Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon! With the purchase of a Harman Kardon AVR 255/ AVR 355 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 AVR 255/ AVR 355 are truly multichannel receivers for the new millennium. In addition to the traditional 5.1 digital decoding modes such as Dolby Digital and DTS, they offer the latest advancements in sur- round technology such as Dolby® True HD and DTS®-HD Master Audio™ and the latest 7.1 channel versions of Harman's own Logic 7 technology.
The AVR 255/AVR 355 have been engineered so that it is easy to take advantage of all the power of their digital technology. Full-color, high-definition, multi-language on-screen menus, fully color coded connection jacks and terminals make installation fast and simple. However, to obtain the maximum enjoyment from your new receiver, we urge you to read this manual. A few minutes spent learning the func- tions of the various controls will enable you to take advantage of all the power the AVR is able to deliver.
If you have any questions about this product, its installation or its operation, please contact your retailer or custom installer.They are your best local sources of information.
Description and Features
The AVR serves as the hub of your home enter- tainment system, providing a wide range of lis- tening possibilities for almost any audio or video program source, whether it is the broadcast of a movie or sporting event in HDTV or a vintage mono or stereo recording. When playing digital audio sources from either the conventional opti- cal and coaxial inputs, or through the HDMI 1.3a compliant connections, the AVR decodes Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD data streams. Two-channel stereo and matrix surround sources benefit from all current Dolby Pro Logic IIx modes and DTS Neo:6. The latest version of our proprietary Logic 7® process is on-board to create a wider,more enveloping sound field and more defined sur- round channel positioning, regardless of the type of source material.
Dolby Virtual Speaker is available to create enveloping sound fields from front left and right speakers, and the latest Dolby Headphone circuitry creates an amazing sense of openness with headphones.
The AVR takes the “video” part of its name seri- ously. Along with three HDMI inputs and three 100MHz analog component video inputs (two on the AVR 255), the AVR’s video processing allows you to scale the output signal to 1080p loop-through to match the requirements of your specific video display. Thanks to award winning Faroudja® DCDi Cinema™ technology, your video sources never looked better.Tying audio and video together,the AVR provides A/V sync delay so that the lip sync errors – commonly seen when digital video processing is used in a source, program or video display – are eliminated.
An important addition to the AVR’s impressive list of features is EzSet/EQ™, which automates the configuration process to make it quicker,eas- ier and more precise. Using the special micro- phone supplied with the unit, EzSet/EQ takes the guesswork out of entering speaker “size” and crossover information, delay times for all chan- nels and output levels. In addition to the config- uration settings, EzSet/EQ also includes room equalization so that the signals sent to each speaker are tailored to provide accurate sonic quality with your specific combination of speaker type, room size and other factors that influence room acoustics. With EzSet/EQ, your system is custom-configured in a few minutes with accu- racy that previously required expensive and hard-to-use test equipment.
In tandem with EzSet/EQ, the AVR includes a full set of manual configuration settings for those who wish to custom-trim their system even fur- ther. A Quadruple Crossover bass management system makes it possible to enter different crossover settings for each speaker group.
A Stereo-Direct mode bypasses the digital processor to preserve all of the subtleties of older analog, two-channel materials, while bass management, available in the surround and Stereo-Digital modes, improves your ability to tailor the sound to suit your room acoustics or taste.
For the ultimate in flexibility, the AVR’s feature connections for four video devices, all with both composite and S-Video inputs. Two additional audio inputs are available, and a total of six digital inputs and two outputs make the AVR capable of handling all the latest digital audio sources. For compatibility with the latest HDTV video sources and progressive scan DVD players, the AVR also features wide-bandwidth, low- crosstalk component video switching.
Coax and optical digital outputs are available for direct connection to digital recorders. A video recording output and a color-coded eight-chan- nel input make the AVR virtually future-proof, with everything needed to accommodate tomor- row’s new formats right on board.
With one simple connection between the AVR 355 and the optional Harman Kardon 
, you are able to listen to materials stored on your compatible Apple® iPod®**. Your AVR’s system remote control has been preprogrammed with control codes that enable you to select tracks for playback and navigate many of your iPod’s functions, even from across the room. The Bridge™ will even let you charge your iPod.
The AVR 355’s flexibility and power extend beyond your main home theater or listening room. The AVR includes a sophisticated multi- zone control system that allows you to select one source for use in the main room and a different one (Audio only) in a second room. Complete control over volume is possible with a separate infrared control link. To make it easy to operate the AVR from a remote room, a separate “Zone II” remote is included.
Additional multiroom options include the option to assign two of the AVR’s output channels to the multiroom system and the ability to link the AVR to innovative A-BUS®keypads for multiroom oper- ation without the need for external amplifiers.
The AVR’s powerful amplifier uses traditional Harman Kardon high-current design technolo- gies to meet the wide dynamic range of any pro- gram selection.
Harman Kardon invented the high-fidelity receiver more then fifty years ago. With state-of- the-art circuitry and time-honored circuit designs, the AVR 255 and AVR 355 are the perfect combination of the latest in digital audio technology, a quiet yet powerful analog amplifier in an elegant, easy-to-use package.
