Page 1
Table of Contents
Typographical Conventions
In order to help you use this manual with the remote control, front-panel controls and rear-panel
connections, certain conventions have been used.
EXAMPLE -“ (bold type) indicates a specific remote control or front-panel button, or rear-panel
connection jack
EXAMPLE -“ (OCR type) indicates a message that is visible on the front-panel information display
1-“ (number in a square) indicates a specific front-panel control
-“ (number in a circle) indicates a rear-panel connection
A-“ (letter in a square) indicates a button or indicator on the remote
A-“ (letter in an oval) indicates a button on the Zone 2 remote
The appearance of the text or cursor for your receivers on-screen menus may vary slightly from the
illustrations in this manual. Whether the text appears in all uppercase or upper- and lowercase
characters, performance and operation remain the same.
2TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 Introduction
4 Safety Information
5 Unpacking
6 Front Panel Controls
8 Rear Panel Connections
11 Main Remote Control Functions
13 Zone 2 Remote Control Functions
15 Installation and Connections
15 Audio Equipment Connections 15 HDMI Input Connections 15 HDMI Output Connections
16 Analog and Digital Input Connections
17 Video Equipment Connections
18 System and Power Connections
18 Main Room Remote Control Extension
18 Zone 2 IR Link
18 Multiroom Audio Connection
18 A-BUS Installation Connections
19 Speaker Selection
19 Speaker Placement
20 System Configuration
20 First Turn On
20 Using the On-Screen Display
20 System Setup
20 Source Selection
21 Audio and Video Input Selection
21 Set Up Sources
21 Audio Effects
21 Video Mode
21 Surround Mode
21 Audio Format From Source
21 Video Input From Source
21 Audio Input From Source
21 Resolution To Display
22 Resolution From Source
22 Adjust Lip Sync
22 Change Source Name
22 Zone 2 Audio
22 Speaker Setup, EzSet/EQ
22 Speaker Setup, Manual
28 Operation
28 Surround Mode Chart
30 Basic Operation
30 Mute Function
30 Audio Effects
30 Video Modes
30 Source Selection 30 Video Input Selection
31 Video Troubleshooting Tips
31 Multichannel Disc Players with/without
HDMI
31 6/8-Channel Direct Input
31 Controls and Use of Headphones
31 Surround Mode Selection
32 Digital Audio Signals
33 Surround modes
34 Tape Recording
34 The Bridge
35 Multiroom Operation
35 Multiroom Setup
35 Surround Amplifier Channel Assignment 37 Video Adjustments
37 Video Modes
38 Audio Adjustments
38 Audio Effects
38 Advanced Features
38 System Settings
38 Front Panel Dimmer
38 Volume Units
38 Volume Default and Level
38 Unit of Measure
38 iPod Charging
38 On-Screen Language
38 HDMI Audio to TV
38 Resolution to Display
39 Menu Appearance
39 OSD Transparency
39 Volume Status Messages
39 Menus
39 Setup and Slide-In Menus
39 Screen Saver
39 Default Surround Mode
40 Tuner Operation
40 To Select the Built-In Tuner
40 RDS Functions
42 Programming the Remote
42 Programming with Codes
42 Direct Code Entry
42 Auto Search Method
42 Code Readout
43 Learning Codes from a Remote
43 Erasing Learned Codes
44 Activity Programming (Macros)
44 Programmed Device Functions
45 Notes on Using the AVR Remote With
Other Devices
45 Punch-Through Programming
45 Resetting the Remote Memory
46 AVR 355 Remote Function List
48 AVR 255 Remote Function List
50 Troubleshooting Guide
50 Processor Reset
51 Technical Specifications
52 Appendix - Settings Worksheet
Declaration of Conformity
We, Harman Consumer Group, Inc.
2, route de Tours
72500 Château-du-Loir,
FRANCE
declare in own responsibility, that the product described in this
owners manual is in compliance with technical standards:
EN55013(2001) & + A2(2006)
EN55020(2002) & + A2(2005)
EN60065:2002
EN61000-3-2(2000)+A2(2005)
EN61000-3-3 (1995)+A1(2001)+A2(2005)
EN61000-4-2(1995) & + A1(1998) & + A2(2001)
EN61000-4-3(2002) & + A1(2002)
EN61000-4-4(2004)
Jurjen Amsterdam
Harman Consumer Group, Inc.
03/08
Page 2
Introduction
Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon!
With the purchase of a Harman Kardon AVR 255/
AVR 355 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 255/
AVR 355 are truly multichannel receivers for the
new millennium. In addition to the traditional 5.1
digital decoding modes such as Dolby Digital and
DTS, they offer the latest advancements in sur-
round technology such as Dolby
®True HD and
DTS ®-HD Master Audio-„¢ and the latest 7.1
channel versions of Harman's own Logic 7
technology.
The AVR 255/AVR 355 have been engineered so
that it is easy to take advantage of all the
power of their digital technology. Full-color,
high-definition, multi-language on-screen
menus, fully color coded connection jacks and
terminals 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 learning the func-
tions of the various controls will enable you to
take advantage of all the power the AVR 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 serves as the hub of your home enter-
tainment system, providing a wide range of lis-
tening possibilities for almost any audio or video
program source, whether it is the broadcast of a
movie or sporting event in HDTV or a vintage
mono or stereo recording. When playing digital
audio sources from either the conventional opti-
cal and coaxial inputs, or through the HDMI 1.3a
compliant connections, the AVR decodes Dolby
True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master
Audio and DTS-HD data streams. Two-channel
stereo and matrix surround sources benefit from
all current Dolby Pro Logic IIx modes and DTS
Neo:6. The latest version of our proprietary Logic
7
®process is on-board to create a wider, more
enveloping sound field and more defined sur-
round channel positioning, regardless of the type
of source material.
Dolby Virtual Speaker is available to create
enveloping sound fields from front left and right
speakers, and the latest Dolby Headphone
circuitry creates an amazing sense of openness
with headphones.The AVR takes the video part of its name seri-
ously. Along with three HDMI inputs and three
100MHz analog component video inputs (two
on the AVR 255), the AVRs video processing
allows you to scale the output signal to 1080p
loop-through to match the requirements of your
specific video display. Thanks to award winning
Faroudja
®DCDi Cinema-„¢ technology, your
video sources never looked better. Tying audio
and video together, the AVR provides A/V sync
delay so that the lip sync errors -“ commonly
seen when digital video processing is used in a
source, program or video display -“ are
eliminated.
An important addition to the AVRs impressive
list of features is EzSet/EQ
-„¢, which automates
the configuration process to make it quicker, eas-
ier and more precise. Using the special micro-
phone supplied with the unit, EzSet/EQ takes the
guesswork out of entering speaker size and
crossover information, delay times for all chan-
nels and output levels. In addition to the config-
uration settings, EzSet/EQ also includes room
equalization so that the signals sent to each
speaker are tailored to provide accurate sonic
quality with your specific combination of speaker
type, room size and other factors that influence
room acoustics. With EzSet/EQ, your system is
custom-configured in a few minutes with accu-
racy that previously required expensive and
hard-to-use test equipment.
In tandem with EzSet/EQ, the AVR includes a full
set of manual configuration settings for those
who wish to custom-trim their system even fur-
ther. A Quadruple Crossover bass management
system makes it possible to enter different
crossover settings for each speaker group.
A Stereo-Direct mode bypasses the digital
processor to preserve all of the subtleties of older
analog, two-channel materials, while bass
management, available in the surround and
Stereo-Digital modes, improves your ability to
tailor the sound to suit your room acoustics or
taste.
For the ultimate in flexibility, the AVRs feature
connections for four video devices, all with both
composite and S-Video inputs. Two additional
audio inputs are available, and a total of six
digital inputs and two outputs make the AVR
capable of handling all the latest digital audio
sources. For compatibility with the latest HDTV
video sources and progressive scan DVD players,
the AVR also features wide-bandwidth, low-
crosstalk component video switching.Coax and optical digital outputs are available for
direct connection to digital recorders. A video
recording output and a color-coded eight-chan-
nel input make the AVR virtually future-proof,
with everything needed to accommodate tomor-
rows new formats right on board.
With one simple connection between the
AVR 355 and the optional Harman Kardon
, you are able to listen to materials
stored on your compatible Apple
®iPod ®**.
Your AVRs system remote control has been
preprogrammed with control codes that enable
you to select tracks for playback and navigate
many of your iPods functions, even from across
the room. The Bridge-„¢ will even let you charge
your iPod.
The AVR 355s flexibility and power extend
beyond your main home theater or listening
room. The AVR includes a sophisticated multi-
zone 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 from a remote room, a separate
Zone II remote is included.
Additional multiroom options include the option
to assign two of the AVRs output channels to the
multiroom system and the ability to link the AVR
to innovative A-BUS
®keypads for multiroom oper-
ation without the need for external amplifiers.
The AVRs powerful amplifier uses traditional
Harman Kardon high-current design technolo-
gies to meet the wide dynamic range of any pro-
gram selection.
Harman Kardon invented the high- fidelity
receiver more then fifty years ago. With state-of-
the-art circuitry and time-honored circuit
designs, the AVR 255 and AVR 355 are the
perfect combination of the latest in digital audio
technology, a quiet yet powerful analog
amplifier in an elegant, easy-to-use package.
**Compatible with all iPod models equipped with a dock connector, including third-generation Click Wheel models and newer. Not compatible with iPod
shuffle models. Although iPod photo models are compatible, images stored on the iPod can only be viewed using the controls on the iPod, not with the
AVR remote.
ENGLISH
INTRODUCTION3
