Harman Kardon DVD 48 Owners Manual - Page 27

27

INITIAL SETUP

quieter passages. This allows you to listen to programs at a level that

allows the full impact of a soundtrack to be heard at a volume that is

lower than you might otherwise use to avoid disturbing others. The

DVD 48 accomplishes this by compressing the audio. You may turn

Night Listening Mode On or Off.

NOTE:

If your receiver or processor also allows you to program

the dynamic range setting, sometimes called “Night Mode,” or

“Dynamic Range” you do not need to adjust this setting on the

DVD 48 and you should leave it Off.

Step Three – Speaker Setup

This menu allows you to adjust bass management settings that control

the audio output of the 6-Channel Analog Audio Outputs for speaker

size, output level and delay times. The proper adjustment of these

settings is key to optimal reproduction of DVD-Audio and SACD discs,

when the DVD 48 is used with a receiver or processor that does not

have audio adjustment capabilities for the direct inputs.

These settings only apply to the 6-Channel Analog Audio Outputs when

a DVD-Audio or SACD disc is playing.

NOTE:

If your receiver is capable of accessing the audio informa-

tion contained in an HDMI signal, then you may enjoy your DVD-

Audio discs using just the HDMI connection, and it is not neces-

sary to make any speaker setup adjustments. However, SACD

discs may only be listened to using the 6-Channel Analog Audio

Outputs, unless your disc is a hybrid disc containing conventional

CD audio, and you have set the SACD mode setting in the

GENERAL SETUP menu to CD mode. Even then, you will only

be able to hear two-channel conventional CD audio.

If your receiver does not have 6-channel analog inputs, make sure to

select Stereo for the Analog Output setting in the AUDIO SETUP menu.

Then connect the Analog Audio Outputs to any 2-channel analog inputs

on your receiver.

Press the Setup Button to view the SYSTEM SETUP menu; then use the

⁄

/

¤

Navigation Buttons until the AUDIO tab is highlighted, and press

the Enter Button. See Figure 24.

Figure 24 – Speaker Setup Menu Screen

The Size, Distance and Level lines each display a single right arrow in

place of a value. This indicates that these settings lead to a submenu,

accessed by pressing the

›

or Enter Button. These settings are not

in effect when an SACD disc is playing. Adjust the SACD Config and

CUT-OFF Frequency settings if you will be playing SACD discs.

You will notice that the adjustments for speaker size and distance (used

to calculate delay times) are set as single values for the front left and

right speaker pair, and for the surround left and right speaker pair. For

this reason, it is important to select the same brand and model for

both speakers in each pair, and also to place them at about the same

distance from the listening position.

Before proceeding with the DVD 48’s audio setup adjustments, we

recommend that you first use the menu system in your receiver to

ascertain the settings already established for “Speaker Size,” “Output

Level” and “Delay Time” (may be set as a distance). Record these

settings in Table A3 in the appendix to refer to during the configuration

process, or follow these steps to obtain the information:

1. Consult the frequency response specification (usually found in the

owner’s manual) for each of your speakers. Make a note of the

lowest frequency each speaker is capable of handling. For example,

if your speaker has a frequency response of 80Hz – 20kHz, then

80Hz is the lowest frequency it is capable of handling.

For your subwoofer, the important figure is the highest frequency it is

capable of handling. For example, if the subwoofer has a frequency

response of 25Hz – 150Hz, then 150Hz is the highest frequency

it can handle. Some subwoofers allow you to adjust the frequency

crossover. Consult the subwoofer’s owner’s manual for instructions on

setting its crossover, and use the approximate number you selected.

2. Measure the distance from each speaker to the listening position.

This is used for setting the delay.

NOTE:

The DVD 48 sounds best when all speakers are placed

an equal distance from the listening position. Although minor vari-

ations are permitted to accommodate the characteristics of each

room, the DVD 48 imposes some limits. The front speakers may

be placed no more than five feet further from the listener than the

center speaker, and no more than 15 feet further from the listener

than the surround speakers. The front speakers may not be

placed closer to the listener than the center speaker. No speaker

may be placed more than 40 feet from the listening position.

With the Size line of the SPEAKER SETUP menu selected, press the

›

or Enter Button to view the SPEAKER SIZE submenu (see Figure 25).

Figure 25 – Speaker Size Submenu Screen

SPEAKER SIZE:

Speaker size determines which frequencies are sent to

the specific speaker position, and which are sent to the subwoofer. The

designation of “size” does not refer to the speaker’s physical size, but

rather to the lowest frequency a speaker can handle. For this purpose,

“full-range” speakers are considered “large,” while those not capable of

reproduction below 100Hz are considered “small.” In general, if you are

using a packaged speaker system with smaller satellite type speakers

and a subwoofer, select Small for all three speaker groups. Large should

only be selected if you are certain that your speakers are capable of

handling extreme low-frequency sounds.

Harman Kardon DVD 48 Owners Manual - Page 27

Step Three - Speaker Setup

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