JBL CINEMA SB120

OWNER’S MANUAL

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Verify Line Voltage Before Use

The JBL CINEMA BAR 120 (soundbar) has been designed for

use with 100-240 volt, 50/60 Hz AC current. Connection to a

line voltage other than that for which your product is intended

can create a safety and re hazard and may damage the unit. If

you have any questions about the voltage requirements for your

specic model or about the line voltage in your area, contact your

retailer or customer service representative before plugging the unit

into a wall outlet.

Do Not Use Extension Cords

To avoid safety hazards, use only the power cord supplied with

your unit. We do not recommend that extension cords be used with

this product. As with all electrical devices, do not run power cords

under rugs or carpets, or place heavy objects on them. Damaged

power cords should be replaced immediately by an authorized

service center with a cord that meets factory specications.

Handle the AC Power Cord Gently

When disconnecting the power cord from an AC outlet, always

pull the plug; never pull the cord. If you do not intend to use this

speaker for any considerable length of time, disconnect the plug

from the AC outlet.

Do Not Open the Cabinet

There are no user-serviceable components inside this product.

Opening the cabinet may present a shock hazard, and any

modication to the product will void your warranty. If water

accidentally falls inside the unit, disconnect it from the AC power

source immediately, and consult an authorized service center.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 2

1 INTRODUCTION 4

2 WHAT’S IN THE BOX 4

3 PRODUCT OVERVIEW 5

3.1 CONTROLS AND INDICATORS 5

3.2 CONNECTORS 5

3.3 REMOTE CONTROL 6

4 PLACE 7

4.1 DESKTOP PLACEMENT 7

4.2 WALL-MOUNTING 7

5 CONNECT 8

5.1 TV CONNECTION 8

5.2 BLUETOOTH CONNECTION 8

6 PLAY 9

6.1 POWER-ON/AUTO STANDBY/AUTO WAKEUP 9

6.2 PLAY FROM THE TV SOURCE 10

6.3 PLAY FROM THE BLUETOOTH SOURCE 10

7 SOUND SETTINGS 11

7.1 PRE-DEFINED EQ SETTINGS 11

7.2 VOICE MODE 11

8 RESTORE FACTORY SETTINGS 12

9 SOFTWARE UPDATE 12

10 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS 13

11 TROUBLESHOOTING 13

12 TRADEMARKS 14

13 OPEN SOURCE LICENSE NOTICE 15

1 INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the JBL CINEMA BAR 120 (soundbar)

which is designed to bring an extraordinary sound experience to

your home entertainment system. We encourage you to take a

few minutes to read through this manual, which describes the

product and includes step-by-step instructions for setting up and

getting started.

To make the most of product features and support, you

may need to update the product software through the USB

connector in the future. Refer to the software update section

in this manual to ensure that your product has the latest

software.

Designs and specications are subject to change without notice.

If you have any questions about the soundbar, installation or

operation, please contact your retailer or customer service

representative, or visit our website: www.jbl.com.

2 WHAT’S IN THE BOX

Unpack the box carefully and ensure that the following parts are

included. If any part is damaged or missing, do not use it and

contact your retailer or customer service representative.

Main unit

Remote control (with 2 AAA batteries)

(AAA)

Power cord*

* Power cord quantity and plug type vary by region.

HDMI cable

Wall-mounting kit

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Product information & wall-mounting template

3 PRODUCT OVERVIEW

3.1 Controls and indicators

1 2 3 4

1. (Power)

• Switch on or to standby

2. -/+ (Volume)

• Decrease or increase the volume

• Press and hold to decrease or increase the volume

continuously

• Press the two buttons together to mute or unmute.

3. (Source)

• Select a sound source: Bluetooth (default) or HDMI

ARC (TV connected through the connector),

or Optical (TV / digital device connected through the

connector)

4. Status indicators

Solid red Entering standby mode

Solid white HDMI ARC source selected

Solid amber Optical source selected

Solid blue Connected to Bluetooth

Fast ﬂashing blue Entering Bluetooth pairing mode

Flashing blue Volume change ongoing

Slow ﬂashing blue

Maximum volume level reached

Sound muted

3.2 Connectors

ERVICE ONLY

1 2

3 4

• Connect to power

• USB connector for software update

• Connect to a USB storage device for audio play (for the

US version only)

• Connect to the HDMI ARC input on your TV

• Connect to the optical output on your TV or digital device

3.3 Remote Control

1 6

• Switch on or to standby

2. Source selectors

• Select the HDMI ARC source

• Select the Optical source

• Select the Bluetooth source

• Press and hold to connect another Bluetooth device

3. Sound effect buttons

/ MUSIC / MOVIE

• Select the pre-dened EQ (equalizer) settings for news/

music/ movie

• Select the voice mode to enhance vocal clarity

4. Playback buttons

I/I

• Bluetooth source: Skip to the previous or next track

• Bluetooth source: Start or pause playback

5. + / -

• Increase or decrease the volume

• Press and hold to increase or decrease the volume

continuously.

6. (Mute)

• Mute/unmute

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4 PLACE

4.1 Desktop placement

Place the soundbar on a at and stable surface.

2.5-3.0 m / 8.2-9.8 ft

5 cm / 2”

NOTES:

− The power cord shall be properly connected to power.

− Do not place any objects on the top of the soundbar or subwoofer.

4.2 Wall-mounting

>2” (50mm)

1a)

1c)

≤8 mm/0.31"

4mm/ 0.16"

≥30 mm/1.18"

1b)

Figure 1

1. Preparation:

a) With a minimum distance of 2” (50mm) from your TV, stick

the supplied wall-mounting template to a wall by using

adhesive tapes.

b) Use your ballpen tip to mark the screw holder location.

Remove the template.

c) On the marked location, drill a 4 mm/0.16” hole. Refer to

Figure 1 for the screw size.

2. Install the wall-mounting bracket.

3. As shown in the diagram, remove the fastening screw by

using a screwdriver.

4. Fasten the wall-mounting screw included in the supplied

mounting kit.

5. Mount the soundbar.

NOTES:

− Make sure that the wall can support the weight of the soundbar.

− Install on a vertical wall only.

− Avoid a location under high temperature or humidity.

− Before wall-mounting, make sure that cables can be properly

connected between the soundbar and external devices.

− Before wall-mounting, make sure that the soundbar is unplugged from

power. Otherwise, it may cause an electric shock.

5 CONNECT

5.1 TV connection

Connect the soundbar with your TV through the supplied HDMI

cable or an optical cable (sold separately).

Through the supplied HDMI cable

An HDMI connection supports digital audio and video with a

single connection. HDMI connectivity is the best option for your

soundbar.

HDMI

(ARC)

HDMI ARC

1. Connect the soundbar with your TV by using the supplied

HDMI cable.

2. On your TV, check that HDMI-CEC and HDMI ARC have been

enabled. Refer to the owner’s manual of your TV for more

information.

NOTES:

− Full compatibility with all HDMI-CEC devices is not guaranteed.

− Contact your TV manufacturer if you have problems with the HDMI-

CEC compatibility of your TV.

Through an optical cable

OPTICAL

• Connect the soundbar with your TV by using an optical cable

(sold separately).

5.2 Bluetooth connection

Through Bluetooth, connect the soundbar with your Bluetooth

device, such as a smartphone, tablet and laptop.

Settings Bluetooth

Bluetooth

DEVICES

JBL CINEMA SB120

Now Discoverable

< 10 m / 33 ft

Connect a Bluetooth device

1. Press to switch on (See ”6.1 Power-on/Auto standby/Auto

wakeup” in the ”6 PLAY”chapter).

2. To select the Bluetooth source, press on the soundbar or

on the remote control.

→ Ready for pairing: The status indicator ashes blue.

3. On your Bluetooth device, enable Bluetooth and search for “

” within three minutes.

→ Connected: The status indicator lights up solid blue. A

conrmation tone is heard.

To reconnect the last paired device

Your Bluetooth device is retained as a paired device when the

soundbar goes to standby mode. Next time you switch to the

Bluetooth source, the soundbar reconnects the last paired device

automatically.

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To connect to another Bluetooth device

1. In the Bluetooth source, press and hold on the soundbar or

on the remote control until the status indicator ashes blue.

→ The soundbar enters the Bluetooth pairing mode. The

status indicator ashes blue.

2. Follow Step 3 under ”Connect a Bluetooth device”.

• If the device has ever been paired with the soundbar, rst

unpair “ ” on the device.

NOTES:

− The Bluetooth connection will be lost if the distance between the

soundbar and Bluetooth device exceeds 33 ft (10 m).

− Electronic devices may cause radio interference. Devices that generate

electromagnetic waves must be kept away from the soundbar, such

as microwaves and wireless LAN devices.

6 PLAY

6.1 Power-on/Auto standby/Auto wakeup

2 1

AC~

Switch on

1. Connect the soundbar to power by using the supplied power

cord.

2. Press to switch on.

NOTES:

− Use the supplied power cord only.

− Before switching on the soundbar, make sure that you have

completed all other connections (See ”5.1 TV connection” in the ”5

CONNECT”chapter).

Auto standby

If the soundbar is inactive for more than 10 minutes, it will switch

to standby mode automatically. Next time you switch on the

soundbar, it returns to the last selected source.

Auto wakeup

In standby mode, the soundbar will wake up automatically when

• the soundbar is connected to your TV through the HDMI

ARC connection and your TV is switched on;

• the soundbar is connected to your TV through an optical

cable and audio signals are detected from the optical cable.

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6.2 Play from the TV source

With the soundbar connected, you can enjoy TV audio from the

soundbar speakers.

1. Make sure that your TV is set to support external speakers

and the built-in TV speakers are disabled. Refer to the owner’s

manual of your TV for more information.

2. Make sure that the soundbar has been properly connected

to your TV (See ”5.1 TV connection” in the ”5 CONNECT”

chapter).

3. To select the TV source, press on the soundbar or

/ on the remote control.

→ The status indicator turns solid white ( ), if your TV is

connected to the soundbar through the

connector.

→ The status indicator turns solid amber ( ), if your TV

is connected to the soundbar through the

connector.

6.2.1 TV remote control setup

To use your TV remote control for both your TV and the soundbar,

check that your TV supports HDMI-CEC. If your TV does not

support HDMI-CEC, follow the steps under ”TV remote control

learning”.

HDMI-CEC

If your TV supports HDMI-CEC, enable the functions as instructed

in your TV user manual. You can control the volume +/-, sound

source, and power on/standby functions on your soundbar

through the TV remote control.

TV remote control learning

Through IR learning, your Infra-red TV remote control can learn

some commands of the soundbar.

1. Check that you have switched the soundbar to standby mode.

2. On the soundbar, press and hold and + until the status

indicator ashes amber.

→ You enter the TV remote control learning mode.

3. Within seconds, do the following on the soundbar and your

TV remote control:

a) On the soundbar: press and hold one of the following

buttons: +, -, and , until the status indicator ashes

red three times.

b) On your TV remote control: double press the desired

button.

→ When the status indicator ashes amber on the soundbar,

the function of the soundbar button is learnt by your TV

remote control button.

4. Repeat Step 3 to complete the button learning.

5. To exit the TV remote control learning mode, press and hold

and + on the soundbar until the status indicator ashes amber

three times.

6.3 Play from the Bluetooth source

Through Bluetooth, stream audio from your Bluetooth device to

the soundbar.

< 10 m / 33 ft

1. Check that the soundbar has been properly connected to

your Bluetooth device (See ”5.2 Bluetooth connection” in the

”5 CONNECT” chapter).

2. To select the Bluetooth source, press on the soundbar or

on the remote control.

3. Start audio play on your Bluetooth device.

4. Adjust the volume on the soundbar or your Bluetooth device.

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7 SOUND SETTINGS

7.1 Pre-deﬁned EQ settings

With the remote control, select the pre-dened Equalizer (EQ )

settings for your audio playback.

NEWS

: sound mode for music

: sound mode for movies

: sound mode for TV programs such as news and weather

forecasts

7.2 Voice mode

With the voice mode, vocal clarity is enhanced to allow you to

easily hear and understand speech.

• On the remote control, press to select the voice

mode.

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8 RESTORE FACTORY SETTINGS

By restoring the default settings dened at factories, you remove

all your personalized settings from the soundbar.

• On the soundbar, press and hold and for more than

10 seconds.

9 SOFTWARE UPDATE

For optimal product performance and your best user experience,

JBL may offer software updates for the soundbar system in the

future. Please visit www.jbl.com or contact JBL call center to

receive more information about downloading update les.

1. Check that you have saved the software update le to the root

directory of a USB storage device. Connect the USB device

to the soundbar.

• Make sure that your USB storage device meets the

following requirements:

- Maximum capacity: 64 GB

- File system: FAT32

Software update ﬁles

USB

2. To enter the software update mode, press and hold and - on

the soundbar for more than 10 seconds.

→ When software updating is complete, you will hear a

conrmation tone.

> 10S

NOTES:

− Keep the soundbar powered on and the USB storage device mounted

before software updating is complete.

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10 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

General specication:

• Power supply: 100 - 240 V~, 50/60 Hz

• Total speaker power output (Max. @THD 1%): 120 W

• Soundbar power output (Max. @THD 1%): 2x 30 W full range

driver + 60 W woofer

• Soundbar transducer:

2x 2.25” full range driver + 2x 2.5” woofer

• Standby consumption: 0.5 W

• Operating temperature: 0°C - 45°C

HDMI specication:

• HDMI Video output (With Audio return channel): 1

• HDMI HDCP version: 1.4

Audio specication:

• Frequency response: 40 Hz - 20 kHz

• Max SPL: 82 dB

• Audio inputs: 1 Optical, Bluetooth, USB (USB playback is

available in US version. For other versions, USB is for Service

only.)

USB specication:

• USB port: Type A

• USB rating: 5 V DC / 0.5 A

• Supporting le format: mp3

• MP3 Codec: MPEG 1 Layer 1/2/3, MPEG 2/2.5 Layer 1/2/3

• MP3 sampling rate: 8 kHz - 48 kHz

• MP3 bitrate:

MPEG 1 Layer 1: 32 kbps - 448 kbps;

MPEG 1 Layer 2: 32 kbps - 384 kbps;

MPEG 1 Layer 3: 32 kbps - 320 kbps;

MPEG 2/2.5 Layer 1: 32 kbps - 256 kbps;

MPEG 2/2.5 Layer 2/3: 8 kbps - 160 kbps

Wireless specication:

• Bluetooth version: 4.2

• Bluetooth prole: A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.5

• Bluetooth frequency range: 2402 - 2480 MHz

• Bluetooth Max. transmitting power: < 0dBm (EIRP)

• Bluetooth modulation: GFSK, π/4 DQPSK

Dimensions:

• Dimensions (W x H x D):

950 x 62 x 105 mm / 37.4” x 2.44” x 4.13”

• Weight: 2.85 kg

• Packaging dimensions (W x H x D):

1160 x 110 x 155 mm / 45.67” x 4.33” x 6.10”

• Packaging weight (Gross weight): 3.6 kg

11 TROUBLESHOOTING

Never try to repair the product yourself. If you have problems using

this product, check the following before you request services.

System

The unit will not turn on.

• Check if the power cord is plugged into power and the

soundbar.

The soundbar has no response to button pressing.

• Restore the soundbar to factory settings (See the

”8 RESTORE FACTORY SETTINGS” chapter).

Sound

No sound from the soundbar

• Make sure that the soundbar is not muted.

• Select the correct audio input source on the remote control.

• Connect the soundbar to your TV or other devices properly.

• Restore the soundbar to its factory settings by pressing and

holding and on the soundbar for more than 10 seconds.

Distorted sound or echo

• If you play audio from your TV through the soundbar, make

sure that your TV is muted or the built-in TV speaker is

disabled.

Bluetooth

A device cannot be connected with the soundbar.

• Check if you have enabled Bluetooth on the device.

• If the soundbar has been paired with another Bluetooth

device, reset Bluetooth (see ”To connect to another

Bluetooth device” under ”5.2 Bluetooth connection”).

• If your Bluetooth device has ever been paired with the

soundbar, reset Bluetooth on the soundbar, unpair

the soundbar on the Bluetooth device, and then, pair

the Bluetooth device with the soundbar again (see ”To

connect to another Bluetooth device” under ”5.2 Bluetooth

connection”).

Poor audio quality from a connected Bluetooth device

• The Bluetooth reception is poor. Move the source device

closer to the soundbar, or remove any obstacle between the

source device and the soundbar.

The connected Bluetooth device connects and disconnects

constantly.

• The Bluetooth reception is poor. Move the source device

closer to the soundbar, or remove any obstacle between the

source device and the soundbar.

• For some Bluetooth devices, the Bluetooth connection can

be deactivated automatically to save power. This does not

indicate any malfunction of the soundbar.

Remote control

The remote control does not work.

• Check if the batteries are drained. If so, replace them with

new ones.

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• Reduce the distance and angle between the remote control

and the main unit.

Failed to complete the TV remote control learning.

• Check if you are using an infra-red TV remote control. The IR

learning is not supported by a Bluetooth TV remote control.

12 TRADEMARKS

The Bluetooth

word mark and logos are registered trademarks

owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by

HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated is under license.

Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective

owners.

The terms HDMI, HDMI High-Denition Multimedia Interface, and

the HDMI Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI

Licensing Administrator, Inc.

Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby,

Dolby Audio, and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby

Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

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13 OPEN SOURCE LICENSE NOTICE

This product contains open source software licensed under

GPL. For your convenience, the source code and relevant build

instruction are also available at

http://www.jbl.com/opensource.html

Please feel free to contact us at:

Harman Deutschland Gmb

HATT: Open Source, Gregor Krapf-Gunther, Parkring 3

85748 Garching bei Munchen, Germany

or [email protected] if you have additional

question regarding the open source software in the product.

HARMAN International Industries,

Incorporated 8500 Balboa Boulevard,

Northridge, CA 91329 USA

www.jbl.com

JBL is a trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in

the United States and/or other countries. Features, specications and appearance are

subject to change without notice.