JBL SCS160SI 7-Piece 150-Watt Home Theater Speaker System

Heighten the quality and the quantity of excitement and realism delivered by your DVD player and audio/video receiver with this full-range surround-sound speaker system from JBL. The SCS160SI's quintet of satellite speakers (left/right front and left/center/right surround) and center-channel speaker fill a room with sound, while the 150-watt powered subwoofer rounds out the bottom end, delivering the floor-shaking bass supplied by a program's low-frequency-effects channel--the .1 in a 5.1- or 6.1-channel presentation.

If you don't have a 6.1-channel surround processor/AV receiver, you can store one of the satellites for later use and set it up as a 5.1 system. Many DVDs now offer 6.1 soundtracks, designed to offer a greater degree of sonic authenticity over 5.1 setups through the ability to place sounds directly opposite the TV screen (5.1 systems use only a front center-channel speaker).

All speakers are video shielded to allow distortion-free placement on or around a television, and the satellite speakers may be mounted on optional stands, shelves, or the wall (via supplied wall-mount brackets). JBL recommends powering the satellites with 10 to 100 watts per channel--that's enough to enjoy exciting home-theater sound, but those seeking bigger thrills will want larger amplifiers and heavier-duty speakers.

Each satellite houses a 3-inch driver and a 1/2-inch titanium-laminate dome tweeter and the center-channel uses the same transducers as the satellites for seamless blending, but has two midrange drivers for extra power and clarity, since the center channel carries up to 70 percent of a film's sound (including most dialogue). The ported subwoofer uses a large, 10-inch woofer for subterranean bass down to around 30 Hz.

The subwoofer offers versatile hookup options: you can feed it a dedicated LFE signal from your compatible surround receiver; you can feed it left/right stereo outputs from an extra pair of audio outs on your receiver or integrated amplifier; or you can wire it directly inline with two of the supplied satellite speakers or even your existing left/right stereo speakers (JBL provides speaker wire for this purpose, and the detailed instruction book describes the precise hookup procedure).

What's in the Box
Five satellites, a center-channel speaker, a powered subwoofer, five speaker-mounting brackets (the center-channel is meant to rest on your television), requisite speaker cabling, and a user's manual.