Onkyo TX-NR686 User manual

Front Panel≫Rear Panel≫Remote≫
AV RECEIVER
Instruction Manual
TX-NR686
En
Table of contents
Connections
- Connecting Speakers
Playback
Setup
Troubleshooting
Appendix
Supplementary Information
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Contents
≫Connections ≫Playback ≫Setup ≫
What’s in the box 5
Part Names 6
Front Panel 6
Display 8
Rear Panel 9
Remote Controller 11
Connections
Connecting speakers 13
Speaker Installation 14
Speaker Connections and “Speaker Setup” Settings 20
Speaker combinations 29
Connecting the TV 30
To ARC TV 31
To Non-ARC TV 32
Connecting Playback Devices 33
Connecting an AV Component with HDMI Jack
Mounted 33
Connecting an AV Component without HDMI Jack
Mounted 34
Connecting an Audio Component 35
Connecting a Video Camera, etc. 36
Connecting an AV Component in a Separate Room
(Multi-zone Connection) 37
Connecting a Pre-main Amplier (ZONE 2) 37
Connecting Antennas 38
Network Connection 39
Connecting the Power Cord 40
Playback
AV Component Playback 42
Basic Operations 42
BLUETOOTH®Playback 43
Basic Operations 43
Internet Radio 44
Playing Back 44
Spotify 46
Playing Back 46
AirPlay®47
Basic Operations 47
DTS Play-Fi®48
Playing Back 48
FlareConnectTM 49
Playing Back 49
USB Storage Device 50
Basic Operations 50
Device and Supported Format 52

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≫Connections ≫Playback ≫Setup ≫
Playing back les on a PC and NAS (Music Server) 53
Windows Media®Player settings 53
Playing Back 54
Supported Audio Formats 57
Play Queue 58
Initial Setup 58
Adding Play Queue Information 58
Sort and Delete 59
Playing Back 59
Listening To the AM/FM Radio 60
Tuning into a Radio Station 60
Presetting a Radio Station 62
Using RDS (European, Australian and Asian models) 64
Multi-zone 65
Switch remote control mode 65
Playing Back 66
Convenience functions 67
Adjusting the tone 67
Listening Mode 68
Selecting a Listening mode 68
Listening Mode E󰀨ects 70
Selectable listening modes 75
Setup
Setup Menu 86
Menu list 86
Menu operations 88
1. Input/Output Assign 89
2. Speaker 93
3. Audio Adjust 98
4. Source 99
5. Hardware 101
6. Multi Zone 106
7. Miscellaneous 106
Quick Menu 108
Menu operations 108
Web Setup 110
Menu operations 110
Firmware Update 111
Updating Function on This Unit 111
Updating the Firmware via Network 112
Updating via USB 114
Initial Setup with Auto Start-up Wizard 116
Operations 116

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≫Connections ≫Playback ≫Setup ≫
Troubleshooting
When the unit is operating erratically 120
Troubleshooting 121
Appendix
About HDMI 130
General Specications 132

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What’s in the box
1. Main unit (1)
2. Remote controller (RC-911R) (1), Batteries (AAA/R03) (2)
3. Speaker setup microphone (1)
• Used during Initial Setup.
4. Indoor FM antenna (1)
5. AM loop antenna (1)
6. Power cord (For Taiwanese models only) (1)
• Quick Start Guide (1)
* This document is an online instruction manual. It is not included as an
accessory.
• Connect speakers with an impedance of 4 Ω to 16 Ω.
• The power cord must be connected only after all other connections are
completed.
• We will not accept any responsibility for damage arising from the connection
with equipment manufactured by other companies.
• Network services and content that can be used may no longer be available
if new functions are added by updating rmware or the service providers
terminate their services. Also, available services may di󰀨er depending on your
area.
• Details on the rmware update will be posted on our website and through
other means at a later date.
• Specications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice.
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Part Names
Front Panel
❏For details, see ( p7)
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≫Connections ≫Playback ≫Setup ≫
Front Panel≫Rear Panel≫Remote≫
1. ON/STANDBY button
2. MUSIC OPTIMIZER button/indicator (North American models): Turns on/o󰀨
the MUSIC OPTIMIZER function that improves the quality of the compressed
audio.
PURE AUDIO button/indicator (European, Australian, Taiwanese and Asian
models): Switches to the Pure Audio mode. ( p72)
3. HYBRID STANDBY indicator: Lights if the unit enters standby mode when the
functions such as HDMI Standby Through and Network Standby that work in
standby are enabled.
4. Remote control sensor: Receives signals from the remote controller.
• The reception range of the remote controller is within a distance of approx.
16´/5 m, and an angle of 20° in vertical direction and 30° to right and left.
5. ZONE 2 button: Controls the multi-zone function. ( p66)
6. OFF button: Switches the multi-zone function o󰀨. ( p66)
7. DIMMER button: Switches the brightness of the display with three levels. It
cannot be turned o󰀨 completely.
8. Display ( p8)
9. SETUP button: You can display advanced setting items on the TV and the
display to have a more enjoyable experience with this unit. ( p86)
10. Cursor buttons ( / / / ) and ENTER button: Select an item with the
cursors, and press ENTER to conrm your selection. When using TUNER, use
them to tune in to stations. ( p60)
11. RETURN button: Returns the display to the previous state while setting.
12. MASTER VOLUME
13. Press the LISTENING MODE button (above) to select a category from "Movie/
TV", "Music” and "Game", and then turn the LISTENING MODE dial (below) to
change the listening mode. ( p68)
14. You can adjust the sound quality of the front speakers. Press the TONE button
(above) to select an item to adjust from "Bass" and "Treble", and turn the
TONE dial (below) to adjust. ( p67)
15. PHONES jack: Connect headphones with a standard plug (Ø1/4"/6.3 mm).
16. Input selector buttons: Switches the input to be played.
17. SETUP MIC jack: Connect the supplied speaker setup microphone. ( p117)
18. AUX INPUT AUDIO/HDMI jack: Connect a video camera, etc. using a stereo
mini plug cable (φ1/8″/3.5 mm) or HDMI cable. ( p36)

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Display
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1. Speaker/Channel display: Displays the output channel that corresponds to the
selected listening mode.
2. Lights in the following conditions.
: Headphones are connected.
Z2: ZONE 2 is on.
: Connected by BLUETOOTH.
: Connected by Wi-Fi.
NET: Lights when connected to the network with the “NET” input selector. It
will blink if incorrectly connected to the network.
USB: Lights when the "NET" input selector is selected, a USB device is
connected and the USB input is selected. It will blink if the USB device is not
properly connected.
HDMI: HDMI signals are input and the HDMI input is selected.
DIGITAL: Digital signals are input and the digital input is selected.
3. Lights according to the type of input digital audio signal and the listening
mode.
4. Lights in the following conditions.
RDS (European, Australian and Asian models): Receiving RDS broadcasting.
TUNED: Receiving AM/FM radio.
FM ST: Receiving FM stereo.
SLEEP: Sleep timer is set. ( p104)
AUTO STBY: Auto Standby is set. ( p105)
5. Blinks when muting is on.
6. Displays various information of the input signals.
• "DialogNorm: X dB" ("X" is a numerical value) may be displayed when a
Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD source is played. For
example, if "DialogNorm: +4 dB" is displayed, the source being played is
recorded with 4 dB plus the THX standard level. If you play it with the THX
standard level, lower the volume by 4 dB.
7. This may light when operating with the "NET" input selector.

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Rear Panel
❏For details, see ( p10)
180°
90°
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1. DIGITAL IN OPTICAL/COAXIAL jacks: Input TV or AV component digital audio
signals with a digital optical cable or digital coaxial cable.
2. TUNER AM/FM terminal: Connect the supplied antennas.
3. VIDEO IN jacks: Input AV component video signals with an analog video cable.
4. Wireless antenna: Used for Wi-Fi connection or when using a BLUETOOTH-
enabled device. Adjust the angles according to the connection status.
5. USB port: Connect a USB storage device to play music les. ( p50) You
can also supply power (5 V/1 A) to USB devices with a USB cable.
6. ETHERNET port: Connect to the network with a LAN cable.
7. COMPONENT VIDEO IN jacks: Input AV component video signals with a
component video cable. (Compatible only with 480i or 576i resolution.)
8. HDMI OUT jacks: Transmit video signals and audio signals with an HDMI
cable connected to a monitor such as a TV or projector.
9. HDMI IN jacks: Transmit video signals and audio signals with an HDMI cable
connected to an AV component.
10. Power cord (North American, European, Australian and Asian models)
AC INLET (Taiwanese models): Connect the supplied power cord.
11. GND terminal: Connect the ground wire of the turntable.
12. AUDIO IN jacks: Input TV or AV component audio signals with an analog audio
cable.
13. SPEAKERS terminals: Connect speakers with speaker cables. (North
American models support banana plugs.)
14. ZONE 2 LINE OUT jacks: Output audio signals with an analog audio cable
connected to a pre-main amplier in a separate room (ZONE 2).
15. SUBWOOFER PRE OUT jacks: Connect a powered subwoofer with a
subwoofer cable. Up to two powered subwoofers can be connected. The same
signal is output from each SUBWOOFER PRE OUT jack.

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≫Connections ≫Playback ≫Setup ≫
Front Panel≫Rear Panel≫Remote≫
Remote Controller
1. ON/STANDBY button
2. Input selector buttons: Switches the input to be played.
3. Q (QUICK MENU) button: Pressing this button during playback can make
settings such as "Tone" and "Level” quickly on the TV screen while playing.
(p108)
4. Cursor buttons and ENTER button: Select an item with the cursors, and press
ENTER to conrm your selection. Pressing / can switch the screen when a
music folder list or le list is not displayed on one screen on the TV.
5. button: Display advanced setting items on the TV or the display to have a
more enjoyable experience with this unit. ( p86)
6. VOLUME buttons
7. button: Temporarily mutes audio. Press the button again to cancel muting.
8. LISTENING MODE button: Select a listening mode ( p68).
MAIN/ZONE 2 button: Control the multi-zone function ( p65). (The ZONE
3 button cannot be used with this unit.)
9. Play buttons: Used for playback operations for the Music Server ( p53) or
USB device ( p50).
10. button: Used for repeat/random playback operations for the Music
Server ( p53) or USB device ( p50). Each time you press the button,
the mode switches in the order of (1-track repeat), (folder repeat), and
(random).
CLEAR button: Deletes all characters you have entered when entering text on
the TV screen.
11. button: Switches the information on the display and is used to operate RDS
(p64).
12. button: Returns the display to the previous state while setting.
13. MODE button: Used to switch between automatic tuning and manual tuning for
AM/FM stations ( p60), or operate the multi-zone function ( p65).
14. MEMORY button: Used to register AM/FM radio stations. ( p62)
Tips If the remote controller does not work: The
remote controller may have switched to the mode
for controlling ZONE 2. While pressing and holding
MODE, press the MAIN button for 3 seconds or
more until the remote indicator blinks once, and then
switch it to the mode for controlling the main room.
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Connections
Front Panel≫Rear Panel≫Remote≫
Contents
≫Connections ≫Playback ≫Setup ≫
Connections
Connecting speakers 13
Connecting the TV 30
Connecting Playback Devices 33
Connecting an AV Component in a Separate Room
(Multi-zone Connection) 37
Connecting Antennas 38
Network Connection 39
Connecting the Power Cord 40

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Connecting speakers
You can select the layout of speakers to be installed from various patterns when using this unit. Use the following ow chart to select the speaker layout that suits your
speakers and usage environment. You can check the connection method and default settings. Dolby Atmos ( p70) listening mode faithfully reproduces the sound
design recorded in the Dolby Atmos audio format by installing Surround Back Speakers or Height Speakers. Dolby Atmos enables the accurate placement of sound
objects that have independent motion in a three-dimensional space with even greater clarity.
Yes No
Do you enjoy sound with Dolby Atmos?
When using Surround Back Speakers
• 7.1 Channel System ( p25)
• 7.1 Channel System + ZONE SPEAKER ( p26)
When using Height Speakers
• 5.1.2 Channel System ( p27)
• 5.1.2 Channel System + ZONE SPEAKER ( p28)
• 5.1 Channel System ( p22)
• 5.1 Channel System + ZONE SPEAKER ( p23)
• 5.1 Channel System (Bi-Amping the Speakers)
( p24)

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Speaker Installation
5.1 Channel System
*1
*2
12
45
3
6
*1: 22° to 30°, *2: 120°
This is a basic 5.1 Channel System. Front speakers output the front stereo
sound, and a center speaker outputs the sound of the center of the screen, such
as dialogs and vocals. Surround speakers create the back sound eld. Powered
subwoofer reproduces the bass sound, and creates the rich sound eld.
The front speakers should be positioned at ear height while the surround
speakers should be positioned just above ear height. The center speaker
should be set up facing the listening position at an angle. Placing the powered
subwoofer between the center speaker and the front speaker gives you a natural
sound even when playing music sources.
1,2 Front Speakers
3 Center Speaker
4,5 Surround Speakers
6 Powered Subwoofer

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7.1 Channel System
*1
*2
*3
12
54
87
3
6
*1: 22° to 30°, *2: 90° to 110°, *3: 135° to 150°
This is a 7.1 Channel System that consists of the basic 5.1 Channel System
(p14) and added surround back speakers. Front speakers output the
front stereo sound, and a center speaker outputs the sound of the center of the
screen, such as dialogs and vocals. Surround speakers create the back sound
eld. Powered subwoofer reproduces the bass sound, and creates the rich
sound eld. Surround back speakers improves the sense of envelopment and
connectivity of sound in the back sound eld, and provides a more real sound
eld. Furthermore, by installing surround back speakers, when the input format is
Dolby Atmos, you can select the Dolby Atmos listening mode which realizes the
most up-to-date 3D sound,
The front speakers should be positioned at ear height while the surround
speakers should be positioned just above ear height. The center speaker
should be set up facing the listening position at an angle. Placing the powered
subwoofer between the center speaker and the front speaker gives you a natural
sound even when playing music sources. The surround back speakers should be
positioned at ear height.
• If surround back speakers are installed, be sure to install surround speakers
as well.
1,2 Front Speakers
3 Center Speaker
4,5 Surround Speakers
6 Powered Subwoofer
7,8 Surround Back Speakers

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5.1.2 Channel System
A 5.1.2 Channel System is a speaker layout consisting of the basic 5.1 Channel System ( p14) and added height speakers. Select the height speakers that suit
your speakers and usage environment from the following three types.
❏Front High Speakers/Rear High Speakers
Installation Example ( p17)
❏Ceiling Speakers Installation Example
(p18)
❏Dolby Enabled Speakers (Dolby Speakers)
Installation Example ( p19)

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❏Front High Speakers/Rear High Speakers
Installation Example
*1
*2
78
78
*1: 22° to 30°, *2: 120°
3´ (0.9 m)
or more
3´ (0.9 m)
or more
This is a system with the basic 5.1 channel system ( p14) consisting of front
speakers, a center speaker, surround speakers and a powered subwoofer, and
added front high speakers or rear high speakers combined. By installing such
height speakers, when the input format is Dolby Atmos, you can select the Dolby
Atmos listening mode which realizes the most up-to-date 3D sound including
overhead sound. Front high speakers or rear high speakers should be installed at
least 3´/0.9 m higher than the front speakers.
Front high speakers should be installed directly above the front speakers, and the
distance between the rear high speakers should match the distance between the
front speakers. In both cases, the speakers should be set up facing the listening
position at an angle.
7,8 Height Speakers
Choose one of the following:
• Front High Speakers
• Rear High Speakers

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❏Ceiling Speakers Installation Example
*1
*2
*3
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*1: 30° to 55°, *2: 65° to 100°, *3: 125° to 150°
This is a system with the basic 5.1 channel system ( p14) consisting of front
speakers, a center speaker, surround speakers and a powered subwoofer, and
added top front speakers or top middle speakers or top rear speakers combined.
By installing such height speakers, when the input format is Dolby Atmos, you
can select the Dolby Atmos listening mode which realizes the most up-to-date
3D sound including overhead sound. Install the top front speakers on the ceiling
anterior to the seating position, top middle speakers on the ceiling directly above
the seating position, and top rear speakers on the ceiling posterior to the seating
position. The distance between each pair should match the distance between the
front speakers.
• Dolby Laboratories recommends the setups of these types of height speakers
to obtain the best Dolby Atmos e󰀨ect.
7,8 Height Speakers
Choose one of the following:
• Top Front Speakers
• Top Middle Speakers
• Top Rear Speakers

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❏Dolby Enabled Speakers (Dolby Speakers)
Installation Example
*1
*2
78
78
*1: 22° to 30°, *2: 120°
This is a system with the basic 5.1 channel system ( p14) consisting of front
speakers, a center speaker, surround speakers and a powered subwoofer, and
added Dolby enabled speakers (front) or Dolby enabled speakers (surround)
combined. Dolby enabled speakers are special speakers designed to face the
ceiling, so that the sound is heard from overhead by bouncing the sound o󰀨 the
ceiling. By installing such height speakers, when the input format is Dolby Atmos,
you can select the Dolby Atmos listening mode which realizes the most up-to-
date 3D sound including overhead sound.
Install them either on the front speakers or on the surround speakers.
7,8 Height Speakers
Choose one of the following:
• Dolby Enabled Speakers (Front)
• Dolby Enabled Speakers (Surround)

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Speaker Connections and “Speaker Setup” Settings
Connections
(Note) Speaker Impedance
Connect speakers with an impedance of 4 Ω to 16 Ω. If any of the speakers to
be connected has an impedance of 4 Ω or more and 6 Ω or less, the setting is
required in the Setup menu after the Initial Setup ( p116) is completed. Press
on the remote controller, and set “2. Speaker” - “Conguration” - “Speaker
Impedance” to “4ohms”.
Connect the Speaker Cables
1/2˝
(12 mm)
Make correct connection between the unit's jacks and speaker's jacks (+ side to
+ side, and - side to - side) for each channel. If the connection is wrong, a bass
sound will not be reproduced properly due to reverse phase. Twist the wires
exposed from the tip of the speaker cable so that the wires do not stick out of the
speaker terminal when connecting. If the exposed wires touch the rear panel,
or the + side and – side wires touch each other, the protection circuit will be
activated.