Parasound
®
Z Custom
™
Zpre3
Owner’s
Manual
Page 7
Rear Panel Layout and Connections
Always turn off or disconnect the AC cord to your Zpre3 before plugging in or unplugging any
connections.
Inserting or removing an interconnect cable’s plug while this unit or the power amp is turned
on can result in a burst of sound that can damage your loudspeakers. Make sure there is no strain or
tension on any input cables, speaker wires, DC trigger wires or the AC cord that could cause them to pull
loose.
Audio Input Connections
Inputs 1 - 4
Inputs 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the rear panel all have the same input sensitivity and input impedance and they are
compatible with any typical analog line level source.
Input 4/Aux
Input 4 is shared with the Aux input jack on the front panel. The front panel Aux Input has priority over Input 4
on the rear panel. When a plug is inserted into the front panel Aux jack the rear panel Input 4 is automatically
disconnected
and you will not hear the source connected to the Input 4 jacks
. When the plug is removed from
the front Aux jack the rear panel Input 4 will be reconnected. As long as a cable is plugged into the front panel
Aux jack you will not be able to hear the source connected to Input 4 on the rear panel.
Front Panel Aux Input
For your convenience the Zpre3 provides an input jack on the front panel for a mobile phone or portable
music player. Connect any standard 3.5 mm stereo aux cable to connect your portable player or phone’s
headphone jack and the Aux Input jack. The Aux Input has an additional gain stage that boosts the input
signal by 12 dB so that the volume level remains consistent with your other audio sources. For the best
result set your portable player or phone’s volume to at least 75% of its maximum level. If you connect a
component other than a portable music player or phone to the Aux Input jack, the volume level will probably
be too high and likely distorted.
AUX & Input 4 Priority
: When you insert a 3.5mm stereo plug into the front panel Aux jack the rear
panel Input 4 will immediately be disconnected. If you are listening to Input 4 the sound will stop.
When you remove the 3.5mm cable from the Aux jack, Input 4 will immediately be reconnected.
Bypass Input
The Bypass input jacks are used to integrate the Zpre3 with additional stereo sources that have their own
volume control. The most common example would be a music streaming device such as a Sonos
®
Connect
®
or Apple
®
Airport Express
®
. Other sources might include a separate AV receiver or pre-amp, additional
house audio controllers or Bluetooth adapters. A source connected to the Bypass input will be audible when
the Zpre3 is turned off or by selecting the Bypass input when the unit is turned on.
Bypass info continued on next page…
