Output Level Adjustment - Harman Kardon AVR 135 Owner's Manual

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION SYSTEM CONFIGURATION
ence through the use of the delay settings to adjust
the timing for the speaker placement and acoustic
conditions in your listening room or home theater.
The AVR 135's advanced software enables you to
quickly and easily set delay times without the need to
calculate them using a complex formula. Instead, all
you need to do is measure the approximate distance
between your listening position and each of the
speakers in your system. When you enter those
distances into the AVR's memory as shown below,
the AVR's microprocessor does the rest of the work,
calculating the proper delay time. The measurements
need not be accurate to the inch, as the system is
designed to accommodate a typical listening area
rather than require the precise measurement to one
"sweet spot" position.
Due to the differences in the way each surround
mode operates, some modes allow for a greater range
of delay times than others. To avoid problems, we
recommend that delay times be adjusted using the
Dolby Digital mode. If a different mode is selected at
a later time, the AVR 135 will automatically restrict
the delay settings to those required by the surround
mode in use.
Delay times are only adjustable for the Dolby modes,
so you will notice that the DELAY menu may not
be accessed when any other mode, such as a DTS
or Logic 7 option, has been selected. In addition,
when a non-Dolby Digital mode such as Dolby 3
Stereo or Pro Logic II is selected, adjustments may
be made to the Surround speakers only.
To set the delay time for a specific input, the
DELAY ADJUST menu (Figure 7) should be
visible on your on-screen display. If it is not, press
the OSD Button v to bring up the MASTER
Button n until the
MENU, and press the
¤
cursor is pointing at the DELAY
on-screen ›
ADJUST line. Press the Set Button p to
call up the menu.
NOTE: In order to adjust the Delay settings for the
surround back channels, a Dolby Digital or DTS source
must be playing. This enables the system to activate
the surround back processing mode.
* D E L A Y A D J U S T *
F R O N T : 1 0 F T
C E N T E R : 1 0 F T
S U R R O U N D : 1 0 F T
S U R R B A C K : 1 0 F T
U N I T : F E E T
B A C K T O M A S T E R M E N U
Figure 7
20 20 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION SYSTEM CONFIGURATION
Once the DELAY ADJUST menu is on your
screen, note that the default setting to enter the dis-
tances from the speakers to the listening position is in
feet. If your measurements are in feet, proceed to the
next step; if your measurements are made in meters,
Button n until the on-screen
press the
¤
is at the UNIT line on the menu. Then, press the
Buttons o so that METER is highlighted.
‹ / ›
When the change in measurement units is made,
Buttons n to return the
press the /
⁄ ¤
to the CENTER position.
› cursor pointing to CENTER,
With the on-screen
‹ › Buttons o until the distance from
press the /
the center speaker to the preferred listening position is
Button n to move the
entered. Next, press the
¤
cursor to the SURROUND line and use the
Buttons o again to enter the distance from the
video display at the front of the room to the surround
speakers. Finally, if the system is configured for 7.1
operation by entering LARGE or SMALL on
the SURR BACK line of the SPEAKER
SETUP menu, press the Button n again
¤
Buttons o to enter the distance
and use the ‹ / ›
from the listening position to the surround speakers.
Remember that this last adjustment will only be needed
when you have surround back speakers installed and
Dolby Digital chosen as the surround mode.
When the speaker-to-listening-position distance has
been entered for all active speaker positions, press the
Buttons n until the on-screen cursor is next
/
⁄ ¤
to BACK TO MASTER MENU and press the
Set Button p.
49 47 45 43
The delay settings may be changed at any time
48 46 44 42
directly from the remote control by pressing the
35 . CENTER DELAY will 37 39 41
Delay Button
appear in the Lower Display Line ¯, but you
34 36 38 40
Buttons n to select any
may press the /
⁄ ¤
33
26 25 37
of the speaker groups.
32
27 36
24
31
28 23 35
Press the Set Button p when the desired speaker
30
22
group appears, and then press the 29 34 /
⁄ ¤
29
n again to enter the distance from the speaker to
21
30 33
the listening position. Press the Set Button p
28
31 20 32
again to enter the data. You may then press the
Buttons n to select another speaker group to
repeat the procedure as needed, or wait five seconds
for the system to return to normal operation.

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 135,
as correct outputs ensure that you hear soundtracks
with the proper directionality and intensity.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
• 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
cursor the surround channels. This is because they are
›
only used when a movie director or sound mixer
specifically places sound there to create ambience
or a special effect, or to continue action from the
›
cursor front of the room to the rear. Once 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
that duplicates the way you hear sound in a movie
theater or concert hall.
‹ ›
/
• When the AVR 135 is configured for 6.1-channel
operation using a single surround back speaker, the
output level adjustments will still provide an adjustment
for separate surround back left and surround back right
positions even though your system has only one
surround back speaker. This means that the Surround
Back channel will seem to appear twice, and in 6.1
operation this is normal. The separate SBL/SBR adjust-
ments for 6.1 operation are needed to optimize the
balance between the two discrete channels within the
AVR as they are mixed for output to a single speaker.
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.
Using the Full-OSD System
Follow these steps while seated in the listening posi-
tion that will be used most often:
41 51
37 47
1. Make certain that all speaker positions have been
36 46
40 50
properly configured for their "large" or "small" set-
35 39 45 49
tings (as outlined above) and turn off the OSD
34 44
38 48
system if it is in use.
33 43
Buttons
2. Adjust the volume so that it is at -15dB, as
32 42
shown in the on-screen display or Lower
31
Display Line ¯.
/
⁄ ¤
3. Output level adjustment is most easily done
through the CHANNEL ADJUST menu
(Figure 8). If you are already at the MASTER
MENU, press the
cursor is next to the CHANNEL
on-screen
›
ADJUST line. If you are not at the
MASTER MENU, press the OSD Button
v to bring up the MASTER MENU
(Figure 1), and then press the
until the on-screen
CHANNEL ADJUST line. Press the Set
Button n until the
¤
Button n
¤
cursor is next to the
›