Pioneer VSX-AX10Ai-G User Manual

AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVERVSX-AX10Ai-GOperating Instructions

Before you start0110En2 Use the + and – buttons to set the LCD TIMEOUT and BACKLIGHT TIMEOUT settings.You can adjust these from 20–120 seconds.• The b

Additional information12100EnOther audio problemsSymptom Cause RemedyBroadcast stations cannot be selected automatically, or there seems to be conside

Additional information12101EnVideoSettingsSymptom Cause RemedyNo image is output when an input is selected.• The video connections are incorrect. • Ma

Additional information12102EnRemote controlSymptom Cause RemedyThe receiver cannot be remote controlled.• You are too far away or at a bad angle for o

Additional information12103EnDisplayThe date and time have suddenly changed.• The remote control is low on batteries and reset the date automatically.

Additional information12104Eni.LINK interfacei.LINK messagesYou may see the following messages displayed in the front panel display when using the i.L

Additional information12105EnUSB interfaceMiscellaneous Note• If the unit does not operate normally due to external effects such as static electricity

Additional information12106EnSurround sound formatsBelow is a brief description of the main surround sound formats you’ll find on DVDs, satellite, cab

Additional information12107EnDTS 96/24DTS 96/24 is an extension of the original DTS Digital Surround which offers high quality 96 kHz / 24-bit audio u

Additional information12108EnAdvanced Speaker Array™ (ASA)When you set up your home theater system using all eight speaker outputs and the two surroun

Additional information12109EnSpecificationsAmplifier sectionContinuous Power Output (DIN) (6 Ω)Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 W + 170 W (

Before you start0111En2 Remove the battery cover.3 Use a pen or other sharp instrument to press the reset button located in the hole to the right (abo

Published by Pioneer Corporation.Copyright © 2004 Pioneer Corporation.All rights reserved.<04B00001> Printed in Japan <ARB7292-A>

Connecting your equipment0212EnChapter 2Connecting your equipmentThis receiver provides you with almost limitless possibilities for connecting your au

Connecting your equipment0213En8 Pre-amplifier output/power amplifier inputDo not remove the U-shaped connectors unless you plan to connect an externa

Connecting your equipment0214EnConnecting your TVThis page shows you how to connect your TV to the receiver. To be able to play the sound from the TV’

Connecting your equipment0215EnConnecting a DVD playerDifferent DVD players offer a different selection of connections, but all should give you at lea

Connecting your equipment0216EnConnecting the multichannel analog outputs For DVD Audio and SACD playback, your DVD player may have 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 ch

Connecting your equipment0217EnConnecting a satellite/cable receiver or other set-top boxSatellite and cable receivers, and terrestrial digital TV tun

Connecting your equipment0218EnConnecting a VCR or DVD recorder This receiver has three sets of audio/video inputs and outputs suitable for connecting

Connecting your equipment0219EnConnecting other video sources You can basically use any of the audio/video inputs on this receiver for any kind of vid

Thank you for buying this pioneer product.Please read through these operatinginstructions so you will know how tooperate your model properly. After yo

Connecting your equipment0220EnUsing the component video jacksComponent video should deliver superior picture quality when compared to composite or S-

Connecting your equipment0221EnConnecting digital audio sources This receiver has both digital inputs and outputs, allowing you to connect digital com

Connecting your equipment0222EnConnecting analog audio sourcesThis receiver features four stereo audio-only inputs. Two of these inputs have correspon

Connecting your equipment0223EnConnecting a component to the front panel inputsThe front panel inputs include a composite video jack (VIDEO), an S-vid

Connecting your equipment0224EnInstalling your speaker systemTo take full advantage of the receiver’s surround sound capabilities connect front, cente

Connecting your equipment0225En Caution• These speaker terminals can be under hazardous voltage. When you connect or disconnect the speaker cables, to

Connecting your equipment0226EnConnecting antennasThe supplied antennas provide a simple way to listen to AM and FM radio. If you find that reception

Connecting your equipment0227EnTo improve AM reception, connect a 5–6 meter length of vinyl-coated wire to the AM LOOP terminals without disconnecting

Controls and displays0328EnChapter 3Controls and displaysFront panel1 INPUT SELECTOR dial (page 39)Turn to select a source component. The input indica

Controls and displays0329En8 Input indicatorsShows the currently selected source component. The MULTI CH INPUT indicator lights when a component conne

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These lim

Controls and displays0330EnDisplay1 SIGNAL indicators (page 74)Light to indicate the currently selected input signal. AUTO lights when the receiver is

Controls and displays0331EnRemote control1 Date and time displaySee Setting the clock on page 9 to set this to the current time.2 LCD touch screenThe

Controls and displays0332En2 INPUT 1 / 2 / 3Press 1, 2 or 3 to find the screen with the input source you want. After pressing the appropriate button t

Controls and displays0333En15 INPUT (page 39)Press repeatedly to cycle through all possible input sources.16 SPEAKER A/B (page 80)Press repeatedly to

Controls and displays0334En11 Number buttons (page 54)Use to input a radio frequency.12 DIRECT ACCESS (page 54)After pressing, you can access a radio

Controls and displays0335En11 IN1 / IN2 / IN3 / IN4Press to select a TV input.12 ANTUse to select the type of antenna you’ve connected to your TV.13 A

Controls and displays0336En8 Number buttonsUse to directly access tracks, chapters and titles.9 SEARCH MODEUse to access the search mode (to jump to a

Getting started0437EnChapter 4Getting startedIntroduction to home theaterYou are probably used to using stereo equipment to listen to music, but may n

Getting started0438En4 ‘Auto Surround Setup’ should be highlighted. Press ENTER. 5 Specify how you are using your speaker system. Highlight ‘Go Next’

Getting started0439En10 The Auto Surround Setup has finished! Press SYSTEM SETUP to exit the System Setup menu.The settings made in the Auto Surround

4 En Contents Our philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Getting started0440En3 Change the receiver input to the source you want to play.You can use the front panel INPUT SELECTOR knob or the dedicated INPUT

Listening to your system0541EnChapter 5Listening to your systemAbout the listening modesUsing this receiver you can enjoy listening to sources, analog

Listening to your system0542EnWith multichannel sources, if you have connected surround back speaker(s) and have selected SB CH MODE ON, you can press

Listening to your system0543EnUsing the Advanced surround effectsThe Advanced surround effects can be used for a variety of additional surround sound

Listening to your system0544EnWith two channel sources, press THX repeatedly to select a matrix-decoding process for the THX CINEMA mode (see Listenin

Listening to your system0545EnUsing the multichannel analog inputsIf you’ve connected to the multichannel inputs on the rear panel (see Connecting the

Listening to your system0546EnListening with Acoustic Calibration EQYou can listen to sources using the Acoustic Calibration Equalization set in Autom

Listening to your system0547En• If you want to play DTS-encoded sources, you need to have digital connections. If ANALOG is selected, you’ll hear digi

Listening to your system0548EnUsing the surround back channel• Default setting: SB CH ONYou can have the receiver automatically use 6.1 or 7.1 decodin

Listening to your system0549EnListening with virtual surround back speakers• Default setting: VIRTUAL SB OFFIf you don’t have real surround back speak

5 En 07 The Surround Setup menu Making receiver settings from the Surround Setup menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Listening to your system0550EnUsing Hi-bit and Hi-sampling You can use both Hi-bit and Hi-sampling to create a wider dynamic range with digital source

Listening to your system0551En• Press TONE to switch the tone control on or off.When the tone control is switched off, BYPASS shows in the display. Th

Listening to your system0552EnListening to dual mono soundtracksYou can specify how dual mono encoded Dolby Digital soundtracks should be played. Dual

Using the tuner0653EnChapter 6Using the tuner Note• The remote control operations in this section are accessed from the remote control tuner menus. If

Using the tuner0654EnTuning directly to a stationSometimes, you'll already know the frequency of the station you want to listen to. In this case,

Using the tuner0655En5 While the display is blinking, press ENTER.6 Repeat steps 1 – 5 to memorize up to 30 stations.Naming station presets You can in

The Surround Setup menu0756EnChapter 7The Surround Setup menuMaking receiver settings from the Surround Setup menuThis receiver allows you to make det

The Surround Setup menu0757En• Channel Level – Adjust the overall balance of your speaker system (page 59).• Speaker Distance – Specify the distance o

The Surround Setup menu0758En5 Choose the set of speakers that you want to set then select a speaker size.Use / (cursor left/right) to select the si

The Surround Setup menu0759Ena decrease in the amount of bass due low frequency cancellations. In this case, try changing the position or direction of

6EnOur philosophyPioneer is dedicated to making your home theater listening experience as close as possible to the vision of the moviemakers and maste

The Surround Setup menu0760EnSpeaker DistanceFor good sound depth and separation from your system, you need to specify the distance of your speakers f

The Surround Setup menu0761En2 Select ‘Manual’ then press ENTER.3 Select CUSTOM1 or CUSTOM2 then press ENTER.4 Select the channel you want, adjust the

The Surround Setup menu0762EnProfessional Acoustic Calibration EQ This setup minimizes the unwanted effects of room reverberation by calibrating your

The Surround Setup menu0763EnNote that changing the room (for example, moving furniture or paintings) will affect the calibration results. In such cas

The Surround Setup menu0764En7 If you selected ‘Reverb View’, you can use the cursor buttons (hard keys) to check the reverb characteristics for each

The Surround Setup menu0765EnUse the / (cursor left/right) hard keys to adjust the setting. The X-Curve is expressed as a downwards slope in decibel

Controlling other equipment0866EnChapter 8Controlling other equipmentUsing the remote control with other components The supplied remote control can op

Controlling other equipment0867En4 From the ‘Replacing Device’ screen choose the type of component that you’ve connected.In this example, we’re settin

Controlling other equipment0868EnTo exit without saving the preset you have assigned, press CANCEL instead of INSTALL above. Tip• Pioneer DVD recorder

Controlling other equipment0869En Note• If you see Failed (or OK! doesn’t appear) on the touch panel, or OK! is displayed, but you find that the comma

Before you start017EnChapter 1Before you startChecking the supplied accessoriesPlease check that you've received the following supplied accessori

Controlling other equipment0870En3 Select the button you want to rename.For example, choose the SEARCH MODE button if it was programmed with the ‘ejec

Controlling other equipment0871EnMulti Operation and System OffThe Multi Operation feature allows you to program a series of commands for the componen

Controlling other equipment0872En• You don't need to program the receiver to switch to the input function selected in step 2, or to switch on or

Controlling other equipment0873EnUsing System off• From the remote control Home menu press SYSTEM OFF.The command sequence you programmed will run,

Using other functions0974EnChapter 9Using other functionsMaking an audio or a video recordingYou can make an audio or a video recording from the built

Using other functions0975EnReducing the level of an analog signalThe input attenuator lowers the input level of an analog signal when it’s too strong.

Using other functions0976EnWatching video and audio sources independentlyYou can listen to a sound source and select a different video source on your

Using other functions0977EnUsing the A/D converters to give greater definition to 2-channel soundThis receiver has high-quality 192kHz (24bit) A/D con

Using other functions0978EnChecking your system settingsUse the status display screen to check the various settings you’ve made for features such as s

Using other functions0979EnMidnight/Loudness OFF page 50Tone BYPASS page 50Digital NR OFF page 51Dual mono CH1 page 52Tuner frequency step 9k/0.05MHz

Before you start018En• Do not use the AC adapter or AC adapter cord for any other purpose than those specified below.1 Connect the AC adapter cord the

Other connections1080EnChapter 10Other connections Caution• Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power c

Other connections1081EnAlternating surround speaker setups using speaker system B (ITU-R)After you connect an alternate set of surround speakers, you

Other connections1082En2 Select the ‘Front Bi-Amp’ setting from the Speaker Systems menu. See Speaker Systems on page 57 to specify how you’re using t

Other connections1083En Note• Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet.• You c

Other connections1084En1 Use an i.LINK cable to connect one of the i.LINK connectors on this receiver to an i.LINK connector on your i.LINK component.

Other connections1085EnWhen setting up an i.LINK network, it’s important that the components form an open ended chain (fig. 1), or a tree (fig. 2).The

Other connections1086En• Windows® 98SE – Select Multimedia, and then select Audio. Choose PIONEER AV Receiver/Amplifier from the drop down menu.• Wind

Other connections1087EnUse a commercially-available cable to connect the RS-232C jack on your computer to the 9-pin RS-232C jack on this receiver. See

Advanced setup1188EnChapter 11Advanced setupThe Input Assign menuYou only need to make settings in the Input Assign menu if you didn’t hook up your di

Advanced setup1189En4 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.You will return to the Input Assign menu.Assigning the component video

Before you start019En2 Press the center of each cross point to align the touch screen with the LCD panel underneath. This adjustment will make sure yo

Advanced setup1190EnAssigning the video inputs• Default settings: MULTI IN – OFFUSB – OFFYou can choose to watch a video source at the same time as yo

Advanced setup1191En4 Select the setting you want to adjust.• OSD Adjustment – Adjust the position of the on-screen display on your TV.• Bass Peak Lev

Advanced setup1192EnDynamic Range Control• Default setting: OFFThis setting specifies the amount of dynamic range adjustment to movie soundtracks. You

Advanced setup1193En3 When you're finished, select RETURN and press ENTER.You will return to the Expert Setup menu.12 Volt Trigger• Default setti

Advanced setup1194EnTHX Ultra2 Subwoofer SetupWith a THX Ultra2 subwoofer (or one that has a response to 20Hz), depending on the position of the subwo

Additional information1295EnChapter 12Additional informationOptimizing your speaker setupIn addition to the speaker placement tips outlined in Placing

Additional information1296EnTHX speaker system setupIf you have a complete THX speaker system, follow the diagram below to place your speakers. Note t

Additional information1297EnTroubleshootingIncorrect operations are often mistaken for trouble and malfunctions. If you think that there is something

Additional information1298EnNo sound output from the front speakers.• The U-shaped connectors that connect the POWER AMP IN terminals to the front cha

Additional information1299EnSound is produced from analog components, but not from digital ones (DVD, LD, CD-ROM etc.).• The digital input assignment