JBL

JBL’s founder helped motion pictures speak.

From then on, they been continuously advancing the science of high-fidelity sound reproduction, right on up to and including Synthesis Ultra.

As the Jazz Singer put it back in 1928, “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet.”

1943 Flat-wire milling and high-speed winding of ribbon-wire voice coils developed.
1944 Lansing and Hilliard redefine the state of the art for motion picture theaters with the A-4, dubbed the “Voice of the Theatre.”
1946 James B. Lansing Sound, Inc. is formed.
1947 JBL produces the D-130 15″ loudspeaker, which was the first known use of a 4″ flat-wire coil in a cone transducer.
1954 JBL introduces the model 375 high-frequency compression driver. This is the first commercially available 4″ diaphragm driver, producing flat response to 9kHz.
1958 The cylindrical reflecting principle is present in the Paragon stereophonic loudspeaker system.
1962 JBL produces the first two-way studio monitor to use a high-frequency compression driver with acoustic lens.
1969 Harman International acquires JBL from William Thomas, and JBL embarks on a period of accelerated international growth through the Harman distribution companies.
1973 JBL unveils the first four-way studio monitor series, the 4300s.
1976 JBL monitors are ranked number one in the U.S. recording industry, in a survey conducted by Billboard.
1982 Titanium is first used as a diaphragm material in compression drivers. JBL 4675 direct-radiator systems, with constant directivity, set the performance standard for cinema loudspeakers.
1983 JBL is selected by Lucasfilm to develop the first commercial THX®-licensed cinema speaker system.
1984 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selects JBL components for the new sound system in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
1985 Harman International continues to take JBL’s growth to greater heights and new markets.
1989 The Directors Guild of America chooses JBL components for its headquarters building.
1990 JBL develops Vented Gap Cooling™ for raising the thermal power limits of low-frequency transducers.
1991 JBL introduces the first Pro Audio neodymium woofer, debuting in the JBL Array Series.
1992 JBL Synthesis® is released – the industry’s first completely equalized, processed, powered THX Home Media System.
1993 JBL develops new “rapid flare” low-distortion compression drivers and a matching family of horns.
1994 The JBL S2600 receives the highly coveted Golden Award and Stereo Sound COTY Award for its advanced technological execution and superior sonic performance.
1996 JBL’s Synthesis SDEC-1000 brings digital technology to its highest level for the benefit of the consumer.
2000 At 6,500 watts, the Synthesis Ultra system is the most powerful home theater system available, at any price.
2001 JBL releases the K2 S9800, employing the 435Be and 045Be pure-cast beryllium compression drivers.
2003 The JBL Synthesis S4A is the world’s first THX Ultra2™ in-wall, flush-mount, multipole loudspeaker.
2004 S4A is awarded the International CES Innovations Award.
2005 JBL’s Bernard Werner and William Gelow receive a Grammy Technical Achievement Award for “the engineering and design of filtered line arrays and screen spreading compensation as applied to motion picture speaker systems” as employed in JBL ScreenArray © cinema loudspeaker.
2006 JBL celebrates 60 years as the worldwide leader in audio reproduction. The new reference in JBL home audio performance – Project Everest.
2007 CES Best of Innovations Award: JBL Project Everest DD66000 Loudspeaker
2008 CES Innovations Award Honoree: JBL SDEC-4000 Digital Equalizer
2009 JBL Synthesis® One Multichannel Audio System is inducted into the CEDIA Product Hall of Fame. The JBL Synthesis® One was the world’s first complete, integrated multi-channel audio system designed specifically for custom installation home theater, and was the first system that enabled custom calibration to deliver optimum performance in any room.
2011 ARCOS Adaptive Room Correction and Optimization is offered for system design, to achieve a new level of accuracy for home audio.