Introduction
T
hank you for choosing Harman Kardon
®
! T
he
you have purchased will enable you to extend the capabilities of an
®
-
b
ased multiroom system to four or more rooms with a Harman Kardon
A-BUS/READY receiver as the control point. In applications in which you wish to
add preamplifier or surround processor that is
not A-BUS/READY , a few simple connections to a multiroom or tape output will
enable you to add the power and simplicity of
W
e strongly recommend that you carefully read this instruction sheet before
installing your new It contains important infor
step by step through the correct and safe installation of the unit. If you do not
have experience installing in-wall electrical and telecommunications components
you are advised to consult with a qualified low-voltage contractor or custom
i
nstaller
If you have any questions about this product, its installation or its operation,
please contact your retailer or custom installer He or she is your best source of
product information.
Designed for simple installation by a custom installer or advanced do-it-yourself
h
obbyist, the ABH 4 will add to your listening pleasure by distributing sound
throughout your home with the level of performance and product design
elegance for which Harman Kardon has been famous for more than fifty years
F
eatures
• Simple connection to any A-BUS/ READY Harman Kardon receiver
• Easy interface with existing audio/video receivers preamplifiers or processors
t
o add
cable run to each remote module
• Designed for easy mounting on wire back-boards or for shelf placement
I
MPORT
Wire Separations
Remote control wiring systems must be installed to minimize the possibility of
accidental contact with hazardous power and lighting wiring
.
Never place remote
control wiring near bare power wires or lightning rods antennas transformers
steam or hot water pipes or heating ducts Never place remote control wire in
any conduit, box, channel, duct or other enclosure containing power or lighting
circuits of any type Always provide adequate separation of remote control wiring
and other electrical wiring according to code When in doubt about separation
distances the can be used. This rule requires 6 feet of separation
between remote control wiring and open high-voltage wiring lightning grounding
wire or grounding rods It requires 6 inches of separation from all other high-
voltage wiring unless in conduit.
Cutting and Drilling
Always observe trade safety rules for concealed wiring. Be extremely careful not
to cut through or drill into concealed wiring or pipes Make a small inspection
opening before cutting or drilling
Additional Installation Information
C
ommon wire-splicing techniques may cause the wire to break, resulting
in poor circuit integrity This can cause interference and result in poor system
p
erformance
Dust or dirt can cause special problems on wiring contacts Be sure all contacts
are clean and that all parts are installed correctly to protect them from dust
a
nd dirt.
Y
d
esigned for use with Do not connect the RJ-45 jacks to
any other device
Make sure to follow all instructions when preparing wiring for use with the
E
xpansion Hub and associated equipment. Failure to do so may result in a
potential safety hazard, including possible danger to persons and/or equipment.
If you will be running RJ-45 cable through a ventilation plenum, remember to
use plenum-rated cable to comply with NEC and other safety requirements
Failure to do so may result in a potential fire or safety hazard.
I
f you have any doubt about your ability to work with electrical and telecommuni-
cations wiring you are advised to hire a professional licensed electrician or
custom installer to install this product.
I
nstallation Planning
When installed, the ABH 4 may be placed flat on a shelf or mounted to a wire
back-board using standard wood screws and the keyhole notches on the outer
edge of the The unit’
should not be attached to a back-board. When planning an installation, remem-
b
er to allow sufficient clearance for all wires and connectors that will be attached
to the
The wiring used to connect the READY receiver and
modules in remote rooms may be Category 5 or 5e wiring. Be certain that any
specific safety rating requirements for riser or plenum wiring are taken into
a
ccount, if needed. The speaker wiring should also be in-wall-rated as required,
and may not exceed 14 T
of (4x14) CL-3-rated in-wall wiring and run a single cable from the
both locations One pair will be used to connect the first speaker and the other
will continue to the second speaker
What Is Included
Y If any of the below are
missing please contact Harman Kardon customer ser
• ABH 4 Expansion Hub • Power Supply
• AC Power Cord • RJ-45 Connection Jumper Cable
• Drill a pilot hole and install an anchor or retaining socket sufficient to accom-
modate a #10 pan-head Phillips-type wood screw that is at least 1 inch long
at each side under the circular part of the tracing If you have any questions or
d
oubt about the ability of the wall surface to properly support the weight of the
ABH 4, consult a properly trained installer before proceeding.
• When the anchor is installed, place a screw through the slot on either side
of the
completely secured.
•
Slip the
tighten it securely to the wall.
Connections to an
READY
Receiver
S
tep One: Connect the ABH 4 to the Receiver
Using the RJ-45 jumper cable supplied with the connect one end to the
Expansion In Jack ¢ on the READY
j
ack on the rear panel of your Harman Kardon receiver
Step
Connect the RJ-45 jacks on the Cat. 5 cabling that runs to the remote room
modules to the A-BUS Outputs • on the Make certain that the con-
nector is wired in accordance with the standard Connect
t
he 5 cable in accordance with
the instructions for the module
Step Connect the AC P
C
onnect the
P
ower Input
™. Plug the AC power cord into the socket on the P
c
onnect the power cord to an
Optional Step Four: Multiple
If you are using more than one connect the Expansion Out
J
ack
∞ t
o the
E
xpansion In Jack
¢ o
n another ABH 4, using the RJ-45
jumper cable supplied with the second Then, follow steps two and three
as shown above
INST
I
mportant Safety Note:
Before beginning the installation process make certain that all electronics
p
roducts in the system are turned off and disconnected from their
connection. This avoids the possibility of accidental activation that could possibly
damage the equipment or cause personal injury Do not turn on the equipment
u
ntil instructed.
The The installation process will
v
ary according to which option you select.
• When used in conjunction with an A-BUS/READY Harman Kardon receiver
the
e
quipped with with more
room installations possible through the use of additional
• The ABH 4 may also be used with any receiver preamplifier or surround
processor that that has a or “multiroom” output to send the selected
source to Alter a
C
D player may be connected to the
audio system.
Mounting the
B
efore making any connections to the read the instructions below and
carefully plan the placement of any wiring that may be required. The
be mounted on a wall using the screw slots provided on the sides of the unit, or
it may simply be placed on any flat surface
• T first place the unit against the surface to which
i
t will be mounted, and make certain that there is sufficient clearance at all
sides for any cables that will be attached and that they are able to reach their
destination.
• Although the make certain that the wall surface is able
to support the
•
While holding the trace the outline of the slots on the
“wings”
at the left and right side of the
ABH to the wall.
T
T
o help you use this manual, the following typographical conventions are used to
identify the various parts of the product.
¡ (
number in a circle) Indicates a connection point on the side edges of
the ABH
å (letter in a circle) Indicates an LED indicator on the top face of the
T
op-Edge Connections
¡ Status Input: When the
non-A-BUS/READY source or receiver an optional 12-volt DC power source
m
ay be attached to this jack to keep the
™ Power Input: Connect the small mini plug at the end of the
supply to this jack.
£ A
udio Inputs:
W
hen the
an READY , connect the right
a
nd left audio outputs from the feed source to these input jacks The source may
be a single product such as a tuner or CD player or it may be the T
or Multiroom outputs of a receiver Note that these inputs are connected to Music
Sense circuitry that will automatically tur
ABH 4 when an audio signal is present, and tur
a
udio signal stops
¢ Expansion In Jack: This jack connects to the device that is providing
the
ABH 4. In most applications the connection will be to the A-BUS output on a
Harman Kardon A-BUS/READY receiver
t
he
E
xpansion Out Jack
∞ o
f another ABH 4 when multiple hubs are in use
In all cases the connection should be made using a standard
jumper cable
∞ Expansion Out Jack: If you are using more than one
tem to add additional rooms connect one end of a jumper cable with RJ-45
c
onnectors to this jack. Connect the other end of the jumper cable to the
Expansion In Jack ¢ on the next
Bottom-Edge Connections
§ Local IR Input When the
other than an READY receiver these ter
compatible optional IR receiver/sensor to receive infrared remote commands for
the control of source components in a room where there is no
IR commands received by the sensor will be retransmitted to the
IR Emitter
Jacks ¶ for use with optional IR emitters Follow the instructions packed with
the IR receiver/sensor for the proper connections to the terminals here T
nect wires from the sensor unscrew the retaining screw on the appropriate ter-
minal until wire clamp retracts into the bottom of the terminal block. Insert the
wires following the instructions in Step Seven on the other side of this sheet, and
tighten the screw until the clamp secures the wire so that it does not fall out.
¶ IR Emitter Jacks: These jacks route the IR signals that are received either
by the remote sensor in an
A-BUS module such as Har
man Kardon’
s AB 1 or
from an optional IR receiver connected to the Local IR Input
T
erminals
§ to
optional
remote IR emitters These emitters should be placed over the IR receiver
in the source components to be controlled in accordance with their manufacturer
’
s
instructions
This enables a remote control where an
to control source components such as a CD or DVD player
• A-BUS Outputs: These jacks are the communications link between the
remote
A-BUS modules and the carr
A-BUS modules and IR commands from the
products connected to it. Connect a cable from each remote A-BUS module to
these outputs using standard RJ-45 connectors with cabling wired in compliance
with the
LED Indicators
å Status Indicator: This LED will light when the In most
cases it will light when a Harman Kardon READY receiver connected to
the When the READY prod-
ucts the Status Indicator will light when an audio signal is present at the Audio
Inputs £ or when a DC power source is connected to the Sta ¡.
The Status Indicator will go out 30 seconds after the power or audio source is
removed.
∫ P
o
wer Indica
tor:
This LED will light to indicate that the
ABH 4 is con-
nected to a power source that enables the remote modules and the infrared
relay system to operate
. This power source may be either a connection to an
A-BUS/READY product, the ABH 4’s power supply or through a connection to
another ABH 4. Note that the
in order for it to power multiple remote modules
ç IR Indica
tor:
This LED will flash to confir
m that an IR signal is being passed
through the This signal may originate from a remote
from an optional remote sensor attached to the Local IR Input §.
Optional AB 1
A-BUS
modules
connected
by Cat. 5 cabling
When using an A-BUS/
READY pr oduct,
use the supplied RJ -4 5 j umper cable
to connect the A-BUS j ack on the
recei ve r to the “Expansion In ” jac k
on the ABH 4 .
DVD playe r o r othe r sou rce component with
connection to compatible IR input j ack
Sour ce component
with optional IR emitte r
placed ov er IR sensor
ABH 4
pow er supply
240240
31
FL 8385
P
ower Phones Phones Level
PL AY/PAUSE
1
23
4 5
DIS KS KIP
STOP
SEARCH SKIP
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ABH 4 OM (Large) 3/24/05 4:50 PM Page 1
