Harman-Kardon AVR 3650 Introduction to Home Theater, Typical Home Theater System, Surround Modes

AVR

Introduction to Home Theater

This introductory section will help you to familiarize yourself with some basic concepts unique to multichannel surround-sound receivers, which will make it easier for you to set up and operate your AVR.

Typical Home Theater System

A home theater typically includes an audio/video receiver, which controls the system and supplies amplification for the loudspeakers; a disc player; a source component for television broadcasts (cable box, satellite dish receiver, HDTV tuner or antenna connected to the TV); a TV or video display; and multiple loudspeakers.

Multichannel Audio

The main benefit of a home theater system is its ability to produce “surround sound.” Surround sound uses multiple speakers and amplifier channels to immerse you in the audio/video presentation for a dramatically increased sense of realism.

Your AVR may have up to seven main speakers connected directly to it, plus a subwoofer. Each main speaker is powered by its own amplifier channel inside the AVR. A system with more than two speakers is called a multichannel system. The different main speaker types in a home theater system are:

•• Front Left and Right: The front left and right speakers are used as in a two-channel system. In many surround-sound modes, these speakers are secondary, while the main action, especially dialogue, is reproduced by the center speaker.

•• Center: When you are watching movies and television programs, the center speaker reproduces most of the dialogue and other soundtrack information, anchoring it with the picture. When you are listening to a musical program, the center speaker helps to create a seamless front soundstage, creating a realistic “you-are-there” listening experience.

•• Surround Left and Right: The surround left and right speakers produce ambient sounds that help create a realistic and immersive surround-sound environment. They also help recreate directional sound effects such as aircraft flyovers.

•• Surround Back Left and Right: Surround back channel speakers are used with surround modes such as the Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-ES®(Discrete and Matrix), DTS-HD™High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio™ and Logic 7® 7.1 modes that are designed for 7.1-channel systems.

The surround back channel speakers are optional. If your system does not include surround back left and right speakers, you can set up your AVR with a 5.1-channel surround-sound system in the main listening area, and you can reassign the surround back channel amplifiers to power loudspeakers located in another room in a multizone system. (Alternately, you can reassign the surround back channel amplifiers to power front height speakers for use with Dolby Pro Logic IIz. See Manual Speaker Setup, on page 36, for more information.)

Many people expect the surround speakers to play as loudly as the front speakers. Although you will calibrate all of the speakers in your system to sound equally loud at the listening position, most artists use the surround speakers for ambient effects only, and they create their programs to steer relatively little sound to these speakers.

•• Subwoofer: A subwoofer is designed to play only the lowest frequencies (the deep bass). It augments smaller, limited-range main speakers that are usually used for the other channels. Many digital-format programs, such as movies recorded in Dolby Digital, contain a low-frequency effects (LFE) channel that is directed to the subwoofer. The LFE channel packs the punch of a rumbling train or airplane, or the power of an explosion, adding realism and excitement to your home theater. Some people use two subwoofers for additional power and for even distribution of the sound.

Introduction to Home Theater

Surround Modes

There are different theories as to the best way to present surround sound and to distribute each audio channel’s sounds to the surround-sound system’s speakers. A variety of algorithms have been developed in an effort to recreate the way we hear sounds in the real world, resulting in a rich variety of options. Several companies have developed different surround-sound technologies, all of which can be accurately reproduced by your AVR:

•• Dolby Laboratories: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic® IIx and IIz.

•• DTS: DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS, DTS-ES (Discrete and Matrix), DTS Neo:6®, DTS 96/24™.

•• HARMAN International: Logic 7®, HARMAN virtual speaker, HARMAN headphone.

•• Stereo Modes: Generic modes that expand upon conventional two-channel stereo, including 5CH and 7CH Stereo.

Appendix Table A12, on page 50, contains detailed explanations of the different surround-sound options available on your AVR. Digital surround-sound modes, such as the Dolby Digital and DTS modes, are available only on specially encoded programs, such as those available via HDTV, DVD and Blu-ray Disc media and digital cable or satellite television. Other surround modes may be used with digital and analog signals to create a different surround presentation or to use a different number of speakers. Surround-mode selection depends upon the number of speakers in your system, the program you are watching or listening to, and your personal tastes.

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