Harman Kardon AVR 125 Owners Manual - Page 18

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION If the front left/right speakers are set to LARGE, three options are available: • If no subwoofer is connected to the AVR 125, press the ▲/▼ Buttons mq on the remote so that SW NONE appears in the Main Information Display F. When this option is selected, all bass information will be routed to the front left/right "main" speakers. • If a subwoofer is connected to the AVR 125, you have the option to have the front left/right "main" speakers reproduce bass frequencies at all times, and have the subwoofer operate only when the AVR 125 is being used with a digital source that contains a dedicated Low-Frequency Effects, or LFE, soundtrack. This allows you to use both your main and subwoofer speakers to take advantage of the special bass created for certain movies. Press ▲/▼ Buttons mq on the remote so that SW (LFE) appears in the Main Information Display F. • If a subwoofer is connected and you wish to use it for bass reproduction in conjunction with the main front left/right speakers, regardless of the type of program source or surround mode you are listening to, press the ▲/▼ Buttons mq on the remote so that L/R+LFE appears in the Main Information Display F. When this option is selected, a "complete" feed will be sent to the front left/right "main" speakers, and the subwoofer will receive bass frequencies below 100Hz. 11. When all speaker selections have been made, press the Set Button o 21 to return to normal operation. Configuring the Surround Off (Stereo) Modes For superior reproduction of two-channel program materials, the AVR 125 offers two Stereo modes: an analog Stereo-Direct mode that bypasses the digital signal processing circuitry for a completely analog signal 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 frequencies between smaller speakers and a subwoofer. Stereo-Direct (Bypass) Mode When the analog Stereo-Direct mode is selected by pressing the Surround Mode Selector 7j until SURROUND OFF - STEREO scrolls across the Main Information Display F and the Surround Mode Indicator ˜ for Surround Off is lit, the AVR 125 will pass the analog source material directly through to the front left and right speakers, bypassing the digital processing circuitry. In this mode, the front left and right speakers will automatically 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 by pressing the Speaker Select Button ı 31 until S-W SPKR appears in the Main Information Display F. 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 125's bass management capability. When listening in the Stereo mode, press the Surround Mode Selector 7j until SURROUND OFF - A/D MODE scrolls across the Main Information Display F, the Surround Mode Indicator ˜ for Surround Off is lit and both the Stereo Indicator E and the DSP Mode Indicator G are 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 output to the front left and right speakers. To configure your front left and right speakers in this mode, press the Speaker Select Button ı 31 until FNT SPKR appears in the Main Information Display F, 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 front-right positions, as described on page 17. When SMALL is selected, low-frequency sounds will be sent to the subwoofer output only, and the subwoofer 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 subwoofer output. Output Level Adjustment Output level adjustment is a key part of the configuration process for any surround sound product. It is particularly important for a Dolby Digital receiver such as the AVR 125, as correct output levels will ensure that you hear sound tracks 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 ambience, 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 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. To assist in making speaker configuration settings, the icons in the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators L change as the speaker type is selected at each position. When only the center icon box containing the abbreviation for the speaker position is lit, the speaker is set for "small." When the inner box and the two outer boxes are lit, the speaker is set for "large." When no indicator appears at a speaker location, that position is set for "none" or "no" speaker. For example, in the following figure, the left front and right front speakers are set for "large," the center, surround left (SL) and surround right (SR) speakers are set for small, and a subwoofer is set, as shown by the box with the abbreviation "LFE", which stands for "lowfrequency effects." LCR SL LFE SR To adjust and calibrate the output levels, follow these steps. For accurate calibration, it is a good idea to make these adjustments while seated in your favorite listening position: 18 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION