Harman Kardon AVR 245 Owners Manual - Page 18

CONNECTIONS Audio Connections There are two formats for audio connections: digital and analog. Digital audio signals are of higher quality, and are required for listening to sources encoded with digital surround modes, such as Dolby Digital and DTS. There are two types of digital audio connections: coaxial and optical. Either type of digital audio connection may be used for each source device, but never both simultaneously for the same source. However, it's okay to make both analog and digital audio connections at the same time to the same source. NOTE: Although HDMI cables are capable of carrying digital audio signals, the AVR 245 is not designed to process those signals. Therefore, if your source and video display are both HDMI-capable, use the HDMI connections for video only. You will need to make a separate audio connection from the source device to the AVR 245, and you should make sure to turn the volume on your television all the way off. Digital Audio Coaxial digital audio jacks are usually color-coded in orange. Although they look similar to analog jacks, they should not be confused, and you should not connect coaxial digital audio outputs to analog inputs or vice versa. See Figure 4. The analog audio connection is strongly recommended if you intend to use the source with the multiroom system. It's required if you will be using the multiroom preamp outputs with an external amplifier to power your remote speakers, as the AVR 245's multiroom system is not capable of converting the digital signal to analog format. It's suggested that you also use the analog audio connections when using the surround back/multiroom speaker outputs, in case another two-channel digital audio source is in use in the main listening area. The AVR 245 is only capable of processing one PCM source at a time. If you wish to record materials from DVDs or other copy-protected sources, you may only do so using analog connections. Remember to comply with all copyright laws, if you choose to make a copy for your own personal use. Analog audio L cable (RCA) R Figure 6 - Analog Audio Multichannel analog connections are used with advanced sources where the digital content is copy-protected and all surround processing is performed inside the source. These types of connections are usually used with DVD-Audio, SACD, Blu-ray Disc, HD-DVD and other advanced players. See Figure 7. Coaxial digital audio cable Coaxial Figure 4 - Coaxial Digital Audio Optical digital audio connectors are often covered by a shutter to protect them from dust. The shutter opens as the cable is inserted. Input connectors are color-coded using a black shutter, while outputs use a gray shutter. See Figure 5. Optical digital audio cable Figure 5 - Optical Digital Audio Optical Due to the nature of digital signals as binary bits, they aren't subject to signal degradation the way analog signals are. Therefore, the quality of coaxial and optical digital audio connections should be the same, although it is important to limit the length of the cable. Whichever type of connection you choose, Harman Kardon recommends that you always select the highest quality cables available within your budget. Analog Audio Analog connections require two cables, one for the left channel (white) and one for the right channel (red). These two cables are often attached to each other for most of their length. See Figure 6. Most sources that have digital audio jacks also have analog audio jacks, although some older types of sources, such as tape decks, have only analog jacks. For sources that are capable of both digital and analog audio, you may wish to make both connections. Multichannel analog audio cable (RCA) Front Surround Center Subwoofer Figure 7 - Multichannel Analog Audio Harman Kardon receivers also include a proprietary, dedicated audio connection called "The Bridge/DMP". If you own an iPod with a dock connector, you may separately purchase The Bridge and connect it to The Bridge/DMP port on the receiver. See Figure 8. Dock your iPod (not included) in The Bridge, and you may listen to your audio materials through your high-performance audio system. You may even use the AVR 245 remote to control the iPod, with navigation messages displayed on the front panel and on a video display connected to the AVR. The Bridge outputs analog audio to the AVR 245, and it is available to the multiroom system. Figure 8 - The Bridge Video Connections Although some sources produce an audio signal only (e.g., CD player, tape deck), many sources output both audio and video signals (e.g., DVD player, cable television box, HDTV tuner, satellite box, VCR, DVR). In addition to the audio connection, you will need to connect one type of video connection for each source (never more than one at the same time for any source). 18 18