QUICK START GUIDE
SSW-5
© 2026 Harman International
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a JBL Synthesis SSW-5 powered subwoofer. The SSW-5 is designed,
engineered, and manufactured to the industry’s highest quality standards, and offers cinema
system integrators with a full complement of inputs and controls for easy system integration.
Designed to complement any of the JBL Synthesis Custom Loudspeakers (SCL Series), the SSW-5
delivers powerful dynamics and incredibly accurate low frequency sound reproduction for true
high-fidelity sound in medium to large rooms.
Please take the time to study this document so that you can obtain the best possible
performance from your subwoofer. For more information and other languages, visit
https://www.jblsynthesis.com.
Should further assistance be required feel free to contact JBL Synthesis technical support at
the numbers below.
Inside the US and Canada: +1 888.691.4171
Outside the US and Canada: +44 1707 668 012
Package Contents
Each SSW-5 package contains:
1x JBL Synthesis SSW-5 Powered Subwoofer
1x Quick-start Guide & Safety Sheet
1x Magnetically Attachable Grille
4x Carpet Spike Feet
AC Power Cord(s) - quantity and type vary by region
If you suspect that there has been shipping damage, report it immediately to your dealer. We
recommend that you keep the box and packing materials for future use.
© 2026 Harman International 2
Placing the Subwoofer
When using subwoofers within the limited confines of a typical home theater room, the
reflections, standing waves, and resonant absorbers within the room will create peaks and
dips in the bass response that can vary greatly depending on where the listeners are located
in the room - a listener seated in one location may hear an overabundance of bass created by a
response peak at the location, while another listener only a few feet away may hear far less bass
due to a response dip at that location.
The locations of subwoofers within the room (along with the room’s dimensions) also have a
profound effect on the creation of these bass response peaks and dips. Careful subwoofer
placement alone cannot compensate for all bass response peaks and dips throughout a room,
but careful subwoofer placement can eliminate or significantly reduce the largest response dips.
It is important to reduce response dips throughout the room as much as possible via proper
subwoofer placement because equalization cannot be used to compensate for large response
dips. For example, using equalization in an attempt to restore a 13dB response dip requires that
the subwoofer amplifier deliver 20 times the power at that frequency. This can quickly overdrive
the subwoofer amplifier into clipping, which will significantly degrade audio quality.
In almost any room, placing the subwoofers in corners will produce the fewest large bass
response dips and will also produce the largest bass response peaks.
We strongly recommend that you install multiple subwoofers regardless of the room size. A
single subwoofer will result in the least consistent bass performance throughout the room.
Using multiple subwoofers can cancel some room modes at the various listening locations,
resulting in much more consistent low-frequency sound quality throughout the listening area. It
is often impossible to locate a single subwoofer such that large response dips, which cannot be
corrected via equalization, are not present. The use of two or more properly placed subwoofers
almost always eliminates such response dips.
The goal of proper subwoofer placement is to achieve a smooth, extended bass response. We
strongly recommend that you experiment with placement before choosing a final location for
your subwoofer.
© 2026 Harman International 3
Connecting the Subwoofer
If you are connecting to a surround processor with a low-pass filtered subwoofer output,
connect the subwoofer as shown below and set the SSW-5 Low Pass Crossover control knob to
the “LFE” position. You can make a balanced (XLR) or unbalanced (RCA) connection to either the
subwoofer’s left or right input connector.
UNBALANCED INPUT
BALANCED lNPUT
LEFT
RIGHT
LEFT
RIGHT
LFE/SUB
LFE/SUB
PREAMP/RECEIVER SSW-5 BACK PANEL
PREAMP / RECEIVER SSW-5 BACK PANEL
1 2
Installation
© 2026 Harman International 4
Subwoofer Rear-Panel Controls and Connections
PARAMETRIC EQUALIZATION (PEQ) CONTROLS (1, 2, 4, 6)
This set of equalization controls adjust for the dominant room mode at your listening position in your
specific listening room. The parametric equalizer includes variable controls to adjust Frequency,
Bandwidth, and EQ Level of one band of frequencies. To use these controls, you must first set the EQ
switch to “ON”.
NOTE: Specific measurement equipment is required to properly adjust the Equalization controls.
Your authorized JBL dealer can make the appropriate measurements, using suitable equipment to
ensure optimal results.
EQ ON/Off SWITCH
Enables/Disables the parametric EQ controls (Frequency, Bandwidth, and EQ Level, but not Polarity).
EQ FREQUENCY CONTROL
Selects the center frequency of the problem area. The range is from 32HZ to100Hz.
POLARITY SWITCH
This switch determines whether the subwoofer transducer’s piston-like action moves in and out in
phase with the main speakers. If the subwoofer were to play out of phase with the main speakers,
the sound waves from the main speakers could partially cancel out the sound waves from the
EQ
EQ LEVEL
LOW PASS CROSSOVER
ON
FREQUENCY
BANDWIDTH
40
10032
0.1
0.6
0.2
-12
80
150
LFE50
+3
-9
-6 -3
0
0.5
0.3
0.4
(Hz)
(Q)
(dB)
(Hz)
SUBWOOFER GAIN
MIN MAX
50
80
63
OFF
POLARITY
180°
0°
ON
POWER
MODE
AUTO
IN
OUT
TRIGGER
12V TRIGGER
UNBALANCED INPUT
BALANCED lNPUT
LEFT
RIGHT
LEFT
RIGHT
1
3
2
4
5 6
8
7
9
10
O
12
11
1
3
2
© 2026 Harman International 5
subwoofer, reducing bass performance and sonic impact. This phenomenon depends in part on the
placement of all the speakers relative to the listening position and to each other in the room.
EQ BANDWIDTH CONTROL
Sets the range of frequencies over which the equalizer will have an effect. The range is from 0.1
octaves to 0.6 octaves; the higher the number the broader the range of frequencies that will be
affected.
POWER MODE SWITCH & ON / STANDBY LED
When switched to ‘Auto’ position, the subwoofer stays in Standby mode unless a signal is present. It
will automatically turn on when an audio signal is detected, and it will return to Standby mode when
no audio signal is detected after approximately 10 minutes.
Setting this switch to ‘On’ keeps the subwoofer powered until Power Switch is turned ‘Off.’ Note
that this mode may increase the power consumption of the product. In Standby, the SSW-5 power
consumption is < 0.5W.
When the Power Switch is in the ‘On’ position, this LED indicates whether the subwoofer is in the On
or Standby state.
• When the LED glows green, the subwoofer is turned On.
• When the LED glows red, the subwoofer is in the Standby mode.
EQ LEVEL CONTROL
Allows you to adjust how much boost or cut is applied to the selected frequency by the EQ Frequency
Control. This control adjusts from-12dB to a maximum of +3dB.
LOW PASS CROSSOVER
This control determines the highest frequency at which the subwoofer reproduces sounds. The
higher you set the Crossover control, the higher in frequency the subwoofer will operate and the
more its bass will “overlap” that of the speakers. This adjustment helps achieve a smooth transition
of bass frequencies between the subwoofer and the speakers for a variety of different rooms and
subwoofer locations.
12V TRIGGER IN/OUT CONNECTORS
When the subwoofer’s Power Mode Switch is set to “Trigger”, the subwoofer will automatically turn
on when 5V-12V is present at the 12V Trigger “in-connection”, and will turn off when the voltage at
this connection is removed. Whenever the subwoofer is on, a 12V trigger signal is available at it’s 12V
Trigger Out connector. It is for use with additional SSW-5 subwoofers, or another triggerable device.
SUBWOOFER GAIN
Use this control to adjust the subwoofer’s volume. Turn the knob clockwise to increase the volume;
turn the knob counterclockwise to decrease the volume.
INPUT CONNECTORS
Connect these to the outputs of a stereo preamp or connect a surround processor’s subwoofer
output to either the left or right input. Balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) connectors are
available. The inputs are 0dBV nominal to +12dBV max unbalanced/+18dBV max balanced. The XLR
input is pin 2 hot.
POWER SWITCH
Set this switch in the ‘On’ position to turn the subwoofer on. If you will be away from home, or will
not be using the subwoofer for an extended period, set this switch in the ‘Off’ position to conserve
energy.
POWER CORD CONNECTOR
After you have made and verified the subwoofer’s input connection, plug the power cord into an
active, unswitched electrical outlet for proper operation of the subwoofer.
DO NOT plug the power cord into the accessory outlets found on some audio components.
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5
6
8
7
9
10
12
11
© 2026 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
JBL Synthesis is a trademark of HARMAN International Industries,
Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. Features,
specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.
HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated
8500 Balboa Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91329 USA
EMEA Liaison Oice, Danzigerkade 16G, 1013 AP
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ground Floor, Westside 2, London Road, Apsley, Hemel
Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 9TD, United Kingdom.
www.jblsynthesis.com
铅
（Pb）
汞
（Hg）
镉
（Cd
）
六价铬
（Cr(VI)）
多溴联苯
（PBBs）
多溴二苯醚
（PBDEs）
邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯
（DBP）
邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯
（
DIBP）
邻苯二甲酸丁苄酯
（BBP）
邻苯二甲酸(2-乙基)已酯
（DEHP）
木箱 ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○
金属件 × ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
线路板及其组件 × ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
塑胶件 ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
喇叭单元 × ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
产品中有害物质的名称及含有信息表
部件名称
有害物
质
注1: ○ :表示
该有害物质在该部件所有均质材料中的含量均不超出电器电子产品有害物质限制使用国家标准要求。
× :表示该有害物质至少在该部件的某一均质材料中的含量超出电器电子产品有害物质限制使用国家标准要求。
注2:
以上未列出的部件,表明其有害物质含量均不超出电器电子产品有害物质限制使用国家标准要求。
在中华人民共和国境内销售的电子电气产品上将印有”环保使用期”(EPuP)符号。
圆圈中的数字代表产品的正常环保使用年限。
Atenção: conforme lei brasileira n° 11.291, a exposição prolongada a ruídos
superiores a 85dB pode causar danos ao sistema auditivo.
LS_JBLSynthesis_SSW5_QSG_EN_v1.0_20260309
WARNING: HARMAN International assumes no responsibility for improper installation
of hardware or for any personal injuries or product damages resulting from improper
installation or a fallen loudspeaker. Professional installation is recommended.
Mounting hardware is not included.
