Features
Remote Control
Inputs and Outputs Notes

Features

K-STAT Discrete Audio Amplifier Outputs: This exclusive Kenwood-developed output circuitry incorporates a thermal compensation sensor inside the power transistor housing. This eliminates any amplifier warm-up period and allows the amplifier to instantaneously adjust to temperature changes, greatly improving sound quality and consistency at all volume levels.

THX Select Certification: This unit has been built and tested to conform to the high standards of sound and build quality set by the THX Select Certification program. THX Select power requirements more exactly match the needs of multi-channel digital program material. This receiver is equipped with a THX mode that may be used to process movie soundtracks so they are heard as the movie directors intended them to be heard. All THX Select Certified receivers include Re-Equalization, Timbre Matching, Adaptive Decorrelation, Bass Management, Bass Peak Level Manager, and Loudspeaker Position Time Synchronization.

Surround Modes: This receiver incorporates a wide variety of surround modes to bring you maximum enjoyment from your audio and video software. The surround modes include:

• THX Surround EX
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Digital EX
• Dolby Pro Logic
• Dolby Pro Logic II (Movie and Music)
• DTS
• DTS ES Discrete 6.1 and DTS ES Matrix 6.1
• DTS NEO:6 (Cinema and Music)
• SRS Circle Surround II (Cinema and Music)
• Arena
• Jazz Club
• Theater
• Stadium
• Disco

Midnight Mode (Dolby Digital Mode Only): Anytime you don't want to experience the loud and soft volume extremes of recorded sound, use the Midnight Mode to reduce volume extremes. This feature keeps loud, dramatic sound from being too loud while ensuring that you can still hear whispered dialogue or other soft sounds.

Panorama Mode (Pro Logic II Music mode only): When listening to music, you can enjoy the "wraparound" sound effect when you adjust the Panorama Mode.

Dimension Mode (Pro Logic II Music mode only): When listening to music with certain recordings, you will be able to achieve a suitable balance from all the speakers by adjusting the Dimension Mode.

Center Width Mode (Pro Logic II Music mode only): The Center Width Mode allows you to adjust the position of the center image.

SRS Circle Surround II: This versatile decoder (patented by SRS Labs) is capable of delivering up to 6.1 channels of audio from any mono, stereo, matrix encoded, or Circle Surround encoded material. SRS CS II includes a Cinema Mode, Music Mode and a Mono Mode. There are four additional sound adjustments while in the CS II mode: Center Focus, Rear Delay, Gain, and TruBass.

Active EQ: You can enjoy a more impressive sound effect when Active EQ is turned on during Dolby Digital and DTS playback, and when in PCM and analog stereo modes. There are 3 Active EQ modes: Music, Cinema and TV.

Speaker EQ: When the Active EQ is on, the Speaker EQ mode can be set according to the size of speakers being used (small, normal or large). The Speaker EQ function will automatically detect the various features of each speaker and effectively create a stereoscopic sound effect.

Surround Back/Subwoofer Options: This receiver gives you the option of using the Surround Back speaker output to drive a non-powered subwoofer. During the speaker setup procedure, you can turn on the Surround Back/Subwoofer speaker terminal, then select whether to send a Surround Mix signal (the Surround Left and Surround Right channels are mixed together) or a Subwoofer Re-Mix signal to the speaker terminals. 

Multichannel Input: Although this unit features built-in Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS processing, it also has a 5.1 multichannel input for use with external multichannel decoders.

Display Dimmer: The display brightness may be set to one of three available settings.

Remote Control

RC-R2003 IR Learning Remote: The supplied TouchZone remote communicates with the receiver via infrared transmission. In addition to being pre-programmed to control most brands of audio/video source components and TVs, this remote also has a learning function that allows it to learn IR codes from other remotes. When not in use, the remote's flat top panel appears blank - but whenever you pick it up, a full set of electro-luminescent "buttons" automatically light up across its surface. When you select a component to control, only the function buttons related to that specific piece of gear illuminate. Five seconds after the last function is performed, the panel will go blank again.

System Control: This receiver is equipped with two Kenwood SL16 system control jacks. Certain Kenwood CD players, cassette decks and MiniDisc recorders that are connected to this receiver through the SL16 control jacks can utilize the following system control operations:

• Automatic Operation: When you start playback from a source component, the input selector on the receiver switches to that component automatically.
• Remote Control: You can operate the connected component with the receiver's remote control.
• Synchronized Recording: You can synchronize recording with the start of playback when recording from CD, MD or analog discs.

IR Receiver/Repeater: This receiver has an IR receiver input and two IR repeater outputs. These allow you to connect an external IR receiver/transmitter so you can use IR to control the unit when it is not located in line of sight of the remote. This input is compatible with the Kenwood IR-9991 or Xantech 282-00, 286-00, or 283-00 models available directly from Xantech. When an IR receiver is used, both the input and output jacks must be used.

Inputs and Outputs Notes

DVD/6-Channel Input: The Audio/Video input labeled "DVD/6-Ch Input" combines the DVD analog input with the multi-channel input for an external decoder. If you are connecting an external 5.1-channel decoder or a DVD player with built-in Dolby Digital (and/or DTS) decoding, you should use all 6 RCA jacks, otherwise only the front left and right inputs need to be used. In addition to the 6 audio input jacks, there are composite and S-Video jacks.

Room B Outputs: This receiver includes a pair of stereo RCA jacks and a composite video output to send the main audio/video signal to another room. You can connect both the audio and video outputs to the inputs of a monitor TV (using the TV speakers for the audio), or connect the audio jacks separately to another receiver/amplifier or powered speakers. The audio outputs are variable level pre-amp outputs and their level changes along with that of the main outputs (the level of the room B outputs is not independent of that for the main outs).

Speaker Outputs: There are binding post connectors for the Front A L+R, Center, Surround L+R, and Surround Back/Subwoofer speakers. They are not 5-way because a plastic collar prevents their use with spade lugs. In addition, there are locking clip (not spring-loaded) connectors for the Front B speaker outputs.