How to Set Up an A/V Receiver - Part 2
Part II - Configure and Tweak
In Part I we covered many of the items needed to get things connected and installed. Now it’s time to get things configured and tweaked, dialed in to extract the maximum from your new equipment. Hopefully, you’ve experienced some enjoyment along your journey so far. The most fun, of course, takes place once your feet are up, right along with the volume. A little effort now will get you there while pasting a huge smile on your face.
Inputs and Sources
Taking on this task piece by piece, step by step, we’ll start with the most important relationship in most setups. The TV and AV Receiver (AVR). Be sure to have the AVR and TV connected via HDMI ARC. This allows the receiver to play the audio the tv is experiencing. Note which inputs these correspond to. In fact, during this stage, a notepad and label maker may go a long way to making things go a lot smoother. If HDMI ARC is not available, there will most likely be a digital output of either digital coaxial or fiber optic flavors. When connecting any device, use the highest quality type available. Review Part I of this guide for more information.
Power on the TV and AVR, and be sure you can get into the main menu of your receiver. Consult the user manual for this and keep it handy for the entirety of the setup. Some AVRs may include an on-screen setup guide or may even have a mobile app available to guide you through these first steps.
AVRs will allow you to rename and customize the names displayed for all their various connections. If you already connected everything, having this all written down may save you some time. If not, go one device at a time, connect it, power it on, rename the input if desired.
Source Output Modes
This is where, in our humble opinion, a lot of guides fall short. Devices capable of playing media that includes surround sound can output the sound in various modes. You can have the playback device or an external device do the decoding. Guess which option you want when using an AVR? That’s right, the external option. A quick look at these options;
*PCM - This sets the playback device (a TV pictured here) as the one decoding the surround sound information and outputting it in a standard 5.1 format. Great for basic soundbars.
*Dolby Digital - Sometimes there are a couple of choices, but similar to the PCM option, the source device decodes and outputs to a specific Dolby format. Good for audio devices that support a limited range of surround modes.
*Bitstream - This forwards the raw surround sound data to an external device. This option should be chosen when using your shiny AVR. If you expect the newer DTS:X or Atmos object-based sound, bitstream (pass through mode) will be required to get it to work.
Speaker Calibration
This is not an extra step. This is absolutely critical. Why?
- Each room, speaker, speaker placement, seating position, etc. will all differ and influence how it will sound.
- Speakers may differ in volume when using the same power, the calibration can adjust for these differences
- Your main listening position (MLP) will not be the same distance from every speaker. AVRs can adjust timing to compensate.
- The room may affect acoustically the sounds played around the room.
- The number, types, and placement options of speakers will vary and this information needs to be understood by the AVR
Luckily, most of this can be done in minutes rather than hours thanks to some amazing skills modern AVRs possess.
Auto-Calibration
1. Set up the microphone - place the microphone in the main listening position at ear level. Use a mic stand or even prop up the mic on some pillows, but try and get it where the best seat in the house will be. (some setups let you run more than one position, check the manual)
2. Adjust your subwoofer - Subs receive the signal from your AVR and include their own amplifier. They also have some adjustments. Set the phase to 0 or normal, set the volume to about 50%, and if it has frequency (crossover) or adjustments, turn this off or set it as high as possible.
3. Plug in the mic - Usually this also forces the AVR into the auto setup mode. If not, browse to the auto setup menu. Prior to running the setup, some AVRs will require that you define how many speakers and what types are connected. We’ll cover that a bit more in the ‘Review and Tweak’ section below.
4. Make it quiet - Send the kids outside, turn off the A/C or heater, and otherwise make it silent for this step. The mic will be listening to everything, and any noise will either impact the measurements or even cause it to error out.
5. Run the setup- Once you run the setup, keep quiet, You’ll hear noises, some funny, some loud, some like static, just wait until it’s all done. If the system detects an issue, say a speaker that is wired incorrectly (example: positive and negative wires reversed), it may stop the setup. Correct the issue and re-run it.
Note: You will re-run this calibration whenever anything changes. New furniture? Re-run it. New speakers or other devices? Re-run it. Re-arrange things in the room? Re-run it.
Review and Tweak
Following the auto calibration, you can check the results and make adjustments as needed. You can also use the manual setup mode at any time in the future. Let's go over some of these settings and other common adjustments:
*Amp Assignments
For the greatest flexibility, AVRs usually contain a few amplifiers. The main amplifier usually handles 5-9 channels and the extra amplifier is usually 2 or 4 channels. The Basic or default assumes all the main channels will be used and are in the same room. The extra speakers or channels are used to support surround, height, or even separate Zones or rooms. They can also usually dedicate an extra set of these channels of amplifier power to boost the main left & right speakers. Choose the option that represents your current setup.
*Presence & Height Speakers
If you set the amp assignment to use Front Presence speakers, you need to tell the AVR where they are. Front Height are high up on the front, Overhead is generally the best for Atmos/DTS:X, and Dolby Enabled Speakers rest on top of the front speakers and angle up at a flat ceiling to simulate an overhead speaker.
*Speaker Configuration and Crossover Settings
Some speakers are more capable at playing the full range of sounds than others. During the auto-calibration this was measured, determined, and set. Large speakers get the full range of sound. Small speakers get a low-end cut-off that determines when the subwoofer will be required to come in and help with the low-end heavy lifting.
*Distance
Here distance is equal to time. The microphone measured how long it took the signal to reach the mic or MLP. The system then works at determining the longest to shortest times and delays the shorter times to match the longer times so that the sounds from all the different speakers arrive at the same time.
*Level
This adjusts the sound or volume level so that each speaker is playing at roughly the same volume. This can be adjusted according to your preferences as well. Like to notice those rear surround speakers a bit more? Turn up the level here.
*Parametric EQ
During the calibration, each speaker's response across the entire hearing range is analyzed. The EQ settings here adjust certain frequencies to try and level this response out. They can also be tweaked to achieve the desired sound profile. The Manual mode is for serious tweakers, the ‘Through’ mode disables the EQ, and the other presets are there for convenience. Try them out and see which option you prefer.
*Lipsync
With different devices all processing various aspects of the A&V, the sound can get off. Here you can adjust by increasing or reducing the delay in milliseconds. Note the default value, then adjust quite a bit up or down to see the effect, then dial it in to perfection.
*Video Processing
Your AVR can process the video or pass it straight through to the TV or Projector. If the source is of high quality, say a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, you can set it to Direct or Through. If the source is an older or lesser quality source your AVR can upscale the image to look better. Most manuals have an upscaling chart to let you know more about this feature. When gaming, set this to Direct or Through to reduce any latency.
*Standby Through
If you don’t want to use the AVR, it can allow the HDMI signal to pass through as if it isn’t even there when the receiver is powered off. Useful for guests etc.
*Input Trim
Not all devices are created equal, neither is their sound level the same. If you notice that the Blu-ray player is loud while your satellite box is quiet, you can adjust these up or down by input so that the volume levels are somewhat consistent across your devices.
*Dialogue Level
Quite possibly the greatest of all these convenient features. We’ve all been there. The voices are quiet so you turn up the volume, only to experience sound effects so loud as to cause you pain and turn your neighbors against you. Here it is then, the adjustment you’ve waited for. Increasing the level here boosts the frequency spectrum of human voices sent to the center channel, solving this classic dilemma. Unfortunately, not all AVRs have this feature. The Lift feature can help raise the sound of voices so that they seem to be coming from on-screen rather than from the center channel that could be too low below the screen.
Favorites (Scene) or Shortcut Buttons
Most AVRs come with some favorite or Scene buttons. These allow you to define a bunch of settings that will be stored in memory and recalled at the touch of a single button. Although you may not be allowed to change the names, any of the buttons can be programmed to work with any connected device (so the ‘TV’ Scene button doesn’t have to be stuck to using the TV input etc.) This is excellent for users of all levels, anyone in the house just pushes the button and everything is set. Programming is very easy too. Select your input, your favorite sound or DSP (digital signal processing) program, and other settings. Then, press and hold the desired Scene button for 3-5 seconds and it’s all set.
Sound Program & DSP Modes
Along with the ability to decode many different surround sound formats your AVR can alter the output to various modes or leave it as-is. This is pretty much all up to you. Play around with these and see what you like best. For example, you can force a 2-channel signal to output to 7-channel sound, or emulate standard 5.1 surround. There is also a straight/through mode that preserves the signal format. This straight/through setting is often required to playback DTS:X or Atmos. Some may even have a ‘pure’ mode that bypasses the DSP altogether and just amplifies the signal (often used for serious stereo music listening). This is one of the settings that can be programmed in your Scene button as mentioned earlier.
Remote Control
*Universal Remote - Some AVRs come with remotes that can be programmed and function like universal remotes. Check the manual. You could also purchase a separate universal remote. Either way, this can reduce the number of remotes required for daily control.
Your Specific Gear
While it would be great to have a full in-depth run down of every AVR and their features, it just isn’t very practical. So, get to know your equipment. Play around with it, read up on the manual, download the apps, check the forums. Some of your favorite features may be waiting to be discovered.
Summary
This series of posts and articles have been a journey. AV Receivers come with many features and settings. They are the heart and soul of nearly every home theater. AV Receivers make enjoying movies, shows, games, and music the experience we desire them to be. The wide array of choices and the sheer number of connections can make them intimidating. In reality, you just need a little time with them. Review the manual, check the reviews and forums, read guides like these. Soon you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one.
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