JBL HTI88 User Manual

HOME THEATER
IN-WALL SERIES

HTI88

OWNER’S GUIDE

®

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING JBL

For more than 50 years, JBL
has been involved in every
aspect of music and film

ecording and reproduction,

r
from live performances to
monitoring the recordings you
play in your home,
car or office.

We’re confident that the
JBL loudspeaker you have
chosen will provide every note

f enjoyment that you expect –

o
and that when you think about
purchasing additional audio
equipment for your home, car
or office, you will once again
choose JBL.

INCLUDED

HTI88

One loudspeaker with grille. Logo to be attached to grille
depending on vertical or horizontal installation.

Please take a moment to
register your product on our
Web site at www.jbl.com. It

nables us to keep you posted

e
on our latest advancements,
and helps us to better under­stand our customers and build
products that meet their needs
and expectations.

JBL Consumer Products

Template and Paint shield.

2

SPEAKER PLACEMENT

Low-frequency sounds are
normally omnidirectional,
meaning the listener can’t tell
where they are generated from.
However, frequencies between
75Hz and 150Hz can be local­ized, especially at higher vol­ume levels. Positioning your
subwoofer as recommended
will provide the most natural
soundstage and imaging from
your loudspeaker system.

It is generally recommended
that you install your HTI88 in­wall subwoofer along the same
wall as the front loudspeakers.
The HTI88 subwoofer is not
video-shielded and should not
be placed near a video display.
Installing the HTI88 near a cor­ner will tend to maximize low­frequency output. Be cautious
when installing in a corner, to
avoid a “boomy” sound. Also
take into consideration any
unusual features of the room,
such as an alcove, which may
tend to create a localized node
that may affect bass response
in that area of the room.

It is generally recommended
that the speaker be installed so
that the bottom of the speaker
is approximately 12" from the
floor. This is to help with the
low-frequency loading (bass
reinforcement). This also helps
hide the speaker in a less visi­ble place. In special circum­stances it is acceptable to
install the speaker at any
height on a wall.

Remember that these are just
guidelines. Since every listen­ing room is different, JBL
strongly recommends experi­menting with the positioning of
your subwoofer prior to cutting
the wall to obtain the most
pleasing results in your room.
One technique that can help
you find the ideal subwoofer
location is to temporarily bor­row a stand-alone subwoofer
and place it near the main lis­tening location. Then move
around the room and determine
where you hear the most pleas­ing bass performance. This
would then be the ideal loca­tion for the subwoofer.

When using two HTI88 in-wall
subwoofers, you may need to
be concerned about phase,
as the sound waves may
cancel each other out. If bass
response seems low, try invert­ing the polarity on one sub­woofer – i.e., connect the (+)
terminal on the amplifier to the
(–) terminal on the speaker, and
the (–) terminal on the amplifier
to the (+) terminal on the
speaker.

3

SPEAKER CONNECTIONS

HTi88s

L 1

L 2

L 3

L 4

BLK

GRN

BLK

ORN

J 1

C 1

C 3

C 2

+ OUT 2 –

+ OUT 1 –

C 4

J 2

+ IN 2 –

+ IN 1 –

– +– +

Receiver/Amplifier Speaker Outputs

Connection Method #1, Using One HTI88

(Remove Shorting Straps)

Left Right

– +

Front Left Speaker

– +

Front Right Speaker

Rear of HTI88

YEL/BLK

YEL

WHT/BLK

WHT

ORG/BLK

ORG

GRE/BLK

GRE

INPUT 1

INPUT 2

OUTPUT 1 OUTPUT 2

– + – + – + – +

– +– +

Receiver/Amplifier Speaker Outputs

Left Right

– +

Front Left Speaker

– +

Front Right Speaker

Connections Panel
of HTI88 Back Box

Connection Method #1, Using One HTI88
With Back Box (Remove Shorting Straps)

Connection Tips

speakers in your system with
the correct polarity remains
equally important in order to
preserve the proper ambience
and directionality of the
program material.

If two HTI88 subwoofers are

Speakers and electronics have
corresponding (+) and (–) termi­nals. Most manufacturers of
speakers and electronics,
including JBL, use red to
denote the (+) terminal and
black for the (–) terminal. It is
important to connect both
speakers identically: (+) on the
speaker to (+) on the amplifier
and (–) on the speaker to (–) on
the amplifier. Wiring “out of
phase” results in thin sound,
weak bass and a poor stereo
image. With the advent of multi­channel surround sound
systems, connecting all of the

used, the wires for both speak­ers should be the same length.
If one speaker is placed closer
to the amplifier than the other,
hide the excess wire behind
the wall. If bass response
seems low, there may be a
phase problem, with the sound
waves from the two sub­woofers canceling each other
out. If bass response seems
low, try inverting the polarity
on one subwoofer – i.e., con­nect the (+) terminal on the
amplifier to the (–) terminal on
the speaker, and the (–) termi­nal on the amplifier to the (+)
terminal on the speaker.

To use the spring-clip-type ter­minals on the HTI88 loudspeaker,
press the colored tab and insert
the bare end of the wire into the
hole. Release the tab and gently
tug the wire to ensure that it is
secure.

To use the push-type terminals
on the connections panel sup­plied with the optional HTI88BB
“back box” enclosure, depress
the colored cap until the pass­through hole in the binding post
is revealed. While holding the
cap down, insert the bare end of
the wire, or a banana plug, into
the pass-through hole. Release
the cap and tug gently on the
wire to ensure that it is secure.

Since the HTI88 is a passive
loudspeaker, only speaker-level
connections are available.
Depending on whether you are
using a dedicated subwoofer

4

Wire Recommended
Length Size

Up to 20 ft. 16-gauge
Up to 30 ft. 12-gauge
Greater than 30 ft. 10-gauge

amplifier or your main receiver/

HTi88s

L

1

L 2

L 3

L 4

BLK

GRN

BLK

ORN

J 1

C 1

C 3

C 2

+ OUT 2 –

+ OUT 1 –

C 4

J 2

+ IN 2 –

+ IN 1 –

HTi88s

L

1

L 2

L 3

L 4

BLK

GRN

BLK

ORN

J 1

C 1

C 3

C 2

+ OUT 2 –

+ OUT 1 –

C 4

J 2

+ IN 2 –

+ IN 1 –

– +– +

Receiver/Amplifier Speaker Outputs

L

eft Right

– +

Front Left Speaker

– +

Front Right Speaker

Rear of Right HTI88Rear of Left HTI88

Connection Method #1, Using Two HTI88 Loudspeakers (Use Shorting Straps)

– +– +

Receiver/Amplifier Speaker Outputs

Left Right

– +

Front Left Speaker

– +

Front Right Speaker

YEL/BLK

YEL

WHT/BLK

WHT

ORG/BLK

ORG

GRE/BLK

GRE

INPUT 1

INPUT 2

OUTPUT 1 OUTPUT 2

– + – + – + – +

YEL/BLK

YEL

WHT/BLK

WHT

ORG/BLK

ORG

GRE/BLK

GRE

INPUT 1

INPUT 2

OUTPUT 1 OUTPUT 2

– + – + – + – +

Connections Panel of

Left HTI88 Back Box

Connections Panel of
Right HTI88 Back Box

Connection Method #1, Using Two HTI88 Loudspeakers

With Back Boxes (Use Shorting Straps)

amplifier to power the HTI88,
select one of the two con­nection methods that follow.

Connection Method #1

Use this method when you
are using the HTI88 with
your main receiver/amplifier.
Connect the main left and
right speaker-level outputs on

your receiver/amplifier to the
Input 1 (for left channel) and
Input 2 (for right channel)
connectors on the HTI88
loudspeaker or connection
panel. Connect the Output 1
terminals to the correspon­ding terminals on your front
left speaker, and the Output 2
terminals to the correspon-

ding terminals on your front
right speaker.

You may wish to mount the

TI88 horizontally to preserve

H
the stereo image of the left
and right low frequencies.

The HTI88’s onboard cross­over feeds the low-passed
signal (2nd order at 100Hz) to
the HTI88 subwoofers, and

5

the high-passed signal to

HTi88s

L 1

L 2

L 3

L 4

BLK

GRN

BLK

ORN

J 1

C 1

C 3

C 2

+ OUT 2 –

+ OUT 1 –

C 4

J 2

+ IN 2 –

+ IN 1 –

– +

Amplifier

Receiver/Processor

Speaker-Level

Outputs

Subwoofer

Out

Line-Level

Input

Rear of HTI88**

Connection Method #2, Using One HTI88 in Mono Mode (Use Shorting Straps)

the speaker-level outputs for
connection to the satellite
speakers.

NOTE: When using Connection
Method #1 with only one HTI88,
the shorting straps must be
removed.

If you are using two HTI88 sub­woofers, connect the left speaker
outputs on your receiver/

ampli­fier to Input 1 on one subwoofer
(or the connections panel on its
back box), and the right speaker
outputs on your receiver/ampli­fier to Input 1 on the second
subwoofer (or the connections
panel on its back box). Then
connect Output 1 from the left­channel subwoofer to the inputs
on your main left speaker, and
Output 1 from the right-channel
subwoofer to the inputs on your
main right speaker. When using
the HTI88 in this mono mode,
you should not remove the
shorting straps.

Connection Method #2

Use this method when you are
using the HTI88 with a dedi­cated subwoofer amplifier.
Connect your main receiver/
processor’s line-level subwoofer
output to the line-level input
on your subwoofer amplifier.
Connect the speaker terminals
on your subwoofer amplifier to
either Input 1 or Input 2. If your
amplifier has stereo outputs,
you may connect one channel
to each of Inputs 1 and 2.
However, you must remove the
shorting straps when using
stereo mode. Alternatively, you
may connect each channel to
a separate HTI88. When using
only one input on an individual
HTI88, you should leave the
shorting bars in place.

NOTE: The built-in network on
the HTI88 is a 2nd-order low­pass filter, crossed over at 100Hz.
This filter is always active.
Although the subwoofer or LFE
output on your receiver/proces­sor

may already be crossed

over, the HTI88’s network will

not interfere with the higher­order processing that is occur­ring at the preamp stage.

Using the HTI88BB Back Box

Whichever connection method
you choose, if you are installing
the HTI88BB back box, you will
need to connect all of the eight
wires coming out of the bottom
of the back box to the appropri­ate terminals on the loud­speaker. The wires are color­coded as follows:

INPUT 1 (–): Yellow with black

stripe
INPUT 1 (+): Solid yellow
INPUT 2 (–): White with black

stripe
INPUT 2 (+): Solid white
OUTPUT 1 (–): Orange with

black stripe
OUTPUT 1 (+): Solid orange
OUTPUT 2 (–): Green with black

stripe
OUTPUT 2 (+): Solid green

6

HTi88s

L 1

L 2

L

3

L 4

BLK

GRN

BLK

ORN

J 1

C 1

C 3

C 2

+ OUT 2 –

+ OUT 1 –

C 4

J 2

+ IN 2 –

+ IN 1 –

– +

A

mplifier

Receiver/Processor

S

peaker-Level

O

utputs

S

ubwoofer or
Main Amp

Out

L

ine-Level

I

nputs

– +

L

eft Left

R

ight Right

L

eft

Right

Rear of HTI88**

Connection Method #2, Using One HTI88 in Stereo Mode (Remove Shorting Straps)

– +

Amplifier

Receiver/Processor

S

peaker-Level

O

utputs

Subwoofer or

M

ain Amp

Out

Line-Level

Inputs

– +

Left Left

Right Right

L

eft

Right

YEL/BLK

YEL

WHT/BLK

WHT

ORG/BLK

ORG

GRE/BLK

GRE

I

NPUT 1

I

NPUT 2

OUTPUT 1 OUTPUT 2

–

+ – + – + – +

YEL/BLK

YEL

W

HT/BLK

WHT

ORG/BLK

ORG

GRE/BLK

GRE

I

NPUT 1

INPUT 2

OUTPUT 1 OUTPUT 2

–

+ – + – + – +

Left HTI88 Back Box***

Right HTI88 Back Box**

Connection Method #2, Using Two HTI88 Loudspeakers

With Back Boxes (Use Shorting Straps)

** Use corresponding inputs on HTI88BB connections panel when installed with back box.

*** Use corresponding inputs on rear of HTI88 speaker when installed without back box.

INSTALLATION

The JBL HTI Series in-wall
speakers were

designed to be

Tools Needed

easily installed. However, if
you are unsure of your ability
to properly install these loud­speakers, please contact

Pencil

Phillips-head #2 screwdriver

your dealer or a qualified
installer.

Measuring tape

Carpenter’s level

Utility knife

Awl

7

EXISTING CONSTRUCTION

Template

Level

1

/2"

1

/2"

1/2"

HTI88

The grille is packed separately
from the speaker. If at some
later date you wish to remove
the grille from the speaker, to
avoid scratching the grille or
baffle you may unfold a paper
clip, insert the straight end
through one of the holes in the
grille, and gently pull up.

Determine the correct speaker
location.

Notes:

• Use the cardboard template
when cutting the drywall.
Although the HTI88 may be
oriented either horizontally
or vertically, the installation
procedure is the same.

• Please be aware the tem­plate is slightly oversized to
allow for some margin of
error when cutting with the
drywall saw – there should
be no need to allow for fur­ther margin of error as this
may risk the integrity of the
installation.

Note: Always allow at least

one-half inch between a wall
stud and the speaker cutout, or
the locking tabs will not be able
to swivel into place.

Place the frame assembly in
the wall until the frame surface
is flush with the wallboard.

8

Cut the drywall.

Screw down each of the ten
Phillips-head screws. It is best
to use a low-speed cordless
driver or a hand-held screw

­driver to tighten the screws to
prevent over-tightening. The
locking tabs will swivel into
place and secure the unit to the
rear surface of the drywall.

Connect the speaker wires
to the speaker as
described on pages 4–7.

Replace the metal grille. Attach
the JBL logo to the grille to cor­respond to vertical or horizontal
installation.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

Detail C

Detail B

Detail A

L-Brackets

L-Brackets

Centering Bar

Centering Bar

S

ee

Detail A

See
Detail B

See
Detail C

You may either purchase the
optional HTI88 back box kit, or
you may install the speaker
after the wallboard has been
installed by following the

nstructions for existing

i
construction on page 8.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR
INSTALLING THE HTI88 USING
THE HTI88BB BACK BOX KIT

The HTI88BB enclosure (“back
box”) is optional. If desired, it is
installed during new construc­tion before the wallboard is
installed.

Included With the HTI88BB:

(4) L-brackets
(8) #10 32 x 1" screws
(8) #10 split washers
(8) #10 flat washers
(8) #8 x 3/4" woofer screws
(2) wood centering bars
(4) #10 32 x 1-1/2" flat-head
screws

Installation:

1. Install the two centering bars
as shown in Detail B in the
drawings. The centering bars
are for setting the depth of
the enclosure. They also help
locate the left/right position
of the enclosure as they can
be mounted into the studs at
the left and right to hold the
enclosure in the correct loca­tion before final mounting.

2. Install the four L-brackets to
the four corners of the en­closure. Each of the eight
screws should have both the
split washer and flat washer
installed; the split washer
goes on first. Leave the
screws a half-turn loose at
first to allow for adjustment
later (see Detail A). Do not
screw the L-brackets to the
wall studs at this time (see
step 6).

3. Fit the enclosure into the
wall. The bottom edge of the
bottom L-brackets will rest
against the baseboard 2 x 4.
At this time, make note of
adjustments necessary to
square the enclosure into
the wall (see Detail C).

4. After refitting and tightening
the L-brackets into the enclo­sure (but not the wall studs
yet), fit the enclosure into the
wall once again.

At this time, you may want to

5.
screw through each side of
the wood centering bars to
mount the enclosure to the
studs. This will help hold the
enclosure in position before
the L-brackets are mounted
to the studs.

9

6. Screw the L-brackets into the

See
D

etail A

studs.

7. Remove the wood centering
bars and replace the flat­head screws into the holes
left over (the holes left in the
cabinet face underneath the
bars are also counterbored to
accept the flat-head screws).

8. The enclosure is now
installed and ready for the
wallboard to be installed
over it.

9. Make the connections from
your receiver/amplifier to the
HTI88 back box connections
panel, and to any other
speakers as appropriate for
your system, following the
instructions on pages 4–7.
Connect the eight wires
hanging from the bottom of
the HTI88BB back box to the
correct terminals on the
HTI88 loudspeaker. See
pages 6–7.

PAINTING THE SPEAKER
FRAME AND GRILLE

JBL HTI Series loudspeakers
can be painted to match any
décor. If you wish to change
their color

, the satin finish on the
grille and frame will function as
a primer coat. Before painting,
install the plastic paint shield
securely into the recess in the
baffle. This will

protect the
speaker components and baffle
from paint residue.

10

Use a high-quality spray paint,
and apply a thin coat of color
Paint the grille separately from
the baffle before installing it.

Be certain the grille

ations r

perfor

ee of paint.

fr
them with paint will
diminish the sound
quality.

emain

Filling

.

TROUBLESHOOTING

I

f there is no sound

from any of the
speakers:

• Check that receiver/amplifier
is on and a source is playing.

• Check all wires and connections
between receiver/amplifier and
speakers. Make sure all wires
are connected. Make sure none
of the speaker wires are frayed,
cut, punctured or touching each
other.

• Review proper operation of
your receiver/amplifier.

I

f there is no sound

coming from one
speaker:

• Check the “Balance” control
on your receiver/amplifier.

• Check all wires and connec­tions between receiver/amplifier
and speakers. Make sure all
wires are connected. Make sure
none of the speaker wires are
frayed, cut, punctured or touch­ing each other. In multichannel
applications, make sure that your
receiver/processor has been

configured to enable all channels
that you are using.

If there is low (or no)
b

ass output:

• Make sure the connections
to the “Speaker Inputs” have the
correct polarity (+ and –). If you
are using two HTI88 subwoofers,
try inverting the polarity on one
subwoofer as described on
page 4.

• Consider adding a separate
power amplifier to drive the
HTI88 subwoofer.

• In Dolby* Digital or DTS®modes,
make sure your receiver/proces­sor is correctly configured. When
using a power amplifier with your
HTI88 subwoofer, make sure
the subwoofer output of the
receiver/processor has been
enabled. See your receiver/
processor’s owner’s manual for
further information on correct
speaker configuration in Dolby
Digital, DTS and other surround
sound modes.

I

f the system plays at
low volumes but shuts
off as volume is

i

ncreased:

• Check all wires and connec­tions between receiver/amplifier
and speakers. Make sure all
wires are connected. Make sure
none of the speaker wires are
frayed, cut, punctured or touch­ing each other.

• If more than one pair of main
speakers is being used, check the
minimum-impedance require­ments of your receiver/amplifier.

11

SPECIFICATIONS

HTI88

Frequency Response
Maximum Recommended Amplifier Power †250 Watts per channel
Impedance
Sensitivity
Crossover Frequency
Woofer
Plate Size (W x H)
Mounting Cutout Size (W x H)
Mounting Depth
Weight per Speaker

All features and specifications are subject to change without notice.

† The maximum recommended amplifier power rating will ensure proper system headroom to allow for

occasional peaks. We do not recommend sustained operation at these maximum power levels.

* Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories.

DTS is a registered trademark of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.

Declaration of Conformity

30Hz – 100Hz (–6dB)

8 Ohms nominal per woofer
94dB (2.83V/1m), both woofers driven
100Hz, 2nd order
Dual 8" polymer-coated aluminum cones w/rubber surrounds
11-7/16" x 20-7/16" (290mm x 518mm)
10" x 18-5/16" (254mm x 465mm)
3-7/8" (98mm)
17 lb (7.7kg)

We, Harman Consumer Group International

2, route de Tours
72500 Chateau-du-Loir
France

declare in own responsibility that the product described in this

’s manual is in compliance with technical standards:

owner

EN 61000-6-3:2001
EN 61000-6-1:2001

Harman Consumer Group International

Laurent Rault

Chateau-du-Loir, France 4/05

OWNER’S GUIDE

PRODUCT LINE:

JBL Home Theater In-Wall Series

MODEL:

DESIGN GOAL:

JBL loudspeakers with the convenience of in-wall installation.

WOOFER TYPE:

CROSSOVER NETWORK: Straight-Line Signal Path

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE: Studio Monitor

HTI88

Combine the superior performance of traditional

Polymer-coated aluminum cone with rubber surround

™

(SSP™)

PRO SOUND
COMES HOME

JBL Consumer Products
250 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797
8500 Balboa Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91329

516.255.4JBL

NOTE: For new-construction applications, be sure

to purchase the HTI88BB back box kit.

2005 Harman International Industries, Incorporated.

©
All rights reserved.

JBL is a registered trademark of Harman International
Industries, Incorporated. Part No.

(4525) www

.jbl.com

™

406-000-05223