14 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS
System Installation
After unpacking the unit, and placing it on a solid surface
capable of supporting its weight, you will need to make
the connections to your audio and video equipment.
Audio Equipment Connections
We recommend that you use high-quality interconnect
cables when making connections to source equipment
and recorders to preserve the integrity of the signals.
When making connections to audio source equipment
or speakers it is always a good practice to unplug the
unit from the AC wall outlet. This prevents any possi-
bility of accidentally sending audio or transient signals
to the speakers that may damage them.
1. Connect the analog output of a CD player to the
CD Inputs £.
NOTE: When the CD player has both fixed and vari-
able audio outputs it is best to use the fixed output
unless you find that the input to the receiver is so low
that the sound is noisy, or so high that the signal is
distorted.
2. Connect the analog Play/Out jacks of a cassette
deck, MD, CD-R or other audio recorder to the
Tape
Input Jacks
∞. Connect the analog Record/In jacks
on the recorder to the
Tape Output Jacks ¢ on the
AVR 225.
3. Connect the output of any digital sources to the
appropriate input connections on the AVR 225 rear
panel. The
Optical and Coaxial Digital Inputs
be#$ may be used with a Dolby Digital or
DTS source such as a DVD player, or the output
of a conventional CD or LD player’s PCM (S/P-DIF)
output.
4. Connect the
Optical Digital Audio Output ‡ or the
Coaxial Digital Audio Output ° on the rear panel of
the AVR 225 to the matching digital input connections on
a CD-R or MiniDisc recorder.
5. Assemble the AM Loop Antenna supplied with the
unit as shown below. Connect it to the
AM and GND
Screw Terminals
¡ .
6. Connect the supplied FM antenna to the
FM
Antenna (75-Ohm) Connection
™. The FM anten-
na may be an external roof antenna, an inside pow-
ered or wire lead antenna or a connection from a
cable TV system. Note that if the antenna or connec-
tion uses 300-ohm twin-lead cable, you must use the
300-ohm-to-75-ohm adapter supplied with the unit to
make the connection.
7. If you have a DVD-Audio or SACD player, or other
component that includes an onboard surround
decoder and 6-channel line-level audio outputs, you
may connect these audio outputs to the
6-Channel
Direct Inputs
i.
8. Connect the front, center and surround Speaker
Outputs
ª‚⁄¤‹ to the respective speakers.
To ensure that all the audio signals are carried to your
speakers without loss of clarity or resolution, we sug-
gest that you use high-quality speaker cable. Many
brands of cable are available and the choice of cable
may be influenced by the distance between your
speakers and the receiver, the type of speakers you
use, personal preferences and other factors. Your dealer
or installer is a valuable resource to consult in select-
ing the proper cable.
Regardless of the brand of cable selected, we
recommend that you use a cable constructed of fine,
multistrand copper with a gauge of 14 or smaller.
Remember that in specifying cable, the lower the
number, the thicker the cable.
Cable with a gauge of 16 may be used for short runs
of less than 10 feet. We do not recommend that you
use cables with an AWG equivalent of 18 or higher due
to the power loss and degradation in performance that
will occur.
Cables that are run inside walls should have the appro-
priate markings to indicate listing with UL, CSA or other
appropriate testing agency standards. Questions about
running cables inside walls should be referred to your
installer or a licensed electrical contractor who is famil-
iar with the NEC and/or the applicable local building
codes in your area.
When connecting wires to the speakers, be certain to
observe proper polarity. Remember to connect the
“negative” or “black” wire to the same terminal on
both the receiver and the speaker. The AVR 225 con-
forms to the latest CEA-recommended color-coding
for speaker terminals. Accordingly, the positive (+)
terminal, which was previously red, is now a specific
color to assist you in making the correct connections.
If your speakers have color-coded connections, match
the terminal on the AVR 225 to the like terminal on
your speakers. For existing speakers with a red termi-
nal for the positive connection, the connections on the
AVR 225 are as follows:
Front Left = White Front Right = Red
Center = Green
Surround Left = Blue Surround Right = Gray
NOTE: While most speaker manufacturers adhere to
an industry convention of using black terminals for
negative and red ones for positive, some manufactur-
ers may vary from this configuration. To ensure proper
phase and optimal performance, consult the identifica-
tion plate on your speaker or the speaker’s manual to
verify polarity. If you do not know the polarity of your
speaker, ask your dealer for advice before proceeding,
or consult the speaker’s manufacturer.
We also recommend that the length of cable used
to connect speaker pairs be identical. For example,
use the same length piece of cable to connect the
front-left and front-right or surround-left and sur-
round-right speakers, even if the speakers are a
different distance from the AVR 225.
9. Connections to a subwoofer are normally made via
a line-level audio connection from the
Subwoofer
Output
• to the line-level input of a subwoofer with
a built-in amplifier. When a passive subwoofer is used,
the connection first goes to a power amplifier, which
will be connected to one or more subwoofer speakers.
If you are using a powered subwoofer that does not
have line-level input connections, follow the instruc-
tions furnished with the speaker for connection
information.
Video Equipment Connections
Video equipment is connected in the same manner as
audio components. Again, the use of high-quality inter-
connect cables is recommended to preserve signal
quality.
Although any compatible video device may be con-
nected to any video input (with the exception of the
Video 1 and Video 2 Out Jacks dg
, which may only be connected to a video
recorder), to make programming device codes into
the remote control easier, we recommend that you
connect your VCR to the
Video 1 Connectors cd
, your television to the Video 2 Input
Connectors
f , and your cable-TV converter
or satellite receiver to the
Video 3 Input Connectors
h .
1. Connect a VCR’s or other video source’s audio and
video Play/Out jacks to the
Video 1 or Video 2 In
Jacks
cf on the rear panel. The
Audio and
Video Record/In jacks on the VCR should be
connected
to the Video 1 or Video 2 Out Jacks
dg on the AVR 225.
