Page 2 - TABLE OF CONTENTS; Table of Contents; Typographical Conventions; E X A M P L E; Declaration of Conformity; We, Harman Consumer International
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Introduction 4 Safety Information 4 Unpacking 5 Front Panel Controls 7 Front Panel Information Display 8 Rear Panel Connections 11 Main Remote Control Functions 14 Zone II Remote Control Functions 15 Installation and Connections 15 Audio Connections 15 Video Connections 16 SCAR...
Page 3 - INTRODUCTION; Introduction; remote make installation fast
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 oflistening enjoyment. Designed to provide all theexcitement and detail of movie soundtracks andevery nuance of musical selections, theAVR 5550 is truly a...
Page 4 - SAFETY INFORMATION; Safety Information; Important Safety Information; To assure proper operation and to avoid the; Unpacking
4 SAFETY INFORMATION Safety Information Important Safety Information Verify Line Voltage Before Use Your AVR 5550 has been designed for use with220-240-Volt AC current. Connection to a linevoltage other than that for which it is intendedcan create a safety and fire hazard and maydamage the unit. If ...
Page 5 - FRONT PANEL CONTROLS; T O N E I N; ÒÚ; Front Panel Controls
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS 5 1 Main Power Switch: Press this button to apply power to the AVR 5550. When the switchis pressed in, the unit is placed in a Standbymode, as indicated by the orange LED 3 surrounding the System Power Control 2 . This button MUST be pressed in to operate theunit. To turn the un...
Page 6 - TUNED
6 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS Front Panel Controls 9 Surround Mode Selector: Press this button to cycle through the individual surroundmodes available after the Surround Mode Group Selector 5 was pressed (see item 5 above). Note that depending on the type ofinput, some modes are not always available. (Seep...
Page 7 - FRONT PANEL INFORMATION DISPLAY; Front Panel Information Display; TA Traffic Announcement Indicator:
FRONT PANEL INFORMATION DISPLAY 7 Front Panel Information Display ABCDEF GHIJKL MNOPQ A B D E K L F H I J C G Upper Display LineLower Display LineOSD IndicatorMulti IndicatorSpeaker/Channel Input IndicatorPreset Indicator Memory IndicatorStereo IndicatorTuned IndicatorAuto Indicator192 kHz Indicator...
Page 8 - REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS; Rear Panel Connections; AM
8 REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS Rear Panel Connections AVR 5550 AC OUTLETS ~230V/50Hz UNSWITCHED / 100W MAX SWITCHED / 50W MAX 230 V/50Hz ! " # $ % & ' ( ) * " # ' * ) ! $ ( % & AM AntennaFM AntennaTape InputsTape OutputsSubwoofer OutputDVD Audio InputsCD InputsMultiroom OutputsA-BUS Connec...
Page 10 - This jack is used to enable the
10 REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS tan and black SBR terminals to the red and blackterminals on the right remote zone speaker. RS-232 Port: This jack is used to enable the AVR 5550 to be controlled by an external com-puter or programmable remote system that usesRS-232 commands. Due to the complexity of RS-23...
Page 11 - MAIN REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS; Main Remote Control Functions; Buttons
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q ! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - MAIN REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS 11 Main Remote Control Functions Power Off ButtonIR Transmitter WindowProgram/SPL IndicatorPower On ButtonInput SelectorsAVR SelectorAM/FM Tuner Select6-Channel/8-Channel Direct Inpu...
Page 14 - ZONE II REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS; Zone II Remote Control Functions
14 ZONE II REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS Zone II Remote Control Functions å Power Off ∫ AVR Selector ç AM/FM Tuner Select ∂ Input Selectors ≠ Tuning Up/Down – Fast Play ƒ Record/Pause © Preset/Track Skip ˙ Disc Skip î Volume Up/Down ∆ Play Forward/Reverse/Stop ˚ Mute NOTE: The Zone II remote may be used ...
Page 15 - INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS; Audio Equipment Connections; Installation and Connections
INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 15 After unpacking the unit, and placing it on a solidsurface capable of supporting its weight, you willneed to make the connections to your audio andvideo equipment. Audio Equipment Connections We recommend that you use high-quality inter-connect cables when making conn...
Page 16 - SCART A/V Connections
16 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS Installation and Connections SCART A/V Connections For the connections described above your videodevice needs RCA (cinch) connectors or/and S-Video connectors for all Audio and Video signals:Any normal video device (Not SVHS or High 8)for only playback needs 3 RCA jac...
Page 17 - INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS; Note for RGB signal with SCART:
INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 17 Installation and Connections Black Yellow Red Figure 1: SCART/Cinch-Adapter for playback; signal flow: SCART → Cinch Black Red Blue Yellow Green White Figure 2: SCART/Cinch-Adapter for record and playback; signal flow: SCART ↔ Cinch Black Yellow Red Figure 3: Cinch/SC...
Page 18 - System and Power Connections
18 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS System and Power Connections The AVR 5550 is designed for flexible use withmultiroom systems, external control componentsand power amplifiers. Main Room Remote Control Extension If the receiver is placed behind a solid or smokedglass cabinet door, the obstruction may ...
Page 19 - Speaker Selection
INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS 19 Installation and Connections Speaker Selection No matter which type or brand of speakers isused, the same model or brand of speakershould be used for the front-left, center andfront-right speakers. This creates a seamlessfront soundstage and eliminates the possibility...
Page 20 - SYSTEM CONFIGURATION; System Configuration; First Turn On; A B; System Setup
20 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION System Configuration Once the speakers have been placed in the roomand connected, the remaining steps are to pro-gram the system configuration memories. Withthe AVR 5550 two kind of memories are used,those associated individually with the inputselected, e.g. surround modes, a...
Page 22 - L A R G E
22 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION System Configuration Figure 3 The first line of the S P E A K E R S E T U P menu (Figure 3) allows you to switch the menu to changeeither the underlying speaker size setting or theexact crossover point used for that speaker group ifset to "Small". For the first pass t...
Page 24 - F R O N T; BACK TO MASTER MENU; Logic 7
24 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION System Configuration When the Set button @ F has been pressed and the system is ready for a change to the frontspeaker setting, the on-screen display and Main Information Display ˜ will read F R O N T L A R G E or F R O N T S M A L L depending on the current setting. Press th...
Page 25 - DSP; Stereo; BACK TO; C E N T E R D E L A Y
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION 25 System Configuration or Cinema modes are available, but the outputwill be in a full eight-channel sound field. Notethat the Logic 7 modes are not available wheneither Dolby Digital or DTS Digital soundtracks arein use. On the DSP ( SURR ) menu, the selection choices made with...
Page 27 - M A S T E R M E N U; TEST
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION 27 System Configuration You may repeat this procedure as many times asnecessary to achieve a desired result. In order toprevent possible damage to your hearing or yourequipment, we emphasize that you should avoidsetting the master volume above 0dB. NOTE: The subwoofer output is ...
Page 28 - M E N U
28 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION When all channels have an equal volume level,the adjustment is complete. Now turn the Volume ) down to about -40dB, otherwise the listening level may be too high as soon asthe source’s music starts to play. To exit thismenu, press the ⁄ / ¤ buttons D until the on- screen › cu...
Page 29 - OPERATION; Operation; Surround Mode Chart; MODE; SURROUND
OPERATION 29 Operation Surround Mode Chart MODE FEATURES DELAY TIME RANGE DOLBY DIGITAL Available only with digital input sources encoded with Dolby Digital data. It provides Center: 0 - 30ft / 9m up to five separate main audio channels and a special dedicated Low Frequency Effects Initial Setting: ...
Page 31 - Basic Operation; S L E E P O F F; Source Selection; C H D I R E C T
OPERATION 31 Operation Basic Operation Once you have completed the setup and configu-ration of the AVR 5550, it is simple to operateand enjoy. The following instructions should befollowed for you to maximize your enjoyment ofyour new receiver: Turning the AVR 5550 On or Off • When using the AVR 5550...
Page 32 - Controls and Use of Headphones; M U T E; T o n e; Surround Mode Selection
32 OPERATION Operation Controls and Use of Headphones • Adjust the volume to a comfortable level usingthe front panel Volume Control ı or remote Volume Up/Down ) î buttons. • To temporarily silence all speaker outputs pressthe Mute button , ˚ . This will interrupt the output to all speakers and the ...
Page 33 - S U R R O F F; Digital Audio Playback; L O G I C 7
OPERATION 33 Operation When the 6-Channel/8-Channel direct inputs arein use there is no surround processing, as theseinputs take the analog output signals from anoptional, external DVD-Audio or SACD player, oranother source device and carry them straightthrough to the volume control. To listen to a ...
Page 34 - O P T I C A L; D T S; H D C D
34 OPERATION Operation To take advantage of the AVR 5550’s MP3 capa-bilities, simply connect the digital (SPDIF) outputof a computer sound card able to feed the MP3format to its digital output, or the digital (SPDIF)output of MP3 compatible CD or DVD players orof a portable MP3 player with a digital...
Page 35 - S u r r o u n d S e l e c t; Tape Recording
OPERATION 35 Operation These indicators are the L/C/R/LFE/SL/SR/SBL/SBRletters that are inside the center boxes of the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators E in the front panel Main Information Display ˜ . When a standard analog stereo or matrix surround signal is in use, only the “L” and “R”indicators ...
Page 36 - ON; Memory Backup
36 OPERATION Operation digital jacks are now an output, instead of in thedefault setting as an input. Once changed to anoutput, the setting will remain as long as theAVR 5550 is turned on, unless the setting ischanged in the OSD menu system, as describedabove. Note, however, that once the AVR 5550 i...
Page 37 - ADVANCED FEATURES; Advanced Features; Display Brightness; O N
ADVANCED FEATURES 37 Advanced Features The AVR 5550 is equipped with a number ofadvanced features that add extra flexibility to theunit’s operation. While it is not necessary to usethese features to operate the unit, they provideadditional options that you may wish to use. Surround Amplifier Channel...
Page 38 - ADVANCED FEATURES / MULTIROOM OPERATION; Advanced Features / Multiroom Operation; Full-OSD Time Out Adjustment; F U L L O S D; Multiroom Operation
38 ADVANCED FEATURES / MULTIROOM OPERATION Advanced Features / Multiroom Operation Semi-OSD Settings The semi-OSD system places one line messagesat the lower third of the video display screenwhenever the Volume, Input Source, Surroundmode or tuner frequency of any of the configura-tion settings are ...
Page 39 - MULTIROOM OPERATION; M A S T E R M E N U; Ƀ© ̇∆
MULTIROOM OPERATION 39 Multiroom Operation able through the Harman Kardon Web Site atwww.harmankardon.com. RS-232 Control The AVR 5550 is rare among A/V receivers inthat it provides the capability for full remotecontrol from compatible computers or special-ized remote control systems. RS-232 program...
Page 40 - TUNER OPERATION; Tuner Operation; Basic Tuner Operation; M E M O R Y; RDS Operation; N O N E
40 TUNER OPERATION Tuner Operation Basic Tuner Operation The AVR 5550’s tuner is capable of tuning AM,FM and FM Stereo broadcast stations and receiv-ing RDS data. Stations may be tuned manually, orthey may be stored as favorite station presets andrecalled from a 30 position memory. Station Selection...
Page 41 - Q P O N; T R A F F I C
TUNER OPERATION 41 Tuner Operation data is being received. Please note that theaccuracy of the time data is dependent on theradio station, not the AVR 5550. Some RDS stations may not include some ofthese additional features. If the data requiredfor the selected mode is not being transmitted,the Main...
Page 42 - PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE; Programming the Remote
42 PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE The AVR 5550 is equipped with a powerfulremote control that will control not only thereceiver’s functions, but also most popular brandsof audio and video equipment, including CDplayers, TV sets, cable boxes, VCRs, satellitereceivers and other home-theater equipment.Once the...
Page 43 - Code Readout
PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE 43 Programming the Remote Code Readout When the code has been entered using the AutoSearch method, it is always a good idea to findout the exact code so that it may be easilyreentered if necessary. You may also read thecodes to verify which device has beenprogrammed to a speci...
Page 44 - Macro Programming
44 PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE Programming the Remote on and off once and the Program/SPL Indicator 2 will flash green three times to indicate that the codes have been erased. To erase all codes that have beenprogrammed to all devices in the remote,follow these steps: 1. Press any Input Selector 45 and a...
Page 45 - Programmed Device Functions
PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE 45 Programming the Remote Programmed Device Functions Once the AVR 5550’s remote has been pro-grammed for the codes of other devices, press theappropriate Input Selector 4 to change the remote from control over the AVR 5550 to theadditional product. When you press any of these...
Page 46 - Channel Control Punch-Through
46 PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE Programming the Remote Channel Control Punch-Through The AVR 5550’s remote may be programmed tooperate so that the channel control function,performed with the Sleep 9 and Surround A buttons, for either the TV, cable or satellite receiver used in your system may be used in c...
Page 47 - Resetting the Remote Memory
PROGRAMMING THE REMOTE 47 Programming the Remote Resetting the Remote Memory As you add components to your home-theatersystem, occasionally you may wish to totally repro-gram the remote control without the confusion ofany commands, macros or ”Punch-Through“programming that you may have done. To do t...
Page 48 - FUNCTION LIST; Function List
48 FUNCTION LIST Function List No. Button Name AVR Function DVD CD/CDR 1 Power On Power On Power On Power On 2 Power Off Power Off Power Off Power Off 3 Mute Mute 4 AVR AVR Select 5 DVD DVD Input Select DVD Select 6 CD CD Input Select CD Select 7 Tape Tape Input Select 8 VID 1 Video 1 Select 9 VID 2...
Page 50 - TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE; Troubleshooting Guide; Processor Reset; R E S E T
50 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Troubleshooting Guide Processor Reset In the rare case where the unit’s operation or thedisplays seem abnormal, the cause may involvethe erratic operation of the system’s memory ormicroprocessor. To correct this problem, first unplug the unit fromthe AC wall outlet and wait ...
Page 51 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS; Technical Specifications; Audio Section
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 51 Technical Specifications Audio Section Stereo Mode Continuous Average Power (FTC) 85 Watts per channel, 20Hz–20kHz,@ < 0.07% THD, both channels driven into 8 ohms 5/7 Channel Surround Modes Power Per Individual Channel Front L&R channels:70 Watts per channel,@ <...