How to connect my Harman Kardon AVR 1600?

by Jay
(Dallas)

Can anybody help with my connection problem? How do I connect my sat box & ps3 from my av receiver? If it helps, I have a 1600 Harman Kardon AV receiver.

Jay

Firstly, and I guess it may have been a mis-type, but you would connect your devices TO the Harman Kardon AVR 1600, and not FROM.

It may seem a small issue, but your question suggests a basic misunderstanding of the reason for having an AVR. Once you can picture which direction the signals will be going through your system, it becomes much easier to wire it all together.

The AVR is the hub where, ideally, all devices will be connected.

This is the best way to connect devices with a modern AVR:

Connecting AV receiver and HDTV

So you would connect the HDMI outputs of your satellite box and PS3 into the first two HDMI inputs on the Harman Kardon.

You would then connect the HDMI output on the rear of your AVR to an HDMI input on the rear of your TV.

The HDMI connections from your devices will transmit both video and audio to the AVR - and the HDMI cable to the TV will just send the picture. The audio is sent by your AVR to the surround speakers.

If you don't have HDMI on your satellite box or TV (the PS3 does), then use whichever other connections are available for sending the video and audio.

Your AVR has many other connection types other than HDMI in order for you to connect older devices that don't possess HDMI.

Hope that helps.

Paul (Site Editor)

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Comments for
How to connect my Harman Kardon AVR 1600?

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Surround Sound
by: rod

How do i get surround sound from my t.v through my harman kardan 260 receiver? I have connected the hdmi cable from receiver to t.v in.

TV Sound to AV Receiver
by: Paul - The Home Cinema Guide

Hi

It depends on the source of your pictures/sound.

If you are using a cable box or DVD player, then connect these devices to your AV receiver like the diagram above. The sound is processed by the receiver and sent to the speakers - and the picture is sent through the HDMI cable you have connected to your TV.

If you are just using an internal tuner inside the TV (and an external TV antenna), then it's more difficult.

Some TVs have an audio output on the back - if so, then connect this to an input on your receiver and this will send audio to your receiver.

If you have a new HDTV with HDMI 1.4 connections, then you may be able to send the audio down your HDMI connection to your receiver.

If not, buy a cheap external digital tuner (which will usually have audio outputs), and use this instead of the internal tuner on the TV.

Hope this helps.

Paul

No video signal
by: Bill

I have connected my AVR 1600 exactly like the diagram, yet I get "no video signal", thus no TV picture. I have the HDMI cable connected from the HDMI Monitor out on the AVR to to HDMI 1 on the TV and TV's input source is set to HDMI 1. Sound is fine, just no picture.

Sound and picture issues
by: Paul - The Home Cinema Guide

You need to do a little troubleshooting and try to narrow down where the problem is occurring. One of your devices probably has a menu setting that isn't set correctly.

You don't say what device is connected to the AVR and providing the pictures/sound. Whatever it is, try connecting this device directly to the HDTV (bypassing the AVR) and see if you get sound and pictures.

If this works, you know the issue is somewhere in the settings of the AVR. If not, then you can look at the settings of the source device, or the HDTV.

Can you get pictures on the TV via HDMI from any other devices?

All the best.

Paul

PS3?
by: Anonymous

PS3 - what does that mean?

PS3
by: Paul - The Home Cinema Guide

PlayStation 3

Harmon Kardon AVR 1600 Connection
by: Anonymous

Can I have my Harmon Kardon Turned off and still have the audio and video going thru to the TV, or does my receiver always have to be on?

I don't like my receiver on when my PS3 is on all the time.

hdmi
by: Anonymous

try changing the hdmi on the tv side to another port, then select input (remote) on tv to choose the hdmi location. for some reason, it doesn't like hdmi 1(avr) & hdmi 1 (TV)

AVR 1600 to Sony TV audio problem
by: Anonymous

I have my cable box connected to HDMI 1 input and the TV connected to HDMI Monitor output. However, the audio keeps going up and down and suddenly it will go up when there is an advertisement.

Sometimes i can hardly hear what the person on the TV is saying. What could be the problem?

Sound problem
by: Paul - Site Editor

It is quite common for the adverts to be much louder than the TV programme you are watching. They compress the sound on adverts to make them jump out at you so you can't ignore them!

I usually hit the mute button while they are on!

Did you run the EzSet/EQ system (page 24 of manual) to automatically configure your surround speakers? If not, run this and it should get a good balance in your room. You don't want the front left/right too loud for the center speaker.

Once you have run the auto setup, you can still manually increase the volume of the center if it is too quiet for you (this is where the voices mainly come from).

Also, if the TV channel you are watching is only transmitting in stereo sound - enable Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS Neo: 6 to make this stereo signal into surround sound. This will separate the voices into the center speaker and should make it easier to hear.

Hope that helps.

Paul

AVR 1600 to Sony TV audio problem
by: Anonymous

Paul, many thanks for the response. You are so helpful. I have a few additional questions/comments and hope you don?t mind:

1. I did run the EzSet/EQ and did end up using the manual method at the end. I have the front(2), centre (1) and back(2) speakers, with subwoofer in the great room and also have 2 speakers in the living room, adjacent to the great room. There is some wall in between.

After I did the ExSet/EQ test, the speakers in the living room did not give out any audio sound. So I then decided to use the manual feature and increase the db levels after which I could hear something coming out.

Right now I have the 2 front speakers and centre all set to +6db. Any suggestions/recommendations on these settings?

2. When you say I can manually increase the volume of the center ? is that the same as increasing the db as I did in 1. above? If not, please let me know how to do this?

3. How do I check if the TV channel is transmitting in stereo and how do I enable Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS Neo:6?

Once again, finding this blog was a blessing. Thanks again Paul.

Chris

Answers
by: Paul - Site Editor

Quick answers to your questions:

1. I would have thought the EZSet/EQ would only work for the 5.1 surround speakers in the great room - which is why you had no volume at first in the living room. The second set of speakers in the living room are just stereo anyway, so just have them set at the same level as each other.

It is hard to generalise about audio levels, as every room will sound different. The important thing is the general balance across all the speakers in the room. So, if you find the center too low, nudge it up a bit (or take the front left/right down a bit). Also, make sure the subwoofer isn't too loud as this can distract from the center. You should also find the crossover setting in the manual setup. This tells the system what frequency to start sending the bass to the subwoofer - this would usually be set around 80 - 100Hz - although this can depend on the size of the other speakers in your setup. If you set the crossover too low - then you may have too much bass in the center speaker and this may make it sound 'muddy'.

2. Yes, you've got it.

3. Well, your TV or AV receiver will often have an 'info' (or similar) button which will tell you the type of audio being received. Also, if there is no other processing, then stereo sound will only be heard from your front left and right speakers.

However, you don't really need to do this. Page 30/31 of the AVR1600 manual tells you how to enable the different surround sound modes. Therefore, when it receives stereo audio you can tell it to always use Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS Neo: 6 Cinema. These 'virtual' surround modes should allow you hear the voices a bit clearer as they will 'move' most of the dialog to the center speaker - and have music and effects on the front and surround left/right speakers. You should be able to set this up using your remote control.

Hope that helps.

Paul

Crosseover setting ?
by: Anonymous

what would be the best crossover setting on a avr 1600 with HKTS 15 theater speaker system?

Crossover
by: Pau (Site Editor)

Hi

You should be aiming for around the lowest frequency that your satellite speakers can reproduce. The manual only gives the frequency for the whole system, rather than individual speakers.

However, I would expect satellites of that size to be around 120Hz give or take.

So I would try around 120Hz for crossover. Try it a bit higher and lower and see what it sounds like to you.

Hope that helps.

Paul

SOLVE
by: ilker

I got HK 160 for EU. There was the same problem. I solved the problem with a firmware update.

You may find latest firmware version at their website. The latest version is v1.1 and you may check the software version by - push dvd, then avr 1,2,3,4 and ok button you will see version info..

HK AVR 1650
by: George

I set up my HK 1650 the same way the detail below describes, now I have no audio from DirecTV HD box to tv (these connections are both HDMI).

DirecTV box to AVR 1650 and I also have a PS3 hooked up as well through the receiver. It is great this way if I only want either of these to play through the AVR, but if I want to watch TV only via the DirecTV box with audio through TV only, this set up does not work.

I have also tried to hook up either a colorstream AV connection and also an optical connection from DirecTV box to TV with no audio as well, video is there, just no audio.

I also removed the HDMI cable to the box and TV thinking that it was interrupting the audio, this did not help, not sure why this is an issue.

Please advise.
George

Sound to TV
by: Paul (Site Editor)

George

The only way you will get audio to the TV when the AVR receiver is not on, is if the AVR supports audio pass-through when the receiver in stand-by.

Not sure if yours does this, but most don't. Most people will just get used to switching on the AVR for all audio.

However, if you don't want to do this, you could try making an analog stereo audio connection from the cable box to the TV (red and white RCA connections). Most devices will support this type of connection, and this may work.

You say you cannot get audio direct to the TV via optical. Maybe your cable box has an audio menu setting that is set to send audio out of the HDMI? This may prevent audio to another digital connection? Might not be, but some devices have a setting like this.

All the best.

Paul

AVR audio
by: George

Thanks much, I agree. I even went as far as connecting a separate analog connection to the tv via the cable box. While the HDMI cable was still connected, and even when it was not, the tv still did not produce sound.

I switched the tv audio selection to optical, analog or whatever, still no good. I just by-passed the AVR, and went straight to the tv via the cable box with an HDMI connection - works fine.

If I want to watch a tv movie or sporting event through the AVR, i just have to switch the cable and run it through the AVR. Kind of a pain in the butt, however, it is the only option.
Thanks again,
George

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