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ADVANCED FUNCTIONS
Multizone Operation
The AVR 354 offers the benefits of multizone operation, a rarity in a
receiver this affordable. With the multizone system in use, you may enjoy
an exciting 5.1-channel home theater presentation in the main listening
area, while others listen to the same materials or an entirely different
presentation in another room.
Although installation of a multizone system is not complicated, it requires
running wires inside walls. We urge you to check your local building
codes and comply with the requirements for in-wall wiring systems to
prevent the possibility of a dangerous situation. If you have any questions
about installing a multiroom system, we strongly recommend that you
contact a professional custom installer.
Installing a Multizone System
A typical multizone system consists of only one remote room in the
remote zone. That is, you connect only one pair of loudspeakers to the
AVR 354, placing those speakers in the remote room the same way
you would place the front left and right speakers in the main listening
room. It is not recommended that you place the left and right
multizone speakers in different rooms.
To use the AVR 354 with more than one remote room, purchase a
multichannel external amplifier that enables you to connect several pairs
of loudspeakers. However, the AVR 354 only outputs one remote zone,
meaning that only one signal is sent through the multizone system.
All remote rooms will hear the same source, even when a multichannel
amplifier is used.
There are two ways of connecting the remote speakers to the AVR 354:
a) Connect the speakers to the left and right Surround Back/Zone 2
Speaker Outputs on the rear panel of the AVR 354. This is the
simplest type of multizone system. However, it is not recommended
for long speaker-wire runs (e.g., more than 25 feet), as the audio
signal tends to degrade over long distances. If your application would
require a long speaker-wire run, consider option b below.
b) Purchase an external amplifier. Connect the Surround Back/Zone 2
Preamp Outputs or the Zone 2 Audio Outputs to the amplifier's
inputs. You may place the amplifier either in the main listening room
or the remote room. Placing the amplifier in the main listening room
would require the use of long speaker wires to reach the remote
room, while placing the amplifier in the remote room calls for the
opposite – long interconnect cables and short speaker wires.
When you use either the Surround Back/Zone 2 Speaker Outputs or the
Surround Back/Zone 2 Preamp Outputs for a multizone system, you will
not be able to use the surround back speakers with your main system,
which will then be limited to 5.1 channels. However, when the multizone
system is turned off, you may reassign your remote speakers to the main
listening room for 7.1-channel operation.
You may install an optional remote infrared (IR) receiver in the remote
room and connect it to the Zone 2 IR Input on the back of the receiver.
This lets you use the included Zone 2 remote, a keypad or another
control device to turn the multizone system on or off, select a source
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input, and operate any source devices that are connected in daisychain
fashion to the AVR 354's Remote IR Output.
You may use the above connection methods simultaneously to increase
the total number of remote rooms in your system. Remember that
sending control commands from one room in the system will affect
the entire remote zone of the multizone system.
Operating the Multizone System
The AVR 354's multizone system is accessed using the on-screen
Zone 2 menu. Press the AVR Button to display the menu System,
and use the
/
Buttons to navigate to the Zone 2 line. Press the
⁄
¤
OK Button to display the Zone Control menu. See Figure 74.
Figure 74 – Zone 2 Menu
Status: This line is used to turn the multizone system on or off. When
no one is listening in the remote room, leave this setting at the default
of OFF.
Source: This line indicates the source input selected for the remote
zone. You may select any source input for which a device has been
connected to the AVR 354, even when a different source is being
enjoyed in the main listening area. However, if the tuner has been
selected for simultaneous operation in both the main listening area and
the remote zone, listeners in both areas will hear the same radio station.
NOTE: Only analog audio sources are available to the multizone
system. To hear digital devices, such as a CD player, in the
remote zone, follow these steps:
1. In addition to a digital audio connection, connect the source
device's analog audio outputs to any available analog audio
inputs on the AVR, noting in Table A5 in the appendix which
set of inputs was used.
2. In the Setup Source menu, leave the Audio Source setting at
the digital audio input. However, scroll down to the Zone 2 Audio
setting and select the analog audio source used in step 1.
Volume: The volume is controlled separately for the remote zone.
Surround Back Amps: This line is used to reassign the surround back
channels to the multizone system, enabling you to connect speakers
for a remote room without using an external amplifier (unless you are
connecting the Surround Back/Zone 2 Preamp Outputs to an external
amplifier to power the speakers). When this line is set to Zone 2, you may
only configure the main listening room for up to 5.1 channels. EzSet/EQ
will only configure the main 5.1-channel system. Use the Manual Setup
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