Optimus SYSTEM 731 User manual

Cat. No. 13-1278
OWNER’S MANUAL
Micro Stereo Component System
Please read before using this equipment.
SYSTEM 731
with 7-Disc Elevator CD Chan
g
er
50-Track Memory and Random Play
AM/FM Stereo Tuner with 24 Presets
Cassette with CD Synchro Dubbin
g
51/4-Inch Woofers, Piezo Tweeters
Extended Bass
3 Preset Equalizer Settin
g
s
Clock
Wake Timer
Sleep Timer
and Remote Control
R
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2
FEATURES
© 1995 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Radio Shack and Optimus are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.
Your Optimus System 731 Micro Ste-
reo Component System offers, in
one attractive package, all of the fea-
tures you need for excellent stereo
sound and entertainment. The Sys-
tem 731 includes a 7-disc elevator
CD changer, AM/FM stereo tuner,
cassette deck, speakers, and a re-
mote control, as well as three preset
graphic equalizer controls and sever-
al other special features.
CD CHANGER FEATURES
7-Disc Elevator CD Chan
g
er — lets
you load up to seven CDs and auto-
matically play them one after anoth-
er.
Automatic Search Music S
y
stem
(ASMS) — lets you quickly locate
and play any track on a CD.
Audible Search — helps you locate
a particular section of a CD by rapidly
playing it in either direction.
Pro
g
rammable Pla
y
— lets you pro-
gram and play up to 50 tracks in any
order.
Random Pla
y
— lets you set the
System 731 to automatically play the
tracks on all CDs in random order.
Repeat Pla
y
— lets you automatical-
ly repeat the tracks on all CDs or a
series of programmed tracks.
CASSETTE DECK FEATURES
Multiple Source Recordin
g
— lets
you record onto a cassette tape from
the CD changer, radio, or from an ex-
ternal audio source.
CD S
y
nchro Dubbin
g
— simplifies
recording from the CD player to a
cassette tape.
Automatic Radio Recordin
g
— lets
you set the System 731 to turn itself
on and begin recording from the last
selected radio station.
Automatic Level Control (ALC) —
automatically adjusts the recording
level.
Auto-Stop — automatically stops
the cassette tape when it finishes
playing, recording, fast-forwarding,
or rewinding to protect the tape and
tape-handling parts.
Soft Cassette Tape E
j
ect — slowly
opens the cassette compartment
door when you press the eject but-
ton, so the tape does not pop out.
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OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES
Remote Control — lets you control
most of the System 731’s functions
from a distance.
Dual Backlit LCD Displays — clear-
ly displays your system’s indicators
for easy viewing in almost any light-
ing condition.
Three Preset Graphic Equalizer
Settings — provide you with com-
mon sound settings for enhancing
rock, pop, or classical music at the
press of a button.
Digital Clock — gives you a digital
time display even when the System
731 is turned off.
Memory Tuning — lets you store
and easily recall up to 24 of your fa-
vorite AM and FM radio stations.
Wake Timer — lets you set the Sys-
tem 731 to automatically turn itself on
and play the last selected radio sta-
tion, CD, or cassette tape.
Sleep Timer — lets youset your sys-
tem to automatically turn itself off af-
ter up to 90 minutes.
Auxiliary Input Jacks — let you
connect an additional audio source,
such as a TV, VCR, turntable, or an
external CD changer or cassette
deck, to your system.
Note: The remote control requires
two AAA batteries (not supplied) for
power.
Read this manual carefully. It will
help you get the most enjoyment
from your System 731.
For your records, we urge you to
record the serial number of your Sys-
tem 731 in the space below. The se-
rial number is located on the back of
the system.
Serial Number
Warning: To prevent fire or shock
hazard, do not expose this product to
rain or moisture.
This symbol is intended to alert
you to the presence of uninsulat-
ed dangerous voltage within the
product’s enclosure that might be
of sufficient magnitude to consti-
tute a risk ofelectric shock. Do not
open the product’s case.
This symbol is intended to inform
you that important operating and
maintenance instructions are in-
cluded in the literature accompa-
nying this product.
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
DO NOT OPEN.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE-
ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC-
ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
CAUTION
!
!
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4
CDs that can be played on this
changer have this mark on them:
Note: Most material on compact
discs and prerecorded tapes is copy-
righted. Unauthorized duplication of
copyrighted material is a violation of
the copyright laws of most countries
and such duplication may result in
fines and/or imprisonment. Note,
however, that in the United States, it
is not a violation of U.S. copyright
laws for a consumer to use an audio
recording device to duplicate musical
recordings for noncommercial (per-
sonal) use.
Warning: This CD changer employs
a laser light beam. Only a qualified
service person should remove the
cover or attempt to service this de-
vice, due to possible eye injury.
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5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preparation ..................................................................................................... 7
Connecting the Speakers .......................................................................... 7
Speaker Placement ............................................................................. 7
Connecting the FM Antenna ...................................................................... 7
Connecting an Additional Audio Source .................................................... 8
Connecting Power ..................................................................................... 8
Setting the Current Time ............................................................................ 8
Installing Batteries in the Remote Control ................................................. 9
Connecting Headphones ......................................................................... 10
Listening Safely ................................................................................. 10
Basic Operation ............................................................................................ 11
Using the Demonstration Feature ............................................................ 11
Using the Remote Control ....................................................................... 11
Turning On/Off the System ...................................................................... 11
Setting the Sound .................................................................................... 12
Adjusting the Volume ......................................................................... 12
Adjusting the Balance ........................................................................ 12
Using Extended Bass (X-BASS) ....................................................... 12
Changing the Preset Graphic Equalizer Settings .............................. 13
Radio Operation ........................................................................................... 14
Listening to the Radio .............................................................................. 14
Using Memory Tuning .............................................................................. 15
Storing a Station in Memory .............................................................. 15
Recalling a Stored Station ................................................................. 16
CD Chan
g
er Operation ................................................................................. 17
Loading and Playing a CD ....................................................................... 17
Special CD Changer Features ................................................................. 19
Automatic Search Music System (ASMS) ......................................... 19
Audible Search .................................................................................. 19
Random Play ..................................................................................... 19
Cue .................................................................................................... 20
Repeat Play ....................................................................................... 20
Programmed Play .................................................................................... 21
Storing/Playing a Programmed Sequence ........................................ 21
Reviewing a Programmed Sequence ................................................ 22
Erasing a Programmed Sequence .................................................... 22
CD and CD Changer Care Tips ............................................................... 23
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6
Cassette Deck Operation ............................................................................ 24
Loading a Tape ........................................................................................ 24
Playing a Tape ......................................................................................... 25
Recording a Cassette Tape ..................................................................... 26
Recording from a CD ........................................................................ 26
Recording from the Radio ................................................................. 27
Tape Tips ................................................................................................. 28
Erasing a Cassette Tape ................................................................... 28
Preventing Accidental Erasure .......................................................... 28
Restoring Tape Tension and Sound Quality ...................................... 28
Using an Additional Audio Source ............................................................. 29
Listening to an Additional Audio Source .................................................. 29
Recording from an Additional Audio Source ............................................ 29
Special Features .......................................................................................... 30
Setting a Wake Up Time .......................................................................... 30
Setting the Sleep Timer ........................................................................... 31
Maintenance ................................................................................................. 32
Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts ........................................................... 33
The FCC Wants You to Know .................................................................. 33
Specifications ............................................................................................... 34
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7
PREPARATION
Important: Complete all other con-
nections to the System 731 before
you connect it to power.
CONNECTING THE
SPEAKERS
1. Press open the pair of terminal
tabs marked R/SPEAKER + / – on
the back of the main System
731, then insert the right
speaker’s red wire into the red
(+) terminal and its black wire
into the black (–) terminal. Then
release the tabs.
Caution: To avoid damaging
your system and speakers,
never let the speaker wire’s bare
ends touch each other.
2. Repeat Step 1 to connect the left
speaker’s wires to the pair of ter-
minals marked L/SPEAKER +/ –.
Speaker Placement
For the best stereo effect, place the
speakers so the distance between
them is the same as the distance be-
tween the listening area and the point
halfway between the speakers. You
might want to experiment with sever-
al locations to find the best one.
Notes:
• If the you place the speakers far
apart, you can improve the ste-
reo effect by angling the speak-
ers toward you.
• To increase the bass sound,
place the speakers in the corner
of the room, against the wall or
directly on the floor.
• To decrease the bass sound,
move the speakers slightly away
from the corner, increase the
distance between them, and/or
raise them 6 to 8 inches off the
floor. You can purchase speaker
stands at your local Radio
Shack store.
CONNECTING THE FM
ANTENNA
To connect the supplied FM antenna,
loosen the screw caps marked FM
ANTENNA/300Ωon the back of the
System 731, slip the antenna’s
spade lugs onto the terminals, then
tighten the screw caps.
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8
Note: You can use the set of screw
caps marked FM ANTENNA/75Ωto
connect a 75 ΩFM antenna (not sup-
plied) to your System 731.
CONNECTING AN
ADDITIONAL AUDIO
SOURCE
To connect an additional audio
source to your System 731, such as
a TV, VCR, CD changer or cassette
deck, plug the audio source’s left and
right line level audio wires into INPUT
VIDEO L (left) and R(right).
Notes:
• See “Using an Additional Audio
Source” to operate an external
audio source with the System
731.
• If you connect a turntable to the
System 731, the turntable must
have a built-in equalizer ampli-
fier.
CONNECTING POWER
To connect power after making all
other connections, plug your sys-
tem’s AC cord into a standard AC
outlet. 12:00 AM flashes on the
display.
Caution: Your system’s AC power
cord has a polarized plug (one blade
is wider than the other). If you have
difficulty inserting the plug into the
outlet, do not force it. Turn the plug
over and try again.
SETTING THE
CURRENT TIME
1. Press DISPLAY/DEMO once.
TIME and the last-set time
appear on the display.
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9
2. Within 5 seconds, press TUNING
–/HR to change the hour setting
or TUNING +/MIN to change the
minute setting.
Notes:
• When changing the hour, be
sure to set it the correct AM or
PM hour.
• To rapidly advance the hour or
minute setting, press and hold
TUNING –/HR or TUNING +/MIN.
•If
TIME disappears before you
finish setting the hour and
minute, start again from Step 1.
• When power is disconnected or
interrupted, then restored, the
last known time flashes on the
display. If this happens, reset the
time.
INSTALLING
BATTERIES IN THE
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote control requires two AAA
batteries (not supplied) for power.
For the best performance and long-
est life, we recommend alkaline bat-
teries, such as Radio Shack Cat. No.
23-555.
Caution: Always use fresh batteries
of the required size and type.
1. To open the battery compart-
ment cover, slide it in the direc-
tion of the arrow.
2. Insert the batteries into the com-
partment as indicated by the
polarity symbols (+ and –)
marked inside.
3. Replace the cover.
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10
Notes:
• If you will not be using the
remote control for a month or
more, remove the batteries.
• You can use the remote control
up to a distance of about 20 feet
(6 meters) in front of the System
731. If it does not operate prop-
erly within this distance, replace
the batteries.
Warning: Always dispose of old bat-
teries promptly and properly.
CONNECTING
HEADPHONES
To listen without disturbing others,
you can connect a pair of stereo
headphones with a 1/8-inch plug (not
supplied) to the System 731. Your lo-
cal Radio Shack store sells a wide
selection of stereo headphones.
To connect headphones, plug the
headphone’s 1/8-inch plug into the
PHONES jack on the front of the Sys-
tem 731.
Note: Connecting headphones auto-
matically disconnects the System
731’s speakers.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these
guidelines when you use head-
phones.
• Set the volume to the lowest set-
ting before you begin listening.
After you begin listening, adjust
the volume to a comfortable
level.
• Do not listen at extremely high
volume levels. Extended high-
volume listening can lead to per-
manent hearing loss.
• Once you set the volume, do not
increase it. Over time, your ears
adapt to the volume level, so a
volume level that does not
cause discomfort might still
damage your hearing.
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11
BASIC OPERATION
USING THE
DEMONSTRATION
FEATURE
To showcase the features of your
System 731 and its dual display,
press and hold DISPLAY/DEMO for
about 2 seconds. The system repeat-
edly runs a preset program on both
displays.
Press DISPLAY/DEMO again to stop
the demonstration.
USING THE REMOTE
CONTROL
The remote control communicates
with your system through a remote
sensor (marked SENSOR) located
on the front of the system. To use the
remote control, be sure that the front
end of it is pointing with a clear path
toward the front of the System 731,
then press the desired button(s).
Note: The buttons on the remote
control and the system’s front panel
operate several of the same func-
tions, although they might be labeled
differently. You can use either of
these controls to operate the System
731.
Caution: Exposing the remote con-
trol or SENSOR to direct sunlight or
strong lights, such as a spotlight, will
reduce its operating distance and
can make it inoperative.
TURNING ON/OFF THE
SYSTEM
Press POWER to turn on the System
731. STAND-BY/MUTE turns off,
and the system’s last selected set-
tings appear on the displays.
To turn off the system, press POWER
again. STAND-BY/MUTE turns on.
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12
SETTING THE SOUND
Adjusting the Volume
To increase the system’s volume,
press VOLUME +. To decrease the
volume, press VOLUME –.
Important: To prevent hearing dam-
age, set the volume to its lowest level
before playing the radio, a CD, a cas-
sette tape, or an additional audio
source.
Note: To turn off the sound tempo-
rarily, press MUTE on the remote
control. STAND-BY/MUTE flashes.
To resume listening, press MUTE
again. STAND-BY/MUTE turns off.
Adjusting the Balance
To change the sound balance be-
tween the left and right speakers, ro-
tate BALANCE toward L(left) or R
(right).
Using Extended Bass
(X-BASS)
To enhance the System 731’s bass
sound, press X-BASS (Extended
Bass).
X-BASS appears on the left
display. To return to normal bass
sound, press it again. X-BASS dis-
appears from the display.
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13
Changing the Preset
Graphic Equalizer Settings
The System 731 has three preset
graphic equalizer settings to let you
vary the balance of sound produced
over these five sound frequencies —
70 Hz, 300 Hz, 1 KHz, 3.5 KHz, and
10 KHz. These settings are designed
to give you the best sound for rock,
pop, and classical music.
Each time you turn it on, the System
731 automatically uses the last se-
lected graphic equalizer setting. To
change the setting, press ROCK,
POP, or CLASSIC. ROCK, POP, or
CLASSIC appears on the display.
During radio, CD, and cassette play
and/or recording, light bars rise and
fall on the system’s left display to
show the current sound level for each
of the five frequencies. In addition, a
light bar marked LEVEL shows the
average level of all combined fre-
quencies.
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14
RADIO OPERATION
LISTENING TO THE
RADIO
1. Repeatedly press TUNER to
select the desired band. Select
AM for AM stations, or FM1 or
FM2 for FM stations. As you
press it, AM, FM1 or FM2 and
the last selected station in that
band appear on the display.
Note: You can tune to any FM
station when either FM1 or FM2
is selected, and you can also
store and recall stations in mem-
ory in the two FM groups (see
“Using Memory Tuning”).
2. Press TUNING – or +, or TUNING
∨or ∧ on the remote control, to
tune to the desired station. As
you press it, the frequency num-
ber changes on the display.
To rapidly search for a station,
press
AUTO SEARCH, or O/AUTO
on the remote control, so AUTO
appears on the display. Then
press and hold TUNING – or +, or
TUNING ∨or ∧on the remote
control, for about 1 second.
When you release it, the tuner
automatically stops at the next
strong station.
To resume manual tuning, press
AUTO SEARCH, or O/AUTO on
the remote control, so AUTO dis-
appears.
Notes:
• The System 731 automatically
delivers stereo sound each
time you tune to an FM station
that is broadcast in stereo. If
an FM broadcast is being
received in stereo, STEREO
appears on the display.
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15
• To improve reception for weak
FM stereo stations, press
MODE so MONO (monaural)
appears on the display. The
sound is no longer in stereo,
but reception should improve.
To return to stereo sound,
press
MODE again.
• For the best FM reception,
fully extend the FM antenna.
• The AM antenna is built-in. To
improve AM reception, move
or re-position the System 731.
3. Adjust VOLUME, and select the
desired X-BASS and graphic
equalizer settings.
USING MEMORY
TUNING
You can store and easily recall up to
24 of your favorite AM and FM radio
stations (8 AM and 16 FM) in the
System 731’s memory.
Storing a Station in Memory
1. Repeatedly press TUNER to
select
AM, FM1, or FM2.
2. Press TUNING – or +, or TUNING
∨or ∧on the remote control, to
tune to the desired station.
3. Press MEMORY on the remote
control.
MEMORY appears on the
display.
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16
4. Within 3 seconds, press a num-
ber (1-8) on the remote control
for the memory location where
you want to store the station.
MEMORY disappears, and P
(program), the selected memory
number, and STATION appear
on the display. For example, if
you select memory number 8,
P8 STATION appears.
Note: If MEMORY disappears
before you press the desired
memory number, repeat Step 3
then try again.
Repeat Steps 1-4 to store up to
eight stations each in AM, FM1,
and FM2.
Notes:
• You cannot clear a station from
memory, but you can store a
new one in its place.
• When power is disconnected or
interrupted for 50 hours or more,
the System 731 loses all of its
memory settings.
Recalling a Stored Station
1. Repeatedly press TUNER to
select the desired band.
2. Repeatedly press MEMORY/
NEXT to cycle through that
band’s memory stations one at a
time, or press the desired sta-
tion’s memory number (1-8) on
the remote control. P, the mem-
ory number, STATION, and the
station numbers appear on the
display.
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17
CD CHANGER OPERATION
The System 731 lets you load up to
seven CDs at once and gives you
many options to control the way it
plays them.
Note: You can play a 3-inch CD in
your System 731, but you must load
it in CD tray position 1 (see “Loading
and Playing a CD”).
LOADING AND
PLAYING A CD
1. Press CD. CD, the last selected
CD number, and TRACK 1
appear on the display.
2. To select a CD tray position (1-
7), press the corresponding
DISC NUMBER, or press DISC
then the desired disc number on
the remote control. CD, the
selected tray number, and
TRACK 1 appear on the dis-
play.
3. Press OPEN/LOAD. The CD
changer drawer opens.
4. Carefully place a CD in the
drawer with the label facing up.
5. You can load up to seven CDs at
one time in the System 731. To
load more CDs, simply press the
next DISC NUMBER. The CD
drawer closes, the selected disc
tray moves into position, then
the drawer automatically opens
again so you can load the next
CD.
After you have loaded all the
CDs, press OPEN/LOAD again.
The drawer automatically
closes.
Note: A box ( ) appears
around the disc number on the
display when that CD tray is full.
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18
6. To play the last loaded CD,
press
PLAY , or CD on the
remote control.
To play a different CD, press the
desired DISC NUMBER, or press
DISC then the disc number on
the remote control, to select the
CD. Then press PLAY , or
press
CD on the remote con-
trol to begin play.
appears, then the selected
CD begins to play, and its
elapsed play time appears.
Notes:
• To skip over, search, or repeat
tracks, see “Special CD
Changer Features.”
• To briefly stop play, press
PAUSE on the main sys-
tem. appears on the dis-
play.
To resume play, press PLAY ,
or CD on the remote control.
disappears.
7. Adjust VOLUME, and select the
desired X-BASS and graphic
equalizer settings.
8. The System 731 automatically
stops play at the end of the high-
est numbered CD loaded in the
system. For example, if you
have four CDs loaded, play
stops automatically at the end of
the fourth CD.
To stop the CD changer at any
time during play, press STOP ,
or press CD on the remote
control. and the CD’s
elapsed play time disappear
from the display.
Note: To display the selected CD’s
total number of tracks and playing
time, press TIME during or after play.
The total number of tracks and play-
ing time appears on the display for
about 5 seconds.
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19
SPECIAL CD CHANGER
FEATURES
Automatic Search Music
System (ASMS)
The automatic search music system
lets you skip forward or backward
through the tracks on all loaded CDs.
• To return to the beginning of the
current track during play, press
and release SKIP <<, or CD <<
on the remote control.
• To skip to the beginning of the
next track during play, press and
release SKIP >> , or CD >> on
the remote control.
• To skip backward or forward
through additional tracks,
repeatedly press and release
SKIP <<
or >> or CD << or >>
on the remote control, until the
desired track number appears
on the display.
Audible Search
To search backward or forward dur-
ing play, press and hold down SKIP
<< or >> , or CD << or >> on the
remote control. The CD rapidly ad-
vances and you hear the music at a
high speed and low volume.
Release the button to resume normal
play.
Random Play
The System 731 lets you set the CD
changer to play the tracks on all CDs
in random order.
1. With at least one CD in the CD
changer and no CD playing,
press
RANDOM. RANDOM, ,
and the first randomly selected
disc and track number appear
on the display. Then the track
begins to play, and its elapsed
play time appears.
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20
Notes:
• To skip to the next randomly
selected track, press RAN-
DOM again.
• You can search forward or
backward on the current CD
or repeat all tracks during ran-
dom play.
2. To briefly stop random play,
press
PAUSE on the main
system. appears on the dis-
play. To resume play, press
PLAY , or CD on the
remote control. disappears.
3. The System 731 automatically
stops random play after it has
played all tracks on all loaded
CDs. To stop the CD changer at
any time during random play,
press STOP , or
CD on
the remote control. RANDOM,
, and the CD’s elapsed play
time disappear from the display.
Cue
To select a track before you begin
play or after pressing PAUSE on
the main system, press SKIP << or
>> , or CD << or >> on the remote
control, until the desired track num-
ber appears on the display. Then
press
PLAY , or CD on the re-
mote control, to play the track.
Repeat Play
The System 731 lets you continuous-
ly repeat all tracks on all loaded CDs
or an entire programmed sequence.
To continuously repeat the tracks on
all loaded CDs, press REPEAT before
or during play so REPEAT appears
on the display.
To continuously repeat an entire pro-
grammed sequence, first program
the tracks you want to play(see “Pro-
grammed Play”), then press REPEAT
before or during play so REPEAT ap-
pears on the display along with
MEMORY.
To cancel repeat play before, during,
or after play, press REPEAT so RE-
PEAT disappears from the display. If
repeat is cancelled during play, the
CD changer resumes normal play.
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