Harman Kardon AVR 160 Owner's Manual

Also see for AVR 160: Service manual

Harman Kardon AVR 160 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 32 page image

32ADVANCED FUNCTIONSNight Mode: Night mode is available with some Dolby Digital programs,if it has been encoded in the material. It compresses the peak sound levels,maintaining the intelligibility of the dialogue and quieter passages, whilereducing the loudness of special effects and louder passages, to avoiddisturbing others. Three levels of compression are available:Off• : At this setting, there is no compression, as the Night mode isdeactivated.Half• : A mild compression is applied.Full• : More compression is applied.manuaL SpeaKer SetupThe AVR 160 is flexible and may be configured for most speakers, and tocompensate for the acoustic characteristics of your room.The EzSet/EQ process automatically detects the capabilities of each speaker,and optimizes the AVR 160’s performance. If you are unable to run EzSet/EQ calibration, or if you wish to make further adjustments, use the ManualSpeaker Setup on-screen menus.Before beginning, place your loudspeakers as explained in the SpeakerPlacement section, and connect them to the AVR. Consult the owner’s guidefor the speakers or the manufacturer’s Web site for the frequency rangespecification. Although you may set the output levels “by ear,” an SPL (sound-pressure level) meter purchased at a local electronics store will providegreater accuracy.Record your configuration settings in Tables A4 and A6 in the appendix foreasy re-entry after a system reset, or if the AVR’s Master Power Switch isturned off or the unit is unplugged for more than four weeks.Step one – Determine Speaker crossoverWithout using the EzSet/EQ process, the AVR 160 can’t detect how manyspeakers you’ve connected to it; nor can it determine their capabilities.Consult the speaker’s technical specifications and locate the frequencyresponse, usually given as a range, e.g., 100Hz – 20kHz (±3dB). Write downthe lowest frequency that each of your main speakers is capable of playing(100Hz in the example) as the crossover in Table A6 in the appendix. This isnot the same as the crossover frequency listed in the speaker’s specifications.For the subwoofer, write down the transducer size.The receiver’s bass management determines which speakers will be used toplay back the low-frequency (bass) portion of the source program. Sendingthe lowest notes to small satellite speakers won’t sound right, and may evendamage the speaker. The highest notes may not be heard at all through thesubwoofer.With proper bass management, the AVR 160 divides the source signal at acrossover point. All information above the crossover point is played throughthe satellite speaker, and all information below the crossover point is playedthrough the subwoofer. Each loudspeaker in your system performs at its best,delivering an enjoyable sound experience.Step tWo – measure Speaker DistancesIdeally, all of your speakers would be placed in a circle, with the listeningposition at the center. However, you may have had to place some speakers alittle further away from the listening position than others. Sounds that aresupposed to arrive simultaneously from different speakers may blur, due todifferent arrival times.Use the AVR’s delay adjustment to compensate for real-world speakerplacements.Measure the distance from each speaker to the listening position, and writeit down in Table A4 in the appendix. Even if all of your speakers are thesame distance from the listening position, enter your speaker distances asdescribed in Step Three.Step tHree – manual Setup menuNow you are ready to program the receiver. Sit in the usual listening positionand make the room as quiet as possible.With the receiver and video display turned on, press the OSD Button to displaythe Master menu. Use the L Button to move the cursor to the MANUALSETUP line, and press the OK Button to display the Manual Setup menu.If you have run the EzSet/EQ process, the results were saved. To tweak theEzSet/EQ results, or to configure the AVR 160 from scratch, use the menushown in Figure 26.Figure 26 – Manual Setup MenuNOTE: All of the speaker setup submenus include the option to go back tothe previous menu, similar to what is shown at the bottom of Figure 26.For best results, adjust the submenus in this order: Number of Speakers,Crossover, Sub Mode, Distance and Level Adjust.