Harman-Kardon AVR 520 Tuner Operation, PCM Audio Playback, MP3 Audio Playback, Station Selection

Operation

IMPORTANT NOTES ON DIGITAL

PLAYBACK:

•When the digital playback source is stopped, or in a pause, fast forward or chapter search mode, the digital audio data will momentarily stop, and the channel position letters inside the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators Q will flash. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with either the AVR 520 or the source machine. The AVR 520 will return to digital playback as soon as the data is available and when the machine is in a standard play mode.

•Although the AVR 520 will decode virtually all DVD movies, CDs and HDTV sources, it is possi- ble that some future digital sources may not be compatible with the AVR 520.

•Note that not all digitally encoded programs contain full 5.1-channel audio. Consult the pro- gram guide that accompanies the DVD or laser disc to determine which type of audio has been recorded on the disc. The AVR 520 will auto- matically sense the type of digital surround encoding used and adjust to accommodate it.

•When a digital source is playing, you may not be able to select some of the analog surround modes such as Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby 3, Stereo, Hall, Theater or Logic 7.

•When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is play- ing, it is not possible to make an analog recording using the Tape ™ and Video 1 or Video 2 Record Outputs ∞gi36 . However, the digital signals will be passed through to the Digital Audio Outputs 35 .

PCM Audio Playback

PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is the non-com- pressed digital audio system used for compact discs and laser discs. The digital circuits in the AVR 520 are capable of high-quality digital-to- analog decoding, and they may be connected directly to the digital audio output of your CD or LD player.

Connections may be made to either the rear panel Optical or Coaxial Inputs 33 34 or the front panel Digital Inputs #%.

To listen to a PCM digital source, first select the input for the desired source (e.g., CD). Next press the Digital Select Button Ú q and then use the ⁄/¤ Buttons non the remote, or the Selector Buttons 5 on the front panel, until the desired choice appears in the Main Information Display Y.

When a PCM source is playing, the PCM indi- cator A will light. During PCM playback, you may select any Surround mode except Dolby Digital or DTS. When an HDCD-encoded disc is being played and the DVD or CD player is con- nected to the AVR 520 via a digital connection, select Surround Off as the Surround mode to enjoy the benefits of the HDCD process.

MP3 Audio Playback

The AVR 520 is one of the first A/V receivers to provide on-board decoding for the MP3 audio format used by computers and portable audio devices. Also, some new CD players are capable of playing back optical discs that are recorded with MP3, rather than standard CD audio infor- mation. By offering MP3 decoding, the AVR

520 is able to deliver precise conversion of the digital signals to an analog output, along with the benefits of listening to the MP3 audio through the AVR 520’s high-current amplifier and the speakers from your surround system, rather than the smaller speakers and low-pow- ered amplifiers typically used with computers.

To take advantage of the AVR 520’s MP3 capa- bilities, simply connect the PCM output of a computer’s sound card or the PCM output of a portable digital audio device to either the rear panel Digital Inputs 31 32 or the front panel Digital Inputs *Ó. When the digital signal is available, the MP3 Bitstream Indicator A will light, and the audio will begin playing.

NOTES:

•The AVR 520 is only capable of playing sig- nals in the MP3 (MPEG 1/Layer 3) format. It is not compatible with other computer audio codecs.

•The digital audio input signal may be either optical or coaxial, but the signal must be in the PCM format. Direct connection of USB or serial data outputs is not possible, even though the signals are in the MP3 format. If you have any questions about the data output format from your computer or a sound card, check with the device’s owner’s manual or contact the manu- facturer’s technical support area.

•If your computer or sound card’s digital out- put is not capable of direct connection to the AVR, you may use an optional, external transcoder, such as those available from Harman Kardon to convert the USB output of a computer to a format compatible with the AVR. Contact your Harman Kardon dealer for addi- tional details.

Tuner Operation

The AVR 520’s tuner is capable of tuning AM, FM and FM Stereo broadcast stations. Stations may be tuned manually, or they may be stored as favorite station presets and recalled from a 30-position memory.

Station Selection

1.Press the AM/FM Tuner Select Button gç on the remote to select the tuner as an input. The tuner may be selected from the front panel by either pressing the Input Source Selector % until the tuner is active or by pressing the Tuner Band Selector ! at any time.

2.Press the AM/FM Tuner Select Button gç or Tuner Band Selector ! again to switch between AM and FM so that the desired frequency band is selected.

3.Press the FM Mode ^or Tun-M Button sto select manual or automatic tuning.

When the AUTO Indicator Xis illuminated in the Main Information Display Ythe tuner will only stop at those stations that have a strong enough signal to be received with acceptable quality.

When the AUTO Indicator X is not illumin- ated, the tuner is in a manual mode and will stop at each frequency increment in the select- ed band.

4.To select stations, press the Tuning Selector Button )ué. When the AUTO Indicator X is illuminated, press the button for two seconds and then release to cause the tuner to search for the next highest or lowest frequency station that has an accept- able signal. When tuning FM stations in the Auto mode, the tuner will only select stereo stations. To tune to the next station, press the button again. If the STEREO Indicator V is not illuminated, tap the Tuning Selector Button )ué to advance one frequency increment at a time, or press and hold it to locate a specific station. When the TUNED Indicator W lights, the station is properly tuned and should be heard with clarity.

5.Stations may also be tuned directly by press- ing the Direct Button t, and then pressing the Numeric Keys r that correspond to the station’s frequency. The desired station will automatically be tuned. If you press an incor-

31OPERATION