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AVR

Manual Speaker Setup

Step Four – Setting Channel Output Levels Manually
for a conventional stereo receiver, a simple balance control adjusts the stereo imaging 

by varying the relative loudness of the left and right channels. In a home theater system 

with up to seven main channels plus up to two subwoofers, achieving proper imaging 

becomes both more critical and more complex. the goal is to ensure that each channel 

is heard at the listening position with equal loudness (when signals of equal loudness 

are played through them).
your Avr’s ezSet/eq calibration can handle this critical task for you simply and 

automatically. however, the Avr’s Adjust Speaker levels menu allows you to calibrate 

the levels manually, either using the system’s built-in test tone or while playing source 

material. 
press the Avr button to display the menu system, and then navigate to the Speaker Setup 

line. press the ok button to display the Speaker Setup menu. Select manual Setup, press 

the ok button, and then navigate to the level Adjust line. press the ok button to display 

the Adjust Speaker levels menu.

All of the system’s speakers will appear with their current level settings. you can adjust 

each speaker’s level between –10db and +10db in 1db increments. 
while making adjustments, you can measure the channel levels in one of these ways:

•  preferably, use a handheld Spl meter set to the c-weighting, slow scale. Adjust each 

speaker so that the meter reads 75db when the Avr’s built-in test noise is playing.

•  by ear. Adjust the levels so that the test tone sounds equally loud to you when it plays 

through each speaker.

to set your levels using the Avr’s internal test tone, select the menu’s test tone line and 

use the ok button to select between Auto and manual:
Auto: the test tone will automatically circulate to all speakers, as indicated by the 

highlight bar. use the left/right buttons to adjust the level for any speaker when the 

test tone is paused there. use the up/down buttons to move the cursor to another line, 

and the test tone will follow the cursor. to stop the test tone, use the up/down buttons to 

move the cursor out of the screen’s speaker listings area.
Manual: the test tone will stay on the current speaker until you use the up/down 

buttons to move it to another speaker. use the left/right buttons to adjust the level for 

the speaker through which the test tone is playing.
If you are using an external source to set your output levels, set test tone to off, use 

the up/down buttons to navigate to each speaker, and use the left/right buttons to 

adjust the speaker’s level while the source plays. 

NOTE: If you are using a handheld Spl 

meter with external source material, such as a test disc or an audio selection, play it and 

adjust the Avr’s master volume control until the meter measures 75db. then adjust the 

individual speaker levels.

Reset Levels: to reset all levels to their factory defaults of 0db, scroll down to this line 

at the bottom of the menu and press the ok button.
when you have finished adjusting the speaker levels, record the settings in table A3 in 

the Appendix. then select the back option or press the back/exit button.

Notes on Setting Speaker Volumes in Home Theater Systems:
while setting your system’s individual speaker volume levels is ultimately up to your 

personal taste, here are some ideas you may find helpful:

•  for films and video-music programs, your overall goal should be to create an 

enveloping, realistic sound field that draws you into the film or music program 

without drawing your attention away from the action on the screen.

•  for multichannel music recordings, some music producers will create a sound field 

that places the musicians all around you; others will create a sound field that places 

the musicians in front of you, with more subtle ambience in the surround speakers 

(as you would experience in a concert hall).

•  In most 5.1-channel and 7.1-channel film soundtracks, the surround speakers are 

not intended to be as loud or as active as the front speakers. Adjusting the surround 

speakers so they are always as loud as the front speakers could make dialogue 

difficult to understand and will make some sound effects sound unrealistically loud.

•  Sometimes the ideal subwoofer volume setting for music is too loud for films, while 

the ideal setting for films is too quiet for music. when setting the subwoofer volume, 

listen to both music and films with strong bass content and find a “middle ground” 

volume level that works for both.

•  If your subwoofer always seems too loud or too quiet, you may want to place it in 

a different location. placing the subwoofer in a corner will always tend to increase 

its bass output, while placing it away from any walls or corners will always tend to 

lessen its bass output.

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English

AVR

Manual Speaker Setup

with the multizone system in use, you may enjoy an exciting 5.1-channel home theater 

presentation in the main listening area, while others listen to the same program or an 

entirely different source in another room. See Install a Multizone System, on page 21, for 

installation information.
you control the Avr’s multizone system from the on-screen Zone 2 menu. press the Avr 

button, and use the up/down buttons to navigate to the Zone 2 line. press the ok button 

to display the Zone 2 menu. 

Status: this line lets you turn Zone 2 on or off. 
Source: this line lets you select the source input for Zone 2. you may select a different 

source from the one currently operating in the main listening area. however, if the same 

source has been selected for both the main listening area and Zone 2, listeners in both 

areas will hear the same content.
only analog audio sources are available to the multizone system. to hear digital devices 

such as a cd player in Zone 2, follow these steps:
1.  In addition to making a digital audio connection, connect the source device’s analog 

audio outputs to the Avr. make a note in table A5 on page 47 to record which set of 

analog inputs you used.

2.  In the Info menu, scroll down to the Zone 2 Audio setting and select the analog audio 

input. (leave the Audio Input from Source set to the digital input.)

•  Although you can listen to ipod as a source in Zone 2, you cannot begin ipod 

playback from within Zone 2. you must initially select ipod as a source in Zone 1 

and begin playback of a track or playlist from there. then you can select ipod as the 

Zone 2 source and control playback from within Zone 2 even if you switch Zone 1 

to a different source.

•  only one (1) internal source (ipod, uSb, fm/Am radio, vtuner, network) can be active 

at a time across both zones. for example, if you are listening to ipod as the source 

in Zone 1 and switch the source in Zone 2 to fm radio, it will switch the source in 

Zone 1 to fm (and vice versa). to listen to different sources in Zone 1 and Zone 2 at 

the same time, at least one source must be one of the Avr’s configurable external 

sources (cable/Sat, disc, dvr, tv, game, media Server, Aux, buttons A/b/c/d) that is 

connected to one of the Avr’s analog audio inputs.

Volume: highlight this line, and use the left/right buttons to control the volume in Zone 2.
Assigned AMP: this line lets you assign the Assigned Amp channels to “Zone 2” for 

multizone operation (see Number of Speakers, on page 37). when this line is set to Zone 

2, you may configure the main listening room for only up to 5.1 channels. 
to operate the multizone system using the main remote, slide the Zone Select Switch at 

the bottom of the remote to the “2” position. 
AVR 3700/AVR 370 only: to select a zone using the Zone 2 remote, press the Zone 

Selector, and the Zone Indicator light will turn green when the remote is set to operate 

Zone 1 or red to operate Zone 2.

42

AVR

System Settings

the Avr’s System Settings menu lets you customize in what way many of the Avr’s 

features operate. press the Avr button and navigate to the System line. press the ok 

button to display the System Settings menu. 

Front-Panel Dimmer: this control sets the brightness of the Avr’s front-panel message 

display. Select from 100%, 50%, 25% or off. the light inside the volume control will go 

out when the display is partly or fully dimmed, but the power Indicator will always remain 

lit to remind you that the Avr is powered on.

HDMI Settings
HDMI Audio to TV: this setting determines whether hdmI audio signals are passed 

through the hdmI monitor out connector to the video display. In normal operation, leave 

this setting at off, as audio will be played through the Avr. to use the tv by itself, without 

the home theater system, turn this setting to on. In this case you will need to mute the 

tv’s speakers (or switch the setting to off) when using the Avr for audio.
HDMI Control: this setting allows the communication of control information among the 

hdmI devices in your system. turn this setting to on to allow control communication 

between the hdmI devices; turn the setting to off to forbid control communication. (for 

Avr 3700/Avr 370 select hdmI out 1, hdmI out 2 or off.)
Audio Return Channel: Selecting “Auto” will send audio from the tv to the Avr via the 

hdmI Audio return channel (Arc) connection (which is in the hdmI cable connecting 

the Avr to the tv). the tv source’s “Audio Input from Source” will be automatically 

reassigned to the hdmI Arc connector. this way, whenever you’re watching a source 

that is connected directly to your tv (such as an Internet connection), you can listen to 

the sound through the Avr.

CEC Power Control: this setting links the power on/off functions of the Avr to those of a 

tv connected to its hdmI monitor out connector. when power control is set to on, turning 

the tv’s power off will automatically put the Avr into the Standby mode; turning the tv’s 

power on will automatically turn the Avr on. 

NOTE: the connected tv must support the 

hdmI System Standby cec (consumer electronics control).
TV Control: this setting extends some audio-control functions between the Avr and a tv 

connected to its hdmI monitor out connector. when tv control is set to on, if the tv is set 

to use external speakers, the tv’s internal speakers will mute, and you can use the tv’s 

remote to control the Avr’s volume up/down and mute functions. If the tv is set to use 

its internal speakers, the Avr’s output will automatically mute. 

NOTE: the connected tv 

must support the hdmI remote control/System Audio control cec (consumer electronics 

control).

General AVR Settings
Network Settings: Select this to set up your Avr for connection to your wired home 

network. note: the Avr 3700 and Avr 370 will first present a wired/wireless/network 

upgrade screen. for information about the wired network connection screen, see Set Up 

the Network, on page 27.

•  mac: this line is informational only and identifies the Avr to other devices on your 

home network and the Internet for www.radioharmankardon.com.

•  network Settings: Since most networks use automatic Ip address settings, in most 

cases you can set network Settings to Automatic. If you are required to use a static 

Ip address and network settings, you must obtain these settings from your ISp or 

network administrator. use the ok button to set this line to “manual.” the following 

settings will become active: Ip Address, Subnet mask, gateway, primary dnS, 

Secondary dnS. If your network is a proxy network, enter those settings for proxy, 

the second Ip Address and proxy port.

use the number buttons to make the entries for all of these settings. when you have 

finished, select Apply & Save, and press the ok button. the Avr will enter the Standby 

mode. when you turn the Avr back on, it will attempt to connect to the network using the 

settings you entered. If the Avr cannot connect to the network using the manual settings, 

contact your ISp or network administrator for assistance.

•  network Status: this line indicates the Avr’s current network-connection status 

(connected/not connected).

•  Apply & Save: Any time you make a change in any of the network settings, the Apply 

& Save line will become available. Select this line and press the ok button. the Avr 

will go into the Standby mode. After you turn the Avr back on, the new network 

settings will be in effect. 

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AVR

System Settings

Volume Units: this setting lets you select whether the Avr displays the volume level in 

the conventional decibel scale or on a numeric scale from 0 to 100. when the decibel 

scale is used, 0db is the maximum recommended volume, with lower volumes displayed 

as negative values. (-90db – +10db). the decibel scale is the default setting.
Volume Default and Volume Default Level: these two settings are used together to 

program the volume level when you turn on the Avr. Set volume default to on, and then 

set the volume default level to the desired turn-on volume. when volume default is set 

to off, the Avr will turn on at the last-used volume setting from the previous listening 

session.
Unit of Measure: Adjusts the speaker-distance settings for manual Speaker Setup. 

Select between meters and feet.
Language: Select the preferred language for the Avr’s on-screen menus and displays: 

english, french, Spanish, german, Italian or russian.
Dolby Volume Calibration: this setting determines the dolby volume calibration, as 

described in Dolby Volume Calibration, on page 28. refer to that section for details about 

setting the calibration.
RS232 Control: If you have connected the Avr to an external control system via its rS-

232 port, set this line to on to enable the Avr to be controlled by the external control 

system. refer to the control system’s documentation for details.

Menu Appearance
Menu Transparency: this selection lets you determine whether video programs will be 

visible when the menu system is in use. Select normal for a fully transparent background, 

medium for partial transparency or opaque to completely block video programs while 

menus are on screen.
Volume/Status Messages: when the Avr is turned on, the volume is adjusted, the 

source is changed or a change in the input signal is detected, a status message will be 

displayed on the tv screen. Select how long the message remains visible, from 2 to 10 

seconds, with a default of 3 seconds. Select “off” if you do not wish to see the status 

messages on the tv screen (they will still appear on the Avr’s front-panel message 

display).
Menus:  this setting governs how long the Surround modes, video modes and Audio 

effects menus remain visible after the last adjustment: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 

seconds, 1 minute or 5 minutes. Select “no time-out” to view the menus indefinitely, but 

this setting is not recommended, due to the danger of “burn-in” on some video displays.
Setup and Slide-In Menus: this setting determines how long the setup menus (main 

menu, Speaker Setup menu, Zone 2 menu, all slide-in menus) remain visible after the last 

adjustment. Select a time-out period of 5, 10 or 15 (the default) minutes, or no time-out, 

which leaves the menus on screen until manually cleared. A time-out period avoids the 

possibility of burn-in damage to plasma or crt displays.
Screen Saver: program a time-out period for no activity (with no menus displayed) 

before the Avr’s built-in screen saver begins. Select a period of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 

20 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour, or turn off the screen saver. A time-out period avoids 

the possibility of burn-in damage to plasma or crt displays.

System Info
Software Version: this line is informational only. from time to time, harman kardon 

engineers may release software upgrades that improve your Avr’s performance 

or add features. If you are experiencing difficulties with the Avr, a customer-service 

representative may ask for the software version of your Avr to determine whether a later 

upgrade is available.
Upgrade Software: If a software upgrade is released for your Avr, installation 

instructions will be available in the product Support section of the web site or from 

harman kardon customer service. At that time, you may access this submenu to install 

the upgrade software.
IMPORTANT: during a system upgrade, do not power off the Avr or use any of its 

controls. doing so could permanently damage the Avr.

Settings lock prevents the Setup Source, Speaker Setup and System settings menus 

from being inadvertently changed. with Settings lock set to on, the screen shown below 

will appear whenever someone attempts to access a setting in one of those menus.

Select “Settings lock off” to access the settings or “cancel” if the setting was accessed 

inadvertently. note: If you select “Settings lock off,” you will need to turn the Settings 

lock back on via the Settings lock menu.