How do I hook up these JBL speakers? Two positives/two negatives..

Run a wire from the receiver to the bottom connection, then cut 2 short wires to connect the bottom and top connections.

You can also connect them how you described, this wont affect the impedance.

It's called bi-wiring. It doesn't actually do anything, but enough people think that it does so that some manufacturers use bi-wire terminals to placate them, rather than lose sales. Connect the top to bottom with jumpers, use one wire to the receiver.

It does do something Bill. It looks cool!

And don't forget. It helps high end audio shops sell more expensive speaker cables

This is all true enough as far as it goes, but there are some constructive options here as well. None are easy, but the blanket rejection of any positive use of these two pairs of inputs is incomplete. Normally, these speaker terminals would have been connected at the factory by use of a strapping bar: red to red and black to black, and you'd simply attach a singe dual strand speaker wire and be done. The straps must be missing here. Were these used?

On a pair of speakers like the Studio L Series L880, there are at least two ways to use the two pairs of inputs with significant effect. Whether this significant effect is good or bad depends on the preference of the listener, but it's easily perceived. On some smaller bookshelf speakers and tiny monitors that have two pairs of inputs, even the following options are of negligible value, but for a (nearly) full range floorstanding loudspeaker like the L880, there is difference to be heard.

Option One: Some listeners prefer the power and damping control of a solid state amp for low frequencies and the sound of a tube amp for the mid and high frequencies. By connecting a SS amp to the LF inputs and a tube amp to the HF inputs, they feel they gain tight, powerful bass and more euphonious warmth in the mids and highs. This requires a little extra in the way of set up and balancing the gain on the outputs to each amp, but it's worth it to some people.

Option Two: Some listeners will buy an external crossover to connect between their preamp (or the pre outs on their receiver) to separate the LF and HF signals before they reach the amp. These separated signals are then fed to separate channels in the amp and connected to the LF and HF speaker inputs. So there'd be at least a four channel amp needed to do this. This allows the bass drivers to deal only with the LF signal and the MF and HF drivers to handle the rest. (The speaker's built-in passive crossovers are still doing the work of distributing signals to the mid range driver and tweeter.)

Option Three is a combination of both Options One and Two: An external crossover separating LF and HF feeding a SS amp for LF and a tube amp for HF.

Again, I didn't say these options are either easy or cheap, but it's fair to say that on a speaker like the L880, they are options that it would be useful to explore if one were so inclined. OTOH, the L880s will sound quite good in a typical, single wire set up, and I'd guess 97%+ are set up just that way.

I vote for Option 4: Before putting a lot of money into separate amplification and crossovers for used with biwireable speakers in this price range, sell the speakers and buy better ones

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u are right about bi amping ...its not cost effective to use external crossovers and seprate amps..buTTTTT

i think a preamp + power amp config defenitly better than a single AVR ....i will explain...
u can buy an AVR with pre outs eg onkyo txnr 717 for 550$ online... its ur pre amp..
then you can buy 4 seperate sherwood RX4109 stereo receivers ( power amp)..cost (4*100=400$)
..each can have 2 spekers ..one for centre speaker..so u run a 7.1 set up...

so the total cost of your preamp + power amp or AV seperates configuration is 550+400=950$ ..u need 4 rca cables to connect b/w
preamp and power amps..

my point is simple..this 950$ AV SEPERATE SETUP WILL SOUND MUCH BETTER THAN ANY AVR for 1000$ or above a little.
i will show u the figure..

Yeah. I think I'd spent $400 to $500 on the receiver, buy a better sub, and then put the rest into better speakers.

But you did leave out the cost of the rack to store all those receivers

ha ha... these days racks are very costly

ENEGY TAKE CLASIIC 5.1 speaker vs BLACKSTONE TL1600 ...or PIONEER SP PK 21BS
which is better?

If you are thinking of building that setup you diagrammed above? None of these make sense with that budget. You'll get more bang for your buck buying better speakers and sub.

You're a funny guy. You're right if one is starting from scratch, and probably this is the case here. My point remains that dual speaker inputs can have uses beyond marketing hype, looking cool, and selling expensive speaker wire.

I guess you stopped reading once your wit got the better of you.

Next time you're going make a funny, be sure to include the whole quote. Thanks.

I wasn't trying to be funny.

They can when the cabinet is designed to be bi-amped, with no internal passive crossover. But the speakers in question aren't, so in this case the dual inputs are purely eye candy for the uninformed.

I guess I just don't get tube amps' Distortion is intentionally introduced to provide the "warm" sound. why would anyone want to intentionally introduce distortion?

Two, if you are still using the internal crossovers, what you are promoting does nothing.

Your last sentence first: if it introduces distortion it does something, internal networks notwithstanding. Your logic fails on that point.

Additionally, unless you're looking only at two-way systems, it's impossible to actively bi-amp any system by your definition. Yet I know a number of folks who actively bi-amp pretty expensive three-way and four-way systems with the woofer separated from the other drivers with an external xo. I suppose all these very serious folks are deluded?

I've got a JBL XPL200A pair that has an external DX-1 crossover built by the designer himself that still relies on the internal HF crossover to handle the 116H, 095Ti, and 046Ti drivers. The DX-1 handles the isolated 2214H woofer (strapping bars removed that separate it from the network and bi-amp switch cuts out the LF xo). Presumably the designer doesn't know he did all this work for nothing?

I've also got a 4-way tower pair that's actively quad-amped using BSS 366T Omnidrive Compact Plus loudspeaker management systems and four stereo amps to drive each driver individually. Hopefully that would qualify under the rigid definition of not using internal crossovers.

Your tube comment last: just because you don't get something doesn't mean other equally serious folks cannot get it. It's personal preference. All my gear is SS, and I don't have any desire to get tubes in the system, as I find them bothersome, labor intensive, inaccurate, and unsatisfying. Yet, I respect the preferences of those who do. Telling people what they should like or why they shouldn't like what they do like is a pointless exercise. People should be free to try all the options and choose what pleases them. It's their money, time, and equipment after all.

Because it sounds good? Don't confuse the term 'distortion' with 'bad'. Distortion is an alteration of the signal. Any alteration. If you use a tone control you're distorting the signal. If you use Audyssey you're distorting the signal. If you place your speakers in a room you're distorting the signal. I wouldn't go that far, it does do something. But it is true that the main reason why one would want to bi-amp is to avoid using passive crossover components, and therefore the particular distortions that they introduce, which few would call pleasing.

I said that I don't get it, I didn't say anyone was dumb for doing it. Personal preference is fine, my preference is to attempt to keep the signal as accurate as possible. Unobtainable? sure. But I think it's a worthy goal. If you are using external crossovers, then why not remove the internal ones?

Assuming you're referring to the XPL200A, there are three drivers above the woofer with three different frequency capabilities: a 6" cone, 3" Ti dome, and a 1.5" Ti dome. If the external crossover sends everything below 180 Hz to the woofer and everything above 180 Hz to the other three drivers, all three drivers would get everything from 180 Hz to 22 kHz without a crossover. Why expect the 6" driver to deal with all that? Or the 1.5" tweeter to cope with everything down to 180 Hz? It would be counterproductive to have three different drivers trying to reproduce that entire range when much of it is outside their capabilities.

If you know enough to use an external crossover then of course you aren't sending full range signals to each driver.

Ok flyng (or is that supposed to be flying?), you win the most obtuse contest this time. Congratulations. There will be a rematch, I'm sure. We've both wasted enough of each other's time. I'll be "flyng" off now. Stay cool.