Parasound Halo C1 Controller User Manual

C 1 ControllerOwner’s Guide

Volume and MutingThe large knob on the C 1 front panel normally controls volume. However, when you press the front-panel SOURCE or SURROUND buttons, i

Changing Your Listening and Viewing SourceThe C 1 Controller can accept up to four audio and six audio/video sources. There are severalways to select

feedback, producing a loud, very unpleasant noise through your speakers until you change thesource or press MUTE.Because the signal for the Zone outpu

wraps the sound of the front left and right speakers around the listening area, and Dimension, whichmoves the surround field toward the back or front

Notes:Ye s = THX post-processing is available(Yes) = THX post-processing is not available for this mode and signal typeNo = Mode is not available for

Using the Status and Info Buttons and the DisplaysThe C 1 controller’s front-panel display screen can be set to show the current main-zone operat-ing

The Master and SideKick remote controls supplied with the C 1 Controller are programmed at the factory to operate the C 1, and the Master remote is, f

Page 1 of the C1/C2 MenuOf the items on the Page 1 menu, the MODE–, +MODE,DIM, and ZONE functions have already been discussed in thelast chapter, but

right front, right surround, right back, left back, left surround, and subwoofer. When used formanual level setting, it can be directed to whichever c

•Like the STATUS button on the front panel of the C 1, the STATUS button on the Master remoteand the INFO button on the SideKick can be pressed to sho

Congratulations, and Thank You for Choosing ParasoundYour new Halo by Parasound®C 1 Controller presents the latest advancements in surround-processor

Controlling Other Components In Your SystemExactly what your remotes do when controlling other components will depend on what compo-nents you have and

•PREV CH recalls the last cable or satellite channel you were watching, as long as your cable orsatellite tuner supports this function.•GUIDE commonly

For Further InformationThe Halo Master and SideKick remotes are customized versions of the award-winning HomeTheater Master MX-700, manufactured by Un

As you’ve probably gathered from the many earlier references to this chapter, just about everyaspect of the C 1 Controller’s operation is customizable

Once again, pressing MENU on the front panel of the C 1,or rocking the Master remote’s thumbpad down, bringsyou to the next option, as shown by the on

Audio SetupThe settings made on this screen are “global,” affecting all inputs and modes unless specifically overridden by settings made via other scr

Bass Limiter SetupThe bass in today’s film soundtracks is often far louderthan it is on music recordings or older films. Handlingthese loud bass tones

Speaker SetupTo hear the closest possible match to what the filmmak-ers heard when they mixed their soundtracks, your hometheater must be set up so th

Level SetupFor proper surround, the sounds reaching you from the different speakers should have the samerelative levels as the sounds reaching the aud

Aux (Programmable) Channel SetupThe C 1 includes Parasound’s exclusive 7.5-Channel Enhanced Surround with four auxiliary (Aux)channels that provide wo

Unpacking And Placement Guidelines For the C 1 ...4Getting Started ...5Controls and

Programming Aux Channels 9 and 10Each of these two channels has independently adjustable high-pass and low-pass filters and provision for deriving con

Level and Distance AutocalibrateFirst, prepare the calibration microphone supplied with the C 1, by unscrewing its barrel to openthe battery compartme

in ms (milliseconds), that the C 1 will apply. (This is equivalent to distance, since 1 ms at thespeed of sound is roughly 1 foot or 0.3 meters.) The

adjustments controlled by the “Preset setup” submenu under “Audio setup.” When you select asource that has an associated preset, the preset’s bass and

Display SetupThe options on this screen affect the appearance of any information displayed on the C 1Controller’s built-in screen and on any video scr

Trigger SetupMany home theater components (including amplifiers, retractable screens, and some lightingequipment) can be controlled by DC trigger sign

ways, to see which gives you more lifelike bass). If your subwoofer does not meet these stan-dards, setting THX Ultra2 Sub to “No” will disable bounda

There are more than 100 signal input and output jacks on the Halo processor’s rear panel–morethan you’re likely to use, but enough to ensure you can m

against hum and other noises, especially if your equipment rack is crowded with other components oryour cables are more than 10 feet (3 meters) long.

Connecting a CD or Other Audio Source Component to the C 1For the best possible sound, always use your source component’s digital output, if it has on

UNPACKING AND PLACEMENT GUIDELINES FOR THE C 1Unpacking Your C 1 Carefully unpack your C 1 from the shipping carton and remove all the enclosed access

Home theater systems can have three types of video connection (composite, S-Video, and com-ponent), and there are times when it pays to use all three

Connecting a Multichannel Source to the C 1Certain multichannel sources, such as SACD and DVD-A players, have internal surround decodersand D/A conver

Connecting a Balanced-Output Audio Source Normally, all balanced and unbalanced input signals appear at both the balanced and the unbal-anced outputs

Connecting RecordersRecorders require two-way connections to the C 1, so that you can record from it as well as playback through it. The C 1 has one p

Analog Recording Via the Tape Monitor JacksWith some audio recorders, the Tape Monitor feature enables you to observe the quality of yourrecording as

Connecting a Digital Audio RecorderTo record all your audio sources to a digital recorder you will need both analog and digital connections between th

Connecting a Video RecorderThe video Record jacks, and the Record 1 and Record 2 audio output jacks, carry the same signalas the other main-zone outpu

The output jacks of the C 1 are grouped with the input jacks of the same types: Main Audio OutputsAll audio input signals, whether from unbalanced ana

Connecting Audio Amplifiers to the C 1The basic home theater setup is 5.1 channels: Front (left and right), Surround (left and right) andCenter (front

Connecting Video DisplaysIt may seem odd to connect the C 1 to your main video display three ways, as shown here, butin many systems it makes sense. T

The Parasound C 1 Controller is a complete home theater control center. With it, you can feed signalsfrom any of four analog and digital audio and six

Although the “No OSD” jacks do not pass on-screen display information generated by the C 1,they will pass status information coming from such source c

The C 1 allows you to feed separate audio or audio-video programs to two different areas, orzones, in your home. To feed video and audio to a second z

from the appropriate-side surround channel and the back channel. Time delays for these newspeakers should be set for the distance to the closest seats

The jacks in the control connection area of the rear panel can link the C 1 to a wide variety ofdevices beyond those that deliver or receive audio and

CONTROL CONNECTIONS continued5412-Volt TriggersThe three trigger output jacks transmit DC trigger signals that can be used to control many ampli-fiers

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE55No power Power on, but no soundOne channel deadAll channels on one side deadNo sound in Mono mode Dialog is muffled or inaudibl

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE continued56Bass Weak or Missing,continuedBass from sub does notblend with other channelsHum and/or buzz heardthrough speakers or

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE continued57Remote control does not workAutosearch can’t find thedesired sourceNo on-screen display (OSD)OSD hard to read against

SERVICING YOUR C 158If All Else Fails – Call Us for Help Call your Parasound dealer or Parasound’s Technical Service Department toll-free at 1-866-770

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING 59Balanced and Unbalanced Analog Audio ConnectionsRecording and broadcast studios use balanced connec-tions almost exclusively be

The various types of video jacks (composite, S-Video, and component) use differing connectortypes, but the so-called “RCA” type used for composite vid

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING continued60the C 1 are used for connecting the C 1 to wiredinfrared repeater sensors or system controllers. Notethat the main and

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING continued61Using Unmatched Power Amplifiers:While it’s best to use identical amplifiers for all chan-nels, it’s sometimes more co

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING continued62response down to 20 Hz (including subwoofersthat meet THX Ultra2 standards) are used in typi-cal-sized home listening

PARASOUND C 1 DESIGN OVERVIEW 63The Halo By Parasound components are designed toadd extra distinction to Parasound’s 20-year reputationfor rock-solid

FunctionalityThe C 1 has inputs and outputs to accommodate anyhome theater configuration, the ability to automaticallydecode all current surround sign

PARASOUND C 1 SPECIFICATIONS65Audio CharacteristicsFrequency Response Digital Inputs20 Hz – 42 kHzAnalog Inputs20 Hz – 22 kHz7.1-Channel Input 5 Hz –2

AAC cord, 6AC outlet, 6AC connection, 6AC power switch, 6AC voltage, 6A/D (Analog-to-Digital) Converters, 12, 63Adaptive Decorrelation, 61Advanced Spe

INDEX continued67oOn-off switch (Also see: Rear-panelswitch), 9, 15, 18On-off trigger, 35, 54On-screen display (OSD), 6-7, 10-11, 15,33, 34, 49-50, 57

Parasound Products, Inc. 950 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111415-397-7100 / Fax 415-397-0144 www.parasound.com®V 0.96/6.37 © Parasound Product

Power switch or unplug either end of the AC cord before the C 1 has first been turned off bythe remote control or front panel On-Off button! If AC pow

The buttons are surrounded by a blue halo of light when the C 1 is turned on; the halo aroundevery button (except DIM and STATUS) glows brighter when

Despite its versatility the Parasound Halo C 1 Controller has only ten pushbuttons, a knob, and a display on its front panel. That’s in part because w