Pioneer VSX-1015TX manual

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER VSX-1015TX Operating Instructions Register y our pr oduct at www .pioneerelectr onics.com • Protect y our ne w in vestment The details of your purchase will be on file for reference in the event of an insurance claim such as loss or theft. • Impro ve pr oduct development Y our input helps us continue to design[...]

W ARNING – TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. D1-4-2-1_En IMPORT ANT NOTICE – THE SERIAL NUMBER FOR THIS EQUIPMENT IS L OCA TED IN THE REAR . PLEASE WRITE THIS SERIAL NUMBER ON YOUR ENCL OSED WARRANTY CARD AND KEEP IN A SECURE AREA. THIS IS FOR YOUR SECURITY . D1-4-2-6-1_En This Class B digital ap[...]

READ INSTRUCTIONS — All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. RET AIN INSTRUCTIONS — The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. HEED WARNINGS — All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS — All opera[...]

4 En Contents 01 Before you start Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Checking what’s in the box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Installing the receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [...]

5 En 09 Controlling the rest of your system Setting the remote to control other components . . . . 52 Selecting preset codes directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Programming signals from other remote controls . . . 53 Erasing one of the remote control button settings . . . 54 Erasing all of the remote control presets . . . . . . . . . . [...]

Before you start 01 6 En Chapter 1: Before you start Features • High quality MOSFET design This receiver offers high-quality discrete MOSFET configuration unique to Pioneer for low distortion, and generates equal amplifier power to all channels, eliminating the possibility of one channel dominating a particular sound field. • Easy setup using M[...]

Before you start 01 7 En Ventilation When installing this unit, make sure to leave space around the unit for ventilation to improve heat dispersal (at least 8 in. (20 cm) at the top). If not enough space is provided between the unit and walls or other equipment, heat will build up inside, interfering with performance and/or causing malfunctions. Sl[...]

5 minute guide 02 8 En Chapter 2: 5 minute guide Introduction to home theater You are probably used to using stereo equipment to listen to music, but may not be used to home theater systems that give you many more options (such as surround sound) when listening to soundtracks. Home theater refers to the use of multiple audio tracks to create a surr[...]

5 minute guide 02 9 En 3 Connect your speakers. A complete setup of eight speakers (including the subwoofer) is shown here but everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner shown below. The receiver will work with just two stereo speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three speakers i[...]

5 minute guide 02 10 En Note • The speaker terminals also accept single banana plugs. Where you place the speakers will have a big effect on the sound. Place your speakers as shown below for the best surround sound effect. See Hints on speaker placement on page 21 for more on this. 4 Plug in the receiver and switch it on, followed by your DVD pla[...]

5 minute guide 02 11 En Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC) The Auto MCACC Setup measures the acoustic characteristics of your listening area, taking into account ambient noise, speaker size and distance, and tests for both channel delay and channel level. After you have set up the microphone provided with your system, the receiver [...]

5 minute guide 02 12 En 6 Follow the instructions on-screen. • Make sure the microphone is connected. • If you’re using a subwoofer, it is automatically detected every time you switch on the system. Make sure it is on and the volume is turned up. • See below for notes regarding high background noise levels and other possible interference. 7[...]

5 minute guide 02 13 En Note • If you leave an error message on the screen for over three minutes, or if you cancel the Auto MCACC Setup at any time, the receiver automatically exits and no settings will be made. • Depending on the characteristics of your room, sometimes identical speakers with cone sizes of around 5 inches (12cm) will end up w[...]

Connecting up 03 14 En Chapter 3: Connecting up Important • Before making or changing any connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet. About cable types Analog audio cables Use stereo RCA phono cables to connect analog audio components. These cables are typically red and white, and you should connect the red[...]

Connecting up 03 15 En When making cable connections Be careful not to arrange cables in a manner that bends the cables over the top or around this unit. If the cables are laid on top of the unit, the magnetic field produced by the transformers in this unit may cause a humming noise to come from the speakers. About the video converter The video con[...]

Connecting up 03 16 En Connecting digital audio components The easiest way to hook up this receiver for surround sound (Dolby Digital and DTS sources) is to use a digital input. You can do this by either coaxial or optical connections (you do not need to do both). The quality of these two types of connections is the same but since some digital comp[...]

Connecting up 03 17 En Connecting analog audio components To begin set up, connect your analog audio components (such as a cassette deck) to the jacks. For components you want to record with, you need to hook up four plugs to the receiver (a set of stereo inputs and a set of stereo outputs), but for components that only play, you only need to hook [...]

Connecting up 03 18 En Connecting video components Connect your video components to the jacks as shown below. With digital video components (like a DVD player), you must use the connections shown on this page for the video signal, but in order to hear a digital source (like a DVD) you should hook up the audio to a digital input (see page 16). It is[...]

Connecting up 03 19 En Connecting antennas Connect the AM loop antenna and the FM wire antenna as shown below. To improve reception and sound quality, connect external antennas (see Using external antennas below). Always make sure that the receiver is switched off and unplugged from the wall outlet before making or changing any connections. FM wire[...]

Connecting up 03 20 En Connecting the speakers A complete setup of eight speakers (including the subwoofer) is shown below, but everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner shown below. The receiver will work with just two stereo speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three speakers [...]

Connecting up 03 21 En Note • The speaker terminals also accept single banana plugs. (Refer to speaker manual for details.) • If you are using a THX certified subwoofer use the THX INPUT jack on the subwoofer (if your subwoofer has one) or switch the filter position to THX on your subwoofer. Hints on speaker placement Speakers are usually desig[...]

Connecting up 03 22 En 3-D view of 7.1 channel speaker setup THX speaker system setup If you have a complete THX speaker system, follow the diagram below to place your speakers. Note that the surround speakers ( indicates bi-polar radiating speakers) should output at an angle parallel to the listener. If you have two surround back speakers THX reco[...]

Connecting up 03 23 En Power cord caution Handle the power cord by the plug. Do not pull out the plug by tugging the cord and never touch the power cord when your hands are wet as this could cause a short circuit or an electric shock. Do not place the unit, a piece of furniture, etc., on the power cord, or pinch the cord. Never make a knot in the c[...]

Controls and displays 04 24 En Chapter 4: Controls and displays Front panel 1 MULTI JOG dial Use the MULTI JOG dial to select various settings and menu options. 2  STANDBY/ON Switches the receiver between on and standby. Power indicator lights when the receiver is on. 3 LISTENING MODE SELECT Use with the MULTI JOG dial to select the various list[...]

Controls and displays 04 25 En 10 Front panel controls To access the front panel controls, push gently on the lower third portion of the panel with your finger. 11 TUNER CONTROL TUNER EDIT Use with the MULTI JOG dial to memorize and name stations for recall (page 50). TUNING/STATION Use with the MULTI JOG dial to select station presets and radio fr[...]

Controls and displays 04 26 En Display 1 Speaker indicators (page 58) Lights to indicate the current speaker system, A and/or B . 2 SIGNAL SELECT indicators Lights to indicate the type of input signal assigned for the current component: AUTO Lights when AUTO signal select is on. DIGITAL Lights when a digital audio signal is detected. ANALOG Lights [...]

Controls and displays 04 27 En 12 DE Lights when Dialog Enhancement ( DIALOG E ) is switched on (page 38). 13 TUNER indicators STEREO Lights when a stereo FM broadcast is being received in auto stereo mode. MONO Lights when the mono mode is set using the MPX button. TUNED Lights when a broadcast is being received. 14 Character display Displays vari[...]

Controls and displays 04 28 En Remote control 1 RECEIVER  This switches between standby and on for this receiver. 2 INPUT SELECT Use to select the input source. 3 MULTI CONTROL buttons Press to select control of other components (see Controlling the rest of your system on page 52). 4 Number buttons and other receiver/component controls Use the n[...]

Controls and displays 04 29 En 6  (TUNE/ST +/–) /ENTER Use the arrow buttons when setting up your surround sound system (see page 40). Also used to control DVD menus/options and for deck 1 of a double cassette deck player. Use the TUNE +/– buttons to find radio frequencies and use ST +/– to find preset stations (page 50). 7 TV CON[...]

Controls and displays 04 30 En +/– Use to adjust the effect and channel levels, as well as to change Dolby Pro Logic IIx and Neo:6 Music parameter settings. SLEEP (SHIFT & –) Use to put the receiver in sleep mode and select the amount of time before the receiver turns off (page 39). DIALOG E (SHIFT & +) Use to make dialog stand out when[...]

Listening to your system 05 31 En Chapter 5: Listening to your system Tip • The listening modes described below can also be selected using the front panel controls. Simply press LISTENING MODE SELECT repeatedly to access the modes you want, then use the MULTI JOG to select a particular listening mode (after five seconds the mode is automatically [...]

Listening to your system 05 32 En With multichannel sources, if you have connected surround back speaker(s) and have selected Extended ON , you can select (according to format): • 2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – See above (only available when you’re using two surround back speakers) • 2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC – See above • Dolby Digital EX – Cre[...]

Listening to your system 05 33 En Using the Advanced surround effects The Advanced surround effects can be used for a variety of additional surround sound effects. Most Advanced Surround modes are designed to be used with film soundtracks, but some modes are also suited for music sources. Try different settings with various soundtracks to see which[...]

Listening to your system 05 34 En Neo:6 Music settings • Default setting: 3 When listening to 2-channel sources in Neo:6 Music mode, you can adjust the center image to create a wider stereo effect with vocals. Note that this is only available when using a center speaker. 1 With Neo:6 MUSIC mode active, press EFFECT/CH SEL repeatedly to select C. [...]

Listening to your system 05 35 En Choosing the input signal You need to hook up a component to both analog and digital inputs on the rear of the receiver to select between input signals. • Press SIGNAL SELECT to select the input signal corresponding to the source component. Each press cycles through the options as follows: • AUTO – This autom[...]

Listening to your system 05 36 En Using the surround back channel (Extended mode) • Default setting: Extended ON You can have the receiver automatically use 6.1 or 7.1 decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (for example, Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES), or you can choose to always use 6.1 or 7.1 decoding (for example, with 5.1 encoded material). With 5.1 e[...]

Listening to your system 05 37 En Using the Virtual Surround Back mode (VirtualSB) When you’re not using surround back speakers, selecting this mode allows you to hear a virtual surround back channel through your surround speakers. For example, you can choose to listen to sources with no surround back channel information (for example, 5.1 encoded[...]

Listening to your system 05 38 En Using Loudness and Midnight listening The Loudness listening feature can be used to get good bass and treble from music sources at low volume levels. The Midnight listening feature allows you to hear effective surround sound of movies at low volume levels. The effect automatically adjusts according to the volume at[...]

Listening to your system 05 39 En Playing other sources 1 Turn on the power of the playback component. 2 Turn on the power of the receiver. 3 Select the source you want to playback. Use the MULTI CONTROL buttons (or INPUT SELECT ). 4 Start playback of the component you selected in step 1. Selecting the multichannel analog inputs If you have connect[...]

The System Setup menu 06 40 En Chapter 6: The System Setup menu Making receiver settings from the System Setup menu The following section shows you how to make detailed settings to specify how you’re using the receiver (for example, if you want to set up two speaker systems in separate rooms), and also explains how to fine-tune individual speaker[...]

The System Setup menu 06 41 En 2 Select the surround back speaker setting. • Normal (SB) – Select for normal home theater use with surround back speakers in your main (speaker system A) setup. • Second Zone – Select to use the (surround back) B speaker terminals to listen to stereo playback in another room (see Second Zone speaker B setup o[...]

The System Setup menu 06 42 En Fine Channel Level • Default setting: 0dB (all channels) You can achieve better surround sound by properly adjusting the overall balance of your speaker system. The following setting can help you make detailed adjustments that you may not achieve using the Manual speaker setup on page 45. 1 Select ‘Fine Ch Level?[...]

The System Setup menu 06 43 En When it sounds like the delay settings are matched up, press ENTER to confirm and continue to the next channel. • For comparison purposes, the reference speaker will change depending on which speaker you select. • If you want to go back and adjust a channel, simply use / (cursor up/down) to select it. 4 When[...]

The System Setup menu 06 44 En 3 Select ‘OK’ to copy and confirm. Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ manually Before manually adjusting the Acoustic Calibration EQ, we recommend copying the ALL CH ADJUST or the FRONT ALIGN settings from the auto setup above (or from Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC) on page 11) to one of the [...]

The System Setup menu 06 45 En 2 Select the setting you want to check. • It is useful to do this while a source is playing so you can compare the different settings. 3 Select the channels you want, pressing ENTER when you’re finished checking each one. 4 When you're finished, press RETURN. You will return to the Manual MCACC setup menu. Ma[...]

The System Setup menu 06 46 En Speaker Setting Use this setting to specify your speaker configuration (size, number of speakers). It is a good idea to make sure that the settings made in Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC) on page 11 are correct. 1 Select ‘Speaker Setting’ from the Manual SP Setup menu. 2 Choose the set of speak[...]

The System Setup menu 06 47 En Crossover Network • Default setting: 80Hz This setting decides the cutoff between bass sounds playing back from the speakers selected as LARGE , or the subwoofer, and bass sounds playing back from those selected as SMALL . It also decides where the cutoff will be for bass sounds in the LFE channel. Note • For more[...]

The System Setup menu 06 48 En Note • If you are using a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter, take the readings from your main listening position and adjust the level of each speaker to 75 dB SPL (C- weighting/slow reading). • The subwoofer test tone is output at low volumes. You may need to adjust the level after testing with an actual soundtrack[...]

Using the tuner 07 49 En Chapter 7: Using the tuner Listening to the radio The following steps show you how to tune in to FM and AM radio broadcasts using the automatic (search) and manual (step) tuning functions. If you already know the frequency of the station you want, see Tuning directly to a station below. Once you are tuned to a station you c[...]

Using the tuner 07 50 En Saving station presets If you often listen to a particular radio station, it's convenient to have the receiver store the frequency for easy recall whenever you want to listen to that station. This saves the effort of manually tuning in each time. This unit can memorize up to 30 stations, stored in three banks, or class[...]

Making recordings 08 51 En Chapter 8: Making recordings Making an audio or a video recording You can make an audio or a video recording from the built-in tuner, or from an audio or video source connected to the receiver (such as a CD player or TV). Keep in mind you can’t make a digital recording from an analog source or vice-versa, so make sure t[...]

Controlling the rest of your system 09 52 En Chapter 9: Controlling the rest of your system Setting the remote to control other components Most components can be assigned to one of the MULTI CONTROL buttons using the component’s manufacturer preset code stored in the remote. However, please note that there are cases where only certain functions m[...]

Controlling the rest of your system 09 53 En Programming signals from other remote controls If the preset code for your component is not available, or the available preset codes do not operate correctly, you can program signals from the remote control of another component. This can also be used to program additional operations (buttons not covered [...]

Controlling the rest of your system 09 54 En Erasing one of the remote control button settings This erases one of the buttons you have programmed and restores the button to the factory default. 1 While pressing the RECEIVER button, press and hold the 1 button. The remote LCD display shows SETUP . 2 Press the MULTI CONTROL button corresponding to th[...]

Controlling the rest of your system 09 55 En Controls for TVs This remote control can control components after entering the proper codes or teaching the receiver the commands (see Setting the remote to control other components on page 52 for more on this). Use the MULTI CONTROL buttons to select the component. Note • The TV CONTROL buttons on the[...]

Controlling the rest of your system 09 56 En Controls for other components This remote control can control these components after entering the proper codes or teaching the receiver the commands (see Setting the remote to control other components on page 52 for more on this). Use the MULTI CONTROL buttons to select the component. Button (s) Function[...]

Controlling the rest of your system 09 57 En  P auses the tape. Cassette deck  Stops the tape. Cassette deck ENTER Starts playback. Cassette deck / F ast rewinds/fast forwards the tape. Cassette deck  & ENTER Navigates DVD menu/options. DVD/DVR Player GUIDE P ress to access the DVD player setup screen. DVD/DVR Player CH [...]

Other connections 10 58 En Chapter 10: Other connections Caution • Before making or changing the connections , switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the power outlet. Plugging in components should be the last connection you make with your system. • Be careful not to allow any contact between speaker wires from different termin[...]

Other connections 10 59 En Bi-amping your front speakers Bi-amping is when you connect the high frequency driver and low frequency driver of your speakers to different amplifiers (in this case, to both front and surround back terminals) for better crossover performance. Your speakers must be bi-ampable to do this (having separate terminals for high[...]

Other connections 10 60 En Connecting additional amplifiers This receiver has more than enough power for any home use, but it’s possible to add additional amplifiers to every channel of your system using the pre-outs. Make the connections shown below to add amplifiers to power your speakers. • Before making or changing the connections, switch o[...]

Other connections 10 61 En • Use a 3-ringed miniplug SR+ cable to connect the CONTROL IN jack of this receiver with the CONTROL OUT jack of your plasma display. Before you can use the extra SR+ features, you need to make a few settings in the receiver. See SR+ Setup for Pioneer plasma displays on page 65 for detailed instructions. To make the mos[...]

Other Settings 11 62 En Chapter 11: Other Settings The Input Assign menu You only need to make settings in the Input Assign menu if you didn’t hook up your digital equipment according to the default settings for the digital inputs, or if you have connected equipment using component video cables. 1 Switch on the receiver and your TV. Use the  R[...]

Other Settings 11 63 En Assigning the component video inputs • Default settings: Component 1 – OFF Component 2 – OFF Component 3 – OFF If you used component video cords to connect your video equipment you must tell the receiver which device it is, or else you may see the S-video or composite video input instead of the component video signal[...]

Other Settings 11 64 En 4 Select the setting you want to adjust. If you are doing this for the first time, you may want to adjust these settings in order: • DRC Setup – Specify the amount of dynamic range adjustment to Dolby Digital soundtracks (see Dynamic Range Control Setup below). • Dual Mono Setup – Isolate one channel when listening t[...]

Other Settings 11 65 En LFE Attenuator Setup • Default setting: ATT 0 dB Some Dolby Digital and DTS audio sources include ultra- low bass tones. Set the LFE attenuator as necessary to prevent the ultra-low bass tones from distorting the sound from the speakers. 1 Select ‘LFE ATT Setup’ from the Other Setup menu. 2 Choose the setting that you [...]

Additional information 12 66 En Chapter 12: Additional information Troubleshooting Incorrect operations are often mistaken for trouble and malfunctions. If you think that there is something wrong with this component, check the points below. Sometimes the trouble may lie in another component. Investigate the other components and electrical appliance[...]

Additional information 12 67 En No sound Symptom Cause Remedy No sound is output when an input source is selected. No sound output from the front speakers. • Improper connections. • Make sure you have properly connected the component to the corresponding input on the back of the receiver (see Connecting up on page 14). • Sound is muted or the[...]

Additional information 12 68 En Other audio problems No sound from one speaker . • The speaker setting has been set to NO .• Change the setting in Speaker Setting on page 46. • The speaker level is too low . • Check the level in Channel Level on page 47. • The speaker isn’t connected properly . • Check Connecting the speakers on page [...]

Additional information 12 69 En Video Can't record audio. • Y ou are trying to make an analog recording from a digital signal, or a digital recording of an analog source. • Y ou can only record analog to analog, or digital to digital. • The digital source is copy protected. • Y ou can't record digital sources that have been copy p[...]

Additional information 12 70 En Settings Display Symptom Cause Remedy The Auto MCACC Setup continually shows an error . • The ambient noise level in the room is too high, or obstacles are blocking the setup microphone. • Keep the noise level in the room as low as possible when using the Auto MCACC Setup (see Other problems when using the Auto M[...]

Additional information 12 71 En Remote control Note • If the unit does not operate normally due to external effects such as static electricity disconnect the power plug from the outlet and insert again to return to normal operating conditions. Resetting the main unit Use this procedure to reset all the receiver’s settings to the factory default[...]

Additional information 12 72 En Surround sound formats Below is a brief description of the main surround sound formats you’ll find on DVDs, satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasts, and video cassettes. Dolby The Dolby technologies are explained below. See www.dolby.com for more detailed information. Dolby Digital Dolby Digital is a multichann[...]

Additional information 12 73 En Windows Media ® Audio 9 Professional Windows Media ® Audio 9 Professional (WMA9 Pro) is a discrete surround format developed by Microsoft Corporation. WMA9 Pro can support up to 5.1/7.1 channel playback with sampling rates up to 24-bit/96kHz. Using the unique WMA compression techniques, WMA9 Pro can deliver multich[...]

Additional information 12 74 En This product may also engage the “THX Surround EX” mode during the playback of 5.1 channel material that is not Dolby Digital Surround EX encoded. In such case the information delivered to the Surround Back channel will be program dependent and may or may not be very pleasing depending on the particular soundtrac[...]

Additional information 12 75 En Specifications Amplifier section Continuous average power output of 120 watts* per channel, min., at 8 ohms, from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz with no more than 0.2%** total harmonic distortion (front). Continuous Power Output Front . . . . . . . . . . 120 W + 120 W (20 Hz-20 kHz, 8 Ω , 0.2%) Center . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]

PIONEER CORPORATION 4-1, Meguro 1-Chome, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8654, Japan PIONEER ELECTRONICS (USA) INC. P.O. BOX 1540, Long Beach, California 90810-1540, U.S.A. TEL: (800) 421-1404 PIONEER ELECTRONICS OF CANADA, INC. 300 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario L3R OP2, Canada TEL: 1-877-283-5901 PIONEER EUROPE NV Haven 1087, Keetberglaan 1, B-9120 Mels[...]