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OPERATION  29

However to create wider, enveloping sound field
environments and more defined pans and fly-
overs with all analog stereo and surround record-
ings select Harman Kardon’s exclusive Logic 7
mode, that creates a stereophonic left and right
rear signal, just as recorded in real life (e.g.
sound being recorded from left rear side will be
heard from that side only) for a dramatic
improvement in comparison to Dolby Pro Logic.

NOTE: Once a program has been encoded with
matrix surround information, it retains the sur-
round information as long as the program is
broadcast in stereo. Thus, movies with surround
sound may be decoded via any of the analog sur-
round modes such as Pro Logic or Logic 7, when
they are broadcast via conventional TV stations,
cable, pay TV and satellite transmission. In addi-
tion, a growing number of made-for-television
programs, sports broadcasts, radio dramas and
music CDs are also recorded in surround sound.
You may view a list of these programs at the Dolby
Laboratories Web site at www.dolby.com.

When a program is not listed as carrying inten-
tional surround information, you may find that the
Pro Logic, Dolby 3 Stereo or Logic 7 modes often
deliver enveloping surround presentations through
the use of the natural surround information pres-
ent in all stereo recordings. However, for pure
stereo programs without any surround information
(e.g. some old ”extreme” stereo recordings) and
for mono programs, we suggest that you try the
Theater or Hall modes. And when you use only
two front channel speakers you should select
Harman’s patented VMAx mode, delivering a virtu-
ally three dimensional sound space with two
speakers only.

Surround modes are selected using either the
front panel controls or the remote. To select a
surround mode from the front panel, press the
Surround Mode Selector 7 to scroll through
the list of available modes. To select a surround
mode using the remote, press the Surround
Mode Selector

 , and then press the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

6 to change the mode. As you press

the buttons, the Surround mode name will
appear in the Main Information Display W,
and an individual mode indicator will also light
up B D G H I J K. As the surround
modes change, a green LED will light next to the
current mode in the Surround Mode
Indicators list ı on the front panel.

Note that the Dolby Digital or DTS modes may
only be selected when a digital input is in use. In
addition, when a digital source is present, the
AVR 7000 will automatically select and switch to
the correct mode (Dolby Digital or DTS), regard-
less of the mode that has been previously select-
ed. For more information on selecting digital
sources, see the following section of this manual.

To listen to a program in traditional two channel
stereo, using the front left and front right speak-
ers only (plus the subwoofer if installed and con-
figured), follow the instructions shown above for
using the remote until SURR OFF appears
in the Main Information Display W.

Digital audio is a major advancement over past
systems such as Dolby Pro Logic. It delivers five dis-
crete channels: left front, center, right front, left sur-
round and right surround. Each channel reproduces
full frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz) and offers
dramatically improved dynamic range and signifi-
cant improvements to signal-to-noise ratios. In
addition, digital systems have the capability to
deliver an additional channel that is specifically
devoted to low frequency information. This is the
“.1” channel referred to when you see these sys-
tems descibed as “5.1”. The bass channel is sepa-
rate from the other channels, but since it is inten-
tionally bandwidth limited, sound designers have
given it that unique designation.

Dolby Digital Dolby Digital (originally known as
AC-3

®

) is available on DVD, and specially encoded

LD discs and satellite broadcasts and is a part of
the coming high definition television (HDTV) sys-
tem.

Note that an optional, external RF demodulator
is required to use the AVR 7000 to listen to the
Dolby Digital sound tracks available on laser
discs. Connect the RF output of the LD player to
the demodulator and then connect the digital
output of the demodulator to the Optical or
Coaxial inputs °· of the AVR 7000. No
demodulator is required for use with DVD players
or DTS-encoded laser discs.

DTS
DTS is another digital audio system that is capa-
ble of delivering 5.1 audio. Although both DTS
and Dolby Digital are digital, they use different
methods of encoding the signals, and thus they
require different decoding circuits to convert the
digital signals back to analog.

DTS-encoded sound tracks are available on select
DVD and LD discs, as well as on special audio-
only DTS CDs. You may use any LD, DVD or CD
player equipped with a digital output to play
DTS-encoded special audio-only CDs with the
AVR 7000, but DTS-LDs can be played on LD
players and DTS-DVDs on DVD players only. All
that is required is to connect the player’s output
to either the Optical or Coaxial input on the
rear panel °·.

In order to listen to DVDs encoded with DTS
sound tracks, the DVD player must be compatible
with the DTS signal as indicated by a DTS logo
on the player’s front panel. Note that early DVD
players may not be able to play DTS- encoded
DVDs. This does not indicate a problem with the
AVR 7000, as some players cannot pass the DTS
signal through to the digital outputs. If you are in
doubt as to the capability of your DVD player to
handle DTS DVDs, consult the player’s owner’s
manual.

PCM Audio Playback
PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is the non- com-
pressed digital audio system used for compact
discs, Non-Dolby Digital/DTS Laserdiscs and some
special PCM encoded DVDs. The digital circuits in
the AVR 7000 are capable of high quality digital-
to-analog decoding, and they may be connected
directly to the digital audio output of your
CD/DVD or LD player (LD only for PCM or DTS
programs, for Dolby Digital laser discs an RF
adapter is needed, see above).

Connections may be made to either the Optical
or Coaxial inputs °· on the rear panel.

To listen to a PCM digital source, first select the
input for the desired source (e.g., CD) to feed its
video signal (if any) to the TV monitor and to
provide its analog audio signal for recording.
Next press the Digital Select button 

A

and then use the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

6 on the

remote, or the Selector buttons 5 on the front
panel, until the desired choice appears in the
Main Information Display W, then press the
Set button (

8 to confirm the choice.

When a PCM source is playing, the PCM indica-
tor A will light. During PCM playback you may
select any surround mode except Dolby Digital or
DTS. When an HDCD encoded disc is being
played (see below) and the CD player is connect-
ed to the AVR 7000 via a digital connection,
select Surround Off as the Surround mode to
enjoy the benefits of the HDCD process.

Playback from PCM sources may also benefit
from the Logic 7. When playing back a surround-
encoded PCM source, such as an LD or surround-
encoded CD, use the Logic 7 C or Cinema mode.
When playing true stereo recordings, use the
Logic 7 M or Music mode for a wider sound
stage and increased rear channel ambience.

HDCD
HDCD, which stands for High Definition
Compatible Digital

®

, is a sophisticated process

that enables the AVR 7000 to deliver outstanding
digital-to-analog decoding of PCM signals from
any DVD or CD player, connected to a digital
input on the AVR 7000, no matter what type of
CD or DVD is played and even when normal,

30 OPERATION

Non-HDCD-compatible players are used (only a
digital output is needed).

When a CD with the HDCD logo is played, the
AVR 7000 is able to take advantage of the spe-
cial recording process that is used in the creation
of HDCD disc. The special circuitry enables audio
with extraordinary fidelity, stunning resolution
and the highest possible overall quality.

The AVR 7000 will automatically sense that it is
an HDCD recording and the HDCD indicator A
will illuminate on the front panel to remind you
that an HDCD disc is playing.

It is important to note that the HDCD process is
completely compatible with standard recordings.
Indeed, the high-quality digital-to-analog 
circuitry, that is part of HDCD and the HDCD
decoder chip, replacing the monolithic digital 
filters used in conventional DACs, will enable
enhanced performance also with normal,
Non-HDCD encoded program material.

Selecting a Digital Source
To utilize either digital mode you must have
properly connected a digital source to the
AVR 7000. Connect the digital outputs from DVD
players, HDTV receivers, satellite systems or CD
players to the Optical or Coaxial inputs on the
rear panel °·. In order to provide a backup
signal and a source for analog stereo recording,
the analog outputs provided on digital source
equipment should also be connected to their
appropriate inputs on the AVR 7000 rear panel
(e.g., connect the analog stereo audio output
from a DVD to the DVD inputs j on the rear
panel when you connect the source’s digital out-
puts).

When playing a digital source such as DVD, first
select its analog input (DVD) using the remote or
front-panel controls to feed its video signal to
the TV monitor and to provide its analog audio
signal for recording. Next, select the digital input
connected with the DVD player by pressing the
Digital Input Selector button 

A  and

then using the 

⁄

¤

buttons 

6 on the remote

or the Selector buttons 5 on the front panel to
choose either of the OPTICAL or COAXI-
AL

inputs, as they appear in the Main

Information Display W or on screen display.
Press the Set button 

8 ( to enter the

desired choice. Note, that a digital input (e.g.
coaxial) remains associated with any analog
input (e.g. DVD) as soon as it was selected, thus
the digital input needs not to be re-selected each
time the appropriate input choice (e.g. DVD) is
made.

Digital Status Indicators
When a digital source is playing, the AVR 7000
senses the type of bitstream data that is present.
Using this information, the correct surround
mode will automatically be selected. For exam-
ple, DTS bitstreams will cause the unit to switch
to DTS decoding, and Dolby Digital bitstreams
will enable Dolby Digital decoding. When the unit
senses PCM data, as is present from CDs and LDs
and some music DVDs, the unit will allow the
appropriate surround sources to be selected
manually. Since the range of available surround
modes depends on the type of digital data that is
present, the AVR 7000 uses a variety of indica-
tors to let you know what type of signal is pres-
ent. This will help you to understand the choice
of modes and the input channels recorded on the
disc.

When a digital source is playing, a Bitstream
Indicator A will light to show which type of
signal is playing:

A C - 3

: When the AC-3* indicator lights, a

Dolby Digital bitstream is being received.
Depending on the audio track selected on the
source player and number of channels on the
disc, different surround modes are possible. Note
that only one channel without subwoofer, called
”1.0” audio, or all five channels with subwoofer
(”5.1” audio) or all steps between can be record-
ed on digitally surround encoded audio tracks
(see NOTE below). With all those tracks, except
”2.0” audio, only the Dolby Digital and VMAx
modes are available. When the Dolby Digital sig-
nal is only two channel (”2.0”) these two chan-
nels (l and r) often contain Pro Logic surround
informations. With those tracks the AVR7000
automatically switches to the Pro Logic mode,
but you may turn Pro Logic off manually or you
may also select the Vmax mode.

D T S

: When the DTS indicator lights, a DTS bit-

stream is being received. When the unit senses
this type of data, only the DTS mode may be
used.

P C M

: When the PCM indicator lights, a stan-

dard Pulse Code Modulation, or PCM, signal is
being received. This is the type of digital audio
used by conventional compact disc and laser disc
recordings. When a PCM bitstream is present, all
modes except Dolby Digital and DTS are avail-
able. Note that the PCM signal format can be
selected on the DVD player with any audio track,
even with Dolby Digital tracks. So, if selected,
even ”2.0” D.D. audio tracks can be played with
all surround modes, also with the most effective
Logic 7.

H D C D

: When the HDCD

®

indicator lights in

conjunction with the PCM indicator, the CD that
is playing is encoded through the special High
Definition Compatible Digital

®

process. HDCD

discs use 20-bit encoding and other proprietary
processing to provide the ultimate in CD listening
(see page 29). Note that HDCD processing is only
available in the Stereo or Surround Off mode.

In addition to the bitstream indicators, the AVR
7000 features a set of unique channel input indi-
cators that tell you how many channels of digital
information are being received and if the digital
signal is interrupted.

These indicators are the L/C/R/LS/RS/LFE letters
that are inside the center boxes of the
Speaker/Channel Input Indicators P in the front
panel Information Display Ò. When a stan-
dard analog stereo or matrix surround signal is in
use, only the “L” and “R” indicators will light, as
analog signals have only left and right channels,
respectively, even surround recordings, carrying
surround information on the left and right chan-
nels only.

Digital signals, however, may have one to six sep-
arate channels, depending on the program mate-
rial, the method of transmission and the way in
which it was encoded. When a digital signal is
playing, the letters in these indicators will light in
response to the specific signal being received. It
is important to note that although Dolby Digital,
for example, is referred to as a “5.1” system, not
all Dolby Digital DVD or audio tracks selected on
DVD or other Dolby Digital programs are encod-
ed for 5.1. Thus, it is sometimes normal for a
DVD with a Dolby Digital soundtrack to trigger
only the “L” and “R” indicators.

NOTE: Many DVD discs are recorded with both
“5.1” and “2.0” versions of the same sound-
track, the ”2.0” version often is used with other
languages. When playing a DVD, always be cer-
tain to check the type of material on the disc.
Most discs show this information in the form of a
listing or icon on the back of the disc jacket.
When a disc does offer multiple soundtrack
choices you may have to make some adjustments
to your DVD player (usually with the “Audio
Select” button or in a menu screen on the disc)
to send a full 5.1 feed to the AVR 7000 or to
select the appropriate audio track and thus lan-
guage (”2.0” audio tracks can be played with all
surround modes, even with Logic 7, see indicator
”PCM” left on that page). It is also possible for
the type of signal feed to change during the
course of a DVD playback. In some cases the pre-
views of special material will only be recorded in
2.0 audio, while the main feature is available in
5.1 audio. As long as your DVD player is set for 

OPERATION  31

6-channel output, the AVR 7000 will automati-
cally sense changes to the bitstream and channel
count and reflect them in these indicators.

The letters used by the Speaker/Channel Input
Indicators P also flash to indicate when a bit-
stream has been interrupted. This will happen
when a digital input source is selected before the
playback starts, or when a digital source such as
a DVD is put into a Pause mode. The flashing
indicators remind you that the playback has
stopped due to the absence of a digital signal
and not through any fault of the AVR. This is nor-
mal, and the digital playback will resume once
the playback is started again.

Night Mode A special feature of Dolby Digital is
the Night mode, which enables AC-3 input
sources to be played back with full digital intelli-
gibilty while reducing the maximum peak level
and lifting the low levels by 

1

/

4

to 

1

/

3

. This pre-

vents abruptly loud transitions from disturbing
others without reducing the impact of the digital
source. The Night mode is available only when
Dolby Digital mode is selected.

The Night mode may be engaged when a Dolby
Digital DVD is playing by pressing the Night
Button 

P on the remote. Next, press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons 

6 to select either the middle range or

full compression versions of the Night mode. To
turn the Night mode off, press the 

⁄

/

¤

buttons

6 until the message in the lower third of the
video display and the Main Information
Display W reads D-Range Off. When the Night
mode is active, the Night Mode Indicator N
will also illuminate.

The Night mode may also be selected to always
be on at either level of compression using the
options in the Surround Setup Menu. See page
25 for information on using the menus to set this
option.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON DIGITAL PLAYBACK:
1. When the digital playback source is stopped,
or in a pause, fast forward or chapter search
mode, the digital audio data will momentarily
stop, and the channel position letters inside the
Speaker/Channel Indicators P will flash.
This is normal and does not indicate a problem
with either the AVR 7000 or the source machine.
The AVR 7000 will return to digital playback as
soon as the data is available and when the
machine is in a standard play mode.

2. Although the AVR 7000 will decode virtually all
DVD movies, CDs and HDTV sources, it is possible
that some future digital sources may not be com-
patible with the AVR 7000.

3. Note that not all digitally encoded programs
contain full 5.1-channel audio. Consult the pro-
gram guide that accompanies the DVD or laser
disc to determine which type of audio has been
recorded on the disc. The AVR 7000 will auto-
matically sense the type of digital surround
encoding used, indicate it in the Bitstream
Indicators A and Channel Input Indicators
P

and adjust to accommodate it.

4. When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is playing,
you normally may not be able to select some of
the analog surround modes such as Dolby Pro
Logic, Dolby 3, Stereo, Hall, Theater or Logic 7,
except with special audio tracks (see indication
”AC-3” above) or data format selected (see
”PCM” above).

5. When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is playing,
it is not possible to make an analog recording
using the Tape ‚ and VID 1 h record outputs,
if the source is connected to any digital input of
the AVR7000 only. But the analog two channel
signal of that source, the ”Downmix” to Stereo
or Dolby Surround, can be recorded by connect-
ing its analog audio outputs to the appropriate
analog inputs (e.g. DVD) of the AVR7000, even if
the digital input of the AVR7000 remains select-
ed. Additionally, the digital signals will be passed
through to the Digital Audio Outputs ‡.

The AVR 7000’s tuner is capable of tuning AM,
FM and FM Stereo broadcast stations and receiv-
ing RDS data. Stations may be tuned manually, or
they may be stored as favorite station presets and
recalled from a 30 position memory.

Station Selection
1. Press the AM/FM Tuner Select button 

D

on the remote to select the tuner as an input. The
tuner may be selected from the front panel by
either pressing the Input Source Selector !
until the tuner is active or by pressing the Tuner
Band Selector 9 at any time.

2. Press the AM/FM Tuner Select button 

D

or Tuner Band Selector 9 again to switch
between AM and FM so that the desired frequen-
cy band is selected.

3. Press the Tuner Mode button 

E on the

remote or hold the Band Selector 9 on the
front panel pressed for 2 seconds to select manu-
al or automatic tuning.

When the AUTO indicator V is illuminated in the
Main Information Display the tuner will only stop
at those stations that have a strong enough signal
to be received with acceptable quality.

When the AUTO indicator V is not illuminated,
the tuner is in a manual mode and will stop at
each frequency increment in the selected band.

4. To select stations press any Tuning button 8
N. When the AUTO indicator V is illumin-
ated, press the button to cause the tuner to
search for the next highest or lowest frequency
station that has an acceptable signal or hold the
button pressed to tune more quickly and release
it to start the auto search. In the Auto mode the
tuner will play each station in stereo or mono
mode, just as the program is transmitted. If the
AUTO indicator V is not illuminated, tap the
Tuning button 8

N to advance one frequency

increment at a time, or press and hold it to locate
a specific station. When the TUNED indicator U
illuminates, the station is properly tuned and
should be heard with clarity.

5. Stations may also be tuned directly by pressing
the Direct button 

K, and then pressing the

G that correspond to the sta-

tion’s frequency. The desired station will auto-
matically be tuned after the latest number is
entered. If you press an incorrect button while
entering a direct frequency, press the Clear but-
ton 

L to start over.

NOTE: When the FM reception of a stereo
station is weak, audio quality will be increased
by switching to Mono mode by pressing the

32 OPERATION

Tuner Mode button 

E on the remote or hold-

ing the Band Selector 9 on the front panel
pressed for 2 second until the STEREO indi-
cator T goes out.

Preset Tuning
Using the remote, up to 30 stations may be
stored in the AVR 7000’s memory for easy recall
using the front panel controls or the remote.

To enter a station into the memory, first tune the
station using the steps outlined above. Then:

1. Press the Memory button 

F on the remote.

Note that Memory indicator S will illumi-
nate and flash in the Information Display Ò.

2. Within five seconds, press the Numeric Keys
G corresponding to the location where you
wish to store this station’s frequency.

3. Repeat the process after tuning any additional
stations to be preset.

Recalling Preset Stations
• To manually select a station previously entered
in the preset memory, press the Numeric Keys
G that correspond to the desired station’s
memory location.

• To manually tune through the list of stored pre-
set stations one by one, press the Preset
Stations Selector buttons )

M on the front

panel or remote.

The AVR 7000 is equipped with RDS (Radio Data
System), which brings a wide range of informa-
tion to FM radio. Now in use in many countries,
RDS is a system for transmitting station call signs
or network information, a description of station
program type, text messages about the station or
specifics of a musical selection, and the correct
time.

As more FM stations become equipped with RDS
capabilities, the AVR 7000 will serve as an easy-
to-use center for both information and entertain-
ment. This section will help you take maximum
advantage of the RDS system.

RDS Tuning
When an FM station is tuned in and it contains
RDS data, the RDS Indicator AC will illuminate
and the AVR 7000 will automatically display the
station’s call sign or other program service in the
Main Information Display W.

RDS Display Options
The RDS system is capable of transmitting a
wide variety of information in addition to the ini-
tial station call sign that appears when a station
is first tuned. In normal RDS operation the dis-
play will indicate the station name, broadcast
network or call letters. Pressing the RDS button
@

% enables you to cycle through the various

data types in the following sequence:

• The station’s call letters (with some private
stations other information too).

• The station’s frequency.

• The Program Type (PTY) as shown in the list
below. The PTY Indicator AB will illuminate
when this data is being received.

• A “text” message (Radiotext, RT) containing
special information from the broadcast station.
Note that this message may scroll across the dis-
play to permit messages longer than the eight
positions in the display. Depending on signal
quality, it may take up to 30 seconds for the text
message to appear; in that time, the word
TEXT

will flash in the Information Display when

RT is selected. The RT Indicator Z will illumi-
nate when text data is being received and ready
to be displayed.

• The current time of day (CT). Note that it may
take up to two minutes for the time to appear, in
that time the word TIME will flash in the infor-
mation display when CT is selected. The CT
Indicator AA will illuminate when time data is
being received. Please note that the accuracy of
the time data is dependent on the radio station,
not the AVR 7000.

Some RDS stations may not include some of
these additional features. If the data required for
the selected mode is not being transmitted, the
Main Information Display W will show a
NO TYPE

, NO TEXT or NO TIME mes-

sage after the individual time out.

In any FM mode the RDS function requires a
strong enough signal for proper operation. If you
receive a partial message, or any of the RDS,
PTY, CT or RT Indicators AC AB AA Z
going on and off, try slowly adjusting the anten-
na or tune to another stronger RDS station.

Program Search (PTY)
An important feature of RDS is its capability of
encoding broadcasts with Program Type (PTY)
codes that indicate the type of material being
broadcast. The following list shows the abbrevia-
tions used to indicate each PTY, along with an
explanation of the PTY:

• (RDS ONLY)

• (TRAFFIC)

• NEWS: News

• AFFAIRS: Current Affairs

• INFO: Infomation

• SPORT: Sports

• EDUCATE: Educational

• DRAMA: Drama

• CULTURE: Culture

• SCIENCE: Science

• VARIED: Varied Speech Programs

• POPM: Popular Music

• ROCKM: Rock Music

• M.O.R.M.: Middle-of-the-Road Music

• LIGHTM: Classical Music

• CLASSICS: Serious Classical Music

• OTHERM: Other Music

• WEATHER: Weather Information

• FINANCE: Financial Programs

• CHILDREN: Children’s Programs

• SOCIAL A: Social Affairs Programs

• RELIGION: Religious Broadcasts

• PHONE IN: Phone-In Programs

• TRAVEL: Travel and Touring