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INTRODUCTION 3
Introduction
Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon!
With the purchase of a Harman Kardon
AVR 8500 you are about to begin many years of
listening enjoyment. Designed to provide all the
excitement and detail of movie soundtracks and
every nuance of musical selections, the
AVR 8500 is truly a multichannel receiver for the
new millennium. In addition to the traditional
5.1 digital decoding modes such as Dolby Digital
and DTS, it offers the latest advancements in
surround technology such as Dolby Pro Logic II,
the full suite of DTS-ES 6.1 modes, DTS Neo:6
and the latest 7.1 channel versions of Harman's
own Logic 7 technology.
The AVR 8500 has been engineered so that it is
easy to take advantage of all the power of its
digital technology. On-screen menus, fully color
coded connection jacks and terminals and our
exclusive EzSet
™
remote make installation fast
and simple. However,to obtain the maximum
enjoyment from your new receiver,we urge you
to read this manual.A few minutes spent learn-
ing the functions of the various controls will
enable you to take advantage of all the power
the AVR 8500 is able to deliver.
If you have any questions about this product, its
installation or its operation,please contact your
retailer or custom installer.They are your best
local sources of information.
Description and Features
The AVR 8500 is among the most versatile and
multifeatured A/V receivers available, incorporat-
ing a wide range of listening options. In addition
to the benefits of world famous THX Ultra
®
pro-
cessing, as well as Dolby Digital and DTS decod-
ing for digital sources, a broad choice of sur-
round modes for Matrix surround-encoded or
Stereo recordings are available for use with
sources such as CD,VCR,TV broadcasts and the
AVR 8500’s own FM/AM tuner.Along with THX
Surround EX, Dolby ProLogic II, DTS Neo:6,
Dolby 3 Stereo, 5 Channel or 7 Channel Stereo
and Hall and Theater modes, the AVR 8500
offers Harman International’s exclusive Logic 7
process in both 5.1 and 7.1 versions to create a
wider,more enveloping field environment and
more defined fly-overs and pans.Another
Harman Kardon exclusive is VMAx, which uses
proprietary processing to create an open, spa-
cious sound field even when only two front
speakers are available.Finally, the AVR 8500 is
among the very few A/V receivers that offer
decoding of MP3 data, so that you may listen to
the latest music selections directly from compati-
ble computers or playback devices with the
power and fidelity you expect from Harman
Kardon.
The AVR 8500 is also featuring HDCD
®
decoding
to provide the most realistic playback of CDs
when a digital connection is used, even with a
normal non-HDCD-compatible CD or DVD player.
In addition to providing a wide range of listening
options, the AVR 8500 is easy to configure so
that it provides the best results with your speak-
ers and specific listening-room environment. On-
screen menus make it simple to enter settings
for speaker configurations and bass manage-
ment, and the EzSet remote measures
a system’s sound levels and automatically cali-
brates them for perfectly balanced sound field
presentation.
For the ultimate in flexibility,the AVR 8500 fea-
tures connections for six video devices, all with
both composite and S-Video inputs.Two addi-
tional audio inputs are available, and a total of
eight digital inputs and four outputs make the
AVR 8500 capable of handling all the latest digi-
tal audio sources.
For compatibility with the latest HDTV video
sources and progressive scan DVD players, the
AVR 8500 also features wide-bandwidth, low-
crosstalk component video switching.
Behind a front panel door are coax and optical
digital inputs and outputs for direct connection
to digital recorders, along with analog
audio/video connections that may be switched
to outputs for use with portable recorders – a
Harman Kardon exclusive.Two video recording
outputs, preamp-out and main amp-in jacks, and
a color-coded eight-channel input make the
AVR 8500 virtually future-proof, with everything
needed to accommodate tomorrow’s new for-
mats right on board.
The AVR 8500’s flexibility and power extend
beyond your main home theater or listening
room.The AVR 8500 includes a sophisticated
multizone control system that allows you to
select one source for use in the main room and a
different source for audio and video distribution
to a second zone. Complete control over volume
is possible with a separate infrared control link.
To make it easy to operate the AVR 8500 from a
remote zone, a separate “Zone II” remote is
included.
The AVR 8500’s powerful amplifier uses
traditional Harman Kardon high-current design
technologies to meet the wide dynamic range of
any program selection.
Harman Kardon invented the high-fidelity receiv-
er more than forty-seven years ago.With
state-
of-the-art circuitry and time-honored circuit
designs, the AVR 8500 is the perfect combina
tion
of the latest in digital audio technology, a
quiet
yet powerful analog amplifier in an
elegant, easy-
to-use package.
■THX Ulta processing,THX Surround-EX,
Dolby* Digital and Dolby Pro Logic II*
Decoding, and the full suite of DTS
®
modes, including DTS-ES
®
6.1 Discrete
& Matrix and Neo:6
®
using the latest
24-bit, twin-core Crystal
®
DSP engine
■ Harman Kardon’s exclusive Logic 7
®
processing, available for the first time
with both 7.1 and 5.1 processing in
a variety of modes and two modes
of VMAx
®
■ MP3 decoding for use with compatible
computers and digital audio players
■ remote automatically sets
output levels for optimum performance
■ High-bandwidth, HDTV-compatible
component video switching
■ Front panel analog A/V inputs, switch-
able to outputs
■ Front panel digital inputs and outputs
for easy connection to portable digital
devices and the latest video game con-
soles
■ Multiple digital inputs and outputs
■ On-screen menu and display system
■ Complete multizone system with
separate “Zone II” remote included
■ 6-Channel/8-Channel Direct Input and
Preamp Outputs and Main Amp Inputs
for Easy Expansion and Use with
Future Audio Formats
■ Main Backlit Remote with Internal
Codes and Learning Capability
■ HDCD Decoding for Superb CD Playback
TM