16CONNECTIONSThere are different types of audio and video connections used toconnect the HS 300 to the speakers and video display, and to connectany source devices to the HS 300. To make it easier to keep them allstraight, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has establisheda color-coding standard. Table 1 may be helpful to you as a referencewhile you set up your system.Table 1 – Connection Color GuideTypes of ConnectionsThis section will briefly review different types of cables and connectionsthat you may use to set up your system.Speaker ConnectionsSpeaker cables carry an amplified signal from the receiver’s speakerterminals to each loudspeaker. Speaker cables generally contain twowire conductors, or leads, inside plastic insulation. The two conductorsare usually differentiated in some way, by using different colors, orstripes, or even by adding a ridge to the insulation.The differentiation is important because each speaker must beconnected to the HS 300’s speaker-output terminals using two wires,one positive (+) and one negative (–). This is called speaker polarity.It’s important to maintain the proper polarity for all speakers in thesystem. If some speakers have their negative terminals connected tothe HS 300’s positive terminals, performance can suffer, especially forthe low frequencies.Always connect the positive terminal on the loudspeaker, which iscolored red, to the positive terminal on the HS 300, which is coloredas shown in the Connection Color Guide (Table 1). Similarly, alwaysconnect the black negative terminal on the speaker to the blacknegative terminal on the HS 300. The wires in the speaker systemincluded with your HS 300 Home Theater System are color-codedwith bands.The HS 300 uses binding-post speaker terminals that can acceptbanana plugs or bare-wire cables, should you wish to upgrade yoursystem in the future.Banana plugs are simply plugged into the hole in the middle of theterminal cap. See Figure 1.Figure 1 – Binding-Post Speaker Terminals WithBanana PlugsBare wire cables are installed as follows (see Figure 2):1. Unscrew the terminal cap until the pass-through hole in the collaris revealed.2. Insert the bare end of the wire into the hole.3. Screw the cap back into place until the wire is held snugly.Figure 2 – Binding-Post Speaker Terminals With Bare WiresSubwooferThe subwoofer is a specialized type of loudspeaker that is usuallyconnected in a different way. The subwoofer is used to play only thelow frequencies (bass), which require much more power than the otherspeaker channels. In order to obtain the best results, the HS 300includes a powered subwoofer that contains its own amplifier on board.A line-level (nonamplified) connection is made from the HS 300’sSubwoofer Output to a corresponding jack on the subwoofer.See Figure 3.Although the subwoofer output looks similar to the analog audio jacksused for the various components, it is filtered and only allows the lowfrequencies to pass. Don’t connect this output to your other devices.Although doing so won’t cause any harm, performance will suffer.Figure 3 – SubwooferConnecting External Source Devices to theHS 300The HS 300 is designed to process audio input signals. These signalsoriginate in what are known as “source devices,” including the internalDVD/CD player, a DVR (digital video recorder) or other recorder, a tapedeck, a game console, a cable or satellite television box, a flash driveor an MP3 player. Although the tuner and disc player are built into theHS 300, they also count as sources, even though no external connec-tions are needed, other than the FM and AM antennas.In general, separate connections are required for the audio andvideo portions of the signal. The types of connections used dependupon what’s available on the source device, and for video signals, thecapabilities of your video display.SubwooferPre-outAlways connect colored (+) terminal on AVR to red (+) terminalon speaker; and black (–) to black (–).Branchez toujours la borne (+) colorée sur AVR à la borne (+) rouge sur le haut-parleur;et la noire (–) à la noire (–).Conecte siempre el terminal de color (+) en el AVR al terminal rojo (+) en el altavoz;y el negro (–) al negro (–).HOW TO USE THE BINDING-POST SPEAKER TERMINALCOMMENT UTILISER LA BORNE DES HAUT-PARLEURS DE CONNEXIONCÓMO USAR EL TERMINAL DE ALTAVOZ DE POSTE DE SUJECIÓNDigital Audio ConnectionsCoaxialOptical Output InputVideo ConnectionsComponent Y Pb PrCompositeS-Video1 2 3+Audio ConnectionsLeft RightFront (FL/FR)Center (C)Surround (SL/SR)Subwoofer (SUB)Digital Audio ConnectionsCoaxialOptical InputVideo ConnectionsComponent Y Pb PrCompositeS-VideoHDMI™ ConnectionsHDMI