JBL P941BB, P81BB User Manual

JBL PERFORMANCE™SERIES

P81BB
P941BB

BACK BOXES FOR P81
AND P941 LOUDSPEAKERS

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

81BB/P941BB

P
BACK BOXES FOR P81 AND P941

OUDSPEAKERS

L

2 Documentation Conventions

3 Important Safety Instructions

4 About the Back Box

4 Installation Instructions

P81BB/P941BB Back Box Outer Dimensions

7

7 Obtaining Service

OCUMENTATION

D

ONVENTIONS

C

This document contains general

nstallation instructions for the JBL

i

erformance

P
P941BB Back Boxes. It is important to
read this document before attempting
to use this product. Pay particular

ttention to safety instructions.

a

WARNING

Calls attention to a procedure, practice,
condition or the like that, if not correctly

erformed or adhered to, could result

p
in injury or death.

CAUTION

alls attention to a procedure, practice,

C
condition or the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could result
in damage to, or destruction of, part or
all of the product.

NOTE

Calls attention to information that is
essential to highlight.

™

eries P81BB and

S

®

2

®

MPORTANT SAFETY

I

NSTRUCTIONS

I

Read before starting installation:

• Product contains fiberglass wool.

• Disturbing the insulation in this
product during installation, main­tenance, or repair will expose you

o fiberglass wool. Breathing this

t
may cause lung cancer. Fiber­glass wool is known to the state
of California to cause cancer.

• Fiberglass wool may also cause
respiratory, skin and eye irritation.

• To reduce exposure to this sub­stance or for further information,
consult material safety data
sheets available from the address
shown below, or contact your
supervisor.

JBL Consumer Products
250 Crossways Park Drive
Woodbury, New York 11797 USA

WARNING

This enclosure is not listed for use
in air-handling plenums. Installation
of this enclosure in walls or ceil­ings of fire-barrier-rated construc-

ion requires that construction

t

ethods shall be employed in order

m

o comply with local building or life

t
safety codes. Consult your local
authority having jurisdiction (build­ing, electrical or fire safety inspec­tor) to determine what acceptable
construction methods will be
required.

WARNING

The P81BB In-Wall Back Box
weighs 19 lb (8.6kg) empty, and
32 lb (14.52kg) with a P81 speaker
system installed in it. The P941BB
In-Wall Back Box weighs 19 lb
(8.6kg) empty, and 36 lb (16.3kg)
with a P941 speaker system
installed in it.

ANSI/EIA 636 Recommended
Loudspeaker Safety Practices,
Section 16.3, recommends that the
mounting system used to install the
In-Wall Back Box in walls or ceil-

ings should support the weight of
the product plus at least four times
the weight of the product being
installed. That means, for a P941
installed in an In-Wall Back Box,

he mounting system should be

t

ble to support at least 163 lb

a

74kg).

(
It is strongly recommended that the

installer consult a construction pro­fessional or a professional engi­neer to determine the appropriate
mounting methods to be used for
each specific installation location.

3

BOUT THE

19.22 inches
(488.2mm)

12.50 inches
(317.5mm)

28.62 inches
(727mm)

17.50 inches
(444.5mm)

13.57 inches
(344.7mm)

21.16 inches
(537.5mm)

14.84 inches
(376.9mm)

10.65 inches
(270.5mm)

17.50 inches
(444.5mm)

13.57 inches
(344.7mm)

16.78 inches
(426.2mm)

28.62 inches
(727mm)

Place side flange

on top of stud

This flange fits in between wall studs

In-wall fits here

A
BACK BOX

NSTALLATION

I
INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you for purchasing the JBL

erformance P81BB/P941BB Back

P

oxes, which are optional rear enclo-

B
sures for the JBL P81 and P941 In-Wall
Loudspeakers. The P81BB/P941BB
Back Boxes which provide optimal vol-

me for woofer alignment and reduce

u
acoustic bleed-through to rooms
adjacent to your listening area. The
P81BB/P941BB Back Boxes also func­tion as mounting brackets designed

o facilitate the installation of the

t
P81/P941 in-wall loudspeakers in new
construction or major retro-fit installa­tions. The back boxes improve sonic
performance while providing solid sup­port for the speaker mounting frame
and baffle assembly. Since the back
box is installed before the drywall is
mounted, it allows the speakers to be
mounted in a clean, efficient manner.

The JBL P81BB/P941BB Back Box
measures 17-1/2 inches x 28-5/8 inches
(445mm x 727mm) (including the
flanges). The back box is designed
to mount between two 2x4-inch (or
2x6-inch) wall studs on 16-inch centers.
See Figures 1 and 2 for inner dimen­sions of the P81BB and P941BB.

The following items are required for

nstallation:

i

• tape measure

• carpenter’s level

• pencil

• hammer
nails

•

• drywall section

• drywall screws

• staples/U nails

• utility knife
service wire (included)

•

• work gloves

• face mask

CAUTION

The back box should be installed by a
professional. Installers must adhere to
local building codes to ensure proper
installation. JBL is not responsible for
any injury or damage caused by
improper installation.

Figure 1: P81BB Back Box Height and Width

4

Figure 2: P941BB Back Box Height and Width

TOP

TOP

3.375 inches
(85.7mm)

Rear

Front

O INSTALL THE

T
BACK BOX

1. Use a tape measure to determine the
ocation where the speaker is to be

l

ounted. Refer to the JBL P81/P941

m
In-Wall Loudspeaker owner’s manual
for speaker placement considera­tions. Record exact measurements

rom the floor, ceiling and an adja-

f
cent drywall section.

NOTE

The P81BB/P941BB Back Box elimi-

ates sensitivity to placement consid-

n
erations due to standing waves within
the wall cavity, as described in the JBL
P81/P941 In-Wall Loudspeaker owner’s

anual.

m

2. Position the back box between two

wall studs and into the wall cavity, as
shown in Figure 4. The back box must
be placed between standard 16-inch
on-center stud spacing. If desired,
the back box can be mounted upside
down (large flange toward the floor)
if you will be mounting the speaker
close to the ceiling.

Figure 3: P81BB/P941BB
Back Box Depth

NOTE

Figure 3 shows the depth of the back
box. It can be installed in walls con­structed with standard 2x4s. It is impor­tant to note that the speaker mounting
frame requires a minimum depth (from
the wall face to the inside back of the
P81BB/P941BB Back Box) of 3-1/2 inches
(88.9mm) for proper installation. This
can only be achieved by using 5/8-inch
(15.9mm) drywall on the wall face. It is
recommended that the installer consult
with the drywall installer before begin­ning the installation.

CAUTION

Installers are advised to wear work
gloves and face masks when installing
the back box and making wire con­nections, as the back box contains
fiberglass.

.

Figure 4: Place the Back Box
Between Wall Studs

Figure 5: Fasten Back Box to

all Studs

W

3. Firmly secure the back box into place

using nails, as shown in Figure 5.

5

CAUTION

I

n-Wall Speaker Frame

Route Wires to the Top
of the Speaker System

Avoid Contact Between
the Wires and Speaker Cone

B

ack Box

Cable Clamp

+

–

Power Amplifier

nstallers must adhere to local building

I

odes to ensure proper installation.

c
JBL is not responsible for any possible
damage caused by improper installation.

. Feed the power amplifier wires from

4

he wall cavity down through the

t
cable clamp located on top of the
enclosure. Pull approximately two
feet of wire through the clamp to

reate a generous service loop

c
inside the enclosure for ease of
hookup, as shown in Figure 6.

8. Cut a small hole in the center of the
emplate area to make sure the

t

emplate is in the right location.

t

9. After confirming the correct loca-

tion, cut the template hole opening,

s shown in Figure 7. Use a carpen-

a

er’s level to ensure the opening is

t
level.

Figure 7: Cut Opening in Drywall

10. Fasten the drywall to the wall studs
sing drywall screws.

u

11. Install the speaker mounting frame

into the wall opening. Refer to the
JBL P81/P941 In-Wall Loudspeaker

wner’s manual for complete

o

nstructions.

i

12. Route wires to the top of the

speaker frame to prepare for

ookup.

h

6

Figure 6: Amplifier Connections

5.

Tighten the clamp screws, cinching
the wires in place

.

CAUTION

Be sure to comply with local wiring
codes. JBL is not responsible for any
damage or injuries that may result from
faulty wiring.

Place the section of drywall over

6.
the back box. With tape measure
and pencil, carefully measure and
mark where to position the wall
template (included with the loud­speaker) by using the measure­ments recorded in Step 1.

Use the wall template to trace

7.
where to cut the drywall.

Figure 8: Route Wires to Top of the
Loudspeaker

Exposed Binding Post

Make Connections

Observing Proper Polarity

In-Wall Speaker Rear

Binding Posts

A

B

C

Insert Stripped Wires

Into Exposed Holes

Terminal Connectors

Figure 9: Speaker Connections

13. Locate the loudspeaker’s binding
posts, as shown in illustration A
of Figure 9. From the top of the
speaker, run the wires down to
the loudspeaker’s binding posts,
as shown in illustrations B and C.

14. Loosen the terminal connectors by
hand (counterclockwise) on the
binding posts until the holes in their
threaded posts are visible. Insert
the wires from the top, as shown in
illustration B in Figure 9.

NOTE

Make all connections observing the
proper polarity, positive to positive (+)
and negative to negative (–).

15. Retighten the terminal connectors
by hand to ensure a secure con­nection.

16. Refer to the JBL P81/P941 In-Wall
Loudspeaker owner’s manual for
complete instructions on installing
the speaker baffle to complete the
installation.

P81BB/P941BB
BACK BOX OUTER
DIMENSIONS

Width 17-1/2 inches (445mm)

Height 28-5/8 inches (727mm)

Depth 3-3/8 inches (86mm)

OBTAINING SERVICE

Before returning a product for warranty
or nonwarranty service, contact JBL
Customer Support to determine the
extent of the problem and to obtain a
Return Authorization (RA) number. No
products will be accepted without an
RA number issued from JBL.

If a JBL product must be returned for
repair, JBL will assume no responsibility
for the product during shipping from
the customer to JBL, whether the prod­uct is or is not covered under warranty.

All Returns Must Be:

• well-packaged using the original
packing materials (if possible)

The following information must be
included when a product is returned for
service:

• Name

• Company name

• Street address, city, state and zip
code

• Telephone number, including area
code and country code (if applicable)

• Product serial number

• A detailed description of the problem

• The preferred method of return
shipment

• RA number clearly marked on both
the inside and outside of the package

To Contact JBLCustomer Support:

Call 516.255.4JBL or visit www.jbl.com.

• properly insured and consigned

prepaid to a reliable shipping agent

•

7

JBL Consumer Products
250 Crossways Park Drive
Woodbury, New York 11797 USA

.jbl.com

www

2005 Harman International Industries,

©
Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Part No. 360863-001 11/05

®

All features and specifications are subject to change without notice.

JBL and Harman International are trademarks of Harman International
Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other
countries. Performance is a trademark of Harman International Industries,
Incorporated.