AVR-2307CI: Manual Setup

If you’ve dealt with a Denon receiver in the last few years, you are going to be in for absolutely no surprises here. The Denon OSD (on-screen display) menu is still white text on a black background and while it now works over component (it doesn’t on my AVR-3805), it doesn’t work over HDMI. Regardless, with a little practice you can pretty much navigate it from the front display in a pinch. This is important as many receivers with OSD require you to use a display to configure the product. Video and audio inputs are still split up onto different menus (as we’ve seen before with Denons) which is really the only confusing thing about navigating the menu system. Taking it from the top, it is pretty easy to set up your system:

1) Auto Setup/Room EQ

Go here if you plan on letting the receiver set the levels, distances, etc for you. If not, skip.

1. Auto Setup – Sets up your speaker sizes, distances, and levels. Make sure that you have the right configuration for the rear amps (surround backs, Zone 2, front). Also, Denons have an annoying habit of making you press the left arrow to engage things. This is one of those places. If you keep backing out of the menu, you’re probably hitting “enter” instead of “left”. Took me a few tries to figure out the problem so it isn’t just you.
2. Room EQ Setup – You have the choice of All or Assign. With All, all the different surround modes will default to using the EQ. With Assign, you can pick and choose which inputs use the EQ and which don’t.
3. Direct Mode Setup – On for using the EQ while in Direct Mode, Off for not. This includes multichannel music such as SACDs/DVD-A transferred over analogue or HDMI.
4. Parameter Check – Lets you view but not change the parameters set by the auto setup software. Changing comes later.

2) Speaker Setup

This is for manual setup though people that use the auto setup function will probably want to make an adjustment or two here.

1. Speaker Config – Set the sizes (large or small) and whether or not you have surround back speakers)
2. Subwoofer Setup – Choose between LFE (send the LFE to the sub and anything below the crossover to the appropriate speaker for all SMALL speakers, LARGE speakers get full range) and LFE+Main (sends the LFE channel AND anything below the crossover to the sub – regardless of speaker size – best if you have full range speakers – if you don’t know, you don’t). The upside of this is that if you set your speakers to SMALL, it really doesn’t matter which you choose, it is only really important if you decide to set something to LARGE. For most of the people buying this receiver, they should be using the SMALL setting anyhow.
3. Distance – you can choose Meters (more accurate) or Feet (less accurate). Overall, we’re talking inches so choose the one you’re most comfortable with.
4. Channel Level – This is where you set the levels for each speaker. You can choose to set the test tone for manual or auto (manual is better and easier to use). This is a second area where you’ll need to press left arrow to start the process. If you’ve set the test tone to manual, you’ll use the up and down arrows to navigate the different speakers and right arrow to increase the volume (0.5 dB increments) and left arrow to decrease it. Make sure you don’t accidentally hit the left arrow while on the Level Clear option or it, um, clears everything. Though if you used the auto setup, you’re out like 4 minutes of work.
5. Crossover Frequency – Global only – 40, 60, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 150, 200, 250 Hz. For most speakers, the default of 80 Hz is fine.

3) Audio Input Setup

Now we’re in for the fun stuff – did you take notes when you hooked everything up?

1. Digital In Assign – For each of the inputs, you can assign the different digital AUDIO inputs – Coaxial, Optical, or HDMI.
2. Ext. In Subwoofer Level – Yeah baby! Bass management over your 7.1 analogue inputs! This is extremely useful for all those with universal or high def players that are doing the decoding for you. Using a test disc, you can adjust your subwoofer level if you need to.
3. iPod Assign – Tells the receiver if you have a iPod connected via the Control Dock and which input it is attached to.
4. Input Function Level – With this you can bump up or down the volume of a specific input if you find that it doesn’t match the rest of your inputs. For example, if your TV is super loud you can decrease the volume up to 12dB (conversely, if it is soft, you can increase it up to 12dB). This beats the old “hit the input and remember to dial down the volume before it locks in” method that I’ve always employed.
5. Function Rename – I love this one. You can rename inputs so that the display on the front of the receiver matches in the source. While this is mostly useful for custom installers using universal remotes with LCD readouts/touchscreens, it is still fun for the casual user. Even if your better half doesn’t know which input is the OPPO player, she can press all the buttons until she sees it on the screen (or on the TV if it is not using HDMI). For many, that would be a great help.
6. Tuner Presents – Sets up the FM tuner. What I really like about the Auto Preset Memory function is that it works while other inputs are playing. That’s kinda nice – you can listen to a CD or something while you are setting your tuner. You can then use the Preset Skip menu to delete those stations that you don’t want (if you have a lot of stations in your area, it may not have enough slots for all of them – I could only get as high as 105.5). Last you can rename stations of your choice (eight characters max). If you want to program in more stations that weren’t picked up from the Auto Preset, you’ll have to select the Tuner on the remote, hit the proper band (FM, AM, or XM), search for the proper station, press memory, then Shift (until the proper memory block is located), Channel to select the desired preset (1-8) and Memory again to store it. Wow, that sounds a lot more confusing than it is. Let’s break it down. When you Auto Tune, it fills up all your memory slots until they are full – there are 7 blocks (labeled A-G) each with 8 (labeled 1-8) channels. That’s a grand total of 56 memory slots. If you used the Auto Tune, a lot of those will be useless. You can go back through and replace some of the useless ones with channels that you want to hear. You can break down the different blocks/channels however you want but at the very least, I’d consider splitting FM, AM, and XM into different blocks. For me, I could probably combine FM and AM (I don’t like that many channels) but XM I might even use multiple blocks differentiated by the type of music or perhaps the setting. So Block A might be for FM and AM while Block B is for XM Talk, Block C for XM Energetic (uptempo music), Block D for XM Mellow (background music for guests), etc. Note, the Auto Preset is for FM only.

4) Video Setup

1. HDMI In Assign – duh
2. Component In Assign – double duh
3. Video Convert – This allows all composite, S-video, and component video inputs to be sent out via HDMI. You can select which inputs you’d like to have converted – see the Video Setup portion of this review for more on this function and its limitations.
4. HDMI Out Setup – This section may appear confusing but the bottom line is that it allows analogue 480i signal sot be output over HDMI. You would only want to enable this if your display can accept 480i via HDMI - the Denon does not deinterlace the signal to 480p. You can also select RGB or Y Cb Cr color modes as well as select the Normal (recommended) or Enhanced modes for RGB.
5. Audio Delay – If you are havingproblems with lip syncing – you can use this menu to delay the audio up to 200 ms in 1 millisecond increments.
6. On Screen Display – The default is for the AVR-2307CI to display whichever input you selected as well as volume changes on the screen. If this bugs you, you can disable it (independently) here. The bottom Display Mode choice defaults to Mode 1. If you find you are experiencing a lot of flickering of the menu when there isn’t a video signal present, change it to Mode 2.

5) Advanced Playback

1. 2ch Direct/Stereo – Wow, talk about flexibility! If you desire different settings when listening in stereo or two-channel mode, you can do it here. You can change the speaker sizes, whether or not you have a sub, the subwoofer mode (LFE or LFE+Main), the crossover, and the distances to your front speakers. This is perfect for audiophiles who have full range (or near full range) speakers and want to listen to two-channel sources without the use of a subwoofer.
2. Dolby Digital Setup – You can turn the Dolby Digital Downmix Compression on or off. I’d suggest Off unless you frequently find yourself turning down the volume during loud passages.
3. Auto Surround Mode – If you want your receiver to default to the more appropriate surround mode when presented a signal (Dolby Digital +PLIIx for a Dolby Digital signal or DTS+Neo:6 for a DTS signal) then enable this. I personally like this so I made sure it was On.
4. Manual EQ Setup – (I told you we’d get here!) Now, if you’ve used the Auto Setup function, you’ve got an EQ curve and a number of different settings (Flat, Normal, Front, Off). Rather than giving you the option of adjusting those settings, you can enter your own here. So, if you like one of the EQ settings but want to tweak it, you’ll have to write it down, enter it manually, and adjust it here. You have the option of manipulating each channel individually (for maximum control), all channels at once (if you globally want to tone down (or up) some aspect of your system), or the left and right speakers together (front left and right, surround left and right, surround back left and right, and center). While this is probably more useful for custom installers with fancy-dancy measuring equipment, the average Joe with a bit of research or perhaps a penchant for experimentation might find themselves dialing in their systems. The manual EQ does have some limitations – see the Auto Setup section below for more details.

6) Option Setup

1. Power Amp Assign – Front A (bi-amp), Front B, Surround Back, or Zone 2.
2. Volume Control – You can limit the maximum volume to -20dB, -10dB, or not at all. Great if you live in an apartment, condo, or live with your parents. You can also set the Power On volume (configurable to 'Last', or you can choose any full dB increment from -80 to +18) and the mute level (full, -40dB, -20dB).
3. Trigger Out – Assign each 12-volt trigger on or off for each input and zone
4. Setup Lock – Keep your kids, wife, and guests from “fixing” your settings.