Pioneer VSX-S300-K Operating Instruction

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER

Operating Instructions

Discover the benefits of registering your product online at http://www.pioneer.co.uk (or http://www.pioneer.eu).

VSX-S300

-K

IMPORTANT

WARNING

VENTILATION CAUTION

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 10 amp fuse is fitted in this plug. Should the fuse need to be replaced, please ensure that the replacement fuse has a rating of 10 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

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

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

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When installing this unit, make sure to leave space around the unit for ventilation to improve heat radiation (at least 10 cm at top, 5 cm at rear, and 5 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.

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Operating Environment

Operating environment temperature and humidity: +5 °C to +35 °C (+41 °F to +95 °F); 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)

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WARNING

Information for users on collection and disposal of old equipment and used batteries

Symbol for

equipment

Symbol examples

for batteries

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).

These symbols on the products, packaging, and/or accompanying documents mean that used electrical and electronic products and batteries should not be mixed with general household waste.

For proper treatment, recovery and recycling of old products and used batteries, please take them to applicable collection points in accordance with your national legislation.

By disposing of these products and batteries correctly, you will help to save valuable resources and prevent any potential negative effects on human health and the environment which could otherwise arise from inappropriate waste handling.

For more information about collection and recycling of old products and batteries, please contact your local municipality, your waste disposal service or the point of sale where you purchased the items.

These symbols are only valid in the European Union.

For countries outside the European Union:

If you wish to discard these items, please contact your local authorities or dealer and ask for the correct method of disposal.

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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

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example, when on vacation).

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

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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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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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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.

Contents

Before you start

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

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

Flow of settings on the receiver

01 Controls and displays

Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Loading the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Operating range of remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

02 Connecting your equipment

Determining the speakers’ application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Some tips for improving sound quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Connecting the speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Connect the surround back or front height speakers

Switching the speaker terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Making cable connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

HDMI cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

About HDMI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Analog audio cables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Digital audio cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Standard RCA video cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

About video outputs connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Connecting a TV and playback components . . . . . . . . . . 13

Connecting using HDMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Connecting your component with no HDMI terminal . .14 Connecting optional Bluetooth

Connecting antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Using external antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting to the front panel audio mini jack. . . . . . . . . 15

Plugging in the receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

03 Basic Setup

Canceling the Auto Power Down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Canceling the demo display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC). . 16

Other problems when using the Auto MCACC setup . . 17

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

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

. . . 11

ADAPTER . . . . . . . . . . . 14

04 Basic playback

Playing a source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Bluetooth

Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Listening to the radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

An introduction to RDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

05 Listening to your system

Choosing the listening mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Using the Ecology mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the Sound Retriever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Setting the Up Mix function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Setting the Audio options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

06 The Home Menu

Using the Home Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Manual speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

The Pre Out Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

The Input Assign menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

The Auto Power Down menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

The FL Demo Mode menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

ADAPTER for Wireless Enjoyment of

Wireless music play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Pairing the Bluetooth ADAPTER and Bluetooth

wireless technology device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Listening to Music Contents of Bluetooth wireless

technology device with Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Improving FM sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Saving station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Listening to station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Naming preset stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Searching for RDS programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Displaying RDS information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Auto playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Listening in surround sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Using the Advanced surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using Stream Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Speaker System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Speaker Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

X.OVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Channel Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

07 Control with HDMI function

Making Control with HDMI connections . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

HDMI Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Before using synchronization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

About synchronized operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

About connections with a product of a different brand

that supports the Control with HDMI function . . . . . . 32

Cautions on the Control with HDMI function . . . . . . . . . 32

08 Additional information

Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

HDMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Important information regarding the HDMI

connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Resetting the main unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Cleaning the unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Before you start

Checking what’s in the box

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

• Setup microphone

• Remote control

• AAA size IEC R03 dry cell batteries (to confirm system operation) x2

• AM loop antenna

• FM wire antenna

•Power cord

• Warranty card

• Quick start guide

• Safety Brochure

• These operating instructions (CD-ROM)

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)

Flow of settings on the receiver

The unit is a full-fledged AV receiver equipped with an abundance of functions and terminals. It can be used easily after following the procedure below to make the connections and settings.

The colors of the steps indicate the following:

Required setting item

Setting to be made as necessary

Connecting the speakers

Where you place the speakers will have a big effect on the sound.

• Determining the speakers’ application (page 9)

• Connecting the speakers (page 10)



Connecting the components

For surround sound, you’ll want to hook up using a digital connection from the Blu-ray Disc/DVD player to the receiver.

• About video outputs connection (page 12)

• Connecting a TV and playback components (page 13)

• Connecting antennas (page 14)

• Plugging in the receiver (page 15)



Power On

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.



Speaker System (page 27)

(When connecting the B Speakers.)

The Pre Out Setting (page 30)

(When connecting the front height speakers.)

The Input Assign menu (page 30)

(When using connections other than the recommended connections.)

Using the Audio Return Channel function (page 31)

(When the connected TV supports the HDMI Audio Return Channel function.)



Use the on-screen automatic MCACC setup to set up

your system

• Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC) (page 16)



Playing a source (page 18)

• Choosing the listening mode (page 22)



Adjusting the sound as desired

• Using the Sound Retriever (page 24)

• Setting the Up Mix function (page 24)

• Setting the Audio options (page 24)

• Manual speaker setup (page 27)

Controls and displays

11 12 14 15 1613 13

Chapter 1:

Controls and displays

Front panel

STANDBY/ON

1 2 3 4 5678910

 STANDBY/ON

2 PHONES jack

Use to connect headphones. When the headphones are connected, there is no sound output from the speakers. The listening mode when the sound is heard from the headphone can be selected only from PHONES SURR, STEREO or

STEREO ALC mode (S.R AIR mode can be also selected with ADAPTER input).

3 PORTABLE/MCACC SETUP MIC jack

Use to connect an auxiliary component using a stereo minijack cable (page 15) or connect a microphone when performing Auto MCACC setup (page 16).

4 Remote sensor

Receives the signals from the remote control (see Operating range of remote control on page 8).

5 Character display

See Display on page 6.

6 MCACC indicator

Lights when Acoustic Calibration EQ (page 25) is on (Acoustic Calibration EQ is automatically set to on after the Auto MCACC setup (page 16)).

7 HDMI indicator

Blinks when connecting an HDMI-equipped component; lights when the component is connected (page 13).

PORTABLE /

MCACC

SETUP MICPHONES

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI- CHANNEL RECEIVER

INPUT SELECTOR

MCACC

SOUND

RETRIEVER

HDMI

8 INPUT SELECTOR

Selects an input source (page 18).

9 SOUND RETRIEVER

Press to restore CD quality sound to compressed audio sources (page 24).

VSX

-S300

MASTER VOLUME

10 MASTER VOLUME dial

Display

11 Dolby Digital indicators

2 D – Lights when a Dolby Digital encoded signal is detected.

2TrueHD – Lights when a source with Dolby TrueHD encoded audio signals is detected.

2 D+ – Lights when a source with Dolby Digital Plus encoded audio signals is detected.

EX – Lights to indicate Dolby Digital EX decoding. PLII(x/z) – Lights to indicate 2 Pro Logic II/2 Pro Logic

IIx or 2 Pro Logic IIz decoding (see Listening in surround sound on page 22 for more on this).

12 DTS indicators

DTS – Lights when a source with DTS encoded audio

signals is detected.

HD – Lights when a source with DTS-EXPRESS or DTSHD encoded audio signals is detected.

ES – Lights to indicate DTS-ES decoding. 96/24 – Lights when a source with DTS 96/24 encoded

audio signals is detected.

13 Listening mode indicators

AT – Lights when the Auto Surround feature is switched

on (page 22). DIR – Lights when the DIRECT or PURE DIR mode is

switched on (page 23).

14 Audio signal indicators

D – Lights when a digital audio input is selected. Blinks

when a digital audio input is selected and selected audio input is not provided.

HDMI – Lights when an HDMI input is selected. Blinks when an HDMI input is selected and selected HDMI signal is not provided.

15 Character display

Displays various system information, the preset number of the tuner or the input signal type, etc.

16 Sleep timer ( ) indicator

Lights when the receiver is in sleep mode (page 7).

Controls and displays

STANDBY/ON

iPod USB

NETWORK

AUTO / DIRECT

ALC

STANDARD

ADV

SURR

SOUND

WING

AUDIO

DIMMER

TOP

TOOLS

VOL

RETURN

PTY

PRESET

BAND MUTE

HOME MENU

iPod CTRL

DISP

STATUS

ADAPTER

TUNER BD DVD

STB GAME

PORTABLE

SLEEP SP-AB

ENTER

TUNE

RECEIVER

ECO

D AUX A AUX

S.RTRV

RECEIVER

Remote control

The following buttons are not used with this receiver:

iPod USB, NETWORK, , , iPod CTRL

 STANDBY/ON

Switches the receiver between standby and on.

2 Input function buttons

Use to select the input source to this receiver (page 18). This will enable you to control other Pioneer components with the remote control.

• Switch to one of the underlined devices to use the remote control to operate that device. As for operating other devices, the remote control codes for the Pioneer products are preset. The settings cannot be changed.

Switches the remote to control the receiver. Also use this button to set up surround sound (page 27) or Audio parameters (page 24).

4 Receiver control buttons

RECEIVER

Press first to access:

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.

SP-AB – See Switching the speaker terminal on page 11. DIMMER – Dims or brightens the display. The brightness

can be controlled in four steps. STATUS – Switches the display of this unit.

The Pre Out setting and Up Mix function settings can be checked depending on the input selected.

Press TUNER first to access:

DISP – Press to display the preset name (page 20).

Press BD or DVD first to access:

AUDIO – Press to change the audio stream/channel of Blu-ray Disc/DVD.

DISP – Press to display information of a Blu-ray Disc/DVD.

5 Receiver and component control buttons

The following button controls can be accessed after you have selected the corresponding input function button (BD, DVD, etc.).

RECEIVER

Press first to access:

TOOLS – Use to access the Audio options (page 24). HOME MENU – Press to access the Home Menu

(page 27). RETURN – Confirm and exit the current menu screen.

Press TUNER first to access:

TOOLS – Memorizes stations for recall, also used to change the name (page 20).

Press BD or DVD first to access:

TOP MENU – Displays the disc ‘top’ menu of a Blu-ray Disc/DVD.

HOME MENU – Displays the HOME MENU screen. RETURN – Confirm and exit the current menu screen. MENU – Displays the TOOLS menu of Blu-ray Disc player.

///

Use the arrow buttons when setting up your surround sound system (page 27). Also used to control Blu-ray Disc/DVD menus/options.

7 Component control buttons

The main buttons (, , etc.) are used to control a component after you have selected it using the input function buttons.

The controls above these buttons can be accessed after you have selected the corresponding input function button (BD, DVD and CD). These buttons also function as described below.

, ENTER

Press TUNER first to access:

PTY – Use to search for RDS program types (page 21). BAND – Switches between AM, FM ST (stereo) and FM

MONO radio bands (page 20).

TUNE +/– – Use to find radio frequencies. PRESET +/– – Use to select preset radio stations.

8ECO

Press to select Ecology mode (page 23).

Controls and displays

CAUTION

30°

7 m

30°

9S.RTRV

Press to restore CD quality sound to compressed audio sources (page 24).

10 Listening mode buttons

AUTO/DIRECT – Switches between Auto surround mode

(page 22) and Stream Direct playback (page 23). ALC/STANDARD – Press for standard decoding and to

switch between the modes of 2 Pro Logic II, 2 Pro Logic IIx, 2 Pro Logic IIz and NEO:6, and the Auto level control stereo mode (page 22).

ADV SURR – Switches between the various surround modes (page 23).

SOUND WING – Press to select Sound wing mode (page 22).

11 VOL +/–

Use to set the listening volume.

12 MUTE

Mutes/unmutes the sound.

Loading the batteries

The batteries included with the unit are to check initial operations; they may not last over a long period. We recommend using alkaline batteries that have a longer life.

• 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.

Do not use or store batteries in direct 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.

Operating range of remote control

The remote control may not work properly if:

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

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

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

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

Connecting your equipment

Important

5.1 channel surround system:

6.1 channel surround (Surround back) system:

7.1 channel surround (Surround back) system:

7.1 channel surround (Front height) system:

Main zone

Speaker B

Chapter 2:

Connecting your equipment

Determining the speakers’ application

By connecting the left and right front speakers (L/R), the center speaker (C), the left and right surround speakers (SL/ SR), the left and right surround back speakers (SBL/SBR) (or the left and right front height speakers (FHL/FHR)), and the subwoofer (SW), a surround sound system up to 7.1 channel can be enjoyed.

The 5.1 channel surround system is the most commonlyused in home theaters. To achieve the best possible surround sound, install your speakers as shown below.

SBL

SBR

FHL

Where you put your speakers in the room has a big effect on

• To connect the surround back or front height speakers, an additional amplifier is required. Connect the additional amplifier to the PRE OUT SURR BACK/ FRONT HEIGHT outputs of this unit and connect the surround back or front height speakers to the additional amplifier (see Connect the surround back or front height speakers on page 11).

Another way, you can use the speakers connected to the B speaker terminals to listen to stereo playback in another room. See Switching the speaker terminal on page 11 for the listening options with this setup.

• You will not be able to connect the B speakers if you connect the surround speakers in the main zone. When using the B speakers, main zone sound will only be output from the front speakers, the center speaker and the subwoofer. (No sound is output from the surround and surround back speakers.)

• Speaker B does not allow for subwoofer connection. Please use full-range speakers.

FHR

Some tips for improving sound quality

• Speakers such as S-HV500-LR and S-HV600B may have specific installation methods. For more details, refer to the operating instructions supplied with speaker.

the quality of the sound. The following guidelines should help you to get the best sound from your system.

• It is best to angle the speakers towards the listening position. The angle depends on the size of the room. Use less of an angle for bigger rooms.

• Refer to the chart below for placement of speakers you intend to connect.

FHL

30 30

120 120

Place the surround speakers at 120º from the center. If you, (1) use the surround back speaker, and, (2) don’t use the front height speakers, we recommend placing the surround speaker right beside you.

If you intend to connect only one surround back speakers, place it directly behind you.

If the surround speakers cannot be set directly to the side of the listening position with a 7.1-channel system, the surround effect can be enhanced by turning off the Up Mix function (see Setting the Up Mix function on page 24).

• For the best stereo effect, place the front speakers 2 m to 3 m apart, at equal distance from the TV.

• If you’re using a center speaker, place the front speakers at a wider angle. If not, place them at a narrower angle.

• Place the center speaker above or below the TV so that the sound of the center channel is localized at the TV screen. Also, make sure the center speaker does not cross the line formed by the leading edge of the front left and right speakers.

SBL

FHR

SBR

Connecting your equipment

CAUTION

Important

Center

Right

Front right

Surround back or front height

channel amplifier

Front left

Powered

Subwoofer

Left

Right

Left

Surround back or front

height speakers

Passive

subwoofer

(S-SLW500)

Surround speakers

or B-Speakers

• Surround and surround back speakers should be positioned 60 cm to 90 cm higher than your ears and titled slight downward. Make sure the speakers don’t face each other. For DVD-Audio, the speakers should be more directly behind the listener than for home theater playback.

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

• Place the left and right front height speakers at least one meter directly above the left and right front speakers.

• If you’re going to place speakers around your CRT TV, use shielded speakers or place the speakers at a sufficient distance from your CRT TV.

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

• When not connecting a subwoofer, connect speakers with low frequency reproduction capabilities to the front channel. (The subwoofer’s low frequency component is played from the front speakers, so the speakers could be damaged.)

• After connecting, be sure to conduct the Auto MCACC (speaker environment

setting) procedure.

See Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC) on page 16.

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

Connecting the speakers

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. Make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the right (R) terminal and the speaker on the left to the left (L) terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative (+/–) terminals on the receiver match those on the speakers.

You can use speakers with a normal impedance between 4 Ω and 16 Ω.

VIDEO

ASSIGNABLE

GAME IN

(

ANALOG

MONITOR

OUT

COAXIAL

CD IN

TV IN

SURR BACK/

ANALOG

AUX

FRONT HEIGHT

L (

Single

SUBWOOFER

PRE OUT

AUDIO

)

AUX

OUT

DIGITAL AUX IN

OPTICAL

FRONT

SPEAKERS

CENTER

WOOFER

SUB

SURROUND /

LINE LEVEL

INPUT

• SPEAKERS SUBWOOFER terminals are Pioneer’s passive subwoofer S-SLW500 connection terminals. If using another model of subwoofer, be sure to use a model with built-in amp and connect to the PREOUT SUBWOOFER terminal.

• Please connect either passive or powered subwoofers, as connecting both makes it impossible to achieve the correct sound effect.

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

ANALOG

AUDIO IN

SPEAKER R SPEAKER L

Connecting your equipment

CAUTION

Note

Important

10 mm

12 3

10 mm

Bare wire connections

Front speaker terminals:

Twist exposed wire strands together.

Loosen terminal and insert exposed wire.

Tighten terminal.

12 3

Other speaker terminals:

Twist exposed wire strands together.

Push open the tabs and insert exposed wire.

Release the tabs.

• 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.

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

• Do not allow the speaker cable core to come into contact with the receiver body.

If the speaker cable core comes into contact with any metal portion of the receiver's body, it may damage the speakers and cause smoke and fire. Insert speaker cables securely into the terminals and check that the cable does not come out of easily.

Connect the surround back or front height speakers

Connect the PRE OUT SURR BACK/FRONT HEIGHT outputs of the unit and additional amplifier to add a surround back or front height speaker.

• The Pre Out setting must be set if the above connections are performed. Select Surr.Back if the surround back speaker is connected and Height if the front height speaker is connected (If neither the surround back speaker nor the front height speaker is connected, either setting will suffice) (see The Pre Out Setting on page 30).

• You can use the additional amplifier on the surround back channel pre-outs for a single speaker as well. In this case plug the amplifier into the left (L (Single)) terminal only.

Switching the speaker terminal

Three speaker system settings are possible.



Use SP-AB button to select a speaker terminal setting.

Press repeatedly to choose a speaker terminal option:

• SP:A ON – Sound is output from the speakers connected to the A-speaker terminals and PRE OUT SURR BACK/ FRONT HEIGHT (multichannel playback is possible).

•

SP:B ON

– Sound is output from the two speakers connected

to the B-speaker terminals (only stereo playback is possible).

• SP:A+B ON – Sound is output from the A-speaker

terminals, the two speakers in the B-speaker terminals, and the subwoofer. Multichannel sources are downmixed only when the STEREO or STEREO ALC mode is selected for stereo output from A- and B-speaker terminals.

• SP: OFF – No sound is output from the speakers.

•Only SP:A ON and SP: OFF are available when the Speaker System setting is set to Normal (see Speaker System on page 27).

• The subwoofer output depends on the settings you made in Speaker Setting on page 28. However, if SP:B ON is selected above, no sound is heard from the subwoofer (the LFE channel is not downmixed).

• All speaker terminals are switched off when headphones are connected.

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.

• Before making or changing connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.

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

HDMI cables

Both video and sound signals can be transmitted simultaneously with one cable. If connecting the player and the TV via this receiver, for both connections, use HDMI cables.

HDMI

+ 25 hidden pages

Pioneer VSX-S300-K Operating Instruction

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual