Bose VCS-10, VCS-30 User Manual 2

Bose® Home Theater Speakers
Owner’s Guide
Declaration of Conformi ty
We, the offerer,
Bose Corporation, The Mountain Framingham, MA 01701-9168 USA
acknowledge our sole responsibility, that the product,
Kind of equipment: Loudspeakers
®
Type designation: VCS-10
in accordance with EMC directive 89/336/EC and article 10(1) of the Directive, is in compliance with the following norm(s) or document(s):
Technical regulations: EN 50081-1, EN 50082-1
Accredited by Bose Corporation
1 May 2001 Bose Products B.V. Nic Merks,
Nijverheidstraat 8, Vice President, Bose Europe 1135 GE Edam, Manufacturer’s authorized The Netherlands EU representative
, VCS-30® II
2

Where to find …

Setting Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Adjusting Your Surround Sound Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Unpack the carton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Place the center speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Position your surround speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Connect the speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Choosing speaker cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Be sure to use the cord properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Make the connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Check the connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mounting your speakers on a wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
For realistic home theater sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
How to set your Pro-Logic receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
To use the test tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
To balance the bass and treble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
How to set your Dolby Digital receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
If the sound is interrupted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Customer service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cleaning speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Warranty period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Technical information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

For your records

Serial numbers ar e located on the back of each speaker. Center speaker serial number: _____________________________________ Surround speaker serial numbers: _______________and _______________ Dealer name: ____________________________________________________ Dealer phone: _________________ Purchase date: ____________________ We suggest you keep your sales receipt and warranty card together with
this owne r’s guide.
©2003 Bose Corporation. No part of this work may be reproduced, modified, distributed or otherwise used without prior written permission.
Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.
3

Setting Up

Before you begin

Thank you for choosing Bose® home theater speakers. Both the VCS-10 round speaker system are engineered specifically for use with video soundtracks. They are designed to make the mos t of audio for video (A/V) surround sound receivers or amplifiers with five amplified speaker outputs.
In either package yo u purchased, there is a center speaker. Its magnetic shielding allows you to put this speaker directly on, above, or below your video s creen without causing screen discol oration. There it will deliver clear, crisp soundtrack reproduction from the center channel. Other speakers at the front of your room provide the left and right video sound.
In additon to one center speaker, the VCS-30 Series II system includes two surround spe akers . They are designed for use at the rear of your room. Advanced design brackets included in this package make the surround speakers simple to mount on a wall.
Please read and follow the ins tructions i n this guid e. They will help you set up and use your new home theater spea kers for the fulle st listening and viewing enjoyment.
®

Unpack the carton

Carefully unpack the carton and save all packing materials for possible future use. Inspect the contents (
If any speaker appe ars damage d, do not use it. Instea d, re pack all parts in the original carton and notify Bose or your authorized Bose dealer immediately.
center speaker and the VCS-3 0® Series II center/sur-
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Figure 1, A or B).
Note: Now is a good time to record the serial numbers found on the back of each speaker. Write them on your warranty card and on page 3 of this owner’s guide.
4
Setting Up
Figure 1
A. The VCS-10® speaker carton contents
B. The VCS-30® Series II system carton contents
Center speaker
Left surround speaker
Center spea k e r
Rubber feet
Right surround speaker
Rubber feet
Owner’s guide
Mounting brackets
Mountin g hardware
Owner’s guide
5
Setting Up

Place the center speaker

The center speaker provides center channel surround sound per­formance while taking up very little space. The slim, low-p rofile design allows it to fit directly on, above, o r below your television (Figure 2). Rubber feet ensure stable positioning and magnetic shielding prevents video screen discoloration.
CAUTION: The VCS-10® speaker is not designed to be set on end in a vertical position, mounted on a wall, or to support the addi­tional weight of items placed on top of the speaker, which could also hamper its performance. Do not allow debris or water from plants, or other items on a shelf above, to fall on the speaker.
CAUTION: Do not install near any heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
For full enjoyment, follow these placement guidelines:
• Place the speaker on, or very close to, your television set and center it with the screen.
• Be sure to set it on a level surface.
• Apply additional rubber feet farther in from the edges, as needed, for greater stability (Figure 3).
Figure 2
Alternate choices for placing the center speaker
Figure 3
Adding optional self-adhesive feet to the bottom of the center speaker
CAUTION: Be sure the center speaker is in a stable position and does not extend beyond the edges of its support. Use additional rubber feet as needed to prevent it from tipping or falling from a television surface that is not completely level.
Pre-attached
feet (2 of 6)
Optional self-adhesive feet
(4 supplied)
6

Position your surround speakers

Surround speakers in the VCS-30® Series II speaker system pro­vide surround sound effects from the rear of your viewing area (Figure 4).
Figure 4
Alternate choices for placing the sur­round speakers
Surround speakers
Setting Up
Figure 5
Applying self­adhesive feet to the bottom of a surround speaker
Brackets that come with these spe akers all ow you to mou nt th em on the wall. If you use the supplied brackets, refer to the bracket instruction diagrams in the Appendix. Do not connect the speak ers before reviewing those instructions.
If you prefer, set the speakers on a table or shel f in a horizontal position.
CAUTION: Do not install near any heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
For accurate surround sound:
• Place these speakers behind the general viewing area, along the rear wall or to the rear of side walls.
• Place both speakers at the same height.
• Place the speakers as far apart as your room allows.
• To mount the speakers on brackets, be sure to leave room between the end of the bracket and the wall for tightening the bracket screw.
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7
Setting Up

Connect the speakers

CAUTION: Before making any connections, turn off your receiver
or amplifier and unplug it from the AC power (mains) outlet. Not doing so may result in damage to your system.
CAUTION: Never use broken or frayed wiring, which can result in damage to your components.
Note: Before running speaker cord through a wall or under a floor, check your local building code requirements and safety regula­tions. You may want to contact an electrical installer for this infor­mation.
If your receiv er’s center channel is not amplified, you must con­nect an amplifier to the r ecei ver. Use a n RCA cable to connect the center channel RCA-type out put on the receiver to the RCA-type input on the amplifie r. Th e speaker wil l then con nect dir ectly to the amplifier instead of to the receiver.

Choosing speaker cord

Be sure to use the proper gauge (thickness) of speaker cord. Standard zip cord (2-conductor, 18-gauge wire found at electrical and hardware stores) works for most applications. If your speak ers will be more than 30 feet (9 m) from the receiver or amplifier, see the following t abl e, or ch ec k wit h y ou r a uthori zed Bos e dea ler.
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Gauge* Length*
18 (0.75 mm2) 30 ft (9 m) maximum 16 (1.5 mm2) 45 ft (14 m) maximum 14 (2.0 mm2) 70 ft (21 m) maximum
* Based on a maximum frequency response deviation of ±0.5dB.
At the ends of each cor d, strip approximately 12 inch (12 mm) of insulation from both wires. Twist the bare end of each wi re, so loose strands will not touch across terminals.

Be sure to use the cord properly

Speaker cord consists of two insulated wires. The insulation around one wire is marked (striped, collared, or ribbed). This marked wire is always positive (+). The plain wire is always nega tive (–). These wires correspond to the red (+) and black (–) termi­nals on the speaker and the receiver or amplifier.
Note: It is sometimes difficult to distinguish wire markings. Inspect both wires carefully.
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8
Setting Up

Make the connections

At the connection end of the speaker, push one terminal lever and insert the appropriate wire (Figure 6).
Figure 6
How to make ter­minal connections to the center speaker and sur­round speakers
Red terminal lever
Marked wire
Marked wire
Red terminal
lever
1. Connect one end of the speaker cord to your speaker.
A. Attach the marked wire to the red (+) terminal. B. Attach the plain wire to the black (–) terminal.
2. Connect the other end of the same cord to your receiver or
amplifier (Figure 7).
A. Attach the marked wire to the red (+) terminal. B. Attach the plain wire to the black (–) terminal.
• The center speaker connects to the CENTER SPEAKER outputs on the receiver. Some surround sound receivers have two sets of center channel speaker outputs. Use either set.
• The left surroun d speaker connects to the LEFT SUR­ROUND SPEAKER outputs.
• The right surround speak er connects to the RIGHT SUR­ROUND SPEAKER outputs.
9
Setting Up

Check the co nnections

Make sure each connection is made positive to positive (+ to +) and negative to negative (– to –). Check to be sure that no loose strands of wire touch across terminals. Bridged wires can short­circuit and damage the electrical components. Tighten any loose connections be fore you plug in t he r e cei ver o r a mpl if ier a nd turn i t on.
Figure 7
Completed con­nections
Center speaker
Receiver or
amplifier
Right Surround speaker Left Surround speaker
A
B
FRONT
SPEAKERS
Right
+
–+–+
Right
OUTPUT
Left
Left
To speakers
SURROUND
CENTER
SPEAKERS
SPEAKER
Left
Right
–+
+
A
B
+
10

Mounting your speakers on a wall

CAUTION: Do not mount the brackets on surfaces that are not
sturdy enough, or that have hazards concealed behind them, such as electrical wire or plumbing. If you are unsure about installing the bracket, contact a qualified professional installer.
CAUTION: Do not hang items from the brackets or speakers. The brackets were designed to support the weight of the speakers only.
Note: See the back pages of this guide for the mounting template and hardware information.
Note: For vertical mounting, mount part A with the hole for screw C at the bottom. Be sure to tighten all screws.
Note: For Stereo Everywhere® speaker performance, horizontal mounting is required.
1. Hold the mounting template in position and mark holes for the mounting hardware. If you plan to feed wires through the wall, mark the speaker wire pilot hole also.
2. Drill holes for the chosen mounting hardware.
3. Mount bracket part A to the wall and mount bracket part B to the rear of the speaker (
4. Secure the speaker with bracket part B to bracket part A using screw C. To adjust the angle, loosen screw C slightly, move the speaker up or down, and retighten screw C.
Figure 8).
Setting Up
Figure 8
Speaker-bracket installation
A
C
B
11

Adjusting Your Surround Sound Settings

For realistic home theater sound

Each speaker produces only the sound directed to it by your sur­round sound r eceiver. During a surroun d sound pr ogra m, the fr ont and center speakers will emit sound almost constantly, while the surround speakers may be silent at times.

How to set your Pro-Logic receiver

For use in video applications, be sure the SURROUND SOUND center mode setting of your r eceiver is on NORMAL ( may press in the button labeled Loudness (Bass Boost or Super Bass on some receivers) to see if you prefer that video sound.
Figure 9
141516
17
The receiver or amplifier set to NORMAL su r­round sound mode
Use the test tone on your receiver to further verify connections and to adjust the volume level of the speakers.

To use the test tone

1. Press test tone ON at the receiver remote.
2. Listen and confirm that each speaker reproduces sound as the tone moves from speaker to speaker. One tone should come from both SURROUND speakers at the same time.
3. Adjust the volume levels of the CENTER and SURROUND speakers so all of the speakers sound equally lou d in your main listening area.
Instructions for this process vary , depending on the receiver brand and model you are using. Follow your rece iver owner’s guide instructions for more details on using the test tone.
13
12
11
10
9
8 7 6 5 4
3
2
1
0
Figure 9). You
18
19
20
21
22 23
24
25 26 27
28
29
30
12

To balance the bass and treble

Upholstered furniture, wall-to-wall carpets, or heavy drapes can muffle treble (high notes), making your speaker system sound bass heavy. Bare floors and walls and hard surface furniture can make your speaker system sound too shrill. After listening to your speakers, you may want to adjust the balance of bass and treble. You can use the bass and treble controls on your receiver.
Adjusting Your Surround Sound Settings

How to set your Dolby Digital receiver

Your VCS-10® or VCS-30® Series II speakers are compatible with the output from Dolby Digital receivers. Take special care to set the channel output on the Dolby Digit al screen menu to SMALL for both the center speaker and surround speakers.
Receiver channel output Proper setting
Center SMALL Left and right surround speakers
(VCS-30 Series II surround speakers)
Follow the receiver owner’s guide instructions for u sing the receiver test tone to verify your connections and to adjust the vol ume levels of the spea kers.

If the sound is interrupted

The VCS-10 Center Speaker and VCS-30 Seri es II Center/Sur­round Speaker System feature an advanced automatic electronic protection ci rcuit to prevent speaker damage due to an overload.
When the center channel spe aker det ects an ove rload, th e pr otec­tion circuit intermittently shuts down and resets the speaker a fraction of a second later, until the overload is c leare d. Intermi ttent play will continue for the duration of the overload.
If you hear this interruption, turn down the volume to relieve the overload. You will hear the speaker r esume normal play when the volume is set at a safe level.
Note: The overload problem described here should occur only if the receiver is overdriven and sending a distorted signal, or when the center speaker is driven by an amplifier rated well above the 100 watts per channel maximum listed in page 15.
SMALL
-
“Compatibility” on
13

Reference

Troubleshooting

Problem What to do
No sound • Check the volume control.
• Make sure the receiver (or amplifier) is plugged in and turned on.
• Check all connections (see page 10).
• Make sure the receiver is not on Mute.
• Make sure headphones are not connected to the receiver.
Center or surround speaker does not work
Center speaker intermitte ntly shuts down
• Make sure your receiver has amplified center and surround channels.
• Be sure your receiver is set properly (see page 12 and page 13).
• Check the audio source material to be sure it is encoded for surround so und.
• Check the speaker connect ions. (see page 10).
• If your surround sound receiver is Pro-Logic, be sure an RCA stereo cable connects the receiver to a stereo sound source (TV, VCR, laserdisc, or DSS player).
• If the receiver is connected directly to a stereo television, make sure that all other program sources (VCR, laserdisc, or DSS player) are connected to the TV using RCA stereo cable as well.
• If your surround sound receiver is Dolby Digital, be sure the sound source (DSS, laserdisc, or DVD pla yer) is con nected directly to your receiver as described in your receiver owner’s guide.
• Reduce the volume until that speaker returns to normal play. Automatic electronic protection circuitry may have engaged to prevent an overload.
• Check the power rating of your receiver (see “Compatibil­ity” on page 15).
• Make sure your receiver is set for NORMAL surround sound mode.
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Sound is distorted • Check the speaker cord for damage.
• Reduce the output level from your TV or other componen ts connected to the receiver.

Customer service

To arrange for service, contact your authorized Bose® dealer, or contact Bose directly.
14

Cleaning speakers

CAUTION: If liquids get into the product, disconnect the speaker
from the receiver and allow it to air dry. Then reconnect the speaker and play it. If you notice any problems with how the speaker functions, disconnect it again and contact Bose service.
Clean the outside of your VCS-10® or VCS-30® Series II speakers by wiping each speaker with a damp cloth. If necessary, use a mild deter gent, li ke dis h soa p, bein g car eful not to allow any liq uid to spill through the cloth grille or the ventilation slots of the speak ers. No other maintenance is required.

Warranty period

Bose® VCS-10 and VCS-30 Series II speakers are covered by a limited 5-year trans ferable warranty. Details of the coverage are provided on the warr anty card that came with your speakers. Please fill out the information section on that card, detach, and mail it to Bose.

Technical information

Reference
®
customer
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Features
Ported speaker enclosures (all speakers) Magnetic shielding in all speakers Automatic electronic protection circuitry in all speakers Syncom® computer quality control of center and surround
speakers
Driver complement per spea ker
Center speaker: Four (4) 2.5" (6.3 cm) Twiddler™ drivers Surround speaker: Two (2) 2.5" (6.3 cm) Twiddler™ drivers
Compatibility
Center speaker: Compatible with amplifier s or receivers with
center channel outputs rated 10-100 watts per channel; rated 4-8 ohms
Surround speakers: Compatible with amplifiers or receivers with
surround channel outputs rated 10-100 watts per channel; rated 4-8 ohms
Enclosure
Molded polymer with a tuned port
Size/Weight
Center speaker: 3.25"H x 21.5"W x 6"D; 5.9 lb
(8.2 cm x 54.6 cm x 15.2 cm; 2.7 kg)
Each surround speaker: 4.17"H x 10.93"W x 4.98"D; 3.3 lb
(14.6 cm x 28.0 cm x 16.5 cm; 1.49 kg) VCS-10 speakers, packed in carton: 8 lb (3.6 kg) VCS-30 Series II speaker system, packed in carton: 20 lb (9.1 kg)
15
Reference
16
©2004 Bose Corporation The Mountain, Framingham, MA 01701-9168 USA
257530-ENGvo AM Rev.00
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