JBL CSS10, CSC55, CST55 User Manual

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING JBL

For more than 60 years, JBL
has been involved in every
aspect of music and film
recording and reproduction,
from live performances to
the recordings you play in
your home, car or office.

We’re confident that the JBL
system you have chosen will

provide every note of enjoy­ment that you expect –
and that when you think
about purchasing additional
audio equipment for your
home, car or office, you will
once again choose JBL.

Please take a moment to
register your product on our

Web site at www.jbl.com.
It enables us to keep you
posted on our latest advance­ments, and helps us to better
understand our customers
and build products that
meet their needs and
expectations.

JBL Consumer Products

INCLUDED

CSC55

Grille

CSS10

CST55

JBL CINEMA SOUND

™

CST55, CSC55, CSS10

OWNER’S GUIDE

Grille

®

READ FIRST! Important Safety Precautions!

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.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock,

do not remove cover (or back).

No user-serviceable parts inside.

Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.

CAUTION: To prevent electric shock,
do not use this (polarized) plug with

an extension cord, receptacle or other outlet

unless the blades can be fully inserted to

prevent blade exposure.

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.

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near

water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation

openings. Install in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat
sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves or other apparatus
(including amplifiers) that produce
heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose
of the polarized or grounding-type
plug. A polarized plug has two
blades with one wider than the
other. A grounding-type plug has
two blades and a third grounding
prong. The wide blade or the third
prong are provided for your safety.
If the provided plug does not fit into
your outlet, consult an electrician
for replacement of the obsolete
outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from
being walked on or pinched, partic­ularly at plugs, convenience recep­tacles and the point where they exit
from the apparatus.

11.

Only use attachments/acces-

sories specified by the manufacturer.

12. Use only with the cart, stand,
tripod, bracket or table specified by
the manufacturer or sold
with the apparatus.
When a cart is used,
use caution when moving
the cart/apparatus combination to

2

avoid injury from tip-over.

13. Unplug this apparatus during
lightning storms or when unused for
long periods of time.

14. Refer all servicing to qualified
service personnel. Servicing is
required when the apparatus has
been damaged in any way, such
as power-supply cord or plug is
damaged, liquid has been spilled
or objects have fallen into the
apparatus, the apparatus has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does
not operate normally, or has been
dropped.

15. Do not use attachments not
recommended by the product
manufacturer, as they may cause
hazards.

16. This product should be operated
only from the type of power source
indicated on the marking label. If
you are not sure of the type of
power supply to your home, consult
your product dealer or local power
company. For products intended to
operate from battery power or other
sources, refer to the operating
instructions.

17. If an outside antenna or cable
system is connected to the product,
be sure the antenna or cable sys­tem is grounded so as to provide
some protection against voltage
surges and built-up static charges.
Article 810 of the National
Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70,
provides information with regard to
proper grounding of the mast and
supporting structure, grounding of
the lead-in wire to an antenna
discharge unit, size of grounding
conductors, location of antenna­discharge unit, connection to
grounding electrodes, and require­ments for the grounding electrode.
See Figure A.

Figure A.
Example of Antenna Grounding as per
National Electrical Code ANSI/NFPA 70

18. An outside antenna system
should not be located in the vicinity
of overhead power lines or other
electric light or power circuits, or
where it can fall into such power
lines or circuits. When installing an
outside antenna system, extreme
care should be taken to keep from
touching such power lines or circuits,
as contact with them might be fatal.

19. Do not overload wall outlets,
extension cords, or integral
convenience receptacles, as this
can result in a risk of fire or
electric shock.

20. Never push objects of any kind
into this product through openings,
as they may touch dangerous volt­age points or short-out parts, which
could result in a fire or electric
shock. Never spill liquid of any kind
on the product.

21. The apparatus shall not be
exposed to dripping or splashing,
and no objects filled with liquids,
such as vases, shall be placed on
the apparatus.

22. Do not attempt to service this
product yourself, as opening or
removing covers may expose you to
dangerous voltage or other hazards.
Refer all servicing to qualified
service personnel.

23. When replacement parts are
required, be sure the service tech­nician has used replacement parts
specified by the manufacturer or
that have the same characteristics
as the original part. Unauthorized
substitutions may result in fire,
electric shock or other hazards.

24. Upon completion of any service
or repairs to this product, ask the
service technician to perform safety
checks to determine that the prod­uct is in proper operating condition.

25. The product should be mounted
to a wall or ceiling only as recom­mended by the manufacturer.

SPEAKER PLACEMENT

0–2 ft

0–0.6m

FRONT
SPEAKERS

SURROUND SPEAKERS

Alternate placement for surround speakers when only 5.1 channels are used; required placement for surround back
speakers in 7.1-channel systems.

The front speakers should be
placed the same distance
from each other as they are
from the listening position.
They should be placed at
about the same height from
the floor as the listeners’
ears will be, or they may be
angled toward the listeners.

The center channel speaker
should be placed slightly
behind the front left and right
speakers, and no more than
2 feet (0.6m) above or below
the tweeters of the left and
right speakers. It is often
convenient to set the center
speaker on top of the televi­sion set, as shown in the
drawing.

The JBL Cinema Sound
speaker system may be used

6.1- or 7.1-channel

in 5.1-,
applications. In 5.1-channel
applications, two
round speakers should be

of the sur-

CENTER CHANNEL
SPEAKER

†

Single surround back speaker
may be used with 6.1 receivers
and processors.

placed slightly behind the lis­tening position and, ideally,
should face each other and

level higher than the

be at a
listeners’

ears. If that is not
possible, they may be placed
against a wall behind the
listening position,
ward. In 6.1-channel

facing for-

applica­tions, two of the surround
speakers should be placed in
the side positions, and a sin­gle surround back speaker
should be placed against the
wall behind the listening
position. In 7.1-channel
applications, place
surround speakers

two of the

in the side
positions, and place the two
surround back speakers
against the rear wall.

In Dolby

®

Digital and DTS

®

systems, it is best to aim all
of the speakers (except the
subwoofer) toward the lis­tening position at or slightly
above about ear-level height.

SUBWOOFER

In systems where only ana­log surround processing
(such as Dolby Pro Logic

®

II)
is available, it may be prefer­able to aim the speakers
straight out from the wall to
obtain a more diffuse sound.

The low-frequency material
reproduced by the subwoofer
is mostly omnidirectional,
and this speaker may be
placed in a convenient loca­tion in the room. However,
bass reproduction will be
maximized when the sub­woofer is placed in a corner
along the same wall as the
front speakers. Experiment
with subwoofer placement
by temporarily placing the
subwoofer in the listening
position and moving around
the room until the bass
reproduction is best. Place the
subwoofer in that location.

3

SPEAKER CONNECTIONS

CONNECTION TIPS

CST55

To provide a neater installa­tion, the CST55 allows you
to insert the speaker wires
through holes in the base.

Simply separate and strip

the wires as described
Separate and strip the
ends of the speaker wire
as shown. Speakers and
electronics terminals have
corresponding (+) and (–)
terminals. Most manufacturers
of speakers and electronics,
including JBL, use red to
denote the (+) terminal and
black to denote the (–)
terminal.

The (+) lead of the speaker
wire is noted with a stripe.
It is important to connect
both speakers identically:
(+) on the speaker to (+) on
the amplifier and (–) on the
speaker to (–) on the amplifier.
Wiring “out of phase”results
in thin sound, weak bass and
a poor stereo image.

With the advent of multi­channel surround sound
systems, connecting all of
the speakers in your system
with the correct polarity
remains equally important in
order to preserve the proper
ambience and directionality
of the program material.

above, loosen the terminals

and insert each wire into its

corresponding hole in the

base. Then tighten down

the terminals.

The hole in the center

of each collar is intended

for use with banana-type

connectors. To comply with

European CE certification,

these holes are blocked

with plastic inserts at the

point of manufacture. To

use banana-type connectors

requires the removal of the

inserts.

CSC55

To use the binding-post
speaker terminals, unscrew
the colored collar until the
pass-through hole in the
center post is visible under
the collar. Insert the bare
end of the wire through this
hole; then screw the collar
down until the connection is
tight. The hole in the center
of each collar is intended
for use with banana-type
connectors. To comply with
European CE certification,
these holes are blocked
with plastic inserts at the
point of manufacture. To
use banana-type connectors
requires the removal of the
inserts.

4

DOLBY®DIGITAL OR DTS

®

(OR OTHER DIGITAL SURROUND MODE) CONNECTION

LINE

LEVEL

IN

SUBWOOFER

LFE

RECEIVER

LFE OUT

Use this installation method
for Dolby Digital, DTS or
other digital surround
processors:

Use the line-level input jack
marked “LFE” for the Low-

Frequency Effects channel.
Connect this jack to the LFE

L

output or subwoofer output
on your receiver or amplifier.

R

Connect each speaker to
the corresponding speaker
terminals on your receiver
or amplifier.

Make sure that you have
configured your surround
sound processor for “Sub­woofer On.” Also configure

your receiver for 5.1-, 6.1­or 7.1-channel operation as
appropriate. The front left,
front right, center and rear
speakers should all be set
to “Small.” If your receiver
allows you to set the cross­over frequency between the
subwoofer and the main
speakers, select
the setting that is the closest
frequency below it.

DOLBY PRO LOGIC®(NON-DIGITAL) –LINE LEVEL

Use this installation method
for Dolby Pro Logic applica­tions (not Dolby Digital, DTS
or other digital processing),
where the receiver/proces­sor is equipped with a sub­woofer output, or a volume­controlled preamp (line-)
level output:

Use RCA-type interconnects
to connect the line-level
subwoofer outputs on your
receiver or amplifier to the
line-level inputs on the sub­woofer. IMPORTANT: Do not
use the LFE input on the sub­woofer with Dolby Pro Logic
processors.

NOTE: If your receiver or
amplifier has only one sub­woofer output jack, then you
will need to use a Y-connector
(not included). Plug the male
end of the Y-connector into
your receiver or amplifier’s
subwoofer output jack, and
connect each of the two
female ends to separate

Left Front

Center

– +

Right Front

– +– +

RCA-type interconnects.
Finally, plug the RCA-type
interconnects into the line­level inputs on the sub-

Subwoofer

Subwoofer

Left

Front

– + – +

Left

Surround

– +

Surround Back

Left

– +

Line

Level In

L

R

Receiver

Out

R L

– +

Center

Right
Front

Surround Back

Right

– +

Right

Surround

– +

woofer.

Connect each speaker to
the corresponding speaker
terminals on your receiver
or amplifier.

Make sure your receiver or
processor is correctly con­figured to indicate that the
subwoofer is “On.”

100Hz or

Left Surround

– +

Surround Back

Left

– +

Surround Back

Right

– +

Right Surround

– +

5

SUBWOOFER OPERATION

Press the Master Power
switch (marked “Power” å)
to the On position to use the
subwoofer. The CSS10 sub­woofer will automatically
turn on or go into standby
(sleep) mode as described
below. When your receiver
or amplifier is off, or is not
sending program material
to the subwoofer, the sub­woofer will be in standby
mode (the LED on the front
of the CSS10 will be red).
When the sub
an audio signal,

woofer senses

it will auto­matically turn on (the LED
will be green). If the sub­woofer does not sense a
signal after
minutes,

approximately 20

it will automatically

go into standby mode.

If you will be away from
home for an extended period

VOLUME

Subwoofer

Level

MIN MAX

Subwoofer

Level

MIN MAX

Volume may be adjusted
using the Subwoofer Level

∫, as shown.

control

of time, or if the subwoofer
will not be used, switch the
Master Power switch å to

The Phase control deter­mines whether the sub­woofer’s pistonlike action
moves in and out in phase
with the main speakers or
opposite the main speakers.
There is no correct or incor­rect setting. Proper phase
adjustment depends on sev­eral variables, such as sub­woofer placement and lis­tener position. Adjust the
Phase switch ç to maxi­mize bass output at the
listening position.

the Off position by pressing
it until it pops out.

Remember, every system,
room and listener is differ­ent. There are no right or
wrong settings; this switch
offers the added flexibility to
adjust your subwoofer for
optimum performance for
your specific listening condi­tions without having to move
your speakers. If at some
time in the future you hap­pen to rearrange your listen­ing room and move your
speakers, you should experi­ment with the phase switch
in both positions, and leave
it in the position that maxi­mizes bass performance.

6

TROUBLESHOOTING

If there is no sound from any
of the speakers:

• Check that receiver/ampli­fier is on and a source is
playing.

• Check that the powered
subwoofer is plugged in
and is turned on (Power
switch

å

pushed in).

• Check all wires and con­nections between receiver/
amplifier and speakers. Make
sure all wires are connected.
Make sure none of
speaker wires are frayed,
or punctured, or touching
each other.

• Review proper operation of
your receiver/amplifier.

If there is no sound coming
from one speaker:

• Check the “Balance” control
on your receiver/amplifier.

• Check all wires and con­nections between receiver/
amplifier and speakers. Make
sure all wires are connected.
Make sure none of the speaker
wires are frayed,
punctured, or touching each
other.

• In Dolby Digital or DTS
modes, make sure that the
receiver/amplifier is config­ured so that the speaker in
question is enabled.

• Turn off all electronics
and switch the speaker in
question with one of the
other speakers that is work­ing correctly. Turn every­thing back on, and determine
whether the problem has fol­lowed the speaker or has
remained in the same chan­nel. If the problem is
in the same channel, the
source of the problem
is most likely with your
receiver or amplifier, and
you should consult the
owner’s manual for that
product for further informa-

the

cut or

tion. If the problem has fol­lowed the speaker, consult
your dealer for further assis­tance or, if that is not possi­ble, visit www.jbl.com.

If there is no sound from the
center speaker:

• Check all wires and con­nections between receiver/
amplifier and speaker. Make
sure all wires are connected.
Make sure none of the
speaker wires are
cut or punctured, or touch­ing each other.

cut

• If your receiver/processor
is set in Dolby Pro Logic mode,
make sure the center speaker
is not in phantom mode.

• If your receiver/processor
is set in one of the Dolby
Digital or DTS
sure the receiver/
is configured so that the
center speaker is enabled.

If the system plays at low
volumes but shuts off as
volume is increased:

• Check all wires and con­nections between receiver/
processor and speakers.
Make sure all wires are con­nected. Make sure none of
the speaker wires are
frayed,

cut or punctured, or

touching each other.

• If more than one pair of
main speakers is being used,
check the minimum imped­ance requirements of your
receiver/amplifier.

If there is low (or no) bass
output:

• Make sure the connections
to the left and right “Speaker
Inputs” have the correct
polarity (+ and –).

• Make sure the subwoofer
is plugged into an active
electrical outlet
turned on (Power switch

å pushed in).

frayed,

modes, make

processor

and is

• In Dolby Digital or DTS
modes, make sure your
receiver/processor is config­ured so that the subwoofer
and LFE output are enabled.

• Switch the Phase switch
ç to the opposite position,
and select the position that
results in the most pleasing
bass response.

If there is no sound from
the surround speakers:

• Check all wires and con­nections between receiver/
processor and speakers.
Make sure all wires are con­nected. Make sure none of
the speaker wires are
frayed,

cut or punctured, or

touching each other.

• Review proper operation of
your receiver/amplifier and
its surround sound features.

• Make sure the movie or
TV show you are watching
is recorded in a surround
sound mode. If it is not,
check to see whether your
receiver/processor has other
surround modes you may use.

•

In Dolby Digital or DTS
modes, make sure your
receiver/processor is config­ured so that the surround
speakers are enabled. When
five satellites are in use,
remember to configure your
receiver or processor for

6.1-channel operation, and
when six satellites are in use,
configure your receiver or
processor for 7.1 channels.

• Review the operation of
your DVD player and the
jacket of your DVD to make
sure that the DVD features
the desired Dolby Digital or
DTS mode, and that you
have properly selected that
mode using both the DVD
player’s menu and the DVD
disc‘s menu.

7

SPECIFICATIONS

System

Frequency Response

27Hz – 30kHz (–6dB)

CST55

Maximum Recommended Amplifier Power

150 Watts*

Power Handling 50W Continuous/300W Peak
Frequency Response 55Hz – 30kHz (–6dB)
Nominal Impedance 8 Ohms
Sensitivity 90dB @ 1 Watt/1 meter
Tweeter

One 3/4" (19mm) titanium-laminate dome,
video-shielded

Woofers

Dual 5" (130mm) transducers with PolyPlas
cones, neodymium magnets and HeatScape
motor structure, video-shielded

Dimensions (H x W x D)
(including wall-mount bracket and grille)

46" x 8" x 6-1/2" (1168mm x 203mm x 165mm)
Weight 17 lb (7.7kg)

™

CSC55

Maximum Recommended Amplifier Power

150 Watts*

Power Handling 50W Continuous/300W Peak
Frequency Response 55Hz – 30kHz (–6dB)
Nominal Impedance 8 Ohms
Sensitivity 90dB @ 1 watt/1 meter
Tweeter

One 3/4" (19mm) titanium-laminate dome,
video-shielded

Woofers

Dual 5" (130mm) transducers with PolyPlas
cones, neodymium magnets and HeatScape
motor structure, video-shielded

Dimensions (H x W x D)
(including wall-mount bracket and grille)

6-1/

™

4" x 26-1/4" x 4-1/4" (159mm x 667mm x 108mm)

Weight 10 lb (4.5kg)

CSS10

Amplifier Power 150 Watts RMS
Frequency Response 27Hz – Low-pass

crossover setting at signal source

Low-Frequency Driver

10" (250mm) cone and HeatScape
motor structure, video-shielded

Input LFE preamp level
Dimensions (H x W x D) (including feet)

18-1/4" x 13-1/4" x 16" (464mm x 337mm x 406mm)
Weight 43 lb (19.5kg)

™

™

™

All features and specifications are subject to change
without notice.

Dolby and Pro Logic are registered trademarks of Dolby
Laboratories.

DTS is a registered trademark of DTS, Inc.

* The maximum recommended amplifier power rating will

ensure proper system headroom to allow for occasional
peaks. We do not recommend sustained operation at
these maximum power levels.

PRO SOUND COMES HOME

JBL Consumer Products, 250 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797 USA

®

8500 Balboa Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91329 USA

2, route de Tours, 72500 Chateau du Loir, France

516.255.4JBL (4525) (USA only) www.jbl.com

© 2005 Harman International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

JBL and Harman International are trademarks of Harman International Industries,
Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. JBL Cinema
Sound, PolyPlas, HeatScape and Pro Sound Comes Home are trademarks of
Harman International Industries, Incorporated.

Part No.

406-000-05331-E

CSC55, CST55

Declaration of Conformity

™

We, Harman Consumer Group International

2, route de Tours
72500 Chateau du Loir

France
declare in own responsibility that the products described in
this owner’s manual are in compliance with technical stan­dards:
EN 61000-6-3:2001
EN 61000-6-1:2001

Harman Consumer Group International

Laurent Rault

Chateau du Loir, France 11/05

CSS10 (230V only)

Declaration of Conformity

We, Harman Consumer Group International

2, route de Tours
72500 Chateau du Loir

France
declare in own responsibility that the product described in
this owner’s manual is in compliance with technical stan­dards:

EN 55013:2001+A1:2003
EN 55020:2002+A1:2003
EN 61000-3-2:2000
EN 61000-3-3:1995+A1:2001
EN 60065:2002

Laurent Rault

Harman Consumer Group International

Chateau du Loir, France 11/05