ZONE 2
INPUTS DIGITAL OUTPUTS TRIGGER OUTREMOTE IN
NETWORK
BACKUP
ZONE4ZONE 1
L
R
ZONE 3ZONE 2
OUTPUTS
L
R
AUX 1 AUX 2
IR
OUTPUT
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 

MS250
8
Backup (USB) 3
This connector allows you to connect an external USB storage device or a USB keyboard to the MS250. A
second USB connection is provided on the front panel. These connectors are fully USB 2.0 compliant, but
are not designed for use with an iPod®.
RS232 control 6
Use this connection to control devices with an RS232 serial port (for example, Crestron and AMX touch
screen controllers). Your Arcam dealer has access to specialized documentation for RS232 and IR
programming with the MS250.
Analogue audio outputs 7
Four stereo pairs of phono outputs are provided, one pair for each Zone. The volume level for each zone
can be independently set. The outputs can each carry audio from different sources (stored music, CD,
Internet radio etc.), including up to two external line-level inputs (a DAB tuner, for example).
Trigger output 8
These outputs can be used for ‘triggering’ (i.e. powering on and off automatically)
power ampliers or source equipment in Zones 1, 2, 3 or 4 where line-of-sight control
by infrared cannot be used. The trigger 3.5mm jack plugs are wired as shown in the
table.
Aux Inputs 1 and 2 9
These connections allow you to attach two pairs of auxiliary inputs (for example, an FM tuner or the
preamp output from a record player). The inputs can be switched using the INPUT 1 and INPUT 2 buttons
on the remote control.
Digital audio output bk
A digital-audio output is provided for use in Zone 1. This output always carries the audio from Zone 1
and cannot be congured for other zones.
If you have an external surround-sound decoder, receiver or D-A converter that you wish to use with the
MS250, then you will need to connect it to the digital-audio output using either a coaxial or optical lead.
If possible, use the coaxial connection as this offers slightly better performance. Connect the COAX
output of the MS250 to the digital audio coaxial input of the decoder/D-A converter or receiver using a
phono cable designed for digital audio interconnection.
Alternatively, connect the OPTICAL output of the MS250 to the optical input of the decoder, D-A
converter or receiver using a TOSLINK optical lead.
Remote control input bl
The REMOTE IN input can be used to pass RC5 codes to the MS250 if it is installed in a position (or
system) where line-of-sight infrared cannot be used. Independent inputs are provided for each of the
four zones. The 3.5mm jack plugs are wired as shown in the table. Contact your dealer for further
information if you think you may need this facility.
IR output bm
RC5 code output is available to control equipment in Zones 1 and 2 if line-of-sight infrared cannot be
used. The 3.5mm jack plugs are wired as in the table above.
Network (Ethernet/USB) bo
This is a standard Ethernet RJ45 connection allowing you to connect the MS250 to your local area
network (LAN). See the section on ‘Connecting to a network’ for further information. An additional USB
connection below the RJ45 socket is provided for future use.
General connection advice
We recommend the use of high quality screened analogue, digital and video cables, since inferior
quality cables will degrade the overall quality of your system. Use only cables that are designed for the
particular application as other cables will have different impedance characteristics that will degrade
the performance of your system (for example, do not use cabling intended for audio use to carry video
signals). All cables should be kept as short as is practically possible.
Video and digital connections must be made with cables that are designed for this purpose, i.e., coaxial
cable with a 75Ω impedance. Using substandard cables may result in poor picture quality, such as ghost
images and/or grainy picture quality (‘snow’).
Speaker cables should be kept short to ensure efcient power transmission and avoid audible distortion.
It is good practice when connecting your equipment to ensure that the mains power supply cabling is
kept as far away as possible from your audio and video cables, as this will provide the best sound and
picture quality. Failure to do so may result in unwanted noise in the audio and video signals.
Connecting to a power supply
Mains lead
The appliance is normally supplied with a moulded mains plug already tted to the lead. If for any
reason the plug needs to be removed, it must be disposed of immediately and securely, as it is a
potential shock hazard when inserted into the mains socket.
Check that the plug supplied with the unit ts your supply and that your mains supply voltage is within
the range 115V to 230VAC. If your mains supply voltage or mains plug is different, or you require a new
lead, please consult your Arcam dealer.
Plugging in
Push the plug (IEC line socket) of the power cable supplied with the unit into the socket bn in the back
of the unit. Make sure it is pushed in rmly.
Put the plug on the other end of the cable into your power supply socket and switch the socket on.
Connection Function Voltage
Tip Zone On/Off On = 12V, 30mA
Off = 0V
Sleeve Ground 0V
Connection Function
Tip IR in
Ring Ground
Sleeve 12V supply

MS250
9
POWER 6
Press this button to switch on the MS250. The power indicator light changes from red
to green. From power-on, the MS250 will take about 30 seconds to initialise; a start-up
message is displayed on the front panel.
When powered-on, press this button for a second time to switch the unit off. The
MS250 takes a few seconds to shut down. To avoid risk of data loss, do not remove
power from the unit during this period.
LOAD 2
To load a CD, press LOAD (or OPEN on the remote control). The CD tray opens to accept 12cm or 8cm
discs. Place the CD in the tray with the label facing uppermost. Press LOAD again (or press PLAY, or
gently push the tray in 5mm) to close the tray. After a few seconds, if the CD has been found in the
online database, the track names appear on the display.
Music control keys 3
These keys can be used to control CDs and stored music.
Play/Pause: Press 4/;to play the current music selection. Press again to pause the music. If the
music is paused, pressing 4/;again will resume the music from the point where it was paused.
Stop: Press <to stop the current music selection. Pressing 4/;after the music has been stopped will
resume playing at the start of the current track.
Search forwards/backwards: Press 8or 7on the front-panel or remote control to search fast
forward or backwards. The following speeds for fast search are available: x2, x4, x8, x16 and x32. Press
the button repeatedly to cycle through the different speeds. To resume normal playback speed (and play
the CD or stored music), press 4/;.
Skip track: To start a CD with a track other than the rst, press /or 0to locate the desired track.
To select another track at any time during play, press /or 0.
Menu navigation keys 4
These keys allow navigation through the MS250 menu system – they match the cursor keys on the
remote control. Use the up-down-left-right keys to move the menu highlight to the item of interest, then
press OK to open or select the highlighted item. The HOME key returns you to the top-level menu.
DISPLAY 5
This key changes the brightness of the display. Press repeatedly to reduce the brightness in steps from
full brightness to off. Press once more to restore to full brightness.
ZONE 7
Press the Zone button to select the zone you wish to view or control. There are four output zones, which
in a typical installation will be routed to different rooms in the house. The zone number is shown on the
display along with the audio settings for that zone. You can route different audio sources to different
zones. For example, you can play a stored CD in one zone and Internet radio in another zone at the
same time.
USB connector 1
The front panel USB connector is in addition to the two USB connectors on the back panel of the MS250.
It allows easier access to the MS250 for playing music or transferring music les from portable music
sources. You can also attach a USB keyboard here to make text editing easier.

POWER
LOAD
OKHOME ZONE
DISPLAY


Front-panel controls
NOTE
To put the unit into stand-by, press
the power button on the remote
control or front panel. The front
panel display dims and shows the
time and date.

MS250
10
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  

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
 
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   
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

Using the CR-425 remote control
DISP (display)
Cycles the brightness of the front panel display.
There are several brightness levels to choose
from, including switching the display off.
Record
Press this button to begin recording a CD to
hard drive or recording line input..
0–9 keypad
This allows text entry of characters and numbers,
as on a mobile phone. In character mode, use 0to
input a space character.
Genre, Artists, Album or Track lists may be ltered
(i.e. reduced) by requiring a match with the rst
character entered.
Back
Use this key to navigate back to the previous menu page.
The key is also used to delete characters when editing
text entries.
MUTE
Stops sound output of the currently selected zone.
Volume +/–
Adjusts the volume (output level) of the currently
selected zone.
OPEN
Opens and closes the disc tray.
Page Up/Down
Scrolls through long lists a page at a time.
Cursor pad and OK button
Use the cursor pad to navigate within a menu page.
Conrm your selection with the OK button.
Playback control
Pause (;), Play (4) and Stop (<).
Fast play and Skip track
Play fast (78) and Skip tracks
(0/) in both directions.
Source selection
Press these buttons to select the internal
CD player, Internet radio, or the devices
connected to the AUX 1 or AUX 2 inputs.
Standby
Press Standby to toggle the standby state of the MS250.
ZONE
Press ZONE to cycle through a display of what each zone
is currently playing.
SETUP
Press this button to access the
MS250’s ‘Setup’ menu.
HOME
Press this button to access the
MS250’s Home menu.
Menu shortcuts
Press these buttons to navigate directly to the
appropriate menu when choosing stored music.
Normal/Caps/Numbers shift
Press to change alphanumeric setting when entering text.
Red
If a CD is in the tray then this closes the tray
and records the CD to hard drive and plays
the CD at the same time.
Blue
Go to ‘Now Playing’ screen.
Green
If a CD is in the tray then this closes the tray
and plays the CD without identifying it rst.
Yellow
Toggles the on screen display on/off.
TIP
If the remote control receiver
(located on the right of the front-
panel window) is not ‘visible’ to the
remote control hand-set, then the
remote control will not work! Either
locate the unit elsewhere, or take
advantage of the remote control
input on the rear of the player. See
your dealer for further information
on this option.

MS250
11
Operating the MS250
The menu system
The MS250 is controlled using its menu system. This is best viewed on a TV or a computer monitor,
connected as described on page 7. The menu system is also displayed on the front panel display, which
is sufcient for routine control, especially when you have become familiar with the MS250’s capabilities.
Navigation around the menus is performed using either the remote control or the buttons on the front
panel. The remote control includes useful shortcut keys and is easier to use.
The front panel display acts as a ‘window’ on the menu system showing a necessarily restricted view of
the whole. Use the up, down, left and right keys to navigate to each corner of the menu displayed.
The picture below shows an example.
Switching on
On rst powering on, the front panel display displays the power on message. After initialization has
completed, the MUSIC SOURCE home page appears:
Any time you wish to return to the MUSIC SOURCE (or ‘Home’) page, you can do so by simply pressing
HOME on the remote or on the front panel.
NOTE
The front panel display is shown
on this page, but for clarity, only
the TV/Monitor display is shown in
the rest of this section. Most of the
features may be operated using
the front panel buttons to navigate,
using information shown on the front
panel display.

MS250
12
Playing CDs
To play a CD, press LOAD (or OPEN on the remote control) to open the CD tray. Place the CD in the tray
with the label facing uppermost. Press LOAD again (or OPEN again on the remote control) to close the
tra y.
After a few seconds, the track names appear on the display.
To select particular tracks, use the Cand Bkeys on the remote (or 6and 5keys
on the front panel) to move down and up the tracklist.
OK toggles a track from selected (red square before the track number) indicating
that the track is to be played; to unselected (open square before the track number),
indicating that the track is to be skipped.
The MS250 plays all selected tracks from the highlighted track to the end of the
selection. If you have set the ‘Repeat’ item to ‘Repeat: on’, playing starts again from the rst selected
track. The default setting is ‘Repeat: off’. You can also instruct the MS250 to play tracks in a random
order from the CD by changing the ‘Shufe’ menu item to ‘Shufe: on’.
See pages 9 and 10 (‘Front panel controls’ and ‘Using the CR-425 remote control’) for how to pause,
stop, skip tracks, etc.
To play the whole CD, simply press PLAY on the remote or front panel. After a delay to collect the
information, the display on the TV/monitor (and a version of the information on the front panel)
appears:
NOTE
If the MS250 is not connected to the
Internet, or the database does not
contain details for the CD inserted,
tracks will be listed by number only.
NOTE
The front panel display indicates
the volume level (0-100). This is
the output level of the signal fed
to your amplier. If you can access
your amplier’s volume control, you
should set the MS250 volume control
to maximum (100) and adjust the
volume level on the amplier to your
requirements.

MS250
13
Storing a CD on the MS250
To store the contents of a CD on the MS250, select Store from the left hand window of the CD menu.
The STORE CD menu page is displayed with Disc info. selected:
Editing CD details
This page allows you to enter or modify information for the CD. This is useful if the
details for the CD could not be retrieved by the MS250 or if you wish to modify any of
the details shown. Navigate to the desired info box (e.g. Genre) and press OK to select
it. You can now enter the text required using the number keys on the remote:
<To make an alphabetic selection using the number keys, press the key once for
the rst letter below the key, twice for the second letter, etc., as on a mobile
phone. The space character is entered by pressing the 0key.
Press the key on the remote to delete a character. Press the Dand Ekeys
to move the cursor left and right.
<To enter uppercase letters, press the key on the remote once. The word ‘Capitals’ appears
in brackets on the menu page. Press again to enter digits. Press once more to revert to
entering lower case letters.
<When you’re happy with the wording, press OK to conrm the text entry.
You can edit track names for the CD by choosing the Track names option on the left-hand window of
the menu page, editing the text in the same way.
Choosing storage options
Choose Format from the left-hand window of the menu page to display the storage options for the CD.
Navigate to the quality level required and press OK to select it.
Note that the ‘Uncompressed’ option stores an exact bit-for-bit duplicate of the CD on the MS250 hard
disk. This results in the highest possible quality but takes up the most space on the hard disk. You can
store around 450 CDs on the MS250 with this option.
TIP
This menu page is not shown on
the front panel display. You’ll need
a TV or monitor to edit CD details.
Attaching a USB or PS/2 keyboard to
the MS250 will make the task quicker
and easier.

MS250
14
Store CD option
You might like to select the ‘Background compression’ option to carry out data compression as a
background task. Compression takes place when the MS250 is in Standby mode: a simple ‘Ooo’
animation on the front panel display shows that compression is in progress.
Storing the CD
Choose Store from the left-hand window of the menu page. The following screen is displayed:
Select ‘Start’ (storage onto hard disc), ‘Start and Play’, or ‘Cancel’.
Press OK to start the storage process. When the MS250 has completed storing the CD, the display
returns to the MUSIC GENRES Home page.

MS250
15
Playing stored music
From the MUSIC SOURCE home page, navigate to Stored music and press OK. The following menu
page is displayed:
Music stored on the MS250 is catalogued by genre (Rock, Classical etc.), album title,
artist and track names. The catalogue is hierarchical, working down from genre to
tracks, and sorted alphabetically. For example, to nd a Blues album by B.B. King, you
might:
<Select Genres from the left-hand window of the menu page
<Select Blues – the Artists option is automatically selected and a list of Blues
artists is displayed
<Select B.B. King from the list of artists – the Albums option is automatically selected and the list
of albums by B.B. King stored on the MS250 is displayed
<Select the album desired – the track names are displayed.
<Press PLAY to start playing the tracks.
You can also choose music by going directly to album, artist or track lists as follows.
Finding music by artist
To nd a particular artist, choose Artists from the left-hand window of the STORED
MUSIC page and navigate down the list to the artist you’d like to listen to. Press OK
and choose the album you’d like to listen to from the list that appears. Press 4to start
playing the album from track 1. Alternatively, press OK and select the tracks you’d like
to listen to from the list of tracks that follows.
Finding music by album title
To nd a particular album, choose Albums from the left-hand window of the STORED
MUSIC page and navigate down the list to the album you’d like to listen to. Press 4
to start playing the album from track 1. Alternatively, press OK and select the tracks
you’d like to listen to from the list of tracks that follows.
Finding music by track name
To nd a particular track, choose Tracks from the left of the STORED MUSIC page
and navigate down the list to the track you’d like to listen to. This option lists every track in every album
stored on your MS250 in alphabetical order, so it could be a long list! You can lter the list by entering
an initial letter using the remote control’s alphanumeric keypad. Only those tracks matching their initial
letter are selected for listing.
TIP
The remote control includes shortcut
buttons that take you directly to the
Album, Artist, Track or Playlist menu
pages.


  




 

   
   
  



TIP
A quick “no fuss” way of playing
music is to press 4when STORED
MUSIC is highlighted. The MS250
plays the music library continuously
in random order.

MS250
16
Searching for stored music
You can search for tracks, album titles or artists in your stored music using the Search function. You can
enter part of a title to search to save time. For example, you could type ‘glass’ to search for any track
with glass or Glass in the title – the search function is not case-sensitive.
1. Select Search from the left-hand window of the MUSIC-GENRES page.
2. Press OK to select the search text box and enter the track/artist/album name you want to search
for. Press OK again to set the text.
3. Now choose Artists, Albums or Tracks from the left-hand window of the menu page.
The list of artists, albums or tracks that contain the words entered in the search box is displayed:

MS250
17
Internet radio
From the MUSIC SOURCE home page, navigate to Internet radio and press OK. The following menu
page is displayed:
The radio stations are listed hierarchically by Presets, Genres, Locations and Languages, and there is
also a complete alphabetical list of all available stations (‘Stations’).
There is a default list of Internet radio stations installed on the MS250. In addition, every time you
switch on the MS250 it automatically downloads the latest list of available stations from the Arcam
website (given that the unit is connected to the Internet).
Playing an Internet radio station
To play an Internet radio station, simply select it from the list of available stations.
For example, to select a station called J-Wave from a list of all those currently playing
Blues music, select Internet radio, Genres, Blues, All locations, All languages, Play,
4J-Wave.
TIP
Create an Internet radio preset
by nding a favourite station and
pressing E.The station is added to
your list of presets immediately.

MS250
18
Playlists
Playlists are a convenient way to gather together and sort tracks stored on the MS250 in any order you’d
like to listen to them. For example, you might put together a list of tracks from various albums suitable
for a party. You can give your playlists names to make them easy to nd. You can also record the tracks
in a playlist onto a CD (see ‘Creating a CD’).
Creating a playlist
To create a playlist:
1. Choose the rst selection of tracks you’d like to include in your playlist, so that they are listed on
the MUSIC-TRACKS menu page. Any selected tracks are included in your playlist – deselect any
you don’t want.
2. From the left-hand window of the menu page choose Add to playlist. The PLAYLIST-ADD
menu page is displayed. Any previously created playlists appear on the right-hand window of the
menu page:
3. Choose New playlist from the left-hand window of the menu screen.
4. Enter a name for your new playlist and press OK.

MS250
19
The PLAYLIST-MENU page appears with the tracks you’ve added displayed on the right-hand window.
Listening to a playlist
Choose Playlists from the MUSIC-PLAYLISTS menu page. The playlists you have created are listed in
alphabetical order. Navigate to the desired playlist and press 4.
Adding tracks to a playlist
To add tracks to a playlist, you rst need to choose the tracks you’d like to add, so they are displayed on
the MUSIC-TRACKS menu page (as you did when creating your playlist). Now choose Add to playlist
and choose the playlist you’d like to add the tracks to. After a brief pause, the new tracks are added at
the end of the list of tracks in the chosen playlist.

MS250
20
Editing a playlist
You can remove tracks, change the order in which they are played, delete the entire playlist, make a
copy of a playlist and rename a playlist from the PLAYLIST-EDIT menu page.
To navigate to the PLAYLIST-EDIT menu page, select the playlist you’d like to modify and then choose
Edit playlist from the left-hand window of the menu page.
<To remove a track, highlight the track and click OK. The box next to the track changes to red
to show that it’s selected. Now choose Remove from the left-hand window of the menu page.
<To move a track up or down the playlist highlight the track as above and choose Move up
or Move down from the left-hand window of the menu page. Continue to click OK until the track
has moved to the desired location.
<To delete the entire playlist choose Delete playlist from the left-hand window of the menu
page. The playlist is deleted and the remaining playlists are displayed. Note that deleting a
playlist does not delete the tracks in the playlist from the albums where they came from.
<To copy (duplicate) a playlist choose Copy playlist from the left-hand window of the menu
page. Click OK and enter the new name for the playlist.
<To rename a playlist choose Rename from the left-hand window of the menu page. Click OK
and enter the new name for the playlist.