System Installation
After unpacking the unit, locating it in a place with adequate ventilation and plac- ing it on a solid surface capable of support- ing its weight, you will need to make the connections to your audio and video equipment.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For your personal safety and to avoid possible damage to your equipment and speakers, it is always a good practice to turn off and unplug the AVR and ALL source equipment from the AC outlet before making any audio or video system connections.
Audio Equipment Connections
We recommend that you use high-quality interconnect cables when making connec- tions to source equipment and recorders to preserve the integrity of the signals.
1.Connect the analog output of a CD player to the CD Audio Inputs j.
NOTE: When the CD player has both fixed and variable audio outputs, it is best to use the fixed output unless you find that the input to the receiver is so low that the sound is noisy, or so high that it is distorted.
2.Connect the analog Play/Out jacks of a cassette deck, MD, CD-R or other audio recorder to the Tape Input Jacks 32 . Connect the analog Record/In jacks on the recorder to the Tape Output Jacks 33 on the AVR580.
3.Connect the output of any digital sources such as a CD or DVD changer or player, advanced video game, a dig- ital satellite receiver, HDTV tuner or digital cable set-top box or the output of a compatible computer sound card to the Optical and Coaxial Digital Audio Inputs 31 34 &*.
4.Connect the coaxial or optical Digital Audio Outputs gi on the rear panel of the AVR580 to the matching digital input connections on a CD-R or MiniDisc recorder.
5.Assemble the AM Loop Antenna sup- plied with the unit so that the tabs at the bottom of the antenna loop snap into the holes in the base. Connect it to the AM and GND Screw Terminals ¡.
6.Connect the supplied FM antenna to the FM (75-ohm) Connection ™. The FM antenna may be an external roof antenna, an inside powered or wire- lead antenna or a connection from a cable TV system. If the antenna or con- nection uses 300-ohm twin-lead cable, you must use the 300-ohm-to-75-ohm adapter supplied with the unit to make the connection.
7.Connect the Front, Center, Surround and Surround Back Speaker Outputs ∞§•ª to the respective speakers.
To ensure that all the audio signals are carried to your speakers without loss of clarity or resolution, we suggest that you use high-quality speaker cable. Many brands of cable are available and the choice of cable may be influenced by the distance between your speakers and the receiver, the type of speakers you use, personal preferences and other factors. Your dealer or installer is a valuable resource to consult in selecting the proper cable.
Regardless of the brand of cable selected, we recommend that you use a cable con- structed of multistrand copper with a gauge of 14 or smaller. Remember that in specifying cable, the lower the number, the thicker the cable.
Cable with a gauge of 16 may be used for short runs of less than 3 meters (10 feet). We do not recommend that you use cables with an AWG equivalent of 18 or higher, due to the power loss and degra- dation 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 standards. Questions about running cables inside walls should be referred to your installer or a licensed electrician who is familiar with the NEC and/or the applicable local building codes in your area.
When connecting wires to the speakers, be certain to observe proper polarity. Note that the positive (+) terminal of each speaker connection now carries a specific
color code, as noted on page 9. However, most speakers still use a red terminal for the positive (+) connection. Connect the “negative” or “black” wire to the same terminal on both the receiver and the speaker.
NOTE: While most speaker manufactur- ers adhere to an industry convention of using black terminals for negative and red ones for positive, some may vary from this configuration. To ensure proper phase and optimal performance, consult the identification plate on your speaker or the speaker’s manual to verify polarity. If you do not know the polarity of your speaker, ask your dealer for advice before pro- ceeding, or consult the speaker’s manu- facturer.
We also recommend that the length of cable used to connect speaker pairs be identical. For example, use the same length piece of cable to connect the front-left and front-right or surround-left and surround-right speakers, even if the speakers are a different distance from the AVR580.
8.Connections to a subwoofer are nor- mally made via a line-level audio con- nection from the Subwoofer Output ¢ to the line-level input of a sub- woofer with a built-in amplifier. When a passive subwoofer is used, the con- nection first goes to a power amplifier, which will be connected to one or more subwoofer speakers. If you are using a powered subwoofer that does not have line-level input connections, follow the instructions furnished with the speaker for connection information.
9.If an external multichannel audio source with 5.1 outputs such as an external digital processor/decoder, DVD-Audio or SACD player is used, connect the outputs of that device to the 8-Channel Direct Inputs 38 .
Video Equipment Connections
Video equipment is connected in the same manner as audio components. Again, the use of high-quality interconnect cables is recommended to preserve signal quality.
1.Connect a VCR’s or other video source’s audio and video Play/Out jacks to the Video 1 Audio and Video Input Jacks ›35 on the rear panel. The Audio and Video Record/In jacks on the VCR should be connected to the Video 1 Audio and Video Output Jacks fi36 on the AVR580.