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20

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

the optimal delay time is figured as
(3–1) x 3+15=21. Thus, in this example, the
Pro Logic II delay should be set at twenty 
milliseconds.

NOTE:

The DTS, Logic 7, 5CH Stereo, Hall and

Theater modes use a fixed, nonadjustable delay
time.

The Dolby Digital Mode also includes a separate
setting for the center channel delay mode, since
the discrete nature of these signals makes the
location of the center channel speaker more criti-
cal. To calculate the delay for the center channel,
measure the distance from the preferred listening
position in the center of the room to both the
center channel speaker and either the left or
right speaker.

If the distances are equal, no further adjustment
is required and the center delay should be left
zero. If the distance to the front speakers is
greater than the distance to the center speaker,
you may wish to reposition the speakers by mov-
ing the front left and front right speakers closer to
the listening position or the center speaker further
away from the listening position.

If repositioning of the speakers is not possible,
adjust the center delay time, adding one milli-
second of center channel delay for every 30 cm
closer to the listening position the center speaker
is than the front speakers. For example, if the
front left and front right speakers are each 3 m
from the listening position and the center chan-
nel speaker is 2.4 m away, the delay is figured as
300 cm –240 cm=60 cm, suggesting an optimal
center delay of 2 milliseconds.

To set the delay time, follow these steps:

1. To make the delay settings for the Dolby
Digital mode (this will include the Center delay
setting, and the surround delay for the 
Pro Logic II mode will be set automatically), press
the 

Input Source Selector

!

on the front or

4

on the remote and select any input now that

is associated with a digital input and the Dolby
Digital surround mode.

2. Press the 

Delay

button 

on the remote

or front panel. The words 

S DELAY

appear in

the 

Main Information Display

M

.

3. Press the

Set

button 

E

Ó

.

4. Press the 

/

¤

buttons 

C

on the remote or

the 

Selector

buttons 

5

on the front panel until

the desired rear delay time for the Dolby Digital
mode, calculated using the formula for Dolby
Digital above (item a.), appears in the display.

5. Press the 

Set

button 

E

Ó

to enter the

setting into the AVR 2550’s memory.

6. Press the 

/

¤

buttons 

C

on the remote

once, so that 

C DELAY

appears in the 

Main

Information Display

M

.

7. Press the 

Set

button 

E

Ó

.

8. Press the 

/

¤

buttons 

C

on the remote

until the desired delay time for the center chan-
nel appears in the display.

9. Press the 

Set

button 

E

Ó

to enter the set-

ting into the AVR 2550’s memory.

You have now completed the delay time settings
for all surround modes and inputs.

Night Mode Settings

The Night mode is a feature of Dolby Digital that
uses special processing to preserve the dynamic
range and full intelligibility of a movie sound
track while reducing the peak level. This prevents
abruptly loud transitions from disturbing others,
without reducing the sonic impact of a digital
source. Note that the Night mode is only avail-
able when the Dolby Digital surround mode is
selected.

To adjust the Night mode setting press the 

Input

Source Selector

!

on the front or 

4

on the

remote and select an input that is associated
with a digital input and the Dolby Digital sur-
round mode.

Next press the 

Night

button 

A

on the remote.

When the button is pressed, the words 

D-R

(Dynamic Range) followed by the current

setting (MID, MAX, OFF) will appear in the 

Main

Information Display

M

. Press the 

/

¤

buttons 

C

within five seconds to select the

desired setting:

OFF

: When 

OFF

is shown in the display, the

Night mode will not function.

MID

: When 

MID

is shown in the display, a

mild compression will be applied.

MA X

: When 

MAX

is shown in the display, a

more severe compression algorithm will be
applied.

When you want to use the Night mode feature,
we recommend that you select the MID setting
as a starting point and change to the MAX
setting later, if desired.

When any Night mode is selected, the 

NIGHT

Mode Indicator

N

will illuminate. To confirm

the selection press the 

Set

button 

E

Ó

or

wait for some seconds until the display returns to
the normal mode.

Output Level Adjustment

Output level adjustment is a key part of the con-
figuration process for any surround sound prod-
uct. It is particularly important for a Dolby Digital
receiver such as the AVR 2550, as correct outputs
will ensure that you hear sound tracks with the
proper directionality and intensity.

NOTE:

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 the surround channels. This
is because they are only used when a movie
director or sound mixer specifically places sound
there to create ambiance, a special effect or to
continue action from the front of the room to
the rear. When the output levels are properly set
it is normal for surround speakers to operate
only occasionally. Artificially increasing the vol-
ume to the rear speakers may destroy the illu-
sion of an enveloping sound field that dupli-
cates the way you hear sound in a movie the-
ater or concert hall.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The output level can be

adjusted for each digital and analog surround
mode separately. This allows you to compensate
for level differences between speakers, that may
also vary with the surround mode selected, or to
increase or decrease the level of certain speakers
intentionally, depending on the surround mode
selected. Note that adjustments made for any
surround mode are effective with all inputs asso-
ciated with that surround mode.

Before beginning the output level adjustment
process, make certain that all speaker connec-
tions have been properly made. The system
volume should be turned down at first. Finally,
make certain that the 

Balance Control

&

is

set to the center “12 o’clock” position.

To adjust and calibrate the output levels, follow
these steps. For accurate calibration, it is a good
idea to make these adjustments while seated in
your favorite listening position. As the adjust-
ment must be made for each surround mode, it is
best to select any input associated with any
Dolby Pro Logic II mode, make the adjustment for
that surround mode, then step through all inputs
you´re using (and thus through all surround
modes associated with the inputs) and repeat
the adjustment when any surround mode
appears that has not yet been adjusted.

1. Select any input associated with any Dolby Pro
Logic II surround mode by pressing the 

Input

Source Selector

!

4

until the

Pro Logic II

Surround Mode Indicator

$

on the front

and 

F

in the display light up.

2. Press the 

Test Tone

button 

7

#

on the

remote. The words 

TEST FL

will appear in the

Main Information Display 

M

.

System Configuration

Summary of Contents for AVR 2550

Page 1: ...AVR 2550 Audio VideoReceiver OWNER S MANUAL AVR 2550 AM FM RDS Power for the Digital Revolution ...

Page 2: ...ogrammed Device Function 30 Macro Programming 31 Volume Punch Through 31 Channel Control Punch Through 31 Transport Control Punch Through 31 Resetting the Remote Memory 32 Function List 34 Troubleshooting Guide 34 Processor Reset 35 Technical Specifications Table of Contents Typographical Conventions In order to help you use this manual with the remote control front panel controls and rear panel c...

Page 3: ...rround modes are available for use with sources such as CD VCR TV broadcasts and the AVR s own FM AM tuner Along with the latest Dolby ProLogicII decoding technology Dolby 3 Stereo 5 Ch Stereo and custom Hall and Theater modes only Harman Kardon receivers offer Logic 7 to create a wider more enveloping field environ ment and more defined fly overs and pans Another Harman Kardon exclusive is VMAx w...

Page 4: ...t proper space is provided both above and below the unit for ventilation If this product will be installed in a cabinet or other enclosed area make certain that there is sufficient air movement within the cabinet Under some circumstances a fan may be required Do not place the unit directly on a carpeted surface Avoid installation in extremely hot or cold locations or an area that is exposed to dir...

Page 5: ...matically be turned off when the headphones are connected 5 Selector Buttons When you are establish ing theAVR 2550 s configuration settings use these buttons to select from the choices available as shown in the Main Information Display Ú 6 Tone Mode Pressing this button enables or disables the Balance Bass and Treble tone con trols When the button is pressed so that the words TONE IN appear in th...

Page 6: ... sensor is installed Bass Control Turn this control to modify the low frequency output of the left right channels by as much as 10dB Set this control to a suitable position for your taste or room acoustics Balance Control Turn this control to change the relative volume for the front left right channels NOTE For proper operation of the surround modes this control should be at the midpoint or 12 o c...

Page 7: ... These modes include Hall 1 Hall 2 Theater and 5 Channel Stereo K Logic 7 Mode Indicators These indicators illuminate when the Logic 7 mode is in use LOGIC 7C appears for the Cinema version of Logic 7 LOGIC 7M appears for the Music version of Logic 7 See page 23 for a description of the Logic 7 Modes L Tuned Indicator This indicator illuminates when a station is being received with sufficient sig ...

Page 8: ...icators will show the minutes remaining before the AVR 2550 goes into the Standby mode See page 22 for more information on the Sleep function T Memory Indicator This indicator flashes when entering presets and other information into the tuner s memory U Stereo Indicator This indicator illuminates when an FM station is being tuned in stereo V RDS Indicator This indicator illuminates when the statio...

Page 9: ...nna is used make connections to the AM and GND terminals in accordance with the instructions supplied with the antenna 4 Video 1 Audio Outputs Connect these jacks to the RECORD INPUT audio jacks on a VCR or any other Audio recorder 5 DVD Audio Inputs Connect these jacks to the analog audio jacks on a DVD or other video source 6 FM Antenna Connect the supplied indoor or an optional external FM ante...

Page 10: ...nswitched AC Accessory Outlet This outlet may be used to power any AC device The power will remain on at this outlet regardless of whether the AVR 2550 is on or off in Standby provided that the Main Power switch 1 is on Note The total power consumption of all devices connected to the accessory outlets should not exceed 100 watts from the Unswitched Outlet F and 50 W from the Switched Outlet E G AC...

Page 11: ...n Buttons RDS Select Button Preset Up Down Clear Button Memory Button Delay Prev Ch Button Speaker Select Spare Button Volume Up Down TV Video Selector Mute NOTE The function names shown here are each button s feature when used with the AVR Most buttons have additional functions when used with other devices See page 32 for a list of these functions POWER AVR AM FM VCR ON OFF SLEEP SURR CH G U I D ...

Page 12: ...he time until turn off in the fol lowing order Hold the button pressed for two seconds to turn off the Sleep mode setting Note that this button is also used to change channels on your TV VCR and SAT receiver when selected 9 Surround Mode Selector Press this button to begin the process of changing the surround mode After the button has been pressed use the buttons C to select the desired surround m...

Page 13: ...button to enter a radio station into the AVR 2550 s preset memory After pressing the button the MEMORY indicator S will flash you then have five sec onds to enter a preset memory location using the Numeric Keys G See page 27 for more information Delay Prev Ch Press this button to begin the process for setting the delay times used by the AVR 2550 when processing surround sound After pressing this b...

Page 14: ... of 1 5 mm2 may be used for short runs of less than 4 m We do not recom mend that you use cables with an area less than 1mm2 due to the power loss and degradation in performance that will occur Cables that are run inside walls should have the appropriate markings to indicate listing with UL CSA or other appropriate testing agency stan dards Questions about running cables inside walls should be ref...

Page 15: ...VCR con nect the Out plugs to the Out jacks on the AVR Note that with some adapter types it may be just turned around If no signal is audible visi ble when the VCR is playing connect the Out plugs to the In jacks on the AVR and turned around If the adapter plugs are not labeled in that way pay attention to the signal flow direc Black Yellow Red Figure 1 SCART Cinch Adapter for playback signal flow...

Page 16: ...ot shielded even with complete surround sets only the Center speaker may be 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 front left and front right 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 l...

Page 17: ... system keeps the settings for each input sepa rate from the other inputs you will need to make these adjustments for each input used However once they are made further adjustment is only required when system components are changed To make this process as quick and as easy as possible we suggest that with each of these set tings to be made you step through each input Once you have completed the se...

Page 18: ...lector buttons 5 on the front panel to change the display to SUR SPKR 8 Press the Set button E Ó again and then use the buttons C on the remote or the Selector buttons 5 on the front panel to select the option that best describes your system based on the Surround speaker definitions shown in preceding section When SMALL is selected with all digital sur round modes low frequency surround channel so...

Page 19: ...e changed a green LED will also light next to the mode names in the Surround Mode Indicators on the front panel Note that Dolby Digital and DTS will only appear as choices when a digital input has been selected After the surround mode setting has been made with the current input repeat the setting with all inputs you will use The surround mode can also be changed at any time later and the AVR 2550...

Page 20: ...he Dolby Digital sur round mode Next press the Night button A on the remote When the button is pressed the words D R Dynamic Range followed by the current setting MID MAX OFF will appear in the Main Information Display M Press the buttons C within five seconds to select the desired setting OFF When OFF is shown in the display the Night mode will not function MID When MID is shown in the display a ...

Page 21: ...utton again to turn the test tone off and com plete the process IMPORTANT NOTE The Output level adjust ment made will be effective for the surround mode currently selected also when other inputs are selected using the same surround mode To adjust the output level with all other surround modes used step through all inputs you re using by pressing the Source Selector buttons on the front panel or th...

Page 22: ...ce Selector buttons on the remote 456 NOTE After pressing one of the Input Selector buttons 4 you must press the AVR Selector 5 to have the remote control the AVR functions The input source may also be changed by pressing the front panel Input Source Selector button Each press of the button will move the input selection through the list of available inputs As the input is changed the AVR 2550 will...

Page 23: ...not adjustable of a standard live performance theater with stereo and even pure mono sources HALL 1 The two Hall modes create sound fields that resemble a small HALL 1 or Delay time not adjustable HALL 2 medium sized HALL 2 concert hall with stereo and even pure mono sources VMAx Near When only the two front channel loudspeakers are used Harman s patented VMAx mode No surround channels VMAx Far de...

Page 24: ...ill light next to the current mode in the Surround Mode Indicators list on the front panel Regard that any time a surround mode is changed it remains associated with the input just selected until another choice is made NOTE The name of each Surround Mode will scroll through the Main Information Display M while the modes are being selected To avoid exiting from the surround mode selection process b...

Page 25: ...ill light in the Main Information Display Ú to confirm that the digital signal is Dolby Digital DTS or PCM Note that a digital input e g coaxial remains associated with any analog input e g DVD as soon as it is selected thus the digital input need not be re selected each time the appropriate input choice e g DVD is made Digital Status Indicators When a digital source is playing the AVR 2550 senses...

Page 26: ...essage in the lower third of the video display and the Main Information Display M reads D R OFF When the Night mode is active the Night Mode Indicator O will also illuminate The Night mode may also be selected to always be on at either level of compression as soon as the Dolby Digital mode is turned on using the options in the Night Mode settings See page 20 for infor mation on using this option I...

Page 27: ...t is turned off completely accidentally unplugged or subjected to a power outage This memory will last for approximately 1 week after which time all information must be reentered Tuner Operation The AVR 2550 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...

Page 28: ...d off try slowly adjusting the antenna or tune to another stronger RDS sta tion Program Search PTY An important feature of RDS is its capability of encoding broadcasts with Program Type PTY codes that indicate the type of material being broadcast The following list shows the abbrevia tions used to indicate each PTY along with an explanation of the PTY RDS ONLY TRAFFIC NEWS News AFFAIRS Current Aff...

Page 29: ...operly Keep in mind that many manufacturers use a number of different combinations of codes so it is a good idea to make certain that not only does the Power control work but that the volume channel and transport controls work as they should If functions do not work properly you may need to use a different remote code 7 If the unit does not react to any code en tered if the code for your product d...

Page 30: ...m with the remote but rather that no function is programmed for the button being pushed The remote was pre programmed with codes for units of the latest generation but some codes may differ from those needed for earlier units Macro Programming Macros enable you to easily repeat frequently used combinations of commands with the press of a single button on the AVR 2550 s remote control Once programm...

Page 31: ...nd press the Volume Down button followed by the VID 2 TV Input Selector button 4 NOTE To remove the Channel Control Punch Through and return the remote to its original con figuration repeat the steps shown in the example above However press the VID 1 VCR Input Selector in Steps 1 and 3 Transport Control Punch Through The AVR 2550 s remote may be programmed to operate so that the Transport Control ...

Page 32: ...st Up Up 22 Speaker Menu Speaker Adjust Menu Intro 23 fi Left 24 Set Set Enter 25 fl Right 26 Digital Exit Digital Input Select Open Close 27 Move Adjust Down Down 28 Delay Prev Ch Delay Adjust Return Open Close 29 1 1 1 1 30 2 2 2 2 31 3 3 3 3 32 4 4 4 4 33 5 5 5 5 34 6 6 6 6 35 7 7 7 7 36 8 8 8 8 37 Tun M Tuner Mode Chapter Repeat 38 9 9 9 9 39 0 0 0 0 40 Memory Memory Audio Time CDR Display 41 Tu...

Page 33: ...p Up Up 22 Speaker Menu Menu Menu Menu Menu 23 fi Left Left Left Left 24 Set Enter Enter Enter Enter 25 fl Right Right Right Right 26 Digital Exit Exit Exit Exit Exit 27 Down Down Down Down 28 Delay Prev Ch Prev Channel Prev Channel Prev Channel 29 1 1 1 1 1 30 2 2 2 2 2 31 3 3 3 3 3 32 4 4 4 4 4 33 5 5 5 5 5 34 6 6 6 6 6 35 7 7 7 7 7 36 8 8 8 8 8 37 Tun M 38 9 9 9 9 9 39 0 0 0 0 0 40 Memory 41 Tune...

Page 34: ...cord is plugged Main Power Switch 1 is pushed into a live outlet Check to see if outlet is switch controlled Display lights but no sound Intermittent input connections Make certain that all input and speaker or picture connections are secure Mute is on Press Mute button Volume control is down Turn up volume control Sound is heard but Front Panel Display brightness is turned off Follow the instruct...

Page 35: ...Signal to Noise Ratio 45dB Usable Sensitivity Loop 500µV Distortion 1kHz 50 Mod 0 8 Selectivity 9kHz 30dB Video Section Video Format PAL NTSC Input Level Impedance 1Vp p 75 ohms Output Level Impedance 1Vp p 75 ohms Video Frequency Response 10Hz 8MHz 3dB General Power Requirement AC 220 240V 50Hz Power Consumption 72W idle 580W maximum 2 channels driven Dimensions Max Width 440mm Height 166mm Depth...

Page 36: ...250 Crossways Park Drive Woodbury New York 11797 www harmankardon com Harman Consumer International 2 route de Tours 72500 Château du Loir France 2002 Harman Kardon Incorporated Part No CQX1A771Z ...

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