Jbl Cinema Sb400 Soundbar Speaker How to Fix It

Max holds a B.S. in mass communications from SIU, an M.A. in communications from U of I, and is pursuing an MBA from Webster University.

The JBL Cinema Soundbar features wireless connection with the subwoofer, Soundshift functionality, which lets you quickly play your smart device audio through the speakers, Bluetooth support, and much more.

Sound & Vision

JBL Soundbar Troubleshooting Guide

JBL Cinema Soundbars feature a Bluetooth-connected subwoofer, the ability to stream sound from your smart device through your soundbar system, the ability to connect other JBL speakers, virtual surround sound support, and much more. Common problems with the JBL line of soundbars include power problems, audio issues, and subwoofer pairing challenges. Try working through your issues using troubleshooting before exchanging your device or paying someone else to do it.

No Power

• First, check the power cable running to the JBL Cinema Soundbar and ensure it's not frayed, cut, or damaged in any other way. If the cable is damaged, one option is to try getting a replacement power cable to see if that resolves your problems. It is especially important to check for damage if you have pets, as they can be rough on power cables.
• Second, try connecting the soundbar to a different power outlet to see if you still experience the same problems. Ideally, connect the device to an outlet that you know works. If the soundbar isn't working at an outlet you know powers other devices, try replacing the power cable first, and then contact the store you purchased the device from to see if you can exchange it.

No Sound

• Make sure the speaker is actually turned on. The backlight associated with the Power button on the front of the soundbar will be white when the device is turned on and amber when the device is in Standby mode.
• Ensure the JBL soundbar isn't muted. The backlight for the Power button will blink white whenever the device is muted. You have to press the "Mute" button on the remote control to un-mute the soundbar; there is no option to un-mute located on the soundbar itself.
• Validate that you have the right input selected on the soundbar. For example, if you are expecting to hear audio from your Xbox One system, the input you're currently set to play audio from on the JBL Cinema Soundbar should correspond with the connected Xbox One. Also, try cycling through the inputs to see if you connected your device to a different input.
• Make sure the audio is also turned up on the source device. If the audio is muted or turned completely down on the source device, this can also result in you not hearing any sound through your soundbar.
• If the device you're not hearing audio from is connected to the soundbar via an optical connection, try connecting the two devices using a different cable type, such as HDMI. The optical audio hardware doesn't play back the entire array of surround sound formats, and switching the cable may solve your problem.

No Subwoofer Audio

• The first step is to ensure the subwoofer is powered on. The Power button for the subwoofer is on the back of the device.
• The soundbar and the subwoofer should be paired out of the box, but occasionally they are not. You can re-pair the soundbar and the subwoofer by first pressing the Wireless Pairing button on the front of the soundbar and then quickly pushing the "Wireless Pairing" button on the back of the subwoofer. The devices should pair together inside of a 30-second window.
• If you're still experiencing problems, make sure the two devices are within an acceptable range of each other. The soundbar and the subwoofer should be no more than 30 feet from each other, and there should be a clear line of sight between the two devices, with no devices in between them.

Factory Reset JBL Soundbar

Performing a factory reset of your JBL Cinema Soundbar is a simple way to resolve some hard-to-resolve issues. Additionally, you should always perform a factory reset before getting rid of any piece of technology to ensure that any saved or personal information on the device is erased, which prevents the next owner from accessing it. You can restore your soundbar to its factory settings by holding down both the "Volume +" and "Virtual Surround" buttons for roughly five seconds.

Questions & Answers

Question: Why won't my JBL Soundbar and subwoofer pair?

Answer: They should have been paired automatically. You should have a "Wireless Pairing" button on each device. Try pressing both buttons at the same time. I would also make sure they are as close to each other as they can be.

Question: Audio comes through on my Xbox One and PS4 just fine. However, on my PC if any audio begins (like in a video or video game) the sound takes a little over a second to begin coming through. Do you know what could be the issue? There is no synching issue, it just is silent for a second before it begins. I am using high quality HDMI cables, all of the same type and brand, and running each device into the sound bar.

Answer: Try right-clicking the audio icon in your notification tray, and then clicking "Playback Devices." Your sound bar should appear in that list somewhere. Right-click it, and then click "Configure Speakers." See if adjusting those options helps. Also, if you have any Bluetooth devices connected to your computer try disconnecting all of those to see if that helps.

© 2017 Max Dalton

Bill on September 02, 2020:

This article is NO help with the loud sound issues of my 5.1

C. Aultman on August 06, 2020:

Got an old Hitachi tv no digital optical . Will the subwoofer still pair with sound bar?

ann on July 19, 2020:

my tv sound comes through my sound bar but when i plug in my hdmi from my pc the sound doesn't work

ricky on July 14, 2020:

I will never buy JBL sound bar again...i bought sb450 after few months there was no sound n this year feb i bought a latest 2.1 after 2 months the subwoofer was not working so i will advice those who are still planning to buy jbl sound bars to look for other big brands

Read More From Spinditty

Montila on July 06, 2020:

I have cinema sb160 for about 1 month, was working fine until yesterday it keeps dropping in and out randomly. Any idea??? Is there a factory in this model???

Steve on April 13, 2020:

Bought a JBL 5.1 Surround soundbar a month ago, was working great until today, has power, buttons work on remote but no sound at all. Checked power cables and changed HDMI cable, reset system still no sound. Ant ideas?

RYAN on March 29, 2020:

I hav bought my JBL 3.1 sound bar its almost a year now and suddenly the subwoofer doesn't want to pair with the sound bar it firstly gives funny sound with an hour then gone forever, hv tried to unplug and repairing both but nothing works. Anyone similar problem please assist

Vinod on March 28, 2020:

My jbl 3.1 soundbar and subwoofer is not working properly since 1 month i tried alot but no use my sound bar not working HDMI port and subwoofer not working not at all and also showing red indication on my subwoofer plzz help me if you can

Ivan minnie on February 22, 2020:

I just bought the jbl 3.1 and my sub does not want to connect to my soundbar,it says pairing and then nothing happens,The subs pairing button flashes white and that is it.

Chris on February 06, 2020:

Hi Steven, I am having the exact same issue as you.

Any updates on the solution?

Harish kumar on January 13, 2020:

My JBL 2.1 soundbard sound loudness has been reduced after 12days what is the issue please give a answer

Laurenz Schmidt on January 04, 2020:

Identical problem as reported by Stephen Ghan. Intermittent failure to power up or abruptly losing power. Re-seating the power plug several times brings the unit back up, but after a few hours or days for no apparent reason it shuts off again. Checked outlet and cable, seems like a defect in the internal power supply. Harman tech support suggested to reset to factory settings. Did not make a difference. now waiting on what they will tell me next.

Stephen ghan on December 24, 2019:

I bought sound bar JBL 5:1

It work well but first week after purchase I have issue with gadget refusing to power on

Check connection try different power source and still nothing

Then for whatever reason it will power on again

However this has happen 5x in the last 6 weeks

I have the unit currently assess by technician awaiting verdict

Has anyone got similar problem??? Please let me know if you do and advise me what to do

Thanks

Parveen dhawan on November 26, 2019:

Bar 3.1 not pairing to subwoofer. I tried to connect but subwoofer light blinking and soundbar working and while pairing on sounbar learning word display but not pairing.

Zameer on November 13, 2019:

My Jbl 2.1 only plays sound on BT mode. Arc and Optic muted even though they are connected.

Prashanth monis on November 01, 2019:

, i have connecting, problem betwen subwoofer and soundbar,,stil subwoofer is not connecting,i tryed factory reset,after, connetcing was working good like 5 seconds ,after disconect again ,and after dont conect back,what can i do,because subwoofer and soundbad stay very close to eachother,and led light show that is connected,help please

Matt on October 28, 2019:

Soundbar won't power on

Eduardo on October 26, 2019:

the JBL Bar 2.1 just show "ON" and do nothing!

No sound, can't uso control, can't uso buttons, can't reset

what I do?

my name is showsat on September 18, 2019:

pls i try to pair the jbl which i did d factory reset and i connect it,and it connect but d speakers is wprki g but the woofer is not sound out pls what can i do

Craig on August 16, 2019:

Sound bar was working fine yesterday but can't get any sound today

Sajen on August 01, 2019:

Both are paired

But still the sound not coming from the subwoofer only from bar. What can I do?

Sergio on June 25, 2019:

Can anyone help me out?

Sound coming out the sub but nothing out the bar.

Jbl cinima 350

Carlos C on April 29, 2019:

Power on my sb250, sub pairs, but will only work if it plugged in via optical cable, I cannot connect to blue tooth, can't switch sources, can't turn on surround sound, only buttons that are working is volume Up and Down,

Tried factory reset but nothing happens

dumitras zabolotnii on April 15, 2019:

hi, i have connecting, problem betwen subwoofer and soundbar,,stil subwoofer is not connecting,i tryed factory reset,after, connetcing was working good like 5 seconds ,after disconect again ,and after dont conect back,what can i do,because subwoofer and soundbad stay very close to eachother,and led light show that is connected,help please

Unable to mute sound bar with remote. Sb 350. Inima on April 14, 2019:

Unable to mute Sb with any remote. Cinema sb350

Dan on April 10, 2019:

The volume on my jbl sb350 will reduce volume by itself, the must use remote to increase volume to a proper level.

Rehan on April 03, 2019:

I have a 5.1 sound bar jbl my bass dont work it is close 2 tv and is in a working socket please help

Mike on April 01, 2019:

My JBL Cinema SB450 sound bar & subwoofer sounds great but the volume/sound fades in and out constantly....comes & goes every 5-10 minutes or so. Using the Optical cable from TV to sound bar, do you have any suggestions?

Dave on March 31, 2019:

Mine is about 3 years old. Now speakers makes high pitched popping noise and no other sound, tried the reset that did nothing.

Lox on March 10, 2019:

My issue with overlapping IR was resolved by resetting the Sound Bar to factor default as described above

MatheusOliveira on February 23, 2019:

My sb150 has no surround button, how do I fatcory reset?

Shawn on February 02, 2019:

JBL 3.1 4K Ultra amazing unit it stopped working at 6 months. Sound bar won't turn on with remote or power button no indication that sound bar is on, no lights, no sound, no connected signal on our devices. Reached out to JBL and more than 10 emails, time zones, different JBL regional reps, and passed off and today passed back to original rep. So frustrating! I want it to work or be replaced butnlocal retailer does not carry it any more and will not give return because I need to only deal with manufacturer on 1yearwarranty. Now Bose is the next quality product at massive price ranges.

Tom on January 12, 2019:

I bought a JBL 3.1 soundbar. Everything works fine but having issues with my cable box remote operating the sound bar every time I use it. Can't figure out the problem and how to fix it. Any ideas

Leanne on December 28, 2018:

I bought a 5.1 JBL fresh out the box and no sound from subwoofer. It's connected to my sound bar but nothing from subwoofer. HELP please and thank you

Tanya on November 11, 2018:

Is the a way that i can fix the sound on my sound bar everytime i change between different player like Netflix and stan or any player i have to change the source botton to amber is there anyway i don't have to keep changing the source botton to amber each time i use a difference play or is this the only way?

Thank you

Rashmi on November 02, 2018:

My JBL SB 350 soundbar is not giving out sound but sub woofer is working.

Alberhto on October 29, 2018:

My sb150 has no surround button, how do I fatcory reset?

George on October 24, 2018:

my Mac pairs with my SB400 speakers and I can play music for about one minute then it kicks it off y ?

Frederick Boitumelo on October 06, 2018:

These cockroaches should in future include a wired option of this subwoofer this pairing of theirs is frustrating mine is to be an end user not a technician

romeo rosales on September 21, 2018:

i have JBL SB 350 but my subwoofer is not working NO POWER!where i buy power supply of this unit or the subwoofer power supply?

Steven Cohoe on August 31, 2018:

I had thr same problem, but after 2 days of trying different methods, contacting JBL for help and information, nothing came up to aid me. I did find out one afternoon by talking to a technician in the store that sold me the product, that by pressing the reconnect button on the subwoofer 15 times would reset the subwoofer. This worked for me and this little piece of info wasnt anywhere to be found. I hope this helps anyone with thr same problem.

Carole on August 25, 2018:

I just moved In my old property my sb100 worked fine! Here in my new house nothing, no sound at all. HELP! All connections via Optical cable are fine

Adrianna on July 29, 2018:

My sb450 after 10 o 15 min it makes a buzzing noise,

albert on July 06, 2018:

My sb150 has no surround button, how do I fatcory reset?

Rob on June 20, 2018:

I have this system and I love it. I have had an issue where I'll turn the tv on and then it will be 5-10 minutes before the sound bar sound actually works with the tv. It is connected by the HDMI ARC and I did not have this issue originally when I set up my system. Any thought as to how to fix this?

Brett on April 14, 2018:

My SB400 quite producing sound. I tried factory reset listed below (surround and volume - buttons for 10 seconds simotaniously) and it did not seem to reset. Would there be other reset commands you could share?

Behng on March 28, 2018:

How to reset:

Switch sb350 ON

Press and hold the Surround and Volume (-) buttons simultaneously for about 3-4 seconds,then let go. The Source selection button flashes amber, followed by the power button and source buttons flashing several times

The soundbar is now reset

Becca Smith on March 24, 2018:

How do you pair multiple Bluetooth devices? My subwoofer is connecting but no Lenovo Yoga or iPhone.

Gerald on March 24, 2018:

Having the same issue with my SB350, sometimes no sound from the soundbar and sometimes sound is broken. You can hear it in the dialogue from movies

Joaquin on March 05, 2018:

My original remote stopped working with my sound bar, i have sb450 model. Is there anything i can do ive had it for 3 months and dont use it much.

Albert Wucherpfennig on March 04, 2018:

I bought the JBL 2.1 system and could not pair the sub-woofer. Was replaced by supplier and new system checked at the shop, worked perfectly. Had the same problem at home. tried all the resets and other advice, still does not pair with sub-woofer.

Help!!

NMedina on February 12, 2018:

Hi 2 days ago I bought JBL 3.1, it functioned well for a day but now the subwoofer seems not to be pairing, what can I do about that?

Mervin on February 10, 2018:

Hi... I have jbl sound bar sb 400..

Best investment ever... however recently my sub whoofer stoped working , it is paired 100%

I've double checked that already, it comes on for a few seconds and cuts off... any ideas will be highly appreciated...

Moses Choongo on February 08, 2018:

I lost my JBL 350 remote control, how do I get other functionalities like turning on HAMMAN feature and others not present on the sound bar?

Max Dalton (author) from Greater St. Louis, Missouri on February 06, 2018:

You bet. Glad it helped!

Max Dalton (author) from Greater St. Louis, Missouri on February 05, 2018:

If it's still under warranty I would try and exchange it.

Nana on January 13, 2018:

My JBL SB 350 soundbar is not giving out sound but sub woofer is working.

IVAN on December 31, 2017:

I bought you a 5.1 system sound system, and I was very pleased to find technical problems

so the tape is not connected to the subwoofer, and when it comes to manual no sound from it, there is no bass and it is connected to it

I hope your answer

Fab on December 30, 2017:

Hi i cannot connect My tablet to the sb via Bluetooth, when searching cannot find the device please help!!

Neimar Arruda - Brazil on December 21, 2017:

Thanks, perfect!

Chris Brett on October 18, 2017:

I couldn't get my sub to pair with the soundbar fresh out of the box. The soundbar pairing button would not go into the fast blink or "pairing" mode". Once I tried your factory reset trick it paired perfectly! Thank you Max Dalton!

Kerry on August 17, 2017:

The sb recognises my Tv remote and I can pair the sub woofer and sb but there is just no sound. Everything is connected correctly, I've tried turning off and on. The sb works via blue tooth from my partners phone (my phone can't pick it up) but just not work with my Samsung tv. Please help. Thinking I'll be going back to the shop and asking for my money back.

Jbl Cinema Sb400 Soundbar Speaker How to Fix It

Source: https://spinditty.com/instruments-gear/Troubleshooting-JBL-Cinema-Soundbar-Problems

Share this post