Pioneer VSX-415-S-K, VSX-515-S-K User Manual

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER

SINTOAMPLIFICATORE AUDIO/VIDEO MULTICANALE

VSX-415-S/-K VSX-515-S/-K

Operating Instructions Istruzioni per l’uso

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.

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

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.

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 cut-off plug should be disposed of and must 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 5 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.

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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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 5 A fuses approved by B.S.I or A.S.T.A to B.S.1362 should be used.

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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.

WARNING

This equipment is not waterproof. To prevent a fire or shock hazard, do not place any container filed with liquid near this equipment (such as a vase or flower pot) or expose it to dripping, splashing, rain or moisture.

WARNING

Before plugging in for the first 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

To prevent a fire hazard, do not place any naked flame sources (such as a lighted candle) on the equipment.

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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 this unit in a poorly ventilated area, or in locations exposed to high humidity or direct sunlight (or strong artificial light)

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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VENTILATION CAUTION

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

Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation to ensure reliable operation of the product, and to protect it from overheating. To prevent fire hazard, the openings should never be blocked or covered with items (such as newspapers, table-cloths, curtains) or by operating the equipment on thick carpet or a bed.

S T A ND

ARD

ADVANC

ED SU RR

ST /DI /

UTO

S T

SURR

E N

SIGNA

I N

SELECT

D E

STAND

/LD

T V /SA

P H ONE

INP

D V R/VCR

ATT

AUD

SP IMME EAKERS

BAN

NIN G

/STATI

EDIT

I O

I D

NDED

I D

ODE

N E R

T O

T I

USTI

QU SETUP

N EL

PLIF

I ER

V S

-915

D-R/TAPE/MD

I CK

E NTE

SYS TEM S ETU

M U

L TI JOG

TUNER

RETURN

V ID

E O

I D

A ST

M E

D O W

U P

If the AC plug of this unit does not match the AC outlet you want to use, 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 performed only by qualified service personnel. If connected to an AC outlet, the cut-off plug can cause severe electrical shock. Make sure it is properly disposed of after removal. The equipment should be disconnected by removing the mains plug from the wall socket when left unused for a long period of time (for example, when on vacation).

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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.

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Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby", "Pro Logic", "Surround EX", and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

"DTS" ,"DTS-ES Extended Surround" and "Neo:6" are trademarks of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.

CAUTION

The STANDBY/ON switch on this unit will not completely shut off all power from the AC outlet. Since the power cord serves as the main disconnect device for the unit, you will need to unplug it from the AC outlet to shut down all power. Therefore, make sure the unit has been installed so that the power cord can be easily unplugged from the AC outlet in case of an accident. To avoid fire hazard, the power cord should also be unplugged from the AC outlet when left unused for a long period of time (for example, when on vacation).

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Contents

01 Before you start

Checking what’s in the box Loading the batteries Operating range of remote control unit Installing the receiver

02 5 minute guide

Introduction to home theater Listening to Surround Sound Using the Quick Setup

03 Quick surround sound setup

Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC)

Other problems during Auto MCACC

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

04 Connecting up

Making cable connections

Analog audio cables Digital audio cables Video cables

Connecting a DVD player and TV

Connecting the multichannel analog

outputs Connecting a satellite receiver or other digital set-top box Connecting other audio components

About the WMA9 Pro decoder Connecting other video components Connecting antennas

FM wire antenna

AM loop antenna

Using external antennas Connecting the speakers (VSX-415) Connecting the speakers (VSX-515)

Speaker terminals

Hints on speaker placement

Speaker placement diagrams

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

05 Controls and displays

Front panel Display

VSX-515 model:

VSX-415 model: Remote control

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

06 Listening to your system

Auto playback Listening in surround sound

Using the Advanced surround effects Listening in stereo Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ Choosing the input signal

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

. . . . . . 6

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

. . . . . 14

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . 16

. . . . . . 18

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. . . . . . 19

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . 21

. . . . . . . 22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

. . . . 32

. . . . . 34

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Using the surround back channel (Extended mode) Using the Virtual Surround Back mode (VSB) Using Midnight and Loudness listening Enhancing dialog Using the tone controls Playing other sources Selecting the multichannel analog inputs Using the sleep timer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

. . . . 38

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

07 Setting up the receiver

Choosing your receiver setup Surround and sound setup options

Speaker setting Subwoofer setting

Crossover frequency setting . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

LFE attenuator setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Front speaker distance setting . . . . . . . . . . 42

Center speaker distance setting . . . . . . . . . 42

Surround speaker distance setting . . . . . . . 42

Subwoofer distance setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Dynamic range control setting . . . . . . . . . . 42

Dual mono setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Digital input settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Setting separate channel levels for

listening modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . 41

08 The System Setup menu

Making receiver settings from the System

Setup menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Manual MCACC speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Fine Channel Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Fine Channel Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Acoustic Calibration EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Manual speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Speaker setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Crossover network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Channel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

The Input Assign menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

The Other setup menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Dynamic Range Control Setup . . . . . . . . . . 51

Dual Mono Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

LFE Attenuator Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

09 Using the tuner

Listening to the radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Improving FM stereo sound . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Saving station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Naming station presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Listening to station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

An introduction to RDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Displaying RDS information . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Searching for RDS programs . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Using EON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Clearing all stations from the RDS and

EON searches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

10 Making recordings

Making an audio or a video recording

11 Additional information

Troubleshooting Resetting the main unit Switching the speaker impedance Specifications Power cord caution Cleaning the unit

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

. . . . . . . . . 61

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

. . . . . . 57

English Italiano Français

Nederlands

EspañolDeutsch

Before you start01

Chapter 1:

Before you start

Checking what’s in the box

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

• AM loop antenna

• FM wire antenna

• Dry cell batteries (AA size IEC R6) x2

• Remote control

• Setup microphone (VSX-515 model only)

• These operating instructions

Loading the batteries

Important

Incorrect use of batteries may result in such hazards as leakage and bursting. Observe the following precautions:

• Never use new and old batteries together.

• Insert the plus and minus sides of the batteries properly according to the marks in the battery case.

• Batteries with the same shape may have different voltages. Do not use different batteries together.

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

Operating range of remote control unit

The remote control may not work properly if:

• There are obstacles between the remote control and the receiver's remote sensor.

• Direct sunlight or fluorescent light is shining onto the remote sensor.

• The receiver is located near a device that is emitting infrared rays.

• The receiver is operated simultaneously with another infrared remote control unit.

S T AND

AD R D

D R R

D I

/AU

R E

O T S

T E

A S

E L

ST AN

D B Y

/ L D

T V / S

A T

P HO N E

I N

V R/V

SP I

M EA M

R E

/ V

T E

I D

D A

UST

I C

/ S T

I O T

U N

I F

IER

I T

S X

T ON

- R/

T A

SET

E R

YST

M U

L T

SET

UNE

U P

R ET U R

I D

Installing the

receiver

• When installing this unit, make sure to put it on a level and stable surface.

Don’t install it on the following places: – on a color TV (the screen may distort) – near a cassette deck (or close to a device that gives off a magnetic field). This may interfere with the sound. – in direct sunlight – in damp or wet areas – in extremely hot or cold areas – in places where there is vibration or other movement – in places that are very dusty – in places that have hot fumes or oils (such as a kitchen)

TE V O

D O W N

U P

5 minute guide

Chapter 2:

5 minute guide

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 receiver.

DVD-Video has become the basic source material for home theater due to its size, quality, and ease of use. Depending on the DVD, you can have up to seven different audio tracks coming from one disc, all of them being sent to different speakers in your system. This is what creates a surround sound effect and gives you the feeling of ‘being there’.

This receiver will automatically decode Dolby Digital, DTS, or Dolby Surround DVD-Video discs, according to your speaker setup. In most cases, you won’t have to make changes for realistic surround sound, but other possibilities (like listening to a CD with multichannel surround sound) are explained in

Listening to your system

on page 31.

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

5 minute guide02

Listening to Surround Sound

This receiver was designed with the easiest possible setup in mind, so with the following quick setup guide, you should have your system hooked up for surround sound in no time at all. In most cases, you can simply leave the receiver in the default settings.

Be sure to complete all connections before connecting this unit to the AC power source.

1 Hook up your DVD player.

For surround sound, you’ll want to hook up using a digital connection from the DVD player to the receiver. You can do this with either a coaxial, or an optical connection (you don’t need to connect both). If you hook up using an optical cable, you will need to assign the optical input to the VSX-415 see

Digital input settings

on page 43 and for the VSX-515 see

The Input Assign menu

on page 51).

Use a video cord to connect the video output on your DVD player to the receiver using the jacks shown below.

2 Hook up your TV.

Use a video cord to connect your receiver to the TV using the jacks as shown below.

DVD

(for

Optical cable

VIDEO IN

DIGITAL OUT

STANDBY/ON

DVD player

¡¢41

Coaxial

VIDEO OUT

cable

OPT

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE

COAX

DIGITAL IN

DVD PLAYER

COAX

(CD)

(DVD /LD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

(TV/SAT)

COAX

(DVD /LD)

OPT

(CD)

/ TAPE

DVD / LD

FRONT

REC

CD-R

/ MD

AUDIO

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

DVR/

OUT

VCR

TV/ SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

REC

CD-R

OUT

/ TAPE

PLAY

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

ANTENNA

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR OUT

D V D

5.1CH

SUB

INPUT

WOOFER

PREOUT

/ MD

Video cord

* The illustration shows the VSX-515, but connections for the VSX-415 are the same.

Video cord

This receiver*

CEN-

SUB

TER

WOOFER

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

VIDEO

FRONT

CENTER SURROUND

RL R L

S P E A

K E R S

SURROUND BACK

OUT

SINGLE

SEE INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

5 minute guide

3 Connect your speakers.

A complete setup of speakers is shown here (six speakers for the VSX-415, and eight for the VSX-

515), but home setups may vary. Simply connect the speakers you have as shown below.

The receiver will work with just two stereo speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three speakers is recommended, and a complete setup is best.

Make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the right terminal and the speaker on the left to the left terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative ( those on the speakers. You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 6–16 see

Switching the speaker impedance

less than 8

Ω

on page 61 if you plan to use speakers with an impedance of

Front speakers

LR C LSRS

CEN-

SUB WOOFER

TER

LOOP

ANTENNA

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

FRONT

CENTER SURROUND

RL R L

S P E A K E R S

DIGITAL IN

ASSIGNABLE

AUDIO

FM UNBAL

Ω

DVR/

OUT

VCR

OPT

(TV/

SAT)

COAX

(CD)

COAX

OUT

(DVD /LD)

VIDEO

TV/

OUT

SAT

DVD

MONITOR

/LD

OUT

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH

SUB

INPUT

REC

WOOFER

CD-R

/ TAPE

PREOUT

/ MD

PLAY

+/–

) terminals on the receiver match

Ω

(please

Surround speakersCenter speaker

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Deutsch

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Nederlands

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Powered subwoofer

INPUT

Note

VSX-415 model only

• If you’re not using a subwoofer, change the front speaker setting (see

VSX-515 model only

• If you’re not using a subwoofer, change the front speaker setting (see

• If you are using only one surround back speaker, connect the positive wire to the right channel (

wire to the left channel (

–

) terminal as shown.

Speaker setting

on page 41) to large.

on page 48) to

VSX-415

LARGE

) terminal, and the negative

5 minute guide02

Front speakers

Center speaker

LR C LSRS

CEN-

SUB

TER

ANTENNA

WOOFER

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

FRONT

RL R L

S P E A K E R S

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

AUDIO

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

DVR/

OUT

VCR

OPT

COAX

(CD)

OUT

COAX

(DVD

/LD)

VIDEO

TV/

OUT

SAT

DVD

MONITOR

/LD

OUT

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH

SUB

INPUT

REC

WOOFER

CD-R

PREOUT

/ TAPE

/ MD

PLAY

Surround speakers

CENTER SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SINGLE

SEE INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

Surround back speakers

SBL SBR

VSX-515

Single

Powered subwoofer

surround back speaker

INPUT

4 Plug in the receiver and switch it on, followed by your DVD player, subwoofer and TV.

Make sure you’ve set the video input on your TV to this receiver. Check the manual that came with the TV if you don’t know how to do this.

Also make sure that selected. If it isn’t, press

DVD/LD

DVD

is showing in the receiver’s display, indicating that the DVD input is

on the remote control to set the receiver to the DVD input.

5 Press QUICK SETUP on the front panel to specify your speaker setup, room size and listening position.

Use the

MULTI JOG

dial to select and

ENTER

to confirm your selection. See

Using the Quick Setup

on page 11 if you’re unsure about the settings.

6 Play a DVD, and adjust the volume to your liking.

There are several other sound options you can select. See more on this.

Other problems during Auto MCACC

If the room environment is not optimal for the Auto MCACC 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. instructions showing in the front panel display, please follow them.

If there are any

Note

1• Depending on the characteristics of your room, sometimes identical speakers with cone sizes of around 12cm will end up with different size settings. You can correct the setting manually using the

• The subwoofer distance setting may be farther than the actual distance from the listening position. This setting should be accurate (taking delay and room characteristics into account) and generally does not need to be changed. 2 Some older TVs may interfere with operation of the mic. You may want to switch off your TV during the Auto MCACC Setup.

Speaker setting

on page 48.

Connecting up

Chapter 4:

Connecting up

Making cable connections

Make sure not to bend the cables over the top of this unit (as shown in the illustration). If this happens, the magnetic field produced by the transformers in this unit may cause a humming noise from the speakers.

Important

• Before making or changing any

connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

Analog audio cables

Use stereo RCA phono cables to connect analog audio components. These cables are typically red and white, and you should connect the red plugs to R (right) terminals and white plugs to L (left) terminals.

Digital audio cables

Commercially available coaxial digital audio cables or optical cables should be used to

connect digital components to this receiver.

Coaxial digital audio cable Optical cable

Video cables

Standard RCA video cables

These cables are the most common type of video connection and should be used to connect to the composite video terminals. They have yellow plugs to distinguish them from cables for audio.

tandard RCA video cable

English

Deutsch

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Nederlands

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Analog audio cables

Right (red)

Left (white)

Note

1• 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.

• You can also use a standard RCA video cable for coaxial digital connections.

Connecting up04

Connecting a DVD player and TV

This page shows you how to connect your DVD player and TV to the receiver.

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

Use a coaxial digital audio cable for the connection.

2 Connect the composite video output and the stereo analog audio outputs

DVD player to the DVD/LD inputs on this receiver.

Use a standard RCA video cable and a stereo RCA phono cable for the connection.

• If your DVD player has multichannel

3 Connect the analog audio outputs from your TV to the TV/SAT inputs on this receiver.

This will allow you to play the sound from the TV's built-in tuner. Use a stereo RCA phono cable to do this.

• If your TV has a built-in digital decoder, you

4 Connect the MONITOR OUT video jack on this receiver to a video input on your TV.

Use a standard RCA video cable to connect to the composite video jack.

on your

analog outputs, see

multichannel analog outputs

Connecting the

below for how

to connect it.

can also connect an optical digital audio output from your TV to the

(TV/SAT)

input on this receiver. Use an

DIGITAL OPT 1

optical cable for the connection.

* The illustration shows the VSX-515, but connections for the VSX-415 are the same.

DIGITAL

AUDIO OUT

OPTICAL

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

This receiver*

COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

DVD player

COAX

OPT

(CD)

(DVD /LD)

OUT

ANALOG AUDIO OUT

AUDIO

DVR/ VCR

TV / SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

REC

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

PLAY

ANALOG OUT

FM UNBAL

Ω

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR

D V D

5.1CH

INPUT

OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

AUDIORL

LOOP

VIDEO IN

ANTENNA

VIDEO OUT

Note

1 If your DVD player only has an optical digital output, you can connect it to the optical input on this receiver using an optical cable. When you set up the receiver you'll need to tell the receiver which input you connected the player to (for the VSX-415 see

Digital input settings

2 This connection will allow you to make analog recordings from your DVD player.

on page 43 and for the VSX-515 see

The Input Assign menu

on page 51).

Connecting up

Connecting the multichannel analog outputs

For DVD Audio and SACD playback, your DVD player may have 5.1 channel analog outputs.In this case, you can connect them to the multi-

channel

inputs of the receiver as shown below.

This receiver*

CEN-

SUB

TER

AUDIO

DVR/

OUT

VCR

OPT

TV/

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

COAX

REC

(CD)

CD-R

OUT

/ TAPE

COAX

/ MD

(DVD

PLAY

/LD)

RL RL

CENTER OUTPUT

FRONT

OUTPUT

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR OUT

D V D

5.1CH

SUB

INPUT

WOOFER

PREOUT

SURROUND

OUTPUT

ANTENNA

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

SUB

WOOFER

OUTPUT

SURROUND

S P E A K E R S

WOOFER

FRONT

VIDEO

OUTPUT

DVD/multi-channel decoder with multi-channel analog output jacks

* The illustration shows the VSX-515, but connections for the VSX-415 are the same.

CENT

1 Connect a set of audio/video outputs on the set-top box component to the TV/SAT

AUDIO and VIDEO inputs on this receiver.

Use a stereo RCA phono cable for the audio connection and a standard RCA video cable for the video connection.

2 Connect an optical digital audio output from your set-top box component to the DIGITAL OPT 1 (TV/SAT) input on this receiver.

Use an optical cable for the connection.

This receiver*

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

OPT

(CD)

(DVD /LD)

AUDIO

OUT

/ TAPE

DVR/ VCR

TV / SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

REC

CD-R

PLAY

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

ANTENNA

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

/ MD

OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

2 1

DIGITAL OUT

OPTICAL COAXIAL

VIDEOAUDIOR

AV OUT

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

Connecting a satellite receiver or other digital set-top box

Satellite and cable receivers, and terrestrial digital TV tuners are all examples of so-called `set-top boxes'.

Note

1 The multichannel input can only be used when 2 If you've already connected your TV to the which input you connected the set-top box to (for the VSX-415 see

Input Assign menu

3 If your set-top box doesn’t have a digital audio output, omit this step. If it only has a coaxial digital output, you can connect it to one of the coaxial inputs on this receiver, but you'll need to tell the receiver which input you connected the set-top box to (for the VSX-415 see

on page 51).

Digital input settings

on page 43 and for the VSX-515 see

DVD 5.1 ch

TV/SAT

inputs, simply choose another input. However, you'll need to tell the receiver

is selected (see page 39).

STB

* The illustration shows the VSX-515, but connections for the VSX-415 are the same.

Digital input settings

The Input Assign menu

on page 43 and for the VSX-515 see

on page 51).

The

Connecting up04

Connecting other audio components

The number and kind of connections depends on the kind of component you’re connecting.

Follow the steps below to connect a CD-R, MD, DAT, tape recorder or other audio component.

1 If your component has a digital output, connect this to a digital input on the receiver as shown.

The example shows a coaxial connection to the

digital input jack using a coaxial digital

audio cable.

2 If necessary, connect the analog audio outputs of the component to a set of spare audio inputs on this receiver.

You’ll need to make this connection for components without a digital output, or if you want to record from a digital component. Use a stereo RCA phono cable as shown.

3 If you're connecting a recorder, connect the analog audio outputs (REC) to the analog audio inputs on the recorder.

The example shows an analog connection to the

CD-R/TAPE/MD

analog output jack using

a stereo RCA phono cable.

This receiver*

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

OPT

COAX

(CD)

COAX

(DVD /LD)

OUT

AUDIO

2 3

DVR/ VCR

TV / SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

REC

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

PLAY

AUDIO OUT

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

VIDEO

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

OUT

PLAY

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

AUDIO IN

CD-R, MD, DAT, Tape recorder, etc.

* The illustration shows the VSX-515, but connections for the VSX-415 are the same.

ANTENNA

REC

About the WMA9 Pro decoder

VSX-515 model only

This unit has an on-board Windows Media® Audio 9 Professional (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-

Note

1 Note that you must connect digital components to analog audio jacks if you want to record to/from digital components (like an MD) to/from analog components.

Connecting up

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.

Microsoft, Windows Media®, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/ or other countries.

Connecting other video components

This receiver has audio/video inputs and outputs suitable for connecting analog or digital video recorders, including VCRs, DVDrecorders and HDD recorders.

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

Use a stereo RCA phono cable for the audio connection and a standard RCA video or Svideo cable for the video connection.

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

Use a stereo RCA phono cable for the audio connection and a standard RCA video or Svideo cable for the video connection.

3 If your video component has a digital audio output, connect it to a digital input on this receiver.

The example shows a recorder connected to the

DIGITAL COAX 1 (DVD/LD)

input.

This receiver*

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

AUDIO

OUT

OPT

COAX

(CD)

OUT

COAX

(DVD

/LD)

1 2

R L

AUDIO OUT

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

R L

AUDIO IN

ANTENNA

REC

DVR/ VCR

TV / SAT

IN DVD /LD

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

REC

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

PLAY

OUT

PLAY

VIDEO OUT

VCR, DVR, LD player, etc.

* The illustration shows the VSX-515, but connections for the VSX-415 are the same.

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

VIDEO IN

Nederlands

Español

Note

1 If your video component doesn’t have a digital audio output, omit this step. If it only has an optical digital output, you can connect it to the optical input on this receiver using an optical cable. When you set up the receiver you'll need to tell the receiver which input you connected the component to (for the VSX-415 see

Input Assign menu

on page 51).

Digital input settings

on page 43 and for the VSX-515 see

The

Connecting up04

Connecting antennas

Connect the AM loop antenna and the FM wire antenna as shown below. To improve reception and sound quality, connect external antennas (see

Using external antennas

make sure that the receiver is switched off and unplugged from the wall outlet before making or changing any connections.

below). Always

Antenna snap connectors

Twist the exposed wire strands together and insert into the hole, then snap the connector shut.

10mm

AM loop antenna

FM wire antenna

CEN-

SUB

TER

ANTENNA

WOOFER

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

S P E A K E R S

(TV/SAT)

ASSIGNABLE DIGITAL IN

AUDIO

FM UNBAL

Ω

DVR/

OUT

VCR

OPT

TV/ SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

COAX

REC

(CD)

CD-R

OUT

/ TAPE

COAX

/ MD

(DVD

PLAY

/LD)

LOOP

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR OUT

D V D

5.1CH

SUB

INPUT

WOOFER

PREOUT

FM wire antenna

Connect the FM wire antenna and fully extend vertically along a window frame or another suitable place that gives good reception.

AM loop antenna

Assemble the antenna and connect to the receiver. Attach (if necessary) and face in the direction that gives the best reception.

Using external antennas

To improve FM reception

Use a PAL connector to connect an external FM antenna.

One-touch PAL connector

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

75Ω coaxial cable

To improve AM reception

Connect a 5–6 meter length of vinyl-coated wire to the AM antenna terminal without disconnecting the supplied AM loop antenna.

For the best possible reception, suspend horizontally outdoors.

Outdoor antenna

5–6m

Indoor antenna (vinyl-coated wire)

ANTENNA

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

ANTENNA

Connecting up

Connecting the speakers (VSX-415)

A complete setup of six speakers (including the subwoofer) is shown below, but everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner shown below. The receiver will work with just two stereo speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three speakers is recommended, and a complete setup is best. If you’re not using a subwoofer, change the front speaker setting (see

Make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the right terminal and the speaker on the left to the left terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative (

those on the speakers. You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 6–16 see

Switching the speaker impedance

less than 8

Ω

Be sure to complete all connections before connecting this unit to the AC power source.

Speaker setting

on page 41) to large.

+/–

) terminals on the receiver match

on page 61 if you plan to use speakers with an impedance of

Ω

(please

English

Deutsch

Français

Front speakers

LR C LSRS

CEN-

SUB WOOFER

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

TER

AM LOOP

ANTENNA

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

FRONT

RL R L

S P

E A K E R S

123

AUDIO

FM UNBAL

Ω

DVR/

OUT

DIGITAL IN

ASSIGNABLE

VCR

OPT

(TV/

SAT)

COAX

(CD)

COAX

OUT

(DVD /LD)

VIDEO

IN TV/ SAT

IN DVD /LD

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

REC

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

PLAY

Powered subwoofer

INPUT

1 Twist exposed wire strands together.

2 Loosen terminal and insert exposed wire.

3 Tighten terminal.

Surround speakersCenter speaker

CENTER SURROUND

10mm

Italiano

Nederlands

VSX-415

Español

Connecting up04

Connecting the speakers (VSX-515)

A complete setup of eight speakers (including the subwoofer) is shown below, but everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner shown below. The receiver will work with just two stereo speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three speakers is recommended, and a complete setup is best for surround sound.

subwoofer, change the front speaker setting (see

Speaker setting

on page 48) to

Make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the right terminal and the speaker on the left to the left terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative (

those on the speakers. see

Switching the speaker impedance

less than 8

Ω

You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 6–16Ω (please

on page 61 if you plan to use speakers with an impedance of

+/–

) terminals on the receiver match

Be sure to complete all connections before connecting this unit to the AC power source.

Front speakers

LR C LSRS

AUDIO

DVR/

OUT

VCR

OPT

IN TV/ SAT

(TV/SAT)

IN DVD /LD

FRONT

ASSIGNABLE

COAX

DIGITAL IN

D V D

5.1CH

INPUT

REC

(CD)

CD-R

OUT

/ TAPE

COAX

/ MD

(DVD

PLAY

/LD)

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

Center speaker

CEN-

SUB

TER

WOOFER

ANTENNA

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

FRONT

RL R L

S P E A K E R S

Surround speakers

CENTER SURROUND

SURROUND BACK

SINGLE

SEE INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

If you’re not using a

LARGE

Surround back speakers

SBL SBR

VSX-515

Powered subwoofer

INPUT

Single surround back speaker

123

10mm

1 Twist exposed wire strands together.

2 Loosen terminal and insert exposed wire.

3 Tighten terminal.

Note

1 If you are using only one surround back speaker, connect the positive wire to the right channel (+) terminal, and the negative wire to the left channel (

–

) terminal (see illustration).

Connecting up

Speaker terminals

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 is touching the back panel when you switch the unit on, the power may cut off as a safety measure. Use good quality speaker wire to connect the speakers to the receiver.

Caution

• These speaker terminals are hazardous when live. To prevent the risk of electric shock when connecting or disconnecting the speaker cables, disconnect the power cord.

Hints on speaker placement

Speakers are usually designed with a particular placement in mind. Some are designed to be floorstanding, while others should be placed on stands to sound their best. Some should be placed near a wall; others should be placed away from walls. We have provided a few tips on getting the best sound from your speakers (following), but you should also follow the guidelines on placement that the speaker manufacturer provided with your particular speakers to get the most out of them.

• Place the front left and right speakers at equal distances from the TV.

• When placing speakers near the TV, we recommend using 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.

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

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

• Try not to place the surround speakers further away from the listening position than the front and center speakers. Doing so can weaken the surround sound effect.

• To achieve the best possible surround sound, install your speakers as shown below. Be sure all speakers are installed securely to prevent accidents and improve sound quality.

Caution

• If you choose to install the center speaker on top of the TV, be sure to secure it with putty, or by other suitable means, to reduce the risk of damage or injury resulting from the speaker falling from the TV in the event of external shocks such as earthquakes.

• Make sure no exposed speaker wire is touching the rear panel, this may cause the receiver to turn off automatically.

Speaker placement diagrams

The following illustrations show 6.1 and 7.1 channel speaker setups.

3-D view of

6.1 channel

speaker setup

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

Note

VSX-415 model only

– Follow the speaker placement diagrams, disregarding the surround back speakers.

Connecting up04

3-D view of

7.1 channel

speaker setup

Overhead view of speaker setup

Front

left

Surround

left

Listening position

Surround back Surround back

left right

Single surround back speaker

Front rightCenter

Subwoofer

Surround

right

Extra Power mode speaker setup

VSX-415 only – surround effects

Extra Power mode (

Surround

Front left

left

see

Using the Advanced

on page 32 to switch on the

EX POWER

Center

Listening position

Front right

Subwoofer

Surround

right

Controls and displays

Chapter 5:

Controls and displays

Front panel

ADVANCED

SURR

LISTENING MODE

ST/DIRECT

/AUTO SURR

STANDARD

VSX-515 model

– STATION + – TUNING +

VSX-415 model

SIGNAL SELECT

STANDBY/ON

PHONES

786

15 1612 13 14

PTY

MODE

EON

MULTI JOG

SPEAKER

IMPEDANCE

EXTENDED

MODE

TUNING

TUNER

CLASS

/STATION

TONE

EDIT

MULTI JOG

VSX-515 model VSX-415 model

DVD/LD DVD 5.1 TV/SAT DVR/VCR

ACOUSTIC

2117 18 19 22

QUICK

SYSTEM

SETUP

RETURN

CD-R/TAPE/MD

ADVANCED SURROUND

LISTENING MODE

STEREO/

DIRECT

STANDARD

14 24 12 13 19 20 21

SPEAKER

IMPEDANCE

2 3

EON

MODE

SIGNAL

SELECT

PTY

4 5

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER

ENTER

MCACC

SETUP MIC

VSB

MODE

TUNER

EDIT

MULTI JOG

English

Deutsch

MULTI JOG

MASTER VOLUME

UPDOWN

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

QUICK

TONEMUTE

SETUP

Español

1 Input select buttons

Press to select an input source.

2 Character display

See

Display

on page 27.

3 MCACC indicator

Lights when Acoustic Calibration EQ (page 34) is on (Acoustic Calibration EQ is automatically set to

ALL CH ADJUST

after the Auto MCACC Setup (page 13) or EQ Auto Setup (page 46) is complete).

ENTER

MULTI JOG

The

MULTI JOG

dial

dial performs a number of tasks. Use it to select options after pressing the designated

MULTI JOG



STANDBY/ON

buttons.

Switches the receiver between on and standby.

PHONES

jack

Use to connect headphones. When the headphones are connected, there is no sound output from the speakers.

Controls and displays05

8 MCACC SETUP MIC jack

Use to connect the supplied microphone (page 13).

MASTER VOLUME

LISTENING MODE

STANDARD

Press for Standard decoding and to switch between the various Pro Logic II and Neo:6 options (page 31).

ADVANCED SURROUND

Use to switch between the various surround modes

ST/DIRECT/AUTO SURR STEREO/DIRECT

Switches between direct and stereo playback. Direct playback bypasses the tone controls and channel levels for the most accurate reproduction of a source (page 34).

VSX-515 model only

Surround mode (page 31).

11 SIGNAL SELECT

Use to select an input signal (page 35).

EON MODE

Use to search for programs that are broadcasting traffic or news information (page 56).

13 PTY SEARCH

Use this button to search for RDS program types (page 55).

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE

Use to change the impedance setting (page 61)

EXTENDED MODE

VSX-515 model only

Selects a surround back channel option (page 36) or (when the surround back speakers are not available) the Virtual Surround Back (VSB) mode (page 37).

buttons

(page 32).

– VSX-515 model

– VSX-415 model

– Selects the Auto

ACOUSTIC EQ

Press to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ setting (page 34).

CLASS

VSX-515 model only

Switches between the three banks (classes) of station presets

TUNING / STATION

Selects the frequency (page 53) and station presets (page 54) when using the tuner.

TUNER EDIT

Press to memorize and name a station for recall

(page 53).

TONE

Press this button to access the bass and treble controls, which you can then adjust with the

MULTI JOG

QUICK SETUP

See

Using the Quick Setup

22 System Setup menu controls

VSX-515 model only

SYSTEM SETUP

Use with the System Setup menu (page 44).

RETURN

Press to confirm and exit the current menu screen.

VSB MODE

VSX-415 model only

Selects the Virtual Surround Back (VSB) mode (page 37).

MUTE

VSX-415 model only

Mutes the sound (or restores the sound if it has been muted).

(page 53).

dial (page 38).

MULTI JOG

buttons

on page 11.

dial to access the

Controls and displays

Display

VSX-515 model:

1234567118910

English

[]

EON

[]

RDS

[]

[ ]

[]

125

250 4K

13K

Deutsch

Français

14 15 20 21 22

VSX-415 model:

12345698

SIGNAL SELECT

Lights to indicate the type of input signal:

•

AUTO

– Lights when

on.

•

– Depending on the source, this lights when a signal with surround back channel encoding is detected.

•

DIGITAL

signal is detected.

•

DIGITAL

encoded signal is detected.

•

ANALOG

detected.

DTS

– Lights when a source with DTS

encoded audio signals is detected.

indicators

AUTO

signal select is

– Lights when a digital audio

– Lights when a Dolby Digital

– Lights when an analog signal is

1716 18 19

11 12

EON

RDS

15 17

2119

When the

STANDARD

mode of the receiver is on, this lights to indicate decoding of a DTS multichannel signal.

DIGITAL

When the

STANDARD

mode of the receiver is on, this lights to indicate decoding of a Dolby Digital multichannel signal.

PRO LOGIC II

When the (

STANDARD

the receiver is on,

) Pro Logic II mode of

PRO LOGIC II

lights to

indicate Pro Logic II decoding.

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

Controls and displays05

VSX-515 model only – 2 PRO LOGIC II x lights

to indicate Pro Logic IIx decoding (see

Listening in surround sound