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Thank you for buying this Pioneer product. Please read through these operating instructions so you will know how to operate your model properly. After you have finished reading the instructions, put them away in a safe place for future reference.
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The lightning flash with arrowhead, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. READ INSTRUCTIONS —...
Before you start Chapter 1: Before you start Checking what’s in the box Please check that you've received the following supplied accessories: • AM loop antenna • FM wire antenna • AA/LR6 dry cell batteries x2 • Remote control • These operating instructions •...
Before you start • When disposing of used batteries, please comply with governmental regulations or environmental public instruction’s rules that apply in your country or area. Operating range of remote control unit The remote control may not work properly if: •...
5 minute guide Chapter 2: 5 minute guide Introduction to home theater You are probably used to using stereo equipment to listen to music, but may not be used to home theater systems that give you many more options (such as surround sound) when listening to soundtracks.
5 minute guide Listening to Surround Sound This receiver was designed with the easiest possible setup in mind, so with the following quick setup guide, you should have your system hooked up for surround sound in no time at all. In most cases, you can simply leave the receiver in the default settings.
5 minute guide Connect your speakers. A complete setup of eight speakers (including the subwoofer) is shown here but everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner shown below. The receiver will work with just two stereo speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three speakers is recommended, and a complete setup is best.
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5 minute guide • If you select subwoofer (SB SW) in the Surround back speaker setting on page 44 you can hook up a subwoofer instead of speakers to the surround back speaker terminals. Connect the wires just as above (and as shown below), connecting the positive wire to the right channel (+) terminal, and the negative wire to the left channel (–) terminal.
5 minute guide Using the Quick Setup You can use the Quick Setup to get your system up and running with just a few button presses. The receiver automatically makes the necessary settings after you have selected your speaker setup, room size and listening position.
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5 minute guide Press ENTER. Use the MULTI JOG dial to choose your listening position. You can cycle between the following choices: BACK FWD – If you are nearer to the front speakers than the surround speakers MID – If you are equal distance from the front and surround speakers BACK –...
Quick surround sound setup Chapter 3: Quick surround sound setup VSX-D914 model only Automatically calibrating your listening area (MCACC) The Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration (MCACC) system measures the acoustic characteristics of your listening area, taking into account ambient noise, speaker size and distance, and tests for both channel delay and channel level.
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Quick surround sound setup If you see an ERR message in the display, there may be a problem with your mic or the speaker connections. Turn off the power, and check the problem indicated by the ERR message (see below), then try the auto surround setup again.
Connecting up Chapter 4: Connecting up • Before making or changing any connec- tions, switch off the power and discon- nect the power cord from the AC outlet. Audio/Video cords Use audio/video cords (not supplied) to connect the audio/video components and a video cord to connect the monitor TV.
Connecting up Connecting digital components The easiest way to hook up this receiver for surround sound is to use a digital input. You can do this by either coaxial or optical connections (you do not need to do both). The quality of these two types of connections is the same but since some digital components only have one type of digital terminal, it is a matter of matching like with like (for example, the coaxial output from the component to coaxial input on the receiver).
Connecting up Connecting audio components To begin set up, connect your analog audio components (such as a cassette deck) to the jacks. For components you want to record with, you need to hook up four plugs to the receiver (a set of stereo inputs and a set of stereo outputs), but for components that only play, you only need to hook up one set of stereo plugs.
Connecting up Connecting video components Connect your video components to the jacks as shown below. With digital video components (like a DVD player), you must use the connections shown on this page for the video signal, but in order to hear a digital source (like a DVD) you should hook up the audio to a digital input (see page 17).
Connecting up Connecting antennas Connect the AM loop antenna and the FM wire antenna as shown below. To improve reception and sound quality, connect external antennas (see Using external antennas below). Always make sure that the receiver is switched off and unplugged from the wall outlet before making or changing any connections.
Connecting up Connecting the speakers A complete setup of eight speakers (including the subwoofer) is shown below, but everyone’s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner shown below. The receiver will work with just two stereo speakers (the front speakers in the diagram) but using at least three speakers is recommended, and a complete setup is best for surround sound.
Connecting up • When using the speaker on your TV as the center speaker (C), connect the CENTER PREOUT jack on this unit to the audio input jack on your TV. In this case the center speaker shown is unnecessary. •...
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Connecting up • Place the front left and right speakers at equal distances from the TV. • When placing speakers near the TV, we recommend using magnetically shielded speakers to prevent possible interference, such as discoloration of the picture when the TV is switched on.
Connecting up Connecting additional amplifiers This receiver has more than sufficient power for any home use, however it is possible to add additional amplifiers to every channel on this receiver. Make the connections shown below to add amplifiers to power your speakers. Always make sure that the receiver is switched off and unplugged from the wall outlet before making or changing any connections.
A damaged power cord can cause a fire or give you an electrical shock. Check the power cord once in a while. When you find it damaged, ask your nearest Pioneer authorized service center or your dealer for a replacement.
/LD) / MD PLAY AUDIO • If you connect to a Pioneer plasma display using an SR+ cable, you will need to point the remote control at the plasma display remote sensor to control the receiver. In this case, you won’t be able to to control the receiver using the remote control if you switch the plasma display off.
Controls and displays Chapter 5: Controls and displays Front panel DVD/LD TV/SAT DVR/VCR VIDEO CD-R/ TAPE/MD TUNER STANDBY / ON PHONES STATION TUNER EDIT CLASS BAND MULTI JOG 26 25 24 23 22 21 STANDBY/ON Switches the receiver between on and standby.
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Controls and displays STATION +/– buttons Selects station presets when using the tuner (page 54). 10 TUNING +/– buttons Selects the frequency when using the tuner (page 53). 11 LISTENING MODE buttons STANDARD Press for Standard decoding and to switch between the various Pro Logic IIx and Neo:6 options (page 35).
Controls and displays Display SIGNAL SELECT indicators Lights to indicate the type of input signal assigned for the current component: AUTO Lights when AUTO signal select is on. Depending on the source, this lights when a signal with surround back channel encoding is detected.
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Controls and displays 11 Character display 12 Neo:6 When the (STANDARD) NEO:6 mode of the receiver is on, this lights to indicate NEO:6 processing. 13 ADV.SURR. (Advanced Surround) Lights when one of the Advanced Surround modes has been selected. 14 LOUDNESS Lights when LOUDNESS has been selected.
Controls and displays Remote control INPUT RECEIVER SOURCE SELECT DVD/LD TV/SAT DVR/VCR TV CONT MULTI CONTROL CD-R/TAPE TUNER RECEIVER INPUT ATT FL DIMMER ENTER SETUP D.ACCESS CLASS TOP MENU MENU TUNE DTV MENU MCACC SETUP ENTER BAND T.EDIT TUNE RETURN GUIDE TV CONTROL INPUT...
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Controls and displays GUIDE Displays the guides on a digital TV. CLASS Switches between the three banks (classes) of radio station presets (page 54). MENU Displays the disc menu of DVD-Video discs. It also displays TV and DTV menus. MCACC SETUP (Press RECEIVER first to access) Use to setup your speaker system using Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration...
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Controls and displays The following DVR controls can be accessed by pressing SHIFT: Starts recording. REC STOP Stops recording. HDD/DVD These buttons switch between the hard disk and DVD controls for DVD/HDD recorders. RECEIVER CONTROL buttons STANDARD Press for Standard decoding and to switch between the various Pro Logic IIx and Neo:6 options (page 35).
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Controls and displays 13 RECEIVER Switches the remote to control the receiver (used to select the features above the number buttons (INPUT ATT, etc). Also use this button to set up surround sound (page 42, page 49, page 50). 14 MASTER VOLUME +/– Use to set the listening volume.
Listening to your system Chapter 6: Listening to your system Listening in surround sound Using this receiver, you can listen to any source in surround sound. However, the options available will depend on your speaker setup and the type of source you’re listening If you connected surround back speakers, see also Using the Surround Back Channel (SB CH) on page 38.
Listening to your system • ADV. MUSIC – Simulates the acoustic environment of a large concert hall and is suitable for music or musical sources. • TV SURR. – This mode produces surround sound for both mono and stereo TV sources.
Listening to your system • If you switch on Midnight listening, Loud- ness, or the Tone controls when DIRECT is selected, the receiver automatically switches to STEREO. Choosing the input signal • Default setting: AUTO You need to hook up a component to both analog and digital inputs on the rear of the receiver to select between input signals.
Listening to your system Using the Surround Back Channel (SB CH) • Default setting: SB ON You can have the receiver automatically switch to Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES decoding for 6.1 encoded sources (SB AUTO), or you can choose to listen to other kinds of sources (for example, 5.1 encoded material) with 6.1 encoding (SB ON).
Listening to your system Using the Virtual Surround Back mode (VSB) Selecting this mode allows you to hear a virtual back channel through your surround speakers. For example, you can choose to listen to sources with no surround back channel information (for example, 5.1 encoded material) with emulated 6.1 encoding (VSB ON).
Listening to your system Using Loudness and Midnight listening The Loudness listening feature can be used to get good bass and treble from music sources at low volume levels. The Midnight listening feature allows you to hear effective surround sound of movies at low volume levels.
Listening to your system Selecting the multi-channel analog inputs If you have connected a decoder or a DVD player with multi-channel analog outputs to this receiver (page 18), you must select the analog multi-channel inputs for surround sound playback. ADVANCED STEREO/ SIGNAL MIDNIGHT/...
Refer to the following pages for details on each of the settings. • If you are using the Pioneer S-FCRW730 speaker system, make sure the Subwoofer setting is set to YES and the Speaker setting is set to FS-CS-SS.
• Optical digital input 1 setting • Optical digital input 2 setting SR+ control settings (page 48) Specify how you want to control your Pioneer plasma display. • Control mode setting • Volume control setting Function setting for DVD input •...
Setting up the receiver • Cycle through the available choices using and choose a configuration that matches your speaker setup. One of the following configurations should match your setup: FS-CS-SS FL-C -S FL-C -SS FL-C -SL FL-CS-S FL-CS-SS FL-CS-SL Surround back speaker setting •...
Setting up the receiver We recommend setting this to 200 Hz if your S speakers are smaller bookshelf-type speakers. • to specify the crossover frequency for your small speakers (100 Hz, 150 Hz or 200 Hz). 100Hz 150Hz 200Hz 100 Hz Sends bass frequencies below 100 Hz to the subwoofer (or L speakers).
Setting up the receiver • to set the distance of the center speaker from the main listening position (within the range of 0.5 ft. to 45 ft.). • When C is selected in the speaker setting, the center speaker distance can’t be set.
Setting up the receiver • to set the distance of the subwoofer from the main listening posi- tion (within the range of 0.5 ft. to 45 ft.). • When NO is selected in the subwoofer setting, the subwoofer distance can’t be set.
SR+ cable. Note that the number of function settings available will depend on the plasma display you’ve connected. See also Using this receiver with a Pioneer plasma display on page 26 and Using the SR+ mode with a Pioneer plasma display on page 51.
Setting up the receiver Function setting for VIDEO input • VIDEO:1 – VIDEO:5 or TV – Matches the VIDEO function of the receiver with a numbered video input on the plasma display. For example, VIDEO:4 matches the VIDEO input with video input 4 on the plasma display.
Setting up the receiver Specify the distance from the front left speaker to your listening position using then press ENTER. to adjust the delay for each channel in turn, pressing ENTER to go to the next channel when you’re done. Listen to the reference channel and use it to measure the target channel.
• Automatic volume muting on the plasma display. See also Using this receiver with a Pioneer plasma display on page 26 for connecting up, and SR+ control for Pioneer plasma displays on page 48 for setting up the receiver.
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Setting up the receiver • The automatic volume muting feature is enabled separately; see SR+ control for Pioneer plasma displays on page 48. (You can also use the System Setup menu to switch the SR+ mode of the receiver.) • If you disconnect the SR+ cable or switch...
Using the tuner Chapter 8: Using the tuner Listening to the radio The following steps show you how to tune in to FM and AM radio broadcasts using the automatic (search) and manual (step) tuning functions. If you already know the frequency of the station you want, see Tuning directly to a station below.
Using the tuner Press D.ACCESS (Direct Access). Use the number buttons to enter the frequency of the radio station. For example, to tune to 106.00 (FM), press 1, 0, 6, 0, 0. If you make a mistake halfway through, press D.ACCESS twice to cancel the frequency and start over.
Using the tuner Press T.EDIT (TUNER EDIT). The display shows ST. NAME, then a blinking cursor at the first character position. Input the name you want. Names can be up to four characters long. • Use the MULTI JOG dial (front panel) or the ST +/–...
Making recordings Chapter 9: Making recordings Making an audio or a video recording You can make an audio or a video recording from the built-in tuner, or from an audio or video source connected to the receiver (such as a CD player or TV). Keep in mind you can’t make a digital recording from an analog source or vice- versa, so make sure the components you are...
Controlling the rest of your system Chapter 10: Controlling the rest of your system Setting the remote to control other components Most components can be assigned to one of the MULTI CONTROL buttons using the component’s manufacturer preset code stored in the remote. However, please note that there are cases where only certain functions may be control- lable after assigning the proper preset code,...
ENTER. This should be the manufacturer’s name (for example, P for Pioneer). to select the manufac- turer’s name from the list then press ENTER to select the proper code from the list, then try using this remote control with your component.
Controlling the rest of your system Certain buttons represent operations that cannot be learned from other remote controls. The buttons available are shown below: INPUT RECEIVER SOURCE SELECT DVD/LD TV/SAT DVR/VCR TV CONT MULTI CONTROL CD-R/TAPE TUNER RECEIVER INPUT ATT FL DIMMER DISC ENTER...
Controlling the rest of your system Repeat step 4 to erase other buttons. Press the RECEIVER button when you’re done. Erasing all of the remote control presets This will erase all preset remote control preset codes and (VSX-D914 model only) programmed buttons.
Controlling the rest of your system Controls for TVs This remote control can control components after entering the proper codes or teaching the receiver the commands (see Setting the remote to control other components on page 57 for more on this). Use the MULTI CONTROL buttons to select the component. Button(s) Function Switches the DTV on or off.
Controlling the rest of your system Button(s) Function ENTER/ Use to enter a channel. DISC MENU Select different menus from the DTV functions. Select the menu screen. & Press to select or adjust and navigate items on the menu ENTER screen.
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Controlling the rest of your system Button (s) Function Stops playback (on some models, pressing this when the disc is already stopped will cause the disc tray to open). Starts recording. To prevent accidental recording, this button must be pressed twice to take effect (the second press must be within 10 seconds of the first).
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Controlling the rest of your system Button (s) Function SUBTITLE Displays/changes the subtitles on multilingual DVDs. Switches to the hard disk controls when using a (SHIFT + DVD/HDD recorder. CH–) Switches to the DVD controls when using a DVD/ (SHIFT + HDD recorder.
Investigate the other components and electrical appliances being used. If the trouble cannot be rectified even after exercising the checks listed below, ask your nearest Pioneer authorized service center or your dealer to carry out repair work. Problem Remedy The power does not turn on.
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Additional information Problem Broadcast stations cannot be selected automatically. No sound from surround or center speakers. No sound from surround back speakers. No sound from subwoofer. Noise during playback of a cassette deck. Sound is produced from other components, but not from LD or DVD player.
Additional information Problem Remedy Can’t operate the remote • Replace the batteries (refer to page 6). control. • Operate within 23 feet ( 7 m), 30° of the remote sensor on the front panel (refer to page 7). • Remove the obstacle or operate from another position. •...
Additional information Frequency response DVD/LD, TV/SAT MONITOR . . . 5 Hz to 40 MHz Signal-to-Noise Ratio....55 dB FM Tuner Section Frequency Range..87.5 MHz to 108 MHz Usable Sensitivity .