Turn your flat-panel TV into a home theater.

Home theater installations typically involve five loudspeakers, a subwoofer or two, and lots of speaker wire. Not every room can accommodate all that stuff – and not every homeowner wants to live with it. The harman kardon® home cinema soundbar system offers an elegant and far simpler alternative: a single amplified loudspeaker unit that connects directly to your TV, DVD player or game console, and a single wireless subwoofer that can pump bass from anywhere in the room. Whether you need traditional stereo playback or realistic 3-D surround-sound processing, the SB 16 simplifies your life, delivering true harman kardon performance with an absolute minimum number of components and wires leading into (or out of) the system.

The Harman Kardon® SB 16 – At A Glance

An Amazing Surround Experience from a Single Speaker.

The soundbar’s 3-D virtual surround processing turns you system into a theater with just a single speaker.

Impressive 3-D virtual surround processing.

Whether you’re watching a sitcom or a blockbuster movie, you always want to feel like part of the action developing on screen. That’s why the SB 16 produces a complete 3-D virtual surround-sound experience for anyone sitting in front of the soundbar. Bring home a rich, full-bodied theatrical experience without having to add a bunch of extra speakers – or merely give another level of depth to traditional stereo playback. It’s your choice. Just prepare to be impressed.

The EQ and trim switch allow you to optimize the soundbar’s performance for your room and particular installation

Tailor performance to location with a dual-position EQ switch.

To improve your system’s performance no matter where you place it, your SB 16’s soundbar includes a dual-position EQ switch that adjusts the soundbar’s center-loudspeaker bass. If you’ve mounted your soundbar on a wall, flip the switch to the Wall position for the most natural-sounding bass performance. And if it’s on a table, simply set the EQ switch to the Table position to achieve the same benefit.

Achieve peak performance with a trim switch.

Different TVs have different audio signals. That’s why a trim switch – such as the one on the SB 16 – allows you to adjust the soundbar center speaker’s input sensitivity manually, so it will work with a wide range of TVs possessing different audio-signal output levels. For example, if your TV’s audio-signal output is too low, the soundbar center may not play loud enough. In this case, set the trim switch to Position Three, so the soundbar center will play louder. If your TV’s audio-signal output is too high, you may hear distortion in the soundbar center at normal listening volumes. In this case, set the trim switch to Position One to reduce distortion and improve overall sound quality.

A wireless subwoofer means extreme flexibility in placement

Enjoy Room Rocking Bass.

A wireless subwoofer you can put anywhere.

With a grand total of zero wires and connections going into the soundbar, the SB 16’s wireless subwoofer offers you unprecedented flexibility in terms of placement. With a 10-inch (250mm) magnetically shielded woofer and built-in 100-watt amplifier, the wireless subwoofer delivers an impactful one-two bass punch when combined with the soundbar speaker. And thanks to a down-firing bass-reflex enclosure, you can also expect more realistic bass performance and higher bass output, since the subwoofer loads against the floor instead of against surrounding walls.

Take control of your subwoofer.

No matter where you put your SB 16 wireless subwoofer, you’ll benefit from many advanced features that make the listening experience ideal.

One such feature is volume control, which lets you adjust the subwoofer’s sound levels to accommodate all types of entertainment.

Second, there’s a phase-control switch that lets you optimize subwoofer performance depending on the placement of speakers in the room. For instance, if the subwoofer plays out of phase with the soundbar center speaker, the soundbar and subwoofer could produce sound waves that cancel each other out – or reduce bass performance or even sonic impact. But if you use the phase switch, you’ll avoid this problem, put the subwoofer properly in phase with the soundbar speakers and generate a clearer result and more lifelike sounds for instruments such as drums, the piano and strings.

Finally, the SB 16 soundbar system features a crossover adjustment, which helps your system effect smooth transitions for bass frequencies between the subwoofer and soundbar. The higher you set the crossover setting, the higher in frequency the subwoofer will operate – and the more its bass will overlap that of the soundbar speaker.

The SB 16 soundbar looks great mounted under a sleek flat-panel TV

Incredibly Easy to Setup and Use.

Mount your soundbar wherever you please.

Designed as an ideal complement to your flat-panel TV, the SB 16 is sleek and easy to install right underneath a mounted plasma or LCD screen – thanks to the wall-mounting hardware that’s included with the SB 16 system. Simply install the wall-mount brackets on the wall, attach the soundbar in a few short steps and immediately experience the dramatic, high-definition sound and distinct, clear dialogue that can turn any ordinary sound system into an elite one. And remember: Since the subwoofer is wireless, you don’t have to worry about running any wires across the room.

With multiple digital connections and analog inputs, the SB 16 will connect to all your devices

Receive lots of input (digital and analog) from multiple sources.

Since it comes with optical digital, coaxial digital and analog input connections, the SB 16 gives you the flexibility to run several different kinds of systems. Play your TV, DVD or Blu-ray Disc™ player, and satellite or cable tuner with your soundbar – without having to unplug wires every time you change systems. Optical digital and coaxial digital inputs also let you avoid unnecessary electrical connections, so you can experience better sound and image with less signal corrosion over time.

Easy pairing with your TV remote.

Simplify your life: Direct your entire home theater system with one easy-to-use remote control. The SB 16 soundbar is compatible with, and easily programmed to respond to, your TV remote control’s power, volume and input commands. This benefit eliminates yet another remote from that mounting pile on your coffee table. To get the best audio performance out of your SB 16 system, it’s recommended that you switch off the sound coming from the TV’s loudspeakers. (You can do it by using the audio-setup menu on most current flat-panel TVs.)

Eliminate interference with magnetically shielded speakers.

Given the eye-catching aesthetics of your SB 16 soundbar speaker, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to put it on display right next to your flat-panel TV. And you can, thanks to the interference-blocking magnetic shielding – also called video shielding – in the soundbar and subwoofer. With this quality-enforcing feature, you can avoid interruptions to the magnetic field in the TV by placing your soundbar underneath your TV (within 2 feet/60cm). By successfully eliminating interference and distortion, the magnetically shielded soundbar gives you the ultimate freedom to put your soundbar speaker anywhere you please – and the peace of mind to know that you’ll always get the best picture and sound quality possible.

The SB 16 soundbar looks great mounted under a sleek flat-panel TV

Avoid interference with wireless code switches

The last thing you want is an interruption to the picture once you’re fully immersed in a film or a TV show. However, if you do experience the rare case of interference, or happen to be operating more than one SB 16 system at a time, you can always change the wireless channel on which the system operates. To do so, simply find one of the four-position wireless code switches on both the soundbar speaker and the subwoofer – and flip the switch to one of the other three positions. Set both components’ switches to the same position, and enjoy a continuous entertainment experience with maximum performance – free of distraction.

Capitalize on energy-saving features

The SB 16 soundbar speaker and subwoofer system comes equipped with several features that help you save energy. For one, the SB 16 subwoofer comes with an external trigger and auto power on/off that automatically powers the subwoofer up or down in response to relayed voltage or audio signals. What’s more, the SB 16 also utilizes low standby power consumption. By meeting the latest green guidelines, the SB 16 intuitively conserves energy while keeping sound quality high – and your power bill – low.

For more than 50 years, Harman Kardon products have been delivering great sound and extraordinary design

harman kardon – a legacy of sound achievement

With its sleek look, superb sound and surround-sound simplicity, the SB 16 home theater system is a consummate example of the harman kardon® commitment to excellence. Exemplifying the balance between high style, modern design and audio ingenuity, the SB 16 embodies the true harman kardon spirit – one that’s been celebrated by a world of discerning audio enthusiasts for almost 60 years.

From the world’s first stereo receiver (the Festival TA230) to the multimedia masterpiece that became part of the permanent collection at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (SoundSticks II), harman kardon engineers consistently advance the science of sound, developing magnificent audio products that are wholeheartedly dedicated to quality, durability and generating rave reviews from audiophiles.

What’s in the Box

One SB 16 center speaker, One SB 16 subwoofer

Spec Sheet

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