® PERFORMANCE SPECIALIST TM SS6, SS6C, SS8, SS8C, SSLCR, SS6DT OWNER'S GUIDE 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 monitoring the recordings you play in your home, car or office. We're confident that the JBL loudspeakers you have chosen will provide every note of enjoyment that you expected ­ 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 SS6, SS8 One pair of speakers with grilles. SSLCR Template/paint shield (punch out at perforation). One loudspeaker with grille. Logo to be attached to grille depending on vertical or horizontal installation. SS6C, SS8C, SS6DT Template/paint shield (punch out at perforation). One pair of speakers with grilles. Model SS6DT includes one loudspeaker, since it is capable of reproducing two channels of audio. 2 Template/paint shield (punch out at perforation). SPEAKER PLACEMENT Proper placement of the speakers is an important step in obtaining the most realistic soundstage possible. You can use these recommendations as a guide for optimal placement. Slight variations will not diminish your listening pleasure. The front speakers should be placed the same distance from each other as they are from the listening position, at about the same height from the floor as the listeners' ears will be, with the tweeters aimed toward the listening position at ear-level height. Model SSLCR is suitable for the front left, center and right positions, and may also be used as a side surround or surround back speaker. It may be mounted horizontally or vertically, but make sure to position it so that the tweeters for all of the front speakers are at the same height (or differ by no more than 2 feet). You may rotate the tweeter to correctly orient the JBL logo. In a home theater configuration, the two surround speakers should be placed slightly behind the listening position and, ideally, should face each other and be at a level higher than the listeners' ears. If that is not possible, they may be placed in a wall behind the listening position, facing forward. The rear wall is the required mounting position for the surround back speakers in 6.1and 7.1-channel systems. The surround speakers should not call attention to themselves. They should provide a diffuse, ambient sound accompanying the main program material heard in the front speakers. In Dolby® Digital and DTS® systems, aim the tweeters toward the listening position at earlevel height. FRONT SPEAKERS (SS6, SS8, SSLCR) 400 ­ 600 MODELS SS6, SS8 AND SSLCR AS REAR SPEAKERS 5 ­ 6 ft. WALL WALL WALL WALL MODEL SS6DT IN-CEILING Model SS6DT has the capability of playing two channels through one loudspeaker, thanks to its dual-tweeter/dual-voice-coil construction. Since the tweeters are close together, in general they should be aimed away from each other for best coverage. For two-channel (stereo) applications (e.g., as a single speaker in a remote room of a distributed audio system), install the SS6DT 3 speaker centrally in the ceiling for best stereo imaging, swiveling the tweeters so that one points toward the left and the other toward the right of the listening position, aimed at ear-level height. The SS6DT may also be used to play the left and right surround channels in a 5.1-channel home theater system, in which case it should be mounted in the ceiling slightly behind the listening position, centered from left to right and with the tweeters pointing toward the left and right of the listening position, aimed at earlevel height. For 7.1-channel systems where it is desired to use two SS6DT speakers, one to play both the left surround and surround back channels and the other to play both the right surround and surround back channels, mount each SS6DT speaker in the ceiling, slightly behind the listening position. Place one closer to the left side of the room and the other closer to the right side. Aim the tweeters away from each other, toward the front and rear of the room. SPEAKER CONNECTIONS CONNECTION TIPS The wires for both speakers should be the same length. If one speaker is placed closer to the amplifier than the other, hide the excess wire behind the wall. Speakers and electronics terminals have corresponding (+) and (­) terminals. Most manufacturers of speakers and electronics, including JBL, use red to denote the (+) terminal and black for the (­) terminal. It is important to connect both speakers identically: (+) on the RECOMMENDED SIZE 16-Gauge 12-Gauge 10-Gauge 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. LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT Front or Rear Speaker Outputs WIRE LENGTH Up to 20 ft. Up to 30 ft. Greater than 30 ft. INSTALLATION Performance Specialist in-wall speakers are designed to be easily installed. However, if you are unsure of your ability to properly install these loudspeakers, please contact your dealer or a qualified installer. TOOLS NEEDED Pencil Phillips #2 screwdriver Measuring tape Utility knife Carpenter's level 4 Awl EXISTING CONSTRUCTION SS6, SS8, SSLCR Level 1/2" 1/2" 1/2" Template Remove the grille from the speaker frame by pulling on the paper tab. If the tab is missing, to avoid scratching the grille or baffle you may unfold a paper clip, insert the straight end through one of the holes in the grille, and gently pull up. Determine the correct speaker location. Note: Remove the inner template, which is the paint shield, at the perforation. Use the outer template when cutting the drywall. Although the SSLCR may be oriented either horizontally or vertically, the installation procedure is the same. Note: Always allow at least one-half inch between a wall stud and the speaker cutout, or the locking tabs will not be able to swivel into place. Cut the drywall. Connect the speaker wires to the speaker. Place the frame assembly in the wall. Screw down each of the four (six for SSLCR) Phillips-head screws. The locking tabs will swivel into place and secure the unit to the rear surface of the drywall. JBL Performance Specialist speakers feature unique swivel mounts for the tweeters that enable you to aim the very directional high frequencies toward the listening position, at ear-level height. Before installing the speaker grille, gently press on the outer edge of the tweeter mount to adjust the position of the tweeter. The tweeter will not swivel more than 15 degrees in any direction; do not attempt to force it to move further. You may also rotate the tweeter to orient the JBL logo as desired. Replace the metal grille. For the SSLCR only, attach the JBL logo to the grille to correspond to vertical or horizontal installation. 5 EXISTING CONSTRUCTION SS6C, SS6DT, SS8C 1/2" 1/2" 1/2" Remove the grille from the speaker frame by pulling on the paper tab. If the tab is missing, to avoid scratching the grille or baffle you may unfold a paper clip, insert the straight end through one of the holes in the grille, and gently pull up. Determine the correct speaker location. Note: Remove the inner template, which is the paint shield, at the perforation. Use the outer template when cutting the drywall. Cut the drywall. Note: Always allow at least one-half inch between a wall stud and the speaker cutout or the locking tabs will not be able to swivel into place. Connect the speaker wires to the speaker. Place the frame assembly in the wall. The SS6C and SS8C speakers feature unique swivel mounts for the tweeters that enable you to aim the very directional high frequencies toward the listening position, at ear-level height. Before installing the speaker grille, gently press on the outer edge of the tweeter mount to adjust the position of the tweeter. The tweeter will not swivel more than 15 degrees in any direction; do not attempt to force it to move further. You may also rotate the tweeter to correctly orient the JBL logo as desired. Screw down each of the three Phillips-head screws. The locking tabs will swivel into place and secure the unit to the rear surface of the drywall. Replace the metal grille. 6 NEW CONSTRUCTION You will need to purchase the correct rough-in frame kit for your model: SPEAKER MODEL ROUGH-IN FRAME KIT SS6 SS8 SSLCR SS6C, SS6DT SS8C RIF6 RIF8 RIF55 RIF6C (pair pack)/RIF6CS (single pack) RIF8C Detailed installation instructions are supplied with the rough-in kit. PAINTING THE SPEAKER FRAME AND GRILLE Performance Specialist loudspeakers can be painted to match any décor. If you wish to change their color, the satin finish on the grille and frame will function as a primer coat. Before painting, install the paint shield (in the assembly kit) securely into the recess in the baffle. This will protect the speaker components and baffle from paint residue. Use a high-quality spray paint, and apply a thin coat of color. Be certain the grille perforations remain free of paint. Filling them with paint will diminish the sound quality. Note: Gently remove the acoustical foam blanket from the grille before painting. Reattach the blanket after the paint has dried. TROUBLESHOOTING If there is no sound from any of the speakers: · Check that receiver/amplifier is on and a source is playing. · 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, cut, punctured or touching each other. · Review proper operation of your receiver/amplifier. If there is no sound coming from one speaker: are frayed, cut, punctured or touching each other. In multichannel applications, make sure that your receiver or processor has been configured to enable all channels that you are using. If there is low (or no) bass output: ured as "LARGE." See your receiver/processor's owner's manual for futher information on correct speaker configuration in Dolby Digital, DTS and other surround sound modes. If the system plays at low volumes but shuts off as volume is increased: · 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 · Make sure the connections to the left and right "Speaker Inputs" have the correct polarity (+ and ­). · Consider adding a powered subwoofer to your system. · In Dolby Digital or DTSmodes, make sure your receiver/processor is correctly configured. When using a subwoofer, make sure the subwoofer output of the receiver/processor has been enabled. If no subwoofer is being used, make sure the left and right front and rear speakers have been config- · 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, cut, 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. 7 SPECIFICATIONS SS6 Frequency Response 38Hz ­ 20kHz (­10dB) Recommended Maximum Amplifier Power 100 watts Impedance 8 ohms nominal Sensitivity 88dB (2.83V/1m) Crossover Frequency 2,800Hz Woofer 6-1/2" Polymer-coated aluminum cone w/rubber surround Tweeter 1" Pure-titanium dome, w/Elliptical Oblate Spheroidal TM (EOS) waveguide, and swivel mount Plate Size (W x H) 8-1/2" x 11" (216mm x 279mm) Mounting Cutout Size (W x H) 7-1/8" x 9-11/16" (181mm x 246mm) Mounting Depth 3-7/8" (98mm) Weight per Speaker 4.7 lb (2.1kg) SS8 Frequency Response 30Hz ­ 20kHz (­10dB) Recommended Maximum Amplifier Power 120 watts Impedance 8 ohms nominal Sensitivity 90dB (2.83V/1m) Crossover Frequency 2,000Hz Woofer 8" Polymer-coated aluminum cone w/rubber surround Tweeter 1" Pure-titanium dome, w/Elliptical Oblate SpheroidalTM (EOS) waveguide, and swivel mount Plate Size (W x H) 10-1/8" x 13-1/8" (257mm x 333mm) Mounting Cutout Size (W x H) 8-7/8" x 11-13/16" (225mm x 300mm) Mounting Depth 4" (102mm) Weight per Speaker 5.5 lb (2.5kg) SSLCR Frequency Response 40Hz ­ 20kHz (­10dB) Recommended Maximum Amplifier Power 120 watts Impedance 8 ohms nominal Sensitivity 88dB (2.83V/1m) Crossover Frequency 2,600Hz Woofer Dual 5" polymer-coated aluminum cone w/rubber surround Tweeter 1" Pure-titanium d ...