Harman-Kardon AVR 120 owner manual 19SYSTEM CONFIGURATION, Delay Settings, L C R Sl Lfe Sr

System Configuration

L C R

SL LFE SR

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:

1.Put the AVR 120 in the Dolby Pro Logic II mode by pressing Surround Mode Selector 7 on the front panel, or by pressing the Surround Mode Selector j on the remote, until PRO LOGIC II scrolls across the Main Information Display F and the Pro Logic II Indicators D29 light.

2.Press the Test Button h on the remote. T-T FL 0dB will appear in the Main Information Display F and the letters FL will flash once each second.

3.The test noise will immediately begin to circulate among the speakers in a clock- wise rotation, pausing at each position for three seconds. As the test noise rotates, the speaker position will be shown in the Main Information Display F.

NOTE: This is a good time to verify that the speakers have been properly connect- ed. As the test noise circulates, listen to make certain that the sound comes from the speaker position shown in the Main Information Display. If the sound from a speaker location does NOT match the posi- tion indicated in the display, turn the AVR 120 off using the Main Power Switch 1 and check the speaker wiring to make certain that each speaker is con- nected to the correct output terminal.

4.After checking for speaker placement, let the test noise circulate, and listen to see which channels sound louder than the oth- ers. Using the front left (FL in the display) speaker as a reference, press the ▲/▼ Buttons mq on the remote or the Selector Buttons 5 on the front panel

for each channel to begin to bring them to the same level. Note that when one of the buttons is pushed, the test noise circula- tion will pause on the channel being adjusted to give you time to make the adjustment. When you release the button, the circulation will resume after 15 seconds.

5.Continue to adjust the individual speakers until they all have the same volume. Note that adjustments should be made with the ▲/▼ Buttons mq on the remote or the Selector Buttons 5 on the front panel only, NOT the main volume controls. Then press the Set Button o21 to memorize the change. If you are using a sound pressure (SPL) meter for precise level adjustment, set the volume so that the meter reads 75dB, C-Weighting Slow.

NOTE: The subwoofer output level is not adjustable using the test tone. To change the subwoofer level, follow the steps for Output Level Trim Adjustment on page 26.

6.When you have adjusted the output so that all channels have the same level, press the Test Button h on the remote to complete the adjustment.

Delay Settings

Due to the different distances between the front-channel speakers and the listening posi- tion compared to the surround speakers and the listening position, the amount of time it takes for sound to reach your ears from the front or surround speakers may differ. You may compensate for this difference through the use of the delay settings to adjust the timing to tailor the specific speaker placement and acoustic conditions in your listening room or home theater.

The factory setting is appropriate for most rooms, but some installations create an uncom- mon distance between the front and surround speakers that may cause the arrival of front- channel sounds to become disconnected from surround-channel sounds.

To resynchronize the front and surround chan- nels, follow these steps:

1.Measure the distance from the listening/ viewing position to the front speakers.

2.Measure the distance from the listening/ viewing position to the surround speakers.

3.Subtract the distance to the surround speak- ers from the distance to the front speakers.

a.When setting the delay time for the Dolby Digital surround modes, the opti- mal delay time is the result of that sub- traction. For example, if the front speak- ers are ten feet away and the surround speakers are five feet away, the optimal delay time is figured as 10–5=5. Thus, in this example, the delay time for Dolby Digital should be set at five milliseconds.

b.When setting the delay time for the Pro Logic II mode, take the result of the subtraction and add 15 to obtain the optimal delay time. For example, if the front speakers are ten feet away and the surround speakers are five feet away, the optimal delay time is figured as

10–5+15=20. Thus, in this example, the Pro Logic delay should be set at twenty milliseconds.

NOTE: The Theater and Hall 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 critical. To calculate the delay for the center channel, measure the distance from the pre- ferred 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 adjust- ment is required and the center delay should be set to zero. If the distance to the front speakers is greater than the distance to the center speaker, you may wish to reposition the speak- ers by moving 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 mil- lisecond of center-channel delay for every foot closer to the listening position the center speaker is than the front speaker. For example, if the front-left and front-right speakers are each 10 feet from the listening position and the center-channel speaker is 8 feet away, the delay is figured as 10–8=2, suggesting an optimal center delay of 2 milliseconds.

19SYSTEM CONFIGURATION