Harman Kardon AVR 354 Owner's Manual

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Contents

Harman Kardon AVR 354 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 40 page image

40OPERATIONNow that you have installed your system components and completeda basic configuration of your receiver, you are ready to begin enjoyingyour home theater system.Turning On the AVR 354Gently press the Master Power Switch until the word OFF is no longervisible. The Power Indicator above the two power switches should light upin amber. This indicates that the AVR is in Standby mode and is ready tobe turned on. Normally, you may leave the Master Power Switch in theON position, even when the receiver is not being used. See Figure 45.There are several ways in which the AVR 354 may be turned on:a) Press the Standby/On Switch on the front panel. See Figure 45.b) Using the remote, press the AVR Power On Button or any of theSource Selectors. See Figure 46.To turn the receiver off, press either the Standby/On Switch on the frontpanel, or press the AVR Power Off Button on the remote. Unless thereceiver will not be used for an extended period of time (for example,when are on vacation), it is not necessary to turn off the Master PowerSwitch. When the Master Power Switch is turned off, any settings youhave programmed, including system configuration and preset radiostations, will be preserved for up to four weeks.IMPORTANT NOTE: If the PROTECT message ever appearsin the Message Display, turn off the AVR and unplug it. Checkall speaker wires for a possible short. If none is found, bringthe unit to an authorized Harman Kardon service center forinspection and repair before using it again.Volume ControlThe volume may be adjusted either by turning the knob on the frontpanel (clockwise to increase volume or counterclockwise to decreasevolume), or by pressing the Volume Control on the remote. See Figure 56.The volume is displayed as a negative number of decibels (dB) belowthe 0dB reference point.Unlike the volume controls on some other products, 0dB is the maximumvolume for the AVR 354. Although it’s physically possible to turn thevolume to a higher level, doing so may damage your hearing and yourspeakers. For certain more dynamic audio materials, even 0dB may betoo high, allowing for damage to equipment. We urge caution withregard to volume levels.You may change the volume level display from the default decibel scaleto a 0-to-100 scale by adjusting the Volume Units setting in the SystemSettings menu, as described on page 55.Figure 56 – Volume ControlsMute FunctionTo temporarily mute all speakers and the headphones, press the MuteButton on the remote. See Figure 56. Any recording in progress willnot be affected. The MUTE message will appear in the display as areminder. To restore normal audio, either press the Mute Button again,or adjust the volume. Turning off the AVR will also end muting.Sleep TimerYou may program the AVR to play for up to 90 minutes and then turnoff automatically using the sleep timer.Press the Sleep Settings Button on the remote, and the time untilturn-off will be displayed. See Figure 57. Each additional press of theSleep Button will increase the time until turn-off by 10 minutes, upto a maximum of 90 minutes, then the SLEEP OFF setting appears,which disables the sleep timer.Figure 57 – Sleep Settings ButtonWhen the sleep timer has been set, the front-panel display will automati-cally dim to half-brightness. If you press any button on the remote orfront panel, the display will return to full-brightness. The display will dimagain several seconds after your last command.If you press the Sleep Button after the timer has been set, the remainingtime until turn-off will be displayed. You may press the Sleep Button tochange the time until turn-off.Audio EffectsDepending on your preferences or the specific characteristics of yourlistening room, you may wish to adjust some of the audio settings, suchas tone controls, to improve performance. Access these settings fromthe Audio Effects submenu, as described in the Advanced Functionssection.It is not necessary to adjust the Audio Effects settings to enjoy yournew AVR. We recommend leaving the settings at their default valuesuntil you are more familiar with your system.Video ModesThe settings in the Video Modes menu are used to fine-tune thepicture if necessary after making all adjustments on the video display.It is recommended that you leave the settings at their defaults. See theAdvanced Functions section for detailed information.HeadphonesPlug the 1/4" plug on a pair of headphones into the headphonejack on the front of the receiver for private listening. See Figure 58.