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AUDIO/VIDEO MULTI-CHANNEL
AMPLIFIER
VSA-AX10Ai
Operating Instructions


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Thank you for buying this pioneer product.
Please read through these operating
instructions so you will know how to
operate your model properly. After you
have finished reading the instructions, put
them away in a safe place for future
reference.
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The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol,
within an equilateral triangle, is intended to
alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
"dangerous voltage" within the product's
enclosure that may be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of electric
shock to persons.
CAUTION:
TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR
BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED
SERVICE PERSONNEL.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
IMPORTANT
Do not connect either wire to the earth terminal of a
three pin plug.
NOTE
After replacing or changing a fuse, the fuse cover in
the plug must be replaced with a fuse cover which
corresponds to the colour of the insert in the base
of the plug or the word that is embossed on the
base of the plug, and the appliance must not be
used without a fuse cover. If lost replacement fuse
covers can be obtained from your dealer.
Only 10 A fuses approved by B.S.I or A.S.T.A to
B.S.1362 should be used.
D3-4-2-1-2-2_En
The wires in this mains lead are coloured in
accordance with the following code:
Blue
: Neutral
Brown : Live
If the plug provided is unsuitable for your socket
outlets, the plug must be cut off and a suitable plug
fitted.
IMPORTANT
FOR USE IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM
The cut-off plug should be disposed of and must
not be inserted into any 13 amp socket as this can
result in electric shock. The plug or adaptor or the
distribution panel should be provided with 10 A
fuse. As the colours of the wires in the mains lead
of this appliance may not correspond with coloured
markings identifying the terminals in your plug,
proceed as follows ;
The wire which is coloured blue must be connected
to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or
coloured black.
The wire which is coloured brown must be
connected to the terminal which is marked with the
letter L or coloured red.
Replacement and mounting of an AC plug on the power supply cord of this unit should be performed only by qualified
service personnel.
WARNING: No naked flame sources, such as
lighted candle, should be placed on the apparatus.
If naked flame sources accidentally fall down, fire
spread over the apparatus then may cause fire.
D3-4-2-1-7a_En
WARNING: The apparatus is not waterproofs, to
prevent fire or shocks hazard, do not expose this
apparatus to rain or moisture and do not put any
water source near this apparatus, such as vase,
flower pot, cosmetics container and medicine
bottle etc.
D3-4-2-1-3_En
Operating Environment
Operating environment temperature and humidity:
+5 ºC ­ +35 ºC (+41 ºF ­ +95 ºF); less than 85 %RH
(cooling vents not blocked)
Do not install in the following locations
· Location exposed to direct sunlight or strong artificial
light
· Location exposed to high humidity, or poorly
ventilated location
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WARNING:
BEFORE PLUGGING IN THE UNIT FOR THE FIRST
TIME, READ THE FOLLOWING SECTION CAREFULLY.
The voltage of the available power supply differs
according to country or region. Be sure that the
power supply voltage of the area where this unit
will be used meets the required voltage (e.g., 230V
or 120V) written on the rear panel.
D3-4-2-1-4_En
VENTILATION: When installing this unit, make
sure to leave space around the unit for ventilation
to improve heat radiation (at least 60 cm at top, 10
cm at rear, and 30 cm at each side).
WARNING: Slot and openings in the cabinet are
provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable
operation of the product and to protect it from
overheating, to prevent fire hazard, the openings
should never be blocked and covered with items,
such as newspapers, table-cloths, curtains, etc. Also
do not put the apparatus on the thick carpet, bed,
sofa, or fabric having a thick pile.
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This product complies with the Low Voltage Directive
(73/23/EEC, amended by 93/68/EEC), EMC Directives
(89/336/EEC, amended by 92/31/EEC and
93/68/EEC).
D3-4-2-1-9a_En


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The
OFF /ON
switch is secondary connected and
therefore, does not separate the unit from mains
power in
OFF
position. Therefore install the unit
suitable places easy to disconnect the MAINS plug
in case of the accident. The MAINS plug of unit
should be unplugged from the wall socket when left
unused for a long period of time.
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This product is for general household purposes. Any
failure due to use for other than household purposes
(such as long-term use for business purposes in a
restaurant or use in a car or ship) and which
requires repair will be charged for even during the
warranty period.
K041_En
If the socket outlets on the associated equipment
are not suitable for the plug supplied with the
product, the plug must be removed and appropriate
one fitted. Replacement and mounting of an AC plug
on the power supply cord of this unit should be
perfomed only by qualified service personnel. The
cut-off plug must be disposed of as an electrical
shock hazard could exist if connected to a socket
outlet.
D3-4-2-2-1a_En


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Contents
Our philosophy
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Features
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
01 Before you start
Checking the supplied accessories
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Using the remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Operating range of the remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . 7
Recharging the remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Setting up the remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Calibrating the remote control screen
. . . . . . . . . . . 8
Setting the clock
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Setting the button alert volume
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Setting the time-out setting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Resetting the remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Locking the remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Restarting the remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Replacing the lithium-ion batteries
. . . . . . . . . . . . 11
02 Connecting your equipment
Rear panel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
When making cable connections
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connecting your TV
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Connecting a DVD player
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting the multichannel analog outputs
. . . . 16
Connecting a satellite/cable amplifier or other
set-top box
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Connecting a VCR or DVD recorder
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Connecting other video sources
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Using the component video jacks
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
About the video converter
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting digital audio sources
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting analog audio sources
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting a component to the front panel inputs
. . 23
Installing your speaker system
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Connecting the speakers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Placing the speakers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Plugging in the amplifier
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
About the AC outlet
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
03 Controls and displays
Display
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Front panel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Basic remote control displays
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Remote control displays for other components
. . . 32
04 Getting started
Introduction to home theater
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Automatically setting up for surround sound
. . . . . . 35
Other problems when using the Auto Surround
Setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Checking the settings on your DVD (or other)
player
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Playing a source
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
05 Listening to your system
About the listening modes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Listening in surround sound
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using the Advanced surround effects
. . . . . . . . . . 41
Using the Home THX modes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Listening in stereo
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Listening with headphones
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Using the multichannel analog inputs
. . . . . . . . . . . 43
Using the Stream Direct mode
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ
. . . . . . . . . . . 44
Selecting the input signal type
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Selecting USB and multichannel analog
input channels
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Listening to high-sampling formats
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Using the surround back channel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Listening with virtual surround back speakers
. . . . . 47
Creating a center speaker effect
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Using Hi-bit and Hi-sampling
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using Midnight and Loudness listening
. . . . . . . . . . 48
Using the tone control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Switching the tone control on or off
. . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Adjusting the bass and treble
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Reducing noise during playback
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Listening to dual mono soundtracks
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
06 The Surround Setup menu
Making amplifier settings from the Surround Setup
menu
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Speaker Systems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Channel Level
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Speaker Distance
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Acoustic Calibration EQ
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Professional Acoustic Calibration EQ
. . . . . . . . . . . 57
X-Curve
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Checking your surround settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
07 Controlling other equipment
Using the remote control with other components
. . . 61
Recalling preset codes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Programming signals from other remote controls
. . 63
Remote Direct function
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Editing remote control button names
. . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Multi Operation and System Off
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Programming a multi operation or a shutdown
sequence
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Switching components on and off using the 12
volt trigger
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68


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Operating other Pioneer components with this
unit's sensor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
08 Using other functions
Making an audio or a video recording
. . . . . . . . . . . 69
Monitoring your recording
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Reducing the level of an analog signal
. . . . . . . . . . 70
Adjusting the delay of a soundtrack
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Watching video and audio sources independently
. . 70
Enhancing SACD playback
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Using the A/D converters to give greater definition to 2-
channel sound
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Dimming the display
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Switching the speaker impedance
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Checking your system settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Resetting the system
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Default amplifier settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
09 Other connections
Using speaker system B
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Switching the speaker system
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Using speaker system B in another room
. . . . . . . 75
Alternating surround speaker setups using
speaker system B (ITU-R)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Bi-amping your front speakers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Bi-wiring your speakers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Adding a second set of surround speakers for
Bi-Surround
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Using the pre-outs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Connecting additional amplifiers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Connecting an external stereo pre-amplifier
. . . . . 78
Using the i.LINK interface
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
About i.LINK
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
About PQLS rate control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Creating an i.LINK network
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Using the USB interface
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Connecting a PC for Advanced MCACC output
. . . . 81
Advanced MCACC output using your PC
. . . . . . . . 82
10 Advanced setup
The Input Assign menu
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Assigning the digital inputs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Assigning the component video inputs
. . . . . . . . . 84
Assigning the i.LINK inputs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Assigning the video inputs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
The Expert Setup menu
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
OSD Adjustment
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Bass Peak Level
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Dynamic Range Control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Function Rename
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
OSD Overlay
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
12 Volt Trigger
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
THX Audio Setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
THX Ultra2 Subwoofer Setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Surround Back Speaker Position
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
11 Additional information
Optimizing your speaker setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Basic surround setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
THX speaker system setup
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Speaker system setup for DVD-Audio/
multichannel music sources
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Troubleshooting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Power
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
No sound
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Other audio problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Video
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Remote control
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Display
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
i.LINK interface
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
i.LINK messages
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
USB interface
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Miscellaneous
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Surround sound formats
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Dolby
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
DTS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Windows Media® Audio 9 Professional
. . . . . . . 101
PCM (Pulse Code Modulation)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
About THX®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Maintenance of external surfaces
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Specifications
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103