4
Unpacking Your
Zcd & Placement Guidelines
Unpacking Your
Zcd
Carefully remove your Zcd from its shipping carton and locate all the enclosed accessories:
• Remote control and two AAA batteries
• AC power cord
• 3 foot cable for the portable MP3 player input. This cable has a stereo 3.5mm (1/8”) mini plug
at each end
• Two 12V trigger wires, one with 3.5mm mini plugs, one with a 2.5mm and a 3.5mm mini plug
• USB extension cable for easier use of the rear panel flash drive connection
While you are unpacking your Zcd, inspect it thoroughly for possible shipping damage and tell your
Parasound dealer immediately if you find any. If possible, save and store both the inner and outer
cartons and–most especially–the foam packing inserts, to protect the Zcd if you have to move it or
ship it. You may wish to flatten the cardboard cartons to save room in storage after cutting the taped
seams on the bottom flaps. This would be a good time to make a copy of your sales receipt to store
with the Zcd’s original packing should your unit require warranty service.
Placement Guidelines
Install your Zcd away from heat sources such as heating ducts, radiators, or other
heat-producing components. Always position the Zcd horizontally. Observe the following ventilation
guidelines when installing the Zcd in an equipment rack or any other enclosed space:
You should never install the Zcd in an unventilated equipment cabinet or compartment because hot
air will not exhaust adequately to prevent overheating. Air often won’t circulate adequately in a
cabinet or enclosure whose front and back sides are open; pockets of intense heat can still develop
around any heat-producing equipment. Allow a few inches of empty space on each side and above
the unit and try to avoid crowding or stacking the Zcd tightly between other components.
If you’re installing the Zcd yourself, use input and output cables that are long enough to leave at
least two feet of slack; that will enable you to pull the Zcd out of a cabinet to check or to change
connections without inadvertently disconnecting cables. If you’re putting the Zcd in a cabinet, it
needs a space that’s at least 11 inches wide so you’ll be able to turn it around for access to its rear
panel connections.
Rack Mounting Your Parasound Zcd
The Zcd occupies only half the width of a single rack space in a standard 19" equipment rack. For
rack mounting, you can fasten it to another Parasound Zcustom model by using the Parasound SBS
(Side-by-Side) mounting kit (sold separately). You can also mount a single Zcd in the rack with the
accessory Zblank panel extender. The SBS includes four rack mount bolts plus four pairs of plastic
“shoulder washers.” The washers are important because they insulate the Zcd front panel (and
chassis) from the metal equipment rack and from the four mounting bolts. Locate these washers on
both sides of the front panel before the mounting bolts are screwed into the rack rail.
Note:
Tighten each bolt just enough to keep the unit secure in the rack to avoid deforming the
shoulder washers. Eliminating metal-to-metal contact reduces the likelihood of creating a ground
loop that might introduce hum into your system.
