System Configuration; Speaker Placement; System Setup - Harman Kardon AVR 230 Owner's Manual

When all audio, video and system connections have
been made, there are a few configuration adjustments
that must be made. A few minutes spent to correctly
configure and calibrate the unit will greatly add to your
listening experience.
Speaker Selection and Placement
The placement of speakers in a multichannel home
theater system can have a noticeable impact on the
quality of sound reproduced.
No matter which type or brand of speakers is used,
the same model or brand of speaker should be used
for the left front, center and right front speakers. This
creates a seamless front soundstage and eliminates
the possibility of distracting sonic disturbances that
occur when a sound moves across mismatched
front-channel speakers.

Speaker Placement

Depending on the type of center channel speaker in
use and your viewing device, place the center speaker
either directly above or below your TV, or in the center
behind a perforated front projection screen.
Once the center channel speaker is installed, position
the front left and front right speakers so that they are
as far away from one another as the center channel
speaker is from the preferred listening position. Ideally,
the front channel speakers should be placed so that
their tweeters are no more than 24" above or below
the tweeter in the center channel speaker.
Depending on the specifics of your room acoustics
and the type of speakers in use, you may find that
imaging is improved by moving the left front and right
front speakers slightly forward of the center channel
speaker. If possible, adjust all front loudspeakers
so that they are aimed at ear height when you are
seated in the listening position.
Using these guidelines, you'll find that it takes some
experimentation to find the correct location for the front
speakers in your particular installation. Don't be afraid to
move things around until the system sounds correct.
Optimize your speakers so that audio transitions across
the front of the room sound smooth, and sounds from
all speakers appear to arrive at the listening position at
the same time (without delay from the center speaker
compared to the left and right speakers).
When the AVR 230 is used in 5.1-channel operation,
the preferred location for surround speakers is on the
side walls of the room, at or slightly behind the listen-
ing position. In a 6.1-channel system, both side sur-
round speakers and a back surround speaker are
required. The center of the speaker should face into
the room. The speakers should be located so that
A) Front-channel speaker installation with direct-view
TV sets or rear-screen projectors
TV or Projection Screen
Center Front
Left Front Right Front
Speaker
Speaker Speaker
Rear-Wall Mounting
7.1 6.1 7.1
B) Rear-wall speaker mounting using the positions
marked "7.1" is an alternate location for 5.1 systems,
and it should also be used for full 7.1 systems when
an optional, external power amplifier is used to power
the rear speakers. When the AVR's internal amplifier
only is used for a 6.1 speaker configuration, the
position marked "6.1" should be used.
the bottom of the cabinet is at least two feet higher
than the listeners' ears when the listeners are seated in
the desired area.

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Rear surround speaker mounting locations will vary
according to the requirements of your specific system.
If you are using the AVR 230's internal amplifiers only,
the rear surround speaker should be mounted as
close as possible to the center of the rear wall for a
"6.1" system. If an optional, external power amplifier is
available so that both the Surround Back Left and
Surround Back Right channels are in use, place the
speakers on the rear wall, as shown in the diagram
below left. The rear wall location may also be used in
place of side-wall mounting in 5.1 systems when it is
not practical to place the main surround speakers at
the sides of the room.
As with the side speakers, rear surround speakers
should be located so that the bottom of the cabinet
is at least two feet higher than the listeners' ears.
The speakers should be no more than six feet behind
the rear of the seating area.
If dipole-type speakers are used on either the side or
rear walls of the room, please note that if there are
arrows on the speakers they should face the front of
the room for the side speakers, or toward the center
of the wall for the rear speakers.
Subwoofers produce nondirectional sound, so they
may be placed almost anywhere in a room. Actual
placement should be based on room size and shape
and the type of subwoofer used. One method of find-
ing the optimal location for a subwoofer is to begin by
placing it in the front of the room, about six inches
from a wall, or near the front corner of the room.
Another method is to temporarily place the subwoofer
at your normal listening position, and then walk
around the room until you find a spot where the sub-
woofer sounds best. Place the subwoofer in that spot.
You should also follow the instructions of the sub-
woofer's manufacturer, or you may wish to experi-
ment with the best location for a subwoofer in your
listening room.

System Setup

Once the speakers have been placed in the room and
connected, the remaining steps in the setup process
are to program the AVR 230's bass management sys-
tem for the type of speakers used in your system,
calibrate the output levels, and set the delay times
used by the surround sound processor.
You are now ready to power up the AVR 230 to begin
these final adjustments.
1. Make certain that the AC power cord fl is firmly
inserted into an unswitched AC outlet. To maintain
the unit's safety rating, DO NOT substitute the
power cord for one with lower current capacity.
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION 15