14 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONSSystem InstallationAfter unpacking the unit, and placing it on a solidsurface capable of supporting its weight, you willneed to make the connections to your audio andvideo equipment.Audio Equipment ConnectionsWe recommend that you use high-quality inter-connect cables when making connections tosource equipment and recorders to preserve theintegrity of the signals.When making connections to audio sourceequipment or speakers it is always a good prac-tice to unplug the unit from the AC wall outlet.This prevents any possibility of accidentallysending audio or transient signals to the speak-ers that may damage them.1. Connect the analog output of a CD player tothe CD Inputs •.NOTE: When the CD player has both fixed andvariable audio outputs it is best to use the fixedoutput unless you find that the input to thereceiver is so low that the sound is noisy, or sohigh that the signal is distorted.2. Connect the analog Play/Out jacks of a cas-sette deck, MD, CD-R or other audio recorder tothe Tape Input Jacks ¡. Connect the analogRecord/In jacks on the recorder to the TapeOutput Jacks ™ on the AVR 120.3. Connect the output of any digital sourcesto the appropriate input connections on theAVR 120 rear panel. Note that the Opticaland Coaxial Digital Inputs de#$ maybe used with a Dolby Digital or DTS source orthe output of a conventional CD or LD player’sPCM (S/P-DIF) output. To take advantage ofthe AVR 120’s built-in MP3-decoding capabili-ties, you may also connect the digital outputof a computer or sound card to this input,provided that the signal from the computer isin the S/P-DIF format. Check your computer orsound card’s instructions to verify the type ofoutput signal or use a transcoder such as theHarman Kardon DAL 150.4. Connect the Optical Digital Output ª orCoaxial Digital Output ‚ on the rear panel ofthe AVR 120 to the matching digital input connec-tions on a CD-R or MiniDisc recorder.5. Assemble the AM Loop Antenna suppliedwith the unit as shown below. Connect it to theAM and GND Screw Terminals ¢ .6. Connect the supplied FM antenna to the FMAntenna (75 ohm) Connection ¶. The FMantenna may also be an external roof antenna,an inside powered or wire lead antenna or aconnection from a cable TV system. Note that ifthe antenna or connection uses 300-ohm twin-lead cable, you must use the 300-ohm-to-75-ohm adapter supplied with the unit to makethe connection.7. Connect the front, center and surroundSpeaker Outputs › fi to the respectivespeakers.To ensure that all the audio signals are carriedto your speakers without loss of clarity or reso-lution, we suggest that you use high-qualityspeaker cable. Many brands of cable are avail-able and the choice of cable may be influencedby the distance between your speakers and thereceiver, the type of speakers you use, personalpreferences and other factors. Your dealer orinstaller is a valuable resource to consult inselecting the proper cable.Regardless of the brand of cable selected, werecommend that you use a cable constructed offine, multistrand copper with a gauge of 14 orsmaller. Remember that in specifying cable, thelower the number, the thicker the cable.Cable with a gauge of 16 may be used for shortruns of less than ten feet. We do not recom-mend that you use cables with an AWG equiva-lent of 18 or higher due to the power loss anddegradation in performance that will occur.Cables that are run inside walls should have theappropriate markings to indicate listing with UL,CSA or other appropriate testing agency stan-dards. Questions about running cables insidewalls should be referred to your installer or alicensed electrical contractor who is familiarwith the NEC and/or the applicable local build-ing codes in your area.When connecting wires to the speakers, be cer-tain to observe proper polarity. Remember toconnect the “negative” or “black” wire to thesame terminal on both the receiver and thespeaker. The AVR 120 is one of the first audioproducts with the latest CEA-recommendedcolor-coding for speaker terminals. Accordingly,the positive (+) terminal, which was previouslyred, is now a specific color to assist you in mak-ing the correct connections. If your speakershave color-coded connections, match the termi-nal on the AVR 120 to the like terminal on yourspeakers. For existing speakers with a red termi-nal for the positive connection, the connectionson the AVR 120 are as follows:Left Front = White Right Front = RedCenter = GreenLeft Surround = Blue Right Surround = GreyNOTE: While most speaker manufacturersadhere to an industry convention of using blackterminals for negative and red ones for positive,some manufacturers may vary from this config-uration. To ensure proper phase and optimalperformance, consult the identification plate onyour speaker or the speaker’s manual to verifypolarity. If you do not know the polarity of yourspeaker, ask your dealer for advice before pro-ceeding, or consult the speaker’s manufacturer.We also recommend that the length of cableused to connect speaker pairs be identical.For example, use the same length piece ofcable to connect the front-left and front-rightor surround-left and surround-right speakers,even if the speakers are a different distancefrom the AVR 120.8. Connections to a subwoofer are normallymade via a line-level audio connection from theSubwoofer Output ‹ to the line-level inputof a subwoofer with a built-in amplifier. When apassive subwoofer is used, the connection firstgoes to a power amplifier, which will be con-nected to one or more subwoofer speakers. Ifyou are using a powered subwoofer that doesnot have line-level input connections, follow theinstructions furnished with the speaker for con-nection information.Video Equipment ConnectionsVideo equipment is connected in the same man-ner as audio components. Again, the use of high-quality interconnect cables is recommended topreserve signal quality.1. Connect a VCR’s audio and video Play/Outjacks to the Video 1 Input Jacks £a onthe rear panel. The Audio and Video Record/Injacks on the VCR should be connected to theVideo 1 Out Jacks ∞· on the AVR 120.Installation and Connections