OWNER’S MANUAL >> SOUNDBARS
ES-300-SNDBAR-30 ES-300-SNDBAR-40
© 2011 Episode
ES-300-SNDBAR Installation and Users Manual
OVERVIEW
Welcome to Episode® Speakers. We appreciate your purchase and are committed to
providing the highest-quality products possible.
The Episode® Soundbar models are a superb choice for almost every type of home theater or
home audio installation. They have been designed with advanced technological components
that allow for high performance and a lifetime of enjoyment.
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Read and understand all instructions.
Before beginning installation, carefully plan location accounting for potential electrical,
plumbing or other obstacles.
RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER POWER
To get the best performance from the ES-300-SNDBAR, an amplier or receiver with the
following power rating is recommended:
ES-300-SNDBAR-30 ─ between 20 and 80 Watts RMS per channel
ES-300-SNDBAR-40 ─ between 20 and 90 Watts RMS per channel
SPEAKER WIRE
To connect the ES-300-SNDBAR-30 or ES-300-SNDBAR-40 speaker to your amplier, high-
quality 14 to 16 gauge stranded speaker wire is recommended. The wire may be connected
directly to the speaker’s binding posts. Remember that you will need 3 runs of speaker wire to
the Soundbar location as it contains the left, center, and right speaker.
Features
• Replaces Left, Center, and Right channels in one convenient speaker
• Low-Prole, Extruded Aluminum Cabinet
• Knockout for Hidden IR Receiver
• Flexible Mounting Options
–Cabinet Top or Shelf Placement with included kickstands
–On-Wall with included mounting plate
–Flat-Screen with optional accessory that attaches to TV mount
What’s Included
(1) ES300-SNDBAR-30 or ES300-SNDBAR-40
(2) Kickstands for Cabinet placement
(2) Shoulder bolts for Kickstand and Wall Plates
(2) Large Flat Washers for Kickstands
(4) Rubber Feet
(1) Wall Plate Bracket
(4) Wood Screws for Wall Plate
(4) Small Flat Washers for Wall Plate
(1) IR Receiver Spacer
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ES-300-SNDBAR Installation and Users Manual
INSTALLATION
SPEAKER PLACEMENT
The ES-300-SNDBAR is designed to be the Left, Center, and Right speakers of a home theater
surround system. For most applications, placement should be below a at screen TV on a
cabinet top or shelf. Other options for placement include On-Wall using the included bracket, or
attached to a Flatscreen mount using the optional Strong mount brackets.
Installing On or In a Cabinet
Considerations for Placement
When placing the Soundbar on a cabinet shelf, the front edge of the speaker should be ush
with the front of the shelf. Placing the speaker further back on the shelf will degrade the sound
quality of the speaker.
Attaching the Kickstand
The kickstand for the Soundbar allows for the angle of the Soundbar to be adjusted to maintain
proper audio performance. When placing the Soundbar, adjust the kickstand height to angle the
Soundbar towards the listener’s ears. See Adjusting the Kickstand for more information.
1. Remove the 2 screws on the back of the soundbar.
2. Place the included Kickstand on the rear of Soundbar.
3. Hand Tighten the screws to secure the
kickstand to the Soundbar.
ES-300-SNDBAR-30
ES-300-SNDBAR-40
© 2011 Episode
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ES-300-SNDBAR Installation and Users Manual
Attaching the Feet
To ensure that the Soundbar will not slip when
using the kickstands, (2) rubber feet have been
included. The feet must be installed when using
the kickstand. Place the feet 3” from the left and
right outer edge, and ¼” from the front edge of the
Soundbar.
Non-Inverted
Kickstand
Inverted Kickstand
Note: When using the kickstand in the inverted
position, the feet should be placed at the front edge
¼”
Front Edge
of the speaker.
Adjusting the Kickstand
After installing the kickstand and placing the Soundbar, adjust the angle of the speakers towards
the listener’s ears. If the speakers point away from the listener’s ears, slide the kickstand up or
down to achieve the proper angle. Note that the kickstand can be inverted when the Soundbar
is pointing down.
11°
0°
8
°
15°
Mounting on a Wall
Considerations for Wall Mounting
Place the speaker as close to the TV as possible. Placing the speaker more than 3" from the
screen will separate the audio from the video and provide a poor viewing and listening experience.
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ES-300-SNDBAR Installation and Users Manual
Attaching the Wall Bracket
When mounting the bracket to the wall, place the at side of the bracket towards the wall and verify that
it is level. There are small V- shaped notches on the top and bottom of the bracket; these marks are 16”
on center allowing for alignment with walls studs.
1. Locate wall studs using a stud nder (not included).
2. Position the provided Bracket on the wall with the V shaped notches over wall studs. If the
location does not allow for this, use a wall molly or anchor with the appropriate weight rating
for the Soundbar.
Note the orientation of the holes for the mounting slots as indicated in the leveling diagram.
3. Level the bracket and secure to the wall using the included screws.
Up
Soundbar Center
16" Center (Studs)
4. Attach the supplied shoulder bolts to the inner bolt locations on the rear of the Soundbar.
5. Place the Soundbar onto the wall bracket with the rear screws in the slots. Slide the Soundbar onto
the bracket.
Adjust for proper centering with HDTV. Your install is now complete.
Slide
Soundbar
Installing on a Flatscreen Mount
The ES-300-SNDBAR can be mounted directly to a Flatscreen Mount with the Strong™ SM-BKT-
SBAR bracket (available separately). Using the Flatscreen mount bracket allows for the speaker
to move with the TV when mounted to articulating arm mounts. This provides an optimum listening
experience for these installations.
© 2011 Episode
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ES-300-SNDBAR Installation and Users Manual
Soundbar Rear
Installing an IR Receiver
The ES-300-SNDBAR has the option of installing an optional IR Receiver directly into the speaker
behind the grille cloth, eliminating the need to surface mount a stick-on receiver. Simply punch out the
center of the pass-through and slide the IR Receiver through the exposed hole.
Soundbar Front
IR Receiver
Pass-through
To maintain accurate IR reception, a spacer has
been included to allow for the front edge of the
IR receiver to be ush with the back of the grille
cloth. This will ensure that IR reception is at its
maximum level.
TIP: With some IR receivers, a layer of electrical tape around
the threads can create a more snug t within the Soundbar.
Spacer
Flush with Grille
IR Reciever
Connecting and Calibrating
Proper Connections are important to the performance of any loudspeaker within an audio system.
Performing the following steps will ensure proper connections for optimum speaker performance:
1. At each loudspeaker connection, ensure that the outer jacket is separated by at least 2 inches.
2. Strip the insulation on each conductor approximately ¼” and insert into the speaker terminals.
a. Ensure that there are no stray strands of wire protruding from the connectors.
b. Observe proper polarity (+ to + and – to – ) for each speaker and at the amplier).
3. Turn on the home theater receiver and calibrate all loudspeakers in the system according to the
receiver
(or surround processor) manufacturer’s instructions.
Verifying Phase
When proper polarity is not maintained, the speakers play at the opposite ‘time’ from each other, or out
of phase. The result is audio with lack of bass and vocals that sound thin or distant. If during or after
calibrating your receiver you suspect the sound is not right and you cannot see any markings on the
wire to verify polarity is correct, try this simple test:
1. Sit in the normal listening position for the system.
2. Play some music with your receiver set to Mono.
Listen to the music and observe the audio.
– Does the bass sound full and even with the other audio?
– Do the vocals sound centered and even in volume?
If either of the answers are YES, follow steps 3 and 4.
3. Turn off your receiver and reverse the connections for one of the speakers.
4. Repeat your test at the same volume level. When the sound has the loudest and best sounding bass,
and vocals are centered and clear, your connections are correct and in-phase.
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ES-300-SNDBAR Installation and Users Manual
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
INSTALLING AND REMOVING THE GRILLE
•The grill is held by pins. To remove the grill, pull gently around the edge away from the
speaker, slowly working your way from one end of the speaker to the other .
•To re-install, align the grill pins with the cups in the speaker and push into place.
CLEANING
•Use a dampened soft cloth or paper towel to clean the cabinet. The grill is best cleaned by
brushing
it off with a lint-free cloth.
WARRANTY
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Episode Soundbar Speakers have a Lifetime Limited Warranty. This warranty includes parts and
labor repairs on all components found to be defective in material or workmanship under normal
conditions of use. This warranty shall not apply to products which have been abused, modied
or disassembled. Products to be repaired under this warranty must be returned to SnapAV or
a designated service center with prior notication and an assigned return authorization number
(RA).
© 2011 Episode
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© 2011 Episode
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