AudioControl ACX-BT3 Bluetooth® Receiver / 3 Zone Controller With Aptx™ Hd Support User Guide

: June 4, 2024
: AudioControl

Table of Contents

AudioControl® ACX-BT3™ Bluetooth® Receiver / 3 Zone Controller With Aptx™
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AudioControl® ACX-BT3™ Bluetooth® Receiver / 3 Zone Controller With Aptx™

HD Support User Guide

ACX-BT3

Features

4V output
Auxiliary Input
3 zones of independent volume control
Compact design
aptX™ HD support
Bluetooth® v5.1 chip set
All-weather IPX6 rated
Universal design works with any amplifier or device with line level (RCA) inputs
Lakeside summer breeze

Important Safety Instructions

Read these instructions.
Keep these instructions.
Heed all warnings.
Follow all instructions.
Do not submerge this apparatus in water.
Clean only with a dry cloth.
Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not install near any heat sources such as mufflers, silencers, exhaust pipes, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
WARNING: Improper installation may lead to permanent injury or death. Installation of the apparatus must be done with great care by qualified personnel, to prevent damage to fuel lines, power and other electrical wiring, hydraulic brake lines, and other systems, that might compromise vehicle safety.
Provide +12v and ground wiring of sufficient size to ensure adequate current to the receiver. For the ACX-BT3, this means 16-22 gauge wire.
Use rubber grommets to protect wiring whenever passing wires through metal openings or bulkheads.
Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as the power input terminals are damaged, objects have fallen into the apparatus, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
Fuses shall be replaced only with the correct type and fuse value, and only when the apparatus is powered off.
Exposure to high sound pressure levels may lead to permanent hearing loss. Take every precaution to protect your hearing.

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 of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

Caution: to reduce the risk of electric shock, do not disassemble the apparatus. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel.

Recycling notice: If the time comes and this apparatus has fulfilled its destiny, do not throw it out into the trash. It has to be carefully recycled for the good of mankind, by a facility specially equipped for the safe recycling of electronic apparatii. Please contact your local or state recycling leaders for assistance in locating a suitable nearby recycling facility. Or, contact us and we might be able to repair it for you.

Remote, Power, and Output Connections

Output Connections

12 Volt Power Input (Red) (Fused at 2A) – Connect this lead to a switched +12V source from your vehicle. Once power is applied, you can use either the main Power/Aux button or the Remote In wire to turn the unit on and off.
Remote out (Blue) – Use this remote output to trigger on your amps.
Remote In (Blue/White) – If you want the unit to turn on/off with your vehicle, connect this lead to an accessory (switched) power source.
Ground Input (Black) – Connect this lead to a solid ground connection in your vehicle.
Aux input – Connect a secondary audio source here using a 3.5 mm stereo audio cable.
RCA outputs – 3 pairs of RCA outputs allow you connect up to 3 amps with separate volume control for each amp or “zone.”

Device Control

Play/Pause button – Starts and stops playback of your favorite music on your Bluetooth connected device.
Skip Forward/Back buttons – Allows you to skip forward and back through your tracks on your connected Bluetooth device.
Zone Toggle – Pressing the AudioControl glyph button toggles through the zone controls. Press the button repeatedly to toggle through zones until you reach the desired zone to adjust (see page 6 for more detail).
Volume control buttons – These plus (+) and minus (-) buttons give you the control to ramp your volumes up and down. Volume can be adjusted globally or by zone (see page 6 for more detail).
Power/Aux button – Pressing this button once will turn the ACX-BT3 on or off. A quick double press of this button will switch the audio source to the auxiliary input. Double press this button again to switch the source back to Bluetooth.

Quick Start

Here are a few general steps to get your ACX-BT3 Bluetooth Receiver up and running.

Undo the +12V and Ground connections to the vehicle battery before making any connections to the Bluetooth receiver.
Pick a mounting location that will provide access to the controls and connections, provide plenty of good ventilation, and protect the Bluetooth receiver from heat, moisture, and dirt.
The ACX-BT3 mounts in a 2” hole and is secured using #6 screws at the four mounting holes located at each corner.
Before drilling any holes, take every precaution to prevent any damage to fuel lines, power and other electrical wiring, hydraulic brake lines, and other systems, that might compromise vehicle safety.
When making connections, designate red RCA plugs as right and designate white, black, or gray plugs as left. This is a good idea for all signal connections made in your audio system. The key is consistency. Stick with the same color coding and you’ll reduce possible problems.
The rubber mounting gasket should be put in place before making any wire connections.
Connect the +12V input terminal of the unit to an accessory (switched) power source from your vehicle. Use 16-22 gauge wire. Connect the Ground terminal of the unit to a solid ground connection from your vehicle using the same wire gauge as the +12V power wire.
Connect the audio outputs of the unit to a signal processor or amplifier.

Bluetooth Pairing

After the ACX-BT3 is powered up, you’ll see the center AudioControl glyph flashing quickly. This shows the unit is ready to pair.
Open your mobile device’s Bluetooth settings, find the device called “ACX-BT3” and select it.
After pairing is complete, the flashing blue light will change to a constant blue light that is the same color as the other control buttons.

Playback and Volume Controls

The ACX-BT3 is a 3 zone controller. The skip forward/back and play/pause buttons will control source playback regardless of which zone is selected.

By default, the +\- volume buttons will adjust volume on a paired mobile device. To adjust output level for an individual zone, press the AC glyph button to toggle to the desired zone, then adjust the output level using the +/- volume buttons. As you press the AC glyph button to toggle zones, the colors of the buttons will change to show you what zone is selected:

BLUE / All Zones (adjusts paired device volume)
MAGENTA / Zone 1
GREEN / Zone 2
WHITE / Zone 3

IMPORTANT: Adjusting volume from the default (BLUE / all zones) state will adjust the volume on the paired mobile device. When you initially pair a mobile device, the output level on all zones will be the same.

Adjusting individual zone output levels will not adjust volume on the paired mobile device, only the output level for the zone being adjusted. You can attenuate (decrease) the output level of any zone to your liking without affecting the paired device volume.

EXAMPLE: Say the paired mobile device volume is set to 80%. If you were to decrease the output level on zone 2 to 50%, it will output half of the paired device’s volume (40%). If you then change the device volume to 60%, zone 2 will still output 50% of the device volume (30%). Zones 1 and 3 will continue to output 100% of the paired device’s volume.

Auxiliary Input

The ACX-BT3 features an 3.5 mm auxiliary input. You could, for example, connect your portable Walkman® cassette player’s headphone output to the auxiliary input with a stereo 3.5mm audio cable.

Double tap the Aux/Power button to change the AXC-BT3 source from Bluetooth to Auxiliary. When you have successfully changed the source, the AC glyph will turn white instead of blue. Only the AC glyph changes color to reflect the Auxiliary input status, other button colors will remain unchanged. Set the volume on the auxiliary device to maximum. In Auxiliary Input mode, zone volume controls will work as described previously.

You can try using the ACX-BT3’s skip/play/pause buttons to control the Walkman, but it will not work. It’s up to you though.

System #1: Head-unit-less All-Weather System

Head-unit-less All-Weather System

System #2: Head-unit-less Multi-zone System

Head-unit-less Multi-zone System

Mounting

The mounting hole is 2” diameter. A 2”/51mm hole saw is recommended.
Mount on a flat surface. Ensure there is adequate space for the receiver chassis and wiring behind the mounting location.
Before drilling any holes, take every precaution to prevent any damage to fuel lines, power and other electrical wiring, hydraulic brake lines, and other systems, that might compromise vehicle safety.
Once the mounting hole is drilled, install the ACX-BT3, align straight and mark the four mounting holes.
Drill 7/64” pilot holes at the four mounting locations.
After system wiring and testing is complete, re-install the ACX-BT3 and secure with #6 x 1” screws provided.
Install the silver trim ring to complete the installation.

Dimensions

Specifications

All specifications are measured at 14.4 VDC (standard automotive voltage). As technology advances, AudioControl reserves the right to continuously change our specifications, like our Pacific Northwest weather, although we are working on changing that as well.

ACX-BT3 Bluetooth Receiver

Nominal Output Level	4 Vrms
S/N Ratio	95 dBa
Maximum Data Rate	3 Mbps (1.6 Mbps typical)
Operating Range	10+ meters (depending on environment)
Current Draw	100 mA
Recommended Power / Ground Wire Gauge	16-22 Gauge
Fuse Rating	2 A
Weight	0.43 lbs.
Dimensions	2.51″L X 2.51″W X 3.17″D