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INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS  17

→ Cinch

↔ Cinch

→ SCART

→ Cinch

↔ Cinch

→ SCART

1

Important Note for the Use of 
SCART-Cinch Adapters:
When video sources are connected to the TV
directly with a SCART cable, specific control sig-
nals apart from Audio/Video signals will be fed
to the TV. These specific signals are: With all
video sources, the signal for automatic input
selection that switches the TV automatically to
the appropriate input as soon as the video
source is started. And with DVD players, the sig-
nals automatically turning the TV to 4:3/16:9
format (with 16:9 TVs or with 4:3 TVs with
selectable 16:9 format) and turning the RGB
video decoder of the TV on or off, depending on
the DVD player´s setting. With any adapter cable,
these control signals will be lost and the appro-
priate setting of the TV must be made manually.

Note for RGB signal with SCART:
If you use a unit providing RGB signals on a
SCART output (as e.g. most DVD players do) and
you want to use that RGB signal, this SCART
output must be connected directly to your TV.
Although the AVR 4500 RDS can switch three-
way video signals (like component signals
Y/Pb/Pr), most TVs need separate sync signals
for RGB (also with SCART) that cannot be
switched and provided by the AVR 4500.
RGB signals can be pathed through 
the AVR 4500 only when no separate sync 
signal is needed (see last ”Video Connection
Note” on page 16).

18 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS

The AVR 4500 is designed for flexible use with
multiroom systems, external control components
and power amplifiers.

Main Room Remote Control Extension
If the receiver is placed behind a solid or smoked
glass cabinet door, the obstruction may prevent
the remote sensor from receiving commands. In
this event, the remote sensor of any Harman
Kardon or other compatible device, not covered
by the door, or an optional remote sensor may
be used. Connect the Remote IR Output of
that device or the output of the remote sensor to
the Remote IR Input jack 

N.

If other components are also prevented from
receiving remote commands, only one sensor is
needed. Simply use this unit’s sensor or a remote
eye by running a connection from the Remote
IR Output jack 

M to the Remote IR Input

jack on Harman Kardon or other compatible
equipment.

Multiroom IR Link
The key to remote room operation is to link the
remote room to the AVR 4500’s location with
wire for an infrared receiver and speakers or an
amplifier. The remote room IR receiver (this can be
an optional IR receiver or any other remotable
Harman Kardon device in the remote room with
IR sensor integrated) should be connected to the
AVR 4500 via standard coaxial cable. Connect the
Remote IR Output of the device or of the
optional sensor with the Multiroom IR Input
jack 

O on the AVR4500’s rear panel.

If other Harman Kardon compatible source
equipment is part of the main room installation,
the Remote IR Output jack 

M on the rear

panel should be connected to the IR IN jack on
that source device. This will enable the remote
room location to control source equipment func-
tions.

NOTE: All remotely controlled components must
be linked together in a “daisy chain”. Connect
the IR OUT jack of one unit to the IR IN of the
next to establish this chain.

Multiroom Audio Connections
Depending on the distance from the AVR 4500
to the remote room, two options are available
for audio connection:

Option 1: Use high-quality, shielded audio
interconnect phono cable from the AVR 4500’s
location to the remote room. In the remote
room, connect the interconnect cable to a stereo
power amplifier. The amplifier will be connected
to the room’s speakers. At the AVR 4500, plug
the audio interconnect cables into the
Multiroom Output Jacks 

7 on the AVR

4500’s rear panel.

Option 2: Place the amplifier that will provide
power to the remote location speakers in the
same room as the AVR 4500, and connect the
Multiroom Output jacks 

7 on the rear panel

of the AVR to the audio input of the remote
room amplifier. Use the appropriate speaker wire
to connect the optional power amplifier to the
remote speakers. High-quality wire of at least 
2.5 mm

2

is recommended for long multiroom

connections.

NOTE: In both options, you may connect an
optional IR sensor in the remote room to the
AVR 4500 via an appropriate cable. Connect the
sensor’s cable to the Multiroom IR Input

O

on the AVR 4500 and use the Zone II remote to
control the room volume. Alternatively, you may
install an optional volume control between the
output of the amplifiers and the speakers.

External Audio Power Amplifier
Connections
If desired, the AVR 4500 may be connected to
optional, external audio power amplifiers. When
an external amplifier is used, connect the
Preamp Out jacks 

b to the inputs on the

amplifier. Note that when external amplifiers or
devices are used, volume is still controlled by the
AVR, although additional volume controls on the
external device may affect volume and output
levels from the AVR.

AC Power Connections
This unit is equipped with two accessory AC out-
lets. They may be used to power accessory
devices, but they should not be used with high-
current draw equipment such as power ampli-
fiers. The total power draw to the Unswitched
Outlet 

H must not exceed 100 watts, that to

the Switched Outlet 

G 50 watts.

The Switched

G outlet will receive power only

when the unit is on completely. This is recom-
mended for devices that have no power switch
or a mechanical power switch that may be left in
the “ON” position.

NOTE: Many audio and video products go into a
Standby mode when they are used with
switched outlets, and cannot be fully turned on
using the outlet alone without a remote control
command.

The Unswitched

H outlet will receive power

as long as the unit is plugged into a powered AC
outlet and the Main Power Switch 1 is on.

Finally, when all connections are complete, plug
the power cord into a nonswitched 220-240-volt
AC wall outlet. You’re almost ready to enjoy the
AVR 4500!

INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 19

No matter which type or brand of speakers is
used, the same model or brand of speaker
should be used 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.

When the AVR 4500 is used in 5.1-channel oper-
ation, the preferred location for surround speak-
ers is on the side walls of the room, at or slightly
behind the listening position. In a 7.1-channel
system, both side surround and back surround
speakers are required. The center of the speaker
should face you (see below).

Rear surround speakers are required when a full
7.1-channel system is installed, and they may
also be used in 5.1 channel mode as an alterna-
tive mounting position when it is not practical to
place the main surround speakers at the sides of
the room. Speakers may be placed on a rear
wall, behind the listening position. As with the
side speakers, the center of the rear surrounds
should face you. The speakers should be no more
than 2 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

B)  The distance between the left and right
speakers should be equal to the distance from
the seating position to the viewing screen. 
You may also experiment with placing the left
and right speakers slightly forward of the center
speaker.
Rear speaker mounting is an alternate location
for 5.1 systems. It is required for 7.1 operation.

20 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Once the speakers have been placed in the room
and connected, the remaining steps are to pro-
gram the system configuration memories. With
the AVR 4500 two kind of memories are used,
those associated individually with the input
selected, e.g. surround modes, and others work-
ing independently from any input selected like
speaker output levels, crossover frequencies or
delay times used by the surround sound 
processor.

You are now ready to power up the AVR 4500 to
begin these final adjustments.

1. Plug the Power Cable

I into an unswitched

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

main 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 top
of the battery compartment.

5. Turn the AVR4500 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 Power On Button
3, 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 ˜ will also light up.

NOTE: After pressing one of the Input Selector
buttons

4 to turn the unit on, press the AVR

5 to have the remote control the AVR

functions.

When making the following adjustments, you may
find them easier to make via the unit’s on-screen
display system. These easy-to-read displays give
you a clear picture of the current status of the
unit and facilitate speaker, delay, input or digital
selection you are making.

To view the on-screen displays, make certain you
have made a connection from the Video
Monitor Out jack 

B on the rear panel to the

composite or S-Video input of your TV or projec-
tor. In order to view the AVR’s displays, the correct
video input must be selected on your video dis-
play. Note that the on-screen menus are not
available when a component video display is in
use.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When viewing the on-screen
menus using a CRT-based projector, plasma display
or any direct-view CRT monitor or television, it is
important that they not be left on the screen for an
extended period of time. As with any video display,
but particularly with projectors, constant display of
a static image such as these menus or video game
images may cause the image to be permanently
“burned into” the CRT. This type of damage is not
covered by the AVR 4500 warranty and may not be
covered by the projector TV set’s warranty.

The AVR 4500 has two on-screen display modes,
“Semi-OSD” and “Full-OSD.” When making con-
figuration adjustments, it is recommended that
the Full-OSD mode be used. This will place a com-
plete status report or option listing on the screen,
making it easier to view the available options and
make the settings on the screen. The Semi-OSD
mode uses one-line displays only.

Note that when the full OSD system is in use, the
menu selections are not shown in the Infor-
mation Display ˜ Y. When the full OSD
menu system is used, OSD ON will appear in the
Main Information Display Y and the OSD
Indicator P will illuminate to remind you that a
video display must be used.

When the semi-OSD system is used in conjunction
with the discrete configuration buttons, the on
screen display will show a single line of text with
the current menu selection. That selection will
also be shown in the Main Information
Display Y.

The full OSD system is always available by press-
ing the OSD button 

L. When this button is

pressed the MASTER M E N U (Figure 1) will
appear, and adjustments are made from the indi-
vidual menus. Note that the menus will remain on
the screen for 20 seconds after the latest action
was made on the screen menu, then they will
“time-out” and disappear from the screen. The
time-out may be increased to as much as 50 sec-
onds by going to the ADVANCED

S E L E C T

menu, and changing the item titled

F U L L O S D T I M E O U T

.

The semi-OSD system is also available as a system
default, although it may be turned off by using
the ADVANCED SELECT menu. (See
page 37). With the semi-OSD system, you may
make adjustments directly, by pressing the but-
tons on the front panel or remote control for the
specific parameter to be adjusted. For example, to
change the digital input for any of the sources,
press the Digital Select Button Û

G and

then any of the Selector buttons

‹

/

›

7$ or

⁄

/

¤

D on the front panel or remote.

The AVR 4500 features an advanced memory sys-
tem that enables you to establish different setting
for the speaker configuration, digital input and
surround mode for each input source. This flexibil-
ity enables you to custom tailor the way in which
you listen to each source and have the AVR 4500
memorize them. This means, for example, that you
may associate different surround modes and ana-
log or digital inputs with different sources, or set
different speaker configurations with the resultant
changes to the bass management system or the
use of the center speaker and/or the Subwoofer.
Once these settings are made, they will automati-
cally be recalled whenever you select that input.

The factory default settings for the AVR 4500
have all inputs configured for an analog audio
input except for the DVD input, where the
Coaxial Digital Input

V is the default. Once

the DSP processing system is used for the first
time for any input, the speaker settings will auto-
matically default to “Small” at all positions with
the subwoofer set to “LFE.” The default setting for
the surround modes is “Surround Off,” or two-
channel stereo, although Dolby Digital or DTS will
automatically be selected as appropriate when a
source with digital encoding is in use.

Before using the unit, you will probably want to
change the settings for most inputs so that they
are properly configured to reflect the use of digi-
tal or analog inputs, the type of speakers installed
and the surround mode associated with the input.
Remember that since the AVR 4500 memorizes

    *   M A S T E R   M E N U   *

I N / O U T   S E T U P

S U R R O U N D   S E T U P

S P E A K E R   S E T U P

D E L A Y   A D J U S T

C H A N N E L   A D J U S T

M U L T I - R O O M

A D V A N C E D