Harman Kardon AVR 225 Owners Manual - Page 21

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

21

Configuring the Surround Off (Stereo)

Modes

For superior reproduction of two-channel program

materials, the AVR 225 offers two Stereo modes: an

analog Stereo-Direct mode that bypasses the digital

signal-processing circuitry for a completely analog sig-

nal path that preserves the purity of the original signal,

and a digital mode that is capable of providing bass

management for optimal distribution of the low fre-

quencies between smaller speakers and a subwoofer.

Stereo-Direct (Bypass) Mode

When the analog Stereo-Direct mode is selected,

either from the

SURROUNDSETUP

menu

(Figure 3) as described on page 18, or by pressing

the

Surround Mode Selector

7j

until

SUR-

ROUNDOFF

–

STEREO

appears in the

Main Information Display

S

and the

Surround

Mode Indicator

˜

for Surround Off is lit, the

AVR 225 will pass the analog source material through

to the front left and right speakers, bypassing the

digital processing circuitry.

In this mode, the front left and right speakers will auto-

matically be configured as

LARGE

, and it will not

be possible to configure these speakers as

SMALL

.

You may configure the subwoofer as

ON

or

OFF

either by using the

SPEAKERSETUP

menu

(Figure 5) as described on page 20, or by pressing

the

Speaker Select Button

ı

until

S

-

W

SPEAKER

appears in the

Main Information

Display

S

. Press the

⁄

/

¤

Buttons

mq

or

the

Selector Buttons

5

to select the desired

option, and the

Set Button

Ôo

to enter the

selection.

Stereo-Digital Mode

If your front left and right speakers are not capable of

handling a full-range input, you may prefer to take

advantage of the AVR 225’s bass management capa-

bility. Select Stereo-Digital mode in the

SUR-

ROUNDSETUP

menu (Figure 3) as described on

page 18, or press the

Surround Mode Selector

7

j

until

SURROUNDOFF

–

A/DMODE

appears in the


S

and

the

Surround Mode Indicator

˜

for Surround

Off

is lit. In this mode, the analog input will be converted

to

digital and routed to the digital signal processor for

bass management processing before it is converted

back to analog and outputted to the front left and

right speakers.

To configure your front left and right speakers in this

mode, follow the procedure described on page 19 for

configuring the Left and Right speakers using the

SPEAKERSETUP

menu (Figure 5), or press

the

Speaker Select Button

ı

until

FNT

SPKR

appears in the


S

, and then press the

Set Button

Ôo

.

Press the

⁄

/

¤

Buttons

mq

or the

Selector

Buttons

5

until either

LARGE

or

SMALL

appears, matching the type of speakers you have at the

front-left and -right positions, as described on page 20.

When

SMALL

is selected, low-frequency sounds

will be sent to the subwoofer output only, and the sub-

woofer speaker will automatically be configured as

ON

. If you choose the

SMALL

configuration and

there is no subwoofer connected, you will not hear any

low-frequency sounds.

When

LARGE

is selected, a full-range output will

be sent to the front-left and front-right speakers, and

NO low-frequency signals will be sent to the sub-

woofer output.

Output Level Adjustment

Output level adjustment is a key part of the configura-

tion process for any surround sound product. It is par-

ticularly important for a Dolby Digital receiver such as

the AVR 225, as correct outputs will ensure that you

hear soundtracks in their proper place with the proper

directionality and intensity.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Listeners are often confused

about the operation of the surround channels. While

some assume that sound should always be coming

from each speaker, most of the time there will be little

or no sound in the surround channels. This is because

they are only used when a movie director or sound

mixer specifically places sound there to create ambi-

ence, a special effect or to continue action from the

front of the room to the rear. When the output levels

are properly set, it is normal for surround speakers to

operate only occasionally. Artificially increasing the

volume to the rear speakers may destroy the illusion

of an enveloping sound field that duplicates the way

you hear sound in a movie theater or concert hall.

Before beginning the output level adjustment process,

make certain that all speaker connections have been

properly made. The system volume should be set to

the level that you will use during a typical listening

session. Finally, make certain that the

Balance

Control

*

is set to the center “12 o’clock” position.

Using EzSet

Harman Kardon’s exclusive EzSet remote makes it pos-

sible to quickly and accurately set the AVR 225’s output

levels without the use of a sound pressure meter,

although manual adjustment is also available. However,

for the easiest setup, follow these steps while seated in

the listening position that will be used most

often:

1. If you have not done so previously, place the

AVR 225 in Dolby Pro Logic II – Movie mode by

using the

SURROUNDSETUP

menu

(Figure 3) as described on page 18. Output level

adjustment using the test tone is not available in

the Stereo modes. However, in the Stereo-Digital

mode, you may trim the output levels using pro-

gram material, as described on page 29.

2. Make certain that all speaker positions have been

properly configured for their “large” or “small” set-

tings (as outlined on page 19) and turn off the

OSD system if it is in use.

3. Adjust the volume so that it is at

-15dB

, as

shown in the on-screen display or

Main Infor-

mation Display

S

.

4. Hold the remote in front of you at arm’s length,

being sure not to cover the

EzSet Sensor

Microphone

at the top of the remote.

5. Press and hold the

SPL Button

for three

seconds. Release the button when the

Program/

SPL Indicator

c

stops flashing and you hear

the test noise from the front left speaker.

6. At this point, the EzSet circuitry will take over,

adjusting the output level of each channel so that

when the process is complete all levels will be

equal and at the set reference point. This process

may take a few minutes, depending on the extent

of adjustment required.

7. During the adjustment process, you will see the

location of the channel position being adjusted

appear in both the on-screen display (if connected)

and the


S

,

alternating with a readout of the output setting,

relative to the reference volume level. As the

adjustment proceeds, a few things will happen

simultaneously:

• The channel position being adjusted will flash in

the

Speaker/Channel Input Indicators

L

.

If the test noise is heard from a channel other

than the one shown in the indicator, there is an

error in the speaker connections. If this is the

case, press the

Test Button

h

TWICE to

stop the adjustment. Then, turn the unit off and

verify that all speakers are connected to the

proper

Outputs

›ﬁ

.

• As each channel is set, the channel name and

the adjustment offset will appear in the on-

screen display (if connected) and the

Main

Information Display

S

. While the level is

changing, the

Program/SPL Indicator

c

will

change colors to reflect the output level in rela-

36

39

32

32

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Harman Kardon AVR 225 Owners Manual - Page 21

Configuring the Surround Off Stereo, Modes, Output Level Adjustment - no sound coming out

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