24093_ADP 303 Eng. 27/02/1998 10:34 Side 1 Owner's Manual ADP303 Dolby Digital Decoder ® Table of Contents Introduction and Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1­3 Front Panel Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Rear Panel Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Installation & Set Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6­7 Connections with AVR80 or AVI250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Connections with an External Surround Sound Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Connections with AV Receiver through Pre-out/Main-In Loop . . . . . . . . . . 10 ADP303 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Troubleshooting Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equalateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to consittute a risk of electric shock to persons. The exclamation point within an equalateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT, FULLY INSERT. ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES CHOCS ELECTRIQUES, INRODUIRE LA LAME LA PLUS LARGE DE LA FICHE DANS LA BORNE CORRESPONDANTE DE LA PRISE ET POUSSER JUSQU'AU FOND. 80 Crossways Park West Woodbury, NY 11797 ©1996 Harman Kardon, Incorporated 24093_ADP 303 Eng. 27/02/1998 10:34 Side 2 Introduction and Safety Information 1 Congratulations! Your purchase of an ADP303 places you in the vanguard of home theater listeners. The ADP303's advanced circuitry decodes the Dolby Digital (AC-3) signals from standard laser discs, the latest DVD players and other future digital audio sources to deliver six separate, discrete audio channels. The realism of AC-3 finally allows you to hear motion picture soundtracks and music videos with the digital clarity of the best first run movie theater. While complex systems are hard at work within the ADP303 to decode the digital audio, hook-up and operation are simple. However, to obtain the maximum enjoyment from your new decoder we urge you to take a few minutes to read through this manual. This will ensure that connections to source playback units, receivers or amplifiers and other external devices are made properly. In addition, a few minutes spent learning the functions of the various controls will enable you to take advantage of all the processing power the ADP303 is able to deliver. If you have any questions about this product, it's installation or operation, please contact the retailer or custom installer who sold you the product. They are your best source of local information. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Verify Line Voltage Before Use Your ADP303 has been designed for use with 230 volt AC current. Connection to a line voltage other than that for which it is intended can create a safety and fire hazard, and may damage the decoder. If you have any questions about the voltage requirements for your specific model, or about the line voltage in your area, contact your selling dealer before plugging the unit into a wall outlet. Do Not Use Extension Cords To avoid safety hazards, use only the power cord supplied with your unit. If a replacement cord is used, make certain that it is of similar gauge. We do not recommend that extension cords be used with this product. As with all electrical devices, do not run power cords under rugs or carpets or place heavy objects on them. Damaged power cords should be replaced immediately with cords meeting factory specifications. Handle the AC Power Cord Gently When disconnecting the power cord from an AC outlet, always pull the plug, never pull the cord. If you do not intend to use the decoder for any considerable length of time, disconnect the plug from the AC outlet. Do Not Open The Cabinet There are no user serviceable components inside this product. Opening the cabinet may present a shock hazard, and any modification to the product will void your warranty. If water or any metal object such as a paper clip, wire or a staple accidentally falls inside the unit, disconnect it from the AC power source immediately, and consult an authorized service station. Installation Location · To assure proper operation, and to avoid the potential for safety hazards, place the unit on a firm and level surface. When placing the unit on a shelf, be certain that the shelf and any mounting hardware can support the weight of the product. · Make certain that proper space is provided both above and below the unit for ventilation. If this product will be installed in a cabinet or other enclosed area, make certain that there is sufficient air movement within the cabinet. · Do not place the unit directly on a carpeted surface. · Avoid installation in extremely hot or cold locations, or an area that is exposed to direct sunlight or heating equipment. · Avoid moist or humid locations. · Do not obstruct the ventilation slots on the top of the unit, or place objects directly over them. Cleaning When the unit gets dirty, wipe it with a clean, soft dry cloth. If necessary, wipe it with a soft cloth dampened with mild soapy water, then a fresh cloth with clean water. Wipe dry immediately with a dry cloth. NEVER use benzene, thinner, alcohol or any other volatile cleaning agent. Do not use abrasive cleaners, as they may damage the finish of metal parts. Avoid spraying insecticide near the unit. Moving The Unit Before moving the unit, be certain to disconnect any interconnection cords with other components, and make certain that you disconnect the unit from the AC outlet. 24093_ADP 303 Eng. 27/02/1998 10:34 Side 3 Introduction and Safety Information 2 UNPACKING & INSTALLATION The carton and shipping materials used to protect your new ADP303 during shipment were specially designed to cushion it from shock and vibration. We suggest that you save the carton and packing materials for use in shipping if you move or should the unit ever need repair. To minimize the size of the carton in storage, you may wish to flatten it. This is done by carefully slitting the tape seams on the bottom and collapsing the carton down to a more two dimensional appearance. Other cardboard inserts may be stored in the same manner. Packing materials that cannot be collapsed should be saved along with the carton in a plastic bag. If you do not wish to save the packaging materials, please note that the carton and other sections of the shipping protection are recyclable. Please respect the environment and discard those materials at a local recycling center. When positioning your ADP303 in its final location, make certain that any shelf or stand is capable of supporting its weight, and that there is adequate ventilation on all sides, as well as on the top and bottom. Do not place CD's, record jackets, owner's manuals, or other paper on top of, or beneath the unit. This will block air flow and create a potential fire hazard. If the unit is to be enclosed in a cabinet or rack, make certain that there is adequate air circulation, with a means provided for hot air to exit, and for cool air to be brought in. WHAT IS DOLBY DIGITAL? Dolby Digital, or AC-3 as it is often referred to, is a totally new generation of multi-channel digital audio technology. Using advanced circuit designs and specially developed compression techniques, AC-3 delivers significant advances over previous multi-channel systems: it delivers noise free, wide bandwidth sound and it includes six separate audio channels. AC-3 evolves from Dolby Laboratories' constant research into new ways to deliver high quality audio for theatrical motion picture presentation and transmission via satellite and telecommunications links. In fact, the "AC" in AC-3 stands for "Audio Coding," the technique used in Dolby Digital for data compression. The ADP303 digital demodulator/ decoder brings that same 5.1 channel high quality sound that accompanies many major motion pictures into your home when used with a compatible laser disc player, as well as from future Dolby Digital sources such as DSS, Digital Video Disc (DVD) and High Definition Television (HDTV). For today's Laser Disc systems the digital audio signal is recorded as a modulated RF signal, similar to the signals used for FM and TV broadcasts. That is why connections to a laser disc are made through an "RF" input. New technology products such as DVD will feature direct data outputs, and they are connected directly to the ADP303's decoding circuitry, without the need for the demodulator stage. Both Coaxial and Optical data inputs are available. Traditional "stereo" recordings consist of two channels, left and right, even though the original intent of sound engineers was to have a multitude of channels available to present a realistic audio soundfield. Unfortunately, early recording techniques for vinyl records and optical movie soundtracks were limited to two channels. Dolby Surround was the technology that broke the two channel barrier, by placing two additional channels within the left and right signals. Those two additional channels presented center channel information, primarily for movie dialog, and a single, mono rear channel for effects. The combination of these two channels with the existing left and right signals and low frequency information derived via filters or an electronic crossover gave home theater and musical presentations a realism never before possible. Dolby Digital takes surround sound to a new and even higher level. The use of digital recording techniques enables all surround channels to be full range, where the surround channel in older matrix surround systems is frequency limited. Dolby Digital also delivers six separate, discrete channels, including highly defined left and right surround channels. With two rear channels instead of the single, mono channel of Dolby ProLogic there is a greater feeling of reality and presence for surround effects such as "flyovers" of planes and spaceships. Discrete digital sound also enables complete separation between the left front, center, right front, right rear and left rear channels. The matrix system used in conventional surround recordings was often plagued with cross talk between the channels. That is now gone with Dolby Digital. 24093_ADP 303 Eng. 27/02/1998 10:34 Side 4 Introduction and Safety Information 3 WHAT IS 5.1 CHANNEL AUDIO? So far we have mentioned five channels, yet Dolby Digital is a six channel system. You may have also heard this system referred to as "5.1" channel audio. Where, you may ask, is the sixth channel, and what is the ".1" channel? The answer is simple. The sixth channel is a special low frequency effects channel, or "LFE". This is the bass channel that sends the thunder of explosions and other effects to your subwoofer. It is separate from the other five channels, brining the total channel count to six. This is true even though the "sixth" channel is non-directional, as opposed to the highly directional nature of the other signals. The reason for the ".1" designation is that the LFE channel is bandwidth limited. By definition, the LFE channel has a restricted bandwidth, while the others are full range. Thus, the system's inventors decided that although they could call Dolby Digital a six channel system, since there are six separate channels, it is more properly five "full" channels plus one separate, but limited channel. In this case, "5.1" equals six! DESCRIPTION AND FEATURES s High quality Dolby Digital decoding CONVENTIONS In order to help you use this manual and make the proper system connections, certain conventions appear throughout the manual. å ­ (letter in a circle) indicates a chip, manufactured by Zoran. s AC-3 RF input, for connection to compatible laser disc players with AC-3 RF output. s Coax and Optical Digital AC-3 inputs, specific front panel control ¡ ­ (number in a circle) indicates a for connection to other sources, such as DVD and/or DSS. s Individual channel level controls and rear panel connection internal test tone genera ...