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REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS  9

The remote is capable of operating the HK 3480
and most Harman Kardon CD changers or players,
CD Recorders and Tape decks, using the control
codes that are part of the remote.

å Main Power On: When the HK 3480 is in
the Standby mode, as indicated by the Power
Indicator 3 glowing amber, press this button to
turn the HK 3480 on.

∫ Main Power Off: When the HK 3480 is
turned on, press this button to place it in the
Standby mode. Note that in this condition, the
unit is still connected to AC Power.

ç Source Selectors: Press these buttons to
select an input source for the HK 3480.

NOTE: The first press of the Video 3 Source
Selector ç will select the device connected to the
rear-panel Video 3 Audio/Video Inputs

. Press

the Video 3 Source Selector ç again until the
dot to the left of the Video 3 Input Indicator ˆ
flashes to select the device connected to the front-
panel Video 3 Audio/Video Inputs 1. Each addi-
tional press of the Video 3 Source Selector ç
will toggle between the front- and rear-panel Video
3 Audio/Video Inputs

1.

∂ Preset Up/Down: When the tuner is in use,
these buttons scroll through the stations that
have been programmed into the HK 3480’s mem-
ory. These buttons also control the track Skip Up
and Down on compatible Harman Kardon com-
pact disc players/changers, CD-Recorders and cas-
sette decks (with that function).

≠ Transport Controls: These buttons are used to
control Play, Play Forward, Play Reverse, Stop, Pause
and Record functions on compatible Harman Kardon
compact disc players/changers and cassette tape
decks. Also, when a compatible Harman Kardon
compact disc player or changer, or cassette deck,
has been selected using the Source Selectors
ç, additional transport control functions are
available using the Preset Up/Down ∂ and
Tuning Up/Down ü buttons.

ƒ Disc Skip: These buttons do not have any
functions when controlling the HK 3480, but they
operate the Disc Skip functions of compatible
Harman Kardon compact disc changers.

© Sleep Button: Press this button to place the
unit in the Sleep mode. Each press of the button
selects the amount of time that will remain before
the unit will automatically go into the Standby
mode, as shown in the Main Information
Display Û, in the following order:

Holding the button pressed for some seconds will
directly turn off the Sleep time selection.

˙ Dimmer Button: Press this button once to
reduce the brightness of the front panel display to

half the normal intensity. Press it again to turn the
front panel display completely off. When the dis-
play is completely off, press the button to return to
normal brightness.

î Main Tuning Buttons: When the tuner is in
use, these buttons will tune up or down through
the selected frequency band. A brief press of the
button will manually tune to the next frequency
increment, while pressing and holding the button
for a longer period (>0.5 sec) will step quickly
through the frequencies. As soon as the button is
released the unit will automatically tune to the
next station with a signal strong enough for accep-
table reception. When a HK CD Recorder is in use
these buttons will select the transport (Play or
Record Deck).

∆ Direct Button: Press this button to select a
radio station by entering its frequency using the
Numeric Keys. (See page 12 for more informa-
tion.)

˚ Numeric Keys: These buttons serve as a ten-
button numeric keypad to enter tuner preset posi-
tions or track numbers with CD players/changers
or to tune stations directly.

¬ Auto Preset: When the tuner and FM band
have been selected, this button may be used to
automatically program the tuner presets for all
stations with acceptable signal strength. To start
the auto preset scan, press and hold the button.
Note that the MEMORY and PRESET indicators
will flash. Keep holding the button pressed until
the tuner will start to “look” for stations, as
shown by increasing frequency numbers in the
Information Display. Release the button and note
that the tuner will search the entire FM band and
stop briefly at each station that has acceptable
signal strength. The HK 3480 will automatically
assign a preset number to each station and then
search for the next station. If the FM tuner finds
fewer than 30 FM stations with acceptable signal
strength, the Auto Preset tuning will scan two
more cycles or until the remaining vacant preset
memory spaces have been filled with those found
in the first scan. The scan will stop when all 30
preset memory spaces have been filled or when
three scans through the band have been complet-
ed (see page 13 for more information).

µ Secondary Control Cover: This sliding
cover normally hides the secondary controls. To
access these controls, gently press the cover down
and towards you.

Ñ Clear Button: This button is used to clear pre-
set memory information for the HK 3480’s tuner.
(See page 13 for more information on tuner pre-
sets.)

ø Memory Button: Press this button to open a
memory position that stores a preset location for
the HK 3480’s tuner. (See page13 for more infor-
mation on tuner presets.)

π Master Volume: Press these buttons to raise
or lower the HK 3480’s volume.

œ P. Scan Button: Press this button to automat-
ically scan through the list of stations that are pro-
grammed into the HK 3480’s tuner memory. When
the button is pressed, each preset station will play
for five seconds before the next station is selected.
Press the button again when the desired station is
heard to stop the preset scan.

® Mute Button: Press this button to momen-
tarily silence the HK 3480.

ß FM Mode Button: Press this button when
the tuner is in use in the FM band to switch to
monaural reception if the stereo station is weak
and noisy. (See page12 for more information.)

† Tuning Up/Down: When the tuner is in use,
these buttons work in the same way as the Main
Tuning buttons î described above. But if CD or
Tape is in use, these buttons will also control Fast
Forward and Fast Reverse (or Rewind) for com-
patible Harman Kardon compact disc
players/changers, CD-Recorders and cassette tape
decks.

ü Speaker 1 Selector: Press this button to turn
the speakers connected to the Speaker 1 Output
terminals 

 on or off.

√ Speaker 2 Selector: Press this button to turn
the speakers connected to the Speaker 2 Output
terminals 

 on or off.

∑ Transmitter Window: Point this area of the
remote toward the receiver when using the
remote.

≈ Enter Button: This button has no function on
the HK 3480, but may be used as the Enter key for
a compatible Harman Kardon DVD Player or as the
Random Play button for a compatible CD Player.
(See page 16 for more information on using the
remote to control other devices.)

¥ RDS Display Button: Press this button to
view the various displays of the RDS options that
are available when a station is transmitting RDS
data. (See pages 13–14 for more information on
RDS tuning.)

Ω RDS PTY Button: Press this button to start a
search for a specific PTY type using the RDS capa-
bilities of the HK 3480. (See pages 
13-14 for more information on RDS tuning.)

a VMAx Selector: Press this button to engage
VMAx processing of a stereo input. The VMAx
Mode Indicator Ù will light, and you will
notice a wider, more spacious sound field. In
order to obtain maximum benefit, you should be
seated midway between the two loudspeakers,
and the same distance from the speakers as the
speakers are from each other. The speakers must
be placed facing parallel and evenly with each
other so that their baffles are in the same plane.
Press the button again to return to Stereo mode.

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10 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS

After unpacking the unit and placing it on a
solid surface capable of supporting its weight,
you will need to make the connections to your
audio and video equipment. These steps need to
be done only when the receiver is first installed
or when a change is made to the input source
equipment.

Audio Equipment Connections
We recommend that you use high-quality inter-
connect cables when making connections to
source equipment and recorders to preserve the
quality of the signals.

When making connections to audio source
equipment or speakers it is always a good prac-
tice to unplug the unit from the AC wall outlet.
This prevents any possibility of accidentally send-
ing audio or transient signals to the speakers
that may damage them.

1. Connect the analog output of a CD player to
the CD inputs 

.

NOTE: When the CD player has both fixed and
variable audio outputs, it is best to use the fixed
output unless you find that the input to the
receiver is so low that the sound is noisy, or so
high that the signal is distorted.

2. Connect the Play/Out jacks of a cassette deck,
CDR, MD or other audio recorder to the Tape
Monitor Play jacks 

. Connect the Record/In

jacks on the recorder to the Tape Monitor
Rec. Out jacks 

 on the HK 3480. When the

tape deck connected to these jacks is a three-
head unit or has off-head playback, it will be
possible to monitor the output of the source
being recorded.

3. Connect the audio and/or video outputs of a 
second audio recorder, VCR or other line-level
audio device to the Video 1 Audio/Video
Input Jacks

. If a recorder is used, connect

its Rec/In jacks to the matching outputs 

.

4. The audio output of any electronics product
with a line-level output, such as a TV set, satel-
lite receiver or DVD, may be connected to the
Aux jacks 

. Video 2 and Video 3

.

NOTE: In order to view the video signals of any
devices connected to the Video 1

 or Video 3  Video Inputs, you will need
to connect the Video Monitor Output

 jack

to the composite video input of your TV or other
video display device.

5. Connect the outputs of a turntable with a
moving magnet cartridge to the Phono inputs
. To insure that the phono playback is noise-
free, connect the ground wire from the tone-arm
to the Phono Ground terminal 

.

6. Assemble the AM Loop Antenna supplied with
the unit as shown below. Connect it to the AM
screw terminals 

.

7. Connect an FM antenna to the FM Antenna
connection 

. The FM antenna may be an

external roof antenna, an inside powered or wire
lead antenna or a connection from a cable sys-
tem. Note that if the antenna or connection uses
300-ohm twin-lead cable, you must use the
300-ohm-to-75-ohm adapter supplied with the
unit to make the connection.

8. If you wish to use external processing equip-
ment, such as an equalizer, you may connect the
device to the preamp-out and main-in jacks by
removing the Preamp-Out/Main-In Jumper
Pins

 and connecting the Preamp Out 

jacks to the inputs of the external device, and
the outputs of the device to the Main In

jacks.
Alternatively, you may connect the external
device to the Tape Monitor Loop. Connect the
Tape Monitor Record/Out jacks 

 to the

inputs of the external device, and connect the
outputs of the device to the Tape Monitor
Play/In jacks 

.

Speaker and Output Connections
Regardless of the brand of cable selected, we
recommend that you use a cable constructed of
fine, multistrand copper with an area of min.
2 mm

2

.

Cable with 1.5 mm

2

may be used for short runs

of less than 3 meters. We do not recommend
that you use cables with an area of 0.8 mm

2

or

smaller due to the power loss and degradation
in performance that will occur.

Questions about running cables inside walls
should be referred to an installer or a licensed
electrical contractor who is familiar with applica-
ble local building codes in your area.

When connecting wires to the speakers, be
certain to observe proper polarity. Remember to
connect the “negative” or “black” wire to the
same terminal on the receiver and the speaker.
Similarly, the “positive” or “red” wire should be
connected to the like terminals on the HK 3480
and speaker.

We also recommend that the length of cable
used to connect speaker pairs be identical. For
example, use the same length piece of cable to
connect the Speaker 1 left and right or
Speaker 2 left and right speakers, even if the
speakers are a different distance from the
HK 3480.

NOTE: While most speaker manufacturers
adhere to an industry convention of using black
terminals for negative and red ones for positive,
some manufacturers may vary from this configu-
ration. To assure proper phase, and optimal per-
formance, consult the identification plate on
your speaker, or the speaker’s manual to verify
polarity.
If you do not know the polarity of your speaker,
assure that both speakers are connected with
the same polarity, i.e. speaker wires or terminals
with any marking should be connected to the
red speaker terminals on the HK 3480, the oth-
ers to the black ones (see connections below).

Connect the speakers using the following steps:

1. Connect the main speakers to the Speaker 1
terminals 

.

2. Connect a second set of speakers, or speakers
that are in a second room location, to the
Speaker 2 terminals 

.

3. When an optional, powered subwoofer (not
the aktive Sub of a Sub/Sat-System) is used, con-
nect the outputs of the left and right Sub-
woofer Out jacks 

 to the line-level inputs of

the subwoofer. When the subwoofer’s amplifier
has stereo inputs, run interconnects from both
jacks. When the subwoofer has a mono input
only, use the bottom output jack for the connec-
tion. When a separate passive subwoofer is
used, these connections will be made to the
optional amplifier that powers the subwoofer.
If a Sub/Sat system is used (aktive or passive),
connect the Speaker 1 terminals 

 to the

speaker-level inputs on the subwoofer, and then
connect the speaker-level outputs on the sub-
woofer to your main left and right speakers, fol-
lowing the instructions provided with the sub-
woofer.

INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS  11

The HK 3480 is designed for flexible use with
external control components and power ampli-
fiers. These connections are easy to make during
an initial installation, or at a later date should
you choose to upgrade your system.

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, an optional remote sensor may be
used. Connect the output of the remote sensor
to the Remote IR In jack 

.

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

 to the Remote In jack

on Harman Kardon or other compatible equip-
ment.

External Audio Power Amplifier 
Connections
If desired, an optional, external amplifier may be
used in place of the HK 3480’s internal power
amplifier.

To connect an external power amplifier, first
remove the Pre-Out/Main-In Jumper Pins

that connect the Preamp Out

 and Main In

 jacks on the rear panel. Keep the jumpers in
a safe place should they be needed at a later
time.

Using high-quality audio interconnect cables,
connect the Preamp Out jacks 

 to the input

jacks on your power amplifier. Make certain to
match the right output to the right input and the
left output to the left input.

Note that when an external power amplifier is
used, no special adjustments are required. All
volume and other control adjustments are made
using the standard front panel or remote con-
trols.

AC Power Connections
This unit is equipped with an accessory AC out-
let. It may be used to power accessory devices,
but it should not be used with high-current draw
equipment such as power amplifiers. The total
power draw may not exceed 100W at this out-
let.

This Switched AC Outlet

 will receive

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

NOTE: Devices with electronic power switches
may only go into a Standby mode when plugged
in here.

Speaker Placement
For optimal listening enjoyment, and for sound-
field reproduction that best re-creates the origi-
nal recording, it is good practice to place the
speakers so that they form a triangle with the
speakers at the front of the room, and the pre-
ferred listening spot at the third point of the tri-
angle. The distance between each speaker and
the listener should be identical.

For example, if the speakers are 2,5 meters from
one another, each of the speakers should opti-
mally be placed so that they are also 2,5 meters
from the listener. It is also desirable to place
speakers so that their tweeters, or highfrequency
drivers, are aimed at ear height when you are
seated in the listening position.

A good starting point for speaker placement is to make
the distance between the two speakers and the distance
between either speaker and the listener identical.

To optimize the sound field, or to suit your lis-
tening room environment, you may find that
some experimentation is required to find the
correct location. Ideally, pans from left to right
across the front of the room should sound
smooth, and instruments should appear to be
coming from the proper location within an
orchestra.

The placement of subwoofers should be done as
suggested in the manufacturer’s instructions. In
general, subwoofers often produce best results
when they are placed in the corner of a room,
along the same wall as the speakers, but optimal
placement will vary widely depending on room
size, the subwoofer type and the placement of
rugs and furniture in a room. It may be helpful
to temporarily position the subwoofer in the
usual listening position, then walk around the
room while program material is playing until the
bass reproduction sounds best to your ears. That
location is likely to be the optimum position for
the subwoofer.

Finally, when all connections are complete, plug
the power cord into a nonswitched 230-volt AC
wall outlet. You’re ready to enjoy the HK 3480!

Right Front

Speaker

Left Front

Speaker

12 OPERATION

The HK 3480 is simple to operate, and very simi-
lar to stereo receivers you may have used in the
past. This section will explain the use of several
features that may be new to you.

• Install the two supplied AAA batteries in the
remote as shown. Be certain to observe the (+)
and (–) polarity indicators shown in the bottom
of the battery compartment.

• When using the HK 3480 for the first time, the
unit will be in a standby mode, as indicated by
the amber color of the Power Indicator 3.
Once the unit is in standby, you may begin a lis-
tening session by pressing the System Power
Control 2 on the front panel or the Main
Power On button å on the remote. Note that
the Power Indicator 3 will turn red, then
blue. This will turn the unit on and return it to the
input source that was last used. The unit may
also be turned on from standby by pressing any
of the Source Selector buttons on the front
panel 89!#$&Ú or remote ç.

To turn the unit off at the end of a listening ses-
sion simply press the System Power Control
2 on the front panel or the Main Power Off
button ∫ on the remote. This places the unit in
the Standby mode, and the Power Indicator
3 will turn amber to remind you that the unit is
ready for operation when a power command is
received from the remote.
Power to any equipment plugged into the rear
panel Switched AC Outlet

 will be shut off.

When the remote is used to turn the unit “off”, it
is actually placing the system in a standby mode,
as indicated by the amber color of the Power
Indicator 3.

• To dim the brightness of the front panel dis-
play, press the Dimmer button ˙ on the
remote or on the front panel ^.
The first press will dim the lights to half normal.
A second press will turn the display completely
off. Press the Dimmer button ˙^ again to
restore the display to normal brightness.

• To select a source at any time, press any of the
Source Selector buttons on the remote ç or
front panel 89!#$&Ú .

• When a video source is selected, if you have 
connected a video device to the video input jack
for that source, and if you have connected the

 to the composite

video input of your TV or video display, you will be
able to enjoy video programs from a broadcast,
cable or satellite television system; a VCR or hard-
disk video recorder; a DVD player; or any other
video device with analog line-level audio outputs
and a composite video output.

NOTE: Although the HK 3480 is an audio/video
receiver, it is not a surround sound receiver. Audio
will be played in two-channel stereo or monaural,
depending on how the program material is encod-
ed, and you will not be able to hear any additional
channels that may be encoded in your source
materials. You will not be able to make any digital
audio connections through the HK 3480. The HK
3480 is designed to provide video entertainment in
a small system application that includes devices
such as a TV, VCR or DVD player located in a bed-
room, office or spare room, or as part of a multi-
room system when used with a multiroom con-
troller.

To take advantage of Harman Kardon’s exclusive
VMAx mode, Press the VMAx button ^a.
When the VMAx circuits are engaged, patented
processing algorithms are used to create a three-
dimensional sound space with the illusion of
“phantom” speakers at center and surround
positions. This spacious sound will simulate a sur-
round-sound presentation without the need to
add additional speakers. To return to standard
stereo listening, press the VMAx button ^a
again and note that the VMAx Mode
Indicator Ù will go out. (For more information
on maximum benefit with VMAx see page 11,
item a).

• During a listening session you may wish to
adjust the Bass Ó, Treble Ô and Balance
 controls to suit your listening tastes.

• Adjust the volume to a comfortable level using
the front panel Volume Control Ò or remote
Master Volume Up/Down π buttons. The vol-
ume level is displayed as a negative number of
decibels (dB) in the Main Information Display
Û. The volume level is relative to a maximum
volume level that has been assigned the value of
0dB. It is important that you make sure never to
exceed this maximum volume level (0dB) at any
time, in order to avoid possible damage to your
loudspeakers due to “clipping”, a type of distor-
tion that is not audible to the human ear until it
is severe enough to permanently damage most
loudspeakers. It is also possible, depending upon
the program material, for clipping to occur at vol-
umes below the maximum volume level.

• To temporarily silence all speaker outputs, press
the Mute button ®5. This will cut the output
to all Pre and Sub Outs and to all speakers, but it
will not affect any recording or dubbing that may
be in progress. When the system is muted, the
MUTE indicator will light in the Main Infor-

mation Display Û and the Volume/Mute
indicator Ú will flash. Press the Mute button
®5 again to return to normal operation.

• For private listening, plug the 6,3 mm stereo
phone plug from a pair of stereo headphones
into the front panel Headphone jack 4.

• One or two separate sets of speakers may be
connected to the HK 3480. To listen to one of the
speaker sets, press the Speaker button 6 or
7 on the front panel corresponding to the
desired speakers or press them both to listen to
both speakers pairs. The active speakers will be
indicated by a lit blue LED in the Speaker
Indicators Ù display. Both sets of speakers
may be turned off for private headphone listen-
ing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When two speaker pairs
are connected to the HK 3480 and are to  be
used simultanously, the impedance of each
speaker must not be lower than 8 Ohms.

• To program the HK 3480 for automatic turn-
off, press the Sleep button on the front panel
( or remote ©. Each press of the button will
increase the time before shutdown in the follow-
ing sequence:

The sleep time will be displayed in the Main
Information Display Û and it will count
down until the time has elapsed.

When the programmed time has elapsed, the
unit will automatically turn off (to Standby
mode). Note that the front panel display will dim
to one-half brightness when the Sleep function is
programmed. To cancel the Sleep function, press
the Sleep button (© or simply hold it pressed
for some seconds until the Sleep indicator num-
bers disappear and the Main Information Display
shows the current source. Pressing any control
button while the Sleep control is activated will
momentarily return the Main Information Display
to full brightness for increased legibility without
interrupting the Sleep function.

The HK 3480’s tuner is capable of tuning AM, FM
and FM Stereo broadcast stations. Stations may
be tuned manually or automatically, or they may
be stored as favorite station presets and recalled
from a 30-position memory.

Station Selection
1. Press the AM/FM & buttons on the front
panel or on the remote ç to select the tuner as
an input.

2. Press these buttons again at any time to
switch between AM and FM.

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