Pioneer Stereo Receiver VSX 517 S K User Manual

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL

RECEIVER

VSX-517-S/-K

VSX-817-S/-K

Operating Instructions

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Voltage selector

You can find the voltage selector switch on the rear

panel of multi-voltage models.

WARNING

To prevent a fire hazard, do not place any naked

flame sources (such as a lighted candle) on the

The factory setting for the voltage selector is 220 V.

Please set it to the correct voltage for your country

or region.

• Saudi Arabia operates on 127 V and 220 V mains

voltage. Please set to the correct voltage before using.

• For Taiwan, please set to 110 V before using.

• For Mexico, please set to 120 V to 127 V before using.

equipment.

D3-4-2-1-7a_A_En

WARNING

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

Before changing the voltage, disconnect the AC power

cord. Use a medium size screwdriver to change the

voltage selector switch.

or 120 V) written on the rear panel.

D3-4-2-1-4_A_En

TWO VOLTAGE SELECTORS

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 example, when on vacation).

230

120

240V

127V

220V

110V

127V

120

230

Medium-size screwdriver

220V

240V

D3-4-2-1-5_En

For Taiwan exclusively

Taiwanese two pin flat-bladed plug

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.

VENTILATION CAUTION

When installing this unit, make sure to leave space

around the unit for ventilation to improve heat

radiation (at least 40 cm at top, 10 cm at rear, and

20 cm at each side).

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

WARNING

on vacation).

D3-4-2-2-1a_A_En

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

Operating Environment

Operating environment temperature and humidity:

+5 ºC to +35 ºC (+41 ºF to +95 ºF); 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

equipment on thick carpet or a bed.

D3-4-2-1-7b_A_En

strong artificial light)

D3-4-2-1-7c_A_En

WARNING

This equipment is not waterproof. To prevent a fire

or shock hazard, do not place any container filed

with liquid near this equipment (such as a vase or

flower pot) or expose it to dripping, splashing, rain

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

or moisture.

D3-4-2-1-3_A_En

requires repair will be charged for even during the

warranty period.

K041_En

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Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ . . . . . 34

Choosing the input signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Using surround back channel processing . . . 35

Using Virtual Surround Back (VSB) . . . . . . . . 35

Using Phase Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Using Midnight and Loudness. . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Enhancing dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Using the tone controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Using the Sound Retriever. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Playing other sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Selecting the multichannel analog inputs . . . 38

Selecting the front audio inputs . . . . . . . . . . 38

Contents

01 Before you start

Checking what’s in the box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Loading the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Operating range of remote control unit. . . . . . 7

Installing the receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

02 5 minute guide

Introduction to home theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Listening to Surround Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Using the Quick Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Automatically setting up for surround sound

(MCACC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Other problems during Auto MCACC . . . . . 11

06 The System Setup menu

Using the System Setup menu . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Surround back speaker setting . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Manual MCACC speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Fine Channel Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Fine Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Acoustic Calibration EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Manual speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Speaker setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Crossover network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Channel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

The Input Assign menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

The Other setup menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Dynamic Range Control Setup . . . . . . . . . . 46

Dual Mono Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

LFE Attenuator Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

03 Connecting up

Making cable connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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

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

Video cables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Connecting a TV and DVD player . . . . . . . . . 13

Connecting the multichannel analog

outputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Connecting a satellite receiver or other digital

set-top box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Connecting other audio components . . . . . . 15

About the WMA9 Pro decoder . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting other video components . . . . . . 16

Using the component video jacks. . . . . . . . 16

Connecting to the front panel video

07 Using the tuner

terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Connecting to the front panel audio mini

Listening to the radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Tuning directly to a station . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Saving station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Naming station presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Listening to station presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Changing the frequency step. . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Connecting antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Using external antennas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Connecting the speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Speaker terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Hints on speaker placement. . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Speaker placement diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . 21

08 Making recordings

Making an audio or a video recording . . . . . . 49

04 Controls and displays

09 Controlling the rest of your

system

Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Remote control (VSX-817) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Remote control (VSX-517) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Setting the remote to control other

components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Selecting preset codes directly . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Direct function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Clearing all the remote control settings. . . . . 51

Controls for TVs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Controls for other components . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Preset Code List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

05 Listening to your system

Auto playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Listening in surround sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the Advanced surround effects . . . . 32

Setting the effect options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Listening in stereo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using Front Stage Surround Advance. . . . . . 33

Using Stream Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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10 Other connections

Second Zone speaker B setup . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Switching the speaker system . . . . . . . . . . 56

Bi-amping your front speakers . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Bi-wiring your speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

11 Additional information

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Resetting the main unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Switching the speaker impedance. . . . . . . . . 60

Power cord caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Cleaning the unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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Before you start

Chapter 1:

Before you start

Checking what’s in the box

Loading the batteries

Please check that you’ve received the following

supplied accessories:

• AM loop antenna

• FM wire antenna

• AA size IEC R6 dry cell batteries (to confirm

system operation) x2

• Remote control

Illustration shows the VSX-517 model

• Setup microphone (VSX-817 model only)

• Power cords (make sure you use the

correct cord for your country/region):

VSX-517/817-K (black models)

Round 2-pin type and Australian type

VSX-517/817-S (silver models)

Illustration shows the VSX-817 model

Round 2-pin type, flat blade 2-pin type and

UK 3-pin type (Except Australian model)

Important

Incorrect use of batteries may result in such

hazards as leakage and bursting. Observe the

following precautions:

• Power plug adaptor (VSX-517/817-K only)

• J-shaped plug

• These operating instructions

• 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.

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Before you start

WARNING

• 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 unit

The remote control has a range of about 7

meters. It 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.

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)

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5 minute guide

^C5^ham^pteri²n^:ute guide

Where you place the speakers will have a big

effect on the sound. Place your speakers as

shown below for the best surround sound

effect. Also see Hints on speaker placement on

page 20 for more on this.

Introduction to home theater

Home theater refers to the use of multiple

audio tracks to create a surround sound effect,

making you feel like you’re in the middle of the

action or concert. The surround sound you get

from a home theater system depends not only

on your speaker setup, but also on the source

and the sound settings of the receiver.

Front

Center

speaker

(R)

(C)

Front

speaker

Subwoofer (SW)

(L)

Surround

speaker (RS)

This receiver will automatically decode

multichannel Dolby Digital, DTS, or Dolby

Surround sources according to your speaker

setup. In most cases, you won’t have to make

changes for realistic surround sound, but

other possibilities (like listening to a CD with

multichannel surround sound) are explained in

Listening to your system on page 31.

Surround

back

Listening

position

speaker (SBR)*

Surround

speaker (LS)

Surround back

speaker (SBL)*

* VSX-817 model only

Plug in and switch on the receiver, followed

by your DVD player, subwoofer and TV.

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.

Listening to Surround Sound

This receiver was designed with the easiest

possible setup in mind, so with the following

quick setup guide, you should have your

system hooked up for surround sound in no

time at all. In most cases, you can simply leave

the receiver in the default settings.

VSX-517 model – Press QUICK SETUP on the

front panel to specify your speaker setup,

room size and listening position.

Use the MULTI JOG dial to select and ENTER

to confirm your selection. See Using the Quick

Setup below for more on this.

• Be sure to complete all connections before

connecting to an AC power source.

VSX-817 model – Use the display automatic

MCACC setup to set up your system.

Connect your TV and DVD player.

See Connecting a TV and DVD player on page 13

to do this. For surround sound, you’ll want to

hook up using a digital connection from the

DVD player to the receiver.

See Automatically setting up for surround

sound (MCACC) below for more on this.

Play a DVD, and adjust the volume.

Make sure that DVD is showing in the

receiver’s display, indicating that the DVD

input is selected. If it isn’t, press DVD (VSX-517

model)/DVD/LD (VSX-817 model) on the remote

to set the receiver to the DVD input.

Connect your speakers and place them for

optimal surround sound.

See Connecting the speakers on page 19.

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5 minute guide

There are several other sound options you can

2.1ch – 3.1ch – 4.1ch – 5.1ch

select. See Listening to your system on page 31

for more on this. See also The System Setup

menu on page 39 for more setup options.

If you selected NO for the subwoofer setting in

step 3, the following choices are available:

2.0ch – 3.0ch – 4.0ch – 5.0ch

• Check the table below to find the speaker

setup that corresponds with your system.

Using the Quick Setup

VSX-517 model only

You can use the Quick Setup to get your

system up and running with just a few button

presses. The receiver automatically makes the

necessary settings after you have selected your

speaker setup, room size and listening

position.

If you want to make more specific settings,

refer to The System Setup menu on page 39.

Use the front panel controls for the steps

below.

VSX-517

Press ENTER

MULTI JOG

ENTER

PHASE

CONTROL

Use the MULTI JOG dial to choose your

PHASE

DIALOGUE AUTO SURR/

STEREO/

ADVANCED

F.S.SURR STANDARD SURROUND

DVD/LD

DVD 5.1

SAT

DVR

VCR

TUNING

STATION

CONTROL ENHANCEMENT DIRECT

LISTENING MODE

room size.

SOUND

MIDNIGHT/

RETRIEVER LOUDNESS

VSB

MASTER

VOLUME

MODE

TONE

Depending on the distance of your speakers

from the listening position, choose between

small, medium, or large (S, M or L), M being

an average-sized room.

STANDBY/ON

PHONES

SIGNAL

SELECT

TUNER

EDIT

QUICK

SETUP

DIMMER

SETUP

RETURN

MULTI JOG

DOWN

Press ENTER.

If the receiver is off, press

ꢀ STANDBY/ON to turn the power on.

Use the MULTI JOG dial to choose your

listening position.

You can cycle between the following choices:

Press QUICK SETUP

Use the MULTI JOG dial to choose your

• FWD – If you are nearer to the front

speakers than the surround speakers

subwoofer setting.

Select YES or NO, depending on whether

you’ve connected a subwoofer.

• MID – If you are equal distance from the

front and surround speakers

Press ENTER

• BACK – If you are nearer to the surround

speakers than the front speakers

Use the MULTI JOG dial to choose your

speaker setup.

If you selected YES for the subwoofer setting in

step 3, the following choices are available:

10 Press ENTER to confirm your setup.

The display shows the speaker setup, room size

and listening position that you have selected.

Note

1 Depending on your DVD player or source discs, you may only get digital 2 channel stereo and analog sound. In this case, the

listening mode must be set to STANDARD (it should already be set – see Listening in surround sound on page 31 if you need to

do this) if you want multichannel surround sound.

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5 minute guide

Automatically setting up for

MASTER

VOLUME

MCACC/

AUDIO IN

surround sound (MCACC)

VSX-817 model only

DOWN

The Auto Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration

(MCACC) setup measures the acoustic

characteristics of your listening area, taking

into account ambient noise, speaker size and

distance, and tests for both channel delay and

channel level. After you have set up the

microphone provided with your system, the

receiver uses the information from a series of

test tones to optimize the speaker settings and

equalization for your particular room.

If you have a tripod, use it to place the

microphone so that it’s about ear level at your

normal listening position. Otherwise, place the

microphone at ear level using a table or a chair.

If the receiver is off, press ꢀ RECEIVER to

turn the power on.

If you have a subwoofer, turn it on.

Press RECEIVER on the remote control,

Important

then press the SETUP button.

• The Auto MCACC Setup will overwrite any

existing speaker settings you’ve made.

• Press SETUP again at any time to exit the

System Setup menu.

• Make sure the headphones are unplugged.

Select ‘A. MCACC’ from the System Setup

menu then press ENTER

Caution

Make sure ‘SB NORM.’ is selected then

• The test tones used in the Auto MCACC

Setup are output at high volume.

press ENTER.²

Try to be as quiet as possible after pressing

ENTER. The system outputs a series of test

tones to establish the ambient noise level.

RECEIVER CONTROL

ONE TOUCH

COPY

CH+

RECEIVER

SOURCE

TUNE

INPUT SELECT

TOP MENU

T.EDIT

ENTER

MULTI CONTROL

TV CTRL

F.AUDIO

DVD/LD

TV/SAT

DVR/VCR

If the noise level is too high, NOISY! blinks in

the display for five seconds. To exit and check

the noise levels again, press SETUP (see the

notes about ambient noise below) or press

ENTER when you’re prompted to RETRY?.

GUIDE

RETURN

AUDIO

CD-R/TAPE

TUNE

REC

RECEIVER

SETUP

SUBTITLE

CH-

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

Connect the microphone to the MCACC/

AUDIO IN jack on the front panel.

Make sure there are no obstacles between the

speakers and the microphone.

Push down on the PUSH OPEN tab to access

the MCACC/AUDIO IN jack.

• Do not adjust the volume during the test

tones. This may result in incorrect speaker

settings.

The system now checks the microphone and

your speaker setup.

Note

1 The receiver will automatically exit the current menu after three minutes of inactivity. If you cancel the Auto MCACC Setup at

any time, the receiver automatically exits and no settings will be made.

2 • If you are planning on bi-amping your front speakers, or setting up a separate speaker system in another room, read through

Surround back speaker setting on page 39 and make sure to connect your speakers as necessary before continuing to step 7.

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5 minute guide

If you see an ERR message in the display, there

may be a problem with your mic or the speaker

connections. Turn off the power, and check the

problem indicated by the ERR message (see

below), then try the auto surround setup again.

The Auto MCACC Setup has finished!

The front panel MCACC indicator lights to

show the surround settings are complete.

The settings made in the Auto MCACC Setup

should give you excellent surround sound

from your system, but it is also possible to

adjust these settings manually using the

• ERR MIC – Check microphone connection.

• ERR Fch – Check front speaker connections.

System Setup menu (starting on page 39).

• ERR Sch – Check surround speaker

connections.

Optionally, when you see SKIP? you can press

ꢀ/ꢁ (cursor up/down) to select one of the

following options then press ENTER, and use

ꢀ/ꢁ (cursor up/down) to check the settings:

• ERR SBch – Check surround back speaker

connection.

• CHK SP – Check the size and number of

speakers you’ve connected (see page 43

for more on this)

• CHK DIST. – Check the distance of your

speakers from the listening position (see

page 45 for more on this)

• CHK LEVEL – Check the overall balance of

your speaker system (see page 44 for

Other problems during Auto MCACC

• If the subwoofer output level is too high/

low, SW.VOL.DWN/SW.VOL.UP blinks in

the display for five seconds. To exit and

check your subwoofer output level, press

SETUP or simply press ENTER when you’re

prompted to RETRY?.

The receiver outputs more test tones to

determine the optimum receiver settings for

speaker setting, channel level, speaker

distance, and Acoustic Calibration EQ.

If the room environment is not optimal for the

Auto MCACC Setup (too much background

noise, echo off the walls, obstacles blocking

the speakers from the microphone) the final

settings may be incorrect. Check for household

appliances (air conditioner, fridge, fan, etc.),

that may be affecting the environment and

switch them off if necessary. If there are any

instructions showing in the front panel display,

please follow them.

Note

1 • Depending on the characteristics of your room, sometimes identical speakers with cone sizes of around 12 cm will end up

with different size settings. You can correct the setting manually using the Speaker setting on page 43.

• The subwoofer distance setting may be farther than the actual distance from the listening position. This setting should be

accurate (taking delay and room characteristics into account) and generally does not need to be changed.

2 Some older TVs may interfere with operation of the mic. You may want to switch off your TV during the Auto MCACC Setup.

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Connecting up

Chapter 3:

Connecting up

Video cables

Standard RCA video cables

Making cable connections

These cables are the most common type of

video connection and should be used to

connect to the composite video terminals. They

have yellow plugs to distinguish them from

cables for audio.

Make sure not to bend the cables over the top

of this unit. If this happens, the magnetic field

produced by the transformers in this unit may

cause a humming noise from the speakers.

Important

• Before making or changing any connections,

switch off the power and disconnect the

power cord from the AC outlet.

Standard RCA video cable

• Before unplugging the power cord, switch

the power into standby.

S-video cables

VSX-817 model only

S-video cables give you a clearer picture

reproduction than standard RCA video cables

by sending separate signals for the luminance

and color.

Analog audio cables

Use stereo RCA phono cables to connect

analog audio components. These cables are

typically red and white, and you should

connect the red plugs to R (right) terminals

and white plugs to L (left) terminals.

Analog audio cables

S Video

Component video cables

Use component video cables to get the best

possible color reproduction of your video

source. The color signal of the TV is divided into

the luminance (Y) signal and the color (P^Band

P^R) signals and then output. In this way,

interference between the signals is avoided.

Right (red)

Left (white)

Digital audio cables

Commercially available coaxial digital audio

cables or optical cables should be used to

connect digital components to this receiver.

Component video cables

Green (Y)

Blue (P^B

)

Coaxial digital audio cable

Optical cable

Red (P^R

)

Note

1 • When connecting optical cables, be careful when inserting the plug not to damage the shutter protecting the optical socket.

• When storing optical cable, coil loosely. The cable may be damaged if bent around sharp corners.

• You can also use a standard RCA video cable for coaxial digital connections.

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Connecting up

Connecting a TV and DVD player

This page shows you how to connect your DVD

player and TV to the receiver.

Connect a coaxial digital audio output on

your DVD player to the DIGITAL COAX 1

(DVD/LD) input on this receiver.

Use a coaxial digital audio cable for the

DIGITAL

AUDIO OUT

ANALOG AUDIO OUT

OPTICAL

VIDEO IN

connection.

Connect the composite video output and

the stereo analog audio outputs on your

DVD player to the DVD/LD inputs on this

receiver.

Use a standard RCA video cable and a stereo

RCA phono cable for the connection.

AUX

FM UNBAL

Ω

MONITOR OUT

OPT

(

)

TV/ SAT

DVR /

VCR

OPT

LOOP

OUT

ANTENNA

OUT

(

)

VIDEO

• If your DVD player has multichannel

analog outputs, see Connecting the

multichannel analog outputs below for how

to connect it.

DVR /

ASSIGNABLE

VCR

DIGITAL IN

TV /

SAT

TV /

SAT

DVD

/LD

FRONT

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

DVR/VCR

5.1CH

INPUT

DVD

/LD

SUB

WOOFER

PREOUT

PLAY

(

)

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

S-VIDEO

COAX

DVD/LD

Connect the analog audio outputs from

(

)

OUT

REC

AUDIO

your TV to the TV/SAT inputs on this receiver.

This will allow you to play the sound from the

TV’s built-in tuner. Use a stereo RCA phono

cable to do this.

VSX-817

• If your TV has a built-in digital decoder, you

can also connect an optical digital audio

output from your TV to the DIGITAL OPT 1

(CD) input on this receiver. Use an optical

AUDIO

COAXIAL

VIDEO OUT

ANALOG OUT

DIGITAL OUT

cable for the connection.

Connect the MONITOR OUT video jack on

this receiver to a video input on your TV.

DVD player

Use a standard RCA video cable to connect to

the composite video jack.

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but

connections for the VSX-517 are the same.

Note

1 If your DVD player only has an optical digital output, you can connect it to the optical input on this receiver using an optical

cable. When you set up the receiver you’ll need to tell the receiver which input you connected the player to (see The Input Assign

menu on page 45).

2 This connection will allow you to make analog recordings from your DVD player.

3 • VSX-817 model only – For better quality, you can also connect with S-video using the S-VIDEO DVD/LD jack.

• If your player also has a component video output, you can connect this too. See Using the component video jacks on page 16.

4 In this case, you’ll need to tell the receiver which digital input you connected the TV to (see The Input Assign menu on page 45).

5 • VSX-817 model only – For better quality, you can also connect with S-video using the S-VIDEO MONITOR OUT jack.

• See Using the component video jacks on page 16 to use the component video outputs to connect this receiver to your TV.

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Connecting up

Connect a set of audio/video outputs on

Connecting the multichannel analog

outputs

the set-top box component to the TV/SAT

AUDIO and VIDEO inputs on this receiver.

Use a stereo RCA phono cable for the audio

connection and a standard RCA video cable for

For DVD Audio and SACD playback, your DVD

player may have 5.1 channel analog outputs. In

this case, you can connect them to the multi-

the video connection.

channel inputs of the receiver as shown below.

If your set-top box has a digital output,

VSX-817

connect it to a digital input on this receiver.

VSX-817 model – Use an optical cable for the

connection.

CEN- SUB

TER

WOOFER

SIRIUS IN

AUX

FM UNBAL

Ω

MONITOR OUT

(

OPT

VSX-517 model – For example, connect to the

DIGITAL OPT 1 (CD) for optical input or the

DIGITAL COAX 2 (DVR/VCR) for coaxial input.

SURROUND

(

)

TV/ SAT

DVR

VCR

DVD 5.1CH INPUT

OPT

LOOP

OUT

ANTENNA

OUT

(

)

VIDEO

DVR

VCR

ASSIGNABLE

MONIT

DIGITAL IN

FRONT

SAT

DVD

/LD

FRONT

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

VSX-817

COAX

DVR/VCR

5.1CH

INPUT

DVD

/LD

SUB

WOOFER

PREOUT

PLAY

(

)

CD-R

TAPE

S-VIDEO

COAX

DVD/LD

(

)

OUT

REC

AUX

AUDIO

FM UNBAL

Ω

MONITOR OUT

OPT

(

)

TV/ SAT

DVR /

VCR

OPT

LOOP

OUT

ANTENNA

OUT

(

)

VIDEO

DVR /

ASSIGNABLE

VCR

DIGITAL IN

TV /

SAT

TV /

SAT

DVD

/LD

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

FRONT

CENTER

OUTPUT

SUB

WOOFER

OUTPUT

VIDEO

OUTPUT

COAX

DVR/VCR

5.1CH

INPUT

DVD

/LD

SUB

WOOFER

PREOUT

PLAY

FRONT

SURROUND

OUTPUT

(

)

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

S-VIDEO

COAX

(

)

DVD/LD

OUT

REC

AUDIO

DVD/multi-channel decoder

with multi-channel analog

output jacks

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but

connections for the VSX-517 are the same.

DIGITAL OUT

AUDIO

VIDEO

OPTICAL

COAXIAL

AV OUT

Connecting a satellite receiver

or other digital set-top box

Satellite and cable receivers, and terrestrial

digital TV tuners are all examples of so-called

‘set-top boxes’.

STB

Note

1 The multichannel input can only be used when DVD 5.1 ch is selected (see page 38).

2 If you’ve already connected your TV to the TV/SAT inputs, simply choose another input. However, you’ll need to remember

which input you connected the set-top box to.

3 • VSX-817 model only – For better quality, you can also connect with S-video using the S-VIDEO TV/SAT jack.

• See Using the component video jacks on page 16 if your set-top box also has a component video output.

4 If your satellite/cable receiver doesn’t have a digital audio output, omit this step. If it only has a coaxial digital output, you can

connect it to one of the coaxial inputs on this receiver using a coaxial digital audio cable. When you set up the receiver you’ll

need to tell the receiver which input you connected the set-top box to (see The Input Assign menu on page 45).

5 In this case, you’ll need to tell the receiver which digital input you connected the TV to (see The Input Assign menu on page 45).

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Connecting up

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but

connections for the VSX-517 are the same.

VSX-817

AUX

FM UNBAL

Ω

MONITOR OUT

Connecting other audio

OPT

(

)

TV/ SAT

DVR /

VCR

components

OPT

LOOP

OUT

ANTENNA

OUT

(

)

The number and kind of connections depends

VIDEO

DVR /

ASSIGNABLE

VCR

DIGITAL IN

TV /

on the kind of component you’re connecting.

Follow the steps below to connect a CD-R, MD,

DAT, tape recorder or other audio component.

SAT

TV /

SAT

DVD

/LD

FRONT

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

DVR/VCR

5.1CH

INPUT

DVD

/LD

SUB

WOOFER

PREOUT

PLAY

(

)

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

S-VIDEO

COAX

DVD/LD

If your component has a digital output,

(

)

OUT

REC

connect this to a digital input on the receiver.

The example shows an optical connection to

the DIGITAL OPT 1 (CD) input.

AUDIO

If necessary, connect the analog audio

outputs of the component to a set of spare

audio inputs on this receiver.

You’ll need to make this connection for

components without a digital output, or if you

want to record from a digital component. Use a

stereo RCA phono cable as shown.

OUT

PLAY

OPTICAL

COAXIAL

REC

DIGITAL OUT

AUDIO IN

AUDIO OUT

If you’re connecting a recorder, connect

the analog audio outputs (REC) to the analog

audio inputs on the recorder.

The example shows an analog connection to

the CD-R/TAPE/MD analog output jack using

a stereo RCA phono cable.

CD-R, MD, DAT, Tape recorder, etc.

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but

connections for the VSX-517 are the same.

About the WMA9 Pro decoder

This unit has an on-board Windows Media

Audio 9 Professional (WMA9 Pro) decoder, so

it is possible to playback WMA9 Pro-encoded

audio using a coaxial or optical digital

connection when connected to a WMA9 Pro-

compatible player. However, the connected

DVD player, set-top box, etc. must be able to

output WMA9 Pro format audio signals

through a coaxial or optical digital output.

Note

1 Note that you must connect digital components to analog audio jacks if you want to record to/from digital components (like

an MD) to/from analog components.

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Connecting up

Windows Media^®, and the Windows logo are trademarks,

or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the

United States and/or other countries.

VSX-817

AUX

FM UNBAL

Ω

MONITOR OUT

OPT

Connecting other video

components

(

)

TV/ SAT

DVR /

VCR

OPT

LOOP

OUT

ANTENNA

OUT

(

)

VIDEO

DVR /

ASSIGNABLE

VCR

DIGITAL IN

TV /

This receiver has audio/video inputs and

outputs suitable for connecting analog or

digital video recorders, including VCRs, DVD-

recorders and HDD recorders.

SAT

TV /

SAT

DVD

/LD

FRONT

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

COAX

DVR/VCR

5.1CH

INPUT

DVD

/LD

SUB

WOOFER

PREOUT

PLAY

(

)

CD-R

/ TAPE

/ MD

S-VIDEO

COAX

DVD/LD

(

)

OUT

REC

AUDIO

Connect a set of audio/video outputs on

the recorder to the DVR/VCR AUDIO and

VIDEO inputs on this receiver.

Use a stereo RCA phono cable for the audio

connection and a standard RCA video cable for

the video connection.

OUT

PLAY

OPTICAL

COAXIAL

REC

DIGITAL OUT

AUDIO IN

VIDEO IN

AUDIO OUT

VIDEO OUT

Connect a set of audio/video inputs on

the recorder to the DVR/VCR AUDIO and

VIDEO outputs on this receiver.

Use a stereo RCA phono cable for the audio

connection and a standard RCA video cable for

the video connection.

DVR, VCR, LD player, etc.

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but

connections for the VSX-517 are the same.

If your video component has a digital

audio output, connect it to a digital input on

this receiver.

The example shows a recorder connected to

the DIGITAL COAX 2 (DVR/VCR) input.

Using the component video jacks

Component video should deliver superior

picture quality when compared to composite

video. A further advantage (if your source and

TV are both compatible) is progressive-scan

video, which delivers a very stable, flicker-free

picture. See the manuals that came with your

TV and source component to check whether

they are progressive-scan video compatible.

Note

1 • VSX-817 model only – For better quality, you can also connect with S-video using the S-VIDEO DVR/VCR IN jack.

• If your video component also has a component video output, you can connect this too. See Using the component video jacks

on page 16 for more on this.

2 VSX-817 model only – For better quality, you can also connect with S-video using the S-VIDEO DVR/VCR OUT jack.

3 If your video component doesn’t have a digital audio output, omit this step. If it only has an optical digital output, you can con-

nect it to the optical input on this receiver using an optical cable. When you set up the receiver you’ll need to tell the receiver

which input you connected the component to (see The Input Assign menu on page 45).

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Connecting up

Important

MCACC/

VIDEO

AUDIO

AUDIO IN

PUSH

OPE

• If you connect any source component to

the receiver using a component video

input, you must also have your TV

FRONT AUDIO

CD-R/TAPE/MD

AUX

connected to this receiver’s COMPONENT

VIDEO MONITOR OUT jacks.

MCACC/

AUDIO IN

Connect the component video outputs of

VIDEO

AUDIO

your source to a set of component video

inputs on this receiver.

Use a three-way component video cable.

Video

camera

(etc.)

If necessary, assign the component video

inputs to the input source you’ve connected.

This only needs to be done if you didn’t connect

according to the following defaults:

VIDEO OUTPUT

• COMP 1 – DVD

• COMP 2 – TV

• COMP 3 – DVR

See Assigning the component video inputs on

page 45.

Connecting to the front panel audio

mini jack

VSX-817 model only

Connect the COMPONENT VIDEO

Front audio connections are accessed via the

front panel using the FRONT AUDIO botton.

Press FRONT AUDIO and select F.AUDIO

input. Use a stereo mini-jack cable to connect

a digital audio player.

MONITOR OUT jacks on this receiver to the

component video inputs on your TV or

monitor.

Use a three-way component video cable.

Connecting to the front panel video

terminal

VSX-817 model only

• Push down on the PUSH OPEN tab to

access the front audio/video connection.

MCACC/

AUDIO IN

Front video connections are accessed via the

front panel using the VIDEO button. Press

VIDEO and select VIDEO input. There are

standard audio/video jacks. Hook them up the

same way you made the rear panel

connections.

VIDEO

AUDIO

PUSH

OPEN

FRONT AUDIO

CD-R/TAPE/MD

AUX

• Push down on the PUSH OPEN tab to

access the front audio/video connection.

MCACC/

AUDIO IN

VIDEO

AUDIO

Portable CD player (etc.)

AUDIO OUT

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Connecting up

Using external antennas

Connecting antennas

To improve FM reception

Connect an external FM antenna as shown

below.

Connect the AM loop antenna and the FM wire

antenna as shown below. To improve reception

and sound quality, connect external antennas

(see Using external antennas below).

fig. a

fig. b

fig. c

75 Ω coaxial

cable

FM UNBAL

Ω

J-shaped

plug

FM UNBAL

Ω

LOOP

To improve AM reception

Connect a 5 m to 6 m length of vinyl-coated

wire to the AM antenna terminal without

disconnecting the supplied AM loop antenna.

Outdoor

antenna

Pull off the protective shields of both AM

5 m to 6 m

antenna wires.

Push open the tabs, then insert one wire

Indoor antenna

(vinyl-coated wire)

FM UNBAL

fully into each terminal, then release the tabs

to secure the AM antenna wires.

Fix the AM loop antenna to the attached

LOOP

stand.

For the best possible reception, suspend

horizontally outdoors.

To fix the stand to the antenna, bend in the

direction indicated by the arrow (fig. a) then

clip the loop onto the stand (fig. b).

• If you plan to mount the AM antenna to a

wall or other surface, secure the stand with

screws (fig. c) before clipping the loop to the

stand. Make sure the reception is clear.

Place the AM antenna on a flat surface

and in a direction giving the best reception.

Connect the FM wire antenna in the same

way as the AM loop antenna.

For best results, extend the FM antenna fully

and fix to a wall or door frame. Don’t drape

loosely or leave coiled up.

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Connecting up

Connecting the speakers

A complete speaker setup is shown below, but everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect

the speakers you have in the manner shown below. The receiver will work with just two stereo

speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three (VSX-517 model) / five (VSX-817

model) speakers is recommended, and a complete setup is best for surround sound. If you’re not

using a subwoofer, change the front speaker setting (see Speaker setting on page 43) to LARGE.

Make sure you connect the speaker on the right to the right terminal and the speaker on the left

to the left terminal. Also make sure the positive and negative (+/–) terminals on the receiver

match those on the speakers. You can use speakers with a nominal impedance between 6 Ω to

16 Ω (please see Switching the speaker impedance on page 60 if you plan to use speakers with an

impedance of less than 8 Ω).

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

(VSX-817 model only)

Front speakers

Center speaker

Surround speakers

Surround back speakers

SBL

SBR

AUX

VCR

TWO VOLTAGE SELECTORS

Ω

220V

110V

120 -127V

OPT

LOOP

OUT

ANTENNA

OUT

(CD)

VIDEO

ASSIGNABLE

DVR

VCR

DIGITAL IN

AC IN

SAT

DVD

/LD

FRONT

MONITOR

OUT

ASSIGNABLE

DIGITAL IN

110V

127V

COAX

(DVR/VCR)

5.1CH

INPUT

DVD

/LD

SUB

WOOFER

PREOUT

120

230

PLAY

CD-R

TAPE

S-VIDEO

COAX

(DVD/LD)

220V

240V

OUT

REC

AUDIO

VSX-517 model

Powered subwoofer

INPUT

10 mm

VSX-817 model

10 mm

The illustration shows the VSX-817, but connections for the VSX-517 are the same.

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Connecting up

VSX-517 model

• When placing speakers near the TV, we

recommend using magnetically shielded

speakers to prevent possible interference,

such as discoloration of the picture when

the TV is switched on. If you do not have

magnetically shielded speakers and notice

discoloration of the TV picture, move the

speakers farther away from the TV.

Twist exposed wire strands together.

Push open the tabs and insert exposed

wire.

Release the tabs.

VSX-817 model

Twist exposed wire strands together.

• Place the center speaker above or below

the TV so that the sound of the center

channel is localized at the TV screen.

Loosen terminal and insert exposed wire.

Tighten terminal.

• If possible, place the surround speakers

slightly above ear level.

Speaker terminals

• Try not to place the surround speakers

further away from the listening position

than the front and center speakers. Doing

so can weaken the surround sound effect.

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 is touching the back panel when you

switch the unit on, the power may cut off as a

safety measure. Use good quality speaker wire

to connect the speakers to the receiver.

• To achieve the best possible surround

sound, install your speakers as shown

below. Be sure all speakers are installed

securely to prevent accidents and improve

sound quality.

Caution

• These speaker terminals carry

Caution

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.

• If you choose to install the center speaker

on top of the TV, be sure to secure it with

putty, or by other suitable means, to reduce

the risk of damage or injury resulting from

the speaker falling from the TV in the event

of external shocks such as earthquakes.

Hints on speaker placement

Speakers are usually designed with a

particular placement in mind. Some are

designed to be floorstanding, while others

should be placed on stands to sound their best.

Some should be placed near a wall; others

should be placed away from walls. We have

provided a few tips on getting the best sound

from your speakers (following), but you should

also follow the guidelines on placement that

the speaker manufacturer provided with your

particular speakers to get the most out of

them.

• Make sure no exposed speaker wire is

touching the rear panel, this may cause the

receiver to turn off automatically.

• Place the front left and right speakers at

equal distances from the TV.

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Connecting up

The diagrams below show suggested

surround and surround back speaker

orientation. The first diagram (fig. A) shows

orientation with one surround back speaker

(or none) connected. The second (fig. B)

shows orientation with two surround back

speakers connected.

Speaker placement diagrams

The following illustrations show 7.1 channel

speaker setups.

3-D view of 7.1 channel speaker setup

90~120

0~60

SBL

SBR

SBL SBR

fig. A

fig. B

Overhead view of speaker setup

Front

left

Front

right

Center

Subwoofer

Surround

left

Surround

right

Listening position

Surround back left

Surround back right

Single surround back speaker

Note

1 VSX-517 model only – Follow the speaker placement diagrams, disregarding the surround back speakers.

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Controls and displays

Chapter 4:

Controls and displays

Front panel

Illustration shows the VSX-817 model

VSX-817

MULTI JOG

ENTER

STEREO/

ADVANCED

PHASE

CONTROL

F.S.SURR STANDARD SURROUND

LISTENING MODE

PHASE

CONTROL

ACOUSTIC AUTO SURR/

EQ DIRECT

STEREO/

F.S.SURR STANDARD SURROUND

ADVANCED

DVD/LD

TV/SAT

DVR/VCR

VIDEO

FRONT AUDIO

CD-R/TAPE/MD

AUX

LISTENING MODE

SOUND

MIDNIGHT/

SB ch

MASTER

VOLUME

RETRIEVER LOUDNESS PROCESSING TONE

STANDBY/ON

MCACC/

AUDIO IN

VIDEO

AUDIO

PHONES

SIGNAL

SELECT

TUNING/

STATION

TUNER

EDIT

SPEAKERS

SETUP

RETURN

MULTI JOG

DOWN

VSX-817 model

25 26

VSX-517 model

PHASE

CONTROL

ACOUSTIC AUTO SURR/

SOUND

MIDNIGHT/

SB ch

SOUND

RETRIEVER LOUDNESS

MIDNIGHT/

VSB

MODE

DIRECT

RETRIEVER LOUDNESS PROCESSING

TONE

VSX-517 model

SIGNAL

SELECT

TUNING/

STATION

TUNER

EDIT

SIGNAL

SELECT

TUNER

EDIT

QUICK

SETUP

SPEAKERS

SETUP

RETURN

DIMMER

SETUP

RETURN

PHASE

DIALOGUE AUTO SURR/

CONTROL ENHANCEMENT DIRECT

MULTI JOG

ꢀ STANDBY/ON

ENTER

MULTI JOG dial

Input select buttons

Selects an input source.

Character display

See Display on page 24.

MCACC indicator (VSX-817 model only)

The MULTI JOG dial performs a number of

tasks. Use it to select options after pressing the

designated MULTI JOG buttons.

LISTENING MODE buttons

Lights when Acoustic Calibration EQ (page 34)

is on (Acoustic Calibration EQ is automatically

set to ALL CH ADJUST after the Auto MCACC

Setup (page 10) or EQ Auto Setup (page 41)).

STEREO/F.S.SURR

Switches between stereo playback

(page 33) and Front Stage Surround

Advance modes (page 33).

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Controls and displays

STANDARD

16 SPEAKERS

Press for Standard decoding and to switch

between the various 2Pro Logic II options

/VSX-817 model only – 2Pro Logic IIx and

Neo:6 options (page 31).

Use to change the speaker system (page 56)

and the impedance setting (page 60).

17 SIGNAL SELECT

Selects an input signal (page 34).

ADVANCED SURROUND

Switches between the various surround

modes (page 32).

18 TUNING / STATION

Selects the frequency (page 47) and station

presets (page 47) when using the tuner.

AUTO SURR/DIRECT

19 TUNER EDIT

Memorizes/names stations for recall

(page 47).

Switches between Auto surround mode

(Auto playback on page 31) and Stream

Direct playback. Stream Direct playback

bypasses the tone controls for the most

accurate reproduction of a source

(page 34).

20 System Setup menu controls

SETUP

Use with the MULTI JOG dial to access

the System Setup menu (page 39).

PHASE CONTROL

Press to switch on/off Phase Control (page 36).

RETURN

ACOUSTIC EQ

Confirms and exits the current menu.

Press to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ

setting (page 34).

21 VSB MODE

Press to switch on/off Virtual Surround Back

(VSB) mode (page 35).

10 PHONES jack

Use to connect headphones (when connected,

there is no sound output from the speakers).

22 DIMMER

Dims or brightens the display.

11 DIALOGUE ENHANCEMENT

Use to make dialog stand out when watching

TV or a movie (page 37).

23 QUICK SETUP

See Using the Quick Setup on page 9.

24 VIDEO INPUT (VSX-817 model only)

See Connecting to the front panel video

terminal on page 17.

12 SOUND RETRIEVER

Press to restore CD quality sound to

compressed audio sources (page 37).

25 MCACC/AUDIO IN jack (VSX-817 model only)

Use to connect a microphone when

performing Auto MCACC setup, or connect an

auxiliary component using a stereo mini-jack

cable (page 17).

13 MIDNIGHT/LOUDNESS

Switches to Midnight or Loudness listening

(page 37).

14 SB ch PROCESSING

Selects the surround back channel mode

(page 35) or virtual surround back mode

(page 35).

26 MASTER VOLUME

15 TONE

Press this button to access the bass and treble

controls, which you can then adjust with the

MULTI JOG dial (page 37).

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Controls and displays

Display

Illustration shows the VSX-817 model

8 9 10 11

[

]

SP AB _[R

]

[

]

[

]

40 125 250 4K13K

13 14

16 17 18 19

20 21

SIGNAL SELECT indicators

2PRO LOGIC II (VSX-817 model only)/

Lights to indicate the type of input signal

assigned for the current component:

2PRO LOGIC II

2PRO LOGIC II lights to indicate Pro Logic

IIx decoding. 2PRO LOGIC II lights to

indicate Pro Logic II decoding (see Listening in

surround sound on page 31 for more on this).

AUTO

Lights when AUTO signal select is on.

SB (VSX-817 model only)

VIR.SB

Depending on the source, this lights when

a signal with surround back channel

encoding is detected.

Lights during Virtual surround back

processing (page 35).

DIRECT

DIGITAL

Lights when source Stream Direct playback is

in use. Stream Direct playback bypasses the

tone controls for the most accurate

reproduction of a source.

Lights when a digital audio signal is

detected.

DTS

Lights when a source with DTS encoded

audio signals is detected.

AUTO SURR.

Lights when the Auto Surround feature is

switched on (see Auto playback on page 31).

2DIGITAL

Lights when a Dolby Digital encoded

signal is detected.

ATT

Lights when ANALOG ATT is used to attenuate

ANALOG

(reduce) the level of the analog input signal.

Lights when an analog signal is detected.

SLEEP

Lights when the receiver is in sleep mode.

Lights to indicate decoding of a DTS

multichannel signal.

10 Tuner indicators

/ MONO

2DIGITAL

Lights when the mono mode is set using

the MPX button.

Lights to indicate decoding of a Dolby Digital

multichannel signal.

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Controls and displays

These indicators show the EQ balance for

each channel in Checking your Acoustic

Calibration EQ settings on page 43.

/ STEREO

Lights when a stereo FM broadcast is being

received in auto stereo mode.

/ TUNED

Lights when a broadcast is being received.

Remote control (VSX-817)

11 Speaker indicator

VSX-817 model – Lights to indicate the current

speaker system A and/or B (page 56).

RECEIVER

SOURCE

INPUT SELECT

VSX-517 model – Shows if the speaker system is

on or not. SPꢁA means the speakers are

switched on. SPꢁ means the headphones are

connected.

MULTI CONTROL

TV CTRL

F.AUDIO

DVD/LD

TV/SAT

DVR/VCR

CD-R/TAPE

RECEIVER

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

12 Sound Retriever indicators

Light when the Sound Retriever is switched on

(page 37).

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

PHASE

DIALOG

RETRIEVER

EFFECT

/CH SEL

LEVEL

MUTE

MASTER

VOLUME

13 Character display

RECEIVER CONTROL

T.EDIT

ONE TOUCH

COPY

14 Neo:6 (VSX-817 model only)

Lights to indicate Neo:6 processing.

TUNE

TOP MENU

ENTER

15 ADV.SURR. (Advanced Surround)

Lights when one of the Advanced Surround

modes has been selected.

GUIDE

RETURN

AUDIO

TUNE

REC

SETUP

CH-

SUBTITLE

16 WMA9 Pro

Lights to indicate decoding of a WMA9 Pro

signal.

HDD

DVD

REC STOP

MPX

TUNER DISP

CLASS

D.ACCESS

ENTER

SLEEP

DISC

+10

MIDNIGHT ANALOG ATT DIMMER

17 MIDNIGHT

Lights during Midnight listening (page 37).

SIGNAL

SB ch

18 D.E.

INFO

TV CONTROL

Lights when Dialog Enhancement is switched

on (page 37).

INPUT

SHIFT

TV CH TV VOL

SELECT

AUDIO/VIDEO PRE-PROGRAMMED

REMOTE CONTROL UNIT

19 LOUDNESS

Lights during Loudness listening (page 37).

RECEIVER

20 EX (VSX-817 model only)

Lights when a Dolby Digital Surround EX

encoded signal is detected.

INPUT SELECT

Use to select the input source (use SHIFT for

INPUT SELECT ).

21 Master volume level

22 MCACC channel EQ indicators

(VSX-817 model only)

RECEIVERꢀ

This switches between standby and on for this

receiver.

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Controls and displays

MULTI CONTROL buttons

EFFECT/CH SEL

Press to select control of other components (see

Controlling the rest of your system on page 50).

Press repeatedly to select a channel, then

use LEVEL +/– to adjust the level (page 44).

Also adjusts the level of the Advanced

Surround effects as well as Dolby Pro Logic

IIx Music and Neo:6 Music parameters

(page 32). You can then use the LEVEL +/–

buttons to make these adjustments.

RECEIVER CONTROL buttons

AUTO SURR

Switches between Auto surround mode

(Auto playback on page 31) and Stream

Direct playback. Stream Direct playback

bypasses the tone controls for the most

accurate reproduction of a source

(page 34).

LEVEL +/–

Use to adjust the Advanced Surround

effect and channel levels, as well as to

change Dolby Pro Logic IIx Music and

Neo:6 Music parameter settings.

STEREO/F.S.SURR

Switches between stereo playback

(page 33) and Front Stage Surround

Advance modes (page 33).

MASTER VOLUME +/–

Use to set the listening volume.

SYSTEM SETUP and Component control

buttons

The following button controls can be accessed

after you have selected the corresponding

MULTI CONTROL button (DVD/LD, TV/SAT,

RECEIVER, etc.)

STANDARD

Press for Standard decoding and to switch

between the 2Pro Logic IIx and Neo:6

options (page 31).

ADV.SURR

Switches between the various surround

modes (page 32).

TOP MENU

Displays the disc ‘top’ menu of a DVD.

PHASE

ONE TOUCH COPY*

Copies the currently playing title from DVD

to HDD or vice-versa.

Press to switch on/off Phase Control

(page 36).

ACOUSTIC EQ

Press to select an Acoustic Calibration EQ

setting (page 34).

GUIDE

Displays the guides on a digital TV.

SETUP

DIALOG

Use to access the System Setup menu (see

page 39).

Use to make dialog stand out when

watching TV or a movie (page 37).

SOUND RETRIEVER

Displays the disc menu of DVD-Video

discs.

Press to restore CD quality sound to

compressed audio sources (page 37).

T.EDIT

MUTE

Press to memorize and name a station for

recall (page 47).

Mutes/unmutes the sound.

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Controls and displays

RETURN

Numberbuttons/othercomponentand

Press to confirm and exit the current menu

(also use to return to the previous menu

with DVDs or to select closed captioning

with DTV).

receiver controls

Use the number buttons to directly select a

radio frequency (page 47) or the tracks on a

CD, DVD, etc. There are other buttons that can

be accessed after the RECEIVER is pressed

(For example, MIDNIGHT, etc),

ꢂꢃꢁꢀ (TUNE/ST +/–) /ENTER

Use the arrow buttons when setting up your

surround sound system (see page 39). Also

used to control DVD menus/options and for

deck 1 of a double cassette deck player. Use the

TUNE +/– buttons to find radio frequencies and

use ST +/– to find preset stations (page 47). Use

the (SHIFT+) CH +/– buttons to select channels.

DISC (ENTER) can be used to enter

commands for TV or DTV, and can also be

used to select a disc in a multi-CD player.

TUNER DISP*

Switches between named station presets

and radio frequencies (page 48).

Component control buttons

CLASS*

The main buttons (ꢁ, ꢂ, etc.) are used to

control a component after you have selected it

using the MULTI CONTROL buttons.

Switches between the three banks

(classes) of radio station presets

(page 47).

The controls above these buttons can be

accessed after you have selected the

corresponding MULTI CONTROL button (for

example DVD/LD, DVR/VCR or TV/SAT (when

connected to a DTV)).

MPX*

Switches between stereo and mono

reception of FM broadcasts. If the signal is

weak then switching to mono will improve

the sound quality (page 47).

SUBTITLE*

D. ACCESS*

Displays/changes the subtitles included in

multilingual DVD-Video discs.

After pressing, you can access a radio

station directly using the number buttons

(page 47).

ìREC*

Start recording.

MIDNIGHT

Switches to Midnight or Loudness

listening (page 37).

AUDIO*

Changes the audio language or channel on

DVD discs.

ANALOG ATT

Attenuates (lowers) the level of an analog

input signal to prevent distortion.

HDD/DVD*

These buttons switch between the hard

disk and DVD controls for DVD/HDD

recorders.

DIMMER

Dims or brightens the display.

REC STOP*

SLEEP

Stops recording.

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.

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Controls and displays

SIGNAL

TV VOL +/–

Selects an input signal (page 34).

Use to adjust the volume on your TV.

SB ch

Selects the surround back channel mode

(page 35) or virtual surround back mode

(page 35).

Remote control (VSX-517)

INFO

Use to bring up information screens on a

digital TV.

RECEIVER

SLEEP DIMMER

INPUT SELECTOR

PHASE

DVD 5.1

RECEIVER

DVD

DVR

10 SHIFT

Press to access the ‘boxed’ commands (above

the buttons) on the remote. These buttons are

marked with an asterisk (* ) in this section.

CD-R

STEREO/

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

TOP MENU

MIDNIGHT

DIALOG

S.RETRIEVER

ENTER

11 Remote control LED

Lights when a command is sent from the

remote control.

ONE

TOUCH

COPY

TUNER

EDIT

12 ꢀSOURCE

SETUP

RETURN

VOLUME

LEVEL

Press to turn on/off other components

connected to the receiver (see page 50 for

more on this).

EFFECT/CH SEL

ANALOG ATT

MUTE

HDD

DVD

DVD/DVR

GUIDE

SUBTITLE

REC

AUDIO

JUKEBOX

13 RECEIVER

TIMER REC

INFO

REC STOP

Switches the remote to control the receiver

(used to select the green commands above the

number buttons (SETUP, etc). Also use this

button to set up surround sound (page 9,

page 39).

DVD/DVR

DISPLAY CLASS

TUNING STATION

TUNER

SHIFT

MPX

14 TV CONTROL buttons

RECEIVER

These buttons are dedicated to control the TV

assigned to the TV CTRL button. Thus if you

only have one TV to hook up to this system

assign it to the TV CTRL MULTI CONTROL

button. If you have two TVs, assign the main TV

to the TV CTRL button (see page 50 for more

on this).

RECEIVERꢀ

Switches the receiver between standby and on.

Listening mode buttons

AUTO SURR

ꢀ

Switches between Auto surround mode

(Auto playback on page 31) and Stream

Direct playback. Stream Direct playback

bypasses the tone controls for the most

accurate reproduction of a source

(page 34).

Use to turn on/off the power of the TV.

INPUT SELECT

Use to select the TV input signal.

TV CH +/–

Use to select channels.

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Controls and displays

STANDARD

Press for Standard decoding and to switch

between 2Pro Logic II options.

ANALOG ATT

Attenuates (lowers) the level of an analog

input signal to prevent distortion.

STEREO/F.S.SURR

SHIFT

Switches between stereo playback

(page 33) and Front Stage Surround

Advance modes (page 33).

Press to access the ‘boxed’ commands (above

the buttons) on the remote. These buttons are

marked with an asterisk (*) in this section.

ADV.SURR

Switches between the various surround

modes (page 32).

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.

TOP MENU

Displays the disc ‘top’ menu of a DVD.

MIDNIGHT/LOUDNESS

Switches to Midnight or Loudness

listening (page 37).

DIMMER

Dims or brightens the display.

PHASE

TUNER EDIT^*

Memorizes/names stations for recall

(page 47).

Press to switch on/off Phase Control

(page 36).

INPUT SELECTOR buttons

SETUP

Press to select an input source.

Press to access the System Setup menu

(page 39). Also functions as the SETUP

button for DVD/DVR units.

DVD/DVR

Press to use the remote DVD/DVR

controls.

RECEIVER CONTROL buttons

RECEIVER

VOLUME +/–

Use to switch to the receiver controls on

the remote control. Use when setting up

surround sound for the receiver (page 39).

Use to set the listening volume.

EFFECT/CH SEL

Press repeatedly to select a channel, then

use LEVEL +/– to adjust the level.

Also adjusts the level of the Advanced

Surround effects as well as Dolby Pro Logic

II Music parameters (page 32). You can then

use the LEVEL +/– buttons to make these

adjustments.

Displays the disc menu of DVD-Video

discs. It also displays TV menus.

DIALOG

Use to make dialog stand out when

watching TV or a movie (page 37).

LEVEL +/–

10 ꢀꢁꢂꢃ/ENTER

Use to adjust the effect and channel levels.

Use the arrow buttons when setting up your

surround sound system (page 39). Also used

for DVD menus.

MUTE

Mutes/unmutes the sound.

ꢀ (S.RETRIEVER)*

Press to restore CD quality sound to

compressed audio sources (page 37).

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Controls and displays

11 RETURN

DISPLAY

Confirm and exit the current menu screen.

Switch the display between station preset

name and frequency (see tip on page 47).

ONE TOUCH COPY

CLASS

Copies the currently playing title from DVD

to HDD or vice-versa.

Switches between the three banks

(classes) of station presets (page 47).

12 DVD/DVR control buttons

MPX

Use these buttons to control a Pioneer DVD

player or recorder connected to your system

(press SHIFT to access the commands

bordered by a rectangle).

Use to switch between auto stereo and

mono reception of FM broadcasts. If the

signal is weak then switching to mono will

improve the sound quality (page 47).

Button What it does

DVD/

Turns DVD power on/off.

DVRꢀ

CH +/– Switches channels.

SUBTITLE Displays/changes the subtitles on

multilingual DVD-Video discs.

AUDIO Changes audio language or channel.

ꢁ

ꢃ

ꢂ

Starts/resumes normal playback.

Pauses/unpauses.

Stops playback.

ꢄ/ꢅ Press to start fast reverse/forward

scanning.

ꢆ

Skips to the start of the current track or

chapter, then previous tracks/chapters.

ꢇ

Skips to the next track or chapter.

HDD

DVD^*

Switch between the hard disk and DVD

controls for DVD/HDD recorders.

Displays the guides on a DVD/DVR.

Starts recording.

GUIDE

ìREC

Accesses the timerrecording menu.

Displays additional EPG information.

Stops recording.

TIMER REC

INFO

REC STOP

JUKEBOX^*

Switches to the Jukebox feature.

13 TUNER controls

The TUNING +/– buttons can be used to find

radio frequencies (page 47) and the STATION

+/– buttons can be used to select preset radio

stations (page 48).

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Listening to your system

Chapter 5:

Listening to your system

VSX-817 only – If you connected surround back

Important

speaker, see also Using surround back

channel processing on page 35.

• Certain features explained in this section

will not be possible depending on the

CD-R/TAPE

RECEIVER

CD-R

source (for example, PCM 88.2 kHz / 96 kHz,

DTS 96 kHz (24 bit) or WMA9 Pro sources).

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

PHASE

DIALOG

RETRIEVER

TOP MENU

S RETRIEVER

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

•

While listening to a source, press STAN-

Auto playback

DARD.

The simplest, most direct listening option is the

Auto Surround feature. With this, the receiver

automatically detects what kind of source

you’re playing and selects multichannel or

If the source is Dolby Digital, DTS, or Dolby

Surround encoded, the proper decoding

format will automatically be selected and

shows in the display.

With two channel sources, press STANDARD

repeatedly to select from:

stereo playback as necessary.

CD-R/TAPE

RECEIVER

CD-R

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

•

2Pro Logic II MOVIE – Up to 5.1

channel sound, especially suited to movie

sources

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

PHASE

DIALOG

RETRIEVER

TOP MENU

S.RETRIEVER

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

•

2Pro Logic II MUSIC⁴– Up to 5.1 channel

•

While listening to a source, press

sound, especially suited to music sources

AUTO SURR for auto playback of a source.

Press repeatedly until AUTOSURR. shows

briefly in the display (it will then show the

decoding or playback format). Check the

digital format indicators in the display to see

how the source is being processed.

• 2Pro Logic II GAME – Up to 5.1 channel

sound, especially suited for video games

• 2PRO LOGIC – 4.1 channel surround

sound

VSX-817 model only:

•

2Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – Up to 7.1 channel

sound, especially suited to movie sources

Listening in surround sound

2Pro Logic IIx MUSIC – Up to 7.1 channel

sound, especially suited to music sources

Using this receiver, you can listen to any

source in surround sound. However, the

options available will depend on your speaker

setup and the type of source you’re listening to.

2Pro Logic IIx GAME – Up to 7.1 channel

sound, especially suited for video games

Note

1 • Stereo surround (matrix) formats are decoded accordingly using 2Pro Logic II MOVIE (VSX-517)/2Pro Logic IIx MOVIE

or Neo:6 CINEMA (VSX-817) (see Listening in surround sound below for more on these decoding formats).

• The Auto Surround feature is canceled if you connect headphones or select the multichannel analog inputs.

2 For more options using this button, see Using Stream Direct on page 34.

3 VSX-817 model only – If surround back channel processing (page 35) is switched to OFF, or the surround back speaker is set

to NO (page 39), 2Pro Logic IIx becomes 2Pro Logic II (5.1 channel sound).

4 When listening to 2-channel sources in Dolby Pro Logic IIx Music/Dolby Pro Logic II Music mode, there are three further pa-

rameters you can adjust: Center Width, Dimension, and Panorama. See Setting the effect options below to adjust them.

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Listening to your system

• Neo:6 CINEMA – 6.1 channel sound,

especially suited to movie sources

• ADV. GAME – Suitable for video games.

• SPORTS – Suitable for sports programs.

• Neo:6 MUSIC – 6.1 channel sound,

especially suited to music sources

• ROCK/POP – Creates a live concert sound

for rock and/or pop music.

VSX-817 model only – With multichannel

sources, if you have connected surround back

speaker(s) and have selected SB ON, you can

select (according to format):

• 2Pro Logic IIx MOVIE – See above

• 2Pro Logic IIx MUSIC – See above

• Dolby Digital EX – Creates surround back

channel sound for 5.1 channel sources and

provides pure decoding for 6.1 channel

sources (like Dolby Digital Surround EX)

• UNPLUGED – Suitable for acoustic music

sources.

• X-STEREO – Gives multichannel sound to a

stereo source, using all of your speakers.

• PHONESUR. – Creates the effect of overall

surround with headphones.

Setting the effect options

When using surround effects, there are a

number of settings you can adjust.

• DTS-ES – Allows you to hear 6.1 channel

playback with DTS encoded sources

Press EFFECT/CH SEL repeatedly to select

the setting you want to adjust.

Depending on the current status / mode of the

receiver, certain options may not appear.

Check the table below for notes on this.

Using the Advanced surround effects

The Advanced surround feature creates a

variety of surround effects. Try different modes

with various soundtracks to see which you like.

Use the LEVEL +/– buttons to set it as

CD-R/TAPE

RECEIVER

CD-R

necessary.

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

See the table below for the options available for

each setting. The defaults, if not stated, are

listed in bold.

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

•

Press ‘ADV.SURR’ repeatedly to select a

Press EFFECT/CH SEL again to adjust

listening mode.

other settings

• ACTION – Designed for action movies with

dynamic soundtracks.

• DRAMA – Designed for movies with lots of

Setting

Center

Width^a

(Applicable

only when

using a cen-

ter speaker)

What it does

Options

Spreads the center channel

between the front right and left

speakers, making it sound

wider (higher settings) or

narrower (lower settings).

0 to 7

Default: 3

dialog.

• MONOFILM – Creates surround sound

from mono soundtracks.

• ENT. SHOW – Suitable for musical sources.

• EXPANDED – Creates an extra wide stereo

field.

• TV SURR. – Provides surround sound for

both mono and stereo TV sources.

Dimension^a

Adjusts the surround sound

balance from front to back,

making the sound more distant

(minus settings), or more

forward (positive settings).

–3 to +3

Default: 0

Note

1 • If you press ADV.SURR with the headphones connected, PHONES SURROUND will automatically be selected.

• VSX-817 model only – Depending on the source and the sound mode you have selected, you may not get sound from the

surround back speaker in your setup. For more on this, refer to Using surround back channel processing on page 35.

• When an Advanced Surround listening mode is selected, the effect level can be adjusted using the EFFECT parameter in

Setting the effect options below.

2 Use with Dolby Pro Logic for a stereo surround effect (stereo field is wider than Standard modes with Dolby Digital sources).

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Listening to your system

Setting

What it does

Options

Using Front Stage Surround

Advance

Panorama Extends the front stereo image

to include surround speakers

OFF

for a ‘wraparound’ effect.

The Front Stage Surround Advance function

allows you to create natural surround sound

effects using just the front speakers and the

Center

Adjusts the center image to

create a wider stereo effect with

vocals. Adjust the effect from 0

(all center channel sent to front

right and left speakers) to 10

(center channel sent to the

center speaker only).

0 to 10

Default: 3

Image^b

(Applicable

only when

using a cen-

ter speaker)

subwoofer.

CD-R/TAPE

RECEIVER

CD-R

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

RETRIEVER

PHASE

DIALOG

TOP MENU

S.RETRIEVER

Effect

Sets the effect level for the

currently selected Advanced

Surround mode (each mode

can be set separately).

10 to 90

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

•

While listening to a source, press

STEREO/F.S.SURR to select Front Stage

Surround Advance modes.

a Only available with 2 ch sources in Dolby Pro Logic IIx Mu-

sic (VSX-817 model only)/Dolby Pro Logic II Music mode.

b VSX-817 model only – Only available with 2 ch sources in

Neo:6 Music mode.

• STEREO – See Listening in stereo above

for more on this.

• F.S.S.FOCUS – Use to provide a rich

surround sound effect directed to the

center of where the front left and right

speakers sound projection area

converges.

Listening in stereo

When you select STEREO you will hear the

source through just the front left and right

speakers (and possibly your subwoofer

depending on your speaker settings).

• F.S.S. WIDE – Use to provide a surround

sound effect to a wider area than FOCUS

Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel sources

mode.

are downmixed to stereo.

CD-R/TAPE

FOCUS position (Recommend)

WIDE position

RECEIVER

CD-R

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

Front left

speaker

Front right

speaker

Front left

speaker

Front right

speaker

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

PHASE

DIALOG

RETRIEVER

TOP MENU

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

•

While listening to a source, press

STEREO/F.S.SURR for stereo playback.

Press repeatedly to switch between:

• STEREO – The audio is heard with your

surround settings and you can still use the

Midnight, Loudness, and Tone functions.

• F.S.S.FOCUS – See Using Front Stage

Surround Advance below for more on this.

• F.S.S. WIDE – See Using Front Stage

Surround Advance below for more on this.

Note

1 • VSX-517 model – When using F.S.S. WIDE, a better effect can be obtained if Quick Setup is performed (see Using the Quick

Setup on page 9).

• VSX-817 model – When using F.S.S. WIDE, a better effect can be obtained if Auto MCACC Setup is performed. For more on

this, refer to Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC) on page 10.

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Listening to your system

Using Stream Direct

•

While listening to a source, press (SHIFT +)

ACOUSTIC EQ.

Press repeatedly to select between:

• ALL CH – No special weighting is given to

any one channel.

Use the Stream Direct modes when you want

to hear the truest possible reproduction of a

source. All unnecessary signal processing is

bypassed.

• F. ALIGN – All speakers are heard in

CD-R/TAPE

accordance with the front speaker settings.

• CUSTOM 1/2 – Custom settings

RECEIVER

CD-R

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

RETRIEVER

• EQ OFF – Switches Acoustic Calibration

PHASE

DIALOG

TOP MENU

S.RETRIEVER

EQ off.

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

The MCACC indicator on the front panel lights

when Acoustic Calibration EQ is active.

•

While listening to a source, press AUTO

SURR to select Stream Direct mode.

• AUTOSURR. – See Auto playback on

page 31.

Choosing the input signal

• Default setting: AUTO

• DIRECT – Sources are heard according to

the settings made in the Surround Setup

(speaker setting, channel level, speaker

distance), as well as with dual mono, Center

Width, Dimension and Panorama settings.

You will hear sources according to the

number of channels in the signal. For analog

sources, only Channel Level can be set. All

other digital processing can not be set.

You need to hook up a component to both

analog and digital inputs on the rear of the

receiver to select between input signals.

•

Press SIGNAL SELECT (front panel) to

select the input signal corresponding to the

source component.

Each press cycles through the following:

• AUTO – This automatically switches to

DIGITAL if a digital source is detected,

otherwise it remains on ANALOG.

• ANALOG – Selects the analog inputs.

• DIGITAL – Selects the digital input.

When set to DIGITAL or AUTO, 2DIGITAL

lights when a Dolby Digital signal is input, and

DTS lights when a DTS signal is input.

Listening with Acoustic

Calibration EQ

VSX-817 model only

• Default setting: OFF / ALL CH (after the

Auto MCACC Setup or EQ Auto Setting)

You can listen to sources using the Acoustic

Calibration Equalization set in Automatically

setting up for surround sound (MCACC) on

page 10 or Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 41.

Refer to these pages for more on Acoustic

Calibration Equalization.

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

RETRIEVER

PHASE

DIALOG

EFFECT

Note

1 You can’t use Acoustic Calibration EQ with DVD 5.1ch, WMA9 Pro and it has no effect with headphones.

2 • This receiver can only playback Dolby Digital, PCM (32 kHz to 96 kHz), DTS and WMA9 Pro digital signal formats. With other

digital signal formats, set to ANALOG.

• You may get digital noise when a LD or CD player compatible with DTS is playing an analog signal. To prevent noise, make

the proper digital connections (page 13) and set the signal input to DIGITAL.

• Some DVD players don’t output DTS signals. For more details, refer to the instruction manual supplied with your DVD player.

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Listening to your system

sing surround back channel

Using Virtual Surround Back

(VSB)

processing

VSX-817 model only

• Default setting: SB ON

When you’re not using surround back

speaker, selecting this mode allows you to

hear a virtual surround back channel through

your surround speakers. You can choose to

listen to sources with no surround back

channel information, or if the material sounds

better in the format (for example, 5.1) for

which it was originally encoded, you can have

the receiver only apply this effect to 6.1

encoded sources like Dolby Digital EX or DTS-

You can have the receiver automatically use 6.1

decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (for

example, Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES), or you

can choose to always use 6.1 decoding (for

example, with 5.1 encoded material). With 5.1

encoded sources, a surround back channel

will be generated, but the material may sound

better in the 5.1 format for which it was origi-

nally encoded (in which case, you can simply

ES.

Depending on the input signal and the

Listening Mode, the Virtual Surround Back

mode may not be effective.

VSX-817 model only – The table indicates when

you will hear the virtual surround back

channel (ì=Sound plays through surround

speaker).

switch surround back processing off).

The table below indicates when you will hear

the surround back channel (ì=Sound plays

through surround back speaker).

•

Press SB ch PROCESSING to select a

surround back channel option.

Each press cycles through the following:

•

Press SB ch PROCESSING VSB MODE to

• SB ON – 6.1 decoding is always used (for

example, a surround back channel will be

generated for 5.1 encoded material)

• SB AUTO – Automatically switches to 6.1

decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (for

example, Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES)

select a virtual surround back channel

option.

Each press cycles through the following:

• VSB ON – Virtual Surround Back is always

used (for example, on 5.1 encoded

material)

• SB OFF – Maximum 5.1 playback

• VSB AUTO (VSX-817 model only) – Virtual

Surround Back is automatically applied to

6.1 encoded sources (for example, Dolby

Digital EX or DTS-ES)

• VSB OFF – Virtual Surround Back mode is

switched off

Note

1 You can’t use the surround back channel processing with headphones, the Stereo, Front Stage Surround Advance, Stream

Direct mode, or if the surround speaker is set to NO in Speaker setting on page 43 (VSX-817 model only – however, the surround

back speaker must be set to NO).

2 The Virtual Surround Back mode is not effective when using headphones, Stream Direct, Stereo, Front Stage Surround

Advance mode. It is also unavailable if the surround speaker is set to NO in Speaker setting on page 43.

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Listening to your system

Standard

Stereo sources

SBch

Processing /

Virtual SB

mode

Advanced

surround

Type of source

Multichannel

sources

2Pro Logic IIx 2Pro Logic

Neo:6

Dolby Digital EX/DTS-ES/

WMA9 Pro encoded

multichannel sources with

6.1ch surround

AUTO

Dolby Digital/DTS/WMA9 Pro

encoded multichannel

sources

AUTO

a,b

Dolby Digital/DTS/WMA9 Pro

encoded stereo source; other

digital stereo source

AUTO

Analog 2-channel (stereo)

sources

AUTO

a Excluding WMA9 Pro format

b Only applicable when using the Virtual Surround Back mode.

c Not applicable when using the Virtual Surround Back mode.

Phase Control technology provides coherent

sound reproduction through the use of phase

matching for an optimal sound image at your

listening position. The default setting is on and

we recommend leaving Phase Control

Using Phase Control

This receiver’s Phase Control feature uses

phase correction measures to make sure your

sound source arrives at the listening position in

phase, preventing unwanted distortion and/or

switched on for all sound sources.

F.S.SURR

coloring of the sound (see illustration below).

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

RECEIVER

SLEEP DIMMER

INPUT SELECTOR

PHASE

DIALOG

RETRIEVER

Front speaker

Listening

position

EFFECT

/CH SEL

LEVEL

DVD 5.1

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

•

Press PHASE (PHASE CONTROL) to switch

on phase correction.

Sound

source

Subwoofer

Front speaker

Listening

position

Sound

source

Subwoofer

Note

1 Phase matching is a very important factor in achieving proper sound reproduction. If two waveforms are ‘in phase’, they crest

and trough together, resulting in increased amplitude, clarity and presence of the sound signal. If a crest of a wave meets a

trough (as shown in the upper section of the diagram above) then the sound will be ‘out of phase’ and an unreliable sound image

will be produced.

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Listening to your system

Using Midnight and Loudness

Using the Sound Retriever

The Midnight listening feature allows you to

hear effective surround sound of movies at low

volume levels. The effect automatically adjusts

according to the volume at which you’re

listening. The Loudness listening feature can

be used to get good bass and treble from

music sources at low volume levels.

When audio data is removed during the

compression process, sound quality often

suffers from an uneven sound image. The

Sound Retriever feature employs new DSP

technology that helps bring CD quality sound

back to compressed 2-channel audio by

restoring sound pressure and smoothing

jagged artifacts left over after compression.

•

Press MIDNIGHT (MIDNIGHT/LOUDNESS)

to switch between MIDNIGHT, LOUDNESS,

and OFF.

VSX-517 model –

•

Press S.RETRIEVER (SHIFT+ꢀ) (SOUND

RETRIEVER) to switch the sound retriever

on or off.

Enhancing dialog

VSX-817 model –

• Default setting: OFF

•

Press SOUND RETRIEVER to switch the

The Dialog Enhancement feature localizes

dialog in the center channel to make it stand

out from other background sounds in a TV or

movie soundtrack.

sound retriever on or off.

Playing other sources

•

Press DIALOG (DIALOGUE

ENHANCEMENT) to switch dialog

enhancement on or off.

Turn on the power of the playback

component.

Turn on the power of the receiver.

Select the source you want to playback.

Using the tone controls

Depending on what you are listening to, you

may want to adjust the bass or treble using the

Use the input select buttons (INPUT

SELECTOR).

front panel tone control.

Start playback of the component you

Press TONE to select the frequency you

selected in step 1.

want to adjust.

Press to switch between BASS and TREBLE.

Use the MULTI JOG dial to change the

amount of bass or treble as necessary.

Wait about five seconds for your changes to be

input automatically.

Note

1 The tone controls are only available when Stereo or Front Stage Surround Advance mode are selected (except when STEREO

is selected using AUTO SURROUND).

2 The Sound Retriever is only applicable to 2-channel sources.

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Listening to your system

Selecting the multichannel

analog inputs

If you have connected a decoder or a DVD

player with multichannel analog outputs to this

receiver (page 14), you must select the analog

multichannel inputs for surround sound.

VSX-517 model –

•

Press DVD 5.1 (SHIFT+DVD) on the

remote control or DVD 5.1 on the front panel.

To cancel playback from the multichannel

inputs, use the INPUT SELECTOR buttons to

select a different input signal.

VSX-817 model

–

Make sure you have set the playback

source to the proper output setting.

For example, you might need to set your DVD

player to output multichannel analog audio.

Press DVD/LD

Press SIGNAL SELECT on the front panel

to select the multichannel analog inputs.

DVD 5.1ch shows in the display and the

ANALOG indicator lights.

Selecting the front audio inputs

VSX-817 model only

When playing back a component connected to

the MCACC

/AUDIO IN jack on the front panel,

set the source to F.AUDIO on the receiver.

Press F.AUDIO on the remote control.

You can also select the source by pressing

FRONT AUDIO on the front panel.

Playback the connected component.

Note

1 During playback from the multichannel inputs, you can’t use any of the sound features/modes and only the volume and chan-

nel levels can be set.

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The System Setup menu

Chapter 6:

The System Setup menu

• SP SETUP – Specify the size, number,

distance and overall balance of the

speakers you’ve connected (see Manual

speaker setup on page 43).

Using the System Setup menu

The following section shows you how to make

detailed settings to specify how you’re using

the receiver. It also explains how to fine-tune

individual speaker system settings.

• IN ASSIG. – Specify what you’ve

connected to the digital input and

component video input (see The Input

Assign menu on page 45).

TV CTRL

DVD 5.1

DVD/LD

TV/SAT

DVR/VCR

F.AUDIO

RECEIVER

DVD

DVR

CD-R/TAPE

RECEIVER

CD-R

• OTHER – Make customized settings to

reflect how you are using the receiver (see

The Other setup menu on page 46).

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

SOUND

STEREO/

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

ACOUSTIC

PHASE

DIALOG

RETRIEVER

TOP MENU

MIDNIGHT

DIALOG

S.RETRIEVER

ENTER

EFFECT

/CH SEL

LEVEL

MUTE

ONE

MASTER

VOLUME

RECEIVER CONTROL

ONE TOUCH

COPY

TOUCH

COPY

TUNER

EDIT

Surround back speaker setting

VSX-817 model only

T.EDIT

SETUP

RETURN

TUNE

VOLUME

LEVEL

TOP MENU

EFFECT/CH SEL

ANALOG ATT

MUTE

• Default setting: SB NORM.

ENTER

HDD

REC

DVD

DVD/DVR

GUIDE

SUBTITLE

GUIDE

RETURN

AUDIO

There are several ways you can use the

surround back speaker channels with this

system. In addition to a normal home theater

setup where they are used for the surround

back speakers, they can be used for bi-amping

the front speakers or as a separate speaker

system in another room.

TUNE

REC

AUDIO

SETUP

SUBTITLE

CH-

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

Press RECEIVER on the remote control,

then press the SETUP button.

Use ꢀ/ꢁto select the setting you want to

adjust then press ENTER

Select ‘SB.SYSTEM’ from the System

Setup menu.

See Using the System Setup menu above if

you’re not already at this menu.

• SB.SYSTEM (VSX-817 only) – Specify how

you are using your surround back speakers

(see Surround back speaker setting below).

Select the surround back speaker

• A. MCACC (VSX-817 only) – This is a quick

and effective automatic surround setup

(see Automatically setting up for surround

sound (MCACC) on page 10).

setting.

• SB NORM. – Select for normal home

theater use with surround back speakers in

your main (speaker system A) setup.

• M. MCACC (VSX-817 only) – Fine tune your

speaker settings and customize the

Acoustic Calibration EQ (see Manual

MCACC speaker setup on page 40).

• SB 2ND Z – Select to use the (surround

back) B speaker terminals to listen to

stereo playback in another room (see

Second Zone speaker B setup on page 56).

Note

1 • VSX-817 model only – You can’t use the System Setup menu when the Front Audio input is selected.

• Press SETUP at any time to exit the System Setup menu.

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The System Setup menu

• SB BIAMP – Select this setting if you’re bi-

amping your front speakers (see Bi-amping

your front speakers on page 57).

• CH LEVEL – Make fine adjustments to the

overall balance of your speaker system (see

Fine Channel Level below).

• SP DISTN. – Make precise delay settings

for your speaker system (see Fine Speaker

Distance on page 41).

When you’re finished, press RETURN.

You return to the System Setup menu.

The last five settings are specifically for

customizing the parameters explained in

Acoustic Calibration EQ on page 41:

Manual MCACC speaker setup

VSX-817 model only

• EQ A. SET – Measure the acoustic

characteristics of your room and

automatically adjust the frequency balance

of your speaker system (see Setting the

Acoustic Calibration EQ automatically on

page 41).

• EQ COPY – Copy Acoustic Calibration EQ

settings for manual adjustment (see

Copying your Acoustic Calibration EQ

settings on page 42).

You can use the settings in the Manual MCACC

setup menu to make detailed adjustments

when you’re more familiar with the system.

Before making these settings, you should have

already completed Automatically setting up for

surround sound (MCACC) on page 10.

You only need to make these settings once

(unless you change the placement of your

current speaker system or add new speakers).

• C1 ADJ/C2 ADJ – Make detailed manual

adjustments to your custom Acoustic

Calibration EQ settings (see Setting the

Acoustic Calibration EQ manually on

page 42).

• EQ CHECK – Check the ALL CH, F. ALIGN

and custom settings (see Checking your

Acoustic Calibration EQ settings on

page 43).

Important

• For some of the settings below, you’ll have

to connect the setup microphone to the

front panel and place it about ear level at

your normal listening position. See

Automatically setting up for surround

sound (MCACC) on page 10 if you’re

unsure how to do this. Also see Other

problems during Auto MCACC on page 11

for notes regarding high background noise

levels and other possible interference.

Fine Channel Level

• Default setting: 0dB (all channels)

You can achieve better surround sound by

properly adjusting the overall balance of your

speaker system. The following setting can help

you make detailed adjustments that you may

not achieve using the Automatically setting up

for surround sound (MCACC) on page 10.

• If you’re using a subwoofer, switch it on

and turn up the volume to the middle

position.

Select ‘M. MCACC’ from the System Setup

menu.

See Using the System Setup menu above if

you’re not already at this menu.

Select ‘CH LEVEL’ from the Manual

MCACC setup menu.

Select the setting you want to adjust.

You’ll hear test tones from each speaker in

turn. Since the left speaker is the main

reference speaker, the level is fixed.

If you’re doing this for the first time, you might

want to make these settings in order.

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The System Setup menu

Listen to the reference speaker and use it to

measure the target channel. From the listening

position, face the two speakers with your arms

outstretched pointing at each speaker.

Caution

• The test tones used in the System Setup

are output at high volume (the volume

increases to –18 dB automatically).

Try to make the two tones sound as if they are

arriving simultaneously at a position slightly

in front of you and between your arm span.

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select each channel in turn

and adjust the levels (+/– 10 dB) as necessary.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to adjust the volume of the selected

speaker to match the reference speaker. When

it sounds like both tones are the same volume,

press ꢁ (cursor down) to continue to the next

channel.

• For comparison purposes, the reference

speaker will change depending on which

speaker you select.

When it sounds like the delay settings are

matched up, press ꢁ (cursor down) to

confirm and continue to the next channel.

• If you want to go back and adjust a

channel, simply use ꢀ/ꢁ to select it.

• For comparison purposes, the reference

speaker will change depending on which

speaker you select.

When you’re finished, press RETURN.

You will return to the Manual MCACC setup

menu.

• If you want to go back and adjust a

channel, simply use ꢀ/ꢁ to select it.

When you’re finished, press RETURN.

Fine Speaker Distance

• Default setting: 3 m (all channels)

You will return to the Manual MCACC setup

menu.

For proper sound depth and separation with

your system, it is necessary to add a slight bit

of delay to some speakers so that all sounds

will arrive at the listening position at the same

time. The following setting can help you make

detailed adjustments that you may not achieve

using the Automatically setting up for surround

sound (MCACC) on page 10.

Acoustic Calibration EQ

Acoustic Calibration Equalization is a kind of

room equalizer for your speakers (excluding

the subwoofer). It works by measuring the

acoustic characteristics of your room and

neutralizing the ambient characteristics that

can color the original source material. This

provides a ‘flat’ equalization setting. If you’re

not satisfied with the automatic adjustment,

you can also adjust these settings manually to

get a frequency balance that suits your tastes.

Select ‘SP DISTN.’ from the Manual

MCACC setup menu.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to adjust the distance of the

left channel from the listening position then

press ENTER

Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ

automatically

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select each channel in turn

If you have already completed Automatically

setting up for surround sound (MCACC) on

page 10, A. CH ADJ and F.ALG ADJ (below)

should already be set. Therefore, if you want to

adjust your settings manually, you can skip to

Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ manually

below.

and adjust the distance as necessary.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to adjust the delay of the selected

speaker to match the reference speaker. The

delay is measured in terms of speaker distance

from 0.1 to 9.0 meters.

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The System Setup menu

Select ‘EQ A. SET’ from the Manual

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select C1 or C2 then use the

MCACC setup menu.

ꢂ/ꢃ buttons to select the setting you want

to copy.

• Make sure the microphone is connected.

• You can also copy from one custom setting

to another. For more on the A. CH and

F.ALG settings, see Setting the Acoustic

Calibration EQ automatically above.

• If you’re using a subwoofer, it is

automatically detected every time you

switch on the system. Make sure it is on

and the volume is at the middle position.

• See Other problems during Auto MCACC on

page 11 for notes regarding high

background noise levels and other possible

interference.

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select ‘COPY? YES’ to copy

and confirm.

You can also use ꢂ/ꢃ to select COPY? NO to

cancel.

Wait for the EQ Auto Setup to finish.

Setting the Acoustic Calibration EQ

manually

As the receiver outputs test tones, the

frequency balance is adjusted automatically

for the following settings:

Before manually adjusting the Acoustic

Calibration EQ, we recommend copying the A.

CH or the F.ALG settings from the auto setup

above (or from Automatically setting up for

surround sound (MCACC) on page 10) to one of

the custom settings. Instead of just a flat EQ

curve, this will give you a reference point from

which to start (see Copying your Acoustic

Calibration EQ settings above for how to do

this).

• A. CH – All Channel Adjust is a ‘flat’ setting

where all the speakers are set individually

so no special weighting is given to any one

channel.

• F.ALG – Front Align Adjust balances the

overall sound so that all speakers are set in

accordance with the front speaker settings

(no equalization is applied to the front left

and right channels).

Select ‘C1 ADJ’ or ‘C2 ADJ’ from the

You will return to the Acoustic Cal EQ setup

menu after the Acoustic Calibration

Equalization is set.

Manual MCACC setup menu.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ and ENTER to select which

method you want to use to adjust the overall

frequency balance.

It is best to choose whichever one you copied

to the custom setting in Copying your Acoustic

Calibration EQ settings above.

Copying your Acoustic Calibration EQ

settings

If you want to manually adjust the Acoustic

Calibration EQ (see Setting the Acoustic

Calibration EQ manually below), we

recommend copying the A. CH or the F.ALG

settings from the EQ A. SET setup above (or

from Automatically setting up for surround

sound (MCACC) on page 10) to one of the

custom (C1 or C2) settings. Instead of just a flat

EQ curve, this will give you a reference point

from which to start.

• A. CH ADJ – All the speakers can be set

independently so no special weighting is

given to any one channel. When adjusting,

test tones will sound for each individual

channel.

• F.ALG ADJ – Speakers are set in

accordance with the front speaker

settings. The sound of the test tone will

alternate between the left front (reference)

speaker and the target speaker.

Select ‘EQ COPY’ from the Manual MCACC

setup menu.

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The System Setup menu

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to select the channel you want

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to select the channel you

and adjust to your liking.

want, using ꢀ/ꢁ to check the settings.

The MCACC channel EQ indicators in the front

panel display will light accordingly.

Use the ꢀ/ꢁ buttons to select the frequency

and ꢂ/ꢃ to boost or cut the EQ. When you’re

finished, use the ꢀ/ꢁ buttons to select the

channel display (for example R EQ for the right

channel or SB EQ for the surround back

channel) then ꢂ/ꢃ to proceed to the next

channel.

When you’re finished, press RETURN.

You will return to the Manual MCACC setup

menu.

• The front speakers can’t be adjusted if you

selected F.ALG ADJ.

Manual speaker setup

These settings optimize surround sound

performance (if you’re satisfied with the

settings made in Using the Quick Setup (VSX-

517 model only) on page 9/ Automatically

setting up for surround sound (MCACC) (VSX-

817 model only) on page 10, adjustment may

not be necessary). You only need to make

these settings once (unless you change the

placement of your current speaker system or

add new speakers).

• The OVER! indicator shows in the display if

the frequency adjustment is too drastic

and might distort. If this happens, bring the

level down until OVER! disappears from

the display.

Tip

• Changing the frequency curve of one

channel too drastically will affect the

overall balance. If the speaker balance

seems uneven, you can raise or lower

channel levels using test tones with the

‘trim’ band (TRM shows in the display).

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select TRM then use ꢂ/ꢃ to

raise or lower the channel level for the

current speaker.

Select SP SETUP from the System Setup

menu.

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select the setting you want

to adjust then press ENTER

• SP SET – Specify size / number of

speakers connected (see Speaker setting

below).

• X.OVER – Specify which frequencies will

be sent to the subwoofer (see Crossover

network on page 44).

• CH LEVEL – Adjust overall balance of your

speaker system (see Channel level on

page 44).

• SP DISTN. – Specify the distance of your

speakers from the listening position (see

Speaker Distance on page 45).

When you’re finished, press RETURN.

Press RETURN once more to go back to the

Manual MCACC setup menu.

Checking your Acoustic Calibration EQ

settings

After you have completed an automatic or

manual Acoustic Calibration EQ adjustment,

you can check the ALL CH, F.ALIGN and

CUSTOM1/2 settings in the display.

Press RETURN after making the

adjustments necessary for each setting.

Select ‘EQ CHECK’ from the Manual

MCACC setup menu.

Speaker setting

Use this setting to specify your speaker

configuration (size, number of speakers).

Use ꢂ/ꢃand ENTER to select the setting

you want to check.

• It is useful to do this while a source is

playing so you can compare settings.

Select SP SET from the SP SETUP menu.

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The System Setup menu

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to choose the speaker(s) that

bass frequencies that would normally

come out the front and center speakers are

also routed to the subwoofer). If you did not

connect a subwoofer choose NO (the bass

is output from other speakers).

you want to set then select a speaker size.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to select the size (and number) of

each of the following speakers:

• Front (F) – Select LARGE if your front

speakers reproduce bass frequencies

effectively, or if you didn’t connect a

subwoofer. Select SMALL to send the bass

Crossover network

• Default setting: 100Hz

frequencies to the subwoofer.

This setting decides the cutoff between bass

sounds playing back from the speakers

• Center (C) – Select LARGE if your center

speaker reproduces bass frequencies

effectively, or select SMALL to send bass

frequencies to the other speakers or

subwoofer. If you didn’t connect a center

speaker, choose NO (the center channel is

sent to the other speakers).

selected as LARGE, or the subwoofer, and bass

sounds playing back from those selected as

SMALL. It also decides where the cutoff will

be for bass sounds in the LFE channel.

Select ‘X.OVER’ from the SP SETUP menu.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to choose the frequency cutoff

point.

Frequencies below the cutoff point will be sent

to the subwoofer (or LARGE speakers).

• Surround (S) – Select LARGE if your

surround speakers reproduce bass

frequencies effectively. Select SMALL to

send bass frequencies to the other

speakers or subwoofer. If you didn’t

connect surround speakers choose NO

(the sound of the surround channels is

sent to the other speakers).

Channel level

Using these settings, you can adjust the overall

balance of your speaker system.

• Surround Back (SB) (VSX-817 model only) –

Select LARGE if your surround back

speaker reproduce bass frequencies

effectively. Select SMALL to send bass

frequencies to the other speakers or

subwoofer. If you didn’t connect surround

Select CH LEVEL from the SP SETUP menu.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to select a setup option.

• T. TONE M. – Move the test tone manually

from speaker to speaker and adjust

individual channel levels.

• T. TONE A. – Adjust channel levels as the

test tone moves from speaker to speaker

automatically.

back speaker choose NO.

• Subwoofer (SW) – LFE signals and bass

frequencies of channels set to SMALL are

output from the subwoofer when YES is

Confirm your selected setup option.

selected. Choose the PLUS setting if you

The test tones will start after you press ENTER.

want the subwoofer to output bass sound

continuously or you want deeper bass (the

Note

1 If you select SMALL for the front speakers the subwoofer is fixed to YES. Also, the center, surround, and surround back speak-

ers can’t be set to LARGE if the front speakers are set to SMALL. In this case, all bass frequencies are sent to the subwoofer.

2 • If the surround speakers are set to NO, the surround back speaker will automatically be set to NO.

• If you select one surround back speaker only, make sure that speaker is hooked up to the left surround back terminal.

3 If you can’t get good bass results, listen to the bass response with the subwoofer set to PLUS and YES or the front speakers

set to LARGE and SMALL alternatively and let your ears judge which sounds best. If you’re having problems, the easiest option

is to route all the bass sounds to the subwoofer by selecting SMALL for the front speakers.

4 For more on selecting the speaker sizes, see Speaker setting above.

5 After the volume increases to the reference level, test tones will be output.

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The System Setup menu

Adjust the level of each channel using ꢂ/ꢃ

•

COMP. IN* – See Assigning the

component video inputs below.

If you selected T. TONE M., use ꢀ/ꢁ to switch

speakers.

*VSX-817 model only

The T. TONE A. setup outputs test tones in the

following order (depends on speaker settings):

Press RETURN after making the

adjustments necessary for each setting.

L ꢄ C ꢄ R ꢄ RS ꢄ SBR* ꢄ SBL* ꢄ LS ꢄ SW

*VSX-817 model only

Assigning the digital inputs

• Default settings:

Adjust the level of each speaker as the test

COAX 1 (coaxial) – DVD

COAX 2 (coaxial) – DVR

OPT 1 (optical) – CD

VSX-817 model only

tone is emitted.

Speaker Distance

For good sound depth and separation from

your system, you need to specify the distance

of your speakers from the listening position.

The receiver can then add the proper delay

needed for effective surround sound.

OPT2 (optical) – TV

You only need to do this if you didn’t connect

your digital components according to the

defaults above. This tells the receiver what

component is connected to which terminal so

it corresponds to the buttons on the remote.

Select ‘SP DISTN.’ from the SP SETUP

menu.

Select DIG. IN from the IN ASSIG. menu.

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select the number of the

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to choose the speaker that you

digital input to which you’ve connected your

digital component.

The numbers correspond with the numbers

beside the inputs on the back of the receiver.

want then set the distance.

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to adjust the distance of each

speaker (in 0.1 meter increments).

Select the component that corresponds

The Input Assign menu

with the one you connected to that input.

• Use the ꢂ/ꢃ buttons and ENTER to

select DVD, TV, CD, CDR, DVR or OFF.

You only need to make settings in the Input

Assign menu if you didn’t hook up your digital

equipment according to the default settings for

the digital inputs, or if you didn’t hook up your

video equipment according to the default

settings for the component video inputs.

• If you assign a digital input to a certain

function (for example, DVD) then any

digital inputs previously assigned to that

function will automatically be switched

off.

Select ‘IN ASSIG.’ from the System Setup

menu.

Assigning the component video inputs

• Default settings:

Use ꢀ/ꢁto select the setting you want to

adjust then press ENTER

COMP 1 – DVD

COMP 2 – TV

COMP 3 – DVR

•

DIG. IN – See Assigning the digital inputs

below.

Note

1 • If you are using a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter, take the readings from your main listening position and adjust the level

of each speaker to 75 dB SPL (C-weighting/slow reading).

• The subwoofer test tone is output at low volumes. You may need to adjust the level after testing with an actual soundtrack.

• You can change the channel levels at any time by using EFFECT/CH SEL and +/– on the remote control. You can set two

channel levels: one for DVD 5.1 and one for the listening modes.

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The System Setup menu

If you didn’t make component video

• DUALMONO – Isolate one channel when

listening to discs with dual mono encoding

(see Dual Mono Setup below).

connections according to the defaults above,

you must assign the numbered input to the

component you’ve connected (or else you may

see the video signal of a different component).

For more on this, see Using the component

video jacks on page 16.

• LFE ATT – Set the attenuator level for the

LFE channel (LFE Attenuator Setup below).

Use ꢂ/ꢃ to make the adjustments

necessary for each setting, pressing RETURN

to confirm after each screen.

Select COMP. IN from the IN ASSIG. menu.

Use ꢀ/ꢁ to select the number of the

Dynamic Range Control Setup

• Default setting: OFF

component video input to which you’ve

connected your video component.

The numbers match the numbers beside the

inputs on the back of the receiver.

Specifies the amount of dynamic range

adjustment to Dolby Digital or DTS

soundtracks:

Select the component that corresponds

with the one you connected to that input.

• Use the ꢂ/ꢃbuttons and ENTER to select

DVD, TV, DVR or OFF.

• DRC OFF – No dynamic range adjustment

(use when listening at higher volume).

• DRC MAX – Dynamic range is reduced

(loud sounds are reduced in volume while

quieter sounds are increased).

• Make sure you have connected the audio

from the component to the corresponding

inputs on the rear of the receiver.

• DRC MID – Mid setting.

• If you connect any source component to

the receiver using a component video

input, you should also have your TV

connected to this receiver’s COMPONENT

VIDEO MONITOR OUT jacks.

Dual Mono Setup

•

Default setting: CH1

Specifies how dual mono encoded Dolby

Digital soundtracks should be played:

• CH1 – Only channel 1 is played

• CH2 – Only channel 2 is played

• CH1 CH2 – Both channels are played

through the front speakers

The Other setup menu

The Other menu is where you can make

customized settings to reflect how you are

using the receiver.

LFE Attenuator Setup

• Default setting: ATT 0 dB

Select OTHER from the System Setup

menu.

Set the LFE attenuator as necessary to prevent

ultra-low bass tones (included with some

Dolby Digital and DTS audio sources) from

distorting the sound from the speakers:

Use ꢀ/ꢁto select the setting you want to

adjust then press ENTER

If you are doing this for the first time, you may

want to adjust these settings in order:

• LFEATT 0 – No limiting (recommended

setting)

• DRC – Specify the amount of dynamic

range adjustment to Dolby Digital or DTS

soundtracks (see Dynamic Range Control

Setup below).

• LFEATT 10 – 10 dB of limiting

• LFEATT ** – No sound from LFE channel

Note

1 This setting works only with dual mono encoded Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks.

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Using the tuner

Chapter 7:

Using the tuner

Use the number buttons to enter the

frequency of the radio station.

For example, to tune to 106.00 (FM), press 1,

0, 6, 0, 0.

Listening to the radio

The following steps show you how to tune in to

FM and AM radio broadcasts and memorize

the frequency for recall later.

If you make a mistake halfway through, press

(SHIFT +) D.ACCESS twice to cancel the

frequency and start over.

Press AM or FM to select the tuner band.

Tune to a station.

There are three ways to do this:

Saving station presets

Automatic tuning – Press and hold TUNE

+/– (VSX-817 model) / TUNING +/– (VSX-517

model) for about a second. Searching

automatically stops at the next station.

This receiver can memorize up to 30 stations,

stored in three banks of 10 stations each.

Tune to a station you want to memorize.

Manual tuning – To change the frequency

one step at a time, press TUNE +/–

(VSX-817 model) / TUNING +/– (VSX-517

model).

Press T.EDIT (VSX-817 model) / (SHIFT +)

TUNER EDIT (VSX-517 model).

The display shows ST. MEMORY, then a

blinking memory class.

High speed tuning – Press and hold

TUNE +/– (VSX-817 model) / TUNING +/–

(VSX-517 model) continuously.

Press (SHIFT +) CLASS (VSX-817 model) /

CLASS (VSX-517 model) to select one of the

three classes then press ST +/– (VSX-817

model) / STATION +/– (VSX-517 model) to

select the station preset you want.

Use the MULTI JOG dial after pressing

STATION (front panel) to select station

presets.

If the signal is weak, press the MPX button to

switch the receiver into mono reception mode.

Tuning directly to a station

VSX-817 model only

Sometimes, you'll already know the frequency

of the station you want to listen to. In this case,

you can simply enter the frequency directly

using the number buttons on the remote

control.

Press ENTER to store the station.

Naming station presets

You can name your presets for easy recall.

Press FM or AM to select the band.

Choose the preset you want to name.

See Listening to station presets below.

Press (SHIFT +) D.ACCESS (Direct Access).

Press T.EDIT (VSX-817 model) / (SHIFT +)

TUNER EDIT (VSX-517 model).

A cursor appears at the first character position.

Note

1 When saving an FM frequency, the MPX setting is also stored.

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Using the tuner

Input the name you want then press ENTER.

Names can be up to four characters long.

• Use the MULTI JOG dial (front panel) or the

ST +/– (VSX-817 model) / STATION +/– (VSX-

517 model) buttons (remote) to select

characters, and ENTER to confirm. If no

character is input, a space is input.

Tip

• Once you have named a station preset, you

can press (SHIFT +) TUNER DISP (VSX-817

model) / DISPLAY (VSX-517 model) when

listening to a station to switch the display

between the name and the frequency.

Listening to station presets

You will need to have some presets stored to do

this. See Saving station presets on page 47 if

you haven’t done this already.

Press AM or FM to select the tuner.

Press (SHIFT +) CLASS (VSX-817 model) /

CLASS (VSX-517 model) to select the class in

which the station is stored.

Press repeatedly to cycle through classes A, B

and C.

Press ST +/– (VSX-817 model) / STATION +/

– (VSX-517 model) to select the station preset

you want.

Changing the frequency step

If you find that you can’t tune into stations

successfully, the frequency step may not be

suitable for your country/region. Here’s how to

switch the setting:

Switch the receiver into standby.

On the front panel, press ꢀ STANDBY/

ON while you press and hold the TUNER EDIT

button.

The channel tuning step alternates between

10K STEP and 9K STEP each time you do this.

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Making recordings

Chapter 8:

Making recordings

Refer to the instructions that came with the

recorder if you are unsure how to do this. Most

video recorders set the audio recording level

automatically—check the component’s

instruction manual if you’re unsure.

Making an audio or a video

recording

You can make an audio or a video recording

from the built-in tuner, or from an audio or

video source connected to the receiver (such

Start recording, then start playback of

the source component.

as a CD player or TV).

Keep in mind you can’t make a digital

recording from an analog source or vice-versa,

so make sure the components you are

recording to/from are hooked up in the same

way (see Connecting up on page 12 for more on

connections).

INPUT SELECT

INPUT SELECTOR

DVD 5.1

MULTI CONTROL

TV CTRL

RECEIVER

DVD

DVR

DVD/LD

TV/SAT

DVR/VCR

F.AUDIO

RECEIVER

CD-R/TAPE

CD-R

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR F.S.SURR STANDARD ADV.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

Above: VSX-517 (left) and VSX-817 (right)

Select the source you want to record.

Use the input select buttons (INPUT

SELECTOR).

Select the input signal (if necessary).

Press SIGNAL SELECT (front panel) to select

the input signal corresponding to the source

component (see page 34 for more on this).

Prepare the source you want to record.

Tune to the radio station, load the CD, video,

DVD etc.

Prepare the recorder.

Insert a blank tape, MD, video etc. into the

recording device and set the recording levels.

Note

VSX-817 model only – If you are recording a video source, you need to use the same type of connection for the source as for

the recorder. For example, you can’t record a component hooked up to composite video jacks with a recorder hooked up to the

component video outputs (see Connecting other video components on page 16 for more on video connections).

2 The receiver’s volume, balance, tone (bass, treble, loudness), and surround effects have no effect on the recorded signal.

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Controlling the rest of your system

Chapter 9:

Controlling the rest of your

system

VSX-817 model only

Press the MULTI CONTROL button for the

component you want to control.

The LED lights on continuously.

Setting the remote to control

other components

Use the number buttons to enter the

Most components can be assigned to one of

the MULTI CONTROL buttons using the

component’s manufacturer preset code stored

in the remote.

preset code.

You can find the preset codes on page 55.

The LED blinks again after you enter the code.

If the correct code has been input the power of

the component being input will turn on or off.

However, please note that there are cases

where only certain functions may be

controllable after assigning the proper preset

code, or the codes for the manufacturer in the

remote control will not work for the model that

you are using.

The power of the component being input will

only turn on or off if that component is able to

be turned on directly by remote control.

• You can only input a code for the component

type written on each MULTI CONTROL

button.¹

Note

• Even if you don’t input a preset code for the

TV (TV/SAT MULTI CONTROL button) you

will be able to control your TV using the

dedicated TV CONTROL on the remote if

you have assigned it to the TV CTRL button.

• After one minute of inactivity, the remote

automatically exits the operation.

Selecting preset codes directly

Repeat steps 2 through 3 to try a different

TUNER DISP

CLASS

MPX

D.ACCESS

code, or to enter a code for another

component you want to control.

MULTI CONTROL

TV CTRL

F.AUDIO

ENTER

DISC

SLEEP

DVD/LD

TV/SAT

DVR/VCR

MIDNIGHT ANALOG ATT DIMMER

CD-R/TAPE

RECEIVER

+10

SIGNAL

INFO

SB ch

When you’re done, press RECEIVER.

STEREO/

F.S.SURR

AUTO SURR

STANDARD ADV.SURR

TV CONTROL

ACOUSTIC

SOUND

PHASE

DIALOG

RETRIEVER

INPUT

TV CH TV VOL

While pressing the RECEIVER button,

press and hold the 1 button.

The LED blinks.

Note

1 • TV codes (for example, codes for TV, CATV, Satellite TV or DTV) can only be assigned to the TV/SAT or TV CTRL button.

• You can’t assign the AM / FM or RECEIVER buttons.

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Controlling the rest of your system

Direct function

Clearing all the remote control

• Default setting: ON

settings

You can use the direct function feature to

control one component using the remote

control while at the same time, using your

receiver to playback a different component.

This could let you, for example, use the remote

control to set up and listen to a CD on the

receiver and then use the remote control to

rewind a tape in your VCR while you continue

to listen to your CD player.

You can clear all presets and restore the

factory default settings.

•

While pressing the RECEIVER button,

press and hold the 0 button for three

seconds.

The LED blinks three times indicating the

settings have been restored to the factory

presets.

When direct function is on, any component

you select (using the MULTI CONTROL

buttons) will be selected by both the receiver

and the remote control. When you turn direct

function off, you can operate the remote

control without affecting the receiver.

While pressing the RECEIVER button,

press and hold the 4 button.

The LED blinks.

Press the MULTI CONTROL button for

the component you want to control.

The LED lights on continuously.

Use the number buttons to enter either

1 (direct on) or 2 (direct off).

The LED blinks again.

Repeat steps 2 through 3 for the other

components you want to control.

When you’re done, press RECEIVER.

Note

1 You can’t use direct function with the AM / FM and TV CTRL functions.

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Controlling the rest of your system

Controls for TVs

This remote control can control components after entering the proper codes or teaching the

receiver the commands (see Setting the remote to control other components on page 50 for more

on this). Use the MULTI CONTROL buttons to select the component.

• The TV CONTROL buttons on the remote control are dedicated to control the TV assigned to

the TV CTRL button. If you have two TVs, assign the main TV to the TV CTRL button.

Button(s) Function

Components

TVꢀ

Switches the DTV on or off.

DTV

Switches the TV or CATV between standby and on.

Switches the TV input. (Not possible with all models.)

Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV

INPUT

SELECT

TV CH +/– Selects channels.

Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV/DTV

TV VOL +/– Adjust the TV volume.

TOP MENU Use as the TEXT ON/OFF button.

Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV/DTV

Select different menus from the DTV functions.

Select the menu screen.

DTV

AUDIO

GUIDE

Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV

Use as the AUDIO button.

Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV/DTV

Cable TV/Satellite TV/DTV

Use as the GUIDE button for navigating.

Use as the TEXT OFF button.

Number

Buttons

Use to select a speciﬁc TV channel.

Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV/DTV

(SHIFT +) 7 Use to choose the BLUE commands on a DTV menu.

DTV

(SHIFT +) 8 Use to choose the GREEN commands on a DTV menu. DTV

(SHIFT +) 9 Use to choose the RED commands on a DTV menu. DTV

(SHIFT +) 0 Use to choose the YELLOW commands on a DTV menu. DTV

ꢁ

Switches DTV on or off.

DTV

ꢅ

ꢆ

ꢃ

Use to choose the ‘A’ commands on a Satellite TV menu. Satellite TV

Use to choose the ‘B’ commands on a Satellite TV menu. Satellite TV

Use to choose the ‘C’ commands on a Satellite TV menu. Satellite TV

Use to choose the ‘D’ commands on a Satellite TV menu. Satellite TV

Use to choose the ‘E’ commands on a Satellite TV menu. Satellite TV

ꢂ

ꢇ

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Controlling the rest of your system

Button(s) Function

Components

+10 button Use to add a decimal point when selecting a speciﬁc TV DTV

channel.

INFO

Press to get information on DTV programs.

Use to enter a channel.

DTV

ENTER/

DISC

Cable TV/TV/DTV

ꢂꢃꢁꢀ& Select or adjust and navigate items on the menu screen. DTV

ENTER

ENTER brings up the DTV menus.

Press to select or adjust and navigate items on the menu Cable TV/Satellite TV/TV/DTV

screen.

Controls for other components

This remote control can control these components after entering the proper codes or teaching

the receiver the commands (see Setting the remote to control other components on page 50 for

more on this). Use the MULTI CONTROL buttons to select the component.

Button (s) Function

Components

SOURCEꢀ Press to switch the component between standby and on. CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/

DVR player/Cassette deck

ꢆ

Press to return to the start of the current track.

CD/MD/CD-R/DVD/LD player

Repeated presses skips to the start of previous tracks.

Play the reverse side of the tape on a reversible deck.

Press to advance to the start of the next track.

Cassette deck

CD/MD/CD-R/DVD/

ꢇ

ꢃ

Repeated presses skips to the start of following tracks. LD player

Pause playback or recording.

CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/

DVR player/Cassette deck

ꢁ

Start playback.

CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/

DVR player/Cassette deck

ꢅ

ꢄ

ꢂ

Hold down for fast forward playback.

Hold down for fast reverse playback.

CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/

DVR player/Cassette deck

CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/

DVR player/Cassette deck

Stops playback (on some models, pressing this when the CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/

disc is already stopped will cause the disc tray to open). DVR player/Cassette deck

ì REC

Starts recording. To prevent accidental recording, this

MD/CD-R/VCR/ DVR player/

Cassette deck

(SHIFT+ꢁ) button must be pressed twice to take effect.

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Controlling the rest of your system

Button (s) Function

Components

REC STOP Stops recording.

DVR player

(SHIFT+ꢂ)

Number

buttons

Directly access tracks on a program source.

CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/LD player

DVD/DVR player

Use the number buttons to navigate the on-screen

display.

+10 button Selects tracks higher than 10. (For example, press +10

CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/LD

player

then 3 to select track 13.)

ENTER/

DISC

Changes the search mode.

Chooses the disc.

DVD

Multiple CD player

VCR

Use as the ENTER button.

Displays the setup screen for DVR players.

Changes sides of the LD.

DVR player

LD player

TOPMENU Displays the disc ‘top’ menu.

DVD/DVR/LD player

Displays menus concerning the current DVD or DVR you DVD/DVR player

are using.

ꢀ

Pauses the tape.

Cassette deck

DVD/DVR player

ꢁ

Stops the tape.

ENTER

ꢂ/ꢃ

Starts playback.

Fast rewinds/fast forwards the tape.

ꢂꢃꢁꢀ& Navigates DVD menu/options.

ENTER

GUIDE

Displays/changes the subtitles on multilingual DVDs.

DVR player

CH +/–

Selects channels.

VCR/DVR player

(SHIFT+ꢁ/ꢀ)

AUDIO

(SHIFT+ꢅ)

Changes the audio language, channel or track.

DVD/DVR/LD/CD player

DVD/DVR player

DVR player

SUBTITLE Displays/changes the subtitles on multilingual DVDs.

(SHIFT+ꢄ)

HDD

(SHIFT+ꢆ)

Switches to the hard disk controls when using a

DVD/HDD recorder.

DVR player

DVD

(SHIFT+ꢃ)

Switches to the DVD controls when using a DVD/

HDD recorder.

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Controlling the rest of your system

Preset Code List

You should have no problem controlling a component if you find the manufacturer in this list, but

please note that there are cases where codes for the manufacturer in the list will not work for the

model that you are using. There are also cases where only certain functions may be controllable

after assigning the proper preset code.

AIWA 660

NEC 659

GRANDIENTE 630

PIONEER 600, 667

DVD

Manufacturer Code

TOSHIBA 001

SONY 002

VCR

Manufacturer Code

RCA 401, 413, 415

ZENITH 403

Manufacturer Code

DENON 309

JVC 303

PANASONIC 003

JVC 004

SAMSUNG 005

SHARP 006

AKAI 007

RCA 009, 011

DENON 010

HITACHI 012

PHILIPS 013

ZENITH 014

THOMSON 015

SONY 016 (video game)

MICROSOFT 017

(Videogame)

MAGNAVOX 414

FISHER 412, 426, 427

PANASONIC 408, 432, 433,

462, 463, 473

TOSHIBA 405, 464, 474

JVC 407, 428, 429, 430, 431 PHILIPS 312, 313, 322

HITACHI 406, 434, 436,

465, 472

SONY 404, 416, 417, 457,

458, 459, 460, 461, 475,

476, 477, 478

MITSUBISHI 409, 420, 421, YAMAHA 314, 315, 328

422, 423, 424, 466, 467,

470

SANYO 410, 425, 435, 468

SHARP 402, 418, 419, 469, Manufacturer Code

471

GOLDSTAR 411

GRADIENTE 441

PIONEER 400

PANASONIC 304, 326

KENWOOD 310, 311,

321

MARANTZ 323

ONKYO 307, 308, 320

STB (SATELLITE/

TV / SAT

TV CTRL

CATV)

Manufacturer Code

AICHI DENSI 734

DX ANNTENA 732, 733

FUJITSU 722, 723, 724

HITACHI 721

MASPRO 729

NEC 720

PANASONIC 725, 726, 728

SUMITOMO 730

TOSHIBA 719

JERROLD 701, 702, 703, 704,

711, 712, 713 , 714, 715, 716

SA 705, 706, 708, 709, 731

ZENITH 707, 717, 710

PIONEER 700, 718

RCA 302, 319

SONY 301, 316, 317,

318

TEAC 305, 306, 324, 325,

327

PIONEER 300

CD-R

PIONEER 000, 008, 020

PHILIPS 346

PIONEER 345

YAMAHA 347

Manufacturer Code

SONY 101

On digital STB

PANASONIC 105, 106

PHILIPS 104

KENWOOD 103

RCA 107

TV / SAT

TV CTRL

DVD Recorder

Manufacturer Code

PIONEER 456, 487, 488,

489

TOSHIBA 485

PANASONIC 486

Manufacturer Code

SONY 901

Manufacturer Code

RCA 201, 203, 209

SONY 202, 557

ECHOSTAR 205

PRIMESTAR 206

BELL 208

KENWOOD 903

SHARP 902

TEAC 904

ONKYO 905

DENON 906

PIONEER 900

PIONEER 100, 111

TV / SAT

TV CTRL

Manufacturer Code

RCA 601, 615, 616, 617, 618

ZENITH 603, 620

MAGNAVOX 612, 629

GE 611, 628

TOSHIBA 555

SHARP 554

TAPE

Manufacturer Code

DENON 810

FISHER 813

JVC 802

PANASONIC 803

KENWOOD 804, 807

ONKYO 808, 809

SONY 801, 806

TEAC 805

YAMAHA 811, 812

PIONEER 800

AIWA 562, 563, 564

HITACHI 556

JVC 551, 552, 553

MASPRO 559, 560, 561

PANASONIC 558

PIONEER 200

DAT

GENERAL 666

PHILIPS 607

SONY 604

Manufacturer Code

PIONEER 907

PANASONIC 608, 622

TOSHIBA 605, 626, 663

SHARP 602, 619, 627

HITACHI 606, 624, 625, 664

SANYO 621, 614

MITSUBISHI 609

GOLDSTAR 610, 623

JVC 613, 665

TV / SAT

TV CTRL

DTV

Manufacturer Code

PIONEER 207, 229, 231,

232

PANASONIC 226, 230

JVC 227

TOSHIBA 228

FUNAI 658

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Other connections

Chapter 10:

Other connections

VSX-817 model only

Caution

Switching the speaker system

If you selected SB 2ND Z in Surround back

speaker setting on page 39, three speaker

system settings are possible using the

• Before making or changing the connections,

switch off the power and disconnect the

power cord from the power outlet.

Plugging in components should be the last

connection you make with your system.

• Do not allow any contact between speaker

wires from different terminals.

SPEAKERS button. If you selected SB NORM.

or SB BIAMP, the speaker system is fixed as

SPꢁA or SPꢁAB (respectively). The options

below are for the SB 2ND Z setting only.

•

Use the SPEAKERS button on the front

• You can use speakers with a nominal

impedance between 6 Ω to 16 Ω (please

see Switching the speaker impedance on

page 60 if you plan to use speakers with an

impedance of less than 8 Ω).

panel to select a speaker system setting.

SOUND

MIDNIGHT/

SB ch

RETRIEVER LOUDNESS PROCESSING

TONE

SIGNAL

SELECT

TUNING/

STATION

TUNER

EDIT

SPEAKERS

SETUP

RETURN

MULTI JOG

Second Zone speaker B setup

After selecting SB 2ND Z in Surround back

speaker setting on page 39, you can use the

speakers connected to the (surround back) B

speaker terminals on the rear panel to listen to

stereo playback in another room. See

Press repeatedly to choose a speaker system

option:

• SPꢁA – Sound is output from the speakers

connected to the A speaker terminals

(multichannel playback is possible).

• SPꢁB – Sound is output from the two

speakers connected to speaker system B

(only stereo playback is possible).

• SPꢁAB – Sound is output from speaker

system A (up to 5 channels, depending on

the source), the two speakers in speaker

system B, and the subwoofer.

Switching the speaker system below for the

listening options with this setup.

Connect a pair of speakers to the

surround back speaker terminals on the rear

panel.

Connect them the same way you connected

your speakers in Connecting the speakers on

page 19. Make sure to review Hints on speaker

placement on page 20 when placing the

speakers in another room.

Multichannel sources (heard through

speaker system A) are downmixed for

stereo output from speaker system B.

Select ‘SB 2ND Z’ from the ‘SB.SYSTEM’

menu.

See Surround back speaker setting on page 39

to do this.

Note

1 • The subwoofer output depends on the settings you made in Speaker setting on page 43. However, if SPꢁB is selected above,

no sound is heard from the subwoofer (the LFE channel is not downmixed).

• Depending on the Surround back speaker setting on page 39 output from the surround back pre-out terminals may change.

• All speaker systems (except SB 2ND Z connections) are switched off when headphones are connected.

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Other connections

Caution

Bi-amping your front speakers

• Most speakers with both Hi and Low

terminals have two metal plates that

connect the Hi to the Low terminals.

These must be removed when you are bi-

amping the speakers or you could severely

damage the amplifier. See your speaker

manual for more information.

Bi-amping is when you connect the high

frequency driver and low frequency driver of

your speakers to different amplifiers (in this

case, to both front and surround back

terminals) for better crossover performance.

Your speakers must be bi-ampable to do this

(having separate terminals for high and low)

and the sound improvement will depend on the

kind of speakers you’re using.

• If your speakers have a removable

crossover network, make sure you do not

remove it for bi-amping. Doing so may

damage your speakers.

Connect your speakers as shown below.

This illustration below shows the connections

for bi-amping your front left speaker. Hook up

your front right speaker in the same way.

Bi-wiring your speakers

FRONT

SURROUND

CENTER

SURROUND BACK

The reasons for bi-wiring are basically the

same as bi-amping, but additionally,

Front left

speaker

interference effects within the wire could be

reduced, producing better sound. Again, to do

this your speakers must be bi-wireable (that is

they must have separate terminals for the high

and low frequencies). When bi-wiring, make

sure you’ve selected SB NORM. or SB 2ND Z

in Surround back speaker setting on page 39.

•

To bi-wire a speaker, connect two

Since both front and surround back speaker

terminals output the same audio, it doesn’t

matter which set (front or surround back) is

powering which part (Hi or Low) of the

speaker.

speaker cords to the speaker terminal on the

receiver.

• Make sure that the + / – connections are

properly inserted.

Select the ‘SB BIAMP’ setting from the

‘SB.SYSTEM’ menu.

See Surround back speaker setting on page 39

to specify how you’re using the surround back

speaker terminals.

Caution

• Make sure you use a parallel (not series,

which are fairly uncommon) connection

when bi-wiring your speakers.

• Don’t connect different speakers from the

same terminal in this way.

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Additional information

Chapter 11:

Additional information

Troubleshooting

Incorrect operations are often mistaken for trouble and malfunctions. If you think that there is

something wrong with this component, check the points below. Sometimes the trouble may lie in

another component. Investigate the other components and electrical appliances being used. If the

trouble cannot be rectified even after exercising the checks listed below, ask your nearest Pioneer

authorized service center or your dealer to carry out repair work.

• If the unit does not operate normally due to external effects such as static electricity

disconnect the power plug from the outlet and insert again to return to normal operating

conditions.

Problem

Remedy

The power does not turn on.

• Disconnect the power plug from the outlet, and insert again.

• Make sure there are no loose strands of speaker wire touching the

rear panel. This could cause the receiver to shut off automatically.

• If the power shuts off automatically, take the unit to your nearest

Pioneer authorized service center or your dealer for servicing.

• The unit may have been switched on using the wrong voltage

setting. Make sure you switch the VOLTAGE SELECTOR on the rear

panel to the right voltage for your country or region, then reset the

unit (page 60) before switching on again.

No sound is output when a

function is selected.

• Make sure the component is connected correctly (refer to

Connecting up on page 12).

• Press MUTE on the remote control to turn muting off.

No image is output when a

function is selected.

• Make sure the component is connected correctly (refer to

Connecting up on page 12).

• Select the correct component (use the input select buttons).

Considerable noise in radio

broadcasts.

• Connect the antenna (page 18) and adjust the position for best

reception.

• Route any loose cables away from the antenna terminals and wires.

• Fully extend the FM wire antenna, position for best reception, and

secure to a wall (or connect an outdoor FM antenna).

• Connect an additional internal or external AM antenna (page 18).

• Turn off equipment causing interference or move it away from the

receiver (or move antennas farther away from equipment causing

noise).

Broadcast stations cannot be • Connect an outdoor antenna (refer to page 18).

selected automatically.

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Additional information

Problem

Remedy

No sound from surround or

center speakers.

• Connect the speakers properly (refer to page 19).

• Refer to Speaker setting on page 43 to check the speaker settings.

• Refer to Channel level on page 44 to check the speaker levels.

VSX-817 model only – No sound • Refer to Speaker setting on page 43 to check the surround back

from surround back speakers. speaker settings.

• Refer to Channel level on page 44 to check the speaker levels.

• Refer to Using surround back channel processing on page 35 to

make sure surround back processing and the sound mode are set for

surround back sound.

No sound from subwoofer.

• Make sure the subwoofer is switched on.

• If the subwoofer has a volume knob, make sure it’s turned up.

• The Dolby Digital or DTS source you are listening to may not have

an LFE channel.

• Switch the subwoofer setting in Speaker setting on page 43 to YES

or PLUS.

• Switch the LFE Attenuator Setup on page 46 to LFEATT 0 or

LFEATT 10.

The PHASE CONTROL

• If applicable, check that the lowpass ﬁlter switch on your

feature doesn’t seem to have subwoofer is off, or the lowpass cutoff is set to the highest frequency

an audible effect.

setting. If there is a PHASE setting on your subwoofer, set it to 0º (or

depending on the subwoofer, the setting where you think it has the

best overall effect on the sound).

• Make sure the speaker distance setting is correct for all speakers

(see Speaker Distance on page 45).

Noise during playback of a

cassette deck.

• Move the cassette deck further from your receiver, until the noise

disappears.

No sound is output or a noise • Set the digital volume level of the player to full, or to the neutral

is output when software with position.

DTS is played back.

During a playback search,

noise is output from a DTS

compatible CD player.

• This is not a malfunction, but be sure to turn the volume down to

prevent the output of loud noise from your speakers.

Can’t operate the remote

control.

• Replace the batteries (refer to page 6).

• Operate within 7 m, 30° of the remote sensor on the front panel

(refer to page 7).

• Remove the obstacle or operate from another position.

• Avoid exposing the remote sensor on the front panel to direct light.

The display is dark or off.

• Press DIMMER on the remote repeatedly to return to the default.

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Additional information

Resetting the main unit

furniture, etc., on the power cord, or pinch the

cord. Never make a knot in the cord or tie it

with other cords. The power cords should be

routed such that they are not likely to be

Use this procedure to reset all the receiver’s

settings to the factory default. Use the front

panel controls to do this.

stepped on. A damaged power cord can cause

a fire or give you an electrical shock. Check the

power cord once in a while. When you find it

damaged, ask your nearest Pioneer authorized

service center or your dealer for a replacement.

Switch the receiver into standby.

While holding down the TONE button,

press and hold the

ꢀ

STANDBY/ON button for

about three seconds.

When you see RESET? appear in the

display, press the ENTER button.

OK? shows in the display.

Press SETUP to confirm.

OK appears in the display to indicate that the

receiver has been reset to the factory default

settings.

Switching the speaker impedance

We recommend using speakers of 8 Ω with this

system, but it is possible to switch the imped-

ance setting if you plan to use speakers with a

6 Ω impedance rating.

•

With the receiver in standby, press

ꢀ

STANDBY/ON while holding down the

QUICK SETUP (VSX-517) / SPEAKERS (VSX-817)

button.

Each time you do this, you switch between the

impedance settings:

• SP 6 OHM – Use this setting if your

speakers are rated at 6 Ω.

• SP 8 OHM – Use this setting if your

speakers are rated at 8 Ω or more.

Power cord caution

Handle the power cord by the plug. Do not pull

out the plug by tugging the cord and never

touch the power cord when your hands are wet

as this could cause a short circuit or an electric

shock. Do not place the unit, a piece of

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Additional information

•

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (IHF, short

circuited, A network)

CD, DVR/VCR, CD-R/TAPE/MD,

DVD/LD, TV/SAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 dB

Specifications

Amplifier section

•

Signal-to-Noise Ratio [EIA, at 1 W (1 kHz)]

•

Maximum power output

(surround / 1 kHz, THD 10 %, 8 Ω)

CD, DVR/VCR, CD-R/TAPE/MD,

DVD/LD, TV/SAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 dB

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 W per channel

Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 W

Surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 W per channel

Surround Back (VSX-817 model only)

Video Section

•

Input (Sensitivity/Impedance)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 W per channel

DVR/VCR, DVD/LD, TV/SAT . . . . . . . .1 Vp-p/75 Ω

•

Continuous power output (stereo)

•

Output (Level/Impedance)

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 W + 100 W

DVR/VCR, MONITOR OUT . . . . . . . . .1 Vp-p/75 Ω

(DIN 1 kHz, THD 1.0 %, 8 Ω)

•

Frequency response

•

Rated power output

(surround / 20 Hz to 20 kHz, THD 0.08 %, 8 Ω)

DVR/VCR, DVD/LD,

TV/SAT ꢅ MONITOR . . . . . .5 Hz to 7 MHz dB

Signal-to-Noise Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 dB

Crosstalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 dB

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 W per channel

Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 W

Surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 W per channel

Surround Back (VSX-817 model only)

Component video section

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 W per channel

•

Input (Sensitivity/Impedance)

DVD/LD, TV/SAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vp-p/75 Ω

Audio section

•

Output (Level/Impedance)

•

Input (Sensitivity/Impedance)

MONITOR OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vp-p/75 Ω

CD, DVR/VCR, CD-R/TAPE/MD,

DVD/LD, TV/SAT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 mV/47 kΩ

•

Frequency response

DVD/LD,

•

Frequency response

CD, DVR/VCR, CD-R/TAPE/MD, DVD/LD,

TV/SAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Hz to 100 000 Hz dB

TV/SAT ꢅ MONITOR . . . . . 5 Hz to 40 MHz dB

Signal-to-Noise Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 dB

FM Tuner Section

•

Output (Level/Impedance)

DVR/VCR REC, CD-R/TAPE/

MD REC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 mV/2.2 kΩ

Frequency Range . . . . . . . . 87.5 MHz to 108 MHz

Usable Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . Mono:13.2 dBf, IHF

(1.3 µV/ 75 Ω)

50 dB Quieting Sensitivity . . . . . . . Mono: 20.2 dB

Stereo: 38.6 dBf

Signal-to-Noise Ratio . . . Mono: 73 dB (at 85 dBf)

Stereo: 70 dB (at 85 dBf)

Distortion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stereo: 0.5 % (1 kHz)

Alternate Channel Selectivity . . . 60 dB (400 kHz)

Stereo Separation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 dB (1 kHz)

Frequency Response . . . . . . . . . . 30 Hz to 15 kHz

•

Tone control

Bass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 dB (100 Hz)

Treble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 dB (10 kHz)

Loudness . . . . . +10 dB/+5 dB (100 Hz/10 kHz)

(at volume level –50 dB)

•

Signal-to-Noise Ratio DIN (Continuous

rated power output/ 50 mW)

CD, DVR/VCR, CD-R/TAPE/MD,

DVD/LD, TV/SAT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 dB/64 dB

(

1 dB)

Antenna Input (DIN). . . . . . . . . . 75 Ω unbalanced

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Additional information

AM Tuner Section

Frequency Range

Note

• Specifications and the design are subject

to possible modifications without notice,

due to improvements.

9 kHz step . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531 kHz to 1602 kHz

10 kHz step . . . . . . . . . . . . 530 kHz to 1700 kHz

Sensitivity (IHF, Loop antenna) . . . . . . . 350 µV/m

Signal-to-Noise Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 dB

Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loop antenna

Cleaning the unit

• Use a polishing cloth or dry cloth to wipe

off dust and dirt.

Miscellaneous

Power requirements

• When the surface is dirty, wipe with a soft

cloth dipped in some neutral cleanser

diluted five or six times with water, and

wrung out well, and then wipe again with a

dry cloth. Do not use furniture wax or

cleansers.

Black model . . . . . .AC 110 V/AC 120 V to 127 V/

AC 220 V/AC 230 V to 240 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz

Silver model

Australia model . . . . . . AC 230 V to 240 V, 50 Hz

All other models. . . AC 110 V/AC 120 V to 127 V/

AC 220 V/AC 230 to 240 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz

Power consumption

• Never use thinners, benzine, insecticide

sprays or other chemicals on or near this

unit, since these will corrode the surface.

VSX-517 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 W

VSX-817 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 W

In standby . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5 W (AC 220 V/50 Hz)

Dimensions

VSX-517 model

VSX-517

. . . . . . . 420 (W) mm x 158 (H) mm x 348 (D) mm

VSX-817

. . . . . .420 (W) mm x 158 (H) mm x 352.5 (D) mm

Weight (without package)

VSX-517 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5 kg

VSX-817 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.6 kg

Manufactured under license from Dolby

Laboratories. "Dolby", "Pro Logic" and

the double-D symbol are trademarks

of Dolby Laboratories.

"DTS" is a registered trademark of DTS,

Inc. and "DTS 96/24" is a trademark of

DTS, Inc.

Furnished Parts

AM loop antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

FM wire antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Dry cell batteries (AA size IEC R6). . . . . . . . . . 2

Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Setup microphone (VSX-817 model only). . . . . . . 1

Power cords:

VSX-517/817-K (black models). . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

(Round 2-pin type and Australian type)

VSX-517/817-S

(silver models – Except Australian model). . . 3

(Round 2-pin type, flat blade 2-pin type,

UK 3-pin type)

Power plug adaptor (VSX-517/817-K only) . . . . . . 1

J-shaped plug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

These operating instructions

VSX-817 model

Manufactured under license from Dolby

Laboratories. "Dolby", "Pro Logic",

"Surround EX", and the double-D symbol

are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

"DTS" and "DTS-ES | Neo:6" are

registered trademarks of DTS, Inc.

"96/24" is a trademark of DTS, Inc.

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Published by Pioneer Corporation.

PIONEER CORPORATION

4-1, Meguro 1-Chome, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8654, Japan

PIONEER ELECTRONICS (USA) INC.

P.O. BOX 1540, Long Beach, California 90801-1540, U.S.A. TEL: (800) 421-1404

PIONEER ELECTRONICS OF CANADA, INC.

300 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario L3R 0P2, Canada TEL: 1-877-283-5901, 905-479-4411

PIONEER EUROPE NV

Haven 1087, Keetberglaan 1, B-9120 Melsele, Belgium TEL: 03/570.05.11

PIONEER ELECTRONICS ASIACENTRE PTE. LTD.

253 Alexandra Road, #04-01, Singapore 159936 TEL: 65-6472-7555

PIONEER ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.

178-184 Boundary Road, Braeside, Victoria 3195, Australia, TEL: (03) 9586-6300

PIONEER ELECTRONICS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V.

Blvd.Manuel Avila Camacho 138 10 piso Col.Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico,D.F. 11000 TEL: 55-9178-4270

K002_B_En

<07C00001>

Printed in

<XRB3075-A>

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