Harman Kardon AVR 745 Owner's Manual

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Harman Kardon AVR 745 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 20 page image

20 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONSInstallation and ConnectionsSpeaker SelectionNo matter which type or brand of speakers isused, the same model or brand of speaker shouldbe used for the front-left, center and front-rightspeakers. This creates a seamless front sound-stage and eliminates the possibility of distractingsonic disturbances that occur when a soundmoves across mismatched front-channelspeakers.Speaker PlacementThe placement of speakers in a multichannelhome-theater system can have a noticeableimpact on the quality of sound reproduced.Depending on the type of center-channel speakerin use and your viewing device, place the centerspeaker either directly above or below your TV, orin the center behind a perforated front-projectionscreen.Once the center-channel speaker is installed,position the left-front and right-front speakers sothat they are as far away from one another asthe center-channel speaker is from the preferredlistening position. Ideally, the front-channelspeakers should be placed so that their tweetersare no more than 60cm above or below thetweeter in the center-channel speaker.They should also be at least 0.5 meter from yourTV set unless the speakers are magneticallyshielded to avoid colourings on the TV screen.Note that most speakers are not shielded, evenwith complete surround sets only the Centerspeaker may be.Depending on the specifics of your roomacoustics and the type of speakers in use, youmay find that imaging is improved by moving thefront-left and front-right speakers slightly for-ward of the center-channel speaker. If possible,adjust all front loudspeakers so that they areaimed at ear height when you are seated in thelistening position.Using these guidelines, you’ll find that it takessome experimentation to find the correct locationfor the front speakers in your particular installa-tion. Don’t be afraid to move things around untilthe system sounds correct. Optimize your speak-ers so that audio transitions across the front ofthe room sound smooth.When the AVR is used in 5.1-channel operation,the preferred location for surround speakers is onthe side walls of the room, at or slightly behindthe listening position. In a 7.1-channel system,both side surround and back surround speakersare required. The center of the speaker shouldface you (see below).A 6.1 surround speaker adds an additional centerback surround speaker to the system, enablingyou to enjoy the benefits of advanced surroundmodes such as Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES andHarman Kardon’s proprietary Logic 7/7.1 pro-cessing.To step up to a 6.1 system, first place the speak-ers for a 5.1 system. The “sixth” speaker shouldideally be placed at the center of the room’s rearwall, pointing directly toward the front centerchannel speaker.Note: The 6.1-channel configuration is not rec-ommended for the AVR 745. We strongly recom-mend a 7.1-channel installation as describedbelow. When 6.1-channel materials are playedthrough a 7.1-channel system, the same sur-round back channel information is playedthrough both the left and right surround backspeakers.If you are only able to install a single surroundback speaker at this time, you will not be able torun the full EzSet/EQ II 7.2-channel calibrationprocedure. In that case, we suggest you install allof your speakers except the surround backspeaker, and run the EzSet/EQ II procedure for a5.1-channel system (see page 31). AfterEzSet/EQ II has finished, connect the single sur-round back speaker to the left Surround BackSpeaker Outputs . Then follow the instruc-tions starting on page 36 to manually configureyour surround back speaker.We recommend that you consider adding a sec-ond surround back speaker as soon as possible.Rear surround speakers are required when a full7.1-channel system is installed, and they mayalso be used in 5.1 channel mode as an alterna-tive mounting position when it is not practical toplace the main surround speakers at the sides ofthe room. Speakers may be placed on a rear wall,behind the listening position. As with the sidespeakers, the center of the rear surrounds shouldface you. The speakers should be no more than2 meters behind the rear of the seating area.The additional Surround Back Left/Right speakersare placed at about 150 degrees on the circle,pointing inward, toward the listening area. Theeasiest way to visualize the placement of thesespeakers is to place the surround back left speak-er directly opposite the right front speaker and toplace the surround back right speaker directlyopposite the left front speaker.Subwoofers produce largely nondirectionalsound, so they may be placed almost anywherein a room. Actual placement should be based onroom size and shape and the type of subwooferused. One method of finding the optimal locationfor a subwoofer is to begin by placing it in thefront of the room, about 15cm from a wall, ornear the front corner of the room. Anothermethod is to temporarily place the subwoofer inthe spot where you will normally sit, and thenwalk around the room until you find a spotwhere the subwoofer sounds best. Place the sub-woofer in that spot. You should also follow theinstructions of the subwoofer’s manufacturer, oryou may wish to experiment with the best loca-tion for a subwoofer in your listening room.The AVR 745 is equipped for 7.2 operation,which means that you can increase the low-fre-quency performance of your system by using twosubwoofers, rather than one. When using twosubwoofers, the following tips will add to thesmoothness and power of the bass reproduction:• Although it is not mandatory, you will have thebest performance when both subwoofers areidentical in terms of driver size, amplifier powerand cabinet design (e.g., ported or sealed).• The optimal placement when two subwoofersare in use is to have them on the side walls ofthe room, to the immediate left and right ofthe listening position. If that positioning is notpractical, a good alternative is to place thesubwoofers in the front left and right cornersof the room, or to place the subwoofers in anytwo corners of the room.• Regardless of which subwoofer placementoption is chosen, EzSet/EQ II will help tosmooth room conditions to deliver the optimalbass response.For more information on subwoofer placement,as well as a variety of topics relating to audioand home theater, visit the Technology section ofour Web site at www.harmankardon.comLinks are provided there to informative whitepapers written by the acoustic and electronicsexperts at Harman Kardon and at our parentcompany, Harman International Industries, Inc.29510_AVR745_Engelsk 30/10/06 9:31 Side 20