Manual Setup; Output Level Adjustment - Harman Kardon AVR 745 Owner's Manual

Output Level Adjustment

Output level adjustment is a key part of the configura-
tion of any surround sound product. It is particularly
important for a digital receiver such as the AVR 745,
as correct outputs ensure that you hear soundtracks
with the proper directionality and intensity.
In most cases, you will not need to make any
adjustments to the output level, as the settings
made by running EzSet/EQII are as accurate as those
made manually. However, you are able to use the
CHANNEL ADJUST menu to trim the settings
to suit your personal preferences or to configure the
system so that the output settings are different from
one input source to another. The ability to make indi-
vidual output level adjustments on a per-input basis is
useful for listeners who may prefer different settings
for the subwoofer or an individual channel group (such
as the front speakers) when playing musical selections
via the CD input, as opposed to the movie sound-
tracks more frequently used with the DVD input. This
menu also allows you to adjust the output levels using
external sources such as a test disc or other program
material that you use as a standard, rather than the
system's test tone.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Listeners are often confused
about the operation of the surround channels. While
some assume that sound should always be coming
from each speaker, most of the time there will be little
or no sound in the surround channels. This is because
they are only used when a movie director or sound
mixer specifically places sound there to create ambi-
ence, a special effect or to continue action from the
front of the room to the rear. When the output levels
are properly set, it is normal for surround speakers
to operate only occasionally. Artificially increasing the
volume to the rear speakers may destroy the illusion
of an enveloping sound field, which duplicates the
way you hear sound in a movie theater or concert hall.
Before beginning the output level adjustment process,
make certain that all speaker connections have been
properly made. The system volume should be set to the
level that you will use during a typical listening session.
We recommend that EzSet/EQII be used when the AVR
is first installed, to establish the initial level settings.
To view or change the current Channel Output set-
tings, make certain that the EZSET/EQ MAIN
menu (Figure 12) is on the screen. Press the
Navigation Buttons D© to move the cursor
next to CHANNEL ADJUST and then press
the OK/Enter Button E on the TC 30 or the
Set Button œ on the ZR 10 remote control. The
CHANNEL ADJUST menu (Figure 30) will
appear on the screen.
* CHANNEL ADJUST
FL : 0dB SBR : 0dB
CEN : 0dB SBL : 0dB
→ →
FR : 0dB SL
SR : 0dB SW1 : 0dB
SW2 : 0dB
TEST TONE: AUTO
LEVEL RESET:
CH ADJUST: GLOBAL
EZSET SETTINGS:
BACK TO MANUAL SETUP
Figure 30
To provide the maximum flexibility, channel output level
adjustments may be made either with or without the
internal test tone, and when the tone is in use, it may
be programmed to automatically circulate among the
active channels or to only move from one channel to
the next on your command. When the CHANNEL
ADJUST menu appears, we recommend that you
first run the test tone once in the automatic mode to
verify that the speakers have been properly connected.
To do this, press the
⁄
D© again until the cursor is on the TEST
TONE line and then press the
Buttons D© until AUTO is in highlighted
video. The test tone will then circulate among all
channels for five seconds at each position.
As the test tone circulates, the cursor will flash as it
moves to each position, to indicate where the tone
should be coming from. If the tone is heard from a
different speaker than the one indicated on the menu
screen, turn the AVR 745 off using the Main Power
Switch A and check the speaker wiring or connec-
tions to external power amplifiers to make certain that
each speaker is connected to the correct output ter-
minal. When you have verified that all speakers are
connected properly, turn the AVR 745 on and return
to this menu to resume the channel adjustment proce-
dure. If any speaker connections were changed, we
also recommend that you rerun EzSet/EQII before
making any manual calibration adjustments.
After checking for speaker placement, let the test
noise circulate again, and listen to see which channels
sound louder than the others. Using the front left
speaker as a reference, press the
Buttons D© on the remote to bring all speakers
to the same volume level. The test noise circulation will
pause on the channel being adjusted to give you time
to make the adjustment. When you release the button,
⁄ / ¤
the circulation will resume after five seconds.
Continue to adjust the individual channels until the
volume level sounds the same from each speaker.
Adjustments should be made with the
Buttons D© on the remote only, NOT the main
volume controls. If you are using a sound-pressure
level (SPL) meter for precise level adjustment,
set the volume so that the meter reads 75dB,
C-Weighting Slow.
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION SYSTEM CONFIGURATION
When all channels have an equal volume level, the
*
adjustment is complete. To exit this menu, press the
⁄
: 0dB
is next to the BACK TO MANUAL SETUP
line, and then press the OK/Enter Button E on the
OFF MAN
TC 30 or the Set Button œ to return to the
OFF ON

MANUAL SETUP.

OFF ON
In addition to having the test tone circulate automati-
cally, you may also turn the test tone on, but advance
it from one channel to the next manually. This allows
you to make calibration adjustments, but to have more
control over the way the test tone is moved among
the channels.
To change the tone manually, first make certain that
the CHANNEL ADJUST menu is on the
screen, following the instructions shown above, and
then press the
until the cursor is on the TEST TONE line.
Next, press the
/ Navigation Buttons
¤
MAN is highlighted. This will start the test tone from
the front left speaker position but, rather than circulat-
‹ / › Navigation
ing to the next channel every five seconds as is the
case in the automatic mode, you must press the
⁄
channel the test tone is being sent to. When you have
circulated through all channels, the test tone will stop,
but you may restart it by returning to the TEST
TONE line and activating manual sequencing.
The final option for tone adjustment using the menu
system is to not use the internal test tone at all. Simply
use the
change the channel and then use the
Navigation Buttons D© to change the output
level. When making channel output adjustments with-
out the internal test tone, we strongly recommend that
you use a test disc in the "repeat" mode on your DVD
or CD player so that the signal being used is constant
throughout the adjustment process.
The output level settings may also be adjusted directly
(without going into the OSD menu system) at any time,
using the TC 30 remote control. To adjust the speaker
settings, first press the Devices Button 4 on the
‹ / › Navigation
TC 30, and then press the Screen Button 6 at the
top of the left vertical row, to the left of the AVR
image on the remote's screen. When the images in
the LCD change, press the Screen Button 6 next
to the box with the word TEST.
As soon as the button is pressed, the test tone will
begin to circulate, as indicated earlier. The correct
channel from which the test noise should be heard will
/ Navigation
‹ › be shown in the lower third of the video screen and in
the Lower Display Line $. While the test noise is
circulating, the proper channel position will also be
indicated in the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators
@ by a blinking letter within the correct channel.
Navigation Buttons D© until the cursor
/ ¤
Navigation Buttons D©
⁄ / ¤
‹ ›
Navigation Button o until
/
Navigation Buttons D© to change the
/
¤
Navigation Buttons D© to
⁄ / ¤
⁄
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION SYSTEM CONFIGURATION
/ ¤
37 37