VSX-39TX
Operating Instructions
AUDIO/VIDEO
MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER
II
Thank you for buying this Pioneer product.
Please read through these operating instructions so
you will know how to operate your model properly.
After you have finished reading the instructions, put
them away in a safe place for future reference.
[For U.S. model]
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The serial number for this equipment is located on
the rear panel. Please write this serial number on your
enclosed warranty card and keep it in a secure area.
This is for your security.
WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK
HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN
OR MOISTURE.
THE STANDBY/ON BUTTON IS
SECONDARY CONNECTED AND
THEREFORE DOES NOT SEPARATE THE
UNIT FROM MAINS POWER IN STANDBY
POSITION.
IMPORTANT
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 to the
presence
of
important
operating
and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.
CAUTION:
TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).
NO
USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER
SERVICING
TO
QUALIFIED
SERVICE
PERSONNEL.
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION
Information to User
Alteration or modifications carried out without appropriate authorization may invalidate the user's right to
operate the equipment.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursu-
ant 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 en-
ergy 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.
[For Canadian model]
This Class B digital apparatus complies with
Canadian ICES-003.
[Pour le modèle Canadien]
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est
conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
[For Canadian model]
CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT USE THIS (POLARIZED) PLUG WITH AN EXTEN-
SION CORD, RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET UN-
LESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED TO PRE-
VENT BLADE EXPOSURE.
ATTENTION: POUR PREVENIR LES CHOCS
ELECTRIQUES NE PAS UTILISER CETTE FICHE
POLARISEE AVEC UN PROLONGATEUR, UNE PRISE
DE COURANT OU UNE AUTRE SORTIE DE COURANT,
SAUF SI LES LAMES PEUVENT ETRE INSERESS A
FOND SANS EN LAISSER AUCUNE PARTIE A
DECOUVERT.
ATTENTION: AFIN DE PREVENIR TOUS
RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE OU DE DEBUT
D'ENCENDIE, NE PAS EXPOSER CET APPAREIL A
L'HUMIDITE OU A LA PLUIE.
LE BOUTON STANDBY/ON EST RACCORDE
SECONDAIREMENT ET PAR CONSEQUENT
NE SEPARE PAS L'APPAREIL DE
L'ALIMENTATION SECTEUR SUR LA
POSITION D'ATTENTE.
III
READ INSTRUCTIONS -- All the safety
and operating instructions should be
read before the product is operated.
RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS -- The safety and
operating instructions should be retained
for future reference.
HEED WARNINGS -- All warnings on the
product and in the operating instructions
should be adhered to.
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS -- All operating
and use instructions should be followed.
CLEANING -- Unplug this product from the
wall outlet before cleaning. The product
should be cleaned only with a polishing
cloth or a soft dry cloth. Never clean
with furniture wax, benzine, insecticides
or other volatile liquids since they may
corrode the cabinet.
ATTACHMENTS -- Do not use attachments
not recommended by the product
manufacturer as they may cause
hazards.
WATER AND MOISTURE -- Do not use
this product near water -- for example,
near a bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink,
or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or
near a swimming pool; and the like.
ACCESSORIES -- Do not place this product
on an unstable cart, stand, tripod,
bracket, or table. The product may fall,
causing serious injury to a child or adult,
and serious damage to the product. Use
only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or
table
recommended
by
the
manufacturer, or sold with the product.
Any mounting of the product should
follow the manufacturer's instructions,
and should use a mounting accessory
recommended by the manufacturer.
CART -- A product and cart combination
should be moved with care. Quick stops,
excessive force, and uneven surfaces
may cause the product and cart
combination to overturn.
VENTILATION -- Slots and openings in the
cabinet are provided for ventilation and
to ensure reliable operation of the
product and to protect it from
overheating, and these openings must
not be blocked or covered. The openings
should never be blocked by placing the
product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other
similar surface. This product should not
be placed in a built-in installation such
as a bookcase or rack unless proper
ventilation
is
provided
or
the
manufacturer's instructions have been
adhered to.
POWER SOURCES -- This product should
be operated only from the type of power
source indicated on the marking label. If
you are not sure of the type of power
supply to your home, consult your
product dealer or local power company.
LOCATION The appliance should be in-
stalled in a stable location.
NONUSE PERIODS The power cord of
the appliance should be unplugged from
the outlet when left un-used for a long
period of time.
GROUNDING OR POLARIZATION
÷
If this product is equipped with a
polarized alternating current line plug (a
plug having one blade wider than the
other), it will fit into the outlet only one
way. This is a safety feature. If you are
unable to insert the plug fully into the
outlet, try reversing the plug. If the plug
should still fail to fit, contact your
electrician to replace your obsolete
outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose
of the polarized plug.
÷
If this product is equipped with a three-
wire grounding type plug, a plug having
a third (grounding) pin, it will only fit into
a grounding type power outlet. This is a
safety feature. If you are unable to insert
the plug into the outlet, contact your
electrician to replace your obsolete
outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose
of the grounding type plug.
POWER-CORD PROTECTION -- Power-
supply cords should be routed so that
they are not likely to be walked on or
pinched by items placed upon or against
them, paying particular attention to cords
at plugs, convenience receptacles, and
the point where they exit from the
product.
OUTDOOR ANTENNA GROUNDING -- If
an outside antenna or cable system is
connected to the product, be sure the
antenna or cable system is grounded so
as to provide some protection against
voltage surges and built-up static
charges. Article 810 of the National
Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70, provides
information with regard to proper
grounding of the mast and supporting
structure, grounding of the lead-in wire
to an antenna discharge unit, size of
grounding conductors, location of
antenna-discharge unit, connection to
grounding electrodes, and requirements
for the grounding electrode. See Figure
A.
LIGHTNING -- For added protection for this
product during a lightning storm, or when
it is left unattended and unused for long
periods of time, unplug it from the wall
outlet and disconnect the antenna or
cable system. This will prevent damage
to the product due to lightning and
power-line surges.
POWER LINES -- An outside antenna
system should not be located in the
vicinity of overhead power lines or other
electric light or power circuits, or where
it can fall into such power lines or circuits.
When installing an outside antenna
system, extreme care should be taken
to keep from touching such power lines
or circuits as contact with them might
be fatal.
OVERLOADING -- Do not overload wall
outlets, extension cords, or integral
convenience receptacles as this can
result in a risk of fire or electric shock.
OBJECT AND LIQUID ENTRY -- Never
push objects of any kind into this product
through openings as they may touch
dangerous voltage points or short-out
parts that could result in a fire or electric
shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on
the product.
SERVICING -- Do not attempt to service
this product yourself as opening or
removing covers may expose you to
dangerous voltage or other hazards.
Refer all servicing to qualified service
personnel.
DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE -- Unplug
this product from the wall outlet and
refer servicing to qualified service
personnel
under
the
following
conditions:
÷
When the power-supply cord or plug is
damaged.
÷
If liquid has been spilled, or objects
have fallen into the product.
÷
If the product has been exposed to rain
or water.
÷
If the product does not operate normally
by following the operating instructions.
Adjust only those controls that are
covered by the operating instructions
as an improper adjustment of other
controls may result in damage and will
often require extensive work by a
qualified technician to restore the
product to its normal operation.
÷
If the product has been dropped or
damaged in any way.
÷
When the product exhibits a distinct
change in performance -- this indicates
a need for service.
REPLACEMENT
PARTS
--
When
replacement parts are required, be sure
the service technician has used
replacement parts specified by the
manufacturer or have the same
characteristics as the original part.
Unauthorized substitutions may result
in fire, electric shock, or other hazards.
SAFETY CHECK -- Upon completion of any
service or repairs to this product, ask
the service technician to perform safety
checks to determine that the product is
in proper operating condition.
WALL OR CEILING MOUNTING -- The
product should not be mounted to a
wall or ceiling.
HEAT -- The product should be situated
away from heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
products (including amplifiers) that
produce heat.
GROUND
CLAMP
ANTENNA
DISCHARGE UNIT
(NEC SECTION 810-20)
GROUNDING CONDUCTORS
(NEC SECTION 810-21)
GROUND CLAMPS
POWER SERVICE GROUNDING
ELECTRODE SYSTEM
(NEC ART 250, PART H)
ELECTRIC
SERVICE
EQUIPMENT
Fig. A
ANTENNA
LEAD IN
WIRE
NEC -- NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
IV
This is a quick guide to setting up your new receiver so you can get home theater surround sound. For more
details on any of the information presented here check the main section of the manual.
Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from
the AC outlet.
1
1
1
1
1 Hooking Up Your DVD Player & TV
In order to use Dolby Digital/DTS soundtracks which are at the heart of home theater you need to hook up your
DVD player with digital audio connections. You can do this by either a coaxial or an optical connection, you don't
need to do both. The quality of these two types of connections is the same but since some digital components
only have one type of digital terminal you need to figure out which yours has and hook it up to the appropriate
terminal on the receiver. In order to do this you will need the proper cable. For coaxial connections you can use a
regular RCA stereo cord or the specially-made coaxial cords, they have the same type of plugs. For optical
connections you will need a special optical cord which you can buy at your local stereo store. Also hook up the
video connection of your DVD player, the analog audio (for recording the audio on DVDs, use regular RCA stereo
cords), and your TV (it's easiest to use a regular composite RCA video cords) as shown below. It is important
that you hook up your TV (or monitor) in order to see a video image as well as the on screen displays (OSDs)
shown by this receiver (for more on p. 16-17). We also recommend hooking up your all your digital components
to analog audio jacks. For this you can use regular RCA stereo cords.
Coaxial Digital Connection
If your DVD player has a coaxial terminal (not a PCM-only output) for the audio out hook it up using this terminal.
Follow the diagram below. This is the best scenario, as you will be able to follow the default settings of this
receiver and won't need to assign the digital inputs.
Optical Digital Connection
If your DVD player has an optical terminal (not a PCM-only output) for the audio out you can hook it up using this
following the below diagram. You will need to assign the digital input (tell the receiver which input you put your
DVD digital audio into). See page VI for this.
Quick Start Guide
(not a PCM-only output)
DVD player
OUTPUT
DIGITAL
STEREO
L
R
ANALOG
VIDEO
OUT
VIDEO
VIDEO INPUT
DVD /
LD
IN
S2 VIDEO
VIDEO
VIDEO
AUDIO
IN
IN 5
IN 4
IN 3
2 RF IN
(AC-3)
IN 2
IN 1
PCM/
2/
DTS
DIGITAL
MONITOR
OUT
L
R
L
R
RCA video cord
RCA video cord
RCA stereo cord
coaxial cord
DVD player
OUTPUT
DIGITAL
STEREO
L
R
ANALOG
VIDEO
OUT
VIDEO
VIDEO INPUT
DVD /
LD
IN
S2 VIDEO
VIDEO
VIDEO
AUDIO
IN
IN 5
IN 4
IN 3
2 RF IN
(AC-3)
IN 2
IN 1
PCM/
2/
DTS
DIGITAL
MONITOR
OUT
L
R
L
R
RCA video cord
RCA video cord
RCA stereo cord
optical cord
(not a PCM-only output)
V
Quick Start Guide
2
2
2
2
2 Speaker Connections
Home theater is designed to be setup with five, or seven speakers (front left & right; center; surround left &
right; and, optimally, surround back left & right) and a subwoofer but you can use this receiver with fewer
speakers. Hook up the speakers you have to the A speaker terminals on the back of the receiver. If you only
have two speakers hook them up as "FRONT." If you have three hook up the single speaker as "CENTER." Follow
the diagram on p. 19 in order to hook up all your speakers. A center speaker is very important for watching films
because the dialog comes from the center speaker in digital soundtracks. If you do not have a CENTER
speaker you must tell the receiver the CENTER channel is OFF or when you listen to digital soundtracks
you won't hear any dialog. Use the instructions on page 34-35 in order to do this.
Follow the diagram below to hook up an additional amplifier in order to use surround back speakers. These
speakers are important to hear all the sound channels on new, eight channel home theater DVDs. The diagram
below also explains how to hook up a subwoofer which provides realistic bass sounds.
Make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the right terminal and the speaker on the left to the left
terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative (+/) terminals on the amplifier match those on the speakers.
3
3
3
3
3 Setting up the Remote Control & Unit
1 Put the batteries in the REMOTE CONTROL.
2 Plug the main unit into a wall outlet.
3 Press the
STANDBY/ON button to put the receiver in ON mode.
R
L (Single)
SURROUND
BACK
PRE OUT
SUB
WOOFER
Surround back
speaker (Right)
Surround back
speaker (Left)
INPUT
Powered
subwoofer
Additional Amplifier (See p.21)
INPUT
L
L
R
R
ANALOG
FRONT
SPEAKERS
L
L
R
R
RCA stereo cord
RCA audio cord