JBL Simply Cinema ESC333 User manual

TM
®
ESC333
simple
setup guide
thank youfor choosing JBL. For more than 50 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 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 complete the enclosed profile card. 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
ESC333 Simply Cinema OM 5/24/00 12:17 PM Page 1

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1. Read Instructions. All the safety and
operating instructions should be read before
the product is operated.
2. Retain Instructions. The safety and
operating instructions should be retained for
future reference.
3. Heed Warnings. All warnings on the
product and in the operating instructions
should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions. All operating and
use instructions should be followed.
5. Cleaning. Unplug this product from the
wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use
liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a
damp cloth for cleaning.
6. Attachments. Do not use attachments
not recommended by the product manufac-
turer, as they may cause hazards.
7. Water and Moisture. Do not use this
product near water – for example, near a
bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink or laundry
tub; in a wet basement; or near a swimming
pool; and the like.
8. Accessories. Do not place this product on
an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table. The product may fall, causing serious
injury to a child or adult, and serious
damage to the product. Use only with a cart,
stand, tripod, bracket, or table recommended
by the manufacturer, or sold with the
product. Any mounting of the product should
follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and
should use a mounting accessory
recommended by the manufacturer.
9. A Product and Cart Combination Should
Be Moved with Care. Quick stops, excessive
force, and uneven surfaces may cause the
product and cart combination to overturn.
10. Ventilation. Slots and openings in the
cabinet are provided for ventilation and to
ensure reliable operation of the product and
to protect it from overheating, and these
openings must not be blocked or covered.
The openings should never be blocked by
placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or
other similar surface. This product should
not be placed in a built-in installation such
as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventila-
tion is provided or the manufacturer’s
instructions have been adhered to.
11. Power Sources. 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.
12. Grounding or Polarization. This product
may be equipped with a polarized alter-
nating-current line plug (a plug having one
blade wider than the other). This plug will
fit into the power outlet only one way. This
is a safety feature. If you are unable to
insert the plug fully into the outlet, try
reversing the plug. If the plug should still
fail to fit, contact your electrician to replace
your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the
safety purpose of the polarized plug.
13. Power-Cord Protection. Power-supply
cords should be routed so that they are not
likely to be walked on or pinched by items
placed upon or against them, paying
particular attention to cords at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the product.
14. Nonuse Periods. The power cord of the
product should be unplugged from the outlet
when left unused for long periods of time.
15. Outdoor Antenna Grounding. 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 antenna-discharge unit, connec-
tion to grounding electrodes, and require-
ments for the grounding electrode. See
Figure 1.
16. Lightning. For added protection for this
product during a lightning storm, or when
it is left unattended and unused for long
periods of time, unplug it from the wall
outlet and disconnect the antenna or cable
system. This will prevent damage to the
product due to lightning and power-line
surges.
17. Power Lines. 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.
18. Overloading. Do not overload wall
outlets, extension cords, or integral conve-
nience receptacles, as this can result in a
risk of fire or electric shock.
19. Object and Liquid Entry. Never push
objects of any kind into this product through
openings, as they may touch dangerous
voltage points or short-out parts that could
result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill
liquid of any kind on the product.
20. Servicing. 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.
21. Damage Requiring Service. Unplug this
product from the wall outlet and refer ser-
vicing to qualified service personnel under
the following conditions:
a. The power-supply cord or the plug has
been damaged; or
b. Objects have fallen onto, or liquid has
been spilled into, the product; or
c. The product has been exposed to rain or
water; or
d. The product does not operate normally
when following the operating instructions.
Adjust only those controls that are covered
by the operating instructions, as an improper
adjustment of other controls may result in
damage and will often require extensive work
by a qualified technician to restore the prod-
uct to its normal operation; or
e. The product has been dropped or damaged
in any way; or
f. The product exhibits a distinct change
in performance – this indicates a need for
service.
22. Replacement Parts. When replacement
parts are required, be sure the service
technician has used replacement parts speci-
fied by the manufacturer or that have the
same characteristics as the original part.
Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire,
electric shock or other hazards.
23. Safety Check. 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.
24. Wall or Ceiling Mounting. The product
should be mounted to a wall or ceiling only
as recommended by the manufacturer.
25. Heat. The product should be situated
away from heat sources such as radiators,
heat registers, stoves, or other products
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.
read first!Important Safety Precautions!
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: To prevent electric shock,
do not remove the grounding plug
on the power cord, or use any plug
or extension cord that does not have
a grounding plug provided.
Make certain that the
AC outlet is properly grounded.
Do not use an adapter plug
with this product.
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.
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.
Antenna Lead-In Wire

Ground Clamp

Antenna Discharge Unit (NEC Section 810-20)

Grounding Conductors (NEC Section 810-21)

Electric Service Equipment

Ground Clamps

Power Service Grounding Electrode System
(NEC Art 250, Part H)
Figure 1.
Example of Antenna
Grounding as per National
Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70
Part No. JBLULB 6/96
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The ESC333 offers two unique
user-convenience features:
Automatic Turn-On/Shut-Down
and Automatic Digital-Input
Selection.
The Automatic Turn-On feature
will turn the ESC333 on as
soon as a source connected to
its digital inputs (such as DVD,
CD player with digital output,
or any other device featuring a
coaxial or optical digital out-
put) is switched on, or as
soon as the unit connected to
its last-used analog input
starts outputting sound.
When using digital inputs, the
Automatic Turn-On can be
activated by turning on either
one of the connected digital
sources such as a DVD player
or a CD player with digital
output. When using analog
inputs (TV or AUX), Automatic
Turn-On is available only for
the device that was last
listened to before the ESC333
shut down. In order to listen
to the other device, the
ESC333 input needs to be
manually selected by using the
Input button on the product
and on the remote, which, in
turn, disables the Automatic
Digital-Input Selector until the
ESC333 is shut down.
The Automatic Turn-Off shuts
the unit down five minutes
after all sources connected
to its digital inputs are pow-
ered down and the device
connected to its selected
analog input stops playing.
The Automatic Digital-Input
Selector automatically selects
the source connected to its
digital inputs when that
source is powered on. Upon
power down of this digital
unit, if no other source is
on, the ESC333 will switch
itself off after five minutes.
If the analog source that was
selected prior to the digital
source turning on is still play-
ing, the ESC333 will switch
back to that other source.
Once a digital source is pow-
ered on and selected as an
input, turning on a device
connected to the other digital
input will not switch the input
until the selected digital
device is first powered off.
These two features can only be
used if the customer does not
manually turn the ESC333 on
or off, and does not manually
select an input source. Once
either of these selections is
made manually, the automatic
features are disabled
as follows:
1. If the ESC333 is turned off
manually, it will not turn back
on automatically until five
minutes after the source con-
nected to the ESC333 is shut
down. During these five min-
utes, it can be turned on
either from the front panel or
via the remote control.
2. Once an input source is
selected manually, the
Automatic Source-Selection
feature will remain disabled
until the ESC333 shuts down.
3. Once any one of the two
devices connected to the
ESC333 digital inputs is
powered on and its input is
selected by the ESC333, the
device connected to the other
digital input of the ESC333
cannot be automatically
selected until the already-
selected digital device is
powered down.
Important Note
Automatic On/Off and Automatic Digital-Input Selection
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• Complete, self-powered
Dolby* Digital home-cinema
sound system with five
satellite speakers, subwoofer,
remote control, and all
amplification built in.
(Just Add TV!)
• Dolby Digital (AC-3* 5.1
channel), Dolby Pro Logic,*
including Phantom and
3-Stereo, and Stereo
listening modes.
• Automatic Turn-On and
Turn-Off.
• Automatic Source Switching
for the digital inputs.
• Two digital (one optical and
one coaxial) inputs and two
analog inputs.
• 2-Way video-shielded
micro-satellites with titanium-
laminate tweeters and common
voicing for all five channels,
and an 8-inch, long-throw,
floor-firing subwoofer.
• Late Night compression for
nighttime listening without
unexpected and objectionably
loud passages.
• All amplification and con-
trols are mounted in the sub-
woofer, eliminating the need
for a separate control unit.
features
Five satellites for left, right,
center and surrounds.
“Smart” powered
subwoofer/controller.
included
JBL ” error free“ speaker cables.
Extension cable XC300 avail-
able in 10-foot lengths in
either white or black.
Foot for horizontal placement
of center speaker. Versatile
remote sensor and double-
sided tape provided.
Remote control.
Bass
Treble
Delay Level
0 dB Test
Adjustment
Late Night
Power
Mute
Surround
Mode
Input
–+
–+
–+
Volume
Digital coax input cable and
analog RCA input cable.
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About Dolby Digital
The ESC333 features Dolby
Digital (also unofficially known
as AC-3) multichannel signal
processing, a system devel-
oped by Dolby Laboratories.
Dolby Digital, unlike
“matrixed” systems (such as
Dolby Pro Logic) that derive
and decode multichannel
sound from two channels of
sound, is capable of delivering
information for one subwoofer
and five full-range channels
as discrete and individual
channels in digital AC-3 data
format from sources such as a
DVD player. The result is clear
and accurate digital sound
to each speaker, along with
availability of stereo-surround
effects (Dolby Pro Logic
features mono surrounds).
Dolby Digital is capable of
delivering several different for-
mats of surround sound, the
most robust one being
the 5.1-channel mode, which
provides separate signals for
five satellite speakers as well
as for a subwoofer. The ESC333
features a “5.1-Ch” indicator
that illuminates when a Dolby
Digital 5.1-channel encoded
signal is present. Dolby Digital
can also provide other AC-3
digital multichannel signals, as
well as 2-channel signals,
which can be decoded via
Dolby Pro Logic processing
into multichannel surround
sound. In the latter case, both
the Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby
Digital indicators will illumi-
nate in the ESC333 display.
• Remote controllable via
outboard remote eye that
can be mounted with the
center channel or separately,
so that the subwoofer can
be hidden away.
• Wall-mount brackets and
floor stands available sepa-
rately for the satellites.
• Credit-card-type, full-
function remote control.
• JBL “error free” speaker
cables simplify connection
and eliminate possibility
of out-of-phase wiring.
• Center foot for horizontal
placement of the center
channel.
• Rotatable JBL logos to allow
for vertical or horizontal place-
ment of the satellites.
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On shelves. On the wall. Optional bracket,
WB300 or WB300WHT (white).
Mounting Options
On optional stands, FS300 or
FS300WHT (white).
Subwoofer
Surround Speakers
5– 6 ft.
Satellites and Surrounds
one.Speaker Placement
Satellites
0-2 ft.
Mounting Remote Sensor to Center Speaker.
Place remote sensor at bottom
of center speaker. Insert support leg through remote sensor and into
speaker.
Center speaker.
The remote sensor may be placed anywhere using the supplied double-sided tape.
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two. Speaker, Source, and Remote-Sensor Connectors
(rear panel of subwoofer)
Speaker and Amplifier Connection
Dashed lines indicate that 
wire is not included
Extension cables, XC300, available in 
10-foot lengths from your JBL dealer.
Left Front
TV
Audio Output
OPTICAL
Right Left
Center
Right Front
Remote Sensor
COAXIAL
TV
AUX
COAXIAL
OPTICAL
Right Surround
Left Surround
FRONT
SPEAKERS
SURROUND
SPEAKERS
RIGHT
CENTER
LEFT
RIGHT
LEFT
AC POWER
ON / STANDBY
OFF
REMOTE SENSOR
INPUT
RIGHT
AUX
(Additional Audio Source)
Audio Output
Right Left
ANALOG
INPUTS
DIGITAL
INPUTS
Digital Source A
DVD or CD
Digital Output
Digital Source B
DVD or CD
Digital Output
LEFT
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three.Operation
Master On/Off Switch
To operate unit, place this switch in the
On/Standby position. The system will go into
standby when no signal has been received and
when no unit connected to any of its two digital
inputs has been on for approximately five minutes.
Rear-Panel Control
Remote-Control-Battery Replacement (for future reference).
+
++
Push small tab towards
battery slot and pull battery
drawer out.
Remove old battery. Insert new battery with “+”
side up, and slide battery
drawer back into remote.
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1. Power
This button, located only on
the remote control, allows the
user to manually turn on or off
the ESC333. Please note that
the ESC333 features Automatic
Turn-On/Off, and the power
switch is not normally used
unless it is necessary to over-
ride this automatic feature, or
in case the analog input to be
used is not the last one that
was used and so Automatic
Turn-On is not available for
that input. Please read the
details regarding Automatic
Turn-On/Off on page 3 of this
manual, and keep in mind that
if the ESC333 is shut down
using this power button, its
automatic turn-on feature will
remain disabled for five min-
utes after the source connected
to the ESC333 is also shut
down. This is to prevent the
ESC333 from repeatedly turn-
ing itself back on against the
user’s wishes. The ESC333 can
also be powered on by using
the Input button (4) on the
front panel of the subwoofer
or on the remote control.
Please note that if input
selection is done by pressing
the Input button, the
Automatic Digital Input
Selection of the ESC333 will
be disabled until the ESC333
shuts down.
When the ESC333 is plugged
into a working electrical
outlet and its master switch
on the back panel is set to
On/Standby, the Standby (32)
indicator will illuminate. The
ON (31) indicator will light as
soon as the ESC333 is turned
on either automatically or via
the pressing of the Power or
Input buttons.
2. Mute
From either the front panel
or the remote control, press
(Mute) to lower the volume
completely. The mute symbol
indicator (33) will illuminate.
When you press either of the
mute buttons again, the vol-
ume will return to its previous
setting.
Note: The mute function can
also be turned off by pressing
either of the volume buttons
on the front panel or the
remote control.
3. Late Night
This feature is available for
Dolby Digital only. It com-
presses the inherently dynamic
digital sound so that the quiet
and loud passages are not
quite as different in sound
levels as they ordinarily are.
This feature allows the user to
watch movies and listen to
dialogue at toned-down levels
Bass
Treble
Delay Level
0 dB Test
Adjustment
Late Night
Power
Mute
Surround
Mode
Input
—+
—+
—+
Volume
8
10
11
12
13
5
4
9
7
3
2
1
6
Volume
Surround Mode
Input Mute
STANDBY
ON
SUB
LVL
DLY
RSRFCLFLS
AUX
PCM
3 - St Late NightPhantom
Digital5.1 Ch ProLogic
Surround
DIG. OPT DIG. COAX TV
31
32
33
2
6
5
4
18
16
15
14
22
23 24 25
19 21 26 17
27
28 29 30
20
Remote and Front-Panel Controls and Indicators
Front Panel
Remote Control
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so as not to disturb others by
the loud sound effects that
may be present.
The Late
Night indicator (26) illuminates
when this feature is active.
4. Input
This control is available on
both the front panel and the
remote control. It allows
manual selection when the
user repeatedly presses and
releases the button for any of
the ESC333’s four inputs. The
ESC333 features an Automatic
Digital Input Selection
feature that automatically
switches the ESC333 to the
source connected to one of
its two digital inputs as soon
as that device is powered on.
Please read the section on
page 3 to thoroughly familiar-
ize yourself with the conve-
niences and conditions of
using the Automatic Digital
Input Selection feature. The
Input switch is also used
when the source connected to
the ESC333’s analog input is
not the analog source that
was listened to the last time
the ESC333 was on (and
hence the Automatic Turn-On
feature is not available). The
Input switch also turns on
the ESC333 when pressed (see
item 1 earlier in this section).
Whenever a specific input is
selected either manually or
automatically, its indicator
(14, 15, 16 or 17) on the
ESC333’s front panel will be
illuminated.
5. Surround Mode
Pressing and releasing this
button allows the selection of
different listening modes.
Surround (18), Phantom (19)
and 3-Stereo (20) are
available listening options for
Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro
Logic. Stereo (21) bypasses
the surround processing and
outputs sound through the
right- and left-front speakers
only. In Surround mode, all
five satellites and the sub-
woofer will play. In Phantom
mode, all speakers except the
center channel will play. In
3-Stereo, all speakers except
for the two surround speakers
will be active.
6. Volume
Press ( ) on the remote
control or the front panel to
raise the system’s volume.
Press ( ) on the remote
control or the front panel to
lower the system’s volume.
The volume setting is
indicated on the status-bar
indicator (27).
7. 0 dB
Press this button to reset the
Center, Surround, Balance,
Treble and Bass controls to
their default positions.
8. Test
Press this button to activate
the Test Tone mode (see Test
Tone section).
9. Delay
The relative timing of sounds
coming from the center
and/or surround speakers
compared to the front-left
and front-right speakers can
be adjusted. The first press of
this button allows adjustment
of the center channel, all the
way from the default setting
of 0 ms (milliseconds), which
means no delay (all status
bars off), to a maximum of
5 ms (5 status bars on). The
indicators C (28) and DLY
(30) will be on. The second
press of the Delay button
allows adjustments of the
surround speakers; indicators
LS (28) and RS (28) and DLY
(30) will be on. The delay can
be adjusted from zero (all
status bars off) to 15 ms
(all status bars on) in 5.1
Channel Dolby Digital and
from 15 ms (all status bars
off) to 30 ms (all status bars
on) in Dolby Pro Logic (there
is an inherent and fixed
15 ms of delay added in the
“matrixed” Dolby Pro Logic to
re-create the proper surround
effect). The center and sur-
round delay adjustments can
be done from either Dolby
Digital or Dolby Pro Logic
“matrixed” modes. There are
no separate delay adjustments
for the individual modes of
operation. During adjust-
ments, the audio mutes
momentarily every time the
Adjustment +/– button (11)
is pressed. Please note that
the status-bar indicator (27)
will not display unless
Adjustment +/– buttons are
pressed. Also, while the
status-bar indicator (27) is
on, channel indicators (28)
and DLY (30) will not be
displayed. And, if adjust-
ments are done in a mode
where a certain channel is
not available, the adjustment
step for that channel is
skipped. For example, in
Phantom mode, the center-
channel delay cannot be
adjusted since Phantom does
not have a center channel.
In Stereo, neither the center
nor the surround delay can be
adjusted since Stereo does
not feature surround speakers
or a center speaker. A third
press of the Delay button will
exit the ESC333 from its
delay-adjustment mode.
<
<
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10. Level
The relative level of sounds
coming from each of the
ESC333’s speakers can be
adjusted while listening to
program material on the
ESC333. Repeated pressing and
releasing of the Level button
allows access to each channel.
The display will indicate LVL
(29), and the channel indica-
tors (28) LF (Left Front),
C (Center), RF (Right Front),
LS (Left Surround), RS (Right
Surround) and SUB (sub-
woofer) will illuminate to indi-
cate the active speaker. The
level for the selected channel
can then be changed using the
Adjustment +/– buttons (11).
Levels set in one mode will
stay valid for all other modes
and are not independent.
Please note that the status-
bar indicator (27) will not dis-
play unless Adjustment +/–
buttons are pressed. And,
while the status-bar indicator
(27) is on, channel indicators
(28) and LVL (29) will not be
displayed. Also, if adjustments
are done in a mode where a
certain channel is not avail-
able, the adjustment step for
that channel is skipped. For
example, in Phantom mode the
center-channel level cannot be
adjusted since Phantom does
not have a center channel. In
stereo, neither the center nor
the surround levels can be
adjusted since Stereo does not
feature surround speakers or a
center speaker. A seventh
press of the Level button will
exit the ESC333 from its level-
adjustment mode.
11. Adjustment
These buttons are used in con-
junction with Test (8), Delay
(9), and Level (10) to increase
or decrease a setting.
12. Bass
Press (+) to increase the level
of low-frequency information.
Press (–) to decrease the level
of low-frequency information.
13. Treble
Press (+) to increase the level
of high-frequency information.
Press (–) to decrease the level
of high-frequency information.
14–17. Input
One of these four indicators
will illuminate, depending on
which input is selected.
18–21. Surround
One of these will illuminate,
depending on which surround
mode is chosen.
22. Dolby Digital
Indicates the presence of a
Dolby Digital-encoded AC-3
digital signal.
23. 5.1-Ch
Works in conjunction with the
Dolby Digital indicator (22).
This indicator illuminates
when the Dolby Digital signal
contains 6 discrete channels of
information (one subwoofer
and five satellite channels).
24. Dolby Pro Logic
Illuminates when Dolby Pro
Logic decoding of a 2-channel
signal is taking place. This
indicator may be on by itself
(when analog inputs are
used), in conjunction with
Dolby Digital (when using a
digital input where the AC-3
format signal contains two
channels and needs to be
decoded into multichannel)
or together with PCM (when
using a digital input where
2-channel PCM-format data
is being decoded into multi-
channel).
25. PCM
Illuminates when the signal
supplied through the selected
digital input is in PCM format.
26. Late Night
Illuminates when the Late
Night compression is selected.
27. Status-Bar Indicator
These LEDS show the relative
setting of volume, bass,
treble, speaker level and
speaker delay.
28. Speaker Indicator
Identifies the speaker that’s
being adjusted. LS is Left
Surround, LF is Left Front, C is
Center, RF is Right Front, RS is
Right Surround, and SUB is
Subwoofer.
29. Level
Illuminates when the ESC333
is in speaker-level adjustment
mode.
30. Delay
Illuminates when the ESC333
is in speaker-delay adjustment
mode.
31. On
Indicates that the ESC333 is
fully powered up.
32. Standby
Indicates that the ESC333 is
plugged into an active wall
outlet and the master switch
on the back panel is in
On/Standby position, but
the unit is not powered on.
33. Mute
Illuminates when the mute
function is activated (the
ESC333 will be on but will not
produce any sound).
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LED Bar Indicators illuminate
in response to adjustments in
volume, delay, level, bass and
treble controls.
Status-Bar Indicators
Increase Decrease
Volume, Level, Delay
0dB
0dB
Increase Decrease
Bass, Treble
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Surround
Use this mode for films
recorded using Dolby Digital
or Dolby Pro Logic Surround.
Phantom
This mode creates surround
sound from stereo recordings.
The center channel is not
used and the surround chan-
nels have a 20-ms delay.
3-Stereo Mode
Use this mode to play back
Pro Logic-encoded films when
you do not want the surround
channels to play.
Stereo
This mode plays a recording
in traditional two-channel
stereo.
Surround Modes
The Test Tone is used to
calibrate the volume settings
of each of the speakers in the
ESC333. It is dependent on the
room where the system is set
up and the relative distances
and positions of each speaker
to the listening position. In
Dolby Digital mode, a static-
like noise will be heard
cycling, in order: left front,
center, right front, right
surround, left surround,
subwoofer. In modes other
than Dolby Digital, the sound
from the two surrounds will
be coming at the same time,
since the surrounds in all
available modes, except in
Dolby Digital, are in mono.
When the Test Tone is heard
coming from a specific
channel, pressing the
Adjustment +/– (11) buttons
will increase or decrease the
level of sound coming from
that channel. The display
status-bar indicator (27)
provides visual indication of
the adjustment as the adjust-
ment is being made. The
default adjustment level of
0 dB is indicated by five status-
bar indicators illuminated.
If adjustments are done in a
mode where a certain channel
is not available, the adjust-
ment step for that channel is
skipped. For example, in
Phantom mode, the center-
channel level cannot be
adjusted since Phantom does
not have a center channel. In
stereo, neither the center nor
the surround levels can be
adjusted since Stereo does not
feature surround speakers or a
center speaker.
Using the remote control,
adjust each channel’s levels
until the volume of all the
speakers is the same during
the test. To make sure all
channels are properly adjusted,
do the test twice, once in
Dolby Digital (Dolby Digital is
automatically selected when
the ESC333 is connected to a
DVD player’s digital output,
that specific digital input is
selected, and the DVD player is
playing Dolby Digital-encoded
material) and once again in
Dolby Pro Logic.
Note: The Test Tone is used
to calibrate the system
to reproduce all program
materials at the correct
relative levels, as was deter-
mined by the recording engi-
neers. When listening to actual
surround-encoded program
material, the volume level
of the surround channels is
generally lower than that of
the front channels. In fact,
virtually all of the dialogue
and a substantial number of
the effects in a movie are
reproduced through the center
channel.
Test Tone
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If there is no sound from
any of the speakers:
• Make sure the subwoofer is
plugged into an active AC
wall outlet.
• Make sure the Master Power
Switch, located on the rear of
the subwoofer, is in the
On/Standby position.
• Make sure there is a
source – for example, a DVD
Player, CD Player, VCR or
television – hooked up to one
of the four input jacks.
• Make sure that the program
material is playing.
• Recheck the hookup
connections, referring to the
Speaker Connections section.
If there is no sound from
the surround speakers or
sound is very low:
• Check all connections
between processor/amplifier
and each of the speakers.
• Raise the surround volume
from the remote control (see
Operation section).
• Make sure the TV show or
movie you are watching is
recorded in Dolby Digital or
Pro Logic Surround. If it is
not, try the Phantom or
Simulated Surround mode.
• Increase the surround-
speakers’ level, using the
level-adjustment instructions
found earlier in this manual.
If there is no sound from
the center speaker:
• Make sure that the processor
is in the Surround or
3-Stereo mode. If it is in
Phantom or Stereo mode, the
center speaker will not play.
• Increase the level of the
center channel, using the
level-adjustment instructions
earlier in this manual.
• Check the connections
between the subwoofer and
the center speaker.
If you have low bass output:
• Experiment with placement
of the subwoofer. Remember,
place the subwoofer in a
corner to get maximum bass
output from the system.
• Increase the subwoofer
level, using the level-
adjustment instructions
found earlier in this manual.
• Increase the level of bass,
using the remote control.
Troubleshooting
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Specifications
ESC333 System
Power Output
Satellites:
35 Watts x 5 @ 0.1% THD
Subwoofer:
65 Watts x 1 @ 0.1% THD
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
90 dBA
Input Impedance
(analog inputs)
20k ohms
Input Sensitivity
(analog inputs)
400mV
Auto Turn-On Sensitivity
(analog inputs)
2mV
Frequency Response (–6 dB)
35Hz – 20kHz
Dimensions (H x W x D)
Satellites (each):
4-3/8 x 3-3/16 x 3-3/4 inches
111 x 81 x 95mm
Subwoofer:
15-1/8 x 13 x 14-1/2 inches
384 x 330 x 368mm
Occasional refinements may
be made to existing products
without notice, but will
always meet or exceed original
specifications unless otherwise
stated.
ESC333 Simply Cinema OM 5/24/00 12:17 PM Page 15

JBL Consumer Products
250 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797
8500 Balboa Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91329
1-800-336-4JBL (4525) (USA only)
www.jbl.com
©1999 JBL, Incorporated. JBL and Simply Cinema are
registered trademarks of JBL, Incorporated.
*Trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
Part No. ESC333OM
ESC333 Simply Cinema OM 5/24/00 12:17 PM Page 16