Harman-Kardon AVR 5550 - Manual (Page 3)

INTRODUCTION 3
Introduction
Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon!
With the purchase of a Harman Kardon
AVR 5550 you are about to begin many years of
listening enjoyment. Designed to provide all the
excitement and detail of movie soundtracks and
every nuance of musical selections, the
AVR 5550 is truly a multichannel receiver for the
new millennium. In addition to the traditional
5.1 digital decoding modes such as Dolby Digital
and DTS, it offers the latest advancements in
surround technology such as Dolby Pro Logic II,
the full suite of DTS-ES 6.1 modes, DTS Neo:6
and the latest 7.1 channel versions of Harman's
own Logic 7 technology.
The AVR 5550 has been engineered so that it is
easy to take advantage of all the power of its
digital technology. On-screen menus, fully color
coded connection jacks and terminals and our
exclusive EzSet
™ remote make installation fast
and simple. However, to obtain the maximum
enjoyment from your new receiver, we urge you
to read this manual. A few minutes spent learn-
ing the functions of the various controls will
enable you to take advantage of all the power
the AVR 5550 is able to deliver.
If you have any questions about this product, its
installation or its operation, please contact your
retailer or custom installer. They are your best
local sources of information.
Description and Features
The AVR 5550 is among the most versatile and
multifeatured A/V receivers available, incorporat-
ing a wide range of listening options. In addition
to Dolby Digital and DTS decoding for digital
sources, a broad choice of surround modes for
Matrix surround-encoded or Stereo recordings
are available for use with sources such as CD,
VCR, TV broadcasts and the AVR 5550’s own
FM/AM tuner. Along with Dolby Digital EX,
Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS Neo:6, Dolby 3 Stereo,
5 Channel or 7 Channel Stereo and Hall and
Theater modes, the AVR 5550 offers Harman
International’s exclusive Logic 7 process in both
5.1 and 7.1 versions to create a wider, more
enveloping field environment and more defined
fly-overs and pans. Another Harman Kardon
exclusive is VMAx, which uses proprietary pro-
cessing to create an open, spacious sound field
even when only two front speakers are available.
Finally, the AVR 5550 is among the very few A/V
receivers that offer decoding of MP3 data, so
that you may listen to the latest music selections
directly from compatible computers or playback
devices with the power and fidelity you expect
from Harman Kardon.
The AVR 5550 is also featuring HDCD ® decoding
to provide the most realistic playback of CDs
when a digital connection is used, even with a
normal non-HDCD-compatible CD or DVD player.
In addition to providing a wide range of listening
options, the AVR 5550 is easy to configure so
that it provides the best results with your speak-
ers and specific listening-room environment. On-
screen menus make it simple to enter settings
for speaker configurations and bass manage-
ment, and the EzSet remote measures a system’s
sound levels and automatically calibrates them
for perfectly balanced sound field presentation.
For the ultimate in flexibility, the AVR 5550
features connections for five video devices, all
with both composite and S-Video inputs. Two
additional audio inputs are available, and a total
of six digital inputs and three outputs make the
AVR 5550 capable of handling all the latest
digital audio sources.
For compatibility with the latest HDTV video
sources and progressive scan DVD players, the
AVR 5550 also features wide-bandwidth,
low-crosstalk component video switching.
Coax and optical digital outputs are available for
direct connection to digital recorders, and both
the front panel analog audio/video and coaxial
digital jacks may be switched to outputs for use
with portable recorders – a Harman Kardon
exclusive. Two video recording outputs, preamp-
out and and a color-coded eight-channel input
make the AVR 5550 virtually future-proof, with
everything needed to accommodate tomorrow’s
new formats right on board.
The AVR 5550’s flexibility and power extend
beyond your main home theater or listening
room. The AVR 5550 includes a sophisticated
multizone control system that allows you to
select one source for use in the main room and a
different one (Audio only) in a second room.
Complete control over volume is possible with a
separate infrared control link. To make it easy to
operate the AVR 5550 from a remote room, a
separate “Zone II” remote is included.
Additional multiroom options include the option
to assign two of the AVR 5550’s output channels
to the multiroom system and the ability to link
the AVR 5550 to innovative A-BUS
® keypads for
multiroom operation without the need for
external amplifiers.
The AVR 5550’s powerful amplifier uses
traditional Harman Kardon high-current design
technologies to meet the wide dynamic range of
any program selection.
Harman Kardon invented the high-fidelity
receiver more than forty-seven years ago. With
state-of-the-art circuitry and time-honored circuit
designs, the AVR 5550 is the perfect combination
of the latest in digital audio technology, a quiet
yet powerful analog amplifier in an elegant,
easy-to-use package.
■ Dolby* Digital, Dolby Digital EX and
Dolby Pro Logic* II Decoding, and the
full suite of DTS
® modes, including
DTS-ES ® 6.1 Discrete & Matrix and
Neo:6 ®
■ Seven channels of high-current amplifi-
cation with two channels assignable to
either surround back or multiroom
applications
■ Harman Kardon’s exclusive Logic 7 ®
processing, available for the first time
with both 7.1 and 5.1 processing in
a variety of modes and two modes
of VMAx
®
■ MP3 decoding for use with compatible
computers and digital audio players
■ remote automatically sets
output levels for optimum performance
■ High-bandwidth, HDTV-compatible
component video switching
■ Front panel analog A/V inputs, switch-
able to outputs
■ Front panel digital inputs with coax
digital output capability for easy con-
nection to portable digital devices and
the latest video game consoles
■ Multiple digital inputs and outputs
■ On-screen menu and display system
■ Extensive multiroom options, including
a standard Zone II remote, assignable
amplifier channels and A-BUS Ready
®
capability for listening to a separate
source in a remote zone
■ 6-Channel/8-Channel Direct Input and
Preamp Outputs for Easy Expansion and
Use with Future Audio Formats
■ Extensive bass management options,
including three separate crossover
groupings and full digital bass manage-
ment on the 6/8-channel direct inputs
for use with DVD-Audio or SACD
players
■ Main Backlit Remote with Internal
Codes and Learning Capability
■ HDCD Decoding for Superb CD Playback
TM
, HDCD ® , High Definition Compatible Digital ® and Pacific Microsonics ™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Pacific Microsonics, Inc., in the United
States and/or other countries. HDCD System manufactured under license from Pacific Microsonics, Inc.