3 INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon!
With the purchase of a Harman Kardon
AVR 120 you are about to begin many years of
listening enjoyment. The AVR 120 has been
custom-designed to provide all the excitement
and detail of movie soundtracks and every
nuance of musical selections. With onboard
Dolby* Digital and DTS
®
decoding, the AVR 120
delivers six discrete channels of audio that take
advantage of the digital soundtracks from the
latest DVD and LD releases and Digital
Television broadcasts.
While complex digital systems are hard
at work within the AVR 120 to make all of this
happen, hookup and operation are simple.
Color-keyed connections and a programmable
remote control make the AVR 120 easy to use.
To obtain the maximum enjoyment from your
new receiver, we urge you to take a few min-
utes to read through this manual. This will
ensure that connections to speakers, source
playback units and other external devices are
made properly. In addition, a few minutes
spent learning the functions of the various con-
trols will enable you to take advantage of all
the power the AVR 120 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 120 is among the most versatile and
multifeatured A/V receivers available, incorpo-
rating a wide range of listening options. In
addition to Dolby Digital and DTS decoding for
digital sources, a broad choice of analog sur-
round modes are available for use with sources
such as CD, VCR, TV broadcasts and the
AVR 120’s own FM/AM tuner. Along with the
latest Dolby Pro Logic* II decoding technology,
Dolby 3 Stereo and custom Hall and Theater
modes, only Harman Kardon receivers offer
Logic 7
®
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, spacious sound field even
when only two front speakers are available.
Finally, the AVR 120 is among the very few A/V
receivers that offer decoding of MP3 data, so
that you may listen to the latest music selec-
tions directly from compatible computers or
playback devices with the power and fidelity
you expect from Harman Kardon.
In addition to providing a wide range of listen-
ing options, the AVR 120 is easy to configure
so that it provides the best results with your
speakers and specific listening-room
environment.
For the ultimate in flexibility, the AVR 120 fea-
tures connections for five video devices, all with
both composite and S-Video inputs, including
the front panel inputs. Two additional audio
inputs are available, and a total of six digital
inputs make the AVR 120 capable of handling
all the latest digital audio sources. Coax and
optical digital outputs are also available for
direct connection to digital recorders. The
AVR 120’s powerful amplifier uses traditional
Harman Kardon high-current design technolo-
gies to meet the wide dynamic range of any
program selection.
Harman Kardon invented the high-fidelity
receiver more than forty-seven years ago. With
state-of-the-art circuitry and time-honored cir-
cuit designs, the AVR 120 is one of the finest
receivers ever offered by Harman Kardon.
■ Onboard Dolby Digital and DTS
Decoding Using Crystal
®
Chip
Technology
■ Harman Kardon’s Exclusive Logic 7 and
VMAx Modes
■ Dolby Laboratories’ Latest Pro Logic II
Decoding Technology
■ MP3 Decoding for Use With Computers
and Digital Audio Players
■ Front Panel Digital Inputs for Easy
Connection to Portable Digital Devices
and the Latest Video Game Consoles
■ Multiple Digital Inputs and Outputs
■ Color-Coded Input, Output and
Speaker Terminals Comply With the
Latest CEA Standards for Easy
Installation
