AVR 2500 (serv.man5) - Harman Kardon Audio User Guide / Operation Manual. Page 3

INTRODUCTION 3

Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon!
With the purchase of a Harman Kardon 
AVR 2500 you are about to begin many years of
listening enjoyment. The AVR 2500 has been
custom designed to provide all the excitement
and detail of movie sound tracks and every
nuance of musical selections. With onboard
Dolby* Digital and DTS

†

decoding, the AVR 2500

delivers six discrete channels of audio that take
advantage of the digital sound tracks from the
latest DVD and LD releases and Digital Television
broadcasts.

While complex digital systems are hard at work
within the AVR 2500 to make all of this happen,
hookup and operation are simple. Color-keyed
connections and a programmable remote con-
trol make the AVR 2500 easy to use. To obtain
the maximum enjoyment from your new receiv-
er, we urge you to take the time to read through
this manual. This will ensure that connections to
speakers, source playback units and other exter-
nal devices are made properly. In addition, a
few minutes spent learning the functions of the
various controls will enable you to take advan-
tage of all the power the AVR 2500 is able to
deliver.

If you have any questions about this product, its
installation or its operation, please contact your
dealer. He is your best local source of informa-
tion.

Description and Features
The AVR 2500 is among the most versatile and
multi-featured A/V receivers available, incorpo-
rating a wide range of listening options. In addi-
tion to Dolby Digital and DTS decoding for digi-
tal sources, a broad choice of analog surround
modes are available for use with sources such 
as CD, VCR, TV broadcasts and the AVR’s own
FM/AM tuner. Along with the latest Dolby
ProLogic II

®

decoding technology, Dolby 3 Stereo,

5 Ch Stereo and custom Hall and Theater modes,
only Harman Kardon receivers offer Logic 7

®

to

create a wider, more enveloping field environ-
ment and more defined fly-overs and pans.

Finally, the AVR 2500 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 compatible computers or playback
devices with the power and fidelity you expect
from Harman Kardon.
Another Harman Kardon exclusive is VMAx

™

,

which uses proprietary processing to create an
open, spacious sound field even when only two
front speakers are available.

In addition to providing a wide range of listening
options, the AVR 2500 is easy to configure so
that it provides the best results with your speak-
ers and specific listening-room environment.

For the ultimate in flexibility, the AVR 2500 fea-
tures connections for five video devices, all with
both composite and S-Video inputs. Two addi-
tional audio inputs are available, and a total of
six digital inputs make the AVR 2500 capable of
handling all the latest digital audio sources.
Coax and optical digital outputs are available for
direct connection to digital recorders.

The AVR 2500’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 2500 is one of the finest
receivers ever offered by Harman Kardon within
its price range.

■ Onboard Dolby Digital and DTS

■ Harman Kardon’s Exclusive Logic 7 and

■ Dolby Laboratory's latest ProLogic II

■ MP3 Decoding for Use with compatible

■ Front-Panel Digital Inputs for Easy

■ Multiple Digital Inputs and Outputs
■ Remote with Internal Codes Capability