DOWNLOAD Harman Kardon AVR 2500 (serv.man5) Service Manual ↓ Size: 754.27 KB | Pages: 50 in PDF or view online for FREE

INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 17

No matter which type or brand of speakers is
used, the same model or brand of speaker
should be used at least for the front-left, center
and front-right speakers. This creates a seamless
front soundstage and eliminates the possibility
of distracting sonic disturbances that occur when
a sound moves across mismatched front-channel
speakers.

The placement of speakers in a multichannel
home-theater system can have a noticeable
impact on the quality of sound reproduced.

Depending on the type of center-channel
speaker in use and your viewing device, place
the center speaker either directly above or below
your TV, or in the center behind a perforated
front-projection screen.

Once the center-channel speaker is installed,
position the left-front and right-front speakers so
that they are as far away from one another as
the center-channel speaker is from the preferred
listening position. Ideally, the front-channel
speakers should be placed so that their tweeters
are no more than 60cm above or below the
tweeter in the center-channel speaker.

They should also be at least 0.5 meter from your
TV set unless the speakers are magnetically
shielded to avoid colourings on the TV screen.
Note that most speakers are not shielded, even
with complete surround sets only the Center
speaker may be.

Depending on the specifics of your room
acoustics and the type of speakers in use, you
may find that imaging is improved by moving the
front-left and front-right speakers slightly
forward of the center-channel speaker. If
possible, adjust all front loudspeakers so that
they are aimed at ear height when you are
seated in the listening position.

Using these guidelines, you’ll find that it takes
some experimentation to find the correct
location for the front speakers in your particular
installation. Don’t be afraid to move things
around until the system sounds correct. Optimize
your speakers so that audio transitions across
the front of the room sound smooth.

Surround speakers should be placed on the side
walls of the room, at or slightly behind the
listening position. The center of the speaker
should face you.

If side-wall mounting is not practical, the
speakers may be placed on a rear wall, behind
the listening position. The speakers should be no
more than two meters behind the rear of the
seating area.

Subwoofers produce largely nondirectional
sound, so they may be placed almost anywhere
in a room. Actual placement should be based on
room size and shape and the type of subwoofer
used. One method of finding the optimal
location for a subwoofer is to begin by placing it
in the front of the room, about 15cm from a
wall, or near the front corner of the room.
Another method is to temporarily place the
subwoofer in the spot where you will normally
sit, and then walk around the room until you
find a spot where the subwoofer sounds best.
Place the subwoofer in that spot. You should
also follow the instructions of the subwoofer’s
manufacturer, or you may wish to experiment
with the best location for a subwoofer in your
listening room.

Right Front
Speaker

Left Front

Speaker

No more than 

         60cm

Center Front Speaker

Center Front

Speaker

Optional Rear-Wall Mounting

TV or Projection Screen

Right Front

Speaker

Left Front

Speaker

No more than 2m

when rear-mounted

speakers are used

18 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Once the speakers have been placed in the
room and connected, the remaining steps are to
program the system configuration memories.
With the AVR 2500 two kind of memories are
used, those associated individually with the
input selected, e.g. surround modes, and others
working independently from any input selected
like speaker output levels, or delay times used
by the surround sound processor.

You are now ready to power up the AVR 2500 to
begin these final adjustments.

1. Plug the Power Cable

E into an un-

switched AC outlet.

2. Press the Main Power Switch 1 in until it
latches and the word “OFF” on the top of the
switch disappears inside the front panel. Note
that the Power Indicator 3 will turn orange,
indicating that the unit is in the Standby mode.

3. Remove the protective plastic film from the
front-panel lens. If left in place, the film may
affect the performance of your remote control.

4. Install the three supplied AAA batteries in the
remote as shown. Be certain to follow the (+)
and (–) polarity indicators that are on the bot-
tom of the battery compartment.

5. Turn the AVR 2500 on either by pressing the
System Power Control 2 or the Input
Source Selector ! on the front panel, or via
the remote by pressing the AVR Selector

5

or any of the Input Selectors

46 on the

remote. The Power Indicator 3 will turn green
to confirm that the unit is on, and the Main
Information Display Ú will also light up.

The AVR 2500 features an advanced memory
system that enables you to establish different
settings for the speaker configuration, digital
input and surround mode for each input source.
This flexibility enables you to custom tailor the
way in which you listen to each source and have
the AVR 2500 memorize them. This means, for
example, that you may associate different sur-
round modes and analog or digital inputs with
different sources, or set different speaker config-
urations with the resultant changes to the bass
management system or the use of the Center
speaker. Once these settings are made, they will
automatically be recalled whenever you select
an input.

The default settings for the AVR 2500, as it is
shipped from the factory, have all inputs set for
an analog source (except for the DVD input,
which has the Coaxial Digital Input 1

9 as

the default), with stereo as the surround mode,
the front left and right speakers set to “large”
(with surround modes other speakers to
”small”), and a subwoofer connected. Before
using the unit, you will probably want to change
these settings for most inputs so that they are
properly configured to reflect the use of digital
or analog inputs, the type of speakers installed
and the surround mode associated with the
input. Remember, since the AVR 2500’s memory
system keeps the settings for each input sepa-
rate from the other inputs, you will need to make
these adjustments for each input used. However,
once they are made, further adjustment is only
required when system components are changed.

To make this process as quick and as easy as
possible, we suggest that with each of these set-
tings to be made you step through each input.
Once you have completed the settings for the
first input, many settings may be duplicated for
the remaining inputs.

The items that follow will describe the individual
settings required for each input.

Input Setup
The first step in configuring the AVR 2500 is to
select an input. This may be done by pressing
the front panel Input Source Selector !
until the desired input’s name appears momen-
tarily in the Main Information Display M,
and the green LED lights next to the input’s
name in the front panel Input Indicators Ô.
The input may also be selected by pressing the
appropriate Input Selector on the remote control
46.

The second step is to associate one of the digital
inputs with the selected input source (if this is
needed, otherwise the selected analog input will
remain). Press the Digital Input Select button
Ò

F on the front panel or the remote. Within

five seconds, make your input selection using the
Selector buttons on the front panel 5 or the

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the remote until the

desired digital or analog input is shown in the
Main Information Display M. Then press the
Set button 

E to enter the new digital input

assignment.

After the setting has been made with one input,
repeat as described above with all inputs in use.
The digital input associated with the input
selected can also be changed at any time later
and the AVR 2500´s memory system will keep
the settings until they are changed again.

Speaker Setup
This setup tells the AVR 2500 which type of
speakers are in use. This is important as it
adjusts the settings that determine which
speakers receive low frequency (bass) informa-
tion and whether a Center speaker should be
used or not, separately for each input used. For
each of these settings use the L A R G E set-
ting if the speakers for a particular position are
traditional full-range loudspeakers that are
capable of reproducing sounds below 100Hz.
Use the S M A L L setting for smaller, frequen-
cy-limited satellite speakers that do not repro-
duce sounds below 100Hz. Note that when
“small” front (left and right) speakers are used,
a subwoofer is required to reproduce low fre-
quency sounds. If you are in doubt as to which
category describes your speakers, consult the
specifications in the speakers’ owner’s manual,
or ask your dealer. Remember that each speaker
setup that differs from the default settings (see
above) must be made individually for each input
in use.

It is best to select the Dolby Pro Logic II Movie
mode for speaker setup. Then with the currently
selected input all speaker settings will be copied
to other surround modes too (as far as possible)
and need not be repeated with any other mode.

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION 19

With the AVR 2500 turned on, follow these
steps to configure the speakers:

1. Put the AVR 2500 in the Dolby Pro Logic II
Movie mode by pressing the Surround Mode
Selector button 7 on the front or 

9 and

then the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the remote, until

DOLBY PRO LOGIC I I MOVIE
appears in the Main Information Display M
and the PRO LOGIC II indicator F lights.

2. Press the Speaker button 

 Ù on the

remote or front panel. The words FNT
SPKR

will appear in the Main Information

Display M.

3. Press the Set button 

E Ó.

4. Press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the remote or

the Selector buttons 5 on the front panel
until either  F-LARGE or  F-SMALL
appears, matching the type of speakers you have
at the left-front and right-front positions, as
described by the definitions shown in preceding
section.

When SMALL is selected, low frequency front
channel sounds will be sent only to the subwoofer
output. Note that if you choose this option and
there is no subwoofer connected, you will not
hear any low frequency sounds from the front
channels. This setting is not available with stereo
mode to ensure purest sound by bypassing the
crossovers of the DSP´s.

When LARGE is selected, a full-range output
will be sent to the front left and front right out-
puts. Depending on the subwoofer configuration
(see below), the front left and right bass informa-
tion may also be directed to a subwoofer.

Important Note: When a speaker set with two
front satellites and a passive subwoofer is used,
connected to the front speaker outputs

C,

the fronts must be set for LARGE.

5. When you have completed your selection for
the front channels, press the Set button 

E Ó,

and then press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the

remote or the Selector buttons 5 on the front
panel to change the display to CEN SPKR.

6. Press the Set button 

E Ó again, and use

the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the remote, or the

Selector buttons 5 on the front panel, to
select the option that best describes your system
based on the Center speaker definitions shown
in preceding section.

When SMALL is selected, low frequency cen-
ter channel sounds will be sent to the Fronts, if
they are set for LARGE and Sub is turned off.
When Sub is on, low frequency center channel
sounds will be sent to the subwoofer only.

When LARGE is selected, a full-range output
will be sent to the center speaker output, and
with analog and digital surround modes (except
with the Pro Logic II Music mode) NO center
channel signal will be sent to the subwoofer out-
put.

When NONE is selected, no signal will be sent
to the center channel output. The receiver will
operate in a “phantom” center channel mode
and center channel information will be sent to
the left and right front channel outputs and its
bass will be sent to the subwoofer output too as
long as SUB L/R+LFE is selected in the SUB-
WOOFER line in this menu (see below). This
mode is needed if no Center speaker is used.
Note that for the use of Logic 7C surround mode
a Center speaker is needed, but Logic 7M works
well without a Center too.

7. When you have completed your selection for
the center channel, press the Set button 

E

Ó, and then press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on

the remote or the Selector buttons 5 on the
front panel to change the display to 
SUR SPKR

.

8. Press the Set button 

E Ó again, and then

use the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the remote or the

Selector buttons 5 on the front panel to select
the option that best describes your system based
on the Surround speaker definitions shown in
preceding section.

When SMALL is selected, with all digital sur-
round modes low frequency surround channel
sounds will be sent to the Fronts, when Sub is
turned off, or to the subwoofer output when Sub
is on. With the analog surround modes the rear
bass feed depends on the mode selected and
the setting of the sub and front speakers.

When LARGE is selected, a full-range output
will be sent to the surround channel outputs
(with all analog and digital surround modes),
and, except with Hall and Theater modes, NO
surround channel bass will be sent to the sub-
woofer output.

When NONE is selected, surround sound
information will be split between the front-left
and front-right outputs. Note that for optimal
performance when no surround speakers are in
use, the Dolby 3 Stereo mode should be used
instead of Dolby Pro Logic.

9. When you have completed your selection for
the surround channel, press the Set button 

E

Ó, and then press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the

remote or the Selector buttons 5 on the front
panel to change the display to S-W SPKR.

10. Press the Set button 

E Ó, and then

press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the remote or

the Selector buttons 5 on the front panel to
select the option that best describes your
Subwoofer system.

The choices available for the subwoofer position
will depend on the settings for the other speak-
ers, particularly the front left/right positions.

If the front left/right speakers are set to
S M A L L

, the subwoofer will automatically be

set to S U B, which is the “on” position.

If the front left/right speakers are set to
L A R G E

, three options are available:

• If no subwoofer is connected to the AVR 2500,
press the arrow buttons 

C 5 so that

N O N E

appears in the display. 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 2500,
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 2500 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. To select that option press the arrow
buttons 

C 5 so that SUB (LFE) appears

in the display.

• 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 arrow buttons
C 5 so that L/R+LFE appears in the
display. When this option is selected, a “com-
plete” feed will be sent to the front left/right
“main” speakers, and the subwoofer will receive
the front left and right bass frequencies under
the crossover frequency 80 Hz, additionally to
the LFE soundtrack (see above).

11. When all speaker selections have been made
for the input selected, press the Set button 

E

Ó twice or simply wait for three seconds until
the display returns to the normal mode.

20 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

To assist in making these settings, the icons in
the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators P
will change as the speaker type is selected at
each position. When only the inner icon box is lit,
the speaker is set for “small.” When the inner box
and the two outer boxes with circles inside them
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.

As an example, in the Figure below, the left front
and right front speakers are set for “large,” the
center, left surround and right surround speakers
are set for small, and a subwoofer is set.

After the speaker setting has been made with
one input, repeat as described above with all
inputs you will use. In most cases, the speaker
type will be the same and may be quickly entered
by entering the same data used for the original
input. But with some music sources you may pre-
fer to listen to your surround system without
using a Center speaker, particularily when a small
Center is in use with an audio performance not
matching perfectly with the main front speakers.
With these sources selected the Center speaker
will then be turned off automatically (enter
NONE for the Center setting), while its signal will
be fed to the left and right Fronts.

The speaker setting mode can also be changed at
any time later, and the AVR 2500´s memory sys-
tem will keep these settings for the input select-
ed, until they are changed again.

Surround Setup
Once the speaker setup has been completed, the
next setup step is to set the surround mode you
wish to use with each input. Since surround
modes are a matter of personal taste, feel free to
select any mode you wish – you may change it
later. The Surround Mode chart on page 24 may
help you select the mode best suited to the input
source selected. However, to make it easier to
establish the initial parameters for the AVR 2500,
it is best to select any Dolby Pro Logic II mode for
most analog inputs and Dolby Digital for inputs
connected to digital sources. In the case of inputs
such as a CD Player, Tape Deck or Tuner, you may
wish to set the mode to Stereo, if that is your
preferred listening mode for standard stereo
sources, where it is unlikely that surround encod-
ed material will be used. Alternatively, the 5
Channel Stereo or Logic 7 Music mode may also
be a good choice for stereo-only source material.

To set the surround mode you wish to use with
the input selected, press the Surround Mode
Selector button 7 on the front or 

9 and the

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

C on the remote until the

desired surround mode´s name appears in the
Main Information Display M.

As the modes are changed, a green LED will also
light next to the mode names in the Surround
Mode Indicators ˆ on the front panel.

Note that Dolby Digital and DTS will only appear
as choices when a digital input has been 
selected.

After the surround mode setting has been made
with the current input, repeat the setting with all
inputs you will use. The surround mode can also
be changed at any time later, and the AVR 2500´s
memory system will keep the settings for the
input selected, until they are changed again.

After the settings described above have been
made for all input sources in your system, the fol-
lowing settings, made with any input, will remain
in effect independent of the input selected.

Delay Settings 
Only for the Dolby Digital or Dolby Pro Logic II
modes, you will need to adjust the delay time
setting. Note that the delay time is not
adjustable for any other modes.

Important Note: Once the delay time is set
with any input it will be effective with all other
inputs too. Moreover the surround delay time
setting must be made only for either the Dolby
Pro Logic II or the Dolby Digital mode. The other
setting will be set automatically.

Due to the different distances between the lis-
tening position for the front channel speakers
and the surround speakers, the amount of time it
takes for sound to reach your ears from the front
or surround speakers is different. You may com-
pensate for this difference through the use of the
delay settings to adjust the timing for the specific
speaker placement and acoustic conditions in
your listening room or home theater.

The factory setting (see Surround Mode Chart
page 24) is appropriate for most rooms, but
some installations create an uncommon distance
between the front and surround speakers that
may cause the arrival of front channel sounds to
become disconnected from surround channel
sounds.

To resynchronize the front, center and surround
channels, follow these steps:

1. Measure the distance from the listening/

viewing position to the front speakers in
meters.

2. Measure the distance from the listening/

viewing position to the surround speakers.

3. Subtract the distance to the surround speakers

from the distance to the front speakers and
multiply the result by 3.

a. When setting the delay time for the Dolby

Digital surround modes, the optimal delay time
is the result of that subtraction. For example, if
the front speakers are 3 m away and the sur-
round speakers are 1 m away, the optimal
delay time is figured as (3–1)x3=6. Thus, in
this example, the delay time for Dolby Digital
should be set at six milliseconds.

b. When setting the delay time for any Dolby Pro

Logic II mode, take the result of the calculation
above and add 15 to obtain the optimal delay
time.
For example, if the front speakers are 3 m
away and the surround speakers are 1 m away,