DOWNLOAD Harman Kardon AVR 5550 (serv.man7) Service Manual ↓ Size: 1.02 MB | Pages: 52 in PDF or view online for FREE

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION 25

or Cinema modes are available, but the output
will be in a full eight-channel sound field. Note
that the Logic 7 modes are not available when
either Dolby Digital or DTS Digital soundtracks are
in use.

On the 

) menu, the selection

choices made with the 

‹

/

›

E& on

the remote select one of the DSP surround modes
that are designed for use with two-channel stereo
programs to create a variety of sound field pre-
sentations. The choices available are Hall 1, Hall
2, Theater, VMAx Near and VMAx Far. The Hall
and Theater modes are designed for multichannel
installations, while the two VMAx modes are opti-
mized for use in delivering a full surround field
when only the front left and front right speakers
are installed. See pages 29 and 30 for a complete
explanation of the DSP surround modes. Note
that the Hall and Theater modes are not available
when a Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack is played.

On the 

menu, the selection choices

made with the 

‹

/

›

E& on the

remote may either turn the surround processing
off for a traditional two-channel stereo presenta-
tion, or select 5 Stereo or 7 Stereo
depending on whether the 5.1 or 6.1/7.1 output
is in use. The latter modes feed the stereophonic
input signal to both front speakers, to the rear
speakers and to both surround back speakers (if
in use), while the monophonic signal parts are
spread over all speakers, also the Center.
See page 30 for a complete explanation of the 
5 Stereo and 7 Stereo modes.

After the selections are made in the Dolby, DTS,
Logic 7, DSP (Surround) or Stereo menus, press
the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

D so that the cursor moves

to the 

BACK TO SURR SELECT

line and

presss the Set Button 

F.

Adjustments for Other Inputs
After one input has been adjusted for analog or
digital input, speaker type and surround mode,
return to the 

INPUT SETUP

line on the

MASTER

menu and enter the settings for each

input that you will use. In most cases, only the
digital input and surround mode may be different
from one input to the next, while the speaker type
will usually be the same (inputs set to

GLOBAL

). But if prefered you can also select

different speaker types or turn speakers on or off
individually for each input in use.

Delay Settings 
Due the different distances between the listening
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 sur-
round speakers is different. You may compensate
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.

To re-synchronize the front, center and surround
channels at first measure and note the distance
from the listening/viewing position to the front,
center, surround and surround back (if any)
speakers in meters.

The Delay setting for all speakers configured for
your system will be available only (with 5.1 or
with 6.1/7.1 configuration) when any Dolby sur-
round mode is selected (except Dolby-3-Stereo).
In addition they are selectable with these modes
only, with all other modes the delay times are
fixed.
Note that the Delay settings are "Global" for all
inputs, using those Dolby modes, and need not to
be repeated with any input.

To start with the delay settings at first select any
input associated with such a Dolby mode. Next,
continue within the 

MASTER MENU

(Figure

1). If the system is not already at that point, press
the OSD button 

L to bring up the master

menu. Press the 

¤

D three times or

until the on-screen 

›

cursor is pointing at the

DELAY ADJUST

line. Press the Set Button

F to call up the menu.

Next move the 

›

cursor to the 

UNIT

line and

select the unit for distances you prefer to enter,
feet or meter. Then move the 

›

cursor to the

CENTER

line where the first adjustment is

made. Now press the 

‹

/

›

E& until

the distance from the center speaker to the pre-
ferred listening position is entered. When the
C E N T E R D E L A Y

is entered, press the 

¤

D once to move to the next line.

Now the 

›

cursor will be at the 

SURROUND

line so that the delay for the surround speakers
may be set. Press the 

‹

/

›

E& until

the distance from the video display at the front of
the room to the surround speakers is entered.
Finally, if the system is  configured for 7.1 opera-
tion by entering 

LARGE

or 

SMALL

on the

SURR BACK

line of the 

SPEAKER

SETUP

menu, press the 

¤

D again

and use the 

‹

/

›

E& to enter the

distance from the video display at the front of the
room to the surround speakers. Remember that
this last adjustment will only be needed when you
have surround back speakers installed and Dolby
Digital chosen as the surround mode.

When the delay settings are complete, press the

¤

Button n once so that the cursor is next to

the BACK TO MASTER MENU line and
press the Set Button p to return to the
MASTER menu.

Note that the delay settings may also be adjusted
at any time when the Dolby Digital or Dolby Pro
Logic II modes are in use by pressing the Delay
button on the remote 

%. Then press the 

⁄

/

¤

D buttons on the remote to select the Center
or Rear channels for adjustment, followed by a
press of the Set button 

F. Next, press the

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

D on the remote until the

desired figure appears in the Main Information
Display ˜ and press the Set button p
twice to confirm the setting and return to the nor-
mal display.

Night Mode Settings
The Night mode is a feature of Dolby Digital that
uses special processing to preserve the dynamic
range and full intelligibility of a movie sound track
while reducing the peak level. This prevents
abruptly loud transitions from disturbing others,
without reducing the sonic impact of a digital
source. Note that the Night mode is only available
when the Dolby Digital surround mode is
selected.

To adjust the Night mode setting from the menu
press the OSD Button 

L so that the

MASTER

menu appears. Then press the 

¤

button 

D once and press Set F to select the

SURROUND SETUP

menu. Press Set

F

to select the 

DOLBY

menu (see fig. 6).

To adjust the Night mode setting, make certain
that the 

›

cursor is on the 

NIGHT

line of the

DOLBY

menu. Next, press 

‹

/

›

E& to choose between the following set-
tings.

OFF

: When OFF is highlighted, the Night mode

will not function.

MID

: When MID is in the highlighted video,

a mild compression will be applied.

MAX

: When MAX is in the highlighted video,

a more severe compression algorithm will be
applied.

When you want to use the Night mode feature,
we recommend that you select the MID setting as
a starting point and change to the MAX setting
later, if desired.

        * *   D O L B Y   * *

M O D E :  

D O L B Y  

           

D I G I T A L

N I G H T :   O F F   M I D   M A X

B A C K   T O   S U R R   S E L E C T

* *   D E L A Y   A D J U S T   * *

C E N T E R               : 1 0 F T

S U R R O U N D           : 1 0 F T

S U R R   B A C K         : 1 0 F T

U N I T :     F E E T       M E T E R

B A C K   T O   M A S T E R   M E N U

26 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

When the setting has been made, press the

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

D so that the 

›

cursor is next to

BACK T O SURR SELECT

, and press the

Set button 

F to return to the 

SURROUND

SELECT

menu.

Note that the Night mode may be adjusted
directly any time that Dolby Digital surround
mode is selected by pressing the Night button
B. When the button is pressed, the words 

D-RANGE

followed by the current setting

(

MID

,

MAX

,

OFF

) will appear in the lower

third of the video screen and in the Main
Information Display ˜. Press the 

⁄

/

¤

but-

tons 

D within five seconds to select the desired

setting, then press Set 

F to confirm the set-

ting.

Output Level Adjustment
Output level adjustment is a key part of the
configuration of any surround-sound product. It is
particularly important for a digital receiver such
as the AVR 5550, as correct outputs ensure that
you hear sound tracks with the proper
directionality and intensity.

NOTE: Listeners are often confused 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 ambience, 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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The output level can be
adjusted for each digital and analog surround
mode individually. This allows you to compensate
for level differences between speakers, that may
also vary with the surround mode selected, or to
increase or decrease the level of certain speakers
intentionally, depending on the surround mode
selected. Note that adjustments made for any
surround mode are effective with all inputs asso-
ciated with the same surround mode.

Before beginning the output level adjustment
process, make certain that all speaker connec-
tions have been properly made. The system
volume should be turned down at first. Finally,
make certain that the Balance Control Ò is
set to the center “12 o’clock” position.

Using EzSet
Harman Kardon’s exclusive EzSet remote makes it
possible to quickly and accurately set the
AVR 5550’s output levels without the use of a
sound pressure meter, although manual adjust-
ment is also available. However, for the easiest
set-up, follow these steps while seated in the lis-
tening position that will be used most often:

1. Make certain that all speaker positions have

been properly configured for their “large” or
“small” settings (as outlined above) and turn
off the OSD system if it is in use.

2. Adjust the volume so that it is at - 1 5, as

shown in the on-screen display or Main
Information Display ˜.

3. Select any input associated with the surround

mode for which you want to adjust the output
levels. Remember that the same adjustments
must be made with all other surround modes
you´ve in use.

4. Hold the remote in front of you, being sure not

to cover the EzSet Sensor Microphone

-

at the top of the remote and aim it at the AVR
5550, don´t hold it vertically (like a micro-
phone).

5. Press and hold the SPL Indicator Select

* for three seconds. Release it

when the Program/SPL Indicator

2 stops

flashing and remains lit. Press the 5 Button
H on the remote if your system is configured
for 5.1 operation with standard speakers or
when it is configured for 7.1 operation but the
surround back speakers are not in use with the
surround mode currently selected. Press the 7
Button

H on the remote only if your system

is configured for 6.1/7.1 operation with a full
speaker complement including rear surround
speakers and the surround back speakers are
in use with the surround mode selected. Note
that all speakers currently in use always are
indicated by the Speaker/Channel
Indicators E in the front panel display. Once
the correct channel configuration button has
been pressed the test noise will be heard from
the front left speaker.

6. At this point, EzSet will take over, adjusting

the output level of each channel so that when
the process is complete all levels will be equal
and at the set reference point. This process
may take a few minutes, depending on the
extent of adjustment required.

7. During the adjustment, you will see the loca-

tion of the channel position being adjusted
appear in the on-screen display (if connected)
and in the Main Information Display ˜,
alternating with a readout of the output set-
ting, relative to the reference volume level.
As the adjustment proceeds, a few things will
happen simultaneously:

• The channel position being adjusted will flash

in the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators
E. If the test noise is heard from a channel
other than the one shown in the Indicator, the
on-screen display or the front panel display,
there is an error in the speaker connections. If
this is the case, press the Test Button

8

TWICE to stop the adjustment. Then, turn the
unit off and verify that all speakers are con-
nected to the proper Outputs

.

Afterwards start the adjusting process again
from the beginning.

• As the individual channels are set, the channel

name and the adjustment offset will appear in
the on-screen display (if connected) and the
Main Information Display ˜. While the
level is changing, the Program/SPL Indicator
2 will change colors to reflect the output
level in relation to the reference.
A red indication shows that the level is too
high, while an orange indication shows that the
level is too low. When the indicator is green,
the level is correct, and the test noise will move
to the next channel.

• While adjustments are being made, the red LED

under the AVR Selector f will flash. This is
normal, and indicates that EzSet is operating.

8. After the test noise has circulated once

through each channel, it will send the tone to
each channel once again, to verify the settings.

9. After two complete circulations of the tone, the

levels are set. The Program/SPL Indicator
2 will remain green at each channel. Upon
completion of the second circulation, the
Program/SPL Indicator

2 will flash green

twice and then go out. The tone will stop and
the AVR 5550 will return to normal operation.

If you find that the output levels chosen by EzSet
are either much lower or much higher than the
"0dB" reference setting or even at the limits of
the +/-10dB variation range for the output levels,
depending on the sensitivity of the speakers in
use and your specific room layout, you may
repeat the procedure. Return to Step 2 and adjust
the master volume either higher or lower appro-
priately to the output levels set previously (e.g.
when levels were set to about "–7dB" reduce
the master volume for 7dB), to accommodate
your particular room layout and your speakers.

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION  27

You may repeat this procedure as many times as
necessary to achieve a desired result. In order to
prevent possible damage to your hearing or your
equipment, we emphasize that you should avoid
setting the master volume above 0dB.

NOTE: The subwoofer output is not adjusted
when the test tone is in use. To adjust the
subwoofer output you must use an external
source, following the instructions on page 36.

Manual Output Level Adjustment
Output levels may also be adjusted manually,
either to set them to a specific level with an SPL
meter, or to make fine tuning adjustments to the
levels obtained using the EzSet remote.

Manual output level adjustment is most easily
done through the 

CHANNEL ADJUST

menu (Figure 8). If you are already at the main
menu, press the 

¤

D until the on-

screen 

›

cursor is next to the 

CHANNEL

ADJUST

line. If you are not at the main

menu, press the OSD Button v to bring up
the MASTER M E N U (Figure 1), and then
press the 

¤

D four times so that the

on-screen 

›

cursor is next to the 

CHANNEL

ADJUST

line. Press the Set Button

F to

bring the 

CHANNEL ADJUST

menu

(Figure 8) to the screen.

Once the menu appears on your video screen,
first use the 

⁄

D to move the on-

screen 

›

cursor so that it is next to the TEST

TONE line. Press the 

‹

/

›

E&

so that ON is highlighted.

You will hear a test noise circulate from speaker
to speaker in a clockwise direction around the
room. The test noise will play for two seconds in
each speaker before circulating, and a blinking
on-screen cursor will appear next to the name of
each speaker location when the sound is at that
speaker. Now turn up the volume until you can
hear the noise clearly.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because this test noise will
have a much lower level than normal music, the
volume must be lowered after the adjustment for
all channels is made, but BEFORE you return to
the main menu and the test tone turns off.

NOTE: Remember 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
comes from a speaker location that does NOT
match the position indicated in the display, turn
the AVR 5550 off using the Main Power
Switch 1 and check the speaker wiring or
connections to external power amplifiers to make
certain that each speaker is connected to the
correct output terminal.

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 speaker as a reference, press the 

‹

/

›

E& on the remote to bring all

speakers to the same volume level. When one of
the 

‹

/

›

buttons is pushed, the test noise circula-

tion will pause on the channel being adjusted to
give you time to make the adjustment. When you
release the button, the circulation will resume
after five seconds. The on-screen cursor 

›

and the

test noise can also be moved directly to the
speaker to be adjusted by pressing the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

D on the remote.

Continue to adjust the individual channels until
the volume level sounds the same from each
speaker. Note that adjustments should be made
with the 

‹

/

›

E& on the remote

only, NOT the main volume controls.

If you are using a sound-pressure level (SPL)
meter for precise level adjustment with the test
tone, open the main Volume Control 

) to -

15dB and set the individual output level for each
channel so that the meter reads 75dB,
C-Weighted Slow. After all settings are made turn
the main volume down.

You may also adjust the output levels manually
while using the level indication feature of the
EzSet remote. To activate the sensor and indica-
tor, simply press and release the SPL Indicator
Select Button

* on the remote while the test

tone is circulating and set the main Volume
Control

) to -15dB (respectively higher or

lower, if needed, as outlined above).
The Program/SPL Indicator

2 will change

color to indicate the level. Adjust the level using
the 

‹

/

›

E& on the remote until

the LED lights green for all channels. When it is
red, the level is too high; when it is orange, the
level is too low. Press the SPL Indicator Select
* button when you are finished to turn the
sensor and Indicator off.

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 36.

*   C H A N N E L   A D J U S T   *

F L     :   0 d B     S B R   :   0 d B          

C E N   :   0 d B     S B L   :   0 d B

F R     :   0 d B     S L     :   0 d B

S R     :   0 d B     S U B   :   0 d B

C H A N N E L   R E S E T :

O F F

  O N

T E S T   T O N E         :

O F F

  O N

B A C K   T O   M A S T E R   M E N U

28 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

When all channels have an equal volume level,
the adjustment is complete. Now turn the
Volume

) down to about -40dB, otherwise

the listening level may be too high as soon as
the source’s music starts to play. To exit this
menu, press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

D until the on-

screen 

›

cursor is next to the B A C K T O

MASTER M E N U line, and then press the
Set Button

F to return to the MASTER

MENU

.

The output levels may also be adjusted at any
time using the remote control and semi-OSD sys-
tem. To adjust the output levels in this fashion,
press the Test Button

8. As soon as the 

button is pressed, the test tone will begin to 
circulate as indicated earlier. The correct channel
from which the test noise should be heard will
be shown in the lower third of the video screen
and in the Main Information Display ˜.
While the test noise is circulating, the proper
channel position will also be indicated in the
Speaker/Channel Input Indicators E by a
blinking letter within the correct channel. Turn
up the Volume

) until you can hear the test

noise clearly.

To adjust the output level, press the 

⁄

/

¤

but-

tons 

D until the desired level is shown in the

display or on screen. Once the buttons are
released, the test noise will begin to circulate
again in five seconds.

When all channels have the same output level,
turn the Volume

) down to about -40dB,

otherwise the listening level may be too high as
soon as the source’s music starts to play.
Afterwards press the Test Tone Selector

8

button again to turn the test tone off and 
complete the process.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Output level adjust-
ment made will be effective for all inputs, but
only for the actual surround mode selected. To
be effective for any other mode select that mode
(with any input) and repeat the level adjustment
described above. This will also allow you to com-
pensate level differences between speakers, that
may be different with each surround mode, or to
increase or decrease the level of certain speakers
intentionally, depending on the surround mode
selected.

Note: Output level adjustment is not available
for the VMAx or Surround Off mode, as no
surround speakers are used (so level differences
between the speakers in the room cannot
occur). But to compensate level differences
between stereo, VMAx and other surround
modes (independently from the input selected)
the outputs can be adjusted with the Level Trim
Adjustment procedure, see page 35, also for the
Surround Off (Stereo) and VMAx modes.

Once the settings outlined on the previous
pages have been made, the AVR 5550 is ready
for operation. While there are some additional
settings to be made, these are best done after
you have had an opportunity to listen to a
variety of sources and different kinds of program
material. These advanced settings are described
on pages 37 to 38 of this manual. In addition,
any of the settings made in the initial
configuration of the unit may be changed at any
time. As you add new or different sources or
speakers, or if you wish to change a setting to
better reflect your listening taste, simply follow
the instructions for changing the settings for
that parameter as shown in this section.

Note that any settings changed at any time, also
when the discrete buttons are used only, will be
stored in memory in the AVR 5550, also if it´s
turned off completely, unless it will be reset (see
page 50).

Having completed the setup and configuration
process for your AVR 5550, you are about 
to experience the finest in music and home-
theater listening. Enjoy!