Sony Ht Ss500 Operating Instructions

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Amplifier Operations
model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
xSL DIST. (Surround left speaker 
distance)
Lets you set the distance from your listening 
position to the surround left speaker. Surround 
left speaker distance should be set from a 
distance equal to the front speaker distance (A 
on page 30) to a distance 4.5 meters closer to 
your listening position (C on page 30).
xSR DIST. (Surround right 
speaker distance)
Lets you set the distance from your listening 
position to the surround right speaker. 
Surround right speaker distance should be set 
from a distance equal to the front speaker 
distance (A on page 30) to a distance 4.5 
meters closer to your listening position (D on 
page 30).
Tip
The receiver lets you to input the speaker position in 
terms of distance. However, it is not possible to set 
the center speaker further than the front speakers. 
Also, the center speaker cannot be set more than 
1.5 meter closer from the front speakers.
Likewise, the surround speakers can not be set 
further away from the listening position than the 
front speakers. And they can be no more than 
4.5 meter closer. This is because incorrect speaker 
placement is not conducive to the enjoyment of 
surround sound.
Please note that, setting the speaker distance closer 
than the actual location of the speakers will cause a 
delay in the output of the sound from that speaker. In 
other words, the speaker will sound like it is further 
away.
For example, setting the center speaker distance 
1-2 meter closer than the actual speaker position will 
create a fairly realistic sensation of being “inside” 
the screen. If you cannot obtain a satisfactory 
surround effect because the surround speakers are 
too close, setting the surround speaker distance 
closer (shorter) than the actual distance will create a 
larger sound stage.
Adjusting these parameter while listening to the 
sound often results in much better surround sound. 
Give it a try!
xSUR POS. 
(Surround speaker position)
Lets you specify the location of your surround 
speakers for proper implementation of the 
surround effects in the Cinema Studio EX 
modes (page 35).
SIDE/LO
Select if the location of your surround 
speakers corresponds to sections A and C.
SIDE/HI
Select if the location of your surround 
speakers corresponds to sections A and D.
 BEHD/LO
Select if the location of your surround 
speakers corresponds to sections B and C.
 BEHD/HI
Select if the location of your surround 
speakers corresponds to sections B and D.
continued
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model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Tip
Surround speaker position is designed specifically 
for implementation of the Cinema Studio EX modes. 
For other sound fields, speaker position is not so 
critical.
Those sound fields were designed under the premise 
that the surround speakers would be located behind 
the listening position, but presentation remains fairly 
consistent even with the surround speakers 
positioned at a rather wide angle. However, if the 
speakers are pointing toward the listener from the 
immediate left and right of the listening position, the 
surround effects become unclear unless set to 
“SIDE/LO” or “SIDE/HI”.
Nevertheless, each listening environment has many 
variables, such as wall reflections, and you may 
obtain better results using “BEHD/HI” if your 
speakers are located high above the listening 
position, even if they are located to the immediate 
left and right.
Therefore, although it may result in a setting 
contrary to the above explanation, we recommend 
that you playback multi channel surround encoded 
software and select the setting that provides a good 
sense of spaciousness and that best succeeds in 
forming a cohesive space between the surround 
sound from the surround speakers and the sound of 
the front speakers. If you are not sure which sounds 
best, select “BEHD/LO” or “BEHD/HI” and then 
use the speaker distance parameter and speaker level 
adjustments to obtain proper balance.
Enjoying Dolby Digital 
and DTS Surround sound 
(AUTO FORMAT DIRECT)
The Auto Format Direct (A.F.D.) mode allows 
you to listen to higher fidelity sound and select 
the decoding mode for listening to a 2 channel 
stereo sound as multi channel sound.
Press A.F.D. repeatedly to select 
the sound field you want.
You can also use SOUND FIELD +/– on the 
receiver. 
For details, see “Types of A.F.D. mode” (page 
33).
Enjoying Surround Sound
123
2CH A.F.D. MOVIE MUSIC
DUAL MONO
TUNERMAIN MENU
A.F.D.
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Enjoying Surround Sound
model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Types of A.F.D. mode
Note
Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Pro Logic II decoding do not function for DTS format signals.Decoding 
modeA.F.D. mode 
[Display]Multi channel 
audio after 
decodingEffect
(Detecting 
automatically)A.F.D. AUTO 
[A.F.D. AUTO](Detecting 
automatically)Presents the sound as it was recorded/
encoded without adding any surround 
effects. However, this receiver will 
generate a low frequency signal for output 
to the sub woofer when there is no LFE 
signals.
Dolby Pro Logic  PRO LOGIC 
[DOLBY PL]4 channel Performs Dolby Pro Logic decoding. The 
source recorded in 2 channel format is 
decoded into 4.1 channels.
Dolby Pro Logic 
IIPRO LOGIC II MOVIE 
[PLII MV]5 channel Performs Dolby Pro Logic II Movie mode 
decoding. This setting is ideal for movies 
encoded in Dolby Surround. In addition, 
this mode can reproduce sound in 5.1 
channel for watching videos of overdubbed 
or old movies.
PRO LOGIC II MUSIC 
[PLII MS]5 channel Performs Dolby Pro Logic II Music mode 
decoding. This setting is ideal for normal 
stereo sources such as CDs.
(Multi Stereo) MULTI STEREO 
[MULTI ST.](Multi Stereo) Outputs 2 channel left/right signals from 
all speakers.
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model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Selecting a pre-
programmed sound field
You can take advantage of surround sound 
simply by selecting one of the receiver’s pre- 
programmed sound fields. They bring the 
exciting and powerful sound of movie theaters 
and concert halls into your home.
Press MOVIE repeatedly to select a 
sound field for movies or press 
MUSIC repeatedly to select a sound 
field for music.
You can also use SOUND FIELD +/– on the 
receiver. 
For details, see “Types of sound field 
available” (page 35).
123
46
2CH A.F.D. MOVIE MUSIC
FM MODEMPXAUDIO DUAL MONO
TUNERMAIN MENU
5
MUSIC
MOVIE 2CH
A.F.D.
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Enjoying Surround Sound
model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Types of sound field available
About DCS (Digital Cinema 
Sound)
Sound fields with DCS  mark use DCS 
technology.
DCS is a unique sound reproduction 
technology for home theater developed by 
Sony, in cooperation with Sony Pictures 
Entertainment, for enjoying the exciting and 
powerful sound of movie theaters at home. 
With this “Digital Cinema Sound” developed 
by integrating a DSP (Digital signal processor) 
and measured data, the ideal sound field 
intended by film makers can be experienced at 
home.
About CINEMA STUDIO EX 
modes
CINEMA STUDIO EX modes are suitable for 
watching motion picture DVDs (etc.), with 
multi channel surround effects. You can 
reproduce the sound characteristics of Sony 
Pictures Entertainment’s dubbing studio in 
your home.
The CINEMA STUDIO EX modes consist of 
the following three elements.
 Virtual Multi Dimension
Creates 5 sets of virtual speakers from a 
single pair of actual surround speakers.
 Screen Depth Matching
Creates the sensation that the sound is 
coming from inside the screen like in 
theaters.
 Cinema Studio Reverberation
Reproduces the type of reverberation found 
in theaters.
The CINEMA STUDIO EX modes integrate 
these three elements simultaneously.
Sound field 
forSound field 
[Display]Effect
Movie CINEMA STUDIO EX A 
DCS  [C.ST.EX A]Reproduces the sound characteristics of the Sony Pictures 
Entertainment “Cary Grant Theater” cinema production 
studio. This is a standard mode, great for watching almost any 
type of movie.
CINEMA STUDIO EX B 
DCS  [C.ST.EX B]Reproduces the sound characteristics of the Sony Pictures 
Entertainment “Kim Novak Theater” cinema production 
studio. This mode is ideal for watching science-fiction or 
action movies with lots of sound effects.
CINEMA STUDIO EX C 
DCS  [C.ST.EX C]Reproduces the sound characteristics of the Sony Pictures 
Entertainment scoring stage. This mode is ideal for watching 
musicals or films where orchestra music is featured in the 
soundtrack.
Music HALL [HALL] Reproduces the acoustics of a classical concert hall.
JAZZ CLUB [JAZZ] Reproduces the acoustics of a jazz club.
LIVE CONCERT 
[CONCERT]Reproduces the acoustics of a 300-seat live house.
continued
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model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Notes
 The effects provided by the virtual speakers may 
cause increased noise in the playback signal. 
 When listening with sound fields that employ the 
virtual speakers, you will not be able to hear any 
sound coming directly from the surround speakers.
 This function does not work for signals with a 
sampling frequency of more than 48 kHz.
Tip
You can identify the encoding format of DVD 
software, etc., by looking at the logo on the package.
  : Dolby Digital discs
    : Dolby Surround 
encoded programs
  : DTS Digital Surround encoded programs
To turn off the surround effect 
for movie/music
Press 2CH to select “2CH ST.” or press A.F.D. 
repeatedly to select “A.F.D. AUTO”.
Using only the front 
speakers and sub woofer 
(2CH STEREO)
In this mode, the receiver outputs the sound 
from the front left/right speakers and sub 
woofer only. 
When multi channel surround formats are 
input, the signals are downmixed to 2 channel 
with bass frequencies being output from the 
sub woofer. 
When standard 2 channel stereo sources are 
input, the receiver’s bass redirection circuitry 
will be activated. The front channel bass 
frequencies will be output from the sub 
woofer.
Press 2CH.
You can also use SOUND FIELD +/– on the 
receiver.
123
2CH A.F.D. MOVIE MUSIC
DUAL MONO
TUNERMAIN MENU
2CH
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Tuner Operations
model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Resetting sound fields to 
the initial settings
Be sure to use the buttons on the receiver for 
this operation.
1Press ?/1 to turn off the 
receiver.
2While holding down SOUND 
FIELD +, press ?/1.
“S.F. CLR.” appears on the display and all 
sound fields are reset to their initial 
setting.
Listening to FM/AM radio
You can listen to FM and AM broadcasts 
through the built-in tuner. Before operation, 
make sure you have connected the FM and 
AM antennas to the receiver (page 17).
Tip
The tuning scale for direct tuning differs depending 
on the area code as shown in the following table. For 
details on area codes, see page 2.
INPUT SELECTORMASTER 
VOL UME?/1PRESET 
TUNINGSOUND FIELD MUTING
1,2
2
Tuner Operations
Area code FM  AM
CEL, CEK 50 kHz 9 kHz
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model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
1Press TUNER repeatedly to 
select the FM or AM band.
You can also use INPUT SELECTOR on 
the receiver.
2Press TUNING + or TUNING –.
Press TUNING + to scan from low to 
high; press TUNING – to scan from high 
to low.
The receiver stops scanning whenever a 
station is received.
In case of poor FM stereo 
reception
If the FM stereo reception is poor and “ST” 
flashes on the display, select monaural audio 
so that the sound will be less distorted.
To select monaural audio, you can
– press FM MODE repeatedly until the 
“MONO” indicator lights up on the display.
– set “FM MODE” in TUNER menu to “FM 
MONO” (page 29).To return to stereo mode, you can
– press FM MODE repeatedly until the 
“MONO” indicator on the display do not 
light up.
– set “FM MODE” in TUNER menu to “FM 
AUTO” (page 29).
You can enter the frequency of a station 
directly by using the numeric buttons.
1Press TUNER repeatedly to 
select the FM or AM band.
You can also use INPUT SELECTOR on 
the receiver.
2Press D.TUNING.
3Press the numeric buttons to 
enter the frequency.
Example 1: FM 102.50 MHz
Select 1 b 0 b 2 b 5 b 0
Example 2: AM 1,350 kHz
Select 1 b 3 b 5 b 0
If you have tuned in an AM station, adjust 
the direction of the AM loop antenna for 
optimum reception.
4Press ENTER.
If you cannot tune in a station
Make sure you have entered the right 
frequency. If not, repeat steps 2 to 4. If you still 
cannot tune in a station, the frequency is not 
used in your area.
Automatic tuning
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78
0/10ENTER
9
VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 DVD SA-CD/CD
2CH A.F.D.
RETURN/EXIT
TV CH –
PRESET –TV CH +
PRESET +
TUNING – TUNING +REPLAY ADVANCEc STEP C DISPLAYMOVIE MUSIC
MEMORY SHIFT
D.SKIP CLEAR ANGLE
AV
MENU TOP MENU/
GUIDE MUTING
TV VOL
MASTER VOL
FM MODEMPXAUDIO
D.TUNING
ANT
JUMPSUBTITLE DUAL MONO
TUNERMAIN MENU
>10-
F
Gg
f
ENTER
.
H mM
10-
5
1
2
4 3
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Tuner Operations
model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Storing FM stations 
automatically 
(AUTOBETICAL)
(Models of area code CEL, CEK 
only)
This function lets you store up to 30 FM and 
FM RDS stations in alphabetical order without 
redundancy. Additionally, it only stores the 
stations with the clearest signals. 
If you want to store FM or AM stations one by 
one, see “Presetting radio stations” (page 40).
Be sure to use the buttons on the receiver for 
this operation.
1Press ?/1 to turn off the 
receiver.
2Hold down INPUT SELECTOR 
and press ?/1 to turn the 
receiver back on. 
“AUTO-BETICAL SELECT” appears on 
the display and the receiver scans and 
stores all the FM and FM RDS stations in 
the broadcast area. 
For RDS stations, the tuner first checks 
for stations broadcasting the same 
program, then stores only the ones with 
the clearest signal. The selected RDS 
stations are sorted alphabetically by their 
Program Service name, then assigned a 2-
character preset code. For more details on 
RDS, see page 41.
Regular FM stations are assigned 2-
character preset codes and stored after the 
RDS stations.
When this process is finished, “FINISH” 
appears on the display momentarily and 
the receiver returns to normal operation.Notes
 Do not press any button on the receiver or supplied 
remote during autobetical operation, except ?/1.
 If you move to another area, repeat this procedure 
to store stations in your new area.
 For details on tuning the stored stations, see 
“Tuning to preset stations” (page 41). 
 If you move the antenna after storing stations with 
this procedure, the stored settings may no longer be 
valid. If this happens, repeat this procedure to store 
the stations again.
MASTER 
VOL UME?/1PRESET 
TUNINGSOUND FIELD MUTINGINPUT SELECTOR
1,2 2
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model name1[HT-SS500] 
2-682-472-11 (3)
Presetting radio stations
You can preset up to 30 FM stations and 30 
AM stations. Then you can easily tune in the 
stations you often listen to.
1Press TUNER repeatedly to 
select the FM or AM band.
You can also use INPUT SELECTOR on 
the receiver.
2Tune in the station that you 
want to preset using automatic 
tuning (page 38) or direct 
tuning (page 38).
Switch the FM reception mode, if 
necessary (page 38).
3Press MEMORY.
“MEMORY” lights up for a few seconds. 
Perform steps 4 and 5 before 
“MEMORY” goes out.
4Press the numeric buttons to 
select a preset number.
You can also press the TUNING + or 
TUNING – to select a preset number.
If “MEMORY” goes out before you select 
the preset number, start again from step 3.
5Press ENTER.
The station is stored as the selected preset 
number. 
If “MEMORY” goes out before you press 
MEMORY, start again from step 3.
6Repeat steps 1 to 5 to preset 
another station.
Presetting radio stations
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0/10ENTER
9
VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 DVD SA-CD/CD
2CH A.F.D.
RETURN/EXIT
TV CH –
PRESET –TV CH +
PRESET +
TUNING – TUNING +REPLAY ADVANCEc STEP C DISPLAYMOVIE MUSIC
MEMORY SHIFT
D.SKIP CLEAR ANGLE
AV
MENU TOP MENU/
GUIDE MUTING
TV VOL
MASTER VOL
FM MODEMPXAUDIO
D.TUNING
ANT
JUMPSUBTITLE DUAL MONO
TUNERMAIN MENU
>10-
F
Gg
f
ENTER
.
H mM