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MHC-EC50.GB.2-639-174-12(1)

WARNING

To reduce the risk of fire or electric 
shock, do not expose this apparatus to 
rain or moisture.

To reduce the risk of fire, do not cover the ventilation of 
the apparatus with newspapers, tablecloths, curtains, etc. 
And do not place lighted candles on the apparatus.
To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not 
place objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the 
apparatus.
Connect the unit to an easily accessible AC outlet. 
Should you notice an abnormality in the unit, disconnect 
the main plug from the AC outlet immediately.
Do not install the appliance in a confined space, such as 
a bookcase or built-in cabinet.

CAUTION

The use of optical instruments with this product will 
increase eye hazard.

2-639-174-

12

(1)

Mini HI-FI 

Component System

Operating Instructions

GB

Owner’s Record

The model and serial numbers are located on the rear of the unit. Record these numbers in the space 
provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product.
Model No. ______________  Serial No. ______________

MHC-EC50

© 2005 Sony Corporation 

Printed in China

Printed on 100% recycled paper 

using VOC (Volatile Organic 

Compound)-free vegetable oil 

based ink.

Hooking up the system securely

Except for customers in the 

U.S.A. and Canada

This appliance is 
classified as a CLASS 
1 LASER product. This 
marking is located on the 
rear exterior.

For customers in the U.S.A.

This symbol 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. 

This symbol is intended to alert the 
user to the presence of important 
operating and maintenance (servicing) 
instructions in the literature 
accompanying the appliance.

WARNING

This equipment has been tested and found to comply 
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant 
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 energy 
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.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. 
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and 
(2) this device must accept any interference received, 
including interference that may cause undesired 
operation.
You are cautioned that any changes or modifications 
not expressly approved in this manual could void your 
authority to operate this equipment.

  Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic 

Equipment  

(Applicable in the European Union 

and other European countries with 

separate collection systems)

This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates 
that this product shall not be treated as household 
waste. Instead it shall be handed over to the applicable 
collection point for the recycling of electrical and 
electronic equipment. By ensuring this product is 
disposed of correctly, you will help prevent potential 
negative consequences for the environment and human 
health, which could otherwise be caused by inappropriate 
waste handling of this product. The recycling of 
materials will help to conserve natural resources. For 
more detailed information about recycling of this 
product, please contact your local Civic Office, your 
household waste disposal service or the shop where you 
purchased the product.
Applicable accessories:  Remote commander

U.S.A., Canadian and Australian 

models only

ENERGY STAR

®

 is a U.S. registered 

mark. As an ENERGY STAR

®

 partner, 

Sony Corporation has determined that 
this product meets the ENERGY STAR

®

 

guidelines for energy efficiency.

Note on DualDiscs

A DualDisc is a two sided disc product which mates 
DVD recorded material on one side with digital 
audio material on the other side. However, since the 
audio material side does not conform to the Compact 
Disc (CD) standard, playback on this product is not 
guaranteed.

Music discs encoded with 

copyright protection technologies

This product is designed to playback discs that 
conform to the Compact Disc (CD) standard. Recently, 
various music discs encoded with copyright protection 
technologies are marketed by some record companies. 
Please be aware that among those discs, there are some 
that do not conform to the CD standard and may not be 
playable by this product.

MPEG Layer-3 audio coding technology and patents 
licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson.

Antennas

Keep the antennas away from the speaker cords to avoid 
picking up noise.

FM lead antenna

(Extend it horizontally.)

AM loop antenna

Power

For models with a voltage selector, set VOLTAGE 
SELECTOR to the local power line voltage.

Connect the power cord to a wall socket.
If the plug does not fit the wall socket, detach the 
supplied plug adaptor (only for models equipped 
with an adaptor).

Right speaker

Wall socket

When carrying this system

Remove all discs to protect the CD mechanism.

Hold down CD 

 (play/pause) on the unit, and press 



 until “STANDBY” appears.

After “LOCK” appears, unplug the power cord.

Insert only the stripped portion of the cord.

Solid (Red/

)

Solid (Black/

)

Left speaker

Speakers

Attach the supplied speaker pads to the bottom of the 
speakers to prevent slipping.

Before using the system

To use the remote

Slide and remove the battery compartment lid 

, and 

insert the two R6 (size AA) batteries (not supplied), 

 

side first, matching the polarities shown below. 

Notes on using the remote

• With normal use, the batteries should last for about six months.
• Do not mix an old battery with a new one or mix different types of 

batteries.

• If you do not use the remote for a long period of time, remove the 

batteries to avoid damage from battery leakage and corrosion.

To set the clock

Turn on the system.

Press 



 (power) 

.

Select the clock set mode.

Press CLOCK/TIMER SET 

 on the remote. If the 

current mode appears on the display, press 

/

 

 on the remote repeatedly to select “CLOCK,” and 

then press ENTER 

 on the remote.

Set the time.

Press 

/

 

 on the remote repeatedly to set 

the hour, and then press ENTER 

 on the remote. 

Use the same procedure to set the minutes.
The clock settings are lost when you disconnect the 
power cord or if a power failure occurs.

Selecting a music source

Press the following buttons (or press FUNCTION 

 

repeatedly).

To select

Press

CD

CD 

 on the remote.

Tuner

TUNER/BAND 

.

Tape

TAPE 

 on the remote.

Component* (connected 
using an audio cord)

FUNCTION 

 

repeatedly until “AUDIO 
IN” appears.

* If the component has the AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System) 

or BASS BOOST function, turn off the function to avoid distorted 
sound from the speakers.

Basic Operations

Adjusting the sound

To adjust the volume

Press /– on the remote (or turn the 
VOLUME control on the unit) 

.

To add a sound effect

To

Press

Generate a more dynamic 
sound (Dynamic Sound 
Generator X-tra)

DSGX 

 on the unit.

Set the sound effect

EQ 

.

Playing a CD/MP3 disc

Select the CD function.

Press CD on the remote (or FUNCTION repeatedly) 

.

Place a disc.

Press 

 (eject) 

 on the unit, and place a disc with 

the label side up on the disc tray. To place additional 
discs, slide the disc tray with your finger as shown 
below.
To close the disc tray, press 

 

 on the unit.

Do not force the disc tray closed with your finger, as 
this may damage the unit.

Select a disc.

If the discs are currently stopped, press DISC SKIP 
on the remote (or DISC SKIP/EX-CHANGE on the 
unit) 

. To change discs while in other functions, 

press DISC 1 – 3 

 on the unit.

Start playback.

Press 

 (play) 

 (or CD 

 (play/pause) 

 on 

the unit).
To exchange other discs during playback, press DISC 
SKIP/EX-CHANGE 

 on the unit. 

To

Press

Pause playback

 (pause) 

 on the remote 

(or CD 

 

 on the unit). To 

resume play, press it again.

Stop playback

 (stop) 

.

Select a folder on an 
MP3 disc

 +/– 

.

Select a track or file



 (go back/go forward) 

on the remote (

 

 on the 

unit) 

.

Find a point in a 
track or file 

Hold down 

/

 (rewind/fast 

forward) 

 during playback, and 

release it at the desired point.

Select Repeat Play

REPEAT 

 on the remote 

repeatedly until “REP” appears.

To change the play mode

Press PLAY MODE 

 repeatedly while the player is 

stopped. You can select normal play (no display for all 
discs or “1 DISC” for a disc or “

” for all MP3 files 

in the folder on the disc), shuffle play (“SHUF” for 
all discs shuffle, “1 DISC SHUF” for one disc shuffle 
or “

 SHUF*” for folder shuffle), or program play 

(“PGM”).

* When playing a CD-DA disc, 

 (SHUF) Play performs the same 

operation as 1 DISC (SHUF) Play.

Notes on Repeat Play

• All tracks or files on a disc are played repeatedly up to five times. 
• You cannot select “REP” and “SHUF” (all discs shuffle) at the same 

time.

• “REP1” indicates that a single track or file is repeated until you stop 

it.

Notes on playing MP3 discs

• Do not save other types of tracks or files or unnecessary folders on a 

disc that has MP3 files.

• Folders that have no MP3 files are skipped.
• MP3 files are played back in the order that they are recorded onto 

the disc.

• The system can only play MP3 files that have a file extension of 

“.MP3”.

• If there are files on the disc that have the “.MP3” file extension, 

but that are not MP3 files, the unit may produce noise or may 
malfunction.

• The maximum number of:

– folders is 150 (including the root folder).
– MP3 files is 255.
– MP3 files and folders that can be contained on a single disc is 

256.

– folder levels (the tree structure of files) is eight.

• Compatibility with all MP3 encoding/writing software, recording 

device, and recording media cannot be guaranteed. Incompatible 
MP3 discs may produce noise or interrupted audio or may not play 
at all.

Notes on playing multisession discs

• If the disc begins with a CD-DA (or MP3) session, it is recognized 

as a CD-DA (or MP3) disc, and playback continues until another 
session is encountered.

• A disc with a mixed CD format is recognized as a CD-DA (audio) 

disc.

Listening to the radio

Select “FM” or “AM.”

Press TUNER/BAND 

 repeatedly.

Select the tuning mode.

Press TUNING MODE 

 repeatedly until “AUTO” 

appears. 

Tune in the desired station.

Press +/– on the remote (or  or – on the 
unit) 

. Scanning stops automatically when a station 

is tuned in. 

To stop automatic scanning

Press 

 (stop) 

.

To tune in a station with a weak signal

Press TUNING MODE 

 repeatedly until “MANUAL” 

appears, and then press +/– on the remote repeatedly (or 
or – on the unit) 

 to tune in the desired 

station.

To reduce static noise on a weak FM stereo 

station

Press FM MODE 

 on the remote repeatedly until 

“MONO” appears to turn off stereo reception.

Playing a tape

Use buttons on the unit for the operation.

Select a tape function.

Press FUNCTION repeatedly (or TAPE on the 
remote) 

.

Insert a tape.

Press 



 (stop/eject) 

 on the unit, and insert the 

tape into the cassette holder. Make sure there is no 
slack in the tape to avoid damaging the tape or the 
tape deck.

Start playback.

Press 

 (play) 

 on the unit. 

To

Press

Pause playback

 (pause) 

 on the unit. To resume 

play, press it again.

Stop playback



 (stop/eject) 

 on the unit.

Rewind or fast 
forward*

/

 

 on the unit.

* Be sure to press 



 (stop/eject) 

 on the unit after the tape has 

been wound or rewound to the end.

Note

Do not turn off the system during playback or recording.

Changing the display

To change

Press

Information on 
the display

1)

DISPLAY 

 repeatedly when the 

system is on.

Display mode 
(Clock)

DISPLAY 

 when the system is 

off

2)

. The clock is displayed for eight 

seconds.

1)

 For example, you can view CD/MP3 disc information, such as the 

track or file number or folder name during normal play, or the total 
play time while the player is stopped.

2)

 The STANDBY indicator 

 lights up when the system is turned 

off.

Notes on the display information

• The following are not displayed correctly;

– total playing time for a disc with MP3 files.
– elapsed playing time and remaining time of an MP3 file encoded 

using a VBR (variable bit rate) when the file is played or is shifted 
with fast forward or fast reverse.

– folder and file names that do not follow either the ISO9660 Level 

1 or 2 standard.

• The following are displayed;

– ID3 tag information for MP3 files when ID3 version 1 and version 

2 tags are used. 

– up to 15 characters of ID3 tag information using uppercase letters 

(A to Z), numbers (0 to 9), and symbols (‘< > * + , – / @ [ \ ] _).

Using optional audio 

components

To connect an optional headphones

Connect headphones to the PHONES jack 

 on the 

unit.

To connect an optional component

Connect additional audio source components to the 
AUDIO IN jack 

 on the unit using an audio cord (not 

supplied). Turn down the volume on the system, and then 
select the AUDIO IN function.

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