Harman-Kardon AVR 235 Installation and Connections, Audio Equipment Connections, Output jacks

Installation and Connections

After unpacking the unit, and placing it on a solid surface capable of supporting its weight, you will need to make 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 preserve the integrity of the signals.

When making connections to audio source equipment or speakers it is always a good practice to unplug the unit from the AC wall outlet. This prevents any possibility of accidentally sending audio or transient signals to the speakers that may damage them.

1. Connect the analog output of a CD player to the CD inputs .

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 the signal is distorted.

2.Connect the analog Play/Out jacks of a cas- sette deck, MD, CD-R or other audio recorder to

the Tape Input jacks . Connect the analog Record/In jacks on the recorder to the Tape

Output jacks on the AVR.

3.Connect the digital output of any digital sources such as a CD or DVD changer or player, advanced video game, a digital 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 Inputs

*Ó.

4.Connect the Coaxial or Optical Digital Outputs on the rear panel of the AVR to the matching digital input connections on a CD-R or MiniDisc recorder.

5.Assemble the AM Loop Antenna supplied with the unit as shown below. 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 system. Note that if the antenna or connec- tion uses 300-ohm twin-lead cable, you should use a 300-ohm-to-75-ohm adapter to make the connection.

7. Connect the front, center and surround

speaker outputsto the respective speakers.

To assure 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 influen- ced 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 constructed of fine, multistrand copper with an area greater than 2 mm2.

Cable with an area 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 any 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 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 8. However, most speakers will still use a red terminal for the postive (+) connection. Connect the “negative” or “black” wire to the same terminal on both the receiver and the speaker.

NOTE: While most speaker manufacturers adhere to an industry convention of using black terminals for negative and red ones for positive, some manufacturers may vary from this configu- ration. To assure proper phase and optimal per- formance, 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 proceeding, or consult the speaker’s manufacturer.

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 AVR.

It is appropriate to configure the AVR 235 for either 5.1- or 7.1-channel operation, but not for

6.1channels. When 6.1-channel program materi- al or a 6.1-channel processing mode is in use, material for the surround back channel will be outputted simultaneously through both the Surround Back Left and Right Speaker Outputs . Connecting only one loudspeaker to these speaker terminals will not only deprive you of the benefits of 7.1-channel surround modes, such as Logic 7, but will also interfere with the functioning of EzSet speaker calibration, as described on page 23. It may also put undesir- able strain on the surround back amplifier circuits and power supplies.

8.Connections to a subwoofer are normally made via a line level audio connection from the

Subwoofer Output to the line-level input of a subwoofer with a built-in amplifier. When a passive subwoofer is used, the connection first goes to a power amplifier, which will be connect- ed to one or more subwoofer speakers. If you are using a powered subwoofer that does not have line-level input connections, follow the instruc- tions furnished with the speaker for connection information.

9.If an external multi-channel audio source with 5.1 outputs such as an external digital proces- sor/decoder, DVD-Audio or SACD player is used, connect the outputs of that device to the

8-Channel Direct Inputs .

External Amplifier Connections

The AVR 235’s internal-power amplifier is a traditional Harman Kardon high-current/ ultrawide bandwidth design. As such, it is more than suitable for most loudspeakers. However, in some circumstances you may wish to use an optional, external power amplifier for added power. This is easily done by connecting the Preamp Output Jacks on the AVR 235 to the input jacks on the amplifier for the channels to be used. The speakers to be used with the external amplifier are then connected to the appropriate output terminals on the power amplifier, not those on the AVR.

When an external amplifier is used for the Surround Back channels, no special adjustments are needed to the AVR, other than to make certain that the Surround Back speakers are properly configured to “Large” or “Small,” as shown in the Speaker Setup section on page 18 of this manual. This is necessary to tell the AVR’s digital processing system that 6.1/7.1 modes should be activated, as opposed to the default setting of 5.1 modes.

12INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS