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Thank you for purchasing the harman Kardon® SB26 soundbar, with which you are about to begin many years of listening enjoyment. the SB26 soundbar has been custom-designed to provide excitement and power of the cinema experience in your living room.
To obtain maximum enjoyment from your new soundbar speaker system, we urge you to take a few minutes to read through this manual, which:
In addition, a few minutes spent learning the functions of the various controls will allow you to take advantage of all the power and refinement of the SB26 system.
CONTACT US: If you have any questions about SB26, its installation or its operation, please contact your retailer or custom installer, or visit our website at: www.harmankardon.com
The SB26 is a complete home theater soundbar system that includes:
The SB26 subwoofer receives signal from the SB26 soundbar wirelessly, helping you place it anywhere in your room without having to run any wires. It is a 10-inch/250 mm woofer with a built-in 100 watt amplifier that delivers the full, intended impact and excitement from any movie. Other conveniences include a phase switch for fine-tuning bass performance that suits your listening environment, and an efficient switching system that senses the presence of an audio signal and automatically switches the subwoofer On.
Harman Kardon invented the high-fidelity stereo receiver more than 50 years ago. with state-of-the-art features and time-honored circuit design, the SB26 leverages this heritage to turn your flat-panel tV into a serious and exciting home cinema.
the following accessories are provided with the SB26 soundbar system:
If any of these accessories are missing or if any part of your SB26 system fails to operate properly, contact your dealer immediately.
Power Button:
The Power button turns the SB26 On/OFF. when the SB26 is in Standby mode (the power indicator is amber), press this button to turn the system On (the power indicator turns white).
NOTE: When the SB26 goes automatically to Standby mode, it will automatically turn ON whenever it detects an audio signal at the source inputs. The SB26 will also automatically wake up from the following sources if it would be on those sources before going to Standby.
For example, if the source input was analog audio when the SB26 went in automatic Standby, it would not wake up if it senses an audio signal from the optical audio input.
When the SB26 system is On, short press the Power button to put the soundbar in Standby mode (the power indicator turns amber).
Surround Mode Button:
The surround mode button turns the SB26 system's harman display Surround processing On and OFF. the surround mode indicator turns amber when harman display Surround is active and turns white when harman display Surround is not active (normal stereo sound).
Volume Up/Down Buttons:
Press the ( – ) button to reduce the volume, press the ( + ) button to increase the volume.
NOTE: Pressing both the SB26's Volume buttons at the same time when the system is ON will mute the system. Pressing either Volume buttons while the system is mute will restore the sound.
Bluetooth (BT):
The Bluetooth button is used to set the SB26 into Bluetooth mode. you can pair system with Bluetooth-enabled devices using this button.
NOTE: SB26's Bluetooth device name is SB26.
USB Port:
The uSB port is only for software upgrade. the SB26 allows users to upgrade the software using the hK remote app from mobile devices. to upgrade the software in the SB26 system, you will require a mobile device with Android or iOS operating system. the software upgrade in SB26 can be performed using the Bluetooth channel to communicate with the mobile device.
Power Input DC:
Connect the supplied dc power adapter to this input. IR Transmitter: Although the SB26 can be wall-mounted, most customers place their soundbar on a tV stand. this can be problematic as it may block the tV's remote control sensor, forcing you to stand up and angle your remote to control your tV. In this case, we recommend you to use the supplied Ir repeater.
To install the IR repeater:
The television Ir command will automatically transmit from the Ir receiver of the SB26
To the IR receiver of the television.
AUX Input:
Connect your system to other devices using an AuX cable. you can connect an analog audio device to the SB26 using the 3.5 mm to rcA supplied cable.
Optical:
If your tV, disc player or cable/satellite tuner has an optical digital output, use the included optical cable to connect it here.
HDMI TV:
Connect your television to this input using the supplied hdMI® cable. If the hdMI input of your television supports Audio return channel (Arc) feature, the audio signal from the television will be automatically sent back to the SB26 with this single cable. If your television does not support Arc, you need to have an additional optical or analog cable base on your television compatibility.
HDMI 1 and HDMI 2:
HDMI connections transmit digital audio and video signals between the devices. If you have source devices with hdMI connectors, you should use it for the best possible audio and video performance quality.
Table/ Wall Equalization Switch:
The table wall switch adjusts the SB26's bass for either wall or table mounting. If you are mounting the SB26 on a wall with the included wall-mount brackets, set this switch to the wall position for the most naturalsounding bass performance. If you are placing the SB26 on a table, set the eQ switch to the table position for the most natural-sounding bass performance.
Wireless Subwoofer Pairing Button:
Press the wireless subwoofer pairing button to initiate wireless pairing between the SB26 and the powered wireless subwoofer.
Wireless Subwoofer Pairing Indicator:
During a wireless pairing, the subwoofer pairing indicator displays the following:
The following controls are available on the rear panel of the subwoofer:
Wireless Pairing Button:
Press the wireless subwoofer pairing button to initiate wireless pairing between soundbar and the wireless subwoofer.
Wireless Pairing Indicator:
The wireless pairing indicator displays the following:
Power input AC:
Plug your Ac power cord here.
Phase Adjustment (0-180°):
The phase adjustment switch determines whether the subwoofer driver's piston-like action moves in and out, in phase with the speakers in the SB26. If the subwoofer were to play out of phase with the SB26 speakers, the sound waves from the SB26 could cancel out some of the sound waves from the subwoofers, reducing the bass performance and the sonic impact. this phenomenon is dependent on the placement of the subwoofer and soundbar up to some extent. Crossover Adjustment: this knob adjusts the subwoofer's crossover between 100 hz and 250 hz. the higher you set the crossover knob, the higher in frequency the subwoofer will operate and the more its bass will overlap that of the soundbar. this adjustment helps you achieve a smooth transition of bass frequencies between the subwoofer and the soundbar for a variety of different rooms and subwoofer locations.
The following buttons are available in the remote control:
Power Button:
To bring the SB26 to operational mode from Standby mode, press the Power button (the Power indicator on the SB26 will turn white).
To put the system in the Standby mode, press the power button while the system is switched On (the Power indicator on the SB26 will turn amber).
If you do not press the Power button, the SB26 and the subwoofer will automatically go into Standby mode approximately in 10 minutes after the audio input signal stops.
HDMI inputs 1, 2 and HDMI TV:
Press a button to activate a source – hdMI 1, hdMI 2 or hdMI tV output for television with Arc support.
Optical, AUX in:
Press to select external AuX or Optical inputs.
Volume Control +/ –:
Press the "+" button to increase volume; press the "–" button to decrease volume.
Mute:
Press the Mute button to mute the sound, press the mute button again or any Volume button to unmute.
Subwoofer Volume Control +/ –:
Use this to control the independent subwoofer's volume. Press "+" to increase the subwoofer's volume. Press "–" to decrease the subwoofer's volume.
Surround Mode:
This button turns the SB26's harman display Surround processing On/OFF. the Surround button indicator on the SB26 turns blue when Surround is active, and turns white when Stereo mode is active.
Harman Volume:
This button cycles the harman Volume function between high, low and off. harman volume is an advanced digital signal processing technology to control playback volume. It evens out the volume level on everything you watch, improving your listening experience. Once you choose the volume level, harman Volume does the rest. It helps you avoid volume increase from commercials, volume differences when you change channels or switch sources. It helps you listen to the perfect sound effects of the dialogs.
If your tV is placed on a table, you can place the SB26 on the table directly in front of the tV stand, centered with the tV screen.
As long as the table's surface is flat, the SB26 will rest on its rubber feet.
If your tV is wall mounted, you can use the included wall-mount brackets to mount the SB26 on the wall directly below the tV screen.
The performance of a subwoofer is directly related to its placement in the listening room and its physical position relative to the other speakers in the system. while it is true that our ears do not hear directional sounds at the low frequencies where subwoofers operate. while installing a subwoofer within the limited confines of a room, the reflections, standing waves and absorptions generated within the room will strongly influence the performance of any subwoofer system. As a result, the specific location of the subwoofer in the room becomes important to the amount and quality of bass that is produced.
Make sure that the subwoofer's rear panel is at least 150 mm or 6" away from the wall to allow proper operation of its port tube opening.
You may place the subwoofer in the positions as represented in the above figure.
The maximum wireless operating distance between the soundbar and subwoofer is approximately 15m (50 feet).
HDMI ARC TV Out:
If your tV has an hdMI input, use the supplied hdMI cable to connect it to the SB26's hdMI Arc tV Out connection. the SB26 will pass video from source devices connected to its hdMI Input connectors; along with its own on-screen display information to the tV. If your tV is equipped with hdMI Arc Function, you can feed its sound to the SB26 via the hdMI Arc tV Out connection, and it will not require additional audio connections to the SB26. the hdMI Arc signal is active when the hdMI tV source is selected.
The hdMI Arc function may require to be activated from your television menu to work. you may refer to your tV owner's manual to activate the hdMI Arc function.
If your television is not equipped with the hdMI Arc option, you will have to connect an optical or analog cable from your television to the soundbar in addition to the hdMI to get the audio.
NOTE: The SB26's On-screen Information Display (OSD) only appears through the HDMI TV Out connector. If you want to see the SB26's OSD, you need to connect its HDMI ARC TV Out connector to your TV even if you are not connecting any HDMI video source devices to the SB26's HDMI In 1/2 connectors.
HDMI In 1/2:
If any of your source devices have hdMI connectors, connect them to the SB26's hdMI In 1/2 connectors for the best possible video and audio performance quality. Since the hdMI cable carries both digital video and digital audio signals, you do not have to make any additional audio connections for the source devices you want to connect via hdMI connectors.
Aux In and Optical In connections:
If your tV and/or source devices do not have hdMI connections, you can use the supplied audio cable and/or optical cable to connect your tV and one source device to the SB26's Aux In and/or Optical In connectors, respectively.
After you have made and verified all of the source connections above:
DO NOT plug this cord into the accessory outlets found on some audio components.
Manually:
To turn on the SB26 manually, short press the SB26's Power button. Press the Power button on either the soundbar or the remote to turn the SB26 On.
To put the SB26 into Standby manually, short press the Power button.
NOTE: If you put the SB26 into Standby manually, you can turn it ON by manually pressing the Power button again.
Auto turn-on:
The SB26 has a signal detector that automatically turns the unit On when it senses an audio signal on hdMI® inputs using cec command (compatible product and/or television) or a Bluetooth® streaming. the auto turn-on mode gets activated for analog or optical inputs only when the SB26 goes in auto standby on the audio input from which it senses an audio signal.
Auto turn-off:
The SB26 will automatically enter into Standby mode if no audio signal is detected at any of its source input connections for approximately 10 minutes. If you have programmed the SB26 to respond to your tV remote's On and OFF commands, you can manually put the SB26 into the Standby mode without having to hold its power button for one second.
If you will be away from home for an extended period of time, or if you will not be using the system for an extended period, we recommend you to unplug your system from the Ac outlet.
The subwoofer will automatically turn itself On when it senses an audio signal, and it will return to Standby mode when the SB26 goes in Standby mode.
After turning the soundbar and subwoofer On for the first time, you will need to pair the subwoofer and soundbar so both of them operate at the same wireless frequency. to pair the units, press the wireless Pairing switches on both the units one after another within 30 seconds. the units will communicate with each other and operate at the same frequency.
The SB26's On-screen Information display (OSd) will appear on the screen of a tV connected to the hdMI Arc tV Out connector to help you verify the operating status of the SB26. the OSd will overlay on top of the tV's video program for five seconds after pressing a button on the soundbar or remote. (when you select an audio-only source connection such as Aux, Optical, or Bluetooth, the OSd information will overlay a black screen with harman Kardon logo ).
In addition to the status information, the OSd will also display messages if the selected hdMI connection cannot be detected or if the video signal is lost.
To wirelessly stream audio to the SB26 from a Bluetooth-enabled device:
To listen to audio from the Bluetooth device, press the Bluetooth source button on the SB26 to activate the source. If the SB26 is in Standby mode, you can automatically wake up the system by starting to stream an audio Bluetooth signal to the SB26 as long as your device has already been paired with the SB26. the OSd will display Bluetooth.
To disconnect the Bluetooth device, press and hold the SB26's Bluetooth button until the led begins flashing. the OSd will display Bluetooth pairing.
NOTE:
The remote has individual selector buttons for each source except Bluetooth. the active source's Source Indicator led will illuminate upon selection.
Press the SB26's Volume up and down buttons on the remote control or on the soundbar to raise and lower the system's volume, one press at a time. hold down the button to raise or lower the volume continuously.
NOTE: The lowest setting of the Volume Down button will mute the system.
For the best sound, we recommend turning your tV's built-in speakers off. consult your tV's owner's manual to find out how to do this. If there is no way to turn your tV's speakers off, you can adjust the tV's volume so that your SB26 system will always supply most of the sound:
This way, your SB26 system should always be louder than your tV speakers.
NOTE: If you play the SB26 at more than 50% of max volume and turn the SB26 off using the Power button, the system will automatically reset at 50% of the max volume.
Press the remote control subwoofer volume up and down to raise and lower the system's subwoofer volume.
Use the subwoofer's volume control to balance the bass with the rest of the sound. Play music or movies that you are familiar with and adjust the subwoofer's Volume knob so the bass sounds are balanced on both music and films. listen to several different music recordings and film soundtracks that contain strong bass, and find a setting for the Volume knob that does not over-emphasize the bass or make it sound weak.
To mute the SB26 system:
the Surround mode button switches the sound between normal stereo (the surround mode indicator turns white) and harman display Surround (the surround mode indicator turns blue). the harman display Surround setting will produce a complete surround-sound experience for anyone sitting in front of and several feet away from the soundbar. Although it is effective when watching movies, you can also try the harman display Surround setting for music.
the subwoofer's crossover knob adjusts the subwoofer's crossover low pass filter between 100 hz and 250 hz. the higher you set the crossover knob, the higher in frequency the subwoofer will operate and the more its bass will overlap the soundbar. this adjustment helps you achieve a smooth transition of bass frequencies between the subwoofer and the soundbar for a variety of different rooms and subwoofer locations.
to set the crossover knob, listen to the smoothness of the bass. If the bass seems to be strong enough at certain frequencies, try a lower crossover knob setting. If the bass seems to be too weak at certain frequencies, try a higher crossover knob setting.
the subwoofer phase switch determines whether the subwoofer's piston-like action moves in and out in phase with the speakers in the soundbar. If the subwoofer were to play out of phase with the Soundbar speakers, some of the sound waves produced by the soundbar and subwoofer could be cancelled out at some frequencies, reducing bass performance and sonic impact. this phenomenon depends in part on the relative placement of all the speakers in the room.
Although there is absolutely no correct setting for the Phase switch, in most cases, it should be left in the 0° position. when the subwoofer is properly in phase with the soundbar speakers, the sound will be clearer and have more impact. this will make percussive sounds like drums, piano and plucked strings sound more lively. the best way to set the Phase switch is to listen to music that you are familiar with and adjust the switch so that drums and other percussive sounds have maximum impact.
you can program the SB26 to make it respond to your tV remote's power, mute, volume up and volume down commands. this programming lets you control power and volume functions of your SB26 soundbar with your tV remote. Before beginning to program the SB26, have your tV remote in hand. we recommend sitting down in front of the soundbar.
NOTE: Some steps will time out, so read through this entire process before you begin.
Have the TV remote in hand. when you start programming the remote, be ready to aim the TV remote to the front of the soundbar from about 300 mm – 900 mm (about 12 – 36 inches) away.
To program the power, surround, volume down, volume up and mute commands:
NOTE: If you would like to program a new TV remote control or you are missing a command, restart the whole process.
If you would like to cancel the learning, reset the SB26. Put the SB26 in Standby mode, press and hold the Surround and Volume – button simultaneously. Once factory defaults are restored, the SB26 surround button will flash white for one second, then the unit will enter into operational mode.
If your SB26 system does not perform the way you think it should, check whether the problem is covered in this section before contacting your dealer or a harman/Kardon representative.
Problems | Solutions |
If the soundbar does not turn On |
|
If the subwoofer does not turn On |
|
If there is no sound coming from both the soundbar and the subwoofer |
|
If there is no sound coming only from the subwoofer |
|
If the soundbar's sound is distorted |
|
If there is sound from the system, even when the soundbar's volume is turned all the way up |
|
If the bass output is not loud enough |
|
The volume is reset when I turn on the soundbar |
|
My TV is On and my SB26 is in Standby. When I switch off my television, it turns my SB26 On |
|
SB26 | |
Frequency response | 38hz- 28khz (-6dB) |
SB26 CTR Soundbar | |
Midrange transducers | Two x 3" (75 mm) cones per channel |
high-Frequency transducers | One x 1" (25 mm) dome per channel |
Amplifier power | 30 watts x 2 |
Power requirement | 24V dc, 2.7 A |
Dimension | 110 mm x 920 mm x 89 mm |
Weight | 3.5 kg |
SB26 Subwoofer | |
Transducer | 10" (250 mm) cone |
Enclosure type | Ported |
Power requirement | 100-240 V Ac, 50hz/60hz, 100 w |
Amplifier power | 100 watts |
Dimension | 365 mm x 320 mm x 320 mm |
Weight | 9.4 kg |
© 2013 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Harman Kardon is a trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the united States and/or other countries. the "beautiful/sound" logo is a trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated.
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.
Manufactured under license from dolby laboratories. dolby and the double-d symbol are trademarks of dolby laboratories.
The terms HDMI, the HDMI logo, and high-definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI licensing llc in the united States and other countries.
"Made for iPod," "Made for iPhone," and "Made for iPad" mean that an electronic accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPod, iPhone, or iPad, respectively, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Please note that the use of this accessory with iPod, iPhone, or iPad may affect wireless performance. iPad, iPhone, iPod, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries
Here you can download full pdf version of manual, it may contain additional safety instructions, warranty information, FCC rules, etc.
Download Harman Kardon SB26 - Advanced Soundbar with Bluetooth Subwoofer Manual
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