Pioneer VSA-AX10Ai User Manual

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AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER

VSA-AX10Ai

Operating Instructions

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IMPORTANT

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

CAUTION:

TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

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Replacement and mounting of an AC plug on the power supply cord of this unit should be performed only by qualified service personnel.

The cut-off plug should be disposed of and must

IMPORTANT

FOR USE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

The wires in this mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code: Blue : Neutral Brown : Live

If the plug provided is unsuitable for your socket outlets, the plug must be cut off and a suitable plug fitted.

not be inserted into any 13 amp socket as this can result in electric shock. The plug or adaptor or the distribution panel should be provided with 10 A fuse. As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows ; The wire which is coloured blue must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured black. The wire which is coloured brown must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured red.

Thank you for buying this pioneer product. Please read through these operating instructions so you will know how to operate your model properly. After you have finished reading the instructions, put them away in a safe place for future reference.

VENTILATION: When installing this unit, make

sure to leave space around the unit for ventilation to improve heat radiation (at least 60 cm at top, 10 cm at rear, and 30 cm at each side).

WARNING: Slot and openings in the cabinet are

provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, to prevent fire hazard, the openings should never be blocked and covered with items,

Do not connect either wire to the earth terminal of a three pin plug.

NOTE After replacing or changing a fuse, the fuse cover in the plug must be replaced with a fuse cover which corresponds to the colour of the insert in the base of the plug or the word that is embossed on the base of the plug, and the appliance must not be used without a fuse cover. If lost replacement fuse covers can be obtained from your dealer. Only 10 A fuses approved by B.S.I or A.S.T.A to B.S.1362 should be used.

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such as newspapers, table-cloths, curtains, etc. Also

WARNING:

BEFORE PLUGGING IN THE UNIT FOR THE FIRST

do not put the apparatus on the thick carpet, bed, sofa, or fabric having a thick pile.

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TIME, READ THE FOLLOWING SECTION CAREFULLY. The voltage of the available power supply differs according to country or region. Be sure that the power supply voltage of the area where this unit will be used meets the required voltage (e.g., 230V or 120V) written on the rear panel.

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WARNING: No naked flame sources, such as

lighted candle, should be placed on the apparatus. If naked flame sources accidentally fall down, fire spread over the apparatus then may cause fire.

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This product complies with the Low Voltage Directive (73/23/EEC, amended by 93/68/EEC), EMC Directives (89/336/EEC, amended by 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC).

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WARNING: The apparatus is not waterproofs, to

prevent fire or shocks hazard, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture and do not put any water source near this apparatus, such as vase, flower pot, cosmetics container and medicine bottle etc.

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Operating Environment

Operating environment temperature and humidity: +5 ºC – +35 ºC (+41 ºF – +95 ºF); less than 85 %RH (cooling vents not blocked) Do not install in the following locations

• Location exposed to direct sunlight or strong artificial light

• Location exposed to high humidity, or poorly ventilated location

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This product is for general household purposes. Any failure due to use for other than household purposes (such as long-term use for business purposes in a restaurant or use in a car or ship) and which requires repair will be charged for even during the warranty period.

K041_En

If the socket outlets on the associated equipment are not suitable for the plug supplied with the product, the plug must be removed and appropriate one fitted. Replacement and mounting of an AC plug on the power supply cord of this unit should be perfomed only by qualified service personnel. The cut-off plug must be disposed of as an electrical shock hazard could exist if connected to a socket outlet.

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The OFF/ON switch is secondary connected and therefore, does not separate the unit from mains power in OFF position. Therefore install the unit suitable places easy to disconnect the MAINS plug in case of the accident. The MAINS plug of unit should be unplugged from the wall socket when left unused for a long period of time.

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Contents

Our philosophy Features

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01 Before you start

Checking the supplied accessories Using the remote control

Operating range of the remote control Recharging the remote control Setting up the remote control Calibrating the remote control screen Setting the clock Setting the button alert volume Setting the time-out setting Resetting the remote control Locking the remote control Restarting the remote control Replacing the lithium-ion batteries

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02 Connecting your equipment

Rear panel When making cable connections Connecting your TV Connecting a DVD player

Connecting the multichannel analog outputs Connecting a satellite/cable amplifier or other set-top box Connecting a VCR or DVD recorder Connecting other video sources Using the component video jacks About the video converter Connecting digital audio sources Connecting analog audio sources Connecting a component to the front panel inputs Installing your speaker system

Connecting the speakers

Placing the speakers Plugging in the amplifier

About the AC outlet

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03 Controls and displays

Display

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Front panel Remote control

Basic remote control displays

Remote control displays for other components

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04 Getting started

Introduction to home theater Automatically setting up for surround sound

Other problems when using the Auto Surround

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Setup

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Checking the settings on your DVD (or other)

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player Playing a source

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05 Listening to your system

About the listening modes

Listening in surround sound Using the Advanced surround effects Using the Home THX modes

Listening in stereo Listening with headphones Using the multichannel analog inputs Using the Stream Direct mode Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ Selecting the input signal type

Selecting USB and multichannel analog

input channels Listening to high-sampling formats Using the surround back channel Listening with virtual surround back speakers Creating a center speaker effect Using Hi-bit and Hi-sampling Using Midnight and Loudness listening Using the tone control

Switching the tone control on or off

Adjusting the bass and treble Reducing noise during playback Listening to dual mono soundtracks

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06 The Surround Setup menu

Making amplifier settings from the Surround Setup

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Speaker Systems

Channel Level

Speaker Distance

Acoustic Calibration EQ

Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ

X-Curve Checking your surround settings

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07 Controlling other equipment

Using the remote control with other components Recalling preset codes Programming signals from other remote controls Remote Direct function Editing remote control button names Multi Operation and System Off

Programming a multi operation or a shutdown

sequence Switching components on and off using the 12 volt trigger

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Operating other Pioneer components with this unit’s sensor

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08 Using other functions

Making an audio or a video recording

Monitoring your recording Reducing the level of an analog signal Adjusting the delay of a soundtrack Watching video and audio sources independently Enhancing SACD playback Using the A/D converters to give greater definition to 2channel sound Dimming the display Switching the speaker impedance Checking your system settings Resetting the system

Default amplifier settings

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09 Other connections

Using speaker system B

Switching the speaker system

Using speaker system B in another room

Alternating surround speaker setups using

speaker system B (ITU-R) Bi-amping your front speakers Bi-wiring your speakers Adding a second set of surround speakers for Bi-Surround Using the pre-outs

Connecting additional amplifiers

Connecting an external stereo pre-amplifier Using the i.LINK interface About i.LINK

About PQLS rate control

Creating an i.LINK network Using the USB interface Connecting a PC for Advanced MCACC output

Advanced MCACC output using your PC

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THX Audio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

THX Ultra2 Subwoofer Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Surround Back Speaker Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

11 Additional information

Optimizing your speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Basic surround setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

THX speaker system setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Speaker system setup for DVD-Audio/

multichannel music sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

No sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Other audio problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

i.LINK interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

i.LINK messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

USB interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Surround sound formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Dolby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

DTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Windows Media® Audio 9 Professional . . . . . . . 101

PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

About THX® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Maintenance of external surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

10 Advanced setup

The Input Assign menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Assigning the digital inputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Assigning the component video inputs . . . . . . . . . 84

Assigning the i.LINK inputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Assigning the video inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

The Expert Setup menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

OSD Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Bass Peak Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Dynamic Range Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Function Rename . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

OSD Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

12 Volt Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

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Our philosophy

Pioneer is dedicated to making your home theater listening experience as close as possible to the vision of the moviemakers and mastering engineer when they created the original soundtrack. We do this by focusing on three important steps:

1 Achieving the highest possible sound quality

2 Allowing for customized acoustic calibration according to any listening area

3 Fine-tuning the amplifier with the help of worldclass studio engineers

Features

Easy setup using Advanced MCACC

Setting up for home theater sound is as easy as connecting your speakers, a DVD player or other source, and your TV. The Auto Surround Setup provides a quick but accurate surround sound setup, while for complete surround sound control you still have access to the full range of surround sound settings.

In addition, the Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ setup measures the reverb characteristics of your listening area, allowing you to customize your system calibration with the help of a graphical output that can be displayed on-screen, or using a computer.

i.LINK digital interface

The i.LINK interface makes it possible to connect this amplifier to i.LINK-equipped components, allowing you to enjoy high sampling rate (up to 192kHz) PCM multichannel digital audio from DVD-Audio and SACD discs, as well as digital audio from DVD-Video, CD and Video CD discs, all with a single cable.

USB digital interface

It is possible to listen to multichannel audio sources from your computer by connecting to the USB interface on the rear of this amplifier. Depending on your model of computer and the software installed, you can listen to any source compatible with your operating system through the speaker setup connected to this amplifier.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx and DTS Neo:6 decoders

The built-in Dolby Pro Logic IIx and DTS Neo:6 decoders not only provide full surround sound decoding for Dolby Surround sources, but will also generate convincing surround sound for any stereo source.

THX certified design

This amplifier is THX Ultra2™ certified, allowing you to take advantage of new THX technologies such as ASA (Advanced Speaker Array), which can process any 5.1 channel source for 6.1 channel (THX Surround EX) or 7.1 channel (THX Ultra2™ Cinema and THX MusicMode) playback. These features are also available when using the i.LINK interface.

Windows Media® Audio 9 Professional decoding

It is possible to listen to the Windows Media® Audio 9 Professional (WMA9 Pro) discrete surround format using the on-board WMA9 Pro decoder, or through the USB connection using a software decoder on your computer.

Seamless video conversion

With the Pioneer video converter, you can use a wide range of cords interchangeably, giving you more flexibility when making video connections.

Easy-to-use remote control

The remote control gives you not only complete control over every function of this amplifier, but also over the main functions for other components in your home theater system. Using a system of preset codes, you can program the remote to operate a wide range of other equipment.

Energy-saving design

This amplifier is designed to use less than 0.65 W of energy when in standby.

With the cooperation of AIR Studios, this amplifier has

been designated AIR Studios Monitor Reference:

Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, including Dolby Digital EX, DTS 96/24 and DTS-ES

Dolby Digital and DTS decoding brings theater sound right into your home with up to six channels of surround sound, including a special LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel for deep, realistic sound effects.

With the addition of a surround back speaker, you can take advantage of the built-in Dolby Digital EX and DTSES decoders for six-channel surround sound.

“i.LINK” and the i.LINK logo are trademarks of the Sony Corporation.

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Before you start

Chapter 1

Before you start

Checking the supplied accessories

Please check that you've received the following supplied accessories:

• Microphone

• Remote control unit

• Remote control unit recharger and AC adapter

• U-shaped connectors x2 (attached to back of

amplifier — see item 8 in Rear panel on page 12)

• Calibration disc

• Multi-channel audio speaker setting guide

• These operating instructions

Using the remote control

Keep the following in mind when using the remote control:

Operating range of the remote control

• Make sure that there are no obstacles between the remote and the remote sensor on the unit.

• The remote has a range of about 7 meters.

• AC adapter cord

• Power cord

• Remote operation may become unreliable if strong sunlight or fluorescent light is shining on the unit’s remote sensor.

• Remote controllers for different devices can interfere with each other. Avoid using remotes for other equipment located close to this unit.

Recharging the remote control

When the battery indicator on the remote control display shows that the rechargeable battery is almost depleted, recharge the remote as shown below. To make sure the battery doesn’t run out completely, simply leave the remote control in the recharger when not in use.

Caution

• Do not use AC adapters or AC adapter cords other than the one supplied.

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Before you start

• Do not use the AC adapter or AC adapter cord for any other purpose than those specified below.

1 Connect the AC adapter cord then connect the adapter to the recharger and plug it into an AC outlet.

2 Place the remote control on the recharger, aligning the indent on the bottom of the remote with the tabs on the recharger.

• When the remote control is recharging, you’ll see the

indicator appear in the upper right corner of the

display:

Note

• The remote control operations in this section are accessed from the remote setup menu. To go to the

remote setup menu, press from the remote

SETUP

control Home menu ( ):

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVR / LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

There are three remote setup menu screens, which can be navigated by using the touch panel / (cursor left/right) soft keys:

1/3SETUP

CALIBRATE

PRESET RECALL

LEARNING

MULTI OPERATION

DIRECT FUNCTION

SETUP 2/3

CLOCK DISPLAY : AM/PM

CLOCK SETTING

BEEP :

TIMEOUT

KEY LABEL

Note

• If the remote hasn’t been charged for awhile, the remote control display may remain blank for several minutes before the touch screen appears. If it continues to remain blank, try lifting the remote control up from the recharger and reseating it on the recharger. If after several tries, this does not work, see Replacing the lithium-ion batteries on page 11.

Setting up the remote control

After you have calibrated the screen and set the display clock, use the other settings to customize your remote control.

• For more on navigating the remote control menu

screens, see Basic remote control displays on page 30.

Calibrating the remote control screen

This will make sure the remote control responds correctly when you touch it.

1 Press CALIBRATE.

SETUP 1/3

CALIBRATE

PRESET RECALL

LEARNING

MULTI OPERATION

DIRECT FUNCTION

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Before you start

2 Press the center of each cross point to align the touch screen with the LCD panel underneath.

This adjustment will make sure your remote control is calibrated correctly.

PLEASE TOUCH

THE UPPER "+" MARK

"MUTE": CANCEL

When you've touched both cross points, PLEASE WAIT is displayed and you’ll return to the remote setup menu when calibration is finished.

Setting the clock

The remote control features a clock that shows both 12 and 24 hour formats.

1 Press CLOCK DISPLAY to select either AM/PM or 24H display format.

Each press switches between the two settings. The current display format is shown after CLOCK DISPLAY.

SETUP 2/3

CLOCK DISPLAY : AM/PM

CLOCK SETTING

BEEP :

TIMEOUT

KEY LABEL

2 Press CLOCK SETTING to set the date. Use the + and – buttons to set the year, month and day.

SETUP 2/3

CLOCK DISPLAY : AM/PM

CLOCK SETTING

BEEP :

TIMEOUT

KEY LABEL

DATE

+++

2003 /10 /09

---

1/2

CANCELNEXT

3 Press NEXT to continue and set the time. Use the + and – buttons to set the hour and minute.

TIME

17 : 08

2/2

CANCELENTER

4 Press ENTER when you’re finished.

You’ll return to the remote setup menu.

Setting the button alert volume

You can set the volume of the ‘beep’ you hear when you press a button on the remote.

• Press BEEP to select a setting.

Each press selects between quiet, loud or off. The current setting is shown on the touch screen.

SETUP 2/3

CLOCK DISPLAY : AM/PM

CLOCK SETTING

BEEP :

TIMEOUT

KEY LABEL

Setting the time-out setting

• Default setting: 60sec

To save battery life, a timer automatically switches off the remote control off after a set amount of time if no commands are entered. You can adjust separate timeout settings for the LCD, and the remote backlight.

1 Press TIMEOUT.

SETUP 2/3

CLOCK DISPLAY : AM/PM

CLOCK SETTING

BEEP :

TIMEOUT

KEY LABEL

Page 10

Before you start

2 Use the + and – buttons to set the LCD TIMEOUT and BACKLIGHT TIMEOUT settings.

You can adjust these from 20–120 seconds.

• The backlight timeout can’t be longer than the LCD timeout setting.

TIMEOUT

LCD TIME OUT

60 sec

BACKLIGHT TIME OUT

60 sec

CANCELENTER

3 Press ENTER when you’re finished.

You’ll return to the remote setup menu.

Resetting the remote control

Use this feature to reset the remote control settings to the factory defaults.

Important

• Doing this will erase any of your personalized settings.

1 Press RESET TO DEFAULT.

SETUP 3/3

RESET TO DEFAULT

After the screen goes blank, the Home menu appears within a minute or so, and the remote control will be reset to the default settings.

Locking the remote control

This amplifier has a remote control lock feature that makes the remote control touch screen and hard keys inoperative.

1 At the same time, press the  and  hard keys for about three seconds.

• This is not possible from the remote setup screen.

CHANNEL VOLUME

ENTER

MENU MUTE

SYSTEM

SETUP

AV AMPLIFIRE

LOCKED! shows on the touch screen to indicate the remote control is locked.

2 To unlock the remote control, repeat step 1.

Once the remote control is unlocked, the touch screen shows the Home menu.

Restarting the remote control

If the remote control display freezes during operation (none of the buttons seem to work), you may need to restart the unit.

2 Confirm by pressing YES after reading each screen.

RESET

Do you want to reset

the REMOTE to the

DEFAULT settings ?

YES

RESET

ALL settings you made

will be ERASED.

Is it all right?

YES

Important

• Doing this will not erase any of your personalized

settings or presets.

1 Use a small phillips screwdriver to remove the screw fixing the battery cover to the back of the remote.

Page 11

Before you start

RESET

2 Remove the battery cover.

3 Use a pen or other sharp instrument to press the reset button located in the hole to the right (above the battery).

RESET

After restarting the remote control, the touch screen shows the Home menu.

Replacing the lithium-ion batteries

If you notice that the remote will no longer hold a charge, you may need to replace the lithium-ion battery cells.

Caution

• The lithium-ion batteries may present a fire or chemical burn hazard if misused. Do not disassemble, heat above 100˚C (212˚F), or incinerate.

• Replacement cells must be of type AZW7264, manufactured by NEC TOKIN Corporation. Use of any other battery cells may result in fire or explosion. Contact the Pioneer Service Center specified on your warranty card to obtain new batteries. Replacement cells are not covered under warranty.

• Dispose of used battery cells immediately after replacement. Keep away from children.

• When disposing of used batteries, please comply with governmental regulations or environmental public institution’s rules that apply in your country or area.

1 Use a small phillips screwdriver to remove the screw fixing the battery cover to the back of the remote.

2 Remove the battery cover.

3 Disconnect the old battery cell from the unit.

Do not pull the connector out by holding onto the attached wires. Hold the connector firmly with your fingers, or use a small screwdriver (or other sharp tool) to disconnect it.

4 Connect the new battery cell.

Push the connector in until it is fully inserted. Make sure you keep the wire out of the way and line up the cell properly so that the battery cover can be closed easily.

Page 12

SUR-ROUND

SUR-

SPEAK

12V TRIGGER

AC IN

AC OUTLET

VIDEO

Connecting your equipment

Chapter 2

Connecting your equipment

This amplifier provides you with almost limitless possibilities for connecting your audio/video system, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Depending on your needs, you could be up and running in no time after a few simple connections. This section has been designed so that you can read through this short introduction, then jump to the specific connections that you need to make. For a basic home theater setup, you may only need to look through the TV, DVD and speaker connections.

Rear panel

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR

Caution

• Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the power outlet. Plugging in components should be the last connection you make with your system.

1 USB audio input

The USB audio input allows you to use your PC as a playback source for stereo or multichannel digital audio. See Using the USB interface on page 80 for connection details.

2 Digital audio outputs

Two optical digital audio outputs for connecting to a CD, MD or other digital recorder. See Connecting a VCR or DVD recorder on page 18 for connection details.

3 Digital audio inputs

Three optical and three coaxial digital audio inputs for connecting digital audio sources to this amplifier. There’s also a 2 RF IN jack for connection to an LD player with a 2 RF output.

All the inputs are freely assignable to input functions for maximum flexibility.

DC OUT 12

TOTAL 100mA MA

FRON

ENTE

(Single)

W MA

• If a connected component does not correspond to

the input function (DVD/LD, etc.), see Assigning the digital inputs on page 83 to assign it properly.

4 Stereo analog audio source inputs/outputs

Five sets of analog audio jacks for connection to audio sources such as CD players, tape decks, turntables, or a radio tuner. The CD-R/TAPE 1/MD and TAPE 2 MONITOR functions also feature outputs for recording. See Connecting analog audio sources on page 22 for connection details.

5 Multichannel analog audio inputs

7.1 channel analog inputs for connection to a DVD player with multichannel analog outputs. See Connecting the multichannel analog outputs on page 16 for connection details.

6 i.LINK connectors

Two S400-type i.LINK connectors allow you to connect this amplifier to other compatible i.LINK audio devices for high-resolution, multichannel digital audio input/ output. See Using the i.LINK interface on page 78 for connection details.

Page 13

Connecting your equipment

7 Turntable ground

A grounding (earth) terminal for use with turntables that require it. See Connecting analog audio sources on page 22 for connection details.

8 Pre-amplifier output/power amplifier input

Do not remove the U-shaped connectors unless you plan to connect an external power amp to this amplifier.

When using this amplifier as an integrated amplifier, leave the pre-amp outputs connected to the power amp inputs with the supplied U-shaped connectors. Removing these connectors allows you to use this unit as a pre-amplifier or power amplifier only, or to integrate another amplifier into your setup for more inputs. See Using the pre-outs on page 77 for connection details.

9 Multichannel pre-amplifier outputs

Multichannel pre-amp outputs that you can use to connect separate amplifiers for center, surround, surround back and subwoofer channels. See Using the pre-outs on page 77 for connection details.

10 Control input/output

Mini jack terminals for connection to other Pioneer components to enable you to control all your equipment from a single IR remote sensor. See Operating other Pioneer components with this unit’s sensor on page 68 for connection details.

11 Monitor video outputs

Three video outputs consisting of a standard composite video output and two S-video outputs, for connection to monitors and TVs. See Connecting your TV on page 14 for connection details.

12 Audio/video source inputs

Each of the seven source input functions has stereo analog audio jacks, a composite video jack and an Svideo jack for basic connections. On top of these, you can assign digital audio and component video jacks to input functions as necessary. As well as audio/video inputs, the three input functions DVR/VCR 1, VCR 2 and VCR 3 also have audio/video outputs for recording. See Connecting a VCR or DVD recorder on page 18 for connection details.

13 Component video inputs/output

The three component video inputs are freely assignable to any of the audio/video input functions. The component video output is for connection to a monitor or TV. See Using the component video jacks on page 20 for connection details.

14 RS-232C connector

This port is provided for connecting a personal computer for graphical output when using Advanced MCACC.

15 12V trigger jacks

These terminals output DC 12V according to the input functions (total 100 mA max.). See Switching components on and off using the 12 volt trigger on page 68 for connection details.

16 Speaker terminals

These are the main speaker terminals for front, center, surround and surround back speakers. See Installing your speaker system on page 24 for connection details.

17 AC power outlet (Switched 100W max.)

This AC power outlet can be used to power another component in your setup (up to 100 W). Power to this outlet is switched off when the amplifier is in standby.

18 AC power inlet

Connect the supplied power cord here.

19 B speaker terminals

Stereo B speaker terminals that you can use to connect a second pair of speakers for use in another room, for example. See Caution on page 75 for connection details.

When making cable connections

Be careful not to arrange cables in a manner that bends the cables over the top of this unit. If the cables are laid on top of the unit, the magnetic field produced by the transformers in this unit may cause a humming noise to come from the speakers.

• When connecting optical cables, be careful when inserting the plug not to damage the shutter protecting the optical socket.

• When storing optical cable, coil loosely. The cable may be damaged if bent around sharp corners.

Page 14

Connecting your equipment

Connecting your TV

This page shows you how to connect your TV to the amplifier. To be able to play the sound from the TV’s builtin tuner, connect the analog audio outputs from your TV to this amplifier.

1 Connect the MONITOR OUT 1 video jack on this amplifier to a video input on your TV.

• You can use a standard RCA/phono jack video cable to connect to the composite video jack, or for higher quality video, you can use an S-video cable to connect to the S-video jack (S2 VIDEO).

• See Using the component video jacks on page 20 if

you want to use the component video outputs to connect this amplifier to your TV.

2 Connect the analog audio outputs from your TV to the TV/DVD AUDIO inputs on this amplifier.

• Use a stereo RCA/phono jack cable for the connection.

Note

• If you use different cord types for the TV and the source component, overlay information doesn’t appear.

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

R L

PRE OUT

SURROUND

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

MONITOR

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

ANALOG AUDIO OUT

OUT 1

OUT 2

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD) IN

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

RS-232C

MONITOR

OUT

12V TRIGGER

DC OUT 12V

TOTAL 100mA MAX

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

AC OUTLET

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC IN

(Single)

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

VSA-AX10Ai

VIDEOINS-VIDEO

Page 15

Connecting your equipment

Connecting a DVD player

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

COAXIAL

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

R L

PRE OUT

SURROUND

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

AUDIORL S-VIDEOOPTICAL

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/

VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

OUT

DIGITAL OUT ANALOG OUT VIDEO OUT

1 2 3

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/ LD) IN

IN 2

ASSIGNABLE

RS-232C

MONITOR

OUT

12V TRIGGER

DC OUT 12V

TOTAL 100mA MAX

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC OUTLET

AC IN

(Single)

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

VSA-AX10Ai

DVD player

Different DVD players offer a different selection of connections, but all should give you at least a digital audio output, stereo analog audio outputs and a video output. Additionally, you may have a player with multichannel analog audio outputs and different kinds of video outputs to choose from.

1 Connect a coaxial digital audio output on your DVD player to the DIGITAL 1 (DVD/LD) input on this amplifier.

• Use a coaxial cable designed for digital audio for the connection.

• If your DVD player only has an optical digital output, you can connect it to one of the optical inputs on this amplifier using an optical cable. When you set up the amplifier you’ll need to tell the amplifier which input you connected the player to (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

2 If your DVD player only has stereo analog audio outputs, connect these to the DVD/LD AUDIO inputs on this amplifier.

• Use standard RCA/phono jack cables for the connections.

• If your DVD player has multichannel analog outputs, see Connecting the multichannel analog outputs below for how to connect it.

3 Connect a composite or S-video output on your DVD player to the DVD/LD VIDEO or DVD/LD S2 VIDEO input on this amplifier.

• Use a standard video cable or an S-video cable for the connection.

• If your player also has a component video output, you can connect this too. See Using the component video jacks on page 20 for more on this.

Page 16

Connecting your equipment

Connecting the multichannel analog outputs

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

R L

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

FRONT SUB W. CENTER

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

PRE OUT

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SUR- ROUND BACK

(Single)

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

DVD/

LD IN

TV/ DVD IN

SAT

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

DC OUT 12V

TOTAL 100mA MAX

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

(Single)

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD) IN

OUT

IN 2

ASSIGNABLE

RS-232C

MONITOR

OUT

IN 3

12V TRIGGER

AC OUTLET

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC IN

VSA-AX10Ai

SURR.

MULTI CH

OUTPUT

SURR.

BACK

MULTI CH. OUT

1 2

DVD player

For DVD Audio and SACD playback, your DVD player may have 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 channel analog outputs (depending on whether your player supports surround back channels).

1 Connect the front, surround, center and subwoofer outputs on your DVD player to the corresponding MULTI CH INPUT jack on this amplifier.

• Use standard RCA/phono jack cables for the connections.

• Take care to connect each output to its corresponding input on the amplifier.

2 If your DVD player also has outputs for surround back channels, connect these to the corresponding MULTI CH INPUT jacks on this amplifier.

• Use standard RCA/phono jack cables for the connections.

• If there is a single surround back output, connect it to the SURROUND BACK L (SINGLE) jack on this amplifier.

Note

• To listen to multichannel analog audio you’ll need to switch the input signal selector to MULTI CH INPUT (see Playing a source on page 37 for more on this). See also Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels on page 45.

Page 17

Connecting your equipment

Connecting a satellite/cable amplifier or other set-top box

Satellite and cable amplifiers, and terrestrial digital TV tuners are all examples of so-called ‘set-top boxes’.

1 Connect a set of audio/video outputs on the settop box component to the SAT AUDIO and VIDEO inputs on this amplifier.

• Use a stereo RCA/phono jack audio cable for the audio connection and a video or S-video cable for the video connection.

2 Connect an optical digital audio output from your set-top box component to the DIGITAL 4 (SAT) input on this amplifier.

• Use an optical cable for the connection.

• If your set-top box only has a coaxial digital output, you can connect it to one of the coaxial inputs on this amplifier using a coaxial digital audio cable. When you set up the amplifier you’ll need to tell the amplifier which input you connected the set-top box to (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

Note

• If your satellite/cable amplifier doesn’t have a digital audio output, omit step 2 above.

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SUR- ROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

R L

PRE OUT

SURROUND

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

DIGITAL OUT

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/

VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

OUT

DC OUT 12V

TOTAL 100mA MAX

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

(Single)

SWITCHED 100W MAX

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD) IN

IN 2

ASSIGNABLE

RS-232C

MONITOR

OUT

IN 3

12V TRIGGER

AC OUTLET

AC IN

VSA-AX10Ai

VIDEO S-VIDEOAUDIOL

AV OUT

STB

Page 18

Connecting your equipment

Connecting a VCR or DVD recorder

This amplifier has three sets of audio/video inputs and outputs suitable for connecting analog or digital video recorders, including VCRs, DVD-recorders and HDD recorders.

1 Connect a set of audio/video outputs on the recorder to the DVR/VCR1 AUDIO and VIDEO inputs on this amplifier.

• Use a stereo RCA/phono jack audio cable for the audio connection and a video or S-video cable for the video connection.

• For a second and third recorder, use the VCR2 IN and

VCR3 IN inputs.

2 Connect a set of audio/video inputs on the recorder to the DVR/VCR1 AUDIO and VIDEO outputs on this amplifier.

• Use a stereo RCA/phono jack audio cable for the audio connection and a video or S-video cable for the video connection.

• For a second and third recorder, use the VCR2 and

VCR3 outputs.

3 Connect an optical digital audio output from the recorder to the DIGITAL 5 (DVR/VCR1) input on this amplifier.

• Use an optical cable for the connection.

• If your recorder only has a coaxial digital output, you can connect it to one of the coaxial inputs on this amplifier using a coaxial digital audio cable. When you set up the amplifier you’ll need to tell the amplifier which input you connected the recorder to (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

• The digital outputs from other recorders can be connected to any spare digital audio inputs on this amplifier. You can assign them when setting up the amplifier (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

Note

• If your video component doesn’t have a digital audio output, omit step 3 above.

• In order to record, you must connect the analog audio cables (the digital connection is for playback only).

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

PRE OUT

(Single)

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

DVD/

LD IN

TV/ DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/

VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

VSA-AX10Ai

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

AC OUTLET

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC IN

(Single)

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

1 23

VIDEO S-VIDEO

AV IN

OUT 1

OUT 2

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD)

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DC OUT 12V

12V TRIGGER

RS-232C

TOTAL 100mA MAX

VIDEOAUDIOLR

S-VIDEO AUDIOLR

AV OUT

DVR, VCR, etc.

Page 19

Connecting your equipment

Connecting other video sources

You can basically use any of the audio/video inputs on this amplifier for any kind of video source. The example illustration below shows a component connected to the

VCR2 inputs.

1 Connect the analog audio outputs and a video output of the source component to a set of spare audio/video inputs on this amplifier.

• Use a stereo RCA/phono jack audio cable for the audio connection and a video or S-video cable for the video connection.

2 If the source component has a digital audio output, connect it to a spare digital audio input on this amplifier.

• Use a coaxial cable designed for digital audio or an optical cable for the connection depending on the type of input you used.

• You may need to assign the digital input you used

when setting up the amplifier (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

3 If the source component is an LD player with a 2 RF digital audio output, connect this to the 2 RF input on this amplifier.

To ensure compatibility with all laserdiscs, connect both the PCM and 2 RF outputs from your LD player.

• Use a coaxial cable designed for digital audio for the

2 RF connection.

• You may need to assign the 2 RF digital input when

setting up the amplifier (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

IN 5

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

2 3

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

R L

PRE OUT

SURROUND

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

DIGITAL OUT

PCM 2 RF

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

DVD/

TV/

DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

OUT 2

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD) IN

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

RS-232C

MONITOR

OUT

12V TRIGGER

DC OUT 12V

TOTAL 100mA MAX

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC OUTLET

AC IN

(Single)

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

VSA-AX10Ai

VIDEO S-VIDEOAUDIO

AV OUT

LD player, video player, TV game, etc.

Page 20

Connecting your equipment

Using the component video jacks

Component video should deliver superior picture quality when compared to composite or S-video. A further advantage (if your source and TV are both compatible) is progressive-scan video, which delivers a very stable, flicker-free picture. See the manuals that came with your TV and source component to check whether they are compatible with progressive-scan video. Note that it is not possible to see overlay information when you have connected using component video cables.

1 Connect the component video outputs of your source to a set of component video inputs on this amplifier.

There are three component video inputs; they are all freely assignable so that they can be used in conjunction with any of the audio/video input functions of the amplifier.

Note that you’ll need to assign the component video input (see Assigning the component video inputs on page 84), or else you may see the S-video or composite video input instead.

• Use a three-way component video cable for the connection.

2 Connect the COMPONENT VIDEO MONITOR OUT jacks on this amplifier to the component video inputs on your TV or monitor.

• Use a three-way component video cable.

About the video converter

The video converter allows you to connect various video sources using composite, S-video or component video connections and the signal will be output through all of the MONITOR VIDEO OUT jacks. The only exception is component video input, which is only output from the component video output. Therefore, if you want to connect any source using component video, you must also connect your TV using component video. If several video components are connected to the same input function, the converter gives priority to component, Svideo, then composite (in that order).

• You can’t see overlay information if you use different cord types for the TV and the source component.

• NTSC sources are not converted except from S-video to component video (not vice-versa).

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

IN 5

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

DVD player

R L

AUDIO

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

PRE OUT

(Single)

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT IN

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

OUT 2

OUT

COMPONENT

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/ LD) IN

IN 2

ASSIGNABLE

RS-232C

MONITOR

OUT

IN 3

12V TRIGGER

DC OUT 12V

TOTAL 100mA MAX

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

(Single)

AC OUTLET

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC IN

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

VSA-AX10Ai

VIDEO

Page 21

Connecting your equipment

Connecting digital audio sources

This amplifier has both digital inputs and outputs, allowing you to connect digital components for playback and for making digital recordings. Many digital components also have analog connections for recording analog sources (such as a turntable or tape deck). See Connecting analog audio sources below for more on this.

1 Connect an optical digital audio output on your digital component to the DIGITAL 6 (CD-R/TAPE1/ MD) input on this amplifier.

• Use an optical cable for the connection.

• If your digital component only has a coaxial digital output, you can connect it to one of the coaxial inputs on this amplifier using a coaxial cable. When you set up the amplifier you’ll need to tell the amplifier which input you connected the component to (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

• The digital outputs from other components can be connected to any spare digital audio inputs on this amplifier. You can assign them when setting up the amplifier (see also Assigning the digital inputs on page 83).

2 Connect one of the DIGITAL outputs on this amplifier to a digital input on the component.

• Use an optical cable to connect to the DIGITAL OUT1 or OUT2 (OUT1 is shown in the illustration

below).

Note

• In order to record some digital sources, you must make analog connections as explained in Connecting analog audio sources below.

• This unit has an on-board WMA9 Pro decoder, so it is possible to playback WMA9 Pro-encoded audio using a coaxial or optical digital connection when connected to a WMA9 Pro-compatible player. However, the connected PC, DVD player, set-top box, etc. must be able to output WMA9 Pro format audio signals through a coaxial or optical digital output.

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

1 2

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

PRE OUT

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

AC OUTLET

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC IN

(Single)

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

OUT 1

OUT 2

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD) IN

OUT

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DC OUT 12V

12V TRIGGER

RS-232C

TOTAL 100mA MAX

VSA-AX10Ai

OPTICAL

DIGITAL IN

CD-R, MD, DAT, etc.

Page 22

Connecting your equipment

Connecting analog audio sources

This amplifier features five stereo analog inputs for audio sourses such as a CD player, tape deck, turntable, or a radio tuner. Two of these inputs have corresponding outputs for use with audio recorders.

One of the audio inputs (PHONO) is a dedicated turntable input which should not be used for any other type of component. This input also has a grounding terminal that most turntables require.

1 Connect the analog audio outputs of the source component to a set of spare audio inputs on this amplifier.

• If you’re connecting a tape deck, MD recorder, etc., connect the analog audio outputs (REC) to the analog audio inputs on the recorder.

Turntable

• Use a stereo RCA/phono jack audio cable for the connections.

• If your cassette deck has a monitoring function, connect it to the TAPE 2 MONITOR jacks on the rear panel. See Monitoring your recording on page 69 for more on this.

2 Turntables only: Connect the stereo audio outputs to the PHONO inputs on this amplifier.

• If your turntable has a grounding wire, secure it to the ground terminal on this amplifier.

• If your turntable has line-level outputs (no grounding wire), connect them to the CD inputs instead.

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

IN 5

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

OUT

PLAY

REC

AUDIO IN/OUT

AUDIO

R L

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

PRE OUT

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

Tape deck, etc.

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

DVD/

LD IN

TV/ DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

DC OUT 12V

TOTAL 100mA MAX

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

(Single)

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD) IN

OUT

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

12V TRIGGER

RS-232C

AC OUTLET

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC IN

VSA-AX10Ai

Page 23

Connecting your equipment

Connecting a component to the front panel inputs

The front panel inputs include a composite video jack (VIDEO), an S-video jack (S-VIDEO), stereo analog audio inputs (AUDIO L/R) and an optical digital audio input (DIGITAL). You can use these connections for any kind of audio/video component, but they are especially convenient for portable equipment such as camcorders, video games and portable audio/video equipment.

• The input signals can be accessed by selecting VIDEO using the INPUT SELECTOR dial on the front panel.

• Pull down the front cover where indicated to access the front panel inputs.

• The illustration below shows example connections to a portable DVD player. Note that you may need a specialized optical cable for this connection.

ACOUSTIC

PHONES

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

SP SYSTEM

A/B

VSA-AX10Ai

CH LEVEL

SELECT

SIGNAL

VIDEO

TAPE2

STREAM

SETUP

SELECT

MONITOR

DIRECT

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

VIDEO IN/OUT

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

AUDIO IN/OUT

DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL)

COLOR BRIGHT MONITOR

PHONES

HOLDON/OFF

Portable DVD player, etc.

Page 24

Connecting your equipment

Installing your speaker system

To take full advantage of the amplifier’s surround sound capabilities connect front, center, surround and surround back speakers, as well as a subwoofer. Although this is ideal, other configurations with fewer speakers—no subwoofer or no center speaker, or even no surround speakers—will work. At the very least, front left and right speakers only are necessary. Note that your

main surround speakers should always be connected as a pair, but you can connect just one surround back speaker if you like (it must be connected to the left surround back terminal). You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 4–16Ω (please see Switching the speaker impedance on page 72 if you plan to use speakers with an impedance of less than 6Ω).

Subwoofer

LINE LEVEL

INPUT

VSA-AX10Ai

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

Surround left

Front left

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

PRE OUT

(Single)

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

CONTROL

OUT IN

R L

Center

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT

OUT

DVR/

VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

Surround back left

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/ LD) IN

IN 2

ASSIGNABLE

RS-232C

MONITOR

OUT

IN 3

12V TRIGGER

TOTAL 100mA MAX

Surround back right

DC OUT 12V

Front

right

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SPEAKERS

AC OUTLET

SWITCHED 100W MAX

AC IN

(Single)

SELECTABLE (SURROUND BACK & B )

Surround

right

Connecting the speakers

Each speaker connection on the amplifier comprises a positive (+) red, and negative (–) white terminal. For proper sound you should take care to match these up with the terminals on the speakers themselves.

Page 25

Connecting your equipment

Caution

• These speaker terminals can be under hazardous voltage. When you connect or disconnect the speaker

cables, to prevent the risk of electric shock, do not touch uninsulated parts before disconnecting the power cord.

• Make sure that all the bare speaker wire is twisted together and inserted fully into the speaker terminal. If any of the bare speaker wire touches the back panel it may cause the power to cut off as a safety measure.

Bare wire connections

Before you start connecting the speakers, make sure that the speaker cable you’re going to use is properly prepared with about 1 cm of insulator stripped from each wire, and the exposed wire strands twisted together.

To connect a terminal, unscrew the terminal a few turns until there is enough space to insert the exposed wire. Once the wire is in position, tighten the terminal until the wire is firmly clamped.

• The subwoofer can be placed on the floor. Ideally, the other speakers should be at about ear-level when you’re listening to them. Putting the speakers on the floor (except the subwoofer), or mounting them very high on a wall is not recommended.

• For the best stereo effect, place the front speakers 2–2.5 m apart, at equal distance from the TV.

• Install the center speaker above or below the TV so that the sound of the center channel is localized at the TV screen.

• When placing speakers near the TV, use magnetically shielded speakers to prevent possible interference, such as discoloration of the picture when the TV is switched on. If you do not have magnetically shielded speakers and notice discoloration of the TV picture, move the speakers farther away from the TV.

• If possible, install the surround speakers slightly above ear level.

Center

Front R

Surround

Front L

Subwoofer

Note

• Please refer to the manual that came with your speakers for details on how to connect the other end of the speaker cables to your speakers.

• The speaker terminals on this amplifier can be connected in a number of ways, depending on your setup. See Speaker Systems on page 52 for an overview of the possible configurations.

• Other connections on page 75 provides greater detail on alternate speaker setups such as using speaker system B (page 75), bi-surround (page 77), bi-amping (page 76) and bi-wiring (page 77).

Placing the speakers

Where you put your speakers in the room has a big effect on the quality of the sound. The following guidelines should help you to get the best sound from your system. (see also Optimizing your speaker setup on page 90).

Surround

back L

Surround

back R

Caution

• Make sure that all speakers are securely installed. This not only improves sound quality, but also reduces the risk of damage or injury resulting from speakers being knocked over or falling in the event of external shocks such as earthquakes.

Page 26

Connecting your equipment

Plugging in the amplifier

Only plug in after you have connected all your components to this amplifier, including the speakers.

Caution

• Handle the power cord by the plug part. Do not pull out the plug by tugging the cord, and never touch the power cord when your hands are wet, as this could cause a short circuit or electric shock. Do not place the unit, a piece of furniture, or other object on the power cord or pinch the cord in any other way. Never make a knot in the cord or tie it with other cables. The power cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be stepped on. A damaged power cord can cause a fire or give you an electric shock. Check the power cord once in a while. If you find it damaged, contact the Pioneer Service Center specified on your warranty card for a replacement.

• Do not use any power cord other than the one supplied with this unit.

• Do not use the supplied power cord for any purpose other than that described below.

• The amplifier should be disconnected by removing the mains plug from the wall socket when not in regular use, eg., when on vacation.

1 Plug the supplied power cord into the AC IN socket on the back of the amplifier.

2 Plug the other end into a power outlet.

About the AC outlet

(Switched 100W max.)

Power supplied through this outlet is turned on and off by the amplifier's  STANDBY/ON switch. Total electrical power consumption of connected equipment should not exceed 100 W (0.4 A).

Caution

• Do not connect a TV set, monitor, heater, or similar appliance to this unit's AC outlet.

• Do not connect appliances with high power consumption to the AC outlet in order to avoid overheating and fire risk. This can also cause the amplifier to malfunction.

Page 27

Controls and displays

Chapter 3

Controls and displays

Display

1 2 5 63 4

SIGNAL

ENO

LSSR

LFE

OVER ATT



TAPE2

RF ATT

AUTO

DIGITAL ANALOG

RDS

DIGITAL

DISC MTRX

PRO LOGIC

Neo :6

2ch

PLAYBACK

1 SIGNAL indicators (page 69) Light to indicate the currently selected input signal. AUTO lights when the amplifier is set to select the input signal automatically.

2 Program format indicators

These change according to which channels are active in Dolby, DTS, DVD-A and SACD sources.

LS, S and RS will light at the same time to indicate

6.1channel sources.

• L – Left front channel

• C – Center channel

• R – Right front channel

• LS – Left surround channel

• S – Surround channel (mono)

• RS – Right surround channel

• LFE – Low frequency effects channel

3 ((( )))

Lights when an LFE signal is being input.

4 Analog level indicators

OVER indicator

Lights when an analog input signal is too high, risking distortion. Use the input attenuator to reduce the level.

ATT indicator (page 70) Lights when the input attenuator is on.

5 Character display

6 Digital format indicators

• – Lights when a Dolby Digital signal is

DIGITAL

detected.

• – Lights when one of the Home THX modes is selected.

• – Lights during Surround EX matrix processing.

• – Lights when a decoding DTS-ES audio.

• – Lights during DTS-ES discrete processing.

DIS

• – Lights during DTS-ES matrix processing.

MTR

PRO LOGIC

• – Lights during Dolby Pro Logic II and Pro Logic IIx processing.

• – Lights during Neo:6 processing with 2-

Neo :6

channel sources.

• – Lights during two-channel

2ch

PLAYBAC

playback.

7 Speaker indicators Light to indicate the current speaker system, A and/or B.

8 TAPE 2 (page 69)

Lights when the TAPE 2 monitor is switched on.

• – Lights when a DTS signal is detected.

Page 28

Controls and displays

Front panel

STANDBY/ON

OFF ON

1211 13 14 16 17 18

23 547

STANDBY

DVD/LD TV/DVD SAT VIDEO

INPUT SELECTOR

VIDEO AUDIO

DVR/VCR1 VCR2 VCR3 CD TUNER PHONO

68 910

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER

LISTENING MODE SELECTOR

TURN/PUSH

CD-R/

TAPE1/MD

MULTI CH

INPUT

MASTER VOLUME

1915 20

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

PHONES

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

MIDNIGHT

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

TAPE2

STREAM

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

DIRECT

SETUP

MIC

DIGITAL IN

SELECT

CH LEVEL

VIDEO INPUT

SB CH MODE

VSA-AX10Ai

21 22 23 24 25 2726

1 INPUT SELECTOR dial (page 37)

Turn to select a source component. The input indicators show the current component.

2  STANDBY/ON and power OFF  / ON 

Press  STANDBY/ON to switch the amplifier on or into standby. The OFF  / ON  switch turns of the main power (you can’t switch on using the remote when it is in the OFF  position).

3 STANDBY indicator

Lights when the amplifier is in standby.

4 Remote sensor

Receives the signals from the remote control.

5 Display

See Remote control on page 30.

6 Advaced MCACC indicator (page 44) Lights when Acoustic Calibration EQ is on. Acoustic Calibration EQ is automatically set to ALL CH ADJ after the Auto Surround Setup has been completed.

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

7 i.LINK indicator (page 78)

Lights when an i.LINK-Audio-equipped component is selected.

8 Input indicators

Shows the currently selected source component. The MULTI CH INPUT indicator lights when a component connected to the MULTI CH INPUT is selected. Nothing lights if an unassigned i.LINK-equipped component or USB connection is selected.

9 LISTENING MODE SELECTOR dial (page 39) Turn and push to select a listening mode.

10 MASTER VOLUME dial

Adjusts the volume.

Page 29

Controls and displays

11 Front panel controls

To access the front panel controls, push gently on the lower third portion of the panel with your finger.

12 ACOUSTIC CAL. (page 44) Press to switch Acoustic Calibration EQ on or off.

13 MIDNIGHT (page 48) Press to switch MIDNIGHT mode on/off.

14 LOUDNESS (page 48) Press to switch LOUDNESS mode on/off.

15 TONE

Press to switch between TONE ON and TONE BYPASS, which bypasses the tone controls.

16 OPTION (–/+)

Press OPTION repeatedly to select an option menu item, then use –/+ to adjust the settings.

17 DIGITAL NR (page 49) Press to switch DIGITAL NR on/off.

18 INPUT ATT (page 70) Press to switch the input attenuator on/off.

19 CH LEVEL (SELECT/–/+) (page 54) Press SELECT repeatedly to select a channel, then use –/+ adjust the level.

20 SB CH MODE (page 46) Use to select the surround/virtual back channel mode.

21 PHONES jack (page 42) Use to connect headphones (no sound will be heard through the speakers).

22 SP SYSTEM A/B (page 75) Press repeatedly to select speaker system A,B, A/B or off (in that order). (See Caution on page 75 for exceptions to this).

23 SIGNAL SELECT (page 44) Press to select the type of input signal for the current source (DVD, DVR/VCR, etc.), and also to select the number of input channels for the USB and analog multichannel inputs.

24 VIDEO SELECT (page 70) Press repeatedly to select the video source.

25 TAPE 2 MONITOR (page 69) Press to monitor recordings on the device connected to the TAPE 2 MONITOR inputs/outputs as they are being made.

26 STREAM DIRECT (page 43) Press to switch on/off Stream Direct.

27 SETUP MIC jack

Use to connect the supplied microphone.

28 VIDEO INPUT jacks (page 23)

• DIGITAL IN – Connect a game console, portable DVD player, video camera (etc.), that has an optical digital connection.

• S-VIDEO – Connect a video camera (etc.), that has an S-video out.

• VIDEO / AUDIO (L/R) – Connect a video camera, etc. that has standard RCA video/audio outputs.

Page 30

Controls and displays

Remote control

07/24 PM 3: 55

HOME 1/3

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD

/ LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

CHANNEL

SYSTEM

ENTER

MENU MUTE

SETUP

AV AMPLIFIER

VOLUME

1 Date and time display

See Setting the clock on page 9 to set this to the current time.

2 LCD touch screen

The LCD touch screen appears when the screen is touched or a button on the remote control is pressed.

3 Cursor hard keys and ENTER

Use to navigate menus and select options/execute commands.

4 CHANNEL +/–

Use to select channels.

5 MENU / SYSTEM SETUP

Use to display the System Setup menu (or a menu when controlling other components, such as a DVD or TV).

Displays the rechargeable battery status. The recharge indicator ( ) shows when the remote is being recharged.

Press to switch the touch screen backlight on or off.

8 Menu screen number

Displays the screen number in the current menu, as well as the number of screens.

7 8

11 12

–   +

CONTRAST

9 Contrast control

Use to adjust the contrast of the LCD touch screen.

10 VOLUME +/–

Use to adjust the volume.

11 MUTE

Press to mute all output. Press again (or adjust the volume using the MASTER VOLUME control) to restore the sound.

12 Servicing terminal

For use by Pioneer service technicians.

Basic remote control displays

The remote control LCD touch screen has a number of displays from which you can control amplifier functions, as well as control operations for other components. The basic menu screens are explained here.

Home menu screens

There are three Home menu screens, which can be navigated by using the touch panel / (cursor left/ right) soft keys or INPUT 1, 2 or 3.

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD

/ DVD

/ LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

4 5

HOME

AMPLIFIER

VCR2

VIDEO

CONT

2/3

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 213

CD-R

VCR3

/ TAPE1

MULTI CH

INPUT

SYSTEM

MULTI

OPERATION

OFF

SETUP

1 AMPLIFIER

Press to switch the amplifier on or into standby.

1/3

AMPLIFIER

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

SETUP

HOME

AMPLIFIER

i.LINK USB PHONO

CONT

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

7 8

3/3

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 312

SYSTEM

OFF

Page 31

Controls and displays

2 INPUT 1 / 2 / 3

Press 1, 2 or 3 to find the screen with the input source you want. After pressing the appropriate button to choose a source, you are taken to the corresponding function menu (see Operating menus for additional components below).

3 TV CONT

Press to access the TV control menu (see TV control menu screens below).

4 SETUP

Press to access the remote control setup menu (see Setting up the remote control on page 8).

5 / (soft keys)

Press to go to the previous/next Home menu screen.

6 AMPLIFIER

Press to go to the amplifier main menu (see Amplifier menu screens below).

7 SYSTEM OFF (page 66) Press to switch off all Pioneer components in your system, or any other component you have also programmed to switch off using the System Off function.

8 MULTI OPERATION (page 66) Use this button to perform multi operations.

Amplifier menu screens

There are three amplifier menu screens, which can be navigated by using the touch panel / (cursor left/ right) soft keys.

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

ADVANCED

CONCERT

1 SIGNAL SELECT (page 44)

Press to select the type of input signal for the current source (DVD, DVR/VCR1, etc.), and also to select the number of input channels for the USB and analog multichannel inputs.

2 LISTENING MODE selector (page 39) Use to select a listening mode.

3 Press to return to the main Home menu (see Home menu screens above).

4 / (soft keys)

Press to go to the previous/next amplifier menu screen.

5 STREAM DIRECT (page 43) Press to select a Stream Direct mode.

6 ACOUSTIC CAL. (page 44) Press to select an acoustic calibration EQ setting.

Press to go to the previous screen (or set of screens).

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

2/3

CONT

OPTION

+–

CH LEVEL

+–

8 MIDNIGHT (page 48) Press to switch on/off Midnight listening.

9 TONE (page 48) Press to switch the tone controls on/off.

10 OPTION (–/+)

Press OPTION repeatedly to select an option menu item, then use –/+ to adjust the settings.

11 CH LEVEL (+/–) (page 54) Press CH LEVEL repeatedly to select a channel, then use

–/+ to adjust the level.

12 TV CONT

Press to access the TV control menu (see TV control menu screens below).

13 DIGITAL NR

Press to switch digital noise reduction on/off (see Reducing noise during playback on page 49).

Page 32

Controls and displays

14 LOUDNESS (page 48) Press to switch Loudness on/off.

3/3

CONT

SB CH

MODE

INPUT

AT T

DISPLAY DIMMER

STATUS

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

15 INPUT (page 37) Press repeatedly to cycle through all possible input sources.

16 SPEAKER A/B (page 75) Press repeatedly to select speaker system A,B, A/B or off (in that order). (See Caution on page 75 for exceptions to this).

17 VIDEO SELECT (page 70) Press repeatedly to select the video source.

18 TAPE 2 MONITOR (page 69) Press to monitor recordings on the device connected to the TAPE 2 MONITOR inputs/outputs as they are being made.

19 SB CH MODE (page 46) Use to select the surround/virtual back channel mode.

20 INPUT ATT (page 70) Press to switch the input attenuator on/off.

21 DISPLAY DIMMER (page 72) Use to adjust the brightness of the front panel display.

22 STATUS (page 73) Press to check selected amplifier settings.

TV control menu screens

SCREEN

SIZE

RETURN

1/3

CLR

•

8 9

TV CONTROL

123

456

789

INPUT

ENTER

4 5

1 TV

Press to switch TV power on/off.

2 Number buttons

Use to select a channel directly.

3 INPUT

Use to select the audio/video input source.

4 Press to return to the main Home menu (see Home menu screens above).

5 / (soft keys)

Press to go to the previous/next TV control menu screen.

6 SCREEN SIZE

Use to select the screen size on your TV.

7 CLR

Press to clear an entry.

8 CH ENTER

Use to enter channel selections directly.

CH RETURN

Press to return to the channel last selected.

Press to go to the previous screen (or set of screens).

Remote control displays for other components

The functions on these screens are available once you’ve programmed the remote to control the appropriate component (for example, your TV or DVD player). See Using the remote control with other components on page 61 for more on this. These screens work in tandem with the remote control hard keys (see Remote control above).

Page 33

Controls and displays

TV CONTROL

10 MPX

Press to mute/restore the sound.

DISPLAY

Press to change the display.

SPLIT

Press to split the screen.

SELECT

Press to select one of the split screens.

P in P

Use for picture-in-picture.

SWAP

Press to swap small and large pictures with P in P.

11 IN1 / IN2 / IN3 / IN4

Press to select a TV input.

MPX DISPLAY

SPLIT

P in P

IN 1 IN 2 IN 3 IN 4

TV CONTROL

ANT

selection

BLU GRN RED

SLEEP

2/3

SELECT

SWAP

3/3

FREEZE

YEL

RETURN

15 SLEEP

Press to set the TV sleep timer.

16 FREEZE

Press to freeze the picture when using a plasma display.

17 RETURN

Press to return to the main menu.

Operating menus for additional components

The example below shows the DVD menu screen.

DVD 1/2

DVD

CONT

AUDIO SUBTITLE

DISPLAY TOP MENU

1 DVD

Press to switch DVD power on/off.

2 Playback buttons

 /  (backward/forward scan)

Press and hold for fast backward/forward scanning

 (play)

Press to start or resume playback.

 /  (backward/forward skip)

Press  to jump back to the beginning of the current chapter or track, then to previous chapters. Press  to jump to the next chapter or track.

 (stop)

Press to stop the disc (you can resume playback by pressing  (play)).

 (pause)

Press to pause playback. Press again to restart.

12 ANT

Use to select the type of antenna you’ve connected to your TV.

13 AV selection

Press to select the programmed picture quality mode.

14 BLU / GRN / RED / YEL

Use to make selections from a TV or other menu.

Page 34

Controls and displays

3 AUDIO

Press to select the audio channel or language.

SUBTITLE

Press to select a subtitle display.

DISPLAY

Press to display/change disc information shown onscreen.

TOP MENU

Press to display the top menu of a DVD disc.

4 Press to return to the main Home menu (see Home menu screens above).

5 / (soft keys)

Press to go to the previous/next TV control menu screen.

6 TV CONT

Press to access the TV control menu (see TV control menu screens above).

Press to go to the amplifier main menu (see Amplifier menu screens above).

DVD

123

456

2/2

CONT

CLR

+1 0

7890

8 Number buttons

Use to directly access tracks, chapters and titles.

9 SEARCH MODE

Use to access the search mode (to jump to a particular part of the disc).

10 CLR

Press to clear an entry.

11 RETURN

Press to return to a previous menu screen.

MODE

RETURN

Page 35

Getting started

Chapter 4

Getting started

Introduction to home theater

You are probably used to using stereo equipment to listen to music, but may not be used to home theater systems that give you many more options (such as surround sound) when listening to soundtracks.

Home theater refers to the use of multiple audio tracks to create a surround sound effect, making you feel like you're in the middle of the action or concert. The surround sound you get from a home theater system depends not only on the speakers you have set up in your room, but also on the source and the sound settings of the amplifier.

DVD-Video has become the basic source material for home theater due to its size, quality, and ease of use. The true multichannel audio possible using DVD is what creates a convincing surround sound effect and gives you the feeling of ‘being there’.

Follow the steps in Automatically setting up for surround sound below to achieve the best possible surround sound by calibrating this amplifier to your listening area.

Automatically setting up for surround sound

The Auto Surround Setup measures the acoustic characteristics of your listening area, taking into account ambient noise, speaker size and distance, and tests for both channel delay and channel level. After you have set up the microphone provided with your system, the amplifier uses the information from a series of test tones to optimize the speaker settings and equalization for your particular room.

Make sure you do this before moving on to Playing a source on page 37.

Important

• Make sure the microphone and speakers are not moved during the Auto Surround Setup.

• Using the Auto Surround Setup will overwrite any existing speaker settings in the amplifier.

• After three minutes of inactivity during the Auto Surround Setup, the OSD will go to sleep until a button is pressed.

1 Switch on the amplifier and your TV.

If headphones are connected to the amplifier, disconnect them.

2 Connect the microphone to the SETUP MIC jack on the front panel.

Make sure there are no obstacles between the speakers and the microphone.

SB CH

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

TAPE2

STREAM

MONITOR

DIRECT

CH LEVEL

MODE

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

SETUP

DIGITAL IN

MIC

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

If you have a tripod, use it to place the microphone so that it’s about ear level at your normal listening position. Otherwise, place the microphone at ear level using a table or a chair.

3 Using the remote control, press AMPLIFIER on the touch screen, then press the SYSTEM SETUP button.

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

ENTER

AV AMPLIFIER

1/3

AMPLIFIER

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD

/ LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

CHANNEL VOLUME

MENU MUTE

SYSTEM

SETUP

An on-screen display (OSD) appears on your TV. Use the /// hard keys and ENTER on the remote control to navigate through the screens and select menu items.

• The / (cursor up/down) hard keys select menu items and the / (cursor left/right) hard keys change the setting of the item selected.

Caution

• The test tones used in the Auto Surround Setup are output at high volume.

Page 36

Getting started

4 ‘Auto Surround Setup’ should be highlighted. Press ENTER.

System Setup

[ Auto Surround Setup ]

[1. Input Assign] [2. Surround Setup] [3. Expert Setup] [4. THX Audio Setup]

[Exit]

5 Specify how you are using your speaker system. Highlight ‘Go Next’ then press ENTER.

If you are using a normal surround setup, or if you’re not sure, leave the settings at their default:

• Speaker System Select – Normal Surround

• SP-B (speaker system B) – Second Zone

• X-Curve – ON

For settings other than the default, see Speaker Systems on page 52.

Auto Surround Setup

Speaker System Select [ Normal Surround ]

SP–B [Second Zone]

X–Curve [ ON ]

[Go Next] [Return]

6 Follow the instructions on-screen.

Auto Surround Setup

•Connect microphone

•Please be quiet

•Move obstacles away

•If you have a subwoofer

turn power on and turn volume up

[Start] [Cancel]

• Make sure the microphone is connected.

• If you’re using a subwoofer, switch it on and turn up the volume.

• See below for notes regarding high background noise levels and other possible interference.

7 Make sure ‘Start’ is selected, then press ENTER.

A progress report is displayed on-screen while the amplifier outputs test tones to determine the speakers present in your setup. Try to be as quiet as possible while it’s doing this.

• Do not to turn down the volume during the test tones. This may result in incorrect speaker settings.

8 Confirm the speaker configuration in the OSD.

The configuration shown on-screen should reflect the actual speakers you have.

Check!! FRONT [ YES ] CENTER [ YES ] SURROUND [ YES ] SURR BACK [ YES

SUB WOOFER

[OK,Go Next] [Retry] [ERR Fix SP.] [Return to Menu]

[ YES ]

If the speaker configuration displayed isn’t correct, use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to select Retry, then press ENTER. Follow the instructions from step 6.

If the configuration is incorrect and you want to input the settings manually, select ERRFix SP then press ENTER. Use / (cursor up/down) to select the speaker then / (cursor left/right) to specify the size (and number for surround back). When you’re finished, go to the next step.

If you see an ERR message in the right side column, there may be a problem with the speaker connection. If selecting Retry (above) doesn’t fix the problem, turn off the power and check the speaker connections.

9 Make sure ‘OK, Go Next’ is selected, then press ENTER.

A progress report is displayed on-screen while the amplifier outputs more test tones to determine the optimum amplifier settings for channel level, speaker distance, and acoustic calibration EQ.

Auto Surround Setup

Please Wait

Caution!! Test tone is output loudly. [Cancel]

Auto Surround Setup

Now Analyzing

Surround Analysis Speaker Systems [OK] Speaker Distance [OK] Channel Level [OK] Acoustic Cal EQ [OK]

[Cancel]

•••

Again, try to be as quiet as possible while this is happening. It may take up to 6 minutes.

Auto Surround Setup

Please Wait

Caution!! Test tone is output loudly. [Cancel]

Auto Surround Setup

Now Analyzing

Environment Check Ambient Noise [OK] Microphone [OK] Speaker Level [OK]

[Cancel]

•••

Page 37

Getting started

10 The Auto Surround Setup has finished! Press SYSTEM SETUP to exit the System Setup menu.

Auto Surround Setup

! ! Complete ! !

[Data Copy] [Check]

[Return]

The settings made in the Auto Surround Setup should give you excellent surround sound from your system, but it is also possible to adjust these settings manually using the Surround Setup menu (starting on page 51).

If you plan to go on and make advanced settings at this point, you can select Data Copy to start customizing your surround sound settings. See Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 55 for more on this.

You can also choose to view all the settings by selecting Check. See Checking your surround settings on page 60 for more on this.

If you selected Return, you can select Exit to leave the System Setup menu screen.

Note

• If you select Cancel at any time during the Auto Surround Setup, the amplifier automatically exits and no settings will be made.

• Remember to disconnect the microphone after you’ve finished the Auto Surround Setup.

• Check that your DVD player/satellite amplifier is set to output Dolby Digital, DTS and 88.2/96kHz PCM (2 channel) audio.

If there is an option for MPEG audio, set this to convert the MPEG audio to PCM.

If you connected the multichannel analog outputs of the player to this amplifier, make sure that the player is set to output multichannel analog audio.

Note

• Depending on your DVD player or source discs you may only be able to output analog and stereo digital audio. In this case you need to change the listening mode to SURROUND if you want multichannel surround sound.

Playing a source

Here are the basic instructions for playing a source (such as a DVD disc) with your home theater system.

1 Turn on the power of the playback component (for example a DVD player), your TV and subwoofer (if you have one).

• If your source is the TV’s built-in tuner, then switch to the channel you want to watch, otherwise make sure that the TV’s video input is set to this amplifier. (For example, if you connected this amplifier to the VIDEO 1 jacks on your TV, make sure that VIDEO 1 input is now selected.)

2 If the amplifier isn’t already on, press  AMPLIFIER to switch it on.

Other problems when using the Auto Surround Setup

If the room environment is not optimal for the Auto Surround Setup (too much background noise, echo off the walls, obstacles blocking the speakers from the microphone) the final settings may be incorrect. Check for household appliances (air conditioner, fridge, fan, etc.), that may be affecting the environment and switch them off if necessary.

Some older TVs may interfere with the operation of the microphone. If this seems to be happening, switch off the TV when doing the Auto Surround Setup.

Checking the settings on your DVD (or other) player

Before continuing, you may want to check the digital audio output settings on your DVD player and digital satellite amplifier.

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD / LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

Page 38

Getting started

3 Change the amplifier input to the source you want to play.

You can use the front panel INPUT SELECTOR knob or the dedicated INPUT buttons on the remote control touch screen Home menu (see Basic remote control displays on page 30 if your unsure how to do this).

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD

/ LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

4 Start playback of the DVD (or other component).

If you’re playing a Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound DVD disc, you should hear surround sound. If you are playing a stereo source, you will only hear sound from the front left/right speakers in the default listening mode.

• See also Listening to your system on page 39 for

more information on different ways of listening to sources.

5 Use the MASTER VOLUME control (front panel or remote) to adjust the volume level.

• Turn down the volume of your TV so that all the sound is coming from the speakers connected to this amplifier.

Note

• If you need to manually switch the input signal type from digital to analog (stereo or multichannel), press SIGNAL SELECT on the front panel or from the remote control amplifier menu (see also Using other functions on page 69).

• For more detailed surround sound setup, see The Surround Setup menu on page 51.

• With WMA9 Pro, sound problems may occur depending on your computer system. WMA9 Pro 7.1 channel 96kHz sources will be downsampled to 5.1 channel 48kHz. If sound problems occur please connect using the USB interface (see Using the USB interface on page 80).

Page 39

Listening to your system

Chapter 5

Listening to your system

About the listening modes

Using this amplifier you can enjoy listening to sources, analog or digital, in either stereo or surround sound. However, the listening mode options and the current active mode may change depending on your speaker setup and the type of source you’re listening to.

Note

• The remote control operations in this section are accessed from the various amplifier menus (for a more detailed explanation, see Amplifier menu screens on page 31). To go to the amplifier menu,

press from the remote control Home menu () and use the / (cursor left/right) soft keys to

go to the previous/next screen.

• You can’t select listening modes when the Stream Direct mode (see page 43) is switched on.

• With the WMA9 Pro format, 2-channel sources can only be heard in stereo.

Listening in surround sound

Using this amplifier, you can listen to any source in surround sound. However, the options available will depend on your speaker setup and the type of source you’re listening to.

If you connected surround back speakers, see also Using the surround back channel on page 46.

See also Using the Advanced surround effects and Using the Home THX modes below for further stereo and surround playback options.

AMPLIFIER

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD / LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL

SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

ADVANCED

CONCERT

Tip

• In the steps below, you can also use the front panel LISTENING MODE SELECTOR dial instead of the remote control to select listening modes. Simply turn the dial to cycle through the available options, pressing forward to select a mode.

• While listening to a source, press STANDARD for surround sound playback.

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

ADVANCED

CONCERT

With multichannel sources (such as DVDs and digital satellite broadcasts), the 2 DIGITAL or DTS indicator on the front panel lights depending on the source format. Any active Advanced surround or Home THX mode is canceled.

With two channel sources, press STANDARD repeatedly to select from:

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – Up to 7.1 channel sound, especially suited to movie sources

5CH MOVIE+VSB is displayed when the VSB MODE is switched on

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC – Up to 7.1 channel sound, especially suited to music sources

5CH MUSIC+VSB is displayed when the VSB MODE is switched on

• 2 PRO LOGIC – 4.1 channel surround sound with sound from the surround speakers in mono

5CH SURR+VSB is displayed when the VSB MODE is switched on

7 CH SURROUND is displayed when the SB CH MODE is switched on

• NEO:6 CINEMA – 6.1 channel sound, especially suited to movie sources

• NEO:6 MUSIC – 6.1 channel sound, especially suited to music sources

Page 40

Listening to your system

With multichannel sources, if you have connected surround back speaker(s) and have selected SB CH MODE

ON, you can press STANDARD repeatedly to select:

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – See above

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC – See above

• SX (Studio extension) – Adds surround back channel sound (taken from the left/right surround output) to

5.1 channel sources

• EX (Extension decode) – Creates surround back channel sound for 5.1 channel sources and provides pure decoding for 6.1 channel sources (like Dolby Digital Surround EX and DTS-ES)

Note

• If the SB CH MODE is switched to OFF, or the surround back speakers are set to NO, 2 Pro Logic IIx (above) becomes 2 Pro Logic II (5.1 channel sound).

• In modes that give 6.1 channel sound, the same signal is heard from both surround back speakers.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx Music settings

When listening in Dolby Pro Logic IIx Music mode, there are three further parameters you can adjust: Center Width, Dimension, and Panorama.

1 With ‘2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC’ mode active, press OPTION repeatedly to select CENTER WIDTH, DIMENSION or PANORAMA.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

SETUP

MIC

DIGITAL IN

2/3

CONT

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

MODE

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

CH LEVEL

STREAM

DIRECT

• CENTER WIDTH – Provides a better blend of the front speakers by spreading the center channel between the front right and left speakers, making it sound wider (higher settings) or narrower (lower settings). (This is applicable only when using a center speaker.)

• DIMENSION – Adjusts the depth of the surround sound balance from front to back, making the sound more distant (minus settings), or more forward (positive settings).

• PANORAMA – Extends the front stereo image to include the surround speakers for a ‘wraparound’ effect.

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to adjust the setting.

Center Width is adjustable between 0 and 7 (default : 3); Dimension between –3 and +3 (default : 0); Panorama is

On or Off (default : Off).

3 Press OPTION again to adjust other settings.

Note

• If the SB CH MODE is switched to OFF, 2 Pro Logic IIx (above) becomes 2 Pro Logic II (5.1 channel

sound), however the above setting will still be effective.

Neo:6 Music settings

When listening in Neo:6 Music mode, you can adjust the center image to create a wider stereo effect with vocals.

1 With NEO:6 MUSIC mode active, press OPTION repeatedly to select CENTER IMAGE.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

SETUP

MIC

CONT

DIGITAL IN

2/3

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

MODE

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

CH LEVEL

STREAM DIRECT

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to adjust the setting.

Adjust the effect from 0 (no effect) to 10 (most prominence given to the center channel). The default setting is 3.

Page 41

Listening to your system

Using the Advanced surround effects

The Advanced surround effects can be used for a variety of additional surround sound effects. The Advanced Cinema modes are designed to be used with movies, and the Advanced Concert modes are for music.

• Press ADVANCED CINEMA or ADVANCED CONCERT to select a listening mode.

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL

SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

Press ADVANCED CINEMA repeatedly to select from:

• ACTION – Designed for action movies with dynamic soundtracks

• SCI-FI – Designed for science fiction with lots of special effects

• DRAMA – Designed for movies with lots of dialog

• MUSICAL – Creates a concert hall-type sound for musicals

• MONOFILM – Creates surround sound from mono soundtracks

• 5/7-D THEATER – Creates an extra wide stereo field

Press ADVANCED CONCERT repeatedly to select from:

• CLASSICAL – Gives a large concert hall-type sound

• CHAMBER – Creates a space with alot of reverb

• JAZZ – Creates the sound of a small jazz club

• ROCK – Creates a live concert sound for rock music

• DANCE – Designed for music with lots of bass

• 5/7CH STEREO – Allows you to hear stereo sources from all the speakers in your setup

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

ADVANCED

CONCERT

Adjusting the Advanced Surround effect level

You can emphasize or reduce the effect of the Advanced Surround modes as you like. For each Advanced Surround mode you can set the effect level independently.

1 With one of the Advanced surround modes active, press OPTION repeatedly until EFFECT shows in the front panel display.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

CH LEVEL

SETUP

MIC

CONT

DIGITAL IN

2/3

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

MODE

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

STREAM DIRECT

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to adjust the effect level.

The effect level can be adjusted from 10 (min) to 90 (max).

Using the Home THX modes

THX and Home THX are technical standards created by Lucasfilm Ltd. for cinema and home theater sound. Home THX is designed to make home theater audio sound more like what you hear in a cinema. See About THX® on page 101 for more on this.

Different THX options will be available depending on the source and the SB CH mode setting (see Using the surround back channel on page 46 for more on this).

• Press THX to select a THX listening mode.

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

ADVANCED

CONCERT

Page 42

Listening to your system

With two channel sources, press THX repeatedly to select a matrix-decoding process for the THX CINEMA mode (see Listening in surround sound above for an explanation of each process):

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE

• 2 PRO LOGIC

• NEO:6 CINEMA

With multichannel sources, press THX repeatedly to select from:

• THX CINEMA – Gives you cinema-quality sound from your home theatre system using all the speakers in your setup

• THX SURROUND EX – Allows you to hear 6.1 or 7.1 channel playback with 5.1 channel sources

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – Allows you to hear 7.1 channel playback with 5.1 channel sources (especially suited to movie sources)

• THX ULTRA2 CINEMA – Allows you to hear 7.1 channel playback with 5.1 channel sources

• THX MUSICMODE – Allows you to hear 7.1 channel playback with DVD-A and SACD multichannel music sources

Note

• If you only have one surround back speaker connected, THX ULTRA2 CINEMA and THX MUSICMODE are not available.

• When selecting the Dolby Pro Logic modes above, the display shows the mode you selected, then after a few seconds, shows THX CINEMA.

• You won’t be able to use the THX options when playing two-channel DVD-A and SACD sources.

• With multichannel DVD-A and SACD sources, you can only select THX MUSICMODE.

Listening in stereo

You can hear any source through just the front left and right speakers (and possibly your subwoofer depending on your speaker settings).

• While listening to a source, press STEREO for stereo playback.

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

ADVANCED

CONCERT

STEREO shows in the front panel display. Any active Advanced surround or Home THX mode is canceled. Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel sources are downmixed to stereo.

Listening with headphones

When headphones are connected, only the STEREO (default) and PHONES SURROUND modes are available. PHONES SURROUND is a virtual surround sound experience for headphones which provides realistic and dynamic surround sound.

When you connect a pair of headphones, the listening mode automatically changes to STEREO or PHONES SURROUND. When you disconnect them it reverts to the previous mode.

• With headphones connected, press STANDARD to select PHONES SURROUND, or STEREO for stereo sound. You can also turn the front panel LISTENING MODE SELECTOR dial to select either STEREO or PHONES SURROUND.

Note

• Many features of this amplifier are not accessible when the headphones are connected.

• If the U-shaped connectors (on the rear panel) aren’t in place, you won’t be able to use the headphones.

• When headphones are connected, no sound is heard from the speakers.

• If you’re listening to a WMA9 Pro format source, only STEREO is available.

Page 43

Listening to your system

Using the multichannel analog inputs

If you’ve connected to the multichannel inputs on the rear panel (see Connecting the multichannel analog outputs on page 16), you will be able to select them as your input source. See Using the Stream Direct mode below if you want to bypass the signal processing in this amplifier for a pure analog signal.

1 Press MULTI CH INPUT on the remote control Home menu ( ) screen.

2 If you want to change the Stream Direct mode, press OPTION repeatedly to select Stream Direct (appears on the front panel as SD:1, 2 or 3) then use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to adjust the setting.

You can also use the front panel INPUT SELECTOR dial.

HOME

AMPLIFIER

VCR2

VIDEO

CONT

2/3

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 213

CD-R

VCR3

/ TAPE1

MULTI CH

INPUT

SYSTEM

MULTI

OPERATION

OFF

SETUP

2 If necessary, press SIGNAL SELECT to choose the number of channels you’ll hear.

See Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels on page 45 for more on this.

Note

• The number of channels you hear will depend on the

source and the SB CH mode setting (see Using the surround back channel on page 46 for more on this).

Using the Stream Direct mode

• Default setting: SD:1 NORMAL (on)

Use the Stream Direct mode when you want to hear the truest possible reproduction of a source. All unnecessary signal processing is bypassed, and you’re left with the pure analog or digital sound source.

1 While listening to a source, press STREAM DIRECT to switch on or off.

Check the digital format indicators in the front panel display to see how the source is being processed.

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL

SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

ADVANCED

CONCERT

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

TAPE2

STREAM

SETUP

DIRECT

DIGITAL IN

MIC

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

MODE

AUDIOLR

SB CH

• SD:1 NORMAL – Analog and digital sources are heard according to the settings made in the Surround Setup (speaker setting, channel level, speaker distance, acoustic calibration EQ, and Xcurve), as well as with dual mono, the input attenuator, and any sound delay and hi-bit/hisampling settings. You will hear sources according to the number of channels in the signal.

• SD:2 2CHDIRECT – Use this setting for stereo analog and digital sources. All processing unnecessary for 2-channel signals is bypassed (such as speaker distance and acoustic calibration EQ) and you will hear the source through the shortest possible signal path. All sound will be heard through the front left and right speakers only (no subwoofer output is heard). With multichannel sources, playback is the same as the NORMAL setting (above).

• SD:3 ANADIRECT – All analog sources are heard without any digital processing. All processing is done through the analog circuitry and the center channel, if present, will be sent to the front right and left speakers (the channel level is adjusted automatically). With digital sources, playback is the same as the NORMAL setting (above).

Note

• You can’t use Digital NR, Midnight/Loudness listening, the SB CH mode, the tone control, or any of the listening modes when Stream Direct is on.

• If you connect the headphones when SD:3 ANADIRECT is selected, only the front left and right channels will be heard with multichannel sources.

• Stereo formats with surround sound information (such as Dolby Surround) are treated the same as multichannel sources.

• When the speaker impedance is set to 4Ω in Switching the speaker impedance on page 72, or when the Digital Safety is switched on (see Troubleshooting section on Power on page 92), the setting is fixed at SD:1 NORMAL.

Page 44

Listening to your system

Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ

You can listen to sources using the Acoustic Calibration Equalization set in Automatically setting up for surround sound on page 35 or Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 55. Refer to these pages for more on acoustic calibration equalization.

• While listening to a source, press ACOUSTIC CAL. to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ setting.

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

TAPE2

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

ADVANCED

CONCERT

SB CH

CH LEVEL

SELECT

STREAM

SETUP

DIRECT

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

MODE

AUDIOLR

Press repeatedly to select between:

• ALL CH ADJ – No special weighting is given to any one channel.

• FRONT CH ALIGN – All speakers are heard in accordance with the front speaker settings.

• CUSTOM 1/2 – Custom settings

• OFF – Switches Acoustic Calibration EQ off.

Selecting the input signal type

Most of the audio inputs have both analog and digital jacks. You can select the type of signal to be used in each case.

The input signal type for the current input is indicated in the display. With digital signals, the signal type (Dolby Digital or DTS) also shows in the display.

The default AUTO setting is usually sufficient, letting the amplifier decide the most suitable signal type. However, if you want to record from the DVR/VCR1 IN/OUT jacks, then you should set the input signal type to analog.

If you have selected the USB interface or the multichannel analog inputs as your input source, see Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels below.

• Press SIGNAL SELECT to select the type of input signal for the current source.

With the remote, you may need to press on the

AMPLIFIER

Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/ right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

AMPLIFIER 1/3

AMPLIFIER

SIGNAL SELECT

LISTENING

MODE

STANDARD THX

ADVANCED

CINEMA

TAPE2

STREAM

DIRECT

ACOUSTIC

CAL.

STEREO

ADVANCED

CONCERT

SB CH

CH LEVEL

SELECT

STREAM

SETUP

DIRECT

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

MODE

AUDIOLR

Press repeatedly to choose between:

• ANALOG – Selects an analog signal.

• – Selects an i.LINK signal.

• DIGITAL – Selects an optical or coaxial digital signal.

• 2 RF – Selects a 2 RF signal.

• AUTO – This is the default setting. The amplifier selects the first available signal in the following

order: ; 2 RF; DIGITAL; ANALOG.

Note

• If no digital inputs (including the 2 RF input) are assigned for the current source, the input signal type will default to ANALOG.

• When using DIGITAL IN terminals the following digital signal formats are supported: Dolby Digital, DTS and PCM (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96 kHz sampling frequencies). If you are using the i.LINK connectors, DVD-A (including 176.4/192 kHz) and SACD are also supported. If your source is not supported, select ANALOG.

• Some DVD players don’t output DTS signals. For more details, refer to the instruction manual supplied with your DVD player.

• Even when i.LINK is selected and the i.LINK indicator lights, you won’t hear any sound if the output settings of your i.LINK device are off.

• The audio signal from karaoke microphones and some LDs is not output from the digital outputs. Select ANALOG to listen to these formats.

Page 45

Listening to your system

• If you want to play DTS-encoded sources, you need to have digital connections. If ANALOG is selected, you’ll hear digital noise through your speakers.

• Make sure you connect your DVD/LD or LD players using the 2 RF jack. If your player has a 2 RF output this will ensure you can use all LDs. Refer to Connecting other video sources on page 19.

• The input signal for unassigned i.LINK-equipped components is fixed to . See Assigning the i.LINK

inputs on page 84.

• Select the STEREO or STANDARD listening mode and switch off any other sound processing features.

These features include:

Note that you’ll still be able to use the tone control (see Using the tone control on page 48).

Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels

When you’ve selected the USB interface or the multichannel analog inputs as your input source, the SIGNAL SELECT button is used to specify the number of input channels.

• After selecting USB or MULTI CH IN as your input source, press SIGNAL SELECT to choose the number of input channels.

Select one of the following options:

• 2 CHANNEL

• 6 CHANNEL

• 7 CHANNEL

• 8 CHANNEL

The 8 CHANNEL setting is the default.

• Real Phantom (page 47)

• Virtual Surround Back (page 47)

• Midnight/Loudness (page 48)

• Digital Noise Reduction (page 49)

• Dynamic Range Control (page 87)

Note

• You will see the sampling frequency in the display (with DTS 96kHz (24-bit) sources, 96 is only displayed when the signal is being processed at 96kHz).

• Even if your DVD player can’t output 96kHz (24-bit) digital signals, you can still listen to DTS 96/24 sources processed at 96kHz if it has a DTS output feature. Other formats (such as PCM192/96kHz sources) are not compatible unless the digital output of your DVD player supports high-sampling digital signals.

Listening to high-sampling formats

This amplifier supports 88.2/96kHz (24-bit) digital formats (such as DTS 96/24 and PCM 96kHz sources up to 24-bit) when connected to a compatible DVD player with digital connections. If you have connected this amplifier to an i.LINK-equipped component, 176.4/192kHz (24-bit) digital formats (such as DVD-A and SACDs) are also supported. You can listen to these formats without downsampling in one of three ways:

• Switch the Stream Direct mode on.

See Using the Stream Direct mode on page 43. For the following options, the 2 Pro Logic modes cannot

be selected for DTS 96kHz (24-bit) sources without downsampling:

• Select one of the Home THX modes.

See Using the Home THX modes on page 41.

Page 46

Listening to your system

Using the surround back channel

• Default setting: SB CH ON

You can have the amplifier automatically use 6.1 or 7.1 decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (for example, Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES), or you can choose to always use

6.1 or 7.1 decoding with other sources (for example, 5.1 encoded material). With 5.1 encoded sources, a surround back channel will be generated, but the

Type of source

Dolby Digital EX/DTS-ES encoded multichannel source with 6.1ch surround

Dolby Digital/DTS encoded multichannel source

Dolby Digital/DTS encoded stereo source; other digital stereo source

Analog 2-channel (stereo) source

• Press SB CH MODE repeatedly to cycle through the surround back channel options.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

TAPE2

STREAM

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

SETUP

DIRECT

MIC

Each press changes the setting as follows (see the table above for an explanation of each):

• SB CH AUTO – Automatically switches to 6.1 or 7.1 decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (for example, Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES)

• SB CH ON – 6.1 or 7.1 encoding is always used (for example, on 5.1 encoded material)

SB CH mode

Multichannel

sources

ON 

AUTO 

ON 

AUTO



ON 

AUTO 

ON 

AUTO 

3/3

CONT

SB CH MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY

DIMMER

STATUS

SB CH

CH LEVEL

MODE

AUDIOLR

DIGITAL IN

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

material may sound better in the 5.1 format for which it was originally encoded, in which case you can simply switch the surround back channel off. The table below indicates when you will hear the surround back channel when playing various kinds of sources. (

=Sound plays

through surround back channel speaker(s); SURROUND shows in the display; = Home THX is

selected and two surround back speakers are connected)

Standard / THX

Stereo sources

NEO:6





2 Pro Logic

II x

2 Pro Logic









• SB CH OFF – Surround back channel is switched off

Note

• You will only hear the surround back channel when you’ve selected SPA as the speaker setting (see Switching the speaker system on page 75). Changing the speaker system may automatically change this setting (see notes below).

• If the surround back speaker is set to NO in Speaker Systems on page 52, or you have selected SPA+B as the speaker setting, you can only use the virtual surround back effect (see next page).

• You can’t select the surround back channel setting (it is automatically switched off) when you’ve selected SPB as the speaker setting or when Bi-Surround is selected in Speaker Systems on page 52.

• You can’t use the surround back channel setting when Stream Direct is on or when the STEREO mode is selected.

• When the THX mode is selected, you can’t select SB CH OFF if you’re listening to DVD-Audio or SACD.

= 7 CH

Advanced

surround



Page 47

Listening to your system

Listening with virtual surround back speakers

• Default setting: VIRTUAL SB OFF

If you don’t have real surround back speakers connected, you can use the Virtual Surround Back feature to simulate one.

Sometimes the material may sound better in the 5.1 format for which it was originally encoded. In this case you can have the amplifier only apply this effect to 6.1

Creating a center speaker effect

If you don’t have a center speaker connected, the center speaker channel is mixed to your two front speakers. However, using the Real Phantom setting, you can create a center speaker effect for an effective front surround effect.

1 Press OPTION repeatedly to select R.PHANTOM.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

encoded sources like Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES (VSB AUTO), or you can simply switch it off (VSB OFF).

Note that this feature only works when the surround channels are active and the surround back speaker is set to NO in Speaker Systems on page 52. It is also available when the speaker system has been set to SPAB (see Switching the speaker system on page 75).

See also Using the surround back channel above.

• Press SB CH MODE repeatedly to cycle through the virtual surround back channel options.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

SETUP

MIC

3/3

CONT

SB CH

MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY DIMMER

STATUS

DIGITAL IN

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to change the setting.

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

STREAM

DIRECT

Each press cycles through the options as follows:

• VSB AUTO

• VSB ON

• VSB OFF

AMPLIFIER

2/3

CONT

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

MODE

SETUP

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

OPTION

CH LEVEL

STREAM DIRECT

• Mid – A subtle center speaker effect is applied to the front left and right channels.

• Max – A strong center speaker effect is applied to the front left and right channels.

• OFF – The center speaker effect is switched off.

Note

• Real Phantom is automatically switched off and R.PHANTOM won’t appear in the display (in step 1) if Stream Direct or the STEREO listening mode is switched on. The center speaker must also be set to NO in Speaker Systems on page 52.

Note

• You can’t select the virtual surround back setting when you’ve selected SPB as the speaker setting (see Caution on page 75) or when Bi-Surround is selected in Speaker Systems on page 52.

• You can’t use the virtual surround back setting when Stream Direct is on or when STEREO, or one of the THX modes is selected.

Page 48

Listening to your system

Using Hi-bit and Hi-sampling

You can use both Hi-bit and Hi-sampling to create a wider dynamic range with digital sources like CDs or DVDs.

1 Press OPTION repeatedly to select HI-BIT or HISAMPLING.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

SETUP

MIC

DIGITAL IN

2/3

CONT

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

MODE

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

CH LEVEL

STREAM

DIRECT

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to switch the selected mode on or off.

Note

• Hi-bit and Hi-sampling may not work with Stream Direct or analog sources.

• You can’t use Hi-bit with SACD or sources over

88.2kHz when using one of the digital inputs (including i.LINK).

Using Midnight and Loudness listening

• Default setting: Off

The Midnight listening feature allows you to hear effective surround sound of movies at low volume levels.

The Loudness feature is useful for listening to music sources at low volumes.

• Press MIDNIGHT or LOUDNESS to switch the effect on or off.

The remote menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

SETUP

MIC

CONT

DIGITAL IN

2/3

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

MODE

AUDIOLR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

CH LEVEL

TAPE2

STREAM DIRECT

Note

• You can’t use the Midnight and Loudness modes at the same time.

• You can’t use either of these modes when using the tone controls, or Stream Direct or the Home THX modes.

• Midnight and Loudness automatically adjust according to the volume at which you’re listening. However, the volume must be under -20dB for these features to take effect.

Using the tone control

You can use the tone control to make customized settings for the bass and treble.

Switching the tone control on or off

• Default setting: BYPASS

You’ll need to switch the tone control on to adjust the bass and treble below.

Page 49

Listening to your system

• Press TONE to switch the tone control on or off.

When the tone control is switched off, BYPASS shows in the display. The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

SETUP

MIC

CONT

DIGITAL IN

2/3

+–

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

CH LEVEL

STREAM

DIRECT

Note

• You can’t use the tone control with Stream Direct, Midnight, Loudness, or any of the Home THX modes.

Adjusting the bass and treble

• Default setting: Bass: 0, Treble: 0

You can adjust the bass and treble controls separately to adjust the overall tone.

1 Press OPTION repeatedly to select BASS or TREBLE.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

2/3

CONT

+–

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

CH LEVEL

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to adjust the sound. The bass and treble can be adjusted from –6 to +6.

3 Press ENTER to confirm.

Reducing noise during playback

If you have a noisy source (for example, cassette or video tape with lots of background noise), you may be able to improve the quality of the sound by switching on digital noise reduction (DIGITAL NR).

• Press the DIGITAL NR button to switch digital noise reduction on or off.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

OPTION

CH LEVEL

SETUP

MIC

CONT

DIGITAL IN

2/3

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

MODE

AUDIOLR

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

TAPE2

A/B

SELECT

STREAM

SELECT

MONITOR

DIRECT

Note

• Depending on the source, there may not be a noticeable improvement in the quality of the sound.

• You can’t use digital noise reduction with Stream Direct or the Home THX modes.

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

CH LEVEL

STREAM

SETUP

DIRECT

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

Page 50

Listening to your system

Listening to dual mono soundtracks

You can specify how dual mono encoded Dolby Digital soundtracks should be played. Dual mono is not widely used, but is sometimes necessary when two languages need to be sent to separate channels.

1 Press OPTION repeatedly to select DUAL MONO.

The remote control menu for this step is shown below (see note at the start of this chapter if you need help).

AMPLIFIER

2/3

CONT

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

+–

SB CH

CH LEVEL

MODE

SETUP

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AUDIOLR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

OPTION

CH LEVEL

STREAM

DIRECT

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to change the setting.

• CH1 – Only channel 1 is played

• CH2 – Only channel 2 is played

• CH1/CH2 – Both channels are played through the front speakers

Note

• On the CH1 and CH2 settings the sound comes only from the center speaker (or from the front speakers if NO was selected for the center speaker setting).

• This setting works only with dual mono encoded Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks.

• When listening to a dual mono source, the L and R indicators on the front panel flash. The channel you select will light in the display.

Page 51

The Surround Setup menu

Chapter 6

The Surround Setup menu

Making amplifier settings from the Surround Setup menu

This amplifier allows you to make detailed settings to optimize the surround sound performance. You only need to make these settings once (unless you change the placement of your current speaker system or add new speakers.).

These settings are designed to fine-tune your system, but if you’re satisfied with the settings made in Introduction to home theater on page 35, it isn’t necessary to make all of these settings.

Important

• For many of the settings below, you’ll have to connect the setup microphone to the front panel and place it about ear level at your normal listening position. See Introduction to home theater on page 35 if you’re unsure how to do this. Also see Other problems when using the Auto Surround Setup on page 37 for notes regarding high background noise levels and other possible interference.

• If you’re using a subwoofer, switch it on and turn up the volume to the middle position.

• After three minutes of inactivity during the Auto setup options (including Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ measurement), the OSD will go to sleep until a button is pressed. With other screens, the amplifier automatically exits and no settings will be made.

Caution

• The test tones used in the Surround Setup are output at high volume (the volume increases to 0db automatically).

1 Switch on the amplifier and your TV.

If headphones are connected to the amplifier, disconnect them.

2 Using the remote control, press AMPLIFIER on the touch screen, then press the SYSTEM SETUP button.

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

ENTER

AV AMPLIFIER

1/3

AMPLIFIER

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD

/ LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

CHANNEL VOLUME

MENU MUTE

SYSTEM

SETUP

An on-screen display (OSD) appears on your TV. Use the /// hard keys and ENTER on the remote control to navigate through the screens and select menu items.

• The / (cursor up/down) hard keys select menu items and the / (cursor left/right) hard keys change the setting of the item selected.

3 Select ‘Surround Setup’ then press ENTER.

System Setup

[Auto Surround Setup]

[1. Input Assign ] [2. Surround Setup ] [3. Expert Setup ] [4. THX Audio Setup ]

[Exit]

4 Select the setting you want to adjust.

If you are doing this for the first time, you may want to adjust these settings in order:

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

Page 52

The Surround Setup menu

• Speaker Systems – Specify the size and number of speakers you’ve connected (page 52).

• Channel Level – Adjust the overall balance of your speaker system (page 54).

• Speaker Distance – Specify the distance of your speakers from the listening position (page 55).

• Acoustic Cal EQ – Adjust overall equalization depending on your room characteristics (page 55).

• X-Curve – Adjust the amount of ‘re-equalization’ necessary to achieve a flat frequency response from your home theater system (page 59).

5 Make the adjustments necessary for each setting, pressing ENTER to confirm after each screen.

When you’re finished, you can check through your settings screen by screen by selecting Check from the Surround Setup menu (see Checking your surround settings on page 60 for more on this).

Speaker Systems

You need to specify the number of speakers you have in your system, and how you want to route the sound. It is a good idea to make sure that the settings made in Introduction to home theater on page 35 are correct.

1 Select ‘Speaker Systems’ then press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

2 Select how you want to set up your speakers then press ENTER.

2.1. Speaker Systems

[Manual Free] [Manual THX] (all small) [Auto]

[Return]

• Manual Free – Manually set all speakers.

• Manual THX – All speakers are set to SMALL. You can only select the number of surround back speakers.

• Auto – All speakers are set automatically. (The microphone must be hooked up to the front panel to do this.)

3 Specify how your speakers are configured.

2.1.Speaker Systems Manual Free

Speaker System Select

[Normal Surround ]

[ Second Zone ]

[ Next]

Use / (cursor left/right) to cycle through the following options:

• Normal Surround – Select for normal home theater use.

• Front Bi-Amp – Select this setting if you’re biamping your front speakers (see Bi-amping your front speakers on page 76).

• Bi-Surround – Select if you’re using two sets of surround speakers (see Adding a second set of surround speakers for Bi-Surround on page 77).

If you selected Normal Surround, you’ll also have to select the speaker system B setting:

2.1.Speaker Systems Manual Free

Speaker System Select

[Normal Surround ]

[ Second Zone ]

[ Next]

• Second Zone – Select if you want to hear speaker system B in a separate room.

• ITU-R – Select this setting to use two switchable main speaker systems using speaker system B (see

Alternating surround speaker setups using speaker system B (ITU-R) on page 76).

• OFF – Select if no speakers are connected to the B terminals.

4 Press ENTER to go to the next screen.

• If you selected Auto in step 2, you will have to select Next and then press ENTER to continue to the auto

(test tone) setup.

Select Start and press ENTER to start the test tones when you’ve made sure the room is free of ambient noise. Go to step 8 when you see OK appear on the OSD.

Page 53

The Surround Setup menu

5 Choose the set of speakers that you want to set then select a speaker size.

2.1. Speaker Systems Manual Free ” Normal Surround ”

FRONT [ LARGE ] CENTER [ LARGE ] SURROUND [ LARGE ] SURR BACK [LARGE SUB WOOFER [ YES ]

( NEXT)

Use / (cursor left/right) to select the size (and number) of each of the following speakers:

• FRONT – Select LARGE if your front speakers reproduce bass frequencies effectively, or if you didn’t connect a subwoofer. Select SMALL to send the bass frequencies to the subwoofer.

• CENTER – Select LARGE if your center speaker reproduces bass frequencies effectively, or select SMALL to send bass frequencies to the other speakers or subwoofer. If you didn’t connect a center speaker, choose NO (the center channel is sent to the front speakers).

• SURROUND – Select LARGE if your surround speakers reproduce bass frequencies effectively. Select SMALL to send bass frequencies to the other speakers or subwoofer. If you didn’t connect surround speakers choose NO (the sound of the surround channels is sent to the front speakers or a subwoofer).

• SURR BACK – Select the number of surround back speakers you have (one, two or none). Select LARGE if your surround back speakers reproduce bass frequencies effectively. Select SMALL to send bass frequencies to the other speakers or subwoofer. If you didn’t connect surround back speakers choose NO.

• SUBWOOFER – LFE signals and bass frequencies of channels set to SMALL are output from the subwoofer when YES is selected (see notes below). Choose the PLUS setting if you want the subwoofer to output bass sound continuously or you want deeper bass (the bass frequencies that would normally come out the front and center speakers are also routed to the subwoofer). If you did not connect a subwoofer choose NO (the bass frequencies are output from other speakers).

Note

• If you selected Manual THX (in step 2) you can only adjust the surround back settings.

• If you selected Front Bi-Amp (in step 3) you can’t adjust the surround back settings.

• If you select SMALL for the front speakers the subwoofer will automatically be fixed to YES. Also, the center and surround speakers can’t be set to LARGE if the front speakers are set to SMALL. In this case, all bass frequencies are sent to the subwoofer.

• If the surround speakers are set to NO, the surround back speakers will automatically be set to NO.

• If you select one surround back speaker only, make sure that speaker is hooked up to the left surround back terminal.

6 Press ENTER to go to the next screen.

7 Choose a crossover frequency.

This setting decides the cutoff between bass sounds playing back from the speakers selected as LARGE, or the subwoofer, and bass sounds playing back from those selected as SMALL. It also decides where the cutoff will be for bass sounds in the LFE channel.

2.1. Speaker Systems Manual Free ” Normal Surround ”

Crossover [ 80Hz ] Normal Surround (THX Speaker = 80Hz)

SP-B : Second Zone

[Return]

Use / (cursor left/right) to select the crossover frequency:

• 50Hz – Sends bass frequencies below 50 Hz to the subwoofer (or LARGE speakers).

• 80Hz – Sends bass frequencies below 80 Hz to the subwoofer (or LARGE speakers).

• 100Hz – Sends bass frequencies below 100 Hz to the subwoofer (or LARGE speakers).

• 150Hz – Sends bass frequencies below 150 Hz to the subwoofer (or LARGE speakers).

• 200Hz – Sends bass frequencies below 200 Hz to the subwoofer (or LARGE speakers).

Note

• If you selected Manual THX (in step 2) the crossover frequency is set to 80Hz and this screen doesn’t appear.

8 Select ‘Return’ and press ENTER to return to the Surround Setup menu.

Tip

• If you have a subwoofer and like lots of bass, it may seem logical to select LARGE for your front speakers and PLUS for the subwoofer. This may not, however, yield the best bass results. Depending on the speaker placement of your room you may actually experience

Page 54

The Surround Setup menu

a decrease in the amount of bass due low frequency cancellations. In this case, try changing the position or direction of speakers. If you can’t get good results, listen to the bass response with it set to PLUS and YES or the front speakers set to LARGE and SMALL alternatively and let your ears judge which sounds best. If you’re having problems, the easiest option is to route all the bass sounds to the subwoofer by selecting SMALL for the front speakers.

Channel Level

Using the channel level settings, you can adjust the overall balance of your speaker system, an important factor when setting up a home theater system. If you’re unsure of the best channel level settings, simply select

Auto from the setup options below.

1 Select ‘Channel Level’ then press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

2 Select a setup option and press ENTER to start the test tones.

2.2. Channel Level

[Manual] [Semi Auto] [Auto] Normal Surround [Return]

Your Speaker Systems ” Normal Surround ”

• Manual – Move the test tone manually from speaker to speaker and adjust individual channel levels.

• Semi Auto – Adjust channel levels as the test tone moves from speaker to speaker automatically.

• Auto – The levels are set automatically by the amplifier as it outputs the test tones. (For this setup you must have the mic connected.)

3 If you selected ‘Manual’ or ‘Semi Auto’, adjust the level of each channel using the / (cursor left/ right) hard keys.

If you selected Manual, use / (cursor up/down) to switch speakers. The Semi Auto setup will output test tones in the order shown on-screen:

2.2. Channel Level Semi Auto LEFT [ ] CENTER [ ] RIGHT [ ] SURROUND R [ ] SURR BACK R [ ] SURR BACK L [ ] SURROUND L [ ] SUB WOOFER [ ] Return = Push Enter

+1. 5 +1. 5 +2. 0

-3. 5

-1. 5 +3. 0 +2. 0

+10. 0

dB dB dB dB dB dB dB

Adjust the level of each speaker as the test tone is emitted.

Note

• If you are using a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter, take the readings from your main listening position and adjust the level of each speaker to 75 dB SPL (Cweighting/slow reading).

• The subwoofer test tone is output at low volumes. You may need to adjust the level after testing with an actual soundtrack.

4 If you selected ‘Manual’ or ‘Auto’, select ‘Return’ then press ENTER to finish. With ‘Semi Auto’, simply press ENTER.

With the Auto setup, !! Complete !! is displayed onscreen after the channel levels are set.

2.2. Channel Level

[Manual] [Semi Auto] [Auto] Normal Surround [Return]

Your Speaker Systems ” Normal Surround ”

To check the settings, select Check and press ENTER instead of selecting Return above. When you’re finished select Return then press ENTER.

Tip

• You can change the channel levels at any time by using CHANNEL +/– on the front panel or from the remote control amplifier menu (see Basic remote control displays on page 30 for more on this). You can set separate levels for each listening mode (Standard/Home THX, Advanced Cinema/Advanced Concert and Stereo) as well as for SB CH ON. However, these settings will be cleared if you use the Surround Setup or Auto Surround Sound Setup to set the channel levels at a later date.

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The Surround Setup menu

Speaker Distance

For good sound depth and separation from your system, you need to specify the distance of your speakers from the listening position. The amplifier can then add the proper delay needed for effective surround sound.

1 Select ‘Speaker Distance’ then press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

2 Select a setup option and press ENTER.

2.3. Speaker Distance

[Manual] [Auto]

[Return]

Your Speaker Systems Normal Surround ”

• Manual – Select each speaker in turn and adjust the distance manually.

• Auto – The speaker distances are set automatically by the amplifier as it outputs test tones. (For this setup you must have the mic connected.)

3 If you selected ‘Auto’, select ‘Start’ and press ENTER. If you selected ‘Manual’, adjust the distance of each speaker using the / (cursor left/right) hard keys.

Using the Manual setup, you can adjust the distance of each speaker in 0.05 meter increments.

With the Auto setup, !! Complete !! is displayed onscreen after the speaker distances are set. If you want to check the settings, select Check and press ENTER.

4 Select ‘Return’ then press ENTER to finish.

Tip

• For best surround sound, make sure the surround back speakers are the same distance.

Acoustic Calibration EQ

Acoustic Calibration Equalization is a kind of room equalizer for your speakers (excluding the subwoofer). It works by measuring the acoustic characteristics of your room and neutralizing the ambient characteristics that can color the original source material. You can also make these settings manually to get a frequency balance that suits your tastes. A more advanced setup is also available, where you can make detailed settings

according to your room’s reverb characteristics (see Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 57). You should have the mic connected when using any of the setup options.

Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ automatically

1 Select ‘Acoustic Cal EQ’ then press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

2 Select ‘Auto’ then press ENTER.

2. 4. Acoustic Cal EQ

[Data Copy] [Manual] CUSTOM1 , CUSTOM2 [Auto]

ALL ADJ & FRONT ALIGN

[Professional]

[Return]

As the amplifier outputs test tones, the frequency balance is adjusted automatically for the following settings:

• ALL CH ADJ – All the speakers are set individually so no special weighting is given to any one channel.

• FRONT CH ALIGN – All speakers are set in accordance with the front speaker settings.

!! Complete !! is displayed on-screen after the acoustic calibration equalization is set. If you want to check the settings, select Check and press ENTER.

3 Select ‘Return’ then press ENTER to finish.

Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ manually

Before manually adjusting the Acoustic Calibration EQ, we recommend copying the ALL CH ADJ or the FRONT CH ALIGN settings from the Auto setup above (or from Introduction to home theater on page 35) to one of the custom settings. Instead of just a flat EQ curve, this will give you a reference point from which to start (see Copying your Acoustic Calibration EQ settings below for how to do this).

1 Select ‘Acoustic Cal EQ’ then press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

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The Surround Setup menu

2 Select ‘Manual’ then press ENTER.

2. 4. Acoustic Cal EQ

[Data Copy] [Manual] CUSTOM1 , CUSTOM2 [Auto]

ALL ADJ & FRONT ALIGN

[Professional]

[Return]

3 Select CUSTOM1 or CUSTOM2 then press ENTER.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ

[ CUSTOM1 ] A[ CUSTOM2 ]

[Return]

Manual

4 Select the channel you want, adjust the frequency curve to your liking, then move to the next speaker.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Manual

Target Curve : CUSTOM1 Channel [L•SMALL]

[Return]

125

TRIM

1k2k4k

250

500

16k

Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to select the channel, then ENTER to select it.

Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to select the frequency and / (cursor up/down) to boost or cut the EQ. When you’re finished, press ENTER to move to the next channel.

Copying your Acoustic Calibration EQ settings

If you want to manually adjust the Acoustic Calibration EQ (see Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ manually above), we recommend copying the ALL CH ADJ or the FRONT CH ALIGN settings from the Auto setup above (or from Introduction to home theater on page 35) to one of the custom settings. Instead of just a flat EQ curve, this will give you a reference point from which to start.

1 Select ‘Acoustic Cal EQ’ then press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

2 Select ‘Data Copy’ then press ENTER.

2. 4. Acoustic Cal EQ

[Data Copy] [Manual] CUSTOM1 , CUSTOM2 [Auto]

ALL ADJ & FRONT ALIGN

[Professional]

[Return]

3 Select CUSTOM1 or CUSTOM2 then use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to select the setting you want to copy.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ

[ CUSTOM1 ] A[ CUSTOM2 ]

[Return]

Manual

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ

A.Cal EQ Data Copy

To ← From CUSTOM1 [ ALL ADJ ] CUSTOM2 [CUSTOM2 ]

[Copy OK] [Cancel]

Tip

• Changing the frequency curve of one channel too drastically will affect the overall balance. If the speaker balance seems uneven, you can raise or lower channel levels using test tones with the TRIM feature. Use  (cursor right) to move to the far right side of the OSD, then use / (cursor up/down) to raise or lower the channel level for the current speaker.

5 When you’re done, press  (cursor down) to select ‘Return’ then press ENTER to finish.

Note

• If the message OVER !! appears on-screen, it means the frequency curve may result in distortion from the speaker. Adjust the frequency curve accordingly.

• You can also copy from one custom setting to another. For more on the ALL CH ADJ and FRONT CH

ALIGN settings, see Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ automatically above.

4 Select ‘Copy OK’ and press ENTER to confirm.

You will be taken to the Acoustic Calibration EQ settings menu. Select Return then press ENTER to go back to the Surround Setup menu.

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The Surround Setup menu

Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ

This setup minimizes the unwanted effects of room reverberation by calibrating your system based on the direct sound coming from the speakers. It can also provide you with a graphical output of the frequency response of your room.

Note

• Before setting up with Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ, you should finish calibrating using the Auto Surround Setup on page 35.

How to use Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ

If you find that lower frequencies seem overly reverberant in your listening room (i.e. it sounds ‘boomy’), or that different channels seem to exhibit different reverb characteristics, use the auto pro setup to calibrate the room automatically. This should provide a more balanced calibration than simply using the standard Acoustic Calibration EQ. The manual setup allows you to customize your system calibration with the help of a graphical output that can be displayed on-screen, or using a computer (with software available from Pioneer—see Connecting a PC for Advanced MCACC output on page 81 for more on this).

How to interpret the graphical output

The graph shows decibels on the vertical axis and time (in milliseconds) on the horizontal axis. A straight line indicates a flat-response room (no reverb), whereas a sloping line indicates the presence of reverberation when outputting test tones. The sloping line will eventually flatten out when the reverberant sound stabilizes (this usually takes about 100ms or so).

By analyzing the graph, you should be able to see how your room is responding to certain frequencies. Differences in channel level and speaker distance are taken into account automatically (compensation is provided for comparison purposes), but the frequency measurements are always shown without the equalization performed by this amplifier.

Note that due to an effect known as ‘group delay’, lower frequencies will take longer to be generated than higher frequencies (this is most obvious when comparing the frequencies at 0ms). This initial slope is not a problem (i.e. excessive reverb) with your listening room.

Setting Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ according to your room characteristics

Using the manual setup, you can set the time period at which the frequency response is analyzed for calibration. You can pinpoint the time that is best for calibration of the system for your particular room characteristics.

The graph below shows the difference between standard acoustic calibration and professional calibration (the gray circles represent the point at which the microphone captures the sound for frequency analysis).

Level

Test tone

Acoustic Cal. EQ Pro calibration range

0 16080

Standard Acoustic Cal. EQ calibration range

Time (in msec.)

As soon as audio is output from your speaker system, it is influenced by room characteristics, such as walls, furniture, and the dimensions of the room. The sooner the frequency analysis, the less it is influenced by the room. We recommend an earlier time setting of 20–40ms to compensate for two major factors that will influence the sound of most rooms:

• Reverberance of high vs. low frequencies – Depending on your room, you may find that lower frequencies seem overly reverberant compared to higher frequencies (i.e. your room sounds ‘boomy’). This may result in a skewed frequency analysis if the measurement is done too late.

Level

Acoustic Cal. EQ Pro calibration range

0 16080

Standard Acoustic Cal. EQ calibration range

Low frequencies

High frequencies

Time (in msec.)

• Reverb characteristics for different channels – Reverb characteristics can be somewhat different for each channel. Since this difference increases as the sound is influenced by the various room characteristics, it is often better to capture a frequency analysis early on for smoother mixing of channel frequencies/sounds.

Level

Acoustic Cal. EQ Pro calibration range

0 16080

Standard Acoustic Cal. EQ calibration range

Left surround

Right Surround

Time (in msec.)

If your room isn’t affected by the factors above, it is often not necessary to make a 20–40ms setting. Later time settings may provide a more detailed sound experience with your speaker system. It is best to try and see what works best for your particular room.

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The Surround Setup menu

Note that changing the room (for example, moving furniture or paintings) will affect the calibration results. In such cases, you should recalibrate your system.

Using Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ

1 Select ‘Acoustic Cal EQ’ then press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

2 Select ‘Professional’ then press ENTER.

2. 4. Acoustic Cal EQ

[Data Copy] [Manual] CUSTOM1 , CUSTOM2 [Auto]

ALL ADJ & FRONT ALIGN

[Professional]

[Return]

3 Select a setup option and press ENTER.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro. ” Professional ”

[Auto Pro. ] Acou. Cal EQ Setup

[Manual Pro. ]al Surround Reverb Measurement Reverb View Advanced EQ Setup

[Return]

• Auto Pro. – The amplifier automatically sets an early time period (20–40 ms or 60–80 ms) for reverb measurement, giving you a system calibration based on the direct sound coming from the speakers. The frequency balance for each channel is then adjusted to minimize the effect of the room characteristics on the overall sound.

• Manual Pro. – You can set an early time period for reverb measurement manually, giving you the flexibility to choose the direct sound calibration that works best with your listening area. After you have made this setting, the frequency balance for each channel is adjusted automatically, calibrating your system according to your custom setting.

4 If you selected ‘Auto Pro.’, select ‘Start’ and press ENTER.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro. Auto Pro

•Connect microphone

•Please be quiet

•Move obstacles away

•If you have a subwoofer

turn power on and turn volume up

[Start] [Cancel]

!! Complete !! is displayed on-screen after the acoustic calibration equalization is set. Select Return to return to the professional acoustic calibration equalization menu.

5 Select a manual setup option and press ENTER.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro. Manual Pro.

[ Reverb Measurement ]

[ Reverb View ]

[ Advanced EQ Setup ]

[Return]

• Reverb Measurement – Use this to measure the reverb characteristics of your room for separate channels in select frequency ranges.

• Reverb View (Normal) – You can check the reverb measurements made for specified frequency ranges in each channel. PC Output will also show as an option after you’ve completed the reverb measurement. See Connecting a PC for Advanced MCACC output on page 81 for more on this option.

• Advanced EQ Setup – Use this to select the time period that will be used for frequency adjustment and calibration, based on the reverb measurement of your listening area. Note that using this setup will alter the settings you made in Automatically setting up for surround sound on page 35.

6 If you selected ‘Reverb Measurement’, select ‘Start’ and press ENTER.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro. Reverb

•Connect microphone

•Please be quiet

•Move obstacles away

•If you have a subwoofer

turn power on and turn volume up

[Start] [Cancel]

!! Complete !! is displayed on screen when the reverb measurement is finished (this may take 2–6 minutes). After selecting Return, you can select Reverb View (above) to see the results on-screen. See Connecting a PC for Advanced MCACC output on page 81 for more on setting up your computer for the graphical output.

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The Surround Setup menu

7 If you selected ‘Reverb View’, you can use the cursor buttons (hard keys) to check the reverb characteristics for each channel. Select ‘Return’ and press ENTER when you’re done.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro. Reverb View [ C ]

[ 500Hz ]

080160ms

[Return]

Use the / (cursor left/right) buttons to select the channel and the frequency you want to check. Use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to go back and forth between the two. Note that the markers on the vertical axis indicate decibels in 2dB steps.

8 If you selected ‘Advanced EQ Setup’, input the time setting you want to use for calibration, then select ‘Go’. Select ‘Start’ from the next screen.

Based on the reverb measurement above, you can manually choose the time period that will be used for the final frequency adjustment and calibration. Even though you can make this setting without reverb measurement, it is best to use the measurement results as a reference for your time setting. For an optimal system calibration based on the direct sound coming from the speakers, we recommend using the 20–40ms setting.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro.

[ C ] [ 500Hz ]

080160ms

[20~40ms] [Go] [Return]

Use the / (cursor left/right) buttons to select the channel, frequency, and time setting. Use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to switch between them.

You can switch between your connected speakers (excluding the subwoofer), and display the measurements for the following frequencies: 63Hz, 125 Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz, 8kHz and 16kHz.

Select the setting from the following time periods (in milliseconds): 0–20ms, 10–30ms, 20–40ms, 30–50ms, 40–60ms, 50–70ms and 60–80ms. This setting will be applied to all channels during calibration.

When you’re finished, select Go. It will take about 2–11 minutes for the calibration to finish.

!! Complete !! is displayed on-screen after the acoustic calibration equalization is set. If you want to check the settings, select Check and press ENTER. If you want to finish, select Return to exit each screen.

X-Curve

Most soundtracks mixed for cinema sound too bright when played back in large rooms. The X-Curve setting acts as a kind of re-equalization for home theater listening, and restores proper tonal balance of movie soundtracks.

1 Select ‘X-Curve’ then press ENTER.

2. Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1. Speaker Systems ] [ 2. Channel Level ] [ 3. Speaker Distance ] [ 4. Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5. X-Curve ]

[ Return ]

2 Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to switch the X-Curve ON or OFF.

2. 5. X-Curve

X-Curve [ ]

[ Manual ] [ Semi Auto ]

[ Return ]

Your X-Curve " –0.5dB/oct "

If you select OFF, the frequency curve will be flat and you won’t be able to adjust the X-Curve.

3 Select a setup option and press ENTER.

2. 5. X-Curve

X-Curve [ ]

[ Manual ] [ Semi Auto ]

[ Return ]

Your X-Curve " –0.5dB/oct "

• Manual – Adjust the X-Curve manually.

• Semi Auto – The X-Curve is calculated automatically. The larger your listening area (as determined by the speaker distance setting), the greater the X-Curve slope (see the following step for more on this).

4 Check the X-Curve setting. If you selected ‘Manual’, make any adjustments necessary to the XCurve.

2.5. X-Curve Manual

X-Curve [ –2.0dB/oct ]

[ Return ]

631225501k2k4k8k16

Page 60

The Surround Setup menu

Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to adjust the setting. The X-Curve is expressed as a downwards slope in decibels per octave, starting at 2kHz. The sound becomes less bright as the slope increases (to a maximum of -3.0dB/oct). Use the following guidelines to set the X-Curve according to your room size:

Room size (m2)

X-Curve (dB/oct)

≤≤≤≤36 ≤≤≤≤48 ≤≤≤≤60 ≤≤≤≤72 ≤≤≤≤300

–0.5 –1 –1.5 –2 –2.5 –3

≤≤≤≤1000

5 Select ‘Return’ then press ENTER to finish.

Note

• Since the principal is the same, X-Curve isn’t applied when you’re using any of the Home THX modes (see Using the Home THX modes on page 41).

Checking your surround settings

You can check through the amplifier settings screen by screen after you’re finished using the Surround Setup.

1 Select ‘Check’ from the Surround Setup menu and press ENTER.

2.Surround Setup

[ Check ]

[ 1.Speaker Systems ] [ 2.Channel Level ] [ 3.Speaker Distance ] [ 4.Acoustic Cal EQ ] [ 5.X-Curve ]

[Return]

2 Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to cycle through the settings screen by screen.

These appear in the same order as the Surround Setup menu. Select Return then press ENTER to go back to the Surround Setup menu.

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Controlling other equipment

Chapter 7

Controlling other equipment

Using the remote control with other components

The supplied remote control can operate not only this amplifier, but also your TV, DVD player and other components. If the component is listed in the remote control's memory, simply follow the steps in Recalling preset codes below. If the component is not listed, or if you want the remote to learn additional operations, see Programming signals from other remote controls on page 63.

Note

• The remote control operations in this section are accessed from the remote setup menu. To go to the

remote setup menu, press from the remote

control Home menu ( ):

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVR / LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

• For more on navigating the remote control menu screens, see Basic remote control displays on page 30. See also TV control menu screens on page 32 and Operating menus for additional components on page 33.

• When using a TV, it is often best to use the TV/DVD input for the TV source, and TV CONT for the TV screen or monitor.

SETUP

1/3SETUP

CALIBRATE

PRESET RECALL

LEARNING

MULTI OPERATION

DIRECT FUNCTION

Recalling preset codes

The following steps show you how to recall preset codes for each input source. Use the remote control touch screen to do this.

1 Make sure the component you want to control is switched on.

2 Press PRESET RECALL on the remote setup menu.

1/3SETUP

CALIBRATE

PRESET RECALL

LEARNING

MULTI OPERATION

DIRECT FUNCTION

3 From the ‘Select Function’ screen, choose the input function which matches the connection for the component you want to control.

For example, press DVD/LD if you want to control the DVD player that you connected to the DVD/LD terminals.

Select Function

PRESET RECALL

DVD/LD

TV/DVD

SAT

CANCEL

• Use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to scroll

through the component options.

• You can select any button, but choosing a button that’s already assigned will overwrite the old preset (and any other operations you may have programmed).

Page 62

Controlling other equipment

4 From the ‘Replacing Device’ screen choose the type of component that you’ve connected.

In this example, we’re setting the remote to control a DVD player, so we’ll select DVD.

Replacing Device

PRESET RECALL

DVD

DVD recorder

CANCEL

• It is best to have the input source button (DVD/LD) match the component.

5 From the ‘Setting Makers’ screen, select the name of the company that makes your component.

Use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to scroll through the available manufacturers. Here we’ll select Pioneer as an example.

Setting Makers

PRESET RECALL

Pioneer

AKAI

DENON

CANCELBACK

6 Select a setting type.

There may be only one option listed, or there may be several. Start with the first button available, which will show the makers name and 1 (in this case Pioneer-1).

Setting Type

PRESET RECALL

Pioneer-1

Pioneer-2

CANCELBACK

7 Point the remote at the component and press TRY to test if you've set it up properly.

If the component you are trying to control turns on/off, the setup for this component is complete and you can go to step 8.

Following Setting?

PRESET RECALL

device : DVD

maker : Pioneer

type :

Pioneer-1

TRYINSTALL

CANCELBACK

If the component doesn’t respond, it’s possible that:

• Your component manufacturer has several preset codes for the same component. Press BACK to go back and select another number (if there is one) from the list.

• Your component doesn't have a standby mode (and therefore won’t switch on/off).

• There is something blocking the path between the remote control and the remote sensor of the component you’re trying to control.

• The preset code is unavailable for your component. Press CANCEL to exit, then try using the method described in Programming signals from other remote controls below to program the component into the remote control. If your component type is different from the set of controls associated with the input source (for example you want to control an LD with the DVD/LD button), it is useful to choose INSTALL in the next step to change the screen to control the component you’ve connected.

8 Press INSTALL to confirm and go back to the ‘Select Function’ screen to control another component.

Following Setting?

PRESET RECALL

device : DVD

maker : Pioneer

type :

Pioneer-1

TRYINSTALL

CANCELBACK

PLEASE WAIT

From the Select Function screen (step 3), you can press

to exit and return to the remote control Home menu

screen.

Page 63

Controlling other equipment

To exit without saving the preset you have assigned, press CANCEL instead of INSTALL above.

Tip

• Pioneer DVD recorders fall into the following setting types:

Pioneer-1 – DVR-7000 Pioneer-2–4 – DVR-3100, DVR-5100H

If you have more than one Pioneer DVD recorder of setting type 2–4, you can select different setting types for each (allowing for separate control).

Programming signals from other remote controls

If the preset code for your component is not available, or the available preset codes do not operate correctly, you can program signals from the remote control of another component. This can also be used to program additional operations (buttons not covered in the presets) after assigning a preset code in Recalling preset codes on page 61.

1 Press LEARNING on the remote setup menu.

SETUP 1/3

CALIBRATE

PRESET RECALL

LEARNING

MULTI OPERATION

DIRECT FUNCTION

2 From the ‘Select Function’ screen, choose the input function which matches the connection for the component you want to control.

For example, press DVD/LD if you want to program signals for the DVD player that you connected to the DVD/LD terminals.

Select Function

LEARNING

DVD/LD

TV/DVD

SAT

CANCEL

• Use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to scroll

through the component options (the AMPLIFIER and

TUNER screens are not available).

3 On the touch screen, press the button that corresponds to the command you want to teach the remote control.

For example, choose the  (play) button to program this remote control to start playback on your DVD player.

DVD

AUDIO

1/2

CONT

SUBTITLE

END

LEARN

TOP MENUDISPLAY

DVD 2/2

DVD

123CLR

456+10

789

MODE

LEARN

END

CONT

RETURN

A remote icon shows in the top right corner of the touch screen after you’ve selected a button (you can deselect it by pressing it again).

• Remote control soft keys such as , , /

(cursor left/right) and TV CONT are used to select menu screens (even in learning mode), so therefore cannot be programmed.

• The Learn and L buttons that appear on some

component screens are unassigned buttons which can be used to learn new commands. See Editing remote control button names on page 64 to change the name once you’ve programmed a command.

• You can program the remote control hard keys (VOLUME +/– and MUTE are only available with TV CONTROL), but the command will remain the same for all screens of the component selected.

• Press END to go back without making any changes.

4 While the icon is displayed, point the two remote controls toward each other and press the button on the other remote control corresponding to the operation you want to program.

CHANNEL VOLUME

SYSTEM

SETUP

MENU MUTE

AV AMPLIFIER

ENTER

12 – 30 cm

E R E

T E R

Y S

R E

L /

I T

ENT

U T

10 +

S S A L C

U L

M E

L A T I

When the command has been learned, OK! shows on the remote control touch screen and the remote control returns to the command learning screen (step 3). Repeat steps 3 and 4 to program additional commands.

If you want to learn signals for additional components, press END to go back to the Select Function screen and start again from step 2.

Page 64

Controlling other equipment

Note

• If you see Failed (or OK! doesn’t appear) on the touch panel, or OK! is displayed, but you find that the command wasn't learned, try teaching the command again, but vary the distance (closer or farther) between the remote controls. Some signals may be stronger than others and require more distance (a projector’s remote signal, for example).

• There may be certain remote signals that can’t be programmed correctly.

• The remote control has a limited memory. If you see

Memory Full appear in the display, use the PRESET RECALL feature in Recalling preset codes on page 61

to overwrite any programmed buttons that you aren’t using. This will free up memory to program additional remote signals.

Remote Direct function

• Default setting: All inputs – ON

On the default setting, when you press an input select button (DVD/LD, DVR/VCR1, etc.), both the amplifier input source and the remote control change to the selected function.

When an input select button is set to OFF, pressing that button changes the function of the remote control only. This can be useful when you want to operate one component without interrupting playback of another.

1 Press DIRECT FUNCTION on the remote setup menu.

1/3SETUP

CALIBRATE

PRESET RECALL

LEARNING

MULTI OPERATION

DIRECT FUNCTION

2 Choose the setting of an input by pressing the ON/OFF button on the touch screen. Each press switches between ON and OFF.

DIRECT FUNCTION

DVD/LD : ON

TV/DVD : ON

SAT : ON

• Use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to scroll

through the component options.

3 Press OK to confirm the settings.

Editing remote control button names

You can rename the buttons on the remote control menu screens for different input sources (such as DVD/LD or SAT). You may want to do this if you taught the remote control a new command in Programming signals from other remote controls above, but the command doesn’t correspond with the button name.

1 Press KEY LABEL on the remote setup menu.

SETUP 2/3

CLOCK DISPLAY : AM/PM

CLOCK SETTING

BEEP :

TIMEOUT

KEY LABEL

2 From the ‘Select Function’ screen, select the input source menu that contains the button you want to rename.

For example, press DVD/LD if you taught the DVD/LD remote screen a new command from your DVD player.

Select Function

KEY LABEL

DVD/LD

TV/DVD

SAT

CANCEL

Page 65

Controlling other equipment

3 Select the button you want to rename.

For example, choose the SEARCH MODE button if it was programmed with the ‘eject’ command from your DVD player’s remote.

KEY LABEL

DVD

123CLR

456+10

789

MODE

END

CONT

RETURN

• Remote control soft keys such as , , /

(cursor left/right) and TV CONT are used to select menu screens (even in learning mode), so therefore cannot be renamed.

• Press END to go back without making any changes.

4 Choose how you want to change the look of the button.

DVD / LD

KEY LABEL

MODE

SELECT LABEL TYPE

TEXT : LARGE

TEXT : SMALL

GRAPHIC

5 Edit the button as necessary.

If you selected the text input method:

DVD/LD

KEY LABEL

ABCDEFGHI

JKLMNOPQR

STUVWXYZ

CLEAR

SPACE

• Use the letter and number buttons to spell out the name you want.

• Press SPACE to add a space in the name.

• Press CLEAR to delete characters one at a time.

• Press  (small text only) to go to the next line.

• Use the / (cursor left/right) soft keys to go forward/back a screen.

If you selected the graphic input method:

DVD / LD

KEY LABEL

OKCLEAR

Select one of the following options:

• TEXT : LARGE – Select this if you want to input a short name, such as EJECT.

• TEXT : SMALL – Select this if the name is fairly long, for example, DVD Tray Eject.

• GRAPHIC – Select this if you want to replace the button name with an icon, such as .

• Use the icon buttons to select a graphic.

• Press CLEAR to return to the original button appearance.

• Press to go back without editing the button.

6 Press OK when you’ve finished. PLEASE WAIT shows in the remote display while the

name or graphic is input and you’ll return to step 3.

Note

• With power buttons, you won’t be able to delete the ‘’ graphic. These buttons are best left for switching the component on or off.

• After confirming, you won’t be able to return to the original button appearance without resetting the remote control (as described on page 10).

Page 66

Controlling other equipment

Multi Operation and System Off

The Multi Operation feature allows you to program a series of commands for the components in your system. For example, you could turn on your TV, turn on your DVD player and start playing the loaded DVD using only two buttons on the remote control.

Similar to multi operations, System Off allows you to use one button to stop and switch off a series of components in your system at the same time.

Note

• Before Multi Operation and System Off will work correctly, you must setup the remote to work with your TV and other components (see Recalling preset

codes on page 61 and Programming signals from other remote controls on page 63 for more on this).

• Power on and off commands only work with components that have a standby mode.

Programming a multi operation or a shutdown sequence

1 Press MULTI OPERATION on the remote setup menu.

1/3SETUP

CALIBRATE

PRESET RECALL

LEARNING

MULTI OPERATION

DIRECT FUNCTION

2 From the ‘Select Function’ screen, choose the input function.

This will be the one that starts the multi operation when you select it as an input source. For example, press DVD/ LD if the multi operation is being used to switch on the DVD player connected to the DVD/LD terminals.

If you are programming a shutdown (system off) sequence, select AMPLIFIER from the end of the list.

Select Function

MULTI OPERATION

DVD/LD

TV/DVD

SAT

CANCEL

• Use the / (cursor up/down) buttons to scroll

through the component options.

3 Press ‘Add’ to choose an operation in the sequence.

If this is the first command in the sequence, the operation you’re adding will be placed at the top. Otherwise, the command will simply take the next place in the sequence.

DVD/LD

MULTI OPERATION

Replace

Add

Delete

Run

Delay OK

4 Choose the component and command you want to add to the multi operation or shutdown sequence.

For example, choose DVD/LD from the select function menu (this now takes the name of the multi-operation component), then  (play) or  (stop) from the DVD menu to start (or stop) playback on your DVD player.

DVD/LD

MULTI OPERATION

DVD/LD

TV/DVD

SAT

CANCEL

MULTI OPERATION

DVD

AUDIO

CONT

SUBTITLE

TOP MENUDISPLAY

END

1/2

• Press END to go back without making any changes.

Page 67

Controlling other equipment

• You don't need to program the amplifier to switch to the input function selected in step 2, or to switch on or off. This is done automatically.

With Pioneer components, you don’t need to:

• program the power to switch off in a shutdown sequence;

• program the power to switch on if it’s the source component selected in step 2;

• program a Pioneer TV or monitor to switch on if the input function (selected in step 2) has video input terminals;

These take priority in multi operations (not shutdown).

5 If necessary, add a delay between operations by pressing ‘Delay’.

Some components may take a few seconds to switch on or off, or perform certain operations. In these cases, you may want to add a slight delay (up to sixty seconds is possible) between commands.

Use the + and – buttons on the Delay Time screen to adjust the delay time then press OK.

DVD/LD

MULTI OPERATION

Delay Time

0.1 sec

–

CANCELOK

• To add a new command above another command, press the existing command before pressing Add.

• To erase a command, select the operation you want to erase and press Delete.

• Commands will be stored regardless of how you exit from this screen.

7 Press OK when you’re finished. PLEASE WAIT shows in the remote display while the

multi operation is stored and you’ll return to step 2.

Using multi operations

You can start multi operations with the amplifier switched on, or in standby.

1 From the remote control Home menu press MULTI OPERATION.

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD / LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

2 Press a function button that has been set up with a multi operation.

The amplifier switches on (if it was in standby) and the programmed multi operation is performed automatically.

• If you want to change the delay time after it’s been set, press the delay time, then press SET to come back to this screen.

6 Repeat steps 3 to 5 for additional commands.

As each command is entered, they will appear in order on the remote touch screen.

DVD/LD

MULTI OPERATION

DVD PLAY

Delay - 2.0sec

Replace

Add

Delete

Run

Delay OK

• To test the sequence before confirming it, press Run.

• To replace a command in the sequence, select the command then press Replace. Add the operation as shown in the steps above.

MULTI OPERATION

Select Function

DVD / LDTV/ DVD

DVR

/ VCR1

VCR3

VCR2

MULTI CH

VIDEO

INPUT

CANCEL

SAT

TUNER

CD-R

/ TAPE1

CONT

Page 68

Controlling other equipment

Using System off

• From the remote control Home menu press SYSTEM OFF.

The command sequence you programmed will run, then all Pioneer components will switch off, followed by this amplifier.

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD / LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

Switching components on and off using the 12 volt trigger

You can connect components in your system (such as a screen or projector) to this amplifier so that they switch on or off using a 12 volt trigger when you select an input function. However, you must specify which input functions switch on which trigger(s) using the Expert Setup menu (see 12 Volt Trigger on page 88 to do this). Note that this will only work with components that have a standby mode.

• Connect the 12V TRIGGER jack of this amplifier to the 12V TRIGGER of another component.

Two connections are possible. Use a cable with a mono mini-plug on each end for each connection.

After you’ve specified the input functions that will switch on the trigger(s), you’ll be able to switch the component on or off just by pressing the input function(s) you’ve set on page 88.

2 Connect the CONTROL OUT jack of that component to the CONTROL IN jack of another Pioneer component.

Use a cable with a mono mini-plug on each end for the connection.

CONTROL

IN OUT

CONTROL

IN OUT

VSA-AX10Ai

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

R L

CONTROL

OUT IN

AMP

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT IN

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD)

MONITOR

OUT

3 Continue the chain in the same way for as many components as you have.

Note

• If you want to control all your components using this

amplifier’s remote control, refer to Using the remote

control with other components on page 61 and Programming signals from other remote controls on

page 63.

Operating other Pioneer components with this unit’s sensor

Many Pioneer components have SR CONTROL jacks which can be used to link components together so that you can use just the remote sensor of one component. When you use a remote control, the control signal is passed along the chain to the appropriate component.

Note that if you use this feature, make sure that you also have at least one set of analog audio jacks connected to another component for grounding purposes.

1 Decide which component you want to use the remote sensor of.

When you want to control any component in the chain, this is the remote sensor at which you’ll point the corresponding remote control.

Page 69

Using other functions

Chapter 8

Using other functions

Making an audio or a video recording

You can make an audio or a video recording from an audio or video source connected to the amplifier (such as a CD player or TV).

Keep in mind you can't make a digital recording from an analog source or vice-versa, so make sure the components you are recording to/from are hooked up in the same way (see Connecting your equipment on page 12 for more on connections).

You can record using composite and S-video connections interchangeably, but you won’t be able to record sources connected to the component video

Monitoring your recording

You can listen to (monitor) the recording as it’s being made if you’ve connected a cassette deck with a monitoring function to the TAPE 2 MONITOR jacks on the rear panel.

• Press TAPE 2 MONITOR to switch between the recorded signal and the original source signal.

With the remote, you may need to press on the Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier

menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/ right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

inputs. See About the video converter on page 20 for more on this.

For more information about video connections, see

Connecting a VCR or DVD recorder on page 18 and Connecting other video sources on page 19.

1 Select the source you want to record.

Use the INPUT buttons (or the INPUT SELECTOR dial on the front panel).

2 Select the input signal (if necessary).

Press SIGNAL SELECT to select the input signal corresponding to the source component (see Selecting the input signal type on page 44 for more on this).

3 Prepare the source you want to record.

Tune to the radio station, load the CD, video, DVD etc.

4 Prepare the recorder.

Insert a blank tape, MD, video etc. into the recording device and set the recording levels.

Refer to the instructions that came with the recorder if you are unsure how to do this. Most video recorders set the audio recording level automatically—check the component's instruction manual if you're unsure.

5 Start recording, then start playback of the source component.

AMPLIFIER

SETUP

MIC

3/3

CONT

SB CH MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY DIMMER

STATUS

DIGITAL IN

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

TAPE2

STREAM DIRECT

Tip

• To record the tape 2 monitor signal to a recorder connected to the CD-R/TAPE 1 inputs, select any input (except CD-R/TAPE 1) and switch the tape 2 monitor on.

Note

• The amplifier's volume, tone (bass, treble, Midnight, Loudness), and surround effects have no effect on the recorded signal.

• Some digital sources are copy-protected, and can only be recorded in analog.

• Some video sources are copy-protected. These cannot be recorded.

Page 70

Using other functions

Reducing the level of an analog signal

The input attenuator lowers the input level of an analog signal when it’s too strong. You can use this if you find the that the OVER indicator is lights often, or you can hear distortion in the sound.

• From the remote control amplifier menu, press INPUT ATT to switch the input attenuator on or off.

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

TAPE2

MONITOR

STREAM

DIRECT

AMPLIFIER

SETUP

MIC

3/3

CONT

SB CH MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY

DIMMER

STATUS

DIGITAL IN

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

You may need to press on the Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

Note

• The attenuator isn’t available with digital sources, or when using Stream Direct modes 2 or 3.

Adjusting the delay of a soundtrack

Some monitors have a slight delay when showing video, so the soundtrack will be slightly out of sync with the picture. By adding a bit of delay, you can adjust the sound to match the presentation of the video.

1 Press OPTION repeatedly until SOUND DELAY shows in the display.

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

AMPLIFIER

CH LEVEL

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

With the remote, you may need to press on the Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier

menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/ right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

OPTION

SETUP

MIC

DIGITAL IN

2/3

CONT

+–

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

CH LEVEL

STREAM DIRECT

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to adjust the amount of delay.

The delay can be adjusted from 0.0–6.0 frames (in 0.1 frame steps).

3 Press ENTER to confirm.

Note

• When listening to an analog source, you can’t use sound delay when Stream Direct is on.

• One second is equal to 30 frames of NTSC format video, and 25 frames of PAL.

Watching video and audio sources independently

You can listen to a sound source and select a different video source on your TV.

• While listening to a source, press VIDEO SELECT to select the video source you want to watch.

With the remote, you may need to press on the Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier

menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/ right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

AMPLIFIER

Page 71

Using other functions

SETUP

MIC

3/3

CONT

SB CH

MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY DIMMER

STATUS

DIGITAL IN

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

TAPE2

A/B

SELECT

STREAM

SELECT

MONITOR

DIRECT

Press repeatedly to cycle through the possible video sources. You can select DVD/LD, TV, SAT, VIDEO, DVR/ VCR1, VCR2, VCR3 or OFF (no video signal).

Note

• If you change the source using the input buttons (or front panel INPUT SELECTOR dial), the system returns to normal playback.

Enhancing SACD playback

You can get more detail from SACDs by maximizing the dynamic range (during digital processing) using the SACD gain feature.

1 Press OPTION repeatedly until SACD GAIN shows in the display.

With the remote, you may need to press on the Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier

menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/ right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

AMPLIFIER

2 Use the (OPTION) +/– buttons to switch the SACD gain between 0dB and 6dB.

For most SACD sources, selecting 6dB will result in high sound quality and greater detail. The level will be adjusted automatically for playback at the same volume.

3 Press ENTER to confirm.

Note

• You shouldn’t have any problems using this feature with most SACD discs, but if the sound distorts, it is best to switch the gain setting back to 0dB.

Using the A/D converters to give greater definition to 2-channel sound

This amplifier has high-quality 192kHz (24bit) A/D converters that can be used in parallel to provide greater resolution of DSP processing with analog 2-channel sources. There are two ways to get 192kHz A/D conversion:

1 Switch the SD:1 NORMAL Stream Direct mode on.

See Using the Stream Direct mode on page 43 for more on this.

2 Select the STEREO listening mode and switch off any other sound processing features.

These features include:

• Midnight/Loudness (page 48)

• Digital Noise Reduction (page 49)

• Dynamic Range Control (page 87)

Also, make sure you also switch the multichannel input to 2 CHANNEL in Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels on page 45.

AMPLIFIER

MIDNIGHT DIGITAL NR

TONE LOUDNESS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

OPTION

CH LEVEL

STREAM

DIRECT

2/3

CONT

+–

CH LEVEL

SETUP

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

Page 72

Using other functions

Dimming the display

You can choose between four brightness for the front panel display. Note that when selecting sources, the display automatically brightens for a few seconds.

• From the remote control amplifier menu, press DISPLAY DIMMER repeatedly to change the brightness of the front panel display.

You may need to press on the Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

AMPLIFIER

RECEIVER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

3/3

CONT

SB CH MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY

DIMMER

STATUS

Switching the speaker impedance

STANDBY

STREAM DIRECT

ΩΩ

DVD/LD TV/DVD SAT VIDEO

SETUP

DIGITAL IN

MIC

VIDEO AUDIO

DVR/VCR1 VCR2 VCR3 CD TUNER P

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

CD-R/

TAPE1/MD

SB CH MODE

AUDIOLR

• Default setting: Speaker 6ΩΩ

You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 4–16Ω but if you are using speakers with an impedance of less than 6Ω, you must change the impedance setting below.

• With the amplifier in standby, press  STANDBY/ ON while holding down the OPTION – button.

STANDBY/ON

OFF ON

INPUT SELECTOR

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT SELECT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

TAPE2

SELECT

MONITOR

Each time you do this, you switch between the impedance settings:

• Speaker 4ΩΩΩΩ – Use this setting if your speakers are rated lower than 6Ω (down to 4Ω).

• Speaker 6ΩΩΩΩ – Use this setting if your speakers are rated 6Ω–16Ω.

Note

• If you select Speaker 4ΩΩΩΩ above, the Stream Direct setting is fixed at SD:1 NORMAL (see Using the Stream Direct mode on page 43).

Page 73

Using other functions

Checking your system settings

Use the status display screen to check the various settings you’ve made for features such as sound delay, digital noise reduction, and high-sampling.

1 From the remote control amplifier menu, press STATUS to check the system settings.

You may need to press on the Home menu ( ) first before reaching the amplifier menu screen shown below (use the / (cursor left/right) soft keys to go to the previous/next menu screen).

These appear on both the OSD and the front panel display.

The front panel display shows each of the following settings for two seconds each:

Surround back speaker/ Virtual back speaker

Acoustic calibration EQ Dual mono

Digital noise reduction Sound delay

Midnight Hi-bit

Loudness High-sampling

Tone Real phantom

Note

• If the Stream Direct mode is switched on, some settings above will show OFF, even though they are switched on.

2 When you’re finished, press STATUS again to switch off the display.

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

SB CH MODE :

ACOUS. CAL EQ :

DIGITAL NR :

MIDNIGHT :

LOUDNESS :

TONE CONTROL :

VIDEO SELECT :

DUAL MONO :

SOUND DELAY :

HI-BIT :

HI-SAMPLING :

REAL PHANTOM :

Video select

3/3

CONT

SB CH

MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY DIMMER

STATUS

ALL ADJ OFF ON

DVD/LD CH1

0.0frame

OFF

OFF OFF

OFF OFF OFF

Resetting the system

Use this feature to reset the system to its factory default settings (see Default amplifier settings below).

1 Switch the amplifier into standby.

2 While holding down the front panel DIGITAL NR button, press and hold  STANDBY/ON for about three seconds. The display shows RESET?.

3 Press the front panel OPTION + button. The display shows OK?.

4 Within 5 seconds, press OPTION –.

The amplifier should now be reset.

Note

• This doesn’t affect the presets that you have

programmed into the remote control (see Using the remote control with other components on page 61). See Resetting the remote control on page 10 to do this.

Default amplifier settings

The table below shows the factory default settings. When you reset the system, the amplifier reverts to these defaults:

Setting type Default setting Page ref.

Input DVD/LD

Master volume – – – dB (no sound)

Listening mode STANDARD (video inputs,

multichannel inputs, USB) STEREO (audio inputs)

Advanced surround effect level

Listening mode (w/

90 (5/7CH STEREO) 50 (all other modes)

STEREO page 42

headphones)

Stream Direct mode SD:1 NORMAL (ON) page 43

Acoustic Calibration EQOFF (switches to ALL CH ADJ

after the Auto Surround Setup)

Input signal select AUTO except multichannel

inputs (ANALOG) and USB (DIGITAL)

USB / multichannel

8 channels page 45

input channel setting

Surround Back Channel mode

Virtual Surround Back

ON (with surround back speaker(s) connected)

OFF page 47

mode

Hi-bit/Hi-sampling OFF page 48

page 39

page 41

page 44

page 46

Page 74

Using other functions

Setting type Default setting Page ref.

Midnight/Loudness OFF page 48

Tone BYPASS page 48

Digital NR OFF page 49

Dual mono CH1 page 50

Speakers Systems Normal Surround page 52

Speaker B setting Second Zone page 52

Speakers (front, center, surround, surround back) setting

Subwoofer setting YES page 53

Crossover frequency 80Hz page 53

Channel levels All 0 dB (no adjustment) page 54

Speaker distance settings

Acoustic Calibration 0dB (no calibration) page 55

X-Curve OFF (switches to ON after the

Tape 2 monitor OFF page 69

Input attenuator OFF (all inputs) page 70

Sound delay 0.0 frames page 70

SACD gain 0dB page 71

Speaker A/B setting A page 75

Digital jack assignment

Component video jack assignment

Video input assignment

Bass Peak Level OFF (No limit) page 86

Dynamic range control

OSD overlay ON page 87

12 volt trigger OFF · OFF page 88

THX Ultra2 subwoofer NO page 89

Surround back speaker position

All SMALL page 53

All 3 m page 55

Auto Surround Setup)

Digital-1 (coaxial) – DVD/LD Digital-2 (coaxial) – TV/DVD Digital-3 (coaxial) – CD Digital-4 (optical) – SAT Digital-5 (optical) – Digital-6 (optical) – CD-R/TAPE1/MD 2 RF (coaxial) – DVD/LD

Component1 – OFF Component2 – OFF Component3 – OFF

MULTI IN – OFF USB – OFF

OFF page 87

0.0–0.3 m page 89

DVR/VCR1

page 59

page 83

page 84

page 85

Page 75

Other connections

Chapter 9

Other connections

Caution

• Be careful not to allow any contact between speaker wires from different terminals.

• Note that the + and – connections on speaker terminals A and B are in opposite positions.

• You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 4–16Ω (please see Switching the speaker impedance on page 72 if you plan to use speakers with an impedance of less than 6Ω).

Using speaker system B

You can connect a pair of speakers to the B speaker terminals on the rear panel to listen to stereo playback in another room, or you can also use these terminals to hear surround sound when playing DVD-Audio sources. Once you’ve made these connections, you’ll have to change the speaker setting in Speaker Systems on page 52 to specify how you’re using speaker system B.

Switching the speaker system

This unit has three speaker system settings which allow you to select the speaker system(s) you want to use. What you will hear depends on the settings you made in

Speaker Systems on page 52. If you selected Normal Surround for speaker system A, and Second Zone for

speaker system B, sound is output according to the explanations below.

• Use the SPEAKER A/B button on the remote control amplifier menu screen to select a speaker system setting. You can also use the front panel SP SYSTEM A/B button.

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

SPEAKER

A/B

VIDEO

SELECT

TAPE2

MONITOR

3/3

CONT

SB CH

MODE

INPUT

ATT

DISPLAY DIMMER

STATUS

ACOUSTIC

LOUDNESS OPTIONTONE DIGITAL NR INPUT ATT

CAL.

MIDNIGHT

PHONES

SP SYSTEM

SIGNAL

VIDEO

A/B

SELECT

MONITOR

TAPE2

STREAM

SETUP

DIRECT

DIGITAL IN

MIC

SELECT

VIDEO INPUT

S-VIDEO VIDEO

CH LEVEL

MODE

AUDIOLR

SB CH

Press repeatedly to cycle through the speaker system options:

• SPA – Sound is output from speaker system A and the same signal is output from the pre-out terminals.

• SPB – Sound is output from the two speakers connected to speaker system B. Multichannel sources will be downmixed to these two speakers. The same signal is output from the surround back channel pre-out terminals.

• SPAB – Sound is output from speaker system A (up to 5 channels, depending on the source), the two speakers in speaker system B, and the subwoofer. The sound from speaker system B will be the same as the sound from speaker system A (multichannel sources will be downmixed to 2 channels). The same signal as speaker A is output from the pre-out terminals, except for the surround back pre-outs, which output the same signal as speaker B.

• SP (off) – No sound is output from the speakers. The same sound is output from the pre-out terminals as when selecting speaker system A (above).

Note

• The subwoofer output depends on the settings you made in Speaker Systems on page 52. However, if SPB is selected above, no sound is heard from the subwoofer (the LFE channel is not downmixed).

• Depending on the settings in Speaker Systems on page 52 and Using the Stream Direct mode on page 43, output from the surround back pre-out terminals may change.

• All speaker systems are switched off when headphones are connected.

Using speaker system B in another room

Connect a pair of speakers to the speaker B terminals on the rear panel the same way you connected your speakers in Connecting the speakers on page 24. Make sure to review Placing the speakers on page 25 when placing the speakers in another room.

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Other connections

Alternating surround speaker setups using speaker system B (ITU-R)

After you connect an alternate set of surround speakers, you can use speaker system B to provide surround sound when listening to sources like DVD-Audio discs. This will give you a setup of 9 speakers where the front and center speakers can be used with normal 7.1 surround (speaker system A), or 5.1 surround with DVD-Audio sources (speaker system B in ITU-R setting).

1 Connect an alternate (ITU-R) set of surround speakers as shown below.

Connect the ITU-R surround left speaker to the left speaker terminal of speaker system B. Connect the ITU-R surround right speaker in the same way.

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

• Make sure that the + / – connections are properly inserted (A and B speaker systems are opposite).

2 Select the ‘ITU-R’ setting from the Speaker Systems menu.

See Speaker Systems on page 52 to specify how you’re using speaker system B. Normal Surround should be selected to make this setting.

3 Use the SPEAKER A/B button on the remote control amplifier menu screen to select a speaker system setting.

You can also use the SP SYSTEM A/B button on the front panel.

Choose between the following settings (the shaded boxes indicate the active speakers in each setup):

• SPA: Normal – Normal surround (for movies, etc.)

ITU-R surround

left speaker

ITU-R surround

right speaker

• SPB: ITU-R – ITU-R surround setup for DVD-Audio

and other multichannel music sources. See Speaker

system setup for DVD-Audio/multichannel music sources on page 91 for more on this.

• SPOFF– No sound is output from the speakers.

Note

• Depending on the Stream Direct mode, the surround channel signal(s) will be output from either the surround, or surround back channel pre-outs when SPB: ITU-R is selected.

Bi-amping your front speakers

Bi-amping is when you connect the high frequency driver and low frequency driver of your speakers to different amplifiers (in this case, to both front and surround back terminals) for better crossover performance. Your speakers must be bi-ampable to do this (having separate terminals for high and low) and the sound improvement will depend on the kind of speakers you’re using.

1 Connect your speakers as shown below.

This illustration below shows the connections for biamping your front left speaker. Hook up your front right speaker in the same way.

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

Front left

speaker

Since both front and surround back speaker terminals output the same audio, it doesn’t matter which set (front or surround back) is powering which part (Hi or Low) of the speaker.

• Make sure that the + / – connections are properly inserted. (A and B speaker systems are opposite).

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Other connections

2 Select the ‘Front Bi-Amp’ setting from the Speaker Systems menu.

See Speaker Systems on page 52 to specify how you’re using the surround back speaker terminals.

Note

• For 7.1 surround sound with this configuration, you must connect an additional amplifier to the surround back channel pre-outs. See Connecting additional amplifiers below for more on this.

Caution

• Most speakers with both Hi and Low terminals have two metal plates that connect the Hi to the Low terminals. These must be removed when you are biamping the speakers or you could severely damage the amplifier. See your speaker manual for more information.

• If your speakers have a removable crossover network, make sure you do not remove it for bi-amping. Doing so may damage your speakers.

Bi-wiring your speakers

The reasons for bi-wiring are basically the same as biamping, but additionally, interference effects within the wire could be reduced, producing better sound. Again, to do this your speakers must be bi-wireable (that is they must have separate terminals for the high and low frequencies). When bi-wiring, make sure you’ve selected

Normal Surround in Speaker Systems on page 52.

• To bi-wire a speaker, connect two speaker cords to each speaker terminal on the amplifier.

Adding a second set of surround speakers for Bi-Surround

If your listening area is quite long, and you are seated far from the front speakers, you may want to add an extra set of left and right surround speakers instead of your surround back speakers. These should be placed between the front speakers and your existing surround speakers (which should already be placed on either side of your listening position).

1 Connect a second set of surround speakers as shown below.

Connect the second surround left speaker to the surround back left speaker terminal. Connect the second surround right speaker in the same way.

FRONT

CENTER

SURROUND

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

• Make sure that the + / – connections are properly inserted. (A and B speaker systems are opposite).

2 Select the ‘Bi-Surround’ setting from the Speaker Systems menu.

See Speaker Systems on page 52 to specify how you’re using the surround back speaker terminals.

2nd surround

left speaker

2nd surround right speaker

Caution

• Make sure you use a parallel (not series, which are fairly uncommon) connection when bi-wiring your speakers.

• Don't connect different speakers from the same terminal in this way.

Using the pre-outs

Connecting additional amplifiers

This amplifier has more than enough power for any home use, but it’s possible to add additional amplifiers to every channel of your system using the pre-outs. If you use additional amps for the front channels take out the Ushaped connectors (see item 8 in Rear panel on page 12). Make the connections shown below to add amplifiers to power your speakers.

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Other connections

Note

• Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

ANALOG

INPUT

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/ VCR1)

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

(CD)

3 IN

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

2RF

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO

R L

OUT

REC

PLAY

(Single)

OUT

REC

PLAY

MULTI CH INPUT

AUDIO POWER

AMP

CENTER

SUB W.

PRE OUT

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

L R

ANALOG

L R

ANALOG

L R

INPUT

Front channel amplifier

Center channel amplifier (mono)

Powered subwoofer

Surround channel amplifier

Surround back channel amplifier

• You can use the additional amplifier on the surround back channel pre-outs for a single speaker as well. In this case plug the amplifier into the left (L (Single)) terminal only.

Connecting an external stereo pre-amplifier

It’s possible to use a separate stereo pre-amp with this amplifier if necessary. You might want to do this if you need to connect more sources than this amplifier can accommodate, or if you prefer to use a specific pre-amp for sound quality reasons. You can connect sources to either this amplifier or to the external pre-amp (giving you a greater number of input possibilities).

Note that with sources connected this amplifier, any signal sent to the two front channels will be sent to the pre-amplifier before being heard through the front speakers in your system.

1 Remove the U-shaped connectors that connect the FRONT PRE OUT jacks to the POWER AMP IN jacks.

2 Use a stereo RCA audio cable to connect the FRONT PRE OUT jacks of this amplifier to a stereo input on the pre-amp.

For example, connect to the CD or tape inputs on the rear of the pre-amp. You’ll have to select that source if you want to hear the stereo signal from this amplifier.

3 Use a stereo RCA audio cable to connect the stereo pre-out jacks of the pre-amp to the POWER AMP IN jack of this amplifier.

This will allow you to hear the stereo source from the external pre-amp through this amplifier. For stereo sources connected directly to the external pre-amp, this amplifier acts as a standard power amplifier. For digital sources connected to this amplifier, the amplifier acts as a digital decoder/digital-to-analog converter and as a power amplifier.

Using the i.LINK interface

If you have a component with an i.LINK connector, you can connect it to this amplifier using an i.LINK cable.

Since the i.LINK interface does not transmit video signals, the video signal of i.LINK-connected components must be connected with other cables (see Connecting your equipment on page 12 for more on making video connections). If you’ve already hooked up the video signal from the component, assign the i.LINK input to the input function to which you’ve connected the video signals (see Assigning the i.LINK inputs on page 84).

The two i.LINK connectors on the rear of your amplifier are 4-pin connectors. Use a 4-pin, S400 i.LINK cable to connect i.LINK-equipped components.

Caution

• If your i.LINK connector comes into contact with metallic parts of the amplifier other than the i.LINK terminal, an electrical short may occur. Some cables have metal parts that may touch the unit when connected. Please take care to use a suitable i.LINK cable only.

Important

• Please use 4-pin, S400 cables less than 3.5 meters long. Although longer ones are available, they may not work reliably.

• There may be cases where the PQLS/rate control function and/or the i.LINK audio does not work properly even when connected to i.LINK Audio-compatible equipment.

• Do not connect/disconnect i.LINK cables or switch on/off any components connected using i.LINK when the amplifier is on.

• Copy-protected 96kHz DVD-Video discs can be heard through the i.LINK connection, but they will be downsampled to 48kHz.

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Other connections

1 Use an i.LINK cable to connect one of the i.LINK connectors on this amplifier to an i.LINK connector on your i.LINK component.

CONTROL

DVD/

LD IN

TV/ DVD IN

SAT

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD)

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

12V TRIGGER

RS-232C

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

AUDIO

R L

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

IN 5

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

AMP IN

CENTER

SUB W.

PRE OUT

(Single)

SURROUND

R L

(Single)

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

OUT IN

R L

S400

(AUDIO)

i.LINK-equipped component

• The arrow on the cable connector body should be face down and lined up with the arrow below the connector on the amplifier for correct alignment. The i.LINK cable should be inserted straight into the connector so that it snaps easily into place. If not connected properly the amplifier will not be able to recognize any connected components. Note that the i.LINK cable is fragile and can be broken easily if too much force is used when connecting.

2 Assign the i.LINK component to the input you want, then make any necessary output settings on the component.

See Assigning the i.LINK inputs on page 84 to assign the component to an input on this amplifier. Follow the operating instructions that came with the component to make any necessary output settings.

About i.LINK

i.LINK is a trademark name for IEEE1394, a high-speed interface for digital audio, video and other data found on personal computers, digital camcorders, and other kinds of audio and audio/visual equipment. A single i.LINK connector can both send and receive data at the same time, so only one cable is required to connect components for two-way communication.

“i.LINK” and the “i.LINK” logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

About PQLS rate control

Pioneer's PQLS (Precision Quartz Lock System) technology provides high-precision digital audio from DVD-A, SACD and audio CD sources when you use the i.LINK interface. A precision quartz controller in this amplifier eliminates distortion caused by timing errors (jitter), giving you the best possible digital-to-analog conversion from the digital source.

To take advantage of PQLS, you must have a player compatible with rate-control, and it must be switched on and connected to this amplifier through the i.LINK network.

Creating an i.LINK network

Using i.LINK it is possible to chain up to 17 components together so that the digital audio and control signals from each component is available to other components in the network. With the addition of an i.LINK repeater, it’s possible to connect up to 63 components.

i.LINK connectors come in 4-pin and 6-pin configurations. This player uses the 4-pin connection, but the two types can be mixed on a network.

This amplifier is compatible with i.LINK Audio (A&M protocol) components, such as DVD players. Note that when connected to i.LINK MPEG-II TS equipment (such as a digital satellite tuner), i.LINK DV equipment (such as a DVD recorder or DV camcorder), or an i.LINK-equipped personal computer, audio and video signals are not transmitted, and connecting to these devices sometimes causes network interruptions. Check the operating instructions supplied with your other i.LINK components for compatibility information.

This amplifier is DTCP (Digital Transmission Content Protection) compliant, so you can play DVD-A, DVDVideo, and SACD i.LINK audio.

Note

• You can connect several components together using i.LINK. See Creating an i.LINK network below.

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Other connections

When setting up an i.LINK network, it’s important that the components form an open ended chain (fig. 1), or a tree (fig. 2).

fig. 1

fig. 2

i.LINK cable

The system will not work if the connected components form a loop. If a loop is detected, the message LOOP CONNECT shows in the display. Figs. 3 and 4 show connections that form a loop.

fig. 3

fig. 4

i.LINK cable

Using the USB interface

1 Connect your computer’s USB terminal to the USB terminal on the rear panel of this amplifier.

CONTROL

DVD/

LD IN

TV/

DVD

SAT IN

OUT

DVR/ VCR1

OUT

VCR2

OUT

VCR3

VIDEOAUDIO S2 VIDEO

MONITOR

OUT 1

MONITOR

OUT 2

COMPONENT VIDEO

(DVD/

LD)

MONITOR

OUT

IN 3

ASSIGNABLE

DC OUT 12V

12V TRIGGER

RS-232C

TOTAL 100mA MA

DIGITAL

USB AUDIO

PHONO

OUT 2

OUT 1

(CD-R/

TUNER

TAPE1/

MD)

(DVR/

OUT

VCR1)

REC

CD-R/ TAPE1/

(SAT)

PLAY

OUT

(CD)

3 IN

REC

TAPE 2 MONITOR

(TV/

2 IN

DVD)

PLAY

FRONT SUB W CENTER

(DVD/

1 IN

LD)

SURROUND

(DVD/

LD)

ASSIGNABLE MULTI CH INPUT

VSA-AX10Ai

R L

AUDIO

S400 (AUDIO)

AUDIO POWER

CENTER

SUB W.

(Single)

SURROUND

R L

SURROUND BACK

(Single)

OUT IN

AMP

PRE OUT

(Single)

R L

Another consideration when connecting i.LINK devices is the speed of the interface. At present there are three speeds; S100 (slowest), S200 and S400 (fastest). This amplifier uses the S400 type. Although you can use components with different speeds together, we recommend connecting slower-speed components at the edge of the network if possible (shown by the shaded boxes in figs. 1 and 2). This will keep the network free of bottlenecks.

When used within an i.LINK network, this amplifier must be on for the i.LINK connection to be maintained. Other components in the network may or may not maintain the connection in standby (none will when the power is completely off)—check the operating instructions supplied with individual components. Note that the audio may be momentarily interrupted if a component in the i.LINK network is switched on/off, or its i.LINK connection is switched on/off.

This product complies with the following i.LINK interface specifications:

1) IEEE Std. 1394a-2000, Standard for a High Performance Serial Bus

2) Audio and Music Data Transmission Protocol 2.0 Following the standard for AM824 sequence adaptation layers, the product is compatible with IEC60958 bitstream, DVD-A and SACD.

Personal computer

2 Switch on your computer and this amplifier.

3 If you’re connecting for the first time, wait for the USB driver installation to finish.

The installation may take a minute or two to complete. Make sure you leave the USB cable connected until the dialog box indicates that the USB setup is finished. Note that some older operating systems may require a disc for installation.

4 Press ‘USB’ on the remote control Home menu () screen.

You can also use the INPUT SELECTOR dial on the front panel to select USB.

5 Make any necessary settings required to select the USB interface as your computer audio output.

You will need to access your speaker settings from the Control Panel of your operating system:

• Windows

XP – Select Sound, Speech, and Audio Devices, and then select Change the speaker settings. Select Audio, then PIONEER AV Receiver/ Amplifier from the drop down menu.

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Other connections

• Windows® 98SE – Select Multimedia, and then select Audio. Choose PIONEER AV Receiver/ Amplifier from the drop down menu.

• Windows

Me/Windows® 2000 – Select Sound

and Multimedia and then select Audio. Choose PIONEER AV Receiver/Amplifier from the drop

down menu.

You will also need to make sure the correct speaker setting is selected with the audio software you’re using. Please refer to the manual that came with the software to make these settings.

6 Turn up the volume control on your computer and this amplifier.

You may want to start with a fairly low volume on this amplifier and turn it up as necessary after you’ve checked your levels.

7 Start playback of a source on your computer.

8 If necessary, press SIGNAL SELECT to choose the number of channels you’ll hear.

See Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels on page 45 for more on this.

Note

• Windows Millennium Edition and Windows

XP, Windows® 2000, Windows®

98 Second Edition operating systems have been tested for compatibility with this interface, but depending on your computer setup, you may find that your system is not compatible.

• This USB interface supports up to 8 channels of audio.

• Make sure you use a USB cable that connects from an A-type connector (from your PC) to a 4-pin B-type connector (to the amplifier).

• The USB specification is version 1.1 compatible, and the USB Audio Class specification is 1.0 compatible.

• You won’t be able to control this amplifier using your computer (and vice-versa).

• Sampling formats up to 48kHz can be heard using the USB connection (formats above 48kHz sampling must be downsampled).

• Any computer alert sounds will also be heard through the speakers unless you switch them off from the computer’s control panel.

• You won’t be able to hear the audio from the USB connection through the digital outputs of this amplifier.

• Even when the amplifier is switched off, it will remain selected in your speaker settings.

• Note that using hubs or extensions may cause connection problems.

Caution

• Make sure you don’t switch off the computer or unplug the USB cable during playback.

• To prevent noise being output, don’t use other software on your computer during playback.

• Pioneer is not responsible for computer system damage, software crashes or failures, or any other possible computer problems due to this configuration.

Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Windows

XP, Windows® 2000, Windows®

NT and Windows® 98 Second Edition are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, Inc.

Connecting a PC for Advanced MCACC output

If you use the Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ (see page 57) to measure the reverb characteristics of your listening room, you can check the results graphically using a computer connected to this amplifier. Use a commercially-available RS-232C cable to connect the RS232C jack on your computer to the 9-pin RS-232C jack on the back panel of this amplifier (the cable must be cross type, female–female).

The software to output the results is available from the support area of the Pioneer website (www.pioneereur.com/files/support/MCACC/software.html). Instructions for using the software are also available here. If you have any questions about the software, please contact the Pioneer Service Center specified on your warranty card.

Please make sure your system meets the following requirements:

• Operating system must be Windows 2000, Windows

Millennium Edition, Windows® 98

Second Edition, or Windows

• CPU must be at least Pentium 3 / 300MHz or AMD K6 / 300MHz (or equivalent) with at least 128MB of memory, and your monitor must be able to display a minimum resolution of 800x600.

• An RS-232C port connector is necessary for graphical output. Refer to the operating instructions and/or the PC manufacturer for more information on making the proper port settings.

• System must have internet access.

• Connect your computer to the RS-232C jack on the rear panel of the amplifier.

Make sure that the amplifier and all connected components are switched off and disconnected from the power outlet when you do this.

XP, Windows®

NT 4.0 (Service pack 6).

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Other connections

Use a commercially-available cable to connect the RS232C jack on your computer to the 9-pin RS-232C jack on this amplifier. See the documentation provided with the Advanced MCACC application for more information.

RS-232C

Advanced MCACC output using your PC

Before continuing, make sure you have completed steps 1–6 in Using Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 58.

Note

• Transmission data is erased when the amplifier is turned off.

1 Select ‘PC Output’ and press ENTER. When the amplifier is ready for transmission, Operate a PC shows on the OSD.

3 When you’re finished, select ‘Return’ on the onscreen display.

You’ll be taken to the Advanced EQ Setup. Depending on the results, you may want to continue with the Advanced EQ setup (see Setting Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ according to your room characteristics on page 57 for more on this). You can also simply press Return again to exit the Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ setup.

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro. Manual Pro.

[ Reverb Measurement ]

[ Reverb View ]

[ PC Output ]

[ Advanced EQ Setup ]

[Return]

2.4. Acoustic Cal EQ Pro.

Operate a PC

[Return]

• If PC Output isn’t displayed, the amplifier probably doesn’t have any transmission data. Make sure you have completed steps 1–6 in Using Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 58.

2 Start the MCACC application on your computer.

Follow the instructions provided with the application. It will take about ten seconds for the transmission to complete, then you will be able to analyze the output on your computer. Since the data will be cleared from the amplifier when you restart reverb measurement or turn off the amplifier, you might want to save the information on your PC after measurement.

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Advanced setup

Chapter 10

Advanced setup

The Input Assign menu

You only need to make settings in the Input Assign menu if you didn’t hook up your digital equipment according to the default settings for the digital inputs, or if you have connected equipment using component video or i.LINK cables.

To access the Input Assign menu, follow the steps below.

1 Make sure your amplifier and TV are both switched on.

2 Using the remote control, press AMPLIFIER on the touch screen, then press the SYSTEM SETUP button.

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

ENTER

AV AMPLIFIER

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD / LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

CHANNEL VOLUME

MENU MUTE

SYSTEM SETUP

Assigning the digital inputs

• Default settings:

Digital-1 (coaxial) – DVD/LD Digital-2 (coaxial) – TV/DVD Digital-3 (coaxial) – CD Digital-4 (optical) – SAT Digital-5 (optical) – DVR (/VCR1) Digital-6 (optical) – CD-R (/TAPE1/MD)

2 RF (coaxial) – DVD/LD

You only need to do this if you didn’t hook up your digital equipment according to the default settings for the digital inputs (see above). This setting tells the amplifier what digital equipment is hooked up to which terminal so the buttons on the remote correspond to what you have hooked up.

1 Select ‘Digital In’ from the Input Assign menu and press ENTER.

1.Input Assign

[ 1.Digital In ] [ 2.Component Video In ] [ 3.i.LINK In ] [ 4.Video Assign ]

[Return]

2 Select the number of the digital input to which you’ve connected your digital component.

The numbers correspond with the numbers beside the inputs on the back of the amplifier.

An on-screen display (OSD) appears on your TV. Use the /// hard keys and ENTER on the remote control to navigate through the screens and select menu items.

• The / (cursor up/down) hard keys select menu items and the / (cursor left/right) hard keys change the setting of the item selected.

3 Select ‘Input Assign’ then press ENTER.

The Input Assign menu appears on screen:

System Setup

[Auto Surround Setup]

[1. Input Assign ] [2. Surround Setup ] [3. Expert Setup ] [4. THX Audio Setup ]

[Exit]

1.Input Assign

[ 1.Digital In ] [ 2.Component Video In ] [ 3.i.LINK In ] [ 4.Video Assign ]

[Return]

1.1. Digital-In Digital-1 [ DVD/LD ] Digital-2 [ TV/DVD ] Digital-3 [ CD ] Digital-4 [ SAT ] Digital-5 [ DVR ] Digital-6 [ CD-R ] RF IN [ DVD/LD ]

[Return]

3 Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to select the component that corresponds with the one you connected to that input. Select between DVD/LD, TV/DVD, SAT, DVR, VCR 2, VCR 3, CD or CD-R (however, the RF IN setting doesn't

include CD or CD-R).

• If you assign a digital input to a certain function (for example, DVD/LD) then any digital inputs previously assigned to that function will automatically be switched off.

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Advanced setup

4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Input Assign menu.

Assigning the component video inputs

• Default settings:

Component 1 – OFF Component 2 – OFF Component 3 – OFF

If you used component video cords to connect your video equipment you must tell the amplifier which device it is, or else you may see the S-video or composite video input instead of the component video signal.

1 Select ‘Component Video In’ from the Input Assign menu and press ENTER.

1.Input Assign

[ 1.Digital In ] [ 2.Component Video In ] [ 3.i.LINK In ] [ 4.Video Assign ]

[Return]

2 Select the number of the component video input to which you’ve connected your video player.

The numbers correspond with the numbers beside the inputs on the back of the amplifier.

1.2. Component Video In

Component 1 [DVD/LD ] Component 2 [ OFF ] Component 3 [ OFF ]

[Return]

3 Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to select the component that corresponds with the one you connected to that input.

• If you connect the TV monitor with component video cord, and the DVD player with composite or S video cord then you should set that terminal to OFF.

4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Input Assign menu.

Assigning the i.LINK inputs

If you assign i.LINK-equipped components to an input (for example DVD/LD), you will be able to select both audio and video signals from i.LINK-equipped components using the INPUT button (or INPUT SELECTOR dial on the front panel). Assigning i.LINK sources also allows you to keeps the sound settings you’ve made for other input functions.

1 Select ‘i.LINK Input’ from the Input Assign menu and press ENTER. If no i.LINK-equipped components are connected i.LINK Input cannot be selected.

1.Input Assign

[ 1.Digital In ] [ 2.Component Video In ] [ 3.i.LINK In ] [ 4.Video Assign ]

[Return]

2 Select an i.LINK-equipped component.

When a number of i.LINK-equipped components are connected to your amplifier, the i.LINK-equipped component you are looking for might be listed on additional display screens.

• i.LINK is displayed after unassigned device names (e.g. DV-868AVi [i.LINK]).

• If a connected devices cannot output (playback) a source using the i.LINK connection, [- - - -] is displayed after the input device name (e.g. DV- 868AVi [- - - -]). Non-compatible devices cannot be assigned to inputs.

• When the cables for an assigned input device become loose or the power is cut to the device, an asterisk (*) appears before the device name (e.g.

*DV-868AVi [CD]).

3 Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to select the component that you want to assign.

When you assign an i.LINK-equipped video component, select the input source to which you have connected the video signal from the component.

• If you assign an i.LINK input to a certain function (for example DVD/LD) then any digital inputs previously assigned to that function will automatically be set to i.LINK (not assigned).

• TUNER and PHONO inputs cannot be assigned.

4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Input Assign menu.

Page 85

Advanced setup

Assigning the video inputs

• Default settings:

MULTI IN – OFF USB – OFF

You can choose to watch a video source at the same time as you listen to the audio source from the multichannel analog inputs or USB connector. To do this, you must let the amplifier know which video component you want to watch. After making the settings below, the corresponding video input is selected at the same time that you choose either MULTI IN or USB as the input source.

1 Select ‘Video Assign’ from the Input Assign menu and press ENTER.

1.Input Assign

[ 1.Digital In ] [ 2.Component Video In ] [ 3.i.LINK Input ] [ 4.Video Assign ]

[Return]

2 Select which input to which you want to assign a video source. Choose either MULTI IN or USB.

3 Use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to select the video source you want to assign.

Any video source available on the amplifier can be assigned, and you can also assign the same video source to both inputs.

4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Input Assign menu.

The Expert Setup menu

The settings in the Expert Setup menu are more advanced features of this amplifier that you can use to make detailed adjustments when you’re more familiar with the system.

You only need to make these settings once (unless you change the placement of your current speaker system or add new speakers.).

1 Make sure your amplifier and TV are both switched on.

2 Using the remote control, press AMPLIFIER on the touch screen, then press the SYSTEM SETUP button.

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

ENTER

AV AMPLIFIER

1/3

AMPLIFIER

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD

/ LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

CHANNEL VOLUME

MENU MUTE

SYSTEM

SETUP

An on-screen display (OSD) appears on your TV. Use the /// hard keys and ENTER on the remote control to navigate through the screens and select menu items.

• The / (cursor up/down) hard keys select menu items and the / (cursor left/right) hard keys change the setting of the item selected.

3 Select ‘Expert Setup’ then press ENTER.

System Setup

[Auto Surround Setup]

[1. Input Assign ] [2. Surround Setup ] [3. Expert Setup ] [4. THX Audio Setup ]

[Exit]

Page 86

Advanced setup

4 Select the setting you want to adjust.

3.Expert Setup

[1. OSD Adjustment ] [2. Bass Peak Level ] [3. D-Range Control ] [4. Function Rename ] [5. OSD Overlay ] [6. 12V Trigger ]

[Return]

• OSD Adjustment – Adjust the position of the onscreen display on your TV.

• Bass Peak Level – Prevent bass tones from distorting the sound from your speakers.

• D-Range Control – Specify the amount of dynamic range adjustment to Dolby Digital soundtracks.

• Function Rename – Change the names that appear on the amplifier display and on-screen display.

• OSD Overlay – Switch the on-screen display (for basic functions) on or off.

• 12V Trigger – Specify which components are switched on or off using the 12 volt trigger.

5 Make the adjustments necessary for each setting, pressing ENTER to confirm after each screen. When you’re finished, you can select Return, then press ENTER to go back to the System Setup menu.

OSD Adjustment

Use this feature to adjust your TV display if it seems difficult to see all the instructions on the screen.

1 Select ‘OSD Adjustment’ from the Expert Setup menu.

2 Use the /// hard keys to move the display field around until you get one that you feel best suits your TV.

You can move the screen displays up or down and left or right to get the best match for your TV.

3.1. OSD Adjustment

Bass Peak Level

Some audio sources (for example, Dolby Digital and DTS) include ultra-low bass tones. Set the bass limiter as needed to prevent the bass from distorting the sound.

Note

• Since THX Ultra2 subwoofers use a bass limiter to control bass peaks, you won’t be able to select this setting if you set up your system using the THX Ultra2 Subwoofer Setup on page 89.

1 Select ‘Bass Peak Level’ from the Expert Setup menu.

The current setting is displayed.

• When [- - -] is displayed, no bass is output.

• When [OFF] is displayed the attenuator is off (bass output is not affected).

2 Select a setup option.

3.2. Bass Peak Level Manager

[Setting Start] [Setting Cancel]

[Return]

Present Level [OFF]

• Setting Start – The volume is set to MIN (----dB), a test tone plays back and you make the setting.

• Setting Cancel – Switches limiting off.

3 If you selected ‘Setting Start’, use the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to adjust the test tones and specify the bass peak level then press ENTER.

3.2. Bass Peak Level Manager

[Setting OK] Bass Peak Level [–10]

[Setting Cancel]

[Return]

3 Press ENTER.

You will return to the Expert Setup menu.

Set the bass peak level gradually, then press ENTER at the point just before the tone starts to distort. When you’re finished, the display on the amplifier will show RESUME and the volume will return to its original position.

• If the YES or PLUS setting on the subwoofer is selected (in Speaker Systems on page 52), the test tone will only play back from the subwoofer. If not, the test tone will play back from the front and surround speakers set to LARGE.

4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Expert Setup menu.

Page 87

Advanced setup

Dynamic Range Control

• Default setting: OFF

This setting specifies the amount of dynamic range adjustment to movie soundtracks. You may want to use this when listening to surround sound at low volumes.

1 Select ‘D-Range Control’ from the Expert Setup menu.

2 Choose the setting that you want.

3.3. Dynamic Range Control

Compression Level [MID] dts [OFF]

[Return]

• OFF – No dynamic range adjustment (use when listening at higher volume).

• MID – Mid setting.

• MAX – Dynamic range is reduced (loud sounds are reduced in volume while quieter sounds are increased)

3 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Expert Setup menu.

3 Edit the name as necessary and press ENTER.

3. 4. Function Rename

VCR2 [ VCR2 ]

VCR2 [ VCR2 ] VCR3 [ VCR3 ] CD [ CD ]

R [ CD_R ]

CD TUNER [ TUNER ]

Use the / (cursor up/down) hard keys to change the character and the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to move forward/back a position. The name can be up to ten characters (the possible characters are listed below).

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !”#$%&’()*+,–./:;<=>?@[ \ ]^_{|} (space)

4 Select another name to edit, or select ‘Return’ from the bottom of the list if you’re done. Press ENTER.

3. 4. Function Rename

PHONO [ PHONO ]

PHONO [ PHONO ] MULTI IN [ MULTI IN ] USB [ USB ]

[Return]

Function Rename

You can customize the names that appears on the display when you select an input source (for example, you could change the name of VCR1/DVR to DVR-310).

1 Select ‘Function Rename’ from the Expert Setup menu.

2 Select the name of the input you want to rename and press ENTER.

The functions are divided into three different on-screen displays so you may have to move through them to find the function you want to rename.

3. 4. Function Rename

DVD/LD [ DVD/LD ]

DVD/LD [ DVD/LD ] TV/DVD [ TV/DVD ] SAT [ SAT ] VIDEO [ VIDEO ] DVR/VCR1 [ DVR/VCR1 ]

If you’ve selected another name, repeat step 3, otherwise you’ll return to the Expert Setup menu.

OSD Overlay

• Default setting: ON

You can choose whether or not you want to see basic functions (such as selecting input sources) using the onscreen display. Only the System Setup menu and Status screen (Checking your system settings on page 73) appear on the OSD.

1 Select ‘OSD Overlay’ from the Expert Setup menu.

2 Choose the setting that you want.

3. 5. OSD Overlay

Overlay [ON ]

[Return]

• OFF – The on-screen display is switched off except for the System Step menu and Status screens.

• ON – The on-screen display is switched on for basic functions.

Page 88

Advanced setup

3 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Expert Setup menu.

12 Volt Trigger

• Default setting: OFF · OFF (all components)

After connecting a component to one of the 12 volt triggers (see Switching components on and off using the 12 volt trigger on page 68), it switches on automatically when you select an input function set to switch the trigger on. Specify which input functions switch on which trigger(s) below.

1 Select ‘12V Trigger’ from the Expert Setup menu.

2 Select an input function and choose the setting that you want.

This should be the input function, that when selected, switches on one (or both) of the 12 volt triggers.

3.6. 12V Trigger

1 2 DVD/LD [OFF.OFF ] TV/DVD [OFF.OFF ] SAT [OFF.OFF] VIDEO [OFF.OFF] DVR/VCR1 [OFF.OFF] VCR2 [OFF.OFF] VCR3 [OFF.OFF] ( Next)

• OFF · OFF – 12 volt triggers 1 and 2 are switched off.

• OFF · ON – 12 volt trigger 1 is switched off; 12 volt trigger 2 is switched on.

• ON · OFF – 12 volt trigger 1 is switched on; 12 volt trigger 2 is switched off.

• ON · ON – 12 volt triggers 1 and 2 are switched on.

3 Repeat for as many input functions as you would like to set.

4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the Expert Setup menu.

3.6. 12V Trigger

1 2 DVD/LD [ON .OFF ] TV/DVD [OFF.OFF ] SAT [OFF.OFF] VIDEO [OFF.OFF] DVR/VCR1 [OFF.OFF] VCR2 [OFF.OFF] VCR3 [OFF.OFF] ( Next)

THX Audio Setup

The settings in the THX Audio Setup menu allow you to get optimum effect from THX technologies if you’re using a subwoofer and surround back speakers with your home theater system. See THX speaker system setup on page 91 for more on this.

To access the THX Audio Setup menu, follow the steps below.

1 Make sure your amplifier and TV are both switched on.

2 Using the remote control, press AMPLIFIER on the touch screen, then press the SYSTEM SETUP button.

AMPLIFIER

/ DVD

CD TUNER

MULTI

OPERATION

SETUP

ENTER

AV AMPLIFIER

1/3

SAT

SYSTEM

OFF

HOME

AMPLIFIER

INPUT 1 2 3

DVD

/ LD

DVR

/ VCR1

CONT

CHANNEL VOLUME

MENU MUTE

SYSTEM

SETUP

An on-screen display (OSD) appears on your TV. Use the /// hard keys and ENTER on the remote control to navigate through the screens and select menu items.

• The / (cursor up/down) hard keys select menu items and the / (cursor left/right) hard keys change the setting of the item selected.

3 Select ‘THX Audio Setup’ then press ENTER.

System Setup

[Auto Surround Setup]

[1. Input Assign ] [2. Surround Setup ] [3. Expert Setup ] [4. THX Audio Setup ]

[Exit]

Page 89

Advanced setup

THX Ultra2 Subwoofer Setup

With a THX Ultra2 subwoofer (or one that has a response to 20Hz), depending on the position of the subwoofer and the walls in your listening area, you may experience overly resonant frequencies in the bass. If you have this problem use the THX Ultra2 subwoofer setup to switch on boundary gain compensation (see About THX® on page 101 for more on this).

Note

• If you don't have a subwoofer, you won't be able to select this setting.

• Selecting YES in step 2 (below) cancels the setting you made for Bass Peak Level on page 86.

1 Select ‘Ultra2 SW Setup’ from the THX Audio Setup menu.

2 Specify whether your subwoofer is THX Ultra2 certified (or can respond to 20Hz).

You can only switch on Boundary Gain Compensation (below) if you have selected YES for this setting.

3 Select either ON or OFF for the Boundary Gain Compensation setting.

4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the THX Audio Setup menu.

Surround Back Speaker Position

For the most effective results when using the THX Ultra2 Cinema and THX MusicMode listening modes (see Using the Home THX modes on page 41) with the Advanced Speaker Array (ASA) system (see About THX® on page 101), it is required that you make the setting below.

Note

• If you don't have surround back speakers, or just have one, you won't be able to select this setting.

1 Select ‘SB SP Position’ from the THX Audio Setup menu.

2 Specify the distance of your surround back speakers from each other.

• 0.0–0.3 m – Surround speakers up to 30 cm apart (best for THX surround sound).

• <0.3–1.2 m – Surround speakers between 30 cm and

1.2 m apart.

• 1.2 m< – Surround speakers more than 1.2 m apart.

3 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.

You will return to the THX Audio Setup menu.

Page 90

Additional information

Chapter 11

Additional information

Optimizing your speaker setup

In addition to the speaker placement tips outlined in Placing the speakers on page 25, you can use the diagrams and explanations provided below as a reference for optimum placement of each set of speakers.

Basic surround setup

If you're using a center speaker, place the front speakers at a wider angle. If not, place them at a narrower angle.

F L

45~60

F R

Surround and surround back speakers should be positioned 60 cm–90 cm higher than your ears and titled slight downward. Make sure the speakers don't face each other. For DVD-Audio, the speakers should be more directly behind the listener than for home theater playback.

No surround back speakers

90~120

Make sure the center speaker does not cross the line formed by the leading edge of the front left and right speakers.

F L

F R

It is best to angle the speakers towards the listening position. The angle depends on the size of the room. Use less of an angle for bigger rooms.

F L

F R

One surround back speaker

90~120

S B

Two surround back speakers

0~60

SBL

SBR

Page 91

Additional information

THX speaker system setup

If you have a complete THX speaker system, follow the diagram below to place your speakers. Note that the

surround speakers ( indicates bi-polar radiating speakers) should output at an angle parallel to the listener.

Surround

If you have two surround back speakers THX recommends placing them together and the same distance from your listening position so you can take advantage of the ASA feature. For more details see Advanced Speaker Array™ (ASA) on page 102.

See also THX Audio Setup on page 88 to make the settings that will give you the best sound experience when using the Home THX modes (on page 41).

CFR

Surround

SBL SBR

Surround back

Note

• If you connect an alternate set of surround speakers, you can use speaker system B to provide additional surround sound options when listening to multichannel music sources. See Alternating

surround speaker setups using speaker system B (ITUR) on page 76 for how to set it up.

• If you’re using two surround back speakers, you can select the STANDARD SX listening mode during DVD-Audio playback to simulate the sound achieved from the setup shown in the diagram above. The sound from the surround and surround back speakers are combined to create a virtual surround speaker.

Speaker system setup for DVD-Audio/ multichannel music sources

The best speaker placement for DVD-Audio (and other multichannel music sources) may be different than for regular DVD discs. For these formats, some sound studios use the setup shown in the diagram below (as recommended by ITU-R) instead of the setups in Basic surround setup above.

Page 92

Additional information

Troubleshooting

Incorrect operations are often mistaken for trouble and malfunctions. If you think that there is something wrong with this component, check the points below. Sometimes the trouble may lie in another component. Investigate the other components and electrical appliances being used. If the trouble cannot be rectified even after exercising the checks listed below, contact the Pioneer Service Center specified on your warranty card.

Power

Symptom Cause Remedy

The power does not turn on. • The power plug is disconnected. • Connect the power plug to the wall outlet.

The ampliﬁer suddenly switches off.

During loud playback the power suddenly switches off.

AMP ERR blinks in the display, then the power automatically switches off.

FAN STOP blinks in the display, then the power automatically switches off.

OVERHEAT blinks in the display and no sound is output.

• The protection circuit may have been activated.

• Something is obstructing the rear panel fan. • Unplug the ampliﬁer from the wall and call the Pioneer

• The speaker wires are frayed or sticking out of the jack, and are touching the back of the ampliﬁer or another set of wires.

• The ampliﬁer has a serious problem. • Unplug the ampliﬁer from the wall and call the Pioneer

• The protection circuit has been activated because the lowest actual impedance of the speakers (as opposed to the speakers rated impedance) is dangerously low.

• The ampliﬁer has a serious problem. • After about a minute (you won’t be able to switch the

• Something is obstructing the fan located on the underside of the unit.

• The fan is malfunctioning. • Unplug the receiver from the wall and call the Pioneer

• The internal temperature of the unit has become too high.

• Disconnect the power plug from the outlet, and insert again.

Service Center speciﬁed on your warranty card.

• Reinsert the speaker wires, making sure there are no stray strands of wire and that they are inserted fully.

Service Center speciﬁed on your warranty card.

• Turn down the volume.

• When its convenient, go to Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 55 and lower the 63 Hz and 125 Hz equalizer levels using the manual setting.

• Turning the digital safety feature on may allow you to turn up the volume a little more. To switch between

SAFETY 1 (medium effect), SAFETY 2 (more effect) and SAFETY OFF, put theampliﬁer into standby, then press the

 STANDBY/ON button while holding down the OPTION button on the front panel. If the power switches off even with SAFETY 2 switched on, turn down the volume.

unit on during this time), switch the ampliﬁer back on. If the message persists, call the Pioneer Service Center speciﬁed on your warranty card.

• Unplug the receiver from the wall and call the Pioneer Service Center speciﬁed on your warranty card.

Service Center speciﬁed on your warranty card.

• After allowing the unit to cool down in a well-ventilated place, try switching the ampliﬁer back on. Make sure you follow the guidelines for improving heat dispersal in Ventilation on page 2.

No sound

Symptom Cause Remedy

No sound is output when an input source is selected.

• Improper connections. • Make sure you have properly connected the component

• Sound is muted or the volume is turned down.

• The TAPE 2 monitoring feature is on. • Press TAPE 2 MONITOR to switch it off (see Monitoring

• Speakers are turned off or selected improperly with the SP SYSTEM A/B switch.

• The input signal type is incorrect. • Press SIGNAL SELECT to select the proper input signal

• The i.LINK source selected for the main room has also been selected as a source in the sub room.

to the corresponding input on the back of the ampliﬁer (see Connecting your equipment on page 12).

• Press MUTE or adjust the volume accordingly.

your recording on page 69).

• Press SP SYSTEM A/B to select the proper speaker set (see Switching the speaker system on page 75).

(see Selecting the input signal type on page 44).

• Choose a different source or choose a different input signal for the main room, such as DIGITAL or ANALOG (see Selecting the input signal type on page 44).

Page 93

Additional information

Symptom Cause Remedy

No sound output from the front speakers.

No sound from the surround or center speakers.

No sound from surround back speakers.

No sound from subwoofer. • The subwoofer is disconnected or switched

No sound from one speaker. • The speaker setting has been set to NO.• Change the setting in Speaker Systems on page 52.

The program indicator lights for a channel, but no sound is output from the corresponding speaker.

• The U-shaped connectors that connect the POWER AMP IN terminals to the front channel pre outs are not connected.

• The front speakers are connected to the B speaker system jack.

• Speaker settings are incorrect. (for example, they have been set to NO).

• The surround and/or center levels are turned down.

• The surround and/or center speakers are disconnected.

• The STEREO listening mode has been selected.

• Speaker system B is selected. • Select speaker system A (see Switching the speaker

• The 2 channel input setting is selected when using the multichannel analog inputs or the USB interface.

• Surround back speakers are set to NO.• Set the surround back speakers to LARGE or SMALL

• The SB CH mode is switched off. • Set the surround back channel to SB CH ON (see

• The source is not a 6.1 channel playback source.

• The surround back speakers are disconnected.

• The surround back channel is on the 1 speaker setting, and your speaker is connected to the right channel output.

• The wrong input setting is selected when using the multichannel analog inputs or the USB interface.

• The SB CH MODE is switched to AUTO and the Dolby Surround EX / DTS ES software you’re playing has no ﬂag to indicate it is 6.1 compatible.

off.

• The subwoofer's settings are incorrect. • Set the subwoofer (see Speaker Systems on page 52).

• The crossover frequency is set too low. • Set the crossover frequency to a (higher) frequency that

• The bass attenuator is set too low. • See Bass Peak Level on page 86 to adjust the setting.

• The subwoofer's levels are too low. • See Channel Level on page 54 to check the speaker

• The speaker level is too low. • Check the level in Channel Level on page 54.

• The speaker isn’t connected properly. • Check Installing your speaker system on page 24 to

• The source has no sound output for that channel.

• A mute signal is recorded on the channel.

• Reconnect the POWER AMP IN terminals to the front channel pre-outs using the supplied U-shaped connectors (see item 8 in Rear panel on page 12).

• Connect the front speakers to the A speaker system jacks (see Installing your speaker system on page 24).

• Check you speaker settings in Speaker Systems on page 52.

• Check the levels in Channel Level on page 54.

• Check Installing your speaker system on page 24 to make sure the speakers are connected correctly.

• Choose a surround listening mode (see Listening in

surround sound on page 39).

system on page 75).

• Change the setting accordingly (see Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels on page 45).

(see Speaker Systems on page 52).

page 46).

• Choose an Advanced surround listening mode (see Listening in surround sound on page 39).

• Check Installing your speaker system on page 24 to make sure the speakers are connected correctly.

• Connect the speaker to the surround back left channel output (Installing your speaker system on page 24).

• Change the setting accordingly (see Selecting USB and multichannel analog input channels on page 45).

• You can still listen with surround back sound by setting the surround back channel to SB CH ON (page 46).

• Connect or switch on the subwoofer (see Installing your speaker system on page 24).

• Set the front speakers to SMALL (see Speaker Systems on page 52).

matches your speaker characteristics (see Speaker Systems on page 52)

levels.

• Check the volume control on the subwoofer to make sure it is turned up.

make sure the speaker is connected correctly.

• By choosing an Advanced surround listening mode (see Listening in surround sound on page 39), you may be able to create an extra channel for the speaker.

Page 94

Additional information

Symptom Cause Remedy

Sound is produced from analog components, but not from digital ones (DVD, LD, CD-ROM etc.).

When playing an LD the input signal type is 2RF but there is still no sound.

No sound output from the headphones.

No sound is output or a noise is output when Dolby Digital/DTS software is played back.

No digital output from the DVD player when playing a multichannel DVD-Audio or SACD disc.

No digital output when playing a 192/176.4 kHz sampling rate DVD-Audio disc.

During playback of a Dolby Surround EX / DTS ES soundtrack, the LS, S and RS indicators light but there is no surround back channel sound.

• The digital input assignment is wrong. • Assign the digital inputs correctly (see Assigning the

• The digital components aren't connected properly.

• The player is not compatible with the source you're using, or the player settings are incorrect.

• The digital output level has been turned down on a CD player or other component equipped with digital output level adjustment capability.

• Analog input has been selected. • Select digital input (see Selecting the input signal type

The LD is not a Dolby Digital compatible disc. • Set the input signal to AUTO (see Selecting the input

The U-shaped connectors that connect the POWER AMP IN terminals to the front channel pre-outs are not connected.

• A DVD player not compatible with Dolby Digital/DTS is being used.

• The settings on the DVD player are incorrect and/or the DTS signal output is turned off.

• The digital output level is turned down on a CD player or other component equipped with digital output level adjustment capability. (The DTS signal has been altered by the player, and cannot be read.)

• DVD players do not output digital audio when playing these kinds of discs.

• DVD players do not output digital audio at these sampling rates. Usually, players output the audio from these discs at a downsampled rate of 96/88.2 kHz or 48/44.1 kHz. Some discs prohibit all digital output.

• The listening mode is not set correctly. • Set the surround back channel to SB CH AUTO (see

digital inputs on page 83).

• Make sure you have properly connected the digital component to the corresponding input on the back of the ampliﬁer (see Connecting your equipment on page 12).

• Choose a compatible source, or check the component’s manual for the correct settings.

• Set the digital volume level of the player to full, or to the neutral position.

on page 44).

signal type on page 44). Also make sure your LD player is hooked up with analog connections in addition to digital and 2RF connections (see Connecting other video sources on page 19).

• Reconnect the POWER AMP IN terminals to the front channel pre-outs using the supplied U-shaped connectors (see item 8 in Rear panel on page 12).

• Make sure your DVD player is compatible with Dolby Digital/DTS.

• Make sure the player's settings are correct and/or the DTS signal out is on. Refer to the instruction manual supplied with the DVD player.

• Set the digital volume level of the player to full, or to the neutral position.

• To enjoy fully multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD discs, connect your DVD player to this ampliﬁer through the multichannel analog inputs. See Connecting the multichannel analog outputs on page 16 and also the operating instructions that came with your DVD player.

• This is not a malfunction. To enjoy fully these discs, connect your DVD player to this ampliﬁer through the multichannel analog inputs. See Connecting the multichannel analog outputs on page 16 and also the operating instructions that came with your DVD player.

Using the surround back channel on page 46).

Pioneer VSA-AX10Ai User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual