User manual HARMAN KARDON AVR 20 II

[. . . ] At the other end of the spectrum, complex multizone/multiroom systems have been developed to provide complete "whole house" audio, but are often expensive and complex to install. Looking for the best way to deliver audio throughout the home, Harman Kardon realized that there was no single method that worked in all situations. As a result, Harman Kardon created an array of options that allows customers to select the solution that suits them best. Whether the home calls for a large-scale system covering many rooms or a single set of speakers in another location, or whether the customer is installing the system on his or her own or having someone else do it, Harman Kardon delivers sound with the quality you expect, at a range of price and power options. [. . . ] In considering the ways in which sound is distributed throughout a home, it is important to first understand some of the terms used to describe installation technologies and components. The "main room" is the prime listening area in the home, and it's almost always the place where the equipment providing source playback, control and amplification is located. In today's digital entertainment world, the playback in this room is usually multichannel, though it may be stereo as well; sources may be digital or analog. A "zone" is an area that receives the same source, which is typically, but not always, different from the program material that is being played in the main room. A zone may be one room or many, and while the source is the same in all rooms, the volume level may be different, depending on the system used. A "room" is a subdivision of a zone that has the capability of setting a different volume level than another room in the zone. For example, if the zone is a pair of outdoor speakers on the patio, the zone and the room are the same, with the same source and volume control. However, if the zone is a master suite, the bedroom may be one room and the bath or dressing area another. Harman Kardon External Power Amplifiers and KP 1 Keypad When a whole-house audio system calls for more than room, Harman Kardon powers the way with our PA series amplifiers. The PA 2000 and PA 4000 each provide multiple 45-watt-per-channel stereo pairs ­ two for the PA 2000 and four for the PA 4000. Both amplifiers are bridgeable for even higher power and, as you would expect from Harman Kardon, both amplifiers feature our renowned high-current, ultrawide-bandwidth design so that they handle even the most inefficient power-hungry "rock" speakers with ease. Both amplifiers feature parallel pass-through jacks for the input so that multiple amps may be cascaded from the same input for large-scale installations, and the PA 4000 features dual-input jacks so that it may be used in two-zone applications. When either amp is used, volume may be controlled using the receiver's multiroom system, or you may trim the output level using the rear-panel controls on the amplifier to ensure levels do not exceed a certain point. For the most sophisticated systems, the PA 4000 is designed to work in conjunction with the KP 1 keypad so that each room in a zone may be set to a different volume level. The KP 1 also makes provisions for an optional infrared sensor so that the commands from a receiver's Zone II remote may be easily channeled back to not only the receiver for source selection, but to any compatible Harman Kardon source components connected via the IR link for transport and playback control. A-BUS Ready® Connectivity and the AB 1 Module When a remote room needs amplification to power a pair of speakers, but the receiver's amplifier is used for 7. 1 operation, A-BUS provides an easy way to power the second zone without the use of an external amplifier. [. . . ] The KP 1 also makes provisions for an optional infrared sensor so that the commands from a receiver's Zone II remote may be easily channeled back to not only the receiver for source selection, but to any compatible Harman Kardon source components connected via the IR link for transport and playback control. A-BUS Ready® Connectivity and the AB 1 Module When a remote room needs amplification to power a pair of speakers, but the receiver's amplifier is used for 7. 1 operation, A-BUS provides an easy way to power the second zone without the use of an external amplifier. Simply connect the A-BUS Ready jacks on an AVR 7200, AVR 525 or AVR 325 to our AB 1 module using standard Category 5 UTP wire, mount the module in a standard wall box or plaster ring, and connect the speakers to the module, and the room is filled with sound!5 wire carries the signal selected by the Zone II remote using the module's built-in IR sensor, along with power for the module's built-in amplifier. [. . . ]