Parasound CSE 6.1 User manual

O W N E R ' S M A N U A L
CSE 6.1 Center Surround Expander
www.parasound.com

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CSE 6.1 Center Surround Expander Features
Works with any 5.1 Surround Processor or Receiver
6.1 Information Present Indicator
Fully Remote Controllable
Dual Center Surround Outputs
Rear Subwoofer Output Jack
Adjustable Rear Subwoofer Low-Pass Filter
Calibration Circuitry For Setting Center Surround Level
LS, RS Unity Gain Setting Makes Level Setting Easy
Special Output Jacks for Overhead Ambient Effects
External Infrared Remote Control Input
Gold Plated RCA Jacks
External 12 V Power Supply
Unique Circle Surround®Matrix Processing
Table of Contents
Front, Rear Panel and Remote Control Drawings ............................................... 4
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 6
Unpacking ............................................................................................................ 6
Installation and Rack Mounting ............................................................................ 6
About Rear Center Surround Channel Technology .............................................. 7
Making Connections toYour CSE 6.1................................................................... 9
Setting upYour CSE 6.1 Center Surround Expander .........................................10
OperatingYour CSE 6.1 ..................................................................................... 12
MaintainingYour Parasound CSE 6.1................................................................. 13
CSE 6.1 Specifications....................................................................................... 14

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Important Safety Instructions
Save these instructions for future use
This triangle alerts you to the dangerous voltages inside that may be a shock hazard.
This triangle alerts you to important operating and maintenance instructions in this manual.
üAlways use with the correct line voltage. Refer to the manufacturer’s operating instructions for power
requirements. Be advised that different operating voltages may require the use of a different line cord and/
or attachment plug.
üDo not install the unit in an unventilated rack, or directly above heat producing equipment such as power
amplifiers. Observe the maximum ambient operating temperature listed in the product specification.
üSlots and opening on the case are provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation and prevent it from
overheating, these openings must not be blocked or covered. Never push objects of any kind through the
ventilation slots. Never spill a liquid of any kind on the unit.
üNever attach audio power amplifier outputs directly to any of the unit’s connectors.
üTo prevent shock or fire hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture, or operate it where it will be
exposed to water.
üDo not attempt to operate the unit if it has been dropped, damaged, exposed to liquids, or if it exhibits a
distinct change in performance indicating the need for service.
üThis unit should only be opened by qualified service personnel. Removing covers will expose you to
hazardous voltages.
üAdhere to all warnings on the unit and in the operating instructions.
üTake precautions not to defeat the grounding or polarization of the units power cord.
üDo not overload wall outlet, extension cords or integral convenience receptacles, as this can result in a risk
of fire or electrical shock.
üRoute power supply cords so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed on or
against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point at which
they exit from the unit.
üThe unit should be cleaned only as recommended.
Communications Notice
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in
strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception.
It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with
the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designated to provide reasonable protection
against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. It this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment OFF and ON, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
üReorient the television receiving antenna
üRelocate the AVC-2500 away from the television
üPlug theAVC-2500 into a differentAC outlet so that theAVC-2500 and television are on different branch
circuits.
If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional
suggestions. The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission
helpful: “How to identify and Resolve Radio/TV Interference Problems.” This booklet is available from the
U.S. Government printing office, Washington, DC 20402, Stock No.004-000-00345-4.
Le présent appareil numénque n’ émet pan de bruits radioélectriques dépassant len limites applicables aux
appareils numériques de la class B prescrites dans le Réglement sur le brouillage radloélectrique édicté par le
ministère des Communications du Canada.

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Full Range
80 Hz
120 Hz
RS LS
In Out
Surround Channels Center Surround
Out Rear Sub
Out Special
Out External
Remote Input AC 12V/500mA
External Supply
Rear Sub
Crossover
Designed in the USA by Smart Devices
is a trademark of SRS Labs, Inc.
CSE 6.1 Center Surround Expander
10 11 12 15 16
21 3 4
7 8
7
6
55
171413
Level
Center Surround
Bypass
Calibrate
Engage
CSE 6.1
Center Surround Expander
9 8

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1. Power LED The Power LED illuminates when theAC power adapter is plugged into the rear panel of the CSE 6.1 and power is applied at the AC outlet. 2. Calibrate Button and Indicator TheCalibrateLEDilluminatesto indicate thatthe CSE 6.1 is in the calibration mode. 3. 6.1 Info Indicator The 6.1 Info LED illuminates whenever the CSE 6.1 recognizes potential rear center surround channel information present in the left and right surround channels. 4. Engage Indicator The Engage LED illuminates to indicate that the CSE 6.1 circuits are activated. 5. Center Surround Level Control The Center Surround Level control on the front panel and remote control adjusts the CS channel independently of the LS and RS or Rear Sub channel outputs. 6. Infrared Receiver Infrared signals from the remote control are received through the IR receiving eye.
7. Calibrate Button When the Calibrate button on the front panel or remote control is pressed, the internal noise generator is activated. 8. Engage Button When you press the Engage button on the front panel or remote control, the CSE 6.1 processes center surround channel and rear sub information. Press the Engage button again to bypass the CSE 6.1. 9. Bypass Button The remote control has a separate Bypass button so you’ll know that the CSE 6.1 is in the bypass mode without having to view its front panel indicator. 10.
Left and Right Surround Input Jacks
Use standard RCA interconnect cables to connect the line level Left Surround (LS) and Right Surround (RS) output jacks on your surround 5.1 channel controller or receiver to the Left and Right Surround Channel In jacks on the CSE 6.1.
11. Left, Right Surround Output Jacks Connect the Left Surround and Right Surround Out jacks of the CSE 6.1 to the LS and RS power amplifier input jacks that were previously connected to the LS and RS output jacks of your 5.1 channel surround controller. 12.Center Surround Output Jacks Connect the Center Surround Out jack(s) to the additional power amplifier channel(s) that will drive your new rear center surround speaker(s). 13. Rear Subwoofer Output Jack The Rear Sub Out jack connects to a powered subwoofer for the rear section of your home theater. 14. Subwoofer Crossover Switch This Rear Sub Crossover switch lets you select the frequency range of the Rear Sub Out low pass circuit.
Parasound CSE 6.1 Controls,Connectors, and Indicators
15. Special Output Jacks Connect the Special Out jacks to an additional two-channel amplifier and a pair of speakers to use the Special Out circuit. 16. External Remote Control Input The External Remote Input allows for remote control operation via a wired infrared (IR) repeater system or system controller.
17.External 12V Power Supply Jack This connector is for the 120V - 15 VAC external power adapter that is supplied with the CSE 6.1.

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Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of this precision audio component and thank you for your
selectionof Parasound.TheParasoundCSE 6.1was designedto augment5.1 channelsurround
controllers or receivers to create “6.1” effects and filtering for a rear channel subwoofer.
The CSE 6.1 is unique in its design and operation, so please be sure to thoroughly review
this manual before you begin installation.
The CSE 6.1 requires one or two additional power amplifier channels to drive on or two
Rear Center Surround speakers.
Speakers for your Rear Center Surround Channel
You may use one or two rear center surround speakers. If your room isn’t very wide, a
single speaker will create more convincing rear surround effects than two speakers. You
should select a speaker whose sonic characteristics are as close as possible to your left and
right surround speakers. Unpacking
Carefully unpack your CSE 6.1, the enclosed remote control handset andAC power adapter.
Be sure to inspect the unit for any possible shipping damage. If you notice any, contact your
Parasound Dealer immediately. Save the carton and all of the packing materials in case you
ever need to ship the CSE 6.1 for repair.
Installation and Rack Mounting
Locate your CSE 6.1 on a sturdy surface and out of direct sunlight that may interfere with its
remote control sensor. Place your CSE 6.1 away equipment such as computers or tuners that
could cause interference.
Its panel dimensions are one rack space high (1 3/4” or 44 mm) by one-half rack width
(9 1/2" or 242 mm). It will fit into a standard 19" wide equipment rack when mounted side-
by-side with other Parasound half-width components. Optional parts are available from
Parasound to rack mount the CSE 6.1 by itself or alongside another Parasound half width
unit.
Before you proceed, locate the serial number on the rear panel and record it here for future
reference:
Serial #____________________ Date of Purchase___________________
Parasound Dealer ____________________ Phone Number____________________

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About Rear Center Surround ChannelTechnology
The current standard for digital home theaters is based on 5.1 encoding and decoding. “5.1”
means that there are six channels that are recorded and reproduced discretely, or independent
from one another. “5” refers to the five channels whose speakers reproduce a wide frequency
range: left front, center front, right front, left surround, and right surround, while “.1” refers
to a sixth bass-only channel for the subwoofer.
Dolby® Laboratories recently developed a process for recording engineers to mix an
additional wide-range channel that is used to reproduce rear center surround (CS) effects.
This has come to be known as “6.1” or “Surround-EX.” Dolby Surround EX™ and DTS-
ES® Matrix are techniques used to encode a rear center surround channel into the LS and
RSchannelsof a 5.1digital recording.THXSurroundEX™ is Lucasfilm’s namefor licensing
Dolby Surround EX when it is used in consumer products.
Dolby Surround EX specifications include two rear surround speakers to improve sound
distribution across the back of movie theaters (or a very wide home theater room). Some
companies call their systems “7.1” when there are two rear surround speakers, but their
source is still a single rear center surround channel. Dolby Surround EX encoding and THX
Surround EX decoding are both based on Dolby Pro Logic technology that was developed
in the 1980s.
Tocreate arear centersurroundchannel,Parasoundhas chosena newerand moresophisticated
matrix decoding technology called Circle Surround®. Compared to Dolby Surround EX,
CircleSurroundprovides superiorreproduction of centersurround effectswith “6.1”-encoded
movies as well as deriving more effective rear center surround effects from normal 5.1-
encoded sources.
The Parasound CSE 6.1 reproduces its rear center surround channel from any sound track or
music encoded for Surround EX or DTS-ES Matrix. It offers two identical center surround
outputs, so you may use one or two CS channel amplifier channels and speakers to suit your
home theater’s size and room acoustics.
The CSE 6.1 has a unique “6.1 Info” indication LED. This LED illuminates when the CSE
6.1 recognizes potential rear center surround channel information present in the left and
right surround channels. Because the CSE 6.1 doesn’t require a 6.1-encoded digital bitstream
to derive a rear center surround channel, it can enhance surround effects in many digital 5.1
channel sources and even many two channel digital or analog sources recorded in Pro Logic
or simply rich with ambient spatial information.
TheCSE 6.1also includesa rearsubwooferoutput withits ownswitchable low-passcrossover.
Over the top? We don’t think so. When sound comes from behind you, it simply can’t
“connect” it to the low frequency sound emanating from a subwoofer that is located in front
of you. A special effects explosion or airplane fly-over coming from behind you sounds
much more convincing when its bass frequencies come from the same plane as the rear
speakers.A rear sub preserves the timbre and coherence of front-to-rear panned effects.

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Full Range
80 Hz
120 Hz
RS LS
In Out
Surround Channels Center Surround
Out Rear Sub
Out Special
Out External
Remote Input AC 12V/500mA
External Supply
Rear Sub
Crossover
Designed in the USA by Smart Devices
is a trademark of SRS Labs, Inc.
Crossover
Bypass
LS RS CS 1 CS 2
Input
Crossover
Frequency Level
To Left
Surround Speaker
Left and Right Surround Amplifier Center Surround Amplifier Powered Rear Subwoofer
To Center Channel Amplifier To Subwoofer Amplifier To Left and Right Channel Amplifier
To Right
Surround Speaker To First Center
Surround Speaker Optional Second Center
Surround Speaker
40 Hz 150 Hz Min Max
60 Hz 120 Hz
80 Hz
Surround Out Main Out
LS
RS
Existing 5.1 Surround
Processor Line Outputs
Main
Output
L R
Center
Subwoofer
CSE 6.1
CONNECTION GUIDE

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Making Connections toYour CSE 6.1
Refer to the Drawing on Page 8
Before making any connections, turn off the power to your surround controller and power
amplifier. Make certain that all your connections are secure and that there is no tension on
the cables which could cause them to pull loose.
CSE 6.1 Left and Right Surround Input Jacks
Usestandard RCA interconnectcables withRCA plugs toconnect theline levelLeft Surround
(LS) and Right Surround (RS) output jacks on your 5.1 surround controller or receiver to the
Left and Right Surround Channel In jacks on your CSE 6.1.
Your power amplifier’s LS and RS channel inputs are now temporarily disconnected.
CSE 6.1 Left Surround, Right Surround Output Jacks
Connect the Left Surround (LS) and Right Surround (RS) Out jacks on the CSE 6.1 to the
LS and RS power amplifier channel input jacks that were previously connected to the LS
and RS output jacks on your 5.1 channel surround controller.
CSE 6.1 Center Surround Output Jacks
Connect the Center Surround Out jack(s) on the CSE 6.1 to the additional power amplifier
channel(s) that will drive your new rear center surround speaker(s). The Center Surround
Outjacks areconnected inparallel andboth carrythesame signal.Thesecond CenterSurround
Out jack simply provides a convenient way to add an additional rear center channel surround
speaker.
CSE 6.1 Special Output Jacks
Dolby Surround EX was originally intended to include a channel for center ceiling mounted
speakers in movie theaters, but it was dropped from their specification after movie theater
owners objected to the added expense. That does not preclude you from trying this.
The CSE 6.1 Special Output circuit provides a channel that is different than the CS channel.
This “Special” channel creates very realistic ambient effects with one or two additional
speakers in mid-room ceiling locations. Connect either or both of the Special Out jacks to an
additional amplifier and one or two speakers to take advantage of the Special Out circuit.
The best results may be obtained using a relatively modest speaker located directly above
your mid-room sitting position. This speaker can have attenuated high frequency response
relative to your other speakers, since it’s much closer to your ears than the other speakers
are. Needless to say, we urge extreme caution in attaching a speaker to the ceiling so there is
no risk it could fall on you.We cannot endorse attaching a speaker overhead unless a licensed
contractor performs this job.

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CSE 6.1 Rear Subwoofer Output Jack
The CSE 6.1. Rear Sub Out jack enables you to use a separate subwoofer in the rear of your
home theater.You will discover that rear surround effects are much more realistic when low
bass frequencies are reinforced with a rear sub. The new rear Sub should be located as close
as possible to your new CS channel speaker(s).
CSE 6.1 Rear Subwoofer Crossover Switch
This Rear Sub Crossover switch lets you select the frequency range of the Rear Sub Out
circuit. Setting this switch to 80 Hz or 120 Hz uses the low pass filter of the CSE 6.1.
Setting the switch to Full Range bypasses the low pass filter of the CSE 6.1 and uses the
crossover built into your powered subwoofer. The Rear Sub low pass filter does not affect
the frequency response of the Center Surround or Special outputs.
CSE 6.1 External Remote Control Input
The External Remote Input allows for remote control operation via a wired infrared (IR)
repeater system or system controller. The input jack accepts a standard 1/8" (3.5 mm) two-
conductor (mono) mini plug whose tip is positive and sleeve is negative.Your Authorized
Parasound Dealer or Custom Installer can recommend a compatible infrared repeater system
for the CSE 6.1.
CSE 6.1 External 12 V Power Supply Jack
This connector is for the 120 V - 15 V AC external power adapter that is supplied with the
CSE 6.1 sold in countries where 120VAC line voltage is standard. Once you have made all
of your input and output connections, connect this external supply to the 15V connector on
the rear panel of the CSE 6.1.
Setting upYour CSE 6.1 Center Surround Expander
Refer to the Drawing on Page 4
The CSE 6.1 does not filter the bass output to the LS, RS, or CS channels. Since your CS
channel speaker(s) are unlikely to be larger or smaller than your LS and RS channel speak-
ers, you do not have to change the bass management settings of your 5.1 surround controller
or receiver. If you find you must use the “small” setting for your LS and RS speakers to
avoid distortion, you may need to advance the level of your rear sub to compensate for this
bass filtering.
CalibratingYour HomeTheater System after Installing the CSE 6.1
The CSE 6.1 was designed to make 6.1 calibration easy, and without any need to recalibrate
your existing 5.1 system.The calibration procedure is intuitive and non-technical. If you are
adding the CSE 6.1 to a 5.1 system that is already calibrated, you don’t need to repeat its
calibration after the CSE 6.1 is connected. The LS and RS outputs from the CSE 6.1 will
retain their same levels as before as long as you don’t change the input level controls on any
of your power amplifier channels. If you switch your from host processor LS and RS speaker
output from “small” to “large” you should probably recalibrate your 5.1 system before
calibrating the CSE 6.1.