Harman Kardon CDR 30 Quick start guide

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Quick start guide

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MP3 Decoding in Harman Kardon Products
Harman Kardon has long been a technological leader in the
audio industry, with a long list of “firsts” that includes the
first stereo receiver, the first use of Dolby* Type B noise reduction
in a cassette player and, more recently, the world’s first receiver
to feature HDCD
®
, Logic 7
®
and VMAx
®
digital audio processing.
Continuing this tradition of innovation, Harman Kardon was
the first brand to fully embrace MP3 technology by offering
MP3 playback in both a five-disc DVD changer and a CD-R/RW
recorder. Harman Kardon’s audio/video receivers are the first
to integrate MP3 with built-in decoding and both coaxial
and optical front-panel digital inputs. Now, enjoying the
wide variety of MP3 audio content is as simple as playing
an MP3-encoded CD in a DVD 50 or CDR 30, or connecting
the output of a compatible computer sound card to the digital
input of an AVR 110, AVR 210, AVR 310 or AVR 510.
The Basics of MP3 Audio
From a technical definition standpoint, what is popularly referred to as MP3 is more
precisely the Level 3 format for recording audio in the MPEG-1 video compression standard.
In simple terms, this means that an MP3 file is a digitally compressed version of an audio track.
The original audio may be a file initially created for distribution in the MP3 form, or it may be
created from an existing source, such as a CD. The difference between standard digital audio
files and an MP3 file is that the average 3-minute song takes up about 32 megabytes of space,
but the MP3 takes up considerably less memory, enabling more songs to be placed on a single
disc or memory card, with little compromise in sound quality. The compression process relies
on oddities of human perceptions of sound. For example, louder sounds mask softer sounds
so that we dont hear them, and sometimes the same material is repeated in both channels
of a stereo recording.
Power for the Digital Revolution.
TM
MP3 is changing the face of music distribution, as the smaller file size makes it possible to
distribute audio over the Internet without the lengthy download times that would be required
if the files were in their original, uncompressed size. The availability of MP3-encoded music
has also made it possible for consumers to exchange songs via the Internet, or store their
CD libraries on a computer. These files may be transferred to a portable MP3 player that uses
solid-state storage or mini-drives, and if the computer is equipped with a CD-R/RW drive, the
MP3 files may also be used to record MP3 discs. These discs may be played on computers
or specially equipped CD or DVD players, such as the CDR 30 or DVD 50. Finally, MP3 may
also be used for the playback of streaming audio programming in real time.
Harman Kardon Products and MP3
Recognizing the increasing popularity of the many applications of MP3, Harman Kardon has
developed two different solutions that integrate MP3 into home audio systems. For installations
where a consumer wishes to play MP3 files directly from a computer-based source, the
AVR 110, 210, 310 and 510 receivers can recognize and decode an MP3 bitstream when the
output of a compatible computer sound card is connected to one of the AVRs optical or coaxial
digital inputs. At present, the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz
PCI card has the correct S/P-DIF output
and, in the future, more computers and sound cards will include this capability.
For installations where a computers sound card is not directly compatible with the input
requirements of the new AVR Series models, Harman Kardon has developed the EzLink
DAL 150. When it is available later this year, this accessory will enable a direct connection
between a computers USB port and any receiver or surround processor with a coax digital
input. The DAL 150 will include software drivers for Windows
®
98-and-above-equipped
computers that will direct MP3 files to the computers USB port. The DAL 150 will then
transcode the data to the standard PCM format and output it through a coaxial digital
connection so that it may be processed by any digital receiver or surround processor.
When used with the Harman Kardon AVR 110, 210, 310 or 510, the DAL 150 takes advantage
of their onboard MP3 decoding capability by upsampling the MP3 bitstream for improved
playback quality.
Although computers equipped with CD-R/RW drives may create MP3 CDs, most existing
CD and DVD players reject those discs, recognizing them as data, not music, discs. However,
both the DVD 50 five-disc DVD changer and CDR 30 CD recorder are capable of recognizing
and playing MP3 audio files from compatible discs. Both models decode MP3 files and play
them through the units analog outputs for easy connection to ANY audio system.
The DVD 50 also provides a standard digital output from an MP3 disc. Both the DVD 50 and
the CDR 30 are able to read the track title (MP3 Text) information that is encoded as part of
the MP3 disc-creation process.
As an added feature, the CDR 30 is unique in that it plays multisession discs that contain both
MP3 and standard Red Book CD audio tracks. As a dubbing deck, the CDR 30 will also create
standard CD-compatible copies of MP3 tracks so that material obtained as an MP3 file may be
converted to a CD for use in standard home, portable or car players.
With a single MP3 disc able to hold about 10 hours of music in the MP3 format, the five-disc
DVD 50 allows up to 50 hours of continuous playback enough for an entire dance marathon!
MP3 Decoding... 2
Benefits
While the MP3 format has helped increase the availability of audio selections, to date it
has been limited to playback through computer audio systems and portable devices. Now,
Harman Kardon allows you to benefit from the high storage capacity and wide variety of
material made possible by MP3 through the high-quality amplifiers and speakers in your
home entertainment system. From direct connection to a compatible computer sound card
or MP3 player, to playback of prerecorded MP3 CDs, to recording of MP3 tracks in standard
CD-format mix discs, Harman Kardon is the leader in expanding applications of MP3 for use
throughout the home.
Visit the Harman Kardon Web site at www.harmankardon.com.
Harman Kardon is a registered trademark, and Power for the Digital Revolution is a trademark, of Harman Kardon, Inc.
Logic 7 is a registered trademark of Lexicon, Inc., a Harman International company. *Trademark of Dolby Laboratories.
VMAx is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Inc., and is an implementation of Cooper Bauck
Transaural Stereo under patent license. , HDCD
®
, High Definition Compatible Digital
®
and Pacific Microsonics
are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Pacific Microsonics, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Turtle
Beach Santa Cruz is a trademark of Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
®
MP3 Decoding... 3
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Harman Kardon CDR 30 Quick start guide

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Quick start guide
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