How to Reset JBL Soundbars

When you need to reset or restore your JBL soundbar, it may be as simple as a press and hold five seconds sound button, but the instructions aren’t always great.

Has your JBL soundbar been struggling, or not working properly and you want to give it a quick reset? Even if you managed to keep track of the instructions, they don’t always list how to do much more than a factory reset, if even that.

Thankfully, we are here to help. No matter which soundbar you have, we can help you learn how to reset your JBL soundbar so that it works like it should.

What You Will Need to Follow This Tutorial

There are a few things that you may need to update your soundbar. Though they may not be necessary, depending on the issue with your soundbar, they are good to have just in case you need them. These items are:

• Fresh batteries for your remote
• Your remote
• The ability to reach your soundbar’s buttons
• The ability to reach your soundbar’s plug
• The USB with an update for your JBL soundbar
• A phone or computer to read these instructions as you are working

Overall, all you should need is to be able to reach the buttons on your soundbar, your remote, and a power source for your soundbar. However, if you need to see if the problem is actually with your soundbar or if it needs an update, it can be helpful to have the other things nearby so you can take care of everything at once if more is needed.

Step-by-step Instructions

Unfortunately, most of the JBL instruction manuals don’t list explicit methods for resetting your JBL soundbar. Thankfully, people have come up with solutions and methods that seem to work and have shared them online.

We have compiled them all to help you, no matter how you want to reset your JBL soundbar, and what model you have.

Determine What’s Wrong

The first step is to determine if a reset is actually what you need. When your JBL soundbar isn’t working as it should or seems to be glitchy or struggling, it may simply be a setting that needs to be changed or a simple error.

Since most resets for JBL soundbars involve factory resetting the system, it is best to eliminate all other possibilities first.

When your soundbar isn’t working there could be a few issues.

Power Issues

If you find that the soundbar isn’t turning on, or is turning off randomly, then there may be an issue with power.

Check to make sure that your power cord is plugged in fully, both to your JBL soundbar and your outlet. They may be a little loose and causing problems.

Remote Control Power

You also want to check the batteries in your remote. If it seems there is a problem with your soundbar when you use the remote, but the buttons work fine, then it is likely a problem with your remote.

Try changing out the batteries with fresh ones to see if it helps.

Speakers

Another thing to check is the speakers. A lot of issues can actually be just because the speakers are under a different setting.

1. First, make sure they aren’t muted. Muted speakers can make it seem like your soundbar isn’t working and they won’t always have settings to tell you they are muted.
2. Check by pressing the mute button on your speaker and remote and see if that helps.
3. If you are using external speakers that are connected to your soundbar, make sure they are on as well.
4. Even though the soundbar is on, the speakers might not be. Check to make sure they are receiving signals from the soundbar and are turned on.
5. Additionally, you may have to go into your TV settings and make sure it is sending audio to the speaker.
6. If you have the subwoofer that comes with the device, make sure it is on as well. Usually, the power button will be lit up with JBL products.
7. It will generally be lit up white when turned on and orange when in standby mode.
8. Some of these devices are set to automatically turn to standby mode if nothing is playing on them for about 5 minutes.
9. So if you pause the show to do some laundry or dishes, the sound bar does turn off.
10. So if you get up, make sure you turn on the speaker again before trying to continue to play audio.
11. Next, make sure that the speakers are connected properly.
12. If you are using a Bluetooth device, make sure the speakers aren’t too far away. Generally, you only have about a 30-foot distance before they become disconnected and stop working properly.
13. Also, make sure the Bluetooth is still connected correctly. Sometimes, Bluetooth devices can disconnect from one another, leading them to not work very well.
14. Another thing to check is to make sure that the audio you are supposed to be playing is actually what the speaker is connecting to.
15. For example, if you want sound from your TV, make sure it is set up with the speaker, and not instead of trying to pull audio from the Xbox or your phone.
16. Sometimes, you need to make sure audio is turned up on the device you are playing from. Even if your speaker and the soundbar has the volume turned up, your device that is streaming must have the turn on.
17. For example, if you are playing music or a video on your TV, make sure the TV audio is turned on and not muted.

If the bluetooth connection isn’t working

While Bluetooth connections are a great technology, they can be a bit of a struggle to learn to use, and sometimes they may disconnect without warning.

Most often, this is because the speakers and the soundbar are too far apart. The speaker may disconnect if it can’t get a strong connection.

Try to keep the speakers and soundbar closer together so you don’t have to worry about them disconnecting.

Also, sometimes, it is a good idea to disconnect the devices and reset them to see if that helps.

This may be a good idea as well because if they did disconnect due to the distance, moving them closer and reconnecting them can help make sure everything is working properly.

If you connect multiple devices to it as well, it can be difficult to keep your speakers and soundbars connected as well, as it can be confused and try to connect to the wrong device, so if you are having problems, try and make sure you are only using one connection. By connecting your phone, tablet, or other devices, it can lead to struggles for Bluetooth as it tries to figure out where to connect.

Usually, the subwoofer and the soundbar are paired out of the box, so you don’t even have to do anything. However, sometimes they don’t end up connecting as they should.

In that case, you will have to repair them. You do this by pressing the wireless pairing button on the soundbar and the back of the soundwoofer immediately after. It should take about 30 seconds to pair and there will usually be a sound or light to alert you that they are paired.

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If the soundbar isn’t connecting to the TV

If your JBL soundbar isn’t connecting to the TV, the issue is most commonly due to the connection itself, rather than the soundbar itself. Check the HDMI connection or whatever connection method you are using to see if it is working properly.

The best way to test this is to replace it with another cable and see if it works better. Even if you bought the cable brand new, it may have issues with it.

Also, make sure you are using an updated HDMI cable. Some outdated cables don’t have the technology to work with newer systems and will often struggle with keeping up.

Related Articles:
How to Connect JBL Soundbar to TV
How to Connect Soundbar to TV Without Optical Output

If the soundbar isn’t turning on

If your soundbar isn’t turning on, make sure that your breaker is on. You can check this by finding your breaker box and seeing if one of them is flipped. You can also test other outlets on the same breaker to see if they are facing the same problem.

If not, there are other reasons why your connection might be

Your circuit might be overloaded, or the power strip may be damaged. To check to see if the problem is with your soundbar or something in your home, try plugging it into a different area and see if it works better.

Try a different power cable if you can, or a power strip as well, and see if that makes the situation better.

If the soundbar keeps cutting out

If the soundbar keeps cutting off, make sure the speaker isn’t too far from the soundbar, especially if it is Bluetooth. If the connection is too thin, then you won’t be able to get a solid connection and the sound will fade out.

Replacing the HDMI cable is another option if that is what you use. HDMI cables can get worn or be bought in poor quality, and may not connect properly so that they are unable to play sound evenly and consistently.

Also, sometimes the Dolby Digital settings on your TV have been known to cause issues with your speakers and sound bar. Try changing the sound setting and see if that helps.

Soundbar keeps turning off

JBL speakers and soundbars are designed to turn off automatically. If there is no sound, make sure that your soundbar didn’t turn off.

Also, if the speakers are too far away, the sound may be cutting off.

Also, check HDMI and the power cable to make sure they are plugged in fully and aren’t damaged.

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General Reset Process

While each soundbar has slightly different steps to reset the system, there are some general steps you can try first in an attempt to attempt to reset your system.

If that doesn’t work, then you can scroll down to learn more about your individual system and how to get it up and running.

1. Turn on your JBL soundbar. This can usually be done with a button on the soundbar or on the remote.
2. If your soundbar has been on, it is worth trying to turn it off and turn it back on again. Let it rest for a few minutes on the off position to see if that helps.
3. You can also try to unplug it to really let it relax for a bit. Usually, 10 to 15 minutes or so is enough.
4. Sometimes, you can attempt to unpair the soundbar and repair it by going into your settings and disconnecting.
5. If that doesn’t work, you can also try to factory reset. Since this sets everything back to factory settings, it isn’t recommended you do this unless you can’t find another solution.
6. To factory reset the system, you will need to press and hold the source and power button at the same time. Make sure you have the right buttons and press and hold.
7. This can usually take 15 to 20 seconds. Both of the buttons have to be pressed down the whole time.
8. On the soundbar, you will either get a LED light that changes colors or flashed or on your LED screen, it will say something along the lines of ‘Reset’ on the screen.
9. This will set your JBL soundbar to factory settings.

JBL Cinema SB110

This is one that isn’t listed in the manual, unfortunately.

There are two methods that seem to work for others.

1. Press and hold both the volume+ and the source buttons until there is a flashing light or your LED screen says it has been reset. This can take up to 15-20 seconds, so don’t be too quick to take your finger off.
2. Press and hold both the volume+ and the surround buttons until there is a flashing light or your LED screen says it has been reset. Again, this can take quite a few seconds, so be patient.

JBL Cinema SB150

For the JBL Cinema SB150, you want to press and hold the surround button on the LED flashes orange.

JBL Cinema SB160

You will want to press the source and power buttons at the same time. Initially, your light should be a solid blue color. It will change colors to orange and flash for a moment before staying on a solid orange light. This means it is resetting.

JBL Cinema SB200

This is another one that doesn’t seem to mention how to reset it in the owner’s manual. There are again two methods to try.

1. Press and hold the surround button. At some point, your LED should change to flashing orange light.
2. Another option is to press the power button. This should put it in standby mode so you can let it relax for a moment before turning it fully back on. This doesn’t fully reset the bar but seems to work well for people. The light here will again turn orange.

JBL Cinema SB250

For this one, the manual states to press and hold the volume- button down and the surround button down at the same time. Eventually, a white light should flash, which means you have successfully reset your system.

If that doesn’t work, though it isn’t in the manual, there is another option. Some people have found that it works better for them than the method listed in the manual.

If you press the power button on the top of the soundbar, you will enter standby mode, which will be shown by a solid orange light.

JBL Cinema SB300

For this one, you will want to press and hold both the volume- button and the surround button until a white light flashes. This indicates that it has been reset.

You can also turn this one to standby mode with a quick press of the power button. You should see an orange light indicating that it is successful in this mode.

Note: According to Amazon, JBL Cinema SB300 is discontinued by the manufacturer.

JBL Cinema SB350

Press and hold both the volume- button and surround button at the same time. A white light should indicate it has been reset. Hold this button for about 3 to 5 seconds.

If that doesn’t work, repeat the process but with the volume+ button and the surround button.

JBL Cinema SB400

The best method people have found to reset this JBL soundbar is to press the power button at the top of the soundbar. From there, the light display should change to an orange light and you have entered standby mode.

Unfortunately, standby mode is the only way people have found to somewhat reset this JBL soundbar, and it doesn’t always fix the problem. You can experiment with different buttons to see if something works, but it may be worth calling JBL customer service if the problem persists.

JBL Stadium UB4100

You will want to hold down both the volume- and the surround button at the same time. You will see a white light when it is complete and has been reset.

JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass

To factory reset the JBL Bar 2.1 with Deep Bass, you will want to press and hold the power button and the source button for 10 seconds.

JBL Bar 5.1

To factory reset the JBL Bar 5.1, you will want to press and hold the power button and the source button for 10 seconds.

JBL Bar 9.1 True Wireless Surround

To factory reset the JBL Bar 9.1, you will want to press and hold the power button and the source button for 10 seconds.

Link Soundbars

Unfortunately, JBL really only ever lists how to factory reset their soundbars, and now how to do a quick reset.

If you already have your preferred settings and pairings on the system, you won’t want to factory reset if you can help it.

So instead, you just want to turn your soundbar off for a few minutes and see if that fixes the issue.

If not, you may have to factory reset. To do this, go to your device preferences and then click reset.

If you have the JBL Link Portable Speakers, they work slightly differently from a soundbar. To reset these, you will want to hold down the microphone mute button for 13 seconds or so.

JBL Bar Deep Bass

As with any bar, the first step is to turn the system off and let it rest for a minute.

If that doesn’t work, you will have to attempt to factory reset the system. To do that, you will have to press and hold both the power and the source buttons until the display shows ‘Reset’.

JBL Bluetooth Sound Bar

To restart JBL systems that use Bluetooth, you simply hold down the power and source button on the top of the sound bar for 10 seconds.

JBL Bar Surround

Again, to do a normal reset, you simply turn the system on and off again. To do a factory reset, you’ll have to press and hold both the power and source buttons for 10 seconds.

To know if you’ve done it right, the screen will say ‘reset’, then ‘load’, and then ‘ready’.

JBL Soundbar Subwoofer

Sometimes, you get a system that has both a soundbar and a subwoofer. If this is the case for you, you may see you have to reset the soundbar and the subwoofer.

1. Of course, the first step is to simply turn on and off the system to see if it fixes the problem.
2. If it doesn’t, then the next step is to try and reset both the JBL soundbar and the subwoofer.
3. To do this, press and hold the volume+, volume-, and source buttons at once until you see the word ‘Reset’ displayed on the LED screen
4. If none of the buttons are working and the whole system seems frozen, you may need to just unplug the system and let it breathe for a few minutes.

JBL Soundbar Remote Control

Sometimes, it isn’t your soundbar at all that is causing the problems. Sometimes the remote controls come with a glitch that causes them to not work properly. When this occurs, you will have to reset the remote.

This is a simple fix usually just taking out the batteries for a few minutes and then putting them back in.

If that doesn’t fix the problem, you may have to unpair it from the system and repair it via Bluetooth.

JBL Bar Studio

The JBL Bar Studio works a little differently than other JBL soundbars.

There are different models of the JBL Bar Studio soundbars, but the method of resetting works very similarly.

First, you press and hold the volume+, volume-, and source buttons.

Depending on your model, you will either have a light that changes color, or it will say restart on the screen.

Update the JBL Firmware

Sometimes, an issue doesn’t require a reset, but a simple firmware update.

To update the firmware on your JBL, you may find that your connections work better, or issues that you faced are now gone.

You can turn off your soundbar after updating as well, to make sure your soundbar fully accepts the update.

To update the system:

1. You will need a USB drive that can fit into your JBL soundbar and has the update available on it.
2. Then you will take the USB drive and plug it into your soundbar.
3. Then, find the volume- button and press that and the power button down.
4. You will want to press the buttons down for up to 8 seconds.
5. Then, the firmware update will start.
6. There should be a display or flashing color LED to indicate it is updating.
7. Wait until the updated light stops.
8. Once it stops, the update is complete.
9. Your soundbar may restart after this, but if it doesn’t, you can restart it yourself.

Conclusion

And that are the various ways to try to reset your soundbar. We hope that one of them has ended up working out for you so you don’t have to spend hours fighting with customer service. We understand that your time is just as precious as anyone else’s and you don’t have time to waste trying to get in touch with someone.

If we did help, please let us know below in the comments, or leave a message on any other help you need. We want to make sure our readers are satisfied and have the help they need.