HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255 (01) PDF Document

The HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255 is an audio/video receiver with the following features:

• Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital EX, and Dolby Pro Logic II and IIx Decoding, and the full suite of DTS modes, including DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD, DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete & Matrix, and Neo:6.

• Seven channels of high-current amplification with two channels assignable to either surround back or multiroom applications.

• Harman Kardon’s exclusive Logic 7 processing, along with Dolby Virtual Speaker processing for use when only two speakers are available.

• Dolby Headphone for spacious sound fields with headphones.

• Advanced EzSet/EQ for automatic speaker settings and room equalization.

• HDMI with audio/video processing, upscaling to 720p/1080p, and repeater for increased cable length.

• Three HDMI 1.3a inputs and two assignable high-bandwidth analog component inputs.

• Front panel analog A/V inputs and digital inputs for portable devices and video game consoles.

• Input titling for all input sources (except tuner).

• Multiple digital inputs and outputs.

• Full-color, high-definition, multi-language On-Screen Display system.

• A/V Sync delay adjustable for each input to ensure perfect lip sync.

• 6-Channel/8-Channel Direct Input for future audio formats.

• Extensive bass management options.

• Extensive multiroom options with assignable amplifier channels.

• Main Remote with internal codes.

To ensure proper operation and safety, follow these guidelines for placing your HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255:

• Place the unit on a firm and level surface. If on a shelf, ensure the shelf and mounting hardware can support the product’s weight.

• Ensure proper space for ventilation both above and below the unit. If installed in a cabinet, make sure there is sufficient air movement; a fan may be required in some cases.

• Do not place the unit directly on a carpeted surface.

• Avoid extremely hot or cold locations, or areas exposed to direct sunlight or heating equipment.

• Avoid moist or humid locations.

• Do not obstruct the ventilation slots on the top of the unit or place objects directly over them.

When the HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255 gets dirty, wipe it with a clean, soft, dry cloth. If necessary, wipe it with a soft cloth dampened with mild soapy water, then a fresh cloth with clean water. Wipe dry immediately with a dry cloth. NEVER use benzene, aerosol cleaners, thinner, alcohol, or any other volatile cleaning agents. Do not use abrasive cleaners, as they may damage the finish of metal parts. Avoid spraying insecticide near the unit.

Here is a description of the front panel controls on the HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255:

• Volume Control (1): Turn clockwise to increase volume, counterclockwise to decrease it.

• System Power Control (2): Press to turn the AVR on or off (to Standby).

• Power Indicator (3): Amber in Standby mode, white when the unit is on.

• Headphone Jack (4): For listening with headphones using a standard 6.3 mm stereo phone plug. Also used for the EzSet/EQ calibration microphone.

• Navigation (5): Navigate the AVR’s menus and operate the tuner.

• OK Button (6): Selects the currently highlighted menu item.

• AVR Settings Button (7): Accesses the AVR’s main menu.

• Info Settings Button (8): Directly accesses the Setup Source submenu for the current source.

• Resolution (9): Changes the video output resolution (576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p).

• Audio Effects (10): Directly accesses the Audio Effects submenu for tone and other controls.

• Video Modes (11): Directly accesses the Video Modes submenu to improve picture settings.

• Source List Button (12): Opens the on-screen Source Selection Menu.

• Main Information Display (13): Shows messages and status indications.

• Speaker/Channel Input Indicators (14): Indicates speaker type selected and incoming data-signal configuration.

• Surround Modes (15): Selects a surround sound mode.

• Back/Exit (16): Returns to the previous menu or exits the menu system.

• Digital Optical Front Input (17): Connect the optical digital audio output of a product here.

• Digital Coax Front Input (18): For connection to portable digital audio devices or video game consoles.

• Video Front Input Jacks (19): For temporary connection to video games, camcorders, etc.

• Remote Sensor Window (20): Receives infrared signals from the remote control.

To connect speakers to your HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255, follow these steps and observe proper polarity (+ to +, – to -):

1. Connect your left and right speakers to the Front Speaker Outputs (14).

2. Connect your center channel speaker to the Center Speaker Outputs (15).

3. Connect your surround channel speakers to the Surround Speaker Outputs (16).

4. Connect your surround back speakers (for a 7.1 system) to the Surround Back/Multiroom Speaker Outputs (25).

5. Connect your powered subwoofer to the Subwoofer Output (5) using a line-level audio connection.

When connecting wires, be certain to observe proper polarity. The positive (+) terminal of each speaker connection now carries a specific color code. However, most speakers will still use a red terminal for the positive (+) connection. Connect the “negative” or “black” wire to the same terminal on both the receiver and the speaker.

To power up your HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255 for the first time, follow these steps:

1. Plug the Power Cable (19) into an unswitched AC outlet.

2. Press the Main Power Switch (43) on the rear panel to the ON position. The Power Indicator (3) will turn amber, indicating the unit is in Standby mode.

3. Remove the protective plastic film from the main front-panel lens.

4. Install the four supplied AAA batteries in the remote control, observing the (+) and (-) polarity indicators.

5. Turn the AVR on by pressing the System Power Control (2) on the front panel, or the AVR Power ON Button (A) on the remote. The Power Indicator (3) will turn white.

EzSet/EQ automatically calibrates your speaker settings for optimal performance. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Ensure your listening room has as little background noise as possible. Turn off fans, air conditioners, etc.

Step 2: Place the EzSet/EQ microphone at your usual listening position, at ear level. A camera tripod is recommended for stable placement.

Step 3: Plug the EzSet/EQ microphone into the HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255’s Headphone Jack (4), using the supplied mini-plug to 1/4″ phone plug adapter.

Step 4: Press the AVR Settings Button on the remote to bring up the Main Menu. Navigate to the Speaker Setup tab and press OK. Select the Automatic Setup – EzSet/EQ line and press OK.

Step 5: A screen will remind you to plug in the microphone. Ensure the cursor is on Continue and press the OK Button.

Step 6: Select the speaker configuration that reflects the number of speakers installed in your system (5.1 or 7.1) and press OK.

Step 7: The process will begin. You will hear test signals circulate among all the speakers as the system sets levels, distance, delay times, and crossover points. The room should be kept silent during this process.

Step 8: When the process is finished, a screen will appear with the results. Press the OK Button. Unplug the microphone and store it in a safe place.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Anyone with hearing that is sensitive to loud noises should leave the room during this process or use sufficient ear protection. The test tones can be loud.

If you prefer to set up your speakers manually on the HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255, follow these steps:

1. From the Main Menu, navigate to Speaker Setup and press OK. Then select Manual Setup and press OK.

2. Number of Speakers: Select this option. For each speaker group (Center, Surround L/R, Surround Back L/R), set it to ON if the speakers are present, and OFF if they are not. The Front Left & Right speakers are always ON.

3. Crossover (Size): Select this option. For each main speaker, select one of the seven crossover frequencies (40Hz, 60Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz, 150Hz, or 200Hz) based on the lowest frequency the speaker can reproduce well. If it’s below 40Hz, select “Large”. Specify the size of your subwoofer’s transducer (8, 10, 12, or 15 inches).

4. Sub Mode: This programs bass management. If front speakers are set to a numeric crossover, this will be LFE. If front speakers are set to LARGE, you can choose between L/R+LFE (sends all low-frequency information to the sub) or LFE (sends only the LFE channel to the sub).

5. Distance: Select this option. Enter the measured distance from each speaker to the main listening position. The default unit is feet, but it can be changed to meters in the System Settings menu.

6. Level Adjust: Select this option to set the output level for each channel. Use the built-in test tone (set TEST TONE to AUTO or MANUAL) and adjust each channel’s level so they sound equally loud from the listening position. Using a handheld SPL meter is recommended for accuracy. Adjust until the meter reads 75dB for each channel.

After adjusting, remember to select the Back option in the menus to save your settings.

Turning the AVR On or Off

• Press the System Power Control (2) on the front panel or the AVR Power ON Button (A) on the remote to turn the unit on from Standby. The Power Indicator (3) will turn white.

• Press the System Power Control (2) or the AVR Power Off Button (B) to return the unit to Standby mode. The Power Indicator will turn amber.

• For extended periods away, turn the unit off completely using the rear panel Main Power Switch (43).

Source Selection

• Press any of the Source Selector buttons (C) on the remote for direct access to a source.

• Alternatively, press the front-panel Source List Button (12) and use the Navigation buttons (5) and OK button (6) to select an input.

Volume and Mute

• Use the front panel Volume Control (1) or the remote’s Volume buttons (P) to adjust the volume.

• Press the remote’s Mute Button (R) to temporarily silence all speakers. Press it again or adjust the volume to restore sound.

Using the Sleep Timer

• Press the Sleep Button (G) on the remote repeatedly to cycle through the time before the AVR automatically turns off (from 90 minutes down to 10 minutes, then OFF).

The HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255 offers a variety of surround modes for different types of audio content. Here is a summary:

If a video source is playing and there is no picture, try these troubleshooting steps:

• Check that you have selected the source to which the video input was assigned.

• Check the wires for a loose or incorrect connection.

• Check that you have selected the correct video input on your display device (TV).

• Try pressing the Resolution Button on the front panel to check that the correct video output resolution is selected and select the proper resolution for your screen.

For systems using HDMI, try these additional tips:

• Turn off all devices (including the TV, AVR, and any source components).

• Unplug the HDMI cables, starting with the cable between the TV and AVR, and continuing with the cables between the AVR and each source device.

• Carefully reconnect the cables from the source devices to the AVR, and connect the cable from the AVR to the TV last.

• Turn on the devices in this order: TV, then AVR, then source devices.

Audio Effects

Press the Audio Effects Button on the remote or front panel to access the menu. Here you can adjust:

• Tone Control: Turn On/Off to enable or disable Bass and Treble adjustments.

• Treble/Bass: Boost or cut high/low frequencies by up to 10dB.

• LFE Trim: Reduce the subwoofer channel output by up to 10dB for a specific source.

• Night Mode: For Dolby Digital programs, compresses the dynamic range (Off, Half, Full) to make loud passages quieter for late-night viewing.

Video Modes

Press the Video Modes Button on the remote or front panel to access the menu. Here you can adjust:

• Video Mode: Select a preset processing option (Sports, Nature, Movie) or select Custom for manual adjustments to Brightness, Contrast, Color, and Sharpness.

• Picture Adjust: Change the aspect ratio of the image to fit your screen (Auto Fit, Height Fit, Width Fit, Zoom 1x, Zoom 2x).

• Advanced Video Settings: Access this submenu for more detailed picture adjustments like Noise Reduction, MPEG Noise Reduction, Cross Color Suppressor, and Film Mode Detect.

You can program the remote to control other devices using one of two methods:

Direct Code Entry

1. Find the three-digit code for your device type and brand in the separate setup-code guide.

2. Turn on the device you want to program.

3. Press and hold the Input Selector (e.g., DVD, TV) for the device type for more than 3 seconds, until it lights up, then release it.

4. Point the remote at the device and enter the three-digit code using the Numeric buttons. If the device turns off, the correct code has been entered. Press the Input Selector again to confirm.

5. If the device does not turn off, try the next code listed for that brand until you find one that works.

6. Test other functions (volume, channel, transport) to ensure full compatibility.

Auto-Search Method

1. Turn on the device you wish to program.

2. Press and hold the Input Selector for the device type for more than 3 seconds until it lights up, then release it.

3. Point the remote at the device and press and hold the ▲ button. The remote will send a series of power codes. When the device turns off, immediately release the ▲ button.

4. It’s possible to “overrun” the code if you don’t release the button in time. To correct this, turn the device back on. While the Input Selector is still lit, press the ▼ button repeatedly to step backwards through the codes until the device turns off again.

5. Press the Input Selector again to confirm the code. The red light will flash three times.

If the unit’s operation or displays seem abnormal, a processor reset may solve the issue. This will erase all system memory, including tuner presets and configuration settings.

1. First, put the unit in Standby by pressing the System Power Control button (2).

2. Next, press and hold the front panel OK button (6) for five seconds.

3. The unit will turn on automatically and show the word RESET in the display. It will then revert to normal ON status.

After the reset, you will need to re-establish all system configuration settings and tuner presets.

If the system still operates incorrectly after a reset, there may have been an electronic discharge or severe AC line interference that has corrupted the memory or microprocessor. If these steps do not solve the problem, consult an authorized Harman Kardon service depot.

The following table shows the recommended connections for various devices to your HARMAN-KARDON AVR 255.

*Make this connection only when using the TV source for a non-display device. Do not connect your television’s or video display’s video output to the AVR at any time.