Bose VCS30 Series II centresurround speaker system Sold from August 2001 to present User Manual

							 
Bose 
® 
 Home Theater Speakers 
Owner’s Guide
October 26, 2201 
AM257528_01_V.pdf   
VCS-10 
® 
 Center Speaker
VCS-30 
® 
 Series II Center/Surround
Speaker System 
						

							 
2 October 26, 2001 AM257528_01_V.pdf
Declaration of Conformity
We, the offerer,
Bose Corporation, The Mountain
Framingham, MA 01701-9168 USA
acknowledge our sole responsibility, that the product,
Kind of equipment: Loudspeakers
Type designation: VCS-10
®, VCS-30® II
in accordance with EMC directive 89/336/EC and article 10(1) of the 
Directive, is in compliance with the following norm(s) or document(s):
Technical regulations: EN 50081-1, EN 50082-1
Accredited by Bose Corporation
1 May 2001
Bose Products B.V. Nic Merks,
Nijverheidstraat 8, Vice President, Bose Europe
1135 GE Edam, Manufacturer’s authorized
The Netherlands EU representative 
						

							 
AM257528_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 3 
Where to find … 
Setting Up   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Before you begin  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Unpack the carton  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Place the center speaker  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Position your surround speakers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Connect the speakers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Choosing speaker cord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Be sure to use the cord properly   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Make the connections  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Check the connections   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mounting your speakers on a wall  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Adjusting Your Surround Sound Settings   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
For realistic home theater sound  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
How to set your Pro-Logic receiver  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
To use the test tone   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
To balance the bass and treble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
How to set your Dolby Digital receiver   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
If the sound is interrupted  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Reference  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Troubleshooting  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Customer service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cleaning speakers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Warranty period  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Technical information   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 
For your records 
Serial numbers are located on the back of each speaker.
Center speaker serial number: _____________________________________
Surround speaker serial numbers: _______________and _______________
Dealer name: ____________________________________________________
Dealer phone: _________________ Purchase date: ____________________
We suggest you keep your sales receipt and warranty card together with 
this owner’s guide. 
©2001 Bose Corporation.  No part of this work may be reproduced, modified, 
distributed or otherwise used without prior written permission.
Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. 
						

							 
4 October 26, 2001 AM257528_01_V.pdf 
Setting Up
Before you begin 
Thank you for choosing Bose 
® 
 home theater speakers. Both the 
VCS-10 
® 
 center speaker and the VCS-30 
® 
 Series II center/sur-
round speaker system are engineered specifically for use with 
video soundtracks. They are designed to make the most of audio 
for video (A/V) surround sound receivers or amplifiers with five 
amplified speaker outputs. 
In either package you purchased, there is a center speaker. Its 
magnetic shielding allows you to put this speaker directly on, 
above, or below your video screen without causing screen discol-
oration. There it will deliver clear, crisp soundtrack reproduction 
from the center channel. Other speakers at the front of your room 
provide the left and right video sound.
In additon to one center speaker, the VCS-30 Series II system 
includes two surround speakers. They are designed for use at the 
rear of your room. Advanced design brackets included in this 
package make the surround speakers simple to mount on a wall.
Please read and follow the instructions in this guide. They will help 
you set up and use your new home theater speakers for the fullest 
listening and viewing enjoyment. 
Unpack the carton 
Carefully unpack the carton and save all packing materials for 
possible future use. Inspect the contents (Figure 1, A or B). 
If any speaker appears damaged, do not use it. Instead, repack all 
parts in the original carton and notify Bose or your authorized 
Bose dealer immediately. 
Note:  
Now is a good time to record the serial numbers found on 
the back of each speaker. Write them on your warranty card and 
on page 3 of this owner’s guide. 
						

							 
AM257528_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 5 
Setting Up 
Figure 1 
A. 
 The VCS-10 
®
 
 
speaker carton 
contents 
B 
. The VCS-30 
®
 
 
Series II system 
carton contents
Center speaker
Owner’s guide
Rubber feet
Center speakerRubber 
feet Left surround 
speaker
Owner’s guideMounting hardwareMounting 
brackets Right surround speaker 
						

							 
6 October 26, 2001 AM257528_01_V.pdf 
Setting Up
Place the center speaker 
The center speaker provides center channel surround sound per-
formance while taking up very little space. The slim, low-profile 
design allows it to fit directly on, above, or below your television 
(Figure 2). Rubber feet ensure stable positioning and magnetic 
shielding prevents video screen discoloration. 
CAUTION:  
The VCS-10 
® 
 speaker is not designed to be set on end 
in a vertical position, mounted on a wall, or to support the addi-
tional weight of items placed on top of the speaker, which could 
also hamper its performance. Do not allow debris or water from 
plants, or other items on a shelf above, to fall on the speaker. 
CAUTION:  
Do not install near any heat sources, such as radia-
tors, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifi-
ers) that produce heat. 
For full enjoyment, follow these placement guidelines:
• Place the speaker on, or very close to, your television set and 
center it with the screen.
• Be sure to set it on a level surface. 
• Apply additional rubber feet farther in from the edges, as 
needed, for greater stability (Figure 3). 
CAUTION:  
Be sure the center speaker is in a stable position and 
does not extend beyond the edges of its support. Use additional 
rubber feet as needed to prevent it from tipping or falling from a 
television surface that is not completely level. 
Figure 2 
Alternate choices 
for placing the 
center speaker 
Figure 3 
Adding optional 
self-adhesive feet 
to the bottom of 
the center speaker
Pre-attached
feet (2 of 6)Optional self-adhesive feet
(4 supplied) 
						

							 
AM257528_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 7 
Setting Up
Position your surround speakers 
Surround speakers in the VCS-30 
® 
 Series II speaker system pro-
vide surround sound effects from the rear of your viewing area 
(Figure 4). 
Figure 4 
Alternate choices 
for placing the 
surround speakers 
Brackets that come with these speakers allow you to mount them 
on the wall. If you use the supplied brackets, refer to the bracket 
instruction diagrams in the Appendix. Do not connect the speak-
ers before reviewing those instructions. 
If you prefer, set the speakers on a table or shelf in a horizontal 
position. 
CAUTION:  
Do not install near any heat sources, such as radia-
tors, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifi-
ers) that produce heat. 
For accurate surround sound:
• Place these speakers behind the general viewing area, along the 
rear wall or to the rear of side walls.
• Place both speakers at the same height.
• Place the speakers as far apart as your room allows.
• To mount the speakers on brackets, be sure to leave room 
between the end of the bracket and the wall for tightening the 
bracket screw. 
Figure 5 
Applying self-
adhesive feet to 
the bottom of a 
surround speaker
Surround speakers 
						

							 
8 October 26, 2001 AM257528_01_V.pdf 
Setting Up
Connect the speakers 
CAUTION:  
Before making any connections, turn off your receiver 
or amplifier and unplug it from the AC power (mains) outlet. Not 
doing so may result in damage to your system. 
CAUTION:  
Never use broken or frayed wiring, which can result in 
damage to your components. 
Note:  
Before running speaker cord through a wall or under a floor, 
check your local building code requirements and safety regula-
tions. You may want to contact an electrical installer for this infor-
mation. 
If your receiver’s center channel is not amplified, you must con-
nect an amplifier to the receiver. Use an RCA cable to connect the 
center channel RCA-type output on the receiver to the RCA-type 
input on the amplifier. The speaker will then connect directly to the 
amplifier instead of to the receiver. 
Choosing speaker cord 
Be sure to use the proper gauge (thickness) of speaker cord. Stan-
dard zip cord (2-conductor, 18-gauge wire found at electrical and 
hardware stores) works for most applications. If your speakers will 
be more than 30 feet (9 m) from the receiver or amplifier, see the 
following table, or check with your authorized Bose dealer. 
* Based on a maximum frequency response deviation of ±0.5dB. 
At the ends of each cord, strip approximately 1⁄2 inch (12 mm) of 
insulation from both wires. Twist the bare end of each wire, so 
loose strands will not touch across terminals.  
Be sure to use the cord properly 
Speaker cord consists of two insulated wires. The insulation 
around one wire is marked (striped, collared, or ribbed). This 
marked wire is always positive (+). The plain wire is always nega-
tive (–). These wires correspond to the red (+) and black (–) termi-
nals on the speaker and the receiver or amplifier. 
Note:  
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish wire markings. 
Inspect both wires carefully.  
Gauge* Length* 
18 (0.75 mm 
2
 
) 30 ft (9 m) maximum
16 (1.5 mm 
2
 
) 45 ft (14 m) maximum
14 (2.0 mm 
2
 
) 70 ft (21 m) maximum 
						

							 
AM257528_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 9 
Setting Up 
Make the connections 
At the connection end of the speaker, push one terminal lever and 
insert the appropriate wire (Figure 6). 
Figure 6 
How to make ter-
minal connections 
to the center 
speaker and sur-
round speakers 
1. Connect one end of the speaker cord to your speaker.
A. Attach the marked wire to the red (+) terminal.
B. Attach the plain wire to the black (–) terminal.
2. Connect the other end of the same cord to your receiver or 
amplifier (Figure 7). 
A. Attach the marked wire to the red (+) terminal.
B. Attach the plain wire to the black (–) terminal.
• The center speaker connects to the CENTER SPEAKER 
outputs on the receiver. Some surround sound receivers 
have two sets of center channel speaker outputs. Use 
either set.
• The left surround speaker connects to the LEFT SUR-
ROUND SPEAKER outputs.
• The right surround speaker connects to the RIGHT SUR-
ROUND SPEAKER outputs.
Red terminal lever
Red terminal 
lever Marked wire
Marked wire 
						

							 
10 October 26, 2001 AM257528_01_V.pdf 
Setting Up
Check the connections 
Make sure each connection is made positive to positive (+ to +) 
and negative to negative (– to –). Check to be sure that no loose 
strands of wire touch across terminals. Bridged wires can short-
circuit and damage the electrical components. Tighten any loose 
connections before you plug in the receiver or amplifier and turn it 
on. 
Figure 7 
Completed con-
nections
– +Right
A
B
B A– +
– + – +
– +–+
RightLeft
RightLeft
Left
FRONT
SPEAKERSSURROUND
SPEAKERSCENTER
SPEAKERTo speakersOUTPUT
Center speaker
Right Surround speaker Left Surround speakerReceiver or 
amplifier