X + 0 + Y 2 0 M H Z

O W N E R ’ S G U I D EPRODUCT LINE:

SCS178 (230V) DESIGN GOAL: Bring the thrill of live performance and movie sound to thehome environment by calling on JBL’s professional engineering leadership.

SATELLITE TYPE:Titanium-laminate-dome tweeter, reflex-loaded enclosure

SUBWOOFER TYPE: Bass-reflex enclosure

PORT DESIGN: FreeFlow™ flared

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE: Cinema Loudspeaker Series

®

MODELNUMBER:

2

R E A D T H I S ! Important Safety Precautions!

General:1. Unpacking: Check the product carefully. Ifit has been damaged in transit, report the da-mage immediately by calling your dealerand/or the shipping company that deliveredit.2. Connections: Whenever changing, con-necting or disconnecting signal or powercables etc., always turn off all equipment.This prevents transients from entering theequipment and prevents electrical energyfrom reaching you. Keep all connections outof the reach of children. Before moving theunit, be certain to disconnect any intercon-nection cords with other components, andmake certain that you disconnect any powe-red units from the AC outlet.3. Read Instructions. All the safety andoperating instructions should be read beforethe product is operated.4. Retain Instructions. The safety and ope-rating instructions should be retained forfuture reference.5. Heed Warnings. All warnings on the pro-duct and in the operating instructions shouldbe adhered to.6. Follow Instructions. All operating and useinstructions should be followed.7. Water and Moisture. The product shouldnot be used near water – for example, near abathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub,in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool,and the like.8. Accessories. To ensure proper operationand to avoid the potential for safety hazards,place the unit on a firm and level surface.When placing the unit on a shelf, be certainthat the shelf and any mounting hardwarecan support the product’s weight. Do notplace this product on an unstable cart, stand,tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall,causing serious injury to a child or adult, andserious damage to the product. Use only witha cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table recom-mended by the manufacturer, or sold with theproduct. Any mounting of the product shouldfollow the manufacturer’s instructions, andshould use a mounting accessory recom-mended by the manufacturer.

9. Wall or Ceiling Mounting. The productshould be mounted on a wall or ceiling onlywhen and as recommended by the manu-facturer.10. Cleaning. Unplug this product from thewall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquidcleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a dampcloth for cleaning.11. Attachments. Do not use attachments notrecommended by the product manufacturer,as they may cause hazards.12. Replacement Parts. When replacementparts are required, be sure the service tech-nician has used replacement parts specifiedby the manufacturer or that have the samecharacteristics as the original part.Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire,electric shock or other hazards.13. Safety Check. Upon completion of anyservice or repairs to this product, ask theservice technician to perform safety checksto determine that the product is in properoperating condition.14. Feet/Spikes. When positioning, or movingthis product ensure that is lifted rather thandragged across any floor/mounting surface.This will avoid any damage to the floor/-mounting surface. Attention! Products and/orproduct feet constructed of rubber or plasticsmay, in seldom cases, react chemically anddiscolor treated or non-treated wooden sur-faces if positioned without protection.15. Warranty: The following conditions mayresult in a void product warranty:a. the manufacturers serial number is remo-

ved or forged.b. if repairs and/or modifications and/or other

treatments/tunings have been carried outby non-authorized personnel oraccessories/supplements are attached,which are not approved bymanufacturer/importer.

16. Warranty: The following items are notcovered by the product warranty:a. Damage caused by inappropriate handling

despite clear instructions provided in theowners manual.

b. Damage to mechanical parts (such asrecord-/playback heads, moving rubberand plastic parts and fuses) as well asresults of normal wear and tear.

c. Damage caused by external action orinfluence.

d. Damage caused by miss-use by user.e. Damage caused by excessive electrical

mains supply voltage or lightning strike.f. Damage caused by fire, water or smoke.g. Damage known to buyer prior to purchase.h. Damage caused by professional employ-

ment of home entertainment products (e.g.for catering trade, restaurants, public ad-dress or infinite loop announcement useetc.)

17. Specifications: All product specifica-tions/features are subject to change withoutnotification.Passive Products:18. Amplifiers: Amplifiers used to drive theseunits must deliver a sufficient output power. Alack of output power may lead to amplifier-clipping, which causes damage not coveredby guarantee.

Active (Powered) Products:19. Ventilation. Slots and openings in thecabinet are provided for ventilation and toensure reliable operation of the product andto protect it from overheating, and theseopenings must not be blocked or covered.The openings should never be blocked byplacing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, orother similar surface. This product should notbe placed in a built-in installation such as abookcase or rack unless proper ventilation isprovided or the manufacturer’s instructionshave been adhered to.Make certain that the proper space (morethan 10cm) is provided both above and belowthe unit for ventilation. If the amplifier will beinstalled in a cabinet or other enclosed area,make certain that there is sufficient airmovement within the cabinet, with meansprovided for hot air to exit and for cool air tobe brought in.Do not obstruct the ventilation slots on thetop of the unit or place objects directly overthem. Remember, power amplifiers generateheat, and the heatsink fins and ventilationslots that form part of the cabinet are spe-cially designed to remove this heat. Placingother electronic equipment near these heat-dissipation systems may possibly affect thelong term reliability of both your amplifier andthe objects placed above it.Do not place CDs, record jackets, owner’smanuals or other paper on top of or beneaththe unit or in between products containingamplifiers in a stack. This will block the airflow, causing degraded performance and apossible fire hazard.20. Power Sources. This product should beoperated only from the type of power sourceindicated on the marking label. If you are notsure of the type of power supply to yourhome, consult your product dealer or localpower company. For products intended tooperate from battery power, or other sources,refer to the operating instructions.21. Grounding or Polarization. This productmay be equipped with a polarized alternating-current line plug (a plug having one bladewider than the other). This plug will fit into thepower outlet only one way. This is a safetyfeature. If you are unable to insert the plugfully into the outlet, try reversing the plug. Ifthe plug should still fail to fit, contact yourelectrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of thepolarized plug.22. Power-Cord Protection. Power-supplycords should be routed so that they are notlikely to be walked on or pinched by itemsplaced upon or against them, paying parti-cular attention to cords at plugs, con-venience receptacles, and the point wherethey exit from the product. To avoid safetyhazards, use only the power cord suppliedwith your unit. If a replacement cord is used,make certain that it is of a similar gauge. Wedo not recommend using extension cordswith this product. As with all electricaldevices, do not run power cords under rugsor carpets or place heavy objects on powercords. Damaged power cords should bereplaced immediately, by a qualified servicetechnician, with cords meeting factoryspecifications. When disconnecting thepower cord from an AC outlet, always pull theplug; never pull the cord.

CAUTIONRISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION: To prevent electric shock, do not remove the grounding plug on the power cord, or use any plug

or extension cord that does not have a grounding plug provided.

Make certain that the AC outlet is properly grounded.

Do not use an adapter plug with this product.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

3

I N C L U D E D

Four satellites for left/right front and surrounds.

One center channel speaker. Powered subwoofer.

For more than 50 years, JBLhas been involved in everyaspect of music and filmrecording and reproduction,from live performances to therecordings you play in yourhome, car or office.

We’re confident that the JBLsystem you have chosen willprovide every note of enjomentthat you expected – and thatwhen you think aboutpurchasing additional audioequipment for your home, car

or office, you will once againchoose JBL.

JBL Consumer Products

T H A N K Y O U F O R C H O O S I N G J B L

Two 6.1-meter (20-foot) speakercables for connection fromreceiver to subwoofer.

Two 4.6-meter (15-foot) speakercables for connection fromsubwoofer to front speakers.

Three 12.2-meter (40-foot)speaker cables for connectionfrom receiver to left and rightrear satellites and centerspeaker.

23. Non-use Periods. The power cord ofthe product should be unplugged from theoutlet when left unused for long periods oftime.24. Lightning. For added protection for thisproduct during a lightning storm, or when itis left unattended and unused for longperiods of time, unplug it from the walloutlet and disconnect the antenna or cablesystem. This will prevent damage to theproduct due to lightning and power-linesurges.25. Overloading. Do not overload wall out-lets, extension cords, or integral conven-ience receptacles, as this can result in arisk of fire or electric shock.

26. Damage Requiring Service. Unplug thisproduct from the wall outlet and referservicing to qualified service personnelunder the following conditions:a. The power-supply cord or the plug has

been damaged; orb. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been

spilled into, the product; orc. The product has been exposed to rain or

water; ord. The product does not operate normally

when following the operatinginstructions. Adjust only those controlsthat are covered by the operatinginstructions, as an improper adjustmentof other controls may result in damageand will often require extensive work bya qualified technician to restore theproduct to its normal operation; or

e. The product has been dropped, or theenclosure damaged; or

f. The product does not appear to operatenormally or exhibits a marked change inperformance.

27. Servicing. Do not attempt to servicethis product yourself, as opening orremoving covers may expose you todangerous voltage or other hazards. Referall servicing to qualified service personnel.28. Object and Liquid Entry. Never pushobjects of any kind into this productthrough openings, as they may touchdangerous voltage points or short-outparts that could result in a fire or electricshock. Never spill liquid of any kind on theproduct. The apparatus shall not beexposed to dripping or splashing and noobjects filled with liquids, such as vases,shall be placed on the apparatus.29. Heat. The product should be situatedaway from heat sources such as radiators,heat registers, stoves or other products(including amplifiers) that produce heat.Avoid installation in extremely hot or coldlocations, in an area that is exposed todirect sunlight or near heating equipment.When positioning the product in its finallocation, make certain that it has adequateventilation on all sides, as well as on thetop and bottom.

4

150-180 cm

0 – 0.6m (0 – 2 ft.)

Subwoofer

Surround Speakers

Front Speakers

The front speakers should beplaced the same distance fromeach other as they are from thelistening position. They shouldbe placed at about the sameheight from the floor as thelisteners’ ears will be, or theymay be angled toward thelisteners.

The center channel speakershould be placed slightlybehind the front left and rightspeakers, and no more thantwo feet above or below thetweeters of the left and rightspeakers. It is often convenientto set the center speaker on topof the television set, as shownin the drawing.

The two surround speakersshould be placed slightlybehind the listening positionand, ideally, should face eachother and be at a level higherthan the listeners’ ears. If thatis not possible, they may beplaced on a wall behind thelistening position, facing for-ward. The surround speakersshould not call attention tothemselves. Experiment withtheir placement until you hear adiffuse, ambient soundaccompanying the mainprogram material heard in thefront speakers.The low-frequency materialreproduced by the subwoofer ismostly omnidirectional, and thisspeaker may be placed in aconvenient location in the

room. However, the bestreproduction of bass will beheard when the subwoofer isplaced in a corner along thesame wall as the frontspeakers. Experiment withsubwoofer placement bytemporarily placing thesubwoofer in the listeningposition and moving around theroom until the bassreproduction is best. Place thesubwoofer in that location.

Center Channel Speaker

S P E A K E R P L A C E M E N T

5

M O U N T I N G O P T I O N S

Satellites and Surrounds

On shelves.

Wall-Mounting

The customer is responsible forproper selection and use ofmounting hardware, availablethrough hardware stores, toproperly and safely wall-mountthe speakers.

On the wall. Wall bracketsare included.

On optional stands.

6

Separate and strip the ends ofthe speaker wire as shown.Speakers and electronicsterminals have corresponding(+) and (–) terminals. Mostmanu-facturers of speakersand electronics, including JBL,use red to denote the (+)terminal and black for the (–)terminal.The (+) lead of the speaker wireis noted with a stripe. It isimportant to connect allspeakers identically: (+) on thespeaker to (+) on the amplifierand (–) on the speaker to (–) on

the amplifier. Wiring “out ofphase” results in thin sound,weak bass and a poor stereoimage.With the advent of multichannelsurround-sound systems,connecting all of the speakersin your system with the correctpolarity remains equallyimportant in order to preservethe proper ambience anddirectionality of the programmaterial.

S P E A K E R C O N N E C T I O N S

Connection Tips

7

Dolby* Pro Logic* (Non-Digital) – Speaker Level

Use this installation method forDolby Pro Logic applications(not Dolby Digital, DTS® orother digital processing),where the receiver/processordoes not have a subwooferoutput, or a volume-controlledpreamp (line-) level output:Connect your receiver oramplifier’s front left and rightspeaker terminals to the leftand right terminals on thesubwoofer that are marked“High Level In.” Connect theleft and right terminals on thesubwoofer that are marked“High Level Out” to the cor-responding terminals on theback of your front left and rightspeakers.Connect your receiver oramplifier’s center, left and rightsurround-speaker terminals tothe corresponding terminals onthe back of your center, left andright surround speakers.

Right Front

Right Surround

Left Front

Left Surround

Center

+ – + –

+ –

+ –+ – + –

+ –

Left Front Center

+ –

Left Surround

Right Front

+ –

Right Surround

+ –

Subwoofer

Receiver

HIGH LEVEL+ – – +L R

OUT

IN

Dolby Pro Logic (Non-Digital) – Line Level

8

Use this installation method forDolby Pro Logic appli-cations(not Dolby Digital, DTS® orother digital processing), wherethe receiver/processor isequipped with a subwooferoutput, or a volume-controlled

preamp (line-) level output:Use RCA-type patch cords to connect the line-levelsubwoofer outputs on yourreceiver or amplifier to the line-level inputs on the subwoofer.IMPORTANT: Do not use the

LFE input on the subwooferwith Dolby Pro Logicprocessors. Note: If yourreceiver or amplifier only hasone subwoofer output jack,then you will need to use a Y-connector (not included). Plugthe male end of the Y-connector into your receiver oramplifier’s subwoofer outputjack, and connect each of thetwo female ends to separateRCA-type patch cords. Finally,plug the RCA-type patch cordsinto the line-level inputs on thesubwoofer.Connect each speaker to thecorresponding speakerterminals on your receiver oramplifier.

Dolby Digital or DTS® (or Other Digital Surround Mode) Connection

+ –

+ –

+ –

+ –

+ –

+ –+ –

+ –+ –+ –

Receiver

Subwoofer Out

LeftFront

LeftRear

RightFront

RightRear

Subwoofer

R L

R

L

Center

Line-Level

In

Right Surround

Right Front

Left Surround

Left FrontCenter

Use this installation method forDolby Digital, DTS® or otherdigital surround processors: Use the line-level input jackmarked “LFE” for the Low-Frequency Effects channel.Connect this jack to the LFE

output or subwoofer output on your receiver or amplifier.Connect each speaker to thecorresponding speakerterminals on your receiver oramplifier.Make sure that you haveconfigured your surround-sound processor for“Subwoofer On.” The front left,front right, center and rearspeakers should all be set to“Small.”

Note:When using the LFE input, thesubwoofer's Crossover controlis NOT active, because thisfunction is controlled by yoursurround processor.When using the LFE input, setthe subwoofer's Volume controlto "Max" and calibrate thesubwoofer level along with theother speakers according tothe set-up instructions in theowner's manual for yoursurround receiver/amplifier.

LINE LEVEL IN

LFE INPUTLFE OUTL

R

SUBWOOFERRECEIVER

9

O P E R A T I O N

MIN MAX

SubwooferLevel

MIN MAX

SubwooferLevel

Press the Master PowerSwitch (marked Power ¡) tothe ON position to use thesubwoofer. When your receiveror amplifier is off, or is notsending program material tothe subwoofer, the subwooferwill be in standby mode. Whenthe subwoofer senses an audiosignal, it will automatically turnitself on. If the subwoofer does

not sense a signal afterapproximately twenty minutes,it will automatically go intostandby mode. If you will beaway from home for anextended period of time, or ifthe subwoofer will not be used,switch the Master Powerswitch ¡ to the "OFF" position.

Volume

HIGH LEVEL+ – – +

CAUTIONRISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

OUT

IN

L RLINE LEVEL IN

LFEL

R

AC 230V~50Hz200 Watts

IMPORTANT: CONNECT STRIPED WIRE TO RED ( ) SPEAKER TERMINAL.+

0° 180°PHASE

Volume can be adjusted usingthe Subwoofer Volume Control£, as shown.

The crossover filter betweenthe subwoofer and satellitescan be adjusted using theCrossover Control ¢. The

optimum setting for the SCS178 system is with theCrossover Control ¢ set to the "Min" position.

™

¢ ¡ £

Crossover

P H A S EThe Phase Control ™ determineswhether the subwoofer’s piston-like action moves in and out inphase with the main speakers oropposite the main speakers. This isadjusted by pressing the button tothe 0°, or 180° position. The 0°position of the phase button playsthe bass signal in phase with themain speakers. The 180° positionplays the bass signal 180º, or out ofphase with the main speakers.Proper phase adjustment dependson several variables such assubwoofer placement and listenerposition. Adjust the phase switch tooptimize bass output at thelistening position.Every system, room and listener isdifferent. There are no right orwrong settings. This switch offersthe added flexibility to adjust yoursubwoofer for optimumperformance for your specificlistening conditions without havingto move your speakers. If at sometime in the future you happen torearrange your listening room, andmove your speakers, you shouldexperiment with the phase switchin both positions, and leave it in theposition that optimizes bassperformance for your taste.

10

If there is no sound from any ofthe speakers:• Check that receiver/amplifier

is on and a source is playing.• Check that the powered

subwoofer is plugged in, itsPower switch ¡ is switchedon to the “ON•” position.

• Check all wires andconnections betweenreceiver/ amplifier andspeakers. Make sure all wiresare connected. Make surenone of the speaker wires arefrayed, cut or punctured.

• Review proper operation ofyour receiver/amplifier.

If there is no sound comingfrom one speaker:• Check the “Balance” control

on your receiver/amplifier.• Check all wires and con-

nections between receiver/amplifier and speakers. Makesure all wires are connected.Make sure none of thespeaker wires are frayed, cutor punctured.

• In Dolby Digital or DTS®

modes, make sure that thereceiver/processor isconfigured so that thespeaker in question isenabled.

If there is no sound from thecenter speaker:• Check all wires and

connections betweenreceiver/amplifier and speaker. Makesure all wires are connected.Make sure none of thespeaker wires are frayed, cutor punctured.

• If your receiver/processor isset in Dolby Pro Logic mode,make sure the center speakeris not in phantom mode.

• If your receiver/processor is set in Dolby Digital or DTS®

mode, make sure thereceiver/processor is con-figured so that the centerspeaker is enabled.

If the system plays at lowvolumes but shuts off asvolume is increased:• Check all wires and connecti-

ons between receiver/amplifier and speakers. Makesure all wires are connected.Make sure none of thespeaker wires are frayed, cutor punctured.

• If more than one pair of mainspeakers is being used, checkthe minimum impedancerequirements of yourreceiver/amplifier.

If there is low (or no) bass output:• Make sure the connections to

the left and right “SpeakerInputs” have the correctpolarity (+ and –).

• Make sure the subwoofer isplugged into an activeelectrical outlet.

• Make sure the poweredsubwoofer is plugged in andswitched on.

• In Dolby Digital or DTS®

modes, make sure yourreceiver/processor isconfigured so that thesubwoofer and LFE output areenabled.

If there is no sound from thesurround speakers:• Check all wires and

connections betweenreceiver/ amplifier andspeakers. Make sure all wiresare connected. Make surenone of the speaker wires arefrayed, cut or punctured.

• Review proper operation ofyour receiver/amplifier and itssurround-sound features.

• Make sure the movie or TVshow you are watching isrecorded in a surround-soundmode. If it is not, check to seeif your receiver/ amplifier hasother surround modes youmay use.

• In Dolby Digital or DTS®

modes, make sure yourreceiver/processor isconfigured so that thesurround speakers areenabled.

• Review the operation of yourDVD player and the jacket ofyour DVD to make sure thatthe DVD features the desiredDolby Digital or DTS® mode,and that you have properlyselected that mode using boththe DVD player’s menu andthe DVD disc’s menu.

T R O U B L E S H O O T I N G

11

Declaration of Conformity

We, Harman Consumer International2, route de Tours 72500 Château-du-LoirFrance

declare in own responsibility, that the product

described in this owner’s manual is in

compliance with technical standards:

EN 60065:1998

EN 55013/A14:1999

EN 55020/A14:1999

EN 61000-3-2/A14:2000

EN 61000-3-3/1.1995

EN 50081-1:1992

EN 50082-1:1992

Luc Emmanuel GodardJBL,

Harman Consumer InternationalFrance, 08/01

JBL Consumer Products250 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797Europe: 2. Route de Tours, 72500 Château du Loir, France

www.jbl.com

©2001 JBL, Incorporated.

JBL is a registered trademark of JBL, Incorporated.

Part No.1111-SCS178

Refinements may be made on occasion to existing products without notice, but will always meet or exceed original specifications unless otherwise stated.Simply Cinema is a registered trademark of JBL, Incorporated.

* Dolby and Pro Logic are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.DTS® is a registered trademark of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.

SCS178 SatelliteFrequency Response (-6dB): 90Hz – 22kHzSensitivity (2.83V/1m): 86dBNominal Impedance: 4 OhmsRecommended Amplifier Power 25 – 100 Watts RMS per ChannelDrive Units: 12mm Polyamide/Titanium Laminate Video-shielded HF

100mm Paper Cone Video-shielded Mid/BassDimensions (H x W x D): 235mm x 140mm x 179mm (9.3" x 5.5" x 7")Weight: 2.8kg (6.2lb)

SCS178 CenterFrequency Response (-6dB): 100Hz – 22kHzSensitivity (2.83V/1m): 88dBNominal Impedance: 4 OhmsRecommended Amplifier Power 25 – 100 Watts RMS per ChannelDrive Units: 12mm Polyamide/Titanium Laminate Video-shielded HF

Dual 100mm Paper Cone Video-shielded Mid/BassDimensions (H x W x D): 145mm x 402mm x 155mm (5.7" x 15.8" x 6.1")Weight: 4.5kg (9.9lb)

SCS178 Active SubwooferLow Frequency Cut-off: 35HzHigh Frequency Cut-off: 40 Hz - 160Hz VariableBuilt-in Power Amplifier: 100 Watts RMSDrive Unit: 200mm Paper Cone Long Throw Driver. Bass Reflex EnclosureDimensions (H x W x D): 450mm x 250mm x 360mm (17.7" x 9.8" x 14.2")Weight: 13.6kg (30lb)

SCS178 SystemFrequency Response (-6dB): 35Hz – 20kHz

O W N E R ’ S G U I D EPRODUCT LINE:

SCS178 (230V) DESIGN GOAL: Bring the thrill of live performance and movie sound to thehome environment by calling on JBL’s professional engineering leadership.

SATELLITE TYPE:Titanium-laminate-dome tweeter, reflex-loaded enclosure

SUBWOOFER TYPE: Bass-reflex enclosure

PORT DESIGN: FreeFlow™ flared

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE: Cinema Loudspeaker Series

®

MODELNUMBER:

P R O S O U N D C O M E S H O M E ™

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S