DOWNLOAD Harman Kardon AVR 500 Service Manual ↓ Size: 506 KB | Pages: 40 in PDF or view online for FREE

●  

System Setup
Once the speakers have been placed in the
room and connected, the remaining steps in
the setup process are to program the AVR 500’s
bass management system for the type of
speakers used in your system, calibrate the
output levels, and set the delay times used by
the surround sound processor.

You are now ready to power up the AVR 500 to
begin these final adjustments.

1. Plug the Power Cable ° into an

unswitched AC outlet.

2. Press the Main Power Switch

1 in so

that it latches in with the word “OFF”
appearing on the top of the switch inside
the front panel. Note that the Power
Indicator

3 will turn amber, indicating

that the unit is in the Standby mode.

3. Install the four supplied AAA batteries in

the remote as shown. Be certain to follow
the (+) and (–) polarity indicators that are
on the bottom of the battery compartment.

4. Turn the AVR 500 on either by pressing the

2 on the front

panel, or via the remote by first pressing the
AVR Selector

a or any of the CD/Tape/

DVD selectors 

b on the remote. The Power

3 will turn green to confirm that

the unit is on, and the Information Display
35  will also light up.

Using the On-Screen Display
When making the following adjustments, you
may find them easier to make if you use the
unit’s on-screen display system. These easy-to-
read displays give you a clear picture of the cur-
rent status of the unit and make it easy to see
which speaker, delay, input or digital selection
you are making.

To view the on-screen displays, make certain
you have made a connection from the TV
Monitor Video Out jack b on the rear panel
to the composite or S-Video input of your TV or
projector. In order to view the AVR’s displays,
the correct video source must be selected on
the video display.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When viewing the displays
on a projection TV 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 500 warranty and may not be cov-
ered by the projector TV set’s warranty.

The AVR 500 has two on-screen display modes,
“Semi-OSD” and “Full-OSD.” When making
configuration adjustments, it is recommended
that the Full-OSD mode be used. This will place
a complete status report or option listing on
the screen, making it easier to view the avail-
able options. The Semi-OSD mode uses one-line
displays only.

To view the Full-OSD screens, press the OSD
button 

s three times. The first press will bring

up the Semi-OSD mode and the second press
will turn the OSD system off; the third press will
call up the Full-OSD display (Figure 1).

When either OSD mode has been selected, a
message will appear at the bottom of the
screen any time the mode or source is changed.
First, the new mode or source will show, and if
the source is changed there will also be a con-
firmation of the mode in use.

Note that the full-screen displays will time-out
after 20 seconds. However, the on-screen display
used with the channel output level adjustments
will remain on the screen as long as the settings
are being changed. This display must be manu-
ally turned off by pressing the OSD button ·.

Figure 1

When making most setup adjustments, the full
on-screen readout may be displayed at any
time by pressing the OSD button 

s once.

The displays will remain on the screen as long
as adjustments are being made, or for twenty
seconds after the last button is pressed to
change a setting.

Speaker Configuration
The first few adjustments tell the AVR 500
which type of speakers are in use. This is
important as it adjusts the settings that deter-
mine which speakers receive low-frequency
(bass) information. For each of these settings
use the LARGE setting if the speakers for a
particular position are traditional full-range
loudspeakers that are capable of reproducing
sounds below 100Hz. Use the SMALL set-
ting for smaller, frequency-limited satellite
speakers that do not reproduce sounds below
100Hz. Note that when “small” speakers are
used, a subwoofer is required to reproduce
low-frequency sounds. Remember that the
“large” and “small” descriptions do not refer
to the actual physical size of the speakers, but
their ability to reproduce low-frequency
sounds. If you are in doubt as to which cat-
egory describes your speakers, consult the
specifications in the speakers’ owner’s manual,
or ask your dealer.

With the AVR 500 turned on, follow these steps
to configure the speakers:

1. Put the AVR 500 in the Dolby Pro Logic

mode by pressing the Dolby Pro Logic
Selector

Ó on the front panel or by

pressing the Surround Mode Selector

on the remote, followed by the

⁄

¤

buttons 

g until PRO LOGIC appears

in the Main Information Display

V and

the PRO LOGIC indicator 

G lights.

2. Press the Speaker button k

33 on the

remote or front panel. The words FRNT
SPEAKER will appear in the Main
Information Display

V.

If you are using the on-screen display sys-
tem, a display will appear indicating the
status of each speaker (Figure 2).

Figure 2

3. Press the Set button 

i 31  and note

that the 

›

pointer will stop flashing.

      M O D E   : D O L B Y   P R O   L O G I C

   

      F R O N T   S P   :

L A R G E

  S M A L L

      C E N T E R   S P : L A R G E  

S M A L L

                          N O N E

      S U R R   S P K   :

L A R G E  

S M A L L

                          N O N E

      S U B W O O F E R :

O F F  

O N

     

      M A S T E R   V O L U M E : Ð 2 0 D B

      A U D I O   S O U R C E   : D I G I T A L

      V I D E O   S O U R C E   : D V D

      A U D I O   I N P U T     : O P T   1  

      B I T S T R E A M   I N   : 3 / 2 . 1 C H  

      S U R R .   M O D E   : D O L B Y

    D I G I T A L

 M U L T I   R O O M   :

O F F  

O N

      M A S T E R   V O L U M E : Ð 2 0 D B

16 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

17 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

4. Press the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

g on the

remote or the Selector buttons 

34 on

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

When SMALL is selected, low-frequency
sounds will be sent to the subwoofer output
only. 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.

When LARGE is selected, a full-range
output will be sent to the front-left and
front-right outputs, and NO low-frequency
signals will be sent to the subwoofer output.

NOTE: To use the On-Screen Display sys-
tem, press the OSD button 

s once. The

selected speaker option will appear in
highlighted video. The selection will
change in response to the steps outlined
on these pages.

5. When you have completed your selection for

the front channel, press the Set button 

i

31 , and then press the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

g

on the remote or the Selector buttons 

34

on the front panel to change the display to
CEN SPEAKER.

6. Press the Set button 

i 31 again, and

use the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

g on the remote,

or the Selector buttons 

34 on the front

panel, to select the option that best
describes your system based on the speaker
definitions shown on preceding page.

When CEN SP SMALL is selected,
low-frequency center-channel sounds will be
sent to the subwoofer output only. Note
that if you choose this option and there is
no subwoofer connected, you will not hear
any low-frequency sounds from the center-
channel speaker.

When CEN SP LARGE is selected, a
full-range output will be sent to the center-
speaker output, and NO center channel sig-
nal will be sent to the subwoofer output.

When CEN SP NONE is selected, no
signals 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.

7. When you have completed your selection

for the center channel, press the Set but-
ton 

i 31 , and then press the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

g on the remote or the

Selector buttons 

34 on the front 

panel to change the display to SUR
SPEAKER.

8. Press the Set button 

i 31 again, and

then use the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

g on the

remote or the Selector buttons 

34 on the

front panel to select the option that best
describes your system based on the speaker
definitions shown on preceding page.

When SUR SP SMALL is selected,
low-frequency surround-channel sounds
will be sent to the subwoofer output only.
Note that if you choose this option and
there is no subwoofer connected, you will
not hear any low-frequency sounds from
the surround speaker.

When SUR SP LARGE is selected,
a full-range output will be sent to the 
surround-channel outputs, and NO sur-
round channel signals will be sent to the
subwoofer output.

When SUR SP NONE is selected,
surround-sound information will be split
between the front-left and front-right out-
puts. 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 

i 31 , and then press the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

g on the remote or the

Selector buttons 

34 on the front panel

to change the display to S-W SPEAKER.

10. Press the Set button 

i 31 , and then

press the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

g on the

remote or the Selector buttons 

34 on

the front panel to select the option that
best describes your system.

Select S-W SP ON if a subwoofer is 
connected to your system.

Select S-W SP OFF if a subwoofer is
NOT connected to your system. Note that 

when no subwoofer is selected, low-
frequency sounds below 100Hz will be
sent to the front-left and front-right speakers,
provided that the selection in Step 4 has
been set to LARGE. Otherwise, no low-
frequency sounds will be heard at all. This
option is notavailable when the front, center
or surround speakers are set to SMALL.

11. When all speaker selections have been

made, press the Set button 

i 31 to

return to normal operation.

Output Level Adjustment
Output level adjustment is a key part of the
configuration process for any surround-sound
product. It is particularly important for a Dolby
Digital receiver such as the AVR 500, as correct
outputs will ensure that you hear sound tracks
in their proper place with the proper direction-
ality and intensity.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Listeners are often con-
fused about the operation of the surround
channels. While some assume that sound
should always be coming from each speaker,
most of the time there will be little or no
sound in the surround channels. This is because
they are only used when a movie director or
sound mixer specifically places sound there to
create ambiance, a special effect or to continue
action from the front of the room to the rear.
When the output levels are properly set it is
normal for surround speakers to operate only
occasionally. Artificially increasing the volume
to the rear speakers may destroy the illusion
of an enveloping sound field that duplicates
the way you hear sound in a movie theater or
concert hall.

Before beginning the adjustment process make
certain that all speaker connections have been
properly made. The system volume should be
set to the level that you will use during a typi-
cal listening session. Finally, make certain that
the Balance Control

7 is set to the center

“12 o’clock” position.

To adjust and calibrate the output levels, follow
these steps. For accurate calibration, it is a
good idea to make these adjustments while
seated in your favorite listening position:

1. Put the AVR 500 in the Dolby Pro Logic

mode by pressing the Dolby Pro Logic
Selector

Ó on the front panel or by

pressing the Surround Mode Selector

on the remote, followed by the 

⁄

¤

●   

buttons 

g until PRO LOGIC appears in

the Main Information Display 

V and

the PRO LOGIC indicator 

G lights up.

2. Press the Test button 

e on the remote.

The words T-T FL 0dB will appear
in the Main Information Display 

V , and

the letters FL will flash once each second.

NOTE: To use the on-screen display while
making output level adjustments, press the
OSD button 

s. A map of the installed

speakers will appear on your video screen
(Figure 3), and the channel where the test
noise should be heard will be indicated by
the highlighted lettering. As adjustments
are made, the numbers under the channel
location will increase or decrease to show
the change from the reference level.

Figure 3

3. At this point, the test noise will begin to

circulate among all the speakers in a clock-
wise rotation.

NOTE: This is a good time to verify that
the speakers have been properly connected.
As the test noise circulates, listen to make
certain that the sound comes from the
speaker position shown in the Main
Information Display. If the sound from 
a speaker location does NOT match the
position indicated in the display, turn the 
AVR 500 off using the Main Power
Switch 

1 and check the speaker wiring

to make certain that each speaker is con-
nected to the correct output terminal.

4. After checking for speaker placement, let

the test noise circulate again, and listen to
see which channels sound louder than the
others. Using the front left (FL in the 
display) speaker as a reference, press the

⁄

¤ 

buttons 

g on the remote or the

Selector buttons 

34 on the front panel

on each channel to begin to bring them to
the same level. Note that when one of the
buttons is pushed, the test noise circulation

will pause on the channel being adjusted to
give you time to make the adjustment.
When you release the button, the circula-
tion will resume after 20 seconds.

5. Continue to adjust the individual speakers

until they all have the same volume. Note
that adjustments should be made with the

⁄

¤ 

buttons 

g on the remote or the

Selector buttons 

34 on the front panel

only, NOT the main volume controls. Then
press the Set button 

i 31 to memo-

rize the change. If you are using a sound
pressure (SPL) meter for precise level
adjustment, set the volume so that the
meter reads 75dB, C-Weighting Slow.

NOTE: The subwoofer output level is not
adjustable using the test tone. To change the
subwoofer level, follow the steps for Output
Level Trim Adjustment on page 25.

6. When you have adjusted the outputs so

that all channels have the same level, press
the Test Tone button 

e on the remote

to complete the adjustment.

Delay Settings
Due the different distances between the front-
channel speakers and the listening position
compared to the surround speakers and the lis-
tening position, the amount of time it takes for
sound to reach your ears from the front or sur-
round speakers is different. You may compen-
sate for this difference through the use of the
delay settings to adjust the timing to tailor the
specific speaker placement and acoustic condi-
tions in your listening room or home theater.

The factory setting is appropriate for most
rooms, but some installations create an uncom-
mon 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 and surround chan-
nels, follow these steps:

1. Measure the distance from the listening/

viewing position to the front speakers.

2. Measure the distance from the listening/

viewing position to the surround speakers.

3. Subtract the distance to the surround speak-

ers from the distance to the front speakers.

a. When setting the delay time for the

Dolby Digital surround modes, the opti-
mal delay time is the result of that sub-
traction. For example, if the front speak-
ers are ten feet away and the surround
speakers are five feet away, the optimal
delay time is figured as 10–5=5. Thus, in
this example, the delay time for Dolby
Digital should be set at five milliseconds.

b. When setting the delay time for the Pro

Logic mode, take the result of the sub-
traction and add 15 to obtain the opti-
mal delay time. For example, if the front
speakers are ten feet away and the sur-
round speakers are five feet away, the
optimal delay time is figured as
10–5+15=20. Thus, in this example, the
Pro Logic delay should be set at twenty
milliseconds.

NOTE: The DTS, Logic 7 and Theater modes use
a fixed, nonadjustable delay time.

The Dolby Digital Mode also includes a sepa-
rate setting for the center-channel delay mode,
since the discrete nature of these signals makes
the location of the center-channel speaker more
critical. To calculate the delay for the center
channel, measure the distance from the pre-
ferred listening position in the center of the
room to both the center-channel speaker and
either the left or right speaker.

If the distances are equal, no further adjustment
is required and the center delay should be set to
zero. If the distance to the front speakers is
greater than the distance to the center speaker,
you may wish to reposition the speakers by
moving the front-left and front-right speakers
closer to the listening position or the center
speaker further away from the listening position.

If repositioning of the speakers is not possible,
adjust the center delay time, adding one mil-
lisecond of center-channel delay for every foot
closer to the listening position the center
speaker is than the front speakers. For example,
if the front-left and front-right speakers are
each 10 feet from the listening position and the
center-channel speaker is 8 feet away, the delay
is figured as 10–8=2, suggesting an optimal
center delay of 2 milliseconds.

     

M O D E  

T E S T   T O N E

       

F L

            C             F R

          0             0               0

                     

                       

        S L                           S R

          0                             0

     

      M A S T E R   V O L U M E : Ð 2 0   D B

18 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

●  

● 

●  

19 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

To set the delay times, follow these steps:

1. Put the AVR 500 in the Dolby Pro Logic

mode by pressing the Dolby Pro Logic
Selector

Ó on the front panel or by

pressing the Surround Mode Selector

on the remote, followed by the

⁄

¤

buttons 

g until PRO LOGIC appears

in the Main Information Display

V and

the PRO LOGIC indicator 

G lights up.

2. Press the Delay button i

˜ on 

the remote or front panel. The words 
S DELAY TIME will appear in the
Main Information Display

V and at the

bottom of a video screen when the Semi-
OSD display is in use.

To use the on-screen display system while
making delay adjustments, press the OSD
button 

s until the full-screen menu

shown in Figure 4 appears on the screen.

Figure 4

3. Press the Set button 

i 31 .

4. Adjust the delay time by pressing the 

⁄

¤ 

buttons 

g on the remote or the

Selector buttons 

34on the front panel

until the delay time figure calculated using
the formula entered above appears in the
display.

5. If only analog sources will be used, no

adjustment is needed for the center-channel
delay. In that case, press the Set button
i 31 to enter the surround delay set-
tings into the AVR’s memory. However, if
you will be using digital sources and the
calculations outlined above indicate that
the center-channel delay requires an adjust-
ment, continue with the following steps.

6. Before setting the center-channel delay

time, make certain that a digital source has
been selected. If a digital source is playing,
COAX A or OPTICAL C will
appear in the Information display 

V,

along with the DIGITAL indicator F.
If a digital source is already connected and
playing, press the Delay button 

˜

so

that the words C DELAY TIME
appear in the Main Information Display
35 and proceed to step #10. If a digital
source is not playing, follow steps 6
through 10.

7. Press the Set button 

i 31.

8. Select the Dolby Digital mode either by

pressing the front panel Dolby Digital
Selector

( or by pressing the Surround

on the remote, and

then pressing the 

⁄

¤ 

buttons 

g on the

remote until DOLBY D appears in the
Main Information Display

V or in the

on-screen display. Ignore any “NO
DATA” message that may appear.

9. Press the Delay button i

˜ on the

remote or front panel. The words S
DELAY TIME appear in the Main
Information Display

V.

10. Press the 

⁄

¤ 

buttons 

g on the remote

once, so that C DELAY TIME
appears in the Main Information Display
V or in the on-screen display.

11. Press the Set button 

i 31 .

12. Press the 

⁄

¤ 

buttons 

g on the

remote until the desired delay time for
the center channel appears in the display.

13. Press the Set button 

i 31 to enter

the setting into the AVR 500’s memory.

You have now completed the setup, adjustment
and calibration of the AVR 500. You are now
ready to enjoy the finest in music and home
theater listening.

      M O D E : D O L B Y   P R O   L O G I C

   

 

      S U R R O U N D : 2 0   M S

    

 

      M A S T E R   V O L U M E : Ð 2 0   D B