Harman-Kardon AVR 8500 manual

AV R 8500 Audio/ V ideo Receiver OWNER’S MANU AL Power for the Digital Revolution ™ ®[...]

2 T ABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Introduction 4 Safety Information 4 Unpacking 5 F ront P anel Controls 7 F ront P anel Information Display 8 Rear P anel Connections 10 Main Remote Control Functions 14 Zone II Remote Control Functions 15 Installation and Connections 15 Audio Connections 15 Video Connections 16 SCAR T A/V Connections 18 System and P ower Conn[...]

INTRODUCTION 3 Introduction Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon! With the purchase of a Harman Kardon A VR 8500 you are about to begin many years of listening enjoyment. Designed to provide all the excitement and detail of movie soundtracks and every nuance of musical selections , the A VR 8500 is truly a multichannel receiver for the new millenni[...]

4 SAFETY INFORMA TION Safety Information Important Safety Information V erify Line V oltage Before Use Y our A VR has been designed for use with 220-240-V olt A C current. Connection to a line voltage other than that for which it is intended can create a safety and fire hazard and may damage the unit. If you have any questions about the voltage req[...]

FRONT P ANEL CONTROLS 5 1 Main P ower Switch: Press this button to apply power to the A VR. When the switch is pressed in, the unit is placed in a Standby mode, as indicated by the orange LED 3 surrounding the System P ower Control 2 . This button MUST be pressed in to operate the unit. T o turn the unit off completely and prevent the use of the re[...]

6 FRONT P ANEL CONTROLS Front P anel Controls 8 T one Mode: Pressing this button enables or disables the Bass and T reble tone controls . When the button is pressed so that the words TONE IN appear in the Main Information Display ˆ the Bass and T reble controls will be enabled. When the button is pressed so that the words TONE OUT appear in the Ma[...]

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q FRONT P ANEL INFORMATION DISPLA Y 7 Front P anel Information Display A B D E K L F H I J C G Upper Display Line Lower Display Line OSD Indicator Multi Indicator Speak er/Channel Input Indicator Preset Indicator Memory Indicator Stereo Indicator T uned Indicator Auto Indicator 192 kHz Indicator 96 kHz Indicator T r [...]

8 REAR P ANEL CONNECTIONS 33 8 12 ¡ ™ ¢ 34 14 16 5 6 11 6 11 7 6 13 3 21 20 22 16 14 18 17 15 10 26 32 9 27 19 31 28 30 23 24 25 29 230V/50Hz Rear P anel Connections                             !   " # AM Antenna FM Antenna T ape Inputs T ape Outputs [...]

REAR P ANEL CONNECTIONS 9 Rear P anel Connections  Preamp Outputs: When the jumper pins that link the Amplifier Inputs  with these outputs are removed, these jacks may be con- nected to an external power amplifier .  Video Monitor Outputs: Connect this jack to the composite and/or S-Video input of a TV monitor or video projector to view th[...]

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q                    10 MAIN REMO TE CONTROL FUNCTIONS P ower Off Button IR T ransmitter Window Program/SPL Indicator P ower On Button Input Selectors A VR Selector AM/FM T uner Select 6-Channel/8-Channel Direct Input T est Button Sleep Butt[...]

MAIN REMO TE CONTROL FUNCTIONS 11 Main Remote Control Functions IMPORT ANT NO TE: The A VR 8500’ s remote may be programmed to control up to seven devices , including the A VR 8500. Before using the remote , it is important to remember to press the Input Selector button 4 that corre- sponds to the unit you wish to operate . In addi- tion, the A V[...]

12 MAIN REMO TE CONTROL FUNCTIONS H Numeric K eys: These buttons serve as a ten-button numeric k eypad to enter tuner preset positions . T hey are also used to select channel numbers when TV , VCR or Sat receiver has been selected on the remote , or to select track numbers on a CD , DVD or LD player , depending on how the remote has been programmed[...]

MAIN REMO TE CONTROL FUNCTIONS 13 Main Remote Control Functions  › Button: Press this button to change a set- ting or selection when configuring many of the A VR’ s settings .  Speaker Select: Press this button to begin the process of configuring the A VR’ s Bass Management System for use with the type of speak ers used in your system. [...]

14 ZONE II REMO TE CONTROL FUNCTIONS Zone II Remote Control Functions å P ower Off ∫ A VR Selector ç AM/FM T uner Select ∂ Input Selectors ≠ T uning Up/Down – F ast Play ƒ Record/P ause © Preset/T rack Skip ˙ Disc Skip î V olume Up/Down ∆ Play F orward/Reverse/Stop ˚ Mute NO TE: The Zone II remote may be used in either the same roo[...]

INST ALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 15 After unpacking the unit, and placing it on a solid surface capable of supporting its weight, you will need to mak e the connections to your audio and video equipment. Audio Equipment Connections We recommend that you use high-quality inter- connect cables when making connections to source equipment and recorders to[...]

16 INST ALLATION AND CONNECTIONS Installation and Connections SCAR T A/V Connections F or the connections described above your video device needs RCA (cinch) connectors or/and S- Video connectors for all Audio and Video signals: Any normal video device (Not SVHS or High 8) for only playback needs 3 RCA jacks , VCRs for record and playback even 6 RC[...]

INST ALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 17 Installation and Connections Black Y ellow Red Figure 1: SCART/Cinch-Adapter for playback; signal flow: SCART → Cinch Black Red Blue Y ellow Green White Figure 2: SCART/Cinch-Adapter for record and playback; signal flow: SCART ↔ Cinch Black Y ellow Red Figure 3: Cinch/SCART -Adapter for playback; signal flow: Ci[...]

18 INST ALLATION AND CONNECTIONS System and P ower Connections T he A VR 8500 is designed for flexible use with multiroom systems , external control components and power amplifiers . Main Room Remote Control Extension If the receiver is placed behind a solid or smok ed glass cabinet door , the obstruction may prevent the remote sensor from receivin[...]

INST ALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 19 Installation and Connections AC P ower Connection T he A VR 8500 features a removable power cord that allows wires to be run to a complex installa- tion so that the unit, itself , need not be installed until it is ready for connection. When all connec- tions described above had been made , connect the AC P ower cord[...]

20 SY STEM CONFIGURATION System Configuration Once the speak ers have been placed in the room and connected, the remaining steps are to program the system configur ation memories . With the A VR 8500 two kind of memories are used, those associated individually with the input selected, e .g. surround modes , and others working independently from any[...]

SY STEM CONFIGURATION 21 T he factory default settings for the A VR 8500 have all inputs configured for an analog audio input except for the DVD input, where the Coaxial Digital Input  is the default. Once the DSP processing system is used for the first time for any input, the speak er settings will automatically default to “Small” at all po[...]

22 SY STEM CONFIGURATION System Configuration T he tone controls may also be adjusted at any time by pressing the T one Mode Button 8 on the front panel or  on the remote control. T he first press will bring up the T one Mode setting in the Semi-OSD on-screen display and in the Lower Display Line B . Press the ‹ / › Buttons 7$ on the front p[...]

SY STEM CONFIGURATION 23 5. Press the ‹ / › Buttons E on the remote to select the option that best describes your center speak er , based on the speaker definitions shown below . When SMALL is selected, low-frequency center channel sounds will be sent to the Fronts , if they are set to LARGE and Sub is turned off (see below). When Sub is on,[...]

24 SY STEM CONFIGURATION System Configuration 12. The Speak er Configuration may also be changed at any time without using the full-OSD on-screen menu system by pressing the Speaker Select button on the remote  . Once the button is pressed, FN T SPEAKER will appear in both the lower third of the video display and in the Main Information Display [...]

SY STEM CONFIGURATION 25 System Configuration T he THX menu appearing will show the current surround mode processed, see figure 5 below , and no other selection is available . Note that the same messages will also appear in the Lower Display Line on the front panel or the semi on screen display when the full on screen display system is not in use .[...]

26 SY STEM CONFIGURATION System Configuration Only for any Dolby or DTS surround mode using all speak ers you´ve configured (see below), you will need to adjust the delay setting. The delay settings for all other Dolby and DTS modes will be made automatically . Note that the delay time is not adjustable for any other modes . Important Note: Once t[...]

SY STEM CONFIGURATION 27 System Configuration IMPORT ANT NO TE: The output level can be adjusted for each digital and analog surround mode individually . T his allows you to compen- sate for level differences between speak ers, that may also vary with the surround mode selected, or to increase or decrease the level of certain speak ers intentionall[...]

28 SY STEM CONFIGURATION Y ou will hear a test noise circulate from speak er to speak er in a clockwise direction around the room. The test noise will play for two seconds in each speak er before circulating, and a blinking on-screen cursor will appear next to the name of each speak er location when the sound is at that speak er . NO TE: Remember t[...]

SY STEM CONFIGURATION 29 System Configuration Bass P eak Limiter T he A VR 8500 includes a bass peak level limiter as part of the THX Ultra program to protect your subwoofer from being damaged by excessive levels . Note that if you are using full range front left/right speak ers instead of a conventional subwoofer , the settings for the Bass P eak [...]

30 OPERA TION Operation Surround Mode Chart MODE FEA TURES DELA Y RANGE DOLBY DIGIT AL Dolby Digital Surround EX™ was developed jointly by Lucasfilm THX and Dolby Laboratories . see Dolby Digital; Surround EX, Dolby Digital Surround EX describes the encoding system and is a trademark of Dolby Labor atories . Surround Back lik e THX Surround EX Do[...]

OPERA TION 31 Operation Surround Mode Chart MODE FEA TURES DELA Y RANGE Logic 7 Cinema Exclusive to Harman Kardon for A V receivers , Logic 7 is an adv anced mode that extracts the Delay not adjustable Logic 7 Music maximum surround information from either surround-encoded programs or conventional stereo Logic 7 Enhance material. Depending on the n[...]

32 OPERA TION Basic Operation Once you have completed the setup and configu- ration of the A VR 8500, it is simple to oper ate and enjoy . The following instructions should be followed for you to maximize your enjoyment of your new receiver: T urning the A VR On or Off • When using the AVR 8500 for the first time , you must press the Main P ower [...]

OPERA TION 33 Operation Surround Mode Selection One of the most important features of the A VR 8500 is its ability to reproduce a full multi- channel surround sound field from digital sources , analog matrix surround encoded pro- grams and standard stereo or even mono pro- grams . Selection of a surround mode is based on personal taste , as well as[...]

34 OPERA TION Operation Dolby Digital Dolby Digital (originally known as AC-3 ® ) is a standard part of DVD , and is available on specially encoded LD discs and satellite broadcasts and it is a part of the new high-definition television (HDTV) system. Dolby Digital Surround EX Dolby Digital Surround EX is an enhanced encod- ing that was developed [...]

OPERA TION 35 Operation • T he digital audio input signal may be either optical or coaxial, but the signal must be in the MP3 SPDIF format. Direct connection of USB or serial data outputs is not possible , even though the signals are in the MP3 format. If you have any questions about the data output format from your computer or a sound card, chec[...]

36 OPERA TION Operation Speaker/Channel Indicators In addition to the Bitstream Indicators , the A VR features a set of unique channel-input indi- cators that tell you how many channels of digital information are being received and/or whether the digital signal is interrupted. (See Figure 9.) Figure 9 T hese indicators are the L/C/R/LFE/SL/SR/SBL/S[...]

OPERA TION 37 Operation T ape Recording In normal operation, the audio or video source selected for listening through the A VR is sent to the record outputs . This means that any progr am you are watching or listening to may be recorded simply by placing machines connected to the out- puts for T ape Outputs  or Video 1 or 2 Outputs # in the reco[...]

38 OPERA TION Operation When the menu appears , the internal test tone will be turned off . T his will allow you to use your external test disc or other source material as the test signal. Then, use the ⁄ / ¤ Buttons D to select the channels to be adjusted. At each channel position use the ‹ / › Buttons E to change the output level. Remem[...]

ADV ANCED FEATURES 39 Advanced Featur es T he A VR 8500 is equipped with a number of advanced features that add extr a flexibility to the unit’ s operation. While it is not necessary to use these features to operate the unit, they pro- vide additional options that you may wish to use . Speaker Reset In some cases you may wish to reset the speak e[...]

40 ADV ANCED FEATURES Advanced Featur es Semi-OSD Settings T he semi-OSD system places one line messages at the lower third of the video display screen whenever the V olume , Input Source , Surround mode or tuner frequency of any of the configura- tion settings are changed. The semi-OSD system is helpful in that enables you to have feedback on any [...]

MUL TIROOM OPERA TION 41 Multiroom Oper ation T he A VR 8500 is fully equipped to operate as the control center for a multiroom system with optional external remote Infrared (IR) sensors , video device, speakers and power amplifiers . Although some multi-room installations will require the services of a specially trained installer , it is possible [...]

42 TUNER OPERA TION T uner Oper ation Basic T uner Operation T he A VR 8500’ s tuner is capable of tuning AM, FM and FM Stereo broadcast stations and receiv- ing RDS data. Stations may be tuned manually , or they may be stored as favorite station presets and recalled from a 30 position memory . Station Selection 1. Press the AM/FM T uner Select b[...]

OPERA TION 43 T uner Oper ation RDS Operation T he A VR 8500 is equipped with RDS (Radio Data System), which brings a wide range of information to FM radio . Now in use in many countries , RDS is a system for transmitting station call signs or network information, a description of station program type , text messages about the station or specifics [...]

44 PROGRAMMING THE REMO TE T he A VR 8500 is equipped with a powerful remote control that will control not only the receiver’ s functions, but also most popular brands of audio and video equipment, including CD players , TV sets, cable boxes , VCRs, satellite receivers and other home-theater equipment. Once the A VR’ s remote is programmed with[...]

PROGRAMMING THE REMO TE 45 Progr amming the Remote Code Readout When the code has been entered using the Auto Search method, it is always a good idea to find out the exact code so that it may be easily reentered if necessary . Y ou may also read the codes to verify which device has been programmed to a specific Control Selector button. 1. Press and[...]

46 PROGRAMMING THE REMO TE Progr amming the Remote 3. Press and release the same Input Selector 45 again for the device whose codes you wish to erase . 4. Press the 8 button H three times . 5. T he Program/SPL Indicator 2 will turn off , the red light under the Input Selector will flash on and off once and the Program/SPL Indicator 2 will flash gre[...]

PROGRAMMING THE REMO TE 47 Progr amming the Remote Programmed Device Functions Once the A VR’ s remote has been programmed for the codes of other devices , press the appropriate Input Selector 4 to change the remote from control over the A VR to the additional product. When you press any of these buttons , it will briefly flash in red to indicate[...]

48 PROGRAMMING THE REMO TE Progr amming the Remote Channel Control Punch-Through T he A VR 8500’ s remote may be programmed to operate so that the channel control function, performed with the Sleep 9 and Surround A buttons , for either the TV , cable or satellite receiver used in your system may be used in con- junction with one of the other devi[...]

PROGRAMMING THE REMO TE 49 Progr amming the Remote Resetting the Remote Memory As you add components to your home-theater sys- tem, occasionally you may wish to totally repro- gram the remote control without the confusion of any commands , macros or ”Punch-T hrough“ pro- gramming that you may have done . To do this , it is possible to reset the[...]

50 FUNCTION LIST Function List No . Button Name A VR Function DVD CD/CDR 1 P ower On P ower On P ower On P ower On 2 P ower Off P ower Off P ower Off P ower Off 3 Mute Mute 4 AV R A VR Select 5 DVD DVD Input Select DVD Select 6 CD CD Input Select CD Select 7 T ape T ape Input Select 8 VID 1 Video 1 Select 9 VID 2 Video 2 Select 10 VID 3 Video 3 Sel[...]

FUNCTION LIST 51 Function List No . Button Name T ape VCR (VID 1) TV (VID 2) CBL (VID 3) SA T(VID 3) 1 P ower On Power On Power On Power On P ower On P ower On 2 P ower Off P ower Off P ower Off P ower Off P ower Off P ower Off 3 Mute Mute 4 AV R 5 DVD 6 CD 7 T ape T ape Select 8 VID 1 VCR Select 9 VID 2 TV Select 10 VID 3 VID 3 Select VID 3 Select[...]

52 TROUBLESHOO TING GUIDE T r oubleshooting Guide Processor Reset In the rare case where the unit’ s operation or the displays seem abnormal, the cause may involve the erratic oper ation of the system’ s memory or microprocessor . T o correct this problem, first unplug the unit from the AC wall outlet and w ait at least three min- utes . After [...]

TECHNICAL SPECIFICA TIONS 53 T echnical Specifications Audio Section Stereo Mode Continuous Average P ower (FTC) 125 Watts per channel, 20Hz–20kHz, @ < 0.07% THD, both channels driven into 8 ohms Five-Channel Surround Modes P ower Per Individual Channel F ront L&R channels: 110 Watts per channel, @ < 0.07% THD, 20Hz–20kHz into 8 ohms [...]

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