Pioneer VSX-416-S-K, 516-S-K User Manual

VSX-416-S/-K
VSX-516-S/-K

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER

SINTOAMPLIFICATORE AUDIO/VIDEO
MULTICANALE

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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: THE MOULDED PLUG

This appliance is supplied with a moulded three pin mains plug for your safety and convenience. A 5 amp fuse is fitted in this plug. Should the
fuse need to be replaced, please ensure that the replacement fuse has a rating of 5 amps and that it is approved by ASTA or BSI to BS1362.

Check for the ASTA mark or the BSI mark on the body of the fuse.

If the plug contains a removable fuse cover, you must ensure that it is refitted when the fuse is replaced. If you lose the fuse cover the plug
must not be used until a replacement cover is obtained. A replacement fuse cover can be obtained from your local dealer.

If the fitted moulded plug is unsuitable for your socket outlet, then the fuse shall be removed and the plug cut off and disposed of
safely. There is a danger of severe electrical shock if the cut off plug is inserted into any 13 amp socket.

If a new plug is to be fitted, please observe the wiring code as shown below. If in any doubt, please consult a qualified electrician.

IMPORTANT: The wires in this mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code:
Blue : Neutral Brown : Live
As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the 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.

How to replace the fuse: Open the fuse compartment with a screwdriver and replace the fuse.

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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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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If you want to dispose this product, do not mix it with general household waste. There is a separate collection system for used
electronic products in accordance with legislation that requires proper treatment, recovery and recycling.

Private households in the 25 member states of the EU, in Switzerland and Norway may return their used electronic products free of charge to
designated collection facilities or to a retailer (if you purchase a similar new one).

For countries not mentioned above, please contact your local authorities for the correct method of disposal.

By doing so you will ensure that your disposed product undergoes the necessary treatment, recovery and recycling and thus prevent potential
negative effects on the environment and human health.

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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.

D
O
W

N

D

O
WN

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

"DTS" ,"DTS-ES" ,"DTS 96/24" and
"Neo:6" are trademarks of Digital Theater
Systems, Inc.

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)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Other problems during Auto MCACC

04 Connecting up

Making cable connections

Analog audio cables
Digital audio cables
Video cables

Connecting a TV and DVD player

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

Using external antennas
Connecting the speakers

Speaker terminals

Hints on speaker placement

Speaker placement diagrams

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

05 Controls and displays

Front panel
Display
Remote control

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

06 Listening to your system

Auto playback
Listening in surround sound

Using the Advanced surround effects

Setting the effect options
Listening in stereo
Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ
Choosing the input signal
Using surround back channel processing
Using Virtual Surround Back (VSB)
Using Midnight and Loudness
Enhancing dialog

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

. . . . . . 5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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

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

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

. . . . . . 9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . 11

. . . . . . 13

. . . . . . . . . . 13

. . . . . . 14

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . 18

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

. . . . 26

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

. . . . . 27

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

. . . 28

. . . . . . . . 28

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

Using the tone controls
Using the Sound Retriever
Playing other sources
Selecting the multichannel analog inputs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

. . . 30

07 The System Setup menu

Using the System Setup menu
Manual MCACC speaker setup

Fine Channel Level
Fine Channel Distance
Acoustic Calibration EQ

Manual speaker setup

Speaker setting
Crossover network
Channel level

Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

The Input Assign menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

The Other setup menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Dynamic Range Control Setup . . . . . . . . . . 37

Dual Mono Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

LFE Attenuator Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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

08 Using the tuner

Listening to the radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Saving station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Naming station presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Listening to station presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

An introduction to RDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Displaying RDS information . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Searching for RDS programs . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using EON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

09 Making recordings

Making an audio or a video recording . . . . . . 41

10 USB playback

Using the USB interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Basic playback controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Compressed audio compatibility. . . . . . . . . 43

11 Additional information

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Resetting the main unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Switching the speaker impedance. . . . . . . . . 46

Power cord caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Cleaning the unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Before you start

01

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

• AA size IEC R6 dry cell batteries (to confirm
system operation) x2

• Remote control

• Setup microphone (VSX-516 model only)

• Warranty card

• These operating instructions

Loading the batteries

• Do not use or store batteries in direct

Operating range of remote
control unit

The remote control has a range of about 7
meters. It may not work properly if:

• There are obstacles between the remote

• Direct sunlight or fluorescent light is

• The receiver is located near a device that is

• The receiver is operated simultaneously

WARNING

sunlight or other excessively hot place,
such as inside a car or near a heater. This
can cause batteries to leak, overheat,
explode or catch fire. It can also reduce the
life or performance of batteries.

control and the receiver's remote sensor.

shining onto the remote sensor.

emitting infrared rays.

with another infrared remote control unit.

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

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/area.

Installing the

• 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)

receiver

5

En

5 minute guide02

Chapter 2:

5 minute guide

Where you place the speakers will have a big

Introduction to home theater

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 your speaker setup, but also on the source
and the sound settings of the receiver.

This receiver will automatically decode
multichannel Dolby Digital, DTS, or Dolby
Surround sources 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 25.

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 to an AC power source.

1 Connect your TV and DVD player.

See

Connecting a TV and DVD player

page 11 to do this. For surround sound, you’ll
want to hook up using a digital connection
from the DVD player to the receiver.

2 Connect your speakers and place them for
optimal surround sound.

See

Connecting the speakers

Note

1 Depending on your DVD player or source discs, you may only get digital 2 channel stereo and analog sound. In this case, the
listening mode must be set to
do this) if you want multichannel surround sound.

STANDARD

on

on page 16.

(it should already be set—see

effect on the sound. Place your speakers as
shown below for the best surround sound
effect. Also see

Hints on speaker placement

on

page 17 for more on this.

Front

Left (L)

Center (C)

Listening
position

Front
Right (R)

Subwoofer (SW)

Surround
Left (LS)

Surround
Right (RS)

Surround
Back(SB)*

* VSX-516 model only

3 Plug in and switch on the receiver, 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.

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

Use the
to confirm your selection. See

Setup

MULTI JOG

dial to select and

below for more on this.

ENTER

Using the Quick

5 Play a DVD, and adjust the volume.

Make sure that

DVD

is showing in the
receiver’s display, indicating that the DVD
input is selected. If it isn’t, press

DVD

on the

remote to set the receiver to the DVD input.
There are several other sound options you can

select. See
for more on this.

menu

Listening to your system

1

See also

on page 25

The System Setup

on page 31 for more setup options.

Listening in surround sound

on page 25 if you need to

6

En

5 minute guide

02

Using the Quick Setup

You can use the Quick Setup to get your system
up and running with just a few button presses.
The receiver automatically makes the
necessary settings after you have selected your
speaker setup, room size and listening position.

•

VSX-516 model only –

surround setup, see

up for surround sound (MCACC)

If you want to make more specific settings,
refer to

The System Setup menu

Use the front panel controls for the steps below.

ADVANCED

ST/DIRECT/

LISTENING MODE

DVD/LD

SURR

AUTO SURR

MIDNIGHT/

EON

PTY

LOUDNESS

MODE

SEARCH

PHONES

TUNER

TONE

MUTE

EDIT

STANDARD

STANDBY/ON

Illustration shows the VSX-516 model

1 If the receiver is off, press



STANDBY/ON

2 Press

QUICK SETUP

3 Confirm your subwoofer setting.

•

VSX-416 model –

select

YES

or NO, depending on whether

you’ve connected a subwoofer, then press

ENTER

.

•

VSX-516 model –

display while the receiver checks your setup
for a subwoofer.
the subwoofer check, then the display
prompts you to select your speaker setup.

4 Use the

MULTI JOG

speaker setup.

If you selected

YES (VSX-416 model

subwoofer was detected
the subwoofer setting in step 3, the following
choices are available:

2.1ch – 3.1ch – 4.1ch – 5.1ch – 6.1ch*

For a more complete

Automatically setting

on page 8.

on page 31.

AUDIO/V IDEO MULTI- CHANNEL RECEIVER

ENTER

SIGNAL

TV/SAT

DVD 5.1

SPEAKER
IMPEDANCE

QUICK

SETUP

SETUP

MULTI JOG

AM

TUNING/STATION

DVR/VCR

USB

RETURN

SB

PROCESSING

SELECT

MCACC

SETUP MIC

to turn the power on.

.

Use the

MULTI JOG

SW DET

flashes in the

SW YES

or

SW NO

confirms

dial to choose your

) or

(VSX-516 model

VSX-516

MULTI JOG

ch

ACOUSTIC

EQ

MASTER
VOLUME

UPDOWN

dial to

) for

If you selected
subwoofer wasn’t detected

NO (VSX-416 model

(VSX-516 model

) or

) for
the subwoofer setting in step 3, the following
choices are available:

2.0ch – 3.0ch – 4.0ch – 5.0ch – 6.0ch*

• Check the table below to find the speaker
setup that corresponds with your system.

* VSX-516 model only

5 Press

6 Use the

ENTER

.

MULTI JOG

dial to choose your

room size.

Depending on the distance of your speakers
from the listening position, choose between
small, medium, or large (

S, M

or L), M being an

average-sized room.

7 Press ENTER.

8 Use the

MULTI JOG

dial to choose your

listening position.

You can cycle between the following choices:

FWD

– If you are nearer to the front

•
speakers than the surround speakers

•

MID

– If you are equal distance from the

front and surround speakers

•

BACK

– If you are nearer to the surround

speakers than the front speakers

9 Press

ENTER

to confirm your setup.

The display shows the speaker setup, room size
and listening position that you have selected.

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

En

7

Quick surround sound setup03

MIDNIGHT/

Chapter 3:

Quick surround sound setup

VSX-516 model only

MASTER

Automatically setting up for
surround sound (MCACC)

The Auto Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration
(MCACC) 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
receiver uses the information from a series of
test tones to optimize the speaker settings and
equalization for your particular room.

Important

• The Auto MCACC Setup will overwrite any
existing speaker settings you’ve made.

• Make sure the headphones are unplugged.

Caution

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

STEREO

ADV.SURR

VOLUME

ENTER

LOUDNESS

MENU

DIALOG E

ONE
TOUCH
COPY

RETURN

STANDARD

RECEIVER

DVD 5.1

DVD

USB

SLEEP

DIMMER

INPUT SELECTOR

DVR

TV

CD-R

FMCD

ANALOG ATT

RECEIVER

AM

TOP MENU

SETUP

TUNER EDIT

S.RETRIEVER

1 Connect the microphone to the MCACC

SETUP MIC

jack on the front panel.

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

MCACC

USB

SETUP MIC

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.

2 If the receiver is off, press
turn the power on.

3

If you have a subwoofer, turn it on.

4 Press
then press the

• Press

RECEIVER

SETUP

SETUP

again at any time to exit the

System Setup menu.

5 Select ‘A. MCACC’ from the System Setup
menu then press

Try to be as quiet as possible after pressing

ENTER

. The system outputs a series of test

tones to establish the ambient noise level.
If the noise level is too high,

the display for five seconds. To exit and check
the noise levels again, press
notes about ambient noise below) or press

ENTER

when you’re prompted to

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

The system now checks the microphone and
your speaker setup.

VOLUME

UPDOWN



RECEIVER

on the remote control,

button.

1

ENTER

.

NOISY!

blinks in

SETUP

(see the

RETRY?.

to

Note

1 The receiver will automatically exit the current menu after three minutes of inactivity. If you cancel the Auto MCACC Setup at
any time, the receiver automatically exits and no settings will be made.

8

En

Quick surround sound setup

03

If you see an
may be a problem with your mic or the speaker
connections. Turn off the power, and check the
problem indicated by the
below), then try the auto surround setup again.

•

ERR MIC

•

ERR Fch

•

ERR Sch

connections.

•

ERR SBch

connection.

•

ERR SW

been switched on and volume on the
subwoofer is turned up.

6 When you see CHECK OK in the display,
confirm your speaker configuration.

Use
speaker in turn.
actual speakers connected. If the speaker
configuration displayed isn’t correct, use



(cursor left/right) to change the setting.

When you’re finished, go to the next step.

ERR

message in the display, there

ERR

message (see

– Check microphone connection.

– Check front speaker connections.

– Check surround speaker

– Check surround back speaker

– Make sure the subwoofer has

/

(cursor up/down) to check each

YES

or NO should reflect the

/

7 Select CHECK OK in the display then press

ENTER

.

The Auto MCACC checks the subwoofer level.

• If the subwoofer output level is too high/
low,

SW.VOL.DWN/SW.VOL.UP

the display for five seconds. To exit and
check your subwoofer output level, press

SETUP

or simply press

prompted to

The receiver outputs more test tones to
determine the optimum receiver settings for
speaker setting, channel level, speaker
distance, and Acoustic Calibration EQ.

RETRY?

ENTER

.

blinks in

when you’re

8 The Auto MCACC Setup has finished!

The front panel MCACC indicator lights to
show the surround settings are complete.

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.

The settings made in the Auto MCACC Setup
should give you excellent surround sound from
your system, but it is also possible to adjust
these settings manually using the System

Setup menu (starting on page 31).
Optionally, when you see

/

(cursor up/down) to select one of the

following options then press

/

(cursor up/down) to check the settings:

CHK SP

•

•

•

•

– Check the size and number of
speakers you’ve connected (see page 35
for more on this)

CHK DIST.

speakers from the listening position (see
page 36 for more on this)

CHK LEVEL

your speaker system (see page 36 for more
on this)

CHK EQ

to check the adjustments to the frequency
balance of your speaker system based on
the acoustic characteristics of your room
(see page 33 for more on this)

– Check the distance of your

– Check the overall balance of

– Select either

SKIP?

9 When you’re finished, select

1

you can press

ENTER

ALL CH

or

‘SKIP?’

, and use

F ALIGN

to go

back to the System Setup menu.

• Remember to disconnect the microphone
after completing the Auto MCACC Setup.

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.

Speaker setting

on page 35.

2

If there are any

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

En

9

Connecting up04

S

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.

•

Before unplugging the power cord, switch
the power into standby.

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.

Analog audio cables

Right (red)

Left (white)

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

1

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

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.

10

En

Connecting up

Connecting a TV and DVD player

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.

1

2

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

(CD)

input on this receiver. Use an optical

cable for the connection.

DIGITAL OPT 1

3

DIGITAL

AUDIO OUT

OPTICAL

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

This receiver

1

COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

3

IN

IN

OPT

1

OUT

IN

IN

COAX

2

(

)

DVR/VCR

IN

COAX

1

(

)

DVD/LD

OUT

R

AUDIO

DVD player

ANALOG AUDIO OUT

LR

FM UNBAL

Ω

75

CD

DVR/
VCR

IN

TV/
SAT

IN

DVD
/LD

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH

INPUT

PLAY

IN

CD-R

/TAPE

/MD

REC

L

AUDIORL

ANALOG OUT

VIDEO

LOOP

AM

TV

ANTENNA

OUT

MONITOR
OUT

SUB
WOOFER

PREOUT

2

VIDEO IN

VIDEO OUT

04

English

Deutsch

4

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

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 (see

menu

on page 36).
2 This connection will allow you to make analog recordings from your DVD player.
3 In this case, you'll need to tell the receiver which digital input you connected the TV to (see

The Input Assign menu

The Input Assign

on page 36).

11

En

Connecting up04

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

SUB

CEN-

WOOFER

FM UNBAL

Ω

IN

IN

OPT

1

OUT

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

IN

ASSIGNABLE

IN

DIGITAL IN

COAX

2

(

)

DVR/VCR

IN

COAX

1

(

)

DVD/LD

OUT

RL RL

FRONT

OUTPUT

75

CD

DVR/
VCR

VIDEO

IN

TV/
SAT

IN

DVD
/LD

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH
INPUT

PLAY

IN

CD-R
/TAPE
/MD

REC

R

L

AUDIO

CENTER

OUTPUT

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

AM

ANTENNA

LOOP

OUT

MONITOR
OUT

SUB
WOOFER

PREOUT

SURROUND

OUTPUT

TER

L

R

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

FRONT

RL

S
P
E
A

A

K
E
R
S

SUB

VIDEO

WOOFER

OUTPUT

OUTPUT

1

R

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.

2

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

2 If your set-top box has a digital output,
connect it to a digital input on this receiver.

The example shows an optical connection to

DIGITAL OPT 1 (CD)

the

input.

3

This receiver

AM

FM UNBAL

ANTENNA

Ω

LOOP

AUDIO

75

CD

DVR/
VCR

VIDEO

IN

TV/
SAT

DVD
/LD

FRONT

PLAY

CD-R
/TAPE

/MD

REC

L

OUT

IN

MONITOR
OUT

D V D

5.1CH

SUB

INPUT

WOOFER

IN

PREOUT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

(

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

DVD/LD

IN

IN

OPT

1

OUT

IN

IN

2

)

IN

1

)

OUT

R

2 1

DIGITAL OUT

L

OPTICAL COAXIAL

VIDEOAUDIOR

AV OUT

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.
3 In this case, you'll need to tell the receiver which digital input you connected the set-top box to (see
page 36).

TV/SAT

DVD 5.1 ch

is selected (see page 30).

inputs, simply choose another input. However, you'll need to remember

12

En

STB

The Input Assign menu

on

Connecting up

04

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.

The example shows an optical connection to
the

DIGITAL OPT 1 (CD)

input.

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.

1

This receiver

AM

FM UNBAL

ANTENNA

Ω

LOOP

75

CD

DVR/
VCR

IN

TV/
SAT

IN

DVD
/LD

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH

INPUT

PLAY

IN

CD-R
/TAPE

/MD

REC

L

AUDIO

3 2

IN

R L

REC

AUDIO IN

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR
OUT

SUB
WOOFER

PREOUT

OUT

R L

PLAY

AUDIO OUT

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

1

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

OPT

COAX

(

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

DVD/LD

IN

IN

1

OUT

IN

IN

2

)

IN

1

)

OUT

R

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

About the WMA9 Pro decoder

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 Pro­compatible player. However, the connected
DVD player, set-top box, etc. must be able to
output WMA9 Pro format audio signals
through a coaxial or optical digital output.

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

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.

13

En

Connecting up04

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 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 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

DIGITAL COAX 2 (DVR/VCR)

the

input.

1

This receiver

FM UNBAL

AUDIO

IN

R L

REC

AUDIO IN

75

CD

DVR/
VCR

IN

TV/
SAT

IN

DVD
/LD

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH
INPUT

PLAY

IN

CD-R

/TAPE

/MD

REC

L

VIDEO IN

ASSIGNABLE

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

3

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

IN

IN

OPT

1

OUT

(CD)

DIGITAL IN

IN

IN

COAX

2

(

)

DVR/VCR

IN

COAX

1

(

)

DVD/LD

OUT

R

2 1

DVR, VCR, LD player, etc.

AM

ANTENNA

Ω

LOOP

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR
OUT

SUB
WOOFER

PREOUT

OUT

R L

PLAY

AUDIO OUT

VIDEO OUT

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 (see

The Input Assign menu

on page 36).

14

En

Connecting up

04

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

fig. a fig. b fig. c

5

FM UNBAL

75

Ω

1 Pull off the protective shields of both AM
antenna wires.

2 Push open the tabs, then insert one wire
fully into each terminal, then release the tabs
to secure the AM antenna wires.

3 Fix the AM loop antenna to the attached
stand.

To fix the stand to the antenna, bend in the
direction indicated by the arrow (
clip the loop onto the stand (

• If you plan to mount the AM antenna to a
wall or other surface, secure the stand with
screws (

fig. c

) before clipping the loop to

the stand. Make sure the reception is clear.

4 Place the AM antenna on a flat surface
and in a direction giving the best reception.

5 Connect the FM wire antenna in the same
way as the AM loop antenna.

For best results, extend the FM antenna fully
and fix to a wall or door frame. Don’t drape
loosely or leave coiled up.

AM

LOOP

1

below).

ANTENNA

fig. b

3

2

fig. a

).

4

) then

Using external antennas

To improve FM reception

Use a PAL connector to connect an external
FM antenna.

One-touch
PAL connector

FM UNBAL

AM

75

Ω

LOOP

75 Ω coaxial cable

To improve AM reception

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

Outdoor
antenna

5 to 6 meters

Indoor antenna
(vinyl-coated wire)

FM UNBAL

AM

75

Ω

LOOP

ANTENNA

For the best possible reception, suspend
horizontally outdoors.

ANTENNA

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

15

En

Connecting up04

Connecting the speakers

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

LARGE

VSX-516 model

.

) is recommended, and a complete setup is best for surround sound.

Speaker setting

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 (

+/–

) terminals on the receiver match
those on the speakers. You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 6
(please see
impedance of less than 8

Switching the speaker impedance

Ω

).

on page 46 if you plan to use speakers with an

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

(VSX-516 model only)

Front speakers

LR C LSRS

Center speaker

Surround speakers

Surround back speaker

VSX-416 model

SB

) /

on page 35)

Ω

to 16 Ω

ANTENNA

OUT

SUB
WOOFER

PREOUT

TER

L

R

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

FRONT

RL

S
P
E
A
K
E
R
S

CENTERSURROUND

SURROUND BACK

L

R

VSX-416 model

12

10 mm

FM UNBAL

Ω

75

IN

CD

DVR/

OUT

VCR

OPT

1

IN

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

2

(
DVR/VCR

COAX

1

(
DVD/LD

IN

TV/
SAT

IN

IN

DVD
/LD

FRONT

IN

D V D

5.1CH
INPUT

REC

IN

)

CD-R

OUT

/TAPE

/MD

)

PLAY

IN

R

L

AUDIO

Powered subwoofer

SW

VIDEO

INPUT

AM

LOOP

MONITOR
OUT

SUB

CEN-

WOOFER

VSX-516 model

123

10 mm

The illustration shows the VSX-516, but connections for the VSX-416 are the same.

16

En

3

Connecting up

04

VSX-416 model

1 Twist exposed wire strands together.

2 Push open the tabs and insert exposed
wire.

3 Release the tabs.

VSX-516 model

1 Twist exposed wire strands together.

2 Loosen terminal and insert exposed wire.

3 Tighten terminal.

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 carry

HAZARDOUS LIVE voltage

the risk of electric shock when connecting
or disconnecting the speaker cables,
disconnect the power cord before touching
any uninsulated parts.

. To prevent

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.

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

17

En

Connecting up04

Speaker placement diagrams

The following illustrations show a 6.1 channel
speaker setup.

3-D view of

Overhead view of speaker setup

Surround

6.1 channel

Front

left

left

1

Listening position

speaker setup

Front
rightCenter

Subwoofer

Surround

right

Extra Power mode speaker setup

VSX-416 model only – S
surround effects

Extra Power mode (

Front left

Surround

left

ee

Using the Advanced

on page 26 to switch on the

EX POWER

Center

Subwoofer

Listening position

).

Front right

Surround

right

18

En

Note

1

VSX-416 model only

Surround back speaker

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

Controls and displays

05

Chapter 5:

Controls and displays

Front panel

Illustration shows the VSX-516 model

STANDARD

LISTENING MODE

STANDBY/ON

STANDARD

16

ADVANCED

ST/DIRECT/

SURR

AUTO SURR

PHONES

LISTENING MODE

STANDBY/ON

EON
MODE

MUTE

ADVANCED

SURR

DVD/LD DVD 5.1

MIDNIGHT/

PTY

LOUDNESS

SEARCH

TUNER

EDIT

ST/DIRECT/
AUTO SURR

15

PHONES

1

TV/SAT

CD

CD-R/TAPE/MD

DVR/VCR

SPEAKER
IMPEDANCE

QUICK

SETUP

RETURN

TONE

SETUP

MULTI JOG

2

FM

USB

191817

PTY

SEARCH

MIDNIGHT/
LOUDNESS

EON

MODE

21 2322 24 25

TUNER

MUTE

TONE

EDIT

AM

USB

2014

SPEAKER

IMPEDANCE

QUICK
SETUP

MULTI JOG

AUDIO/ VID EO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER

TUNING/STATION

MCACC

SETUP MIC

43 5

ENTER

1311 12

SETUP

VSX-516

MULTI JOG

SIGNAL

SB

ch

ACOUSTIC

PROCESSING

EQ

SELECT

MASTER
VOLUME

UPDOWN

RETURN

6 7 8

SIGNAL

SB

PROCESSING

SELECT

VSX-516 model

9 10

6

SIGNAL

VSB

MODE

SELECT

VSX-416 model

ch

ENHANCEMENT

ACOUSTIC

EQ

DIALOGUE

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

1 Input select buttons

Selects an input source.

2 Character display

See

Display

on page 21.

3 MCACC indicator

(VSX-516 model only)

Lights when Acoustic Calibration EQ (page 27)
is on (Acoustic Calibration EQ is automatically
set to

ALL CH ADJUST

after the Auto MCACC

Setup (page 8) or EQ Auto Setup (page 33)).

4

ENTER

5

MULTI JOG

The

MULTI JOG

dial

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

6

MULTI JOG

SIGNAL SELECT

buttons.

Selects an input signal (page 27).

7

SB ch PROCESSING (VSX-516 model only)

Selects a surround back channel option
(page 27) or (when the surround back speaker
is not available) the Virtual Surround Back
(VSB) mode (page 28).

19

En

Controls and displays05

8 ACOUSTIC EQ

Press to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ
setting (page 27).

9

VSB MODE (VSX-416 model only)

Switches on Virtual surround back processing
(page 28).

10

DIALOGUE ENHANCEMENT

(VSX-416 model only)

Use to make dialog stand out when watching
TV or a movie (page 29).

11 USB terminal

See

Using the USB interface

12 MCACC SETUP MIC jack

(VSX-516 model only)

Use to connect the supplied microphone.

13

MASTER VOLUME

14

LISTENING MODE

STANDARD

Press for Standard decoding and to switch
between the various
(

VSX-516 model only

(page 25).

ADVANCED SURR

Switches between the various surround
modes

ST/DIRECT/AUTO SURR

Switches between direct and stereo
playback. Direct playback bypasses the
tone controls for the most accurate
reproduction of a source
selects the Auto Surround mode (

playback

15

PHONES

Use to connect headphones (when connected,
there is no sound output from the speakers).

16



STANDBY/ON

17

EON MODE

Use to search for programs that are
broadcasting traffic or news information
(page 40).

(VSX-516 model only)

(VSX-516 model only)

(page 26).

on page 25).

jack

on page 42.

buttons

2

Pro Logic II and

) Neo:6 options

(page 27). Also

Auto

18 PTY SEARCH

Use this button to search for RDS program
types (page 39).

19

MIDNIGHT/LOUDNESS

Switches to Midnight/Loudness listening
(page 29).

20

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE

Use to change the impedance setting
(page 46).

21

MUTE

TUNER EDIT

22

Memorizes/names stations for recall (page 38).

23

TONE

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

MULTI JOG

24

See

25 System Setup menu controls

dial (page 30).

QUICK SETUP

Using the Quick Setup

SETUP

Use with the
System Setup menu (page 31).

RETURN

Confirms and exits the current menu.

MULTI JOG

on page 7.

dial to access the

20

En

Controls and displays

Display

Illustration shows the VSX-516 model

12345678910

11 12

13

05

English

14

1

SIGNAL SELECT

indicators

Lights to indicate the type of input signal
assigned for the current component:

AUTO

Lights when

SB

(VSX-516 model only)

AUTO

signal select is on.

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

DIGITAL

Lights when a digital audio signal is
detected.

DTS

Lights when a source with DTS encoded
audio signals is detected.

2

DIGITAL

Lights when a Dolby Digital encoded
signal is detected.

ANALOG

Lights when an analog signal is detected.

2

When the

STANDARD

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

[]

6

L

EON

[]

C

RDS

[]

A

R

[]

Rs

[ ]

SB

R

[]

SB

L

[]

Ls

0

6

40

125

250 4K

SP

1817 19 2015 16 21 22 23

3

2

DIGITAL

When the

STANDARD

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

4

2

PRO LOGIC IIx (VSX-516 model) /

2

PRO LOGIC II (VSX-416 model)

When the (
of the receiver is on,

STANDARD

2

) Pro Logic II mode

PRO LOGIC II

lights to indicate Pro Logic II decoding.

PRO LOGIC II

IIx decoding (see

sound

x

lights to indicate Pro Logic

Listening in surround

on page 25 for more on this).

5 VIR.SB

Lights during Virtual surround back
processing (page 28).

6

DIRECT

Lights when source direct playback is in use.
Direct playback bypasses the tone controls for
the most accurate reproduction of a source.

7 AUTO SURR.

Lights when the Auto Surround feature is
switched on (see

8

ATT

Lights when

Auto playback

ANALOG ATT

on page 25).

is used to attenuate

(reduce) the level of the analog input signal.

9 SLEEP

Lights when the receiver is in sleep mode.

13K

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

2

Nederlands

Español

21

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Controls and displays05

10

Tuner

indicators

/ MONO
Lights when the mono mode is set using
the MPX button.

/ STEREO
Lights when a stereo FM broadcast is being
received in auto stereo mode.

/ TUNED
Lights when a broadcast is being received.

11 EON/RDS indicators

EON – Lights when the EON mode is set,

and flashes during an EON broadcast. The

indicator lights when the current station

carries the EON service (page 40).
RDS – Lights when an RDS broadcast is

received (page 39).

12 Speaker indicator

Shows if the speaker system is on or not. SPA
means the speakers are switched on. SP
means the headphones are connected.

13 Sound Retriever indicators

only)

Light when the Sound Retriever is switched on
(page 30).

14 Character display

Neo:6 (VSX-516 model only)

15

When the (STANDARD) Neo:6 mode of the
receiver is on, this lights to indicate Neo:6
processing.

16

ADV.SURR

(Advanced Surround)

Lights when one of the Advanced Surround
modes has been selected.

17 WMA9 Pro

Lights to indicate decoding of a WMA9 Pro
signal.

18

MIDNIGHT

Lights during Midnight listening (page 29).

19 D.E.

Lights when Dialog Enhancement (DIALOG E)
is switched on (page 29).

(VSX-516 model

20

LOUDNESS

Lights during Loudness listening (page 29).

21 EX

(VSX-516 model only)

Lights when a Dolby Digital Surround EX
encoded signal is detected.

22 Master volume level
23 MCACC channel EQ indicators

(VSX-516 model only)

These indicators show the EQ balance for each
channel in Checking your Acoustic Calibration
EQ settings on page 34.

Remote control

Illustration shows the VSX-516 model

RECEIVER

SLEEP

ANALOG ATT

1

2

3

4

5

STANDARD

TOP MENU

SETUP

TUNER EDIT

S.RETRIEVER

EFFECT/CH SEL ACOUSTIC EQ

DVD/DVR

TIMER REC

DISPLAY CLASS

6

DVD 5.1

USB

GUIDE

SHIFT

DIMMER

INPUT SELECTOR

DVRDVD

TV

CD-R

ADV.SURR

STEREO

ENTER

VOLUME

LEVEL

HDD

CH CH

REC

REC STOP

INFO

TUNING

MPX

RECEIVER

DVD

DVD/DVR

TUNER

RECEIVER

AMFMCD

MIDNIGHT/

LOUDNESS

MENU

DIALOG E

ONE
TOUCH
COPY

RETURN

MUTE

SUBTITLE

AUDIO

JUKEBOX

STATION

7

8

9
10

11

12

13

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Controls and displays

1

RECEIVER

Switches the receiver between standby and on.

2

Listening mode

STANDARD

Press for Standard decoding and to switch
between

only)

ADV.SURR

Switches between the various surround
modes

STEREO

Switches between direct and stereo
playback (page 27). Also selects the Auto
Surround mode(

MIDNIGHT/LOUDNESS

Switches to Midnight or Loudness
listening

3

TOP MENU

Displays the disc ‘top’ menu of a DVD.

SETUP

Press to access the System Setup menu
(page 31).

4

TUNER EDIT

Memorizes/names stations for recall
(page 38). Also functions as the
button for DVD/DVR units.

S. RETRIEVER

Press to restore CD quality sound to
compressed audio sources (page 30).

5

RECEIVER CONTROL

VOLUME +/–

Use to set the listening volume.

EFFECT/CH SEL

Press repeatedly to select a channel, then
use
Also adjusts the level of the Advanced
Surround effects as well as Dolby Pro Logic
IIx Music and Neo:6 Music parameters
(page 26). You can then use the
buttons to make these adjustments.



buttons

2

Pro Logic II and

Neo:6 options (page 25).

(page 26).

Auto playback

(page 29).

*

buttons

LEVEL +/–

to adjust the level (page 36).

(VSX-516 model

on page 25).

SETUP

LEVEL +/–

LEVEL +/–

Use to adjust the effect and channel levels.

ACOUSTIC EQ* (SHIFT +)

only)

Press to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ
setting (page 27).

MUTE

Mutes/unmutes the sound.

6

SHIFT

Press to access the ‘boxed’ commands (above
the buttons) on the remote. These buttons are
marked with an asterisk (

7

SLEEP

Press to change the amount of time before
the receiver switches into standby (

– 60 min – 90 min – Off

the remaining sleep time at any time by
pressing

DIMMER

Dims or brightens the display.

ANALOG ATT

Attenuates (lowers) the level of an analog
input signal to prevent distortion.

8 INPUT SELECTOR buttons

Press to select an input source.

DVD/DVR

Press to use the remote DVD/DVR
controls.

RECEIVER

Use to switch to the receiver controls on
the remote control. Use when setting up
surround sound for the receiver (page 31).

9

MENU

Displays the disc menu of DVD-Video
discs.

DIALOG E

Use to make dialog stand out when
watching TV or a movie (page 29).

SLEEP

once.

(VSX-516 model

*

) in this section.

). You can check

30 min

05

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23

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Controls and displays05

10

/ENTER

Use the arrow buttons when setting up your
surround sound system (page 31). Also used
for DVD menus.

11

RETURN

Confirm and exit the current menu screen.

ONE TOUCH COPY

Copies the currently playing title from DVD
to HDD or vice-versa.

12 DVD/DVR control buttons

Use these buttons to control a Pioneer DVD
player or recorder connected to your system
(press DVD or DVR to access the below

controls).

Button What it does

DVD/
DVR

CH +/– Switches channels.

SUBTITLE

AUDIO

 Starts/resumes normal playback.
 Pauses/unpauses a disc.
 Stops playback.

/

 Skips to the start of the current track or

 Skips to the next track or chapter.

HDD
DVD

GUIDE

REC
TIMER

REC

INFO

Turns DVD power on/off.

Displays/changes the subtitles on
multilingual DVD-Video discs.

Changes audio language or channel.

Press to start fast reverse/forward
scanning.

chapter, then previous tracks/chapters.

/

Switch between the hard disk and DVD

*

controls for DVD/HDD recorders.

*

Displays the guides on a digital TV.

*

Starts recording.

Accesses the timer recording menu.

*

*

Displays additional EPG information.

*

Button What it does

REC
STOP

JUKE
BOX

TUNER
EDIT

13

Stops recording.

*

Switches to the Jukebox feature.

*

Press to access the Setup menu.

*

TUNER controls

The TUNING +/– buttons can be used to find
radio frequencies (page 38) and the STATION
+/– buttons can be used to select preset radio
stations (page 38).

DISPLAY

Switch the display between station preset
name and frequency (see tip on page 38). It
also displays RDS information (page 39).

CLASS

Switches between the three banks
(classes) of station presets (page 38).

MPX

Use to switch between auto stereo and
mono reception of FM broadcasts. If the
signal is weak then switching to mono will
improve the sound quality (page 38).

24

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Listening to your system

06

Chapter 6:

Listening to your system

Important

• Certain features explained in this section
will not be possible depending on the
source (for example, PCM 88.2 kHz / 96
kHz, DTS 96 kHz (24 bit) or WMA 9 Pro
sources).

Auto playback

The simplest, most direct listening option is the
Auto Surround feature. With this, the receiver
automatically detects what kind of source
you’re playing and selects multichannel or

STEREO

AMFMCD

MIDNIGHT/
LOUDNESS

MENU

1

stereo playback as necessary.

CD-R

ADV.SURR

STANDARD

TOP MENU

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

Press repeatedly until AUTOSURR. shows
briefly in the display (it will then show the
decoding or playback format). Check the
digital format indicators in the display to see
how the source is being processed.

Listening in surround sound

Using this receiver, 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.

VSX-516 only – If you connected surround back
speaker, see also Using surround back channel
processing on page 28.

CD-R

AMFMCD

MIDNIGHT/
LOUDNESS

ADV.SURR

STANDARD

STEREO

TOP MENU

MENU

• While listening to a source, press STAN­DARD.

If the source is Dolby Digital, DTS, or Dolby
Surround encoded, the proper decoding
format will automatically be selected and

shows in the display.

2

With two channel sources, press STANDARD
repeatedly to select from

• 2

Pro Logic II MOVIE

3

:

– Up to 5.1 channel

sound, especially suited to movie sources

• 2

Pro Logic II MUSIC

– Up to 5.1 channel

sound, especially suited to music sources

• 2 PRO LOGIC – 4.1 channel surround
sound

VSX-516 model only:

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – Up to 6.1
channel sound, especially suited to movie
sources

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC – Up to 6.1
channel sound, especially suited to music
sources

• 2 Pro Logic IIx GAME – Up to 6.1
channel sound, especially suited for video
games

English

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Note

1• VSX-516 model only – Stereo surround (matrix) formats are decoded accordingly using Neo:6 CINEMA or 2 Pro Logic IIx
MOVIE (see Listening in surround sound above for more on these decoding formats).

• The Auto Surround feature is canceled if you connect headphones or select the multichannel analog inputs.

2 VSX-516 model only – If surround back channel processing (page 27) is switched to OFF, or the surround back speaker is set
to NO (page 35), 2 Pro Logic IIx becomes 2 Pro Logic II (5.1 channel sound).
3 When listening to 2-channel sources in Dolby Pro Logic II(x) Music mode, there are three further parameters you can adjust:
Center Width, Dimension, and Panorama. See Setting the effect options below to adjust them.

25

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Listening to your system06

•2 PRO LOGIC
sound

•

Neo:6 CINEMA

especially suited to movie sources

•

Neo:6 MUSIC1 – 6.1 channel sound, espe-

cially suited to music sources

VSX-516 model only – With multichannel
sources, if you have connected surround back
speaker and have selected

select (according to format):

•

2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC

•

Dolby Digital EX

channel sound for 5.1 channel sources and
provides pure decoding for 6.1 channel
sources (like Dolby Digital Surround EX)

•

DTS-ES

playback with DTS encoded sources

Using the Advanced surround effects

The Advanced surround feature creates a
variety of surround effects. Try different modes

with various soundtracks to see which you like.

– 4.1 channel surround

– 6.1 channel sound,

SB ON

, you can

– See above

– Creates surround back

– Allows you to hear 6.1 channel

CD-R

AMFMCD

MIDNIGHT/
LOUDNESS

ADV.SURR

STANDARD

TOP MENU

STEREO

MENU

•

6-STEREO

(VSX-516 model only)

multichannel sound to a stereo source,
using all of your speakers.

•

VIR. SURR

– A virtual surround effect using

just the subwoofer and front speakers.

•

EX POWER

(VSX-416 model only)

when using the surround speakers in addi­tion to the front speakers (see the diagram
on page 18 for the Extra Power mode
speaker setup).

•

PHONESUR.

– Creates the effect of overall

surround with headphones.

Setting the effect options

When using surround effects, there are a
number of settings you can adjust.

1 Press
the setting you want to adjust.

Depending on the current status / mode of the
receiver, certain options may not appear.
Check the table below for notes on this.

2

2

EFFECT/CH SEL

•

VSX-416 model only

below, only the

repeatedly to select

– From the options

EFFECT

available.

Use the LEVEL +/– buttons

parameter is

to set it as

– Gives

– Select

necessary.

• Press ‘

ADV.SURR

listening mode.

•

ADV. MOVIE
ADV. MUSIC

•

TV SURR.

•

– Provides surround sound for

’ repeatedly to select a

– Suitable for movie sources.

– Suitable for music sources.

See the table below for the options available for
each setting. The defaults, if not stated, are
listed in bold.

both mono and stereo TV sources.

•

SPORTS
ADV. GAME

•

EXPANDED

•
surround sound for two-channel sources.

Note

1 With 2-channel sources in Neo:6 Music mode, you can adjust the center image effect (see
2• If you press

•

Depending on the source and the sound mode you have selected, you may not get sound from the surround back speaker

in your setup. For more on this, refer to

• When an Advanced Surround listening mode is selected, the effect level can be adjusted using the

Setting the effect options

3 Use with Dolby Pro Logic for a stereo surround effect (stereo field is wider than Standard modes with Dolby Digital sources).

– Suitable for sports programs.

– Suitable for video games.

– Simulates multichannel

ADV.SURR

with the headphones connected,

Using surround back channel processing

below.

3

PHONES SURROUND

Setting the effect options

will automatically be selected.

on page 28.

EFFECT

below).

parameter in

26

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Listening to your system

06

3

Press EFFECT/CH SEL again to adjust

other settings

Setting What it does

Center

a

Width

(Applicable
only when
using a cen­ter speaker)

Dimension

Panorama

Center

b

Image

(Applicable
only when
using a cen­ter speaker)

Effect Sets the effect level for the

a Only available with 2ch sources in Dolby Pro Logic IIx Mu­sic mode.
b Only available with 2ch sources in Neo:6 Music mode.

.

Spreads the center channel
between the front right and left
speakers, making it sound
wider (higher settings) or
narrower (lower settings).

a

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

a

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

Adjusts the center image to
create a wider stereo effect with
vocals. Adjust the effect from 0
(all center channel sent to front
right and left speakers) to 10
(center channel sent to the
center speaker only).

currently selected Advanced
Surround mode (each mode
can be set separately).

Options

0 to 7

Default: 3

–3 to +3

Default: 0

OFF

ON

0 to 10

Default: 3

10 to 90

Listening in stereo

When you select STEREO or DIRECT, you will
hear the source through just the front left and
right speakers (and possibly your subwoofer
depending on your speaker settings).

Dolby Digital, DTS and WMA9 Pro multi­channel sources are downmixed to stereo.

CD-R

AMFMCD

MIDNIGHT/
LOUDNESS

ADV.SURR

STANDARD

STEREO

TOP MENU

• While listening to a source, press

MENU

STEREO

for stereo playback.

Press repeatedly to switch between:

• STEREO – The audio is heard with your
surround settings and you can still use the
Midnight, Loudness, and Tone functions.

• DIRECT – Bypass all effects and surround
settings so that the audio remains as close

to the source audio signal as possible.

1

• AUTO SURR. – See Auto playback on
page 25 for more on this.

Listening with Acoustic
Calibration EQ

VSX-516 model only

• Default setting: OFF / ALL CH (after the
Auto MCACC Setup or EQ Auto Setting)

You can listen to sources using the Acoustic
Calibration Equalization set in Automatically
setting up for surround sound (MCACC) on
page 8 or Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 33.
Refer to these pages for more on Acoustic
Calibration Equalization.

VOLUME

LEVEL

RETURN

MUTE

DVD

SUBTITLE

S.RETRIEVER

EFFECT/CH SEL ACOUSTIC EQ

HDD

DVD/DVR

CH CH

• While listening to a source, press (SHIFT +)
ACOUSTIC EQ.

Press repeatedly to select between:

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

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

Note

1 If you switch on Midnight listening, Loudness, Dialog Enhancement, the Sound Retriever or the Tone controls when DIRECT
is selected, the receiver automatically switches to STEREO.

27

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Listening to your system06

•

F. ALIGN

– All speakers are heard in
accordance with the front speaker
settings.

•

CUSTOM 1/2

•

EQ OFF

– Custom settings

– Switches Acoustic Calibration

EQ off.

The MCACC indicator on the front panel lights
when Acoustic Calibration EQ is active.

1

Choosing the input signal

• Default setting:

You need to hook up a component to both
analog and digital inputs on the rear of the

receiver to select between input signals.

• Press

SIGNAL SELECT

select the input signal corresponding to the
source component.

Each press cycles through the following:

AUTO

•

– This automatically switches to

DIGITAL

otherwise it remains on

•

ANALOG

•

DIGITAL

When set to
lights when a Dolby Digital signal is input, and

DTS

lights when a DTS signal is input.

AUTO

2

(front panel) to

if a digital source is detected,

ANALOG

.

– Selects the analog inputs.

– Selects the digital input.

DIGITAL

or

AUTO, 2 DIGITAL

U

sing surround back channel

processing

VSX-516 model only

• Default setting:

You can have the receiver automatically use 6.1
decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (for
example, Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES), or you
can choose to always use 6.1 decoding (for
example, with 5.1 encoded material). With 5.1
encoded sources, a surround back channel
will be generated, but the material may sound
better in the 5.1 format for which it was origi­nally encoded (in which case, you can simply

switch surround back processing off).
The table below indicates when you will hear

the surround back channel (
through surround back speaker).

• Press

SB ch (SB ch PROCESSING

a surround back channel option.

Each press cycles through the following:

•

SB ON

– 6.1 decoding is always used (for
example, a surround back channel will be
generated for 5.1 encoded material)

•

SB AUTO

decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (for
example, Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES)

•

SB OFF

– Maximum 5.1 playback

SB ON

3

=Sound plays



) to select

– Automatically switches to 6.1

Using Virtual Surround Back (VSB)

When you’re not using surround back speaker,
selecting this mode allows you to hear a virtual
surround back channel through your surround
speakers. You can choose to listen to sources

Note

1• You can’t use Acoustic Calibration EQ with

• If you switch on Acoustic Calibration EQ when
2• This receiver can only playback Dolby Digital, PCM (32 kHz to 96 kHz), DTS and WMA9 Pro digital signal formats. With other
digital signal formats, set to

• You may get digital noise when a LD or CD player compatible with DTS is playing an analog signal. To prevent noise, make
the proper digital connections (page 11) and set the signal input to

• Some DVD players don’t output DTS signals. For more details, refer to the instruction manual supplied with your DVD player.
3• You can’t use the surround back channel with headphones, the
set to

NO

in

Speaker setting

ANALOG

on page 35.

28

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DVD 5.1ch

.

or WMA9 Pro, and it has no effect when headphones are connected.

DIRECT

is selected, the receiver automatically switches to

DIGITAL

.

STEREO

/

DIRECT

mode, or if the surround back speaker is

STEREO

.

Listening to your system

06

with no surround back channel information, or
if the material sounds better in the format (for
example, 5.1) for which it was originally
encoded, you can have the receiver only apply
this effect to 6.1 encoded sources like Dolby

Digital EX or DTS-ES.

VSX-516 model only

1

– The table indicates when
you will hear the virtual surround back channel
(

=Sound plays through surround speaker).



• Press

MODE

SB ch (SB ch PROCESSING

)/

VSB

to select a virtual surround back

channel option.

Each press cycles through the following:

SBch

Type of source

Dolby Digital EX/DTS-ES/
WMA9 Pro encoded
multichannel sources with

6.1ch surround

Dolby Digital/DTS/WMA9 Pro
encoded multichannel
sources

Dolby Digital/DTS/WMA9 Pro
encoded stereo source; other
digital stereo source

Analog 2-channel (stereo)
sources

a Excluding WMA9 Pro format

b Only applicable when using the Virtual Surround Back mode.
c Not applicable when using the Virtual Surround Back mode.

Processing /

Virtual SB

mode

ON

AUTO

ON

AUTO

ON

AUTO

ON

AUTO

Multichannel

sources







•

VSB ON

– Virtual Surround Back is always
used (for example, on 5.1 encoded
material)

•

VSB AUTO (VSX-516 model only

Surround Back is automatically applied to

6.1 encoded sources (for example, Dolby
Digital EX or DTS-ES)

•

VSB OFF

– Virtual Surround Back mode is

switched off

Standard

Stereo sources

2 Pro Logic II x2



c





c



Pro Logic Neo:6

a,b



b











) – Virtual

Advanced

surround

a



a



a



a



a



a

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Using Midnight and Loudness

These features give you good sound at low
volume levels when listening to movie
(Midnight) or music (Loudness) sources.

• Press MIDNIGHT/LOUDNESS to switch
between MIDNIGHT, LOUDNESS, and OFF.

Note

1 You can’t use virtual surround back with headphones, the

Speaker setting

on page 35 (

VSX-516 model only

– however, the surround

STEREO

Enhancing dialog

• Default setting:

The Dialog Enhancement feature localizes
dialog in the center channel to make it stand
out from other background sounds in a TV or
movie soundtrack.

• Press DIALOGUE ENHANCEMENT to
switch dialog enhancement on or off.

/

DIRECT

mode, or if the surround speaker is set to NO in

back

speaker

OFF

must

be set to NO).

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