How to Set Up a Denon Receiver

Denon receivers are designed to act as the heart of an audio-video system. If your particular receiver is an AVR-1909 (or better), you can improve the video quality via the receiver's internal Faroudja DCDi processor and have the receiver be the video switcher, running a single HDMI cable to the TV. Setting up the audio has been simplified via Denon's automated Audyssey MultEQ acoustic correction.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Speakers
• DVD player
• HD satellite or cable box
• HDTV
• cables

1. Connect an HDMI cable from your HD cable/satellite box's output to the first HDMI input on your Denon receiver. Connect the HDMI output of your DVD player to the second HDMI input. If your DVD doesn't have an HDMI output, use the component video cable (red, green and blue connections) to the component video input one of the receiver, and connect a coaxial digital cable from the DVD player to the coaxial input one on the receiver. Finally, connect the speakers and subwoofer.

2. Connect the speakers to the various speaker terminals on the receiver for front left, center, front right, surround left and surround right. Connect the subwoofer via a subwoofer cable to the subwoofer output on the receiver (this is an RCA type connection, not a speaker terminal).

3. Connect the microphone that is include with the receiver to the Audyssey mic input on the front of the receiver and place the microphone at ear height at the primary listening spot; make sure the spot is not too close to a wall, and nothing is in between the microphone and the receiver.

4. Turn on the receiver, your TV and press menu on the remote control, then select "auto setup," then press start. Remain quiet during this procedure so the receiver can get the most accurate readings. Repeat the procedure for the second and third listening spots. Once you have all the readings, select store and press "enter".

Tips & Warnings

• One of the most popular options on a Denon receiver is the Zone 2 function, which allows you to connect another pair of speakers, located in a different room in the house, or perhaps on the back porch, to the Zone 2 output on the back of the receiver. This allows you to have a movie playing in the main theater room while you listen to a second source, like a CD player, in the different room. To set this up, go into Menu/Manual Setup/Option Setup/Amp assign and assign the surround back speaker output to Zone 2.
• Denon receivers have high power outputs. It is best to make all the connections when the receiver is not plugged in. Make sure none of the components are turned on when you are connecting them.