Pioneer VSX-817-S, VSX-417-K, VSX-417-S, VSX-817-K User manual

VSX-417 VSX-817

-S/-K

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER

SINTOAMPLIFICATORE AUDIO/VIDEO MULTICANALE

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Operating Instructions

Istruzioni per l’uso

(or http://www.pioneer.eu).

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(o http://www.pioneer.eu)

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., 230 V or 120 V) 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 to +35 ºC (+41 ºF to +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

DOW

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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VSX-417 model

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

"DTS" is a registered trademark of DTS, Inc. and "DTS 96/24" is a trademark of DTS, Inc.

VSX-817 model

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

"DTS" and "DTS-ES | Neo:6" are registered trademarks of DTS, Inc. "96/24" is a trademark of DTS, Inc.

Contents

01 Before you start

Checking what’s in the box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Loading the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Operating range of remote control unit. . . . . . 5

Installing the receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

02 5 minute guide

Introduction to home theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Listening to Surround Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Using the Quick Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Automatically setting up for surround sound

(MCACC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Other problems during Auto MCACC . . . . . . 9

03 Connecting up

Making cable connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Analog audio cables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Digital audio cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Video cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Connecting a TV and DVD player . . . . . . . . . 11

Connecting the multichannel analog

outputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Connecting a satellite receiver or other

digital set-top box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Connecting other audio components . . . . . . 13

About the WMA9 Pro decoder . . . . . . . . . . 13

Connecting other video components . . . . . . 14

Using the component video jacks. . . . . . . . 14

Connecting to the front panel video

terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting to the front panel audio

mini jack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Using external antennas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Connecting the speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Speaker terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Hints on speaker placement. . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Speaker placement diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . 19

04 Controls and displays

Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Remote control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

05 Listening to your system

Auto playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Listening in surround sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using the Advanced surround effects . . . . 27

Setting the effect options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Listening in stereo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Using Front Stage Surround Advance. . . . . . 28

Using Stream Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ . . . . . 29

Choosing the input signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Using surround back channel processing. . . 29

Using Virtual Surround Back (VSB). . . . . . . . 30

Using Phase Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using Midnight and Loudness. . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Enhancing dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the tone controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the Sound Retriever. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Playing other sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Selecting the multichannel analog inputs . . . 32

Selecting the front audio inputs . . . . . . . . . . 32

06 The System Setup menu

Using the System Setup menu . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Surround back speaker setting . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Manual MCACC speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Fine Channel Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Fine Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Acoustic Calibration EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Manual speaker setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Speaker setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Crossover network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Channel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The Input Assign menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The Other setup menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Dynamic Range Control Setup . . . . . . . . . . 40

Dual Mono Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

LFE Attenuator Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

07 Using the tuner

Listening to the radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Saving station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Naming station presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Listening to station presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

An introduction to RDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Displaying RDS information . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Searching for RDS programs . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Using EON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

08 Making recordings

Making an audio or a video recording . . . . . . 44

09 USB playback

Using the USB interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Basic playback controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Compressed audio compatibility. . . . . . . . . 46

10 Other connections

Second Zone speaker B setup . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Switching the speaker system . . . . . . . . . . 47

Bi-amping your front speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Bi-wiring your speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

11 Additional information

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Resetting the main unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Switching the speaker impedance. . . . . . . . . 51

Power cord caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Cleaning the unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

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-817 model only)

• These operating instructions

• Warranty card

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

• 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.

is 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 or area.

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)

5 minute guide02

Chapter 2:

5 minute guide

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 26.

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 on 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 on page 17.

Where you place the speakers will have a big effect on the sound. Place your speakers as shown below for the best surround sound effect. Also see Hints on speaker placement on page 18 for more on this.

Front speaker (R)

Subwoofer (SW)

Surround back speaker (SBL)*

Surround speaker (RS)

Surround back speaker (SBR)*

Front

speaker

(L)

Listening position

Center speaker (C)

Surround speaker (LS)

* VSX-817 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.

VSX-417 model – 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 below for more on this.

VSX-817 model – Use the display automatic

MCACC setup to set up your system.

See Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC) below for more on this.

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.

5 minute guide 02

There are several other sound options you can select. See Listening to your system on page 26

for 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

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

Connecting up03

Chapter 3:

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.

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

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)

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.

have yellow plugs to distinguish them from cables for audio.

tandard RCA video cable

Component video cables

VSX-817 model only

Use component video cables to get the best possible color reproduction of your video source. The color signal of the TV is divided into the luminance (Y) signal and the color (P

R) signals and then output. In this way,

B and

interference between the signals is avoided.

Component video cables

Green (Y)

)

Blue (P

Red (P

)

Connecting up 03

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

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

Use a standard RCA video cable3 and a stereo RCA phono cable for the connection.

• If your DVD player has multichannel

analog outputs, see Connecting the multichannel analog outputs below for how to connect it.

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 can also connect an optical digital audio output from your TV to the DIGITAL OPT 1 (CD) input on this receiver. Use an optical

cable for the connection.

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.

OPT

)

COAX

(

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

DVD/LD

ANALOG AUDIO OUT

AUX

OPT

)

DVR/

VCR

OUT

TV/

SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

OUT

AUDIO

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

PLAY

CD-R /TAPE

/MD

REC

AUDIO OUT

(

TV/ SAT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

DIGITAL

OPTICAL

(CD)

DIGITAL IN

VSX-817

COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

AUDIORL

ANALOG OUT

DVD player

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but connections for the VSX-417 are the same.

VIDEO IN

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

ANTENNA

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

VIDEO OUT

English

Deutsch

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 The Input Assign menu on page 39). 2 This connection will allow you to make analog recordings from your DVD player. 3 VSX-817 model only video jacks on page 14. 4 In this case, you’ll need to tell the receiver which digital input you connected the TV to (see The Input Assign menu on page 39). 5 VSX-817 model only ceiver to your TV.

–

If your player also has a component video output, you can connect this too. See Using the component

–

See Using the component video jacks on page 14 to use the component video outputs to connect this re-

Connecting up03

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.

VSX-817

CEN-

OPT

(

)

TV/ SAT

OPT

OUT

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

(

)

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

)

DVD/LD

OUT

AUDIO

RL RL

FRONT

OUTPUT

DVD/multi-channel decoder

AUX

DVR/ VCR

TV/ SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

PLAY

CD-R /TAPE

/MD

REC

OUTPUT

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

CENTER

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

ANTENNA

VIDEO

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

SURROUND

OUTPUT

TER

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

S P E A

K E R S

SUB

WOOFER

OUTPUT

SUB WOOFER

FRONT

SIRIUS IN

VIDEO

OUTPUT

(

MONI

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

VSX-817 model – Use an optical cable for the connection.

VSX-417 model – For example, connect to the

DIGITAL OPT 1 (CD) DIGITAL COAX 2 (DVR/VCR)

for optical input or the

for coaxial input.

VSX-817

AUX

(

TV/ SAT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

OPT

)

OPT

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

(

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

DVD/LD

OUT

)

OUT

AUDIO

FM UNBAL

Ω

DVR/ VCR

LOOP

ANTENNA

VIDEO

TV/ SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

PLAY

CD-R /TAPE

/MD

REC

OUT

MONITOR OUT

D V D

5.1CH

SUB

INPUT

WOOFER

PREOUT

with multi-channel analog output jacks

2 1

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but connections for the VSX-417 are the same.

DIGITAL OUT

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 DVD 5.1 ch is selected (see page 32). 2 If you’ve already connected your TV to the TV/SAT inputs, simply choose another input. However, you’ll need to remember which input you connected the set-top box to. 3 VSX-817 model only 4 If your satellite/cable receiver 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 using a coaxial digital audio cable. When you set up the receiver you’ll need to tell the receiver which input you connected the set-top box to (see The Input Assign menu on page 39). 5 In this case, you’ll need to tell the receiver which digital input you connected the TV to (see The Input Assign menu on page 39).

–

See Using the component video jacks on page 14 if your set-top box also has a component video output.

STB

Connecting up 03

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but connections for the VSX-417 are the same.

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.

VSX-817

AUX

OPT

(

)

TV/ SAT

OPT

OUT

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

COAX

(

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

DVD/LD

)

OUT

AUDIO

3 2

DVR/ VCR

TV/ SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

PLAY

CD-R /TAPE

/MD

REC

R L

AUDIO IN

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

VIDEO

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

REC

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

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but connections for the VSX-417 are the same.

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.

ANTENNA

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

AUDIO OUT

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

OUT

PLAY

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.

Connecting up03

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

, and the Windows logo are trademarks,

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 the DIGITAL COAX 2 (DVR/VCR) input.

VSX-817

AUX

(

TV/ SAT

ASSIGNABLE

ASSIGNABLE DIGITAL IN

OPTICAL COAXIAL

DIGITAL OUT

OPT

)

OPT

OUT

(CD)

DIGITAL IN

COAX

(

)

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

)

DVD/LD

OUT

AUDIO

2 1

R L

REC

AUDIO IN

FM UNBAL

Ω

DVR/ VCR

LOOP

ANTENNA

VIDEO

TV/ SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

5.1CH INPUT

PLAY

CD-R /TAPE

/MD

REC

OUT

MONITOR OUT

D V D

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

OUT

R L

VIDEO IN

PLAY

AUDIO OUT

VIDEO OUT

DVR, VCR, LD player, etc.

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but connections for the VSX-417 are the same.

Using the component video jacks

VSX-817 model only

Component video should deliver superior picture quality when compared to composite video. A further advantage (if your source and TV are both compatible) is progressive-scan video, which delivers a very stable, flicker-free picture. See the manuals that came with your TV and source component to check whether they are progressive-scan video compatible.

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 39).

Connecting up 03

Important

• If you connect any source component to the receiver using a component video input, you must also have your TV connected to this receiver’s COMPONENT

VIDEO MONITOR OUT jacks.

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

Use a three-way component video cable.

2 If necessary, assign the component video inputs to the input source you’ve connected.

This only needs to be done if you didn’t connect according to the following defaults:

• COMP 1 – DVD

• COMP 2 – TV

• COMP 3 – DVR

See Assigning the component video inputs on page 39.

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

Use a three-way component video cable.

Connecting to the front panel video terminal

VSX-817 model only

Front video connections are accessed via the front panel using the VIDEO/FRONT AUDIO button. Press VIDEO/FRONT AUDIO and select VIDEO input. There are standard audio/ video jacks. Hook them up the same way you made the rear panel connections.

• Push down on the PUSH OPEN tab to access the front audio/video connection.

VIDEO INPUT AUDIO RLVIDEO DIGITAL IN

CD-R/TAPE/MD

USB

AUDIO RLVIDEO

MCACC/

USB

AUDIO IN

PUSH OPEN

AUX

MCACC/

USB

AUDIO IN

Video

camera

(etc.)

VIDEO OUTPUT

Connecting to the front panel audio mini jack

VSX-817 model only

Front audio connections are accessed via the front panel using the VIDEO/FRONT AUDIO botton. Press VIDEO/FRONT AUDIO and select F.AUDIO input. Use a stereo mini-jack cable to connect a digital audio player.

• Push down on the PUSH OPEN tab to access the front audio/video connection.

VIDEO INPUT AUDIO RLVIDEO DIGITAL IN

CD-R/TAPE/MD

USB

AUDIO RLVIDEO

MCACC/

USB

AUDIO IN

PUSH OPEN

AUX

MCACC/

USB

AUDIO IN

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

Español

Portable CD player (etc.)

AUDIO OUT

Connecting up03

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 below).

fig. a fig. b fig. c

FM UNBAL

LOOP

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 (fig. a) then clip the loop onto the stand (fig. b).

• 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.

Using external antennas

To improve FM reception

Use a PAL connector to connect an external FM antenna.

One-touch PAL connector

75 Ω coaxial cable

To improve AM reception

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

Outdoor antenna

5 m to 6 m

FM UNBAL

LOOP

Indoor antenna (vinyl-coated wire)

For the best possible reception, suspend horizontally outdoors.

FM UNBAL

LOOP

Ω

Connecting up 03

Connecting the speakers

A complete speaker setup is shown below, but everyone’s home setup will vary. 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.

model)

(VSX-417 model)

using a subwoofer, change the front speaker setting (see Speaker setting on page 37) to LARGE. 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 Ω to 16 Ω (please see Switching the speaker impedance on page 51 if you plan to use speakers with an impedance of less than 8 Ω).

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

Front speakers

LRC LSRS

Surround speakersCenter speaker

(VSX-817 model only)

Surround back speakers

SBL

Simply connect

/ five

(VSX-817

If you’re not

SBR

English

Deutsch

Français

Italiano

Nederlands

SUB

CEN-

WOOFER

AUX

ASSIGNABLE DIGITAL IN

(

TV/ SAT

(CD)

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

OPT

)

OPT

OUT

COAX

(

)

DVR/VCR

COAX

(

)

DVD/LD

OUT

FM UNBAL 75

DVR/ VCR

LOOP

VIDEO

TV/ SAT

DVD /LD

FRONT

D V D

5.1CH INPUT

PLAY

CD-R

/TAPE

/MD

REC

AUDIO

Powered subwoofer

Ω

INPUT

ANTENNA

OUT

MONITOR OUT

SUB WOOFER

PREOUT

TER

COMPONENT VIDEO

(

)

ASSIGNABLE

DVR/VCR

(

)

DVD/LD

SURROUND

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

MONITOR OUT

FRONT

S P E A

A B

K E R S

(

)

TV/SAT

CENTERSURROUND

SURROUND BACK

VSX-417 model

10 mm

VSX-817 model

123

10 mm

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but connections for the VSX-417 are the same.

Español

Connecting up03

VSX-417 model

1 Twist exposed wire strands together.

2 Push open the tabs and insert exposed wire.

3 Release the tabs.

VSX-817 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. To prevent the risk of electric shock when connecting or disconnecting the speaker cables, disconnect the power cord before touching any uninsulated parts.

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.

Connecting up 03

Speaker placement diagrams

The following illustrations show 7.1 channel speaker setups.

3-D view of 7

Overhead view of speaker setup

Surround

Surround back Surround back

.1 channel

Front

left

Listening position

left right

Single surround back speaker

speaker setup

Front rightCenter

Subwoofer

Surround

right

The diagrams below show suggested surround and surround back speaker orientation. The first diagram (fig. A) shows orientation with one surround back speaker (or none) connected. The second (fig. B) shows orientation with two surround back speakers connected.

90~120

fig. A fig. B

0~60

SBL

SBR

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Nederlands

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Note

1 VSX-417 model only – Follow the speaker placement diagrams, disregarding the surround back speakers.

Controls and displays04

Chapter 4:

Controls and displays

Front panel

Illustration shows the VSX-817 model

PHASE

CONTROL

ACOUSTICEQPHASE

CONTROL

STANDBY/ON

AUTO SURR/

DIRECT

PHONES

PROCESSING

SPEAKERS

TV/SAT

DVD/LD

DVR/VCR VIDEO/FRONT AUDIO

EON

SIGNAL

SB ch

MODE

SELECT

TONE

TUNER

PTY

TUNING/

EDIT

STATION

MULTI JOG

SETUP RETURN

CD-R/TAPE/MD

USB

AUDIO RLVIDEO

VSX-817 model VSX-817 model VSX-417 model

9 7

PHASE

CONTROL

ACOUSTIC

AUTO SURR/

DIRECT

SB ch

PROCESSING

1312

EON

MODE

SIGNAL

SELECT

TONE

542 6

VSX-817

ENTER

AUX

MCACC/

USB

AUDIO IN

MULTI JOG

ADVANCED

STEREO/

STANDARD

SURROUND

F.S.SU RR

LISTENING MODE

MASTER VOLUME

UPDOWN

27252410 26

EON

SOUND

MODE

RETRIEVER

STEREO/ F.S.SURR

VSB

MODE

STANDARD

LISTENING MODE

15221321

TONE

ADVANCED SURROUND

VSX-417 model

DIALOGUE

PHASE

ENHANCEMENT

CONTROL

 STANDBY/ON

11 7

AUTO SURR/

DIRECT

16 1817 19 20

SPEAKERS

2 Input select buttons

Selects an input source.

3 Character display

See Display on page 22.

4 MCACC indicator

(VSX-817 model only)

Lights when Acoustic Calibration EQ (page 29) is on (Acoustic Calibration EQ is automatically set to ALL CH ADJUST after the Auto MCACC Setup (page 8) or EQ Auto Setup (page 35)).

TUNING/ STATION

TUNER

EDIT

MULTI JOG

SETUP RETURN

ENTER

MULTI JOG

PTY

SIGNAL

SELECT

dial

1917 23 20

TUNER

PTY

EDIT

QUICK SETUP

MULTI JOG

SETUP RETURN

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

LISTENING MODE

buttons

STEREO/F.S.SURR

Switches between stereo playback (page 28) and Front Stage Surround Advance modes (page 28).

Controls and displays 04

STANDARD

Press for Standard decoding and to switch between the various 2 Pro Logic II options /VSX-817 model only – 2 Pro Logic IIx and Neo:6 options (page 26).

ADVANCED SURROUND

Switches between the various surround modes (page 27).

AUTO SURR/DIRECT

Switches between Auto surround mode (Auto playback on page 26) and Stream Direct playback. Stream Direct playback bypasses the tone controls for the most accurate reproduction of a source (page 28).

8PHASE CONTROL

Press to switch on/off Phase Control (page 31).

9 ACOUSTIC EQ

Press to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ setting (page 29).

PHONES

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

DIALOGUE ENHANCEMENT

Use to make dialog stand out when watching TV or a movie (page 31).

12 SB ch PROCESSING

Selects the surround back channel mode (page 29) or virtual surround back mode (page 30).

13 EON MODE

Use to search for programs that are broadcasting traffic or news information (page 43).

SIGNAL SELECT

Selects an input signal (page 29).

TONE

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

MULTI JOG dial (page 31).

jack

SPEAKERS

Use to change the speaker system (page 47) and the impedance setting (page 51).

PTY SEARCH

Use this button to search for RDS Program types (page 42).

TUNING / STATION

Selects the frequency (page 41) and station presets (page 41) when using the tuner.

TUNER EDIT

Memorizes/names stations for recall (page 41).

20 System Setup menu controls

SETUP

Use with the MULTI JOG dial to access the System Setup menu (page 33).

RETURN

Confirms and exits the current menu.

21 SOUND RETRIEVER

Press to restore CD quality sound to compressed audio sources (page 32).

VSB MODE

Press to switch on/off Virtual Surround Back (VSB) mode (page 30).

QUICK SETUP

See Using the Quick Setup on page 7.

VIDEO INPUT (VSX-817 model only)

See Connecting to the front panel video terminal on page 15.

25 USB terminal

See Using the USB interface on page 45.

26 MCACC/

Use to connect a microphone when performing Auto MCACC setup, or connect an auxiliary component using a stereo mini-jack cable (page 15).

MASTER VOLUME

AUDIO

(VSX-817 model only)

IN jack

(VSX-817 model only)

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Controls and displays04

Display

12345678910

EON RDS

11 12

[]

[ ]

[]

125

250 4K

13K

SIGNAL SELECT

indicators

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

AUTO Lights when AUTO signal select is on.

SB (VSX-817 model only)

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.

Lights to indicate decoding of a DTS multichannel signal.

2 DIGITAL

Lights to indicate decoding of a Dolby Digital multichannel signal.

1817 19 2015 16 21 22 23

2 PRO LOGIC IIx (VSX-817 model only)/ 2 PRO LOGIC II

2 PRO LOGIC II

lights to indicate Pro Logic IIx decoding. 2 PRO LOGIC II lights to indicate Pro Logic II decoding (see Listening in surround sound on page 26 for more on this).

5VIR.SB

Lights during Virtual surround back processing (page 30).

DIRECT

Lights when source Stream Direct playback is in use. Stream 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 Auto playback on page 26).

ATT

Lights when ANALOG ATT is used to attenuate (reduce) the level of the analog input signal.

9SLEEP

Lights when the receiver is in sleep mode.

Tuner

indicators

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

Controls and displays 04

/ 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 43). RDS – Lights when an RDS broadcast is

received (page 42).

12 Speaker indicator

Shows if the speaker system is on or not.

A means the speakers are switched on.

 means the headphones are connected.

13 Sound Retriever indicators

Light when the Sound Retriever is switched on (page 32).

14 Character display

Neo:6 (VSX-817 model only)

Lights to indicate Neo:6 processing.

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.

MIDNIGHT

Lights during Midnight listening (page 31).

19 D.E.

Lights when Dialog Enhancement is switched on (page 31).

LOUDNESS

Lights during Loudness listening (page 31).

21 EX

(VSX-817 model only)

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

22 Master volume level

23 MCACC channel EQ indicators

(VSX-817 model only)

These indicators show the EQ balance for each channel in Checking your Acoustic Calibration EQ settings on page 37.

Remote control

Illustration shows the VSX-817 model

SB ch

SLEEP

INPUT SELECTOR

CD-R F.AUDIO

STEREO/ F.S.SURR

GUIDE

SHIFT

ANALOG ATT

DIMMER

DVRDVD

USB

S.RETRIEVER

ENTER

VOLUME

LEVEL

HDD

CH CH

REC

REC STOP

INFO

DVD/DVR/USB

TUNING

MPX

RECEIVER

DVD

TUNER

PHASE

RECEIVER

AMFMCD

ADV.SURR

DIALOG

ONE TOUCH COPY

RETURNSETUP

ACOUSTIC EQ

MUTE

SUBTITLE

AUDIO

JUKEBOX

STATION

9 10

RECEIVER

AUTO SURR STANDARD

TOP MENU

MIDNIGHT

TUNER EDIT

EFFECT/CH SEL

DVD/DVR

TIMER REC

DISPLAY CLASS

RECEIVER

Switches the receiver between standby and on.

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Deutsch

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Nederlands

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Controls and displays04

Listening mode

AUTO SURR

Switches between Auto surround mode (Auto playback on page 26) and Stream Direct playback. Stream Direct playback bypasses the tone controls for the most accurate reproduction of a source (page 28).

STANDARD

Press for Standard decoding and to switch between 2 Pro Logic II options/VSX-817 model only – 2 Pro Logic IIx and Neo:6 options (page 26).

STEREO/F.S.SURR

Switches between stereo playback (page 28) and Front Stage Surround Advance modes (page 28).

ADV.SURR

Switches between the various surround modes (page 27).

TOP MENU

Displays the disc ‘top’ menu of a DVD.

MIDNIGHT/LOUDNESS

Switches to Midnight or Loudness listening (page 31).

TUNER EDIT

Memorizes/names stations for recall (page 41).

SETUP

Press to access the System Setup menu (page 33). Also functions as the SETUP button for DVD/DVR units.

RECEIVER CONTROL

VOLUME +/–

Use to set the listening volume.

EFFECT/CH SEL

Press repeatedly to select a channel, then use LEVEL +/– to adjust the level. Also adjusts the level of the Advanced Surround effects as well as Dolby Pro Logic

buttons

IIx Music/Dolby Pro Logic II Music and (VSX-817 only) Neo:6 music parameters (page 27). You can then use the LEVEL +/– buttons to make these adjustments.

LEVEL +/–

Use to adjust the effect and channel levels.

MUTE

Mutes/unmutes the sound.

ACOUSTIC EQ

(VSX-817 model only)

Press to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ setting (page 29).

SHIFT

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

SLEEP

Press to change the amount of time before the receiver switches into standby (30 min – 60 min – 90 min – Off). You can check the remaining sleep time at any time by pressing SLEEP once.

DIMMER

Dims or brightens the display.

PHASE

Press to switch on/off Phase Control (page 31).

SB ch* (VSX-817 model only)

Selects the surround back channel mode (page 29) or virtual surround back mode (page 30).

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.

Controls and displays 04

RECEIVER

Use to switch to the receiver controls on the remote control. Use when setting up surround sound for the receiver (page 33).

Displays the disc menu of DVD-Video discs. It also displays TV menus.

DIALOG

Use to make dialog stand out when watching TV or a movie (page 31).

/ENTER

Use the arrow buttons when setting up your surround sound system (page 33). Also used for DVD menus.

 (S.RETRIEVER)*

Press to restore CD quality sound to compressed audio sources (page 32).

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/USB control buttons

Use these buttons to control a Pioneer DVD player, recorder or USB devices (VSX-817 model only) connected to your system (press SHIFT to access the commands bordered by a rectangle).

Button What it does

DVD/ DVR

CH +/– Switches channels. SUBTITLE

AUDIO

 Starts/resumes normal playback.  Pauses/unpauses.  Stops playback. /

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.

Button What it does

 Skips to the start of the current track or

 Skips to the next track or chapter.

HDD

DVD

GUIDE



TIMER REC

INFO

REC STOP

JUKEBOX

chapter, then previous tracks/chapters.

Switch between the hard disk and DVD

controls for DVD/HDD recorders.

Displays the guides on a DVD/DVR.

Starts recording.

REC

Accesses the timerrecording menu.

Displays additional EPG information.

Stops recording.

Switches to the Jukebox feature.

TUNER controls

The TUNING +/– buttons can be used to find radio frequencies (page 41) and the STATION +/– buttons can be used to select preset radio stations (page 41).

DISPLAY

Switch the display between station preset name and frequency (see tip on page 41).

CLASS

Switches between the three banks (classes) of station presets (page 41).

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 41). Press the FM button, then while holding down the SHIFT button press this button to enable EON MODE (page 43).

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Listening to your system05

Chapter 5:

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 WMA9 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

AMFMCD

ADV.SURR

stereo playback as necessary.

USB

STEREO/

AUTO SURR STANDARD

F.S.SURR

TOP MENU

S.RETRIEVER

• While listening to a source, press AUTO SURR

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-817 only – If you connected surround back speaker, see also Using surround back channel processing on page 29.

USB

S.RETRIEVER

AMFMCD

ADV.SURR

STEREO/

AUTO SURR STANDARD

F.S.SURR

TOP 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.

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

•

2 Pro Logic II MOVIE

– Up to 5.1 channel

sound, especially suited to movie sources

•

2 Pro Logic II MUSIC4 – Up to 5.1 channel

sound, especially suited to music sources

• 2 Pro Logic II GAME – Up to 5.1 channel sound, especially suited for video games

• 2 PRO LOGIC – 4.1 channel surround sound

VSX-817 model only:

•

2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE

– Up to 7.1 channel

sound, especially suited to movie sources

2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC

•

– Up to 7.1 channel

sound, especially suited to music sources

•

2 Pro Logic IIx GAME

– Up to 7.1 channel

sound, especially suited for video games

Note

1 • Stereo surround (matrix) formats are decoded accordingly using 2 Pro Logic II MOVIE (VSX-417)/2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE or Neo:6 CINEMA (VSX-817) (see Listening in surround sound below for more on these decoding formats).

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

2 For more options using this button, see Using Stream Direct on page 28. 3 VSX-817 model only – If surround back channel processing (page 29) is switched to OFF, or the surround back speaker is set to NO (page 37), 2 Pro Logic IIx becomes 2 Pro Logic II (5.1 channel sound). 4 When listening to 2-channel sources in Dolby Pro Logic IIx Music/Dolby Pro Logic II Music mode, there are three further parameters you can adjust: Center Width, Dimension, and Panorama. See Setting the effect options below to adjust them.

Listening to your system 05

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

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

VSX-817 model only – With multichannel sources, if you have connected surround back speaker(s) and have selected SB ON, you can

select (according to format):

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – See above

• 2 Pro Logic IIx MUSIC – See above

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

• DTS-ES – Allows you to hear 6.1 channel 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.

USB

AMFMCD

ADV.SURR

S.RETRIEVER

’ repeatedly to select a

• Press ‘

ADV.SURR

listening mode.

STEREO/

AUTO SURR STANDARD

F.S.SURR

TOP MENU

• SPORTS – Suitable for sports programs.

• ROCK/POP – Creates a live concert sound for rock and/or pop music.

• UNPLUGED – Suitable for acoustic music sources.

• X-STEREO – Gives multichannel sound to a stereo source, using all of your speakers.

• 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.

1Press select 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.

necessary.

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

3 other settings

EFFECT/CH SEL

Use the LEVEL +/– buttons

repeatedly to

to set it as

Press EFFECT/CH SEL again to adjust

• ACTION – Designed for action movies with dynamic soundtracks.

• DRAMA – Designed for movies with lots of dialog.

• MONOFILM – Creates surround sound from mono soundtracks.

• ENT. SHOW – Suitable for musical sources.

• EXPANDED – Creates an extra wide stereo

field.

• TV SURR. – Provides surround sound for both mono and stereo TV sources.

Setting What it does

Center Width

(Applicable only when using a center speaker)

Dimension

Spreads the center channel

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

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

Options

0 to 7

Default:

–3 to +3 Default:

• ADV. GAME – Suitable for video games.

Note

1 • If you press ADV.SURR with the headphones connected, PHONES SURROUND will automatically be selected.

• VSX-817 model only – Depending on the source and the sound mode you have selected, you may not get sound from the sur-

round back speaker in your setup. For more on this, refer to Using surround back channel processing on page 29.

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

Setting the effect options below. 2 Use with Dolby Pro Logic for a stereo surround effect (stereo field is wider than Standard modes with Dolby Digital sources).

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Listening to your system05

USB

AMFMCD

USB

AMFMCD

USB

AMFMCD

Setting What it does

Panorama

Center 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 (VSX-817 model only)/Dolby Pro Logic II Music mode. b VSX-817 model only – Only available with 2ch sources in Neo:6 Music mode.

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

OFF

0 to 10

Default:

10 to 90

Listening in stereo

When you select STEREO you will hear the source through just the front left and right speakers (and possibly your subwoofer depending on your speaker settings). Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel sources are downmixed to stereo.

STEREO/ F.S.SURR

ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR STANDARD

Using Front Stage Surround Advance

The Front Stage Surround Advance function allows you to create natural surround sound

effects using just the front speakers and the subwoofer.

STEREO/ F.S.SURR

ADV.SURR

WIDE position

Front left

speaker

AUTO SURR STANDARD

• While listening to a source, press F.S.SURR

to select Front Stage Surround

Advance modes.

• STEREO – See Listening in stereo above for