Harman Kardon AVR 3600 Owner's Manual

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Harman Kardon AVR 3600 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 17 page image

17INTRODUCTION TO HOME THEATERThis introductory section will help you to familiarize yourself withsome basic concepts unique to multichannel surround soundreceivers, which will make setup and operation smoother.Typical Home Theater SystemA home theater typically includes an audio/video receiver, whichcontrols the system; a disc player; a source component for televisionbroadcasts (cable box, satellite dish receiver, HDTV tuner or antennaconnected to the TV); a video display (television); and loudspeakers.Multichannel AudioThe main benefit of a home theater system is the placement ofloudspeakers around the room to produce “surround sound.”Surround sound immerses you in the presentation for increasedrealism.The AVR 3600 may have up to seven speakers connected directly toit, plus a subwoofer. Each main speaker is powered by its ownamplifier channel inside the receiver. A system with more than twospeakers is called a multichannel system.• Front Left and Right – The main speakers are used asin a 2-channel system. In many surround modes, these speakersare secondary, while the main action, especially dialogue, ismoved to the center speaker.• Center – The center speaker is used for dialogue in moviesand television programs, allowing the dialogue to originate nearthe actors’ faces, for a more natural sound.• Surround Left and Right – The surround speakersimprove directionality of ambient sounds. In addition, more loud-speakers play dynamic soundtracks without risk of overloadingany one speaker.• Surround Back Left and Right – Additional surroundspeakers may be placed behind the listening position, improving theprecision of ambient sounds and allowing for more realistic pans.The surround back speakers are used with surround modesdesigned for 7.1-channel systems, such as Dolby Digital EX,Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-ES (Discrete and Matrix),DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio and Logic 7(7.1 modes). The surround back speakers are optional, and theAVR 3600 may be set up with a 5.1-channel system in the mainlistening area, and the surround back channels reassigned to amultizone system, where the surround back channels powerloudspeakers located in another room.Many people expect the surround speakers to play as loudly asthe front speakers. Although all of the speakers in the system willbe calibrated to sound equally loud at the listening position, mostartists use the surround speakers for ambient effects only, andthey program their materials to steer very little sound to thesespeakers.• Subwoofer – A subwoofer is designed to play only the lowestfrequencies (the bass). It augments smaller, limited-range satellitespeakers used for the other channels. Many digital-format programs,such as movies recorded in Dolby Digital, contain a low-frequencyeffects (LFE) channel which is directed to the subwoofer. The LFEchannel packs the punch of a rumbling train or airplane, or thepower of an explosion, adding realism and excitement to yourhome theater. Some people use two subwoofers, for additionalpower and even distribution of the sound.Surround ModesThere are different theories as to the best way to present surroundsound and to distribute information to the speakers. A variety ofalgorithms have been developed in an effort to reproduce the way wehear sounds in the real world, resulting in a rich variety of options.Several companies have taken surround sound in different directions:• Dolby Laboratories – Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus,Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic II and IIx, DolbyVirtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone• DTS – DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio,DTS, DTS-ES (Discrete and Matrix), DTS Neo:6, DTS 96/24• Harman International (the Harman Kardonparent company) – Logic 7• Stereo Modes – Generic modes that expand upon conven-tional 2-channel stereo, including 5- and 7-channel stereoTable A13 in the appendix contains detailed explanations of themode groups and the mode options available within each group.Digital modes, such as Dolby Digital and DTS, are only availablewith specially encoded programs, such as HDTV, Blu-ray Disc mediaand digital cable or satellite television. Other modes may be usedwith digital and analog signals to create a different surround presen-tation, or to use a different number of speakers. Surround Modeselection depends upon the number of speakers in your system, thematerials you are watching or listening to, and your personal tastes.