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Luxury Audio Sounds Off at
HARMAN ExPLORE 2022!
By Jim Garrett
Senior Director, Product Strategy and Planning
Luxury Audio made a big splash this year at our virtual CES event HARMAN ExPLORE 2022, with multiple awards and plenty of editor accolades surrounding our new product announcements. The extensive and high-profile coverage led to millions of eyes reading about our products and getting excited about what we have to offer. The event gave everyone a taste of what is to come this year!
Mark Levinson № 5909 Premium Wireless ANC Headphones
To kick off Mark Levinson’s 50th Anniversary celebration, HARMAN Luxury Audio launched the brand’s first ever portable offering in the form of the № 5909 headphones. The same details and nuances that have propelled Mark Levinson’s reference sound for five decades were inspirations in the design, and the headphones have been expertly tuned to the HARMAN Curve under the guidance of Dr. Sean Olive and the HarmanX research team.
This high-resolution wireless Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation headphone earned multiple editorial accolades including recognition in:
● Billboard “Best of CES 2022”
● USA Today "CES 2022 Editor's Choice Awards”
● Rolling Stone “CES 2022: The 32 Best Things We Saw at the Consumer Electronics Show”
● What HiFi? “The Best of CES 2022”
● TechRadar “The best headphones, earbuds, and hi-fi gear from CES 2022”
On top of these esteemed awards, the No. 5909 was featured by the following publications:
● Forbes "Mark Levinson Reveals First Luxury Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones"
● Popular Science "Audio Gear at CES 2022: Better Bass, Bigger Batteries, and Some Surprises"
● TechHive "Mark Levinson Shows its First Wireless Headphone at CES"
● The Absolute Sound "Mark Levinson Takes Luxury Listening On-the-Go with First Lifestyle Wireless Headphone"
● Uncrate "Mark Levinson No. 5909"
Mark Levinson ML-50 Amplifier Package
As a key part of the celebration of Mark Levinson’s 50th Anniversary, we announced the limited-edited ML-50 amplifier package, and with only 100 pair available globally these are guaranteed to be gone fast! I spoke in-depth about the ML-50 and the history that inspired the product in an interview with Soundstage.
This exclusive product features a design that includes a glass top cover and internal red LED lighting that showcases the inner beauty of the circuitry and components. Each ML-50 amplifier package includes two monaural amplifiers and an accessory kit that includes two 3m power cords, a microfiber polishing cloth, white gloves and owner’s documentation.
Below are some media highlights:
● HiFi Pig “Mark Levinson ML-50 Amplifier Package”
● The Luxe Review “Mark Levinson Unveils Anniversary ML-50 Monaural Hi-Fi Amplifier Set, Debuts First Wireless Headphones”
● The Sound Advocate “Mark Levinson ML-50 Monoblock Amplifier Celebrates the 50th Anniversary”
● What HiFi? “Mark Levinson Kicks Off 50th anniversary with Limited-Edition ML-50 Amp Package”
JBL 4305P Studio Monitor Powered Bookshelf Loudspeaker
It was also a busy week for JBL, as the all new JBL 4305P Studio Monitor Powered Bookshelf Loudspeaker won the coveted Best Home Audio Product at CES 2022 award from renowned consumer technology outlet, WIRED. The product caught the attention of the media due to the combination of unrivaled JBL acoustic performance and an extensive feature set that includes wireless streaming audio and “prosumer-grade” analog connectivity.
As a completely self-contained active loudspeaker system, the 4305P has 300Wrms total system power built-in, a 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution DAC, and six inputs that can be used with a wide variety of digital and analog audio sources. As we are seeing from the initial media coverage, the 4305P is attracting new customers who are excited about the potential for this product as a stand-alone audio system and a precision monitor for home content creation. This incredible new model will be starting production in just a few weeks!
Here are some media highlights:
● AV Nirvana “CES 2022: Meet JBL's New 4305P Powered Studio Monitor and SUB80P Powered Subwoofer!”
● Essential Install “HARMAN Luxury Audio Launches JBL 4305P Studio Monitor At CES”
● Sound Guys “Best Audio Products at CES 2022”
● StereoNET “JBL 4305P Powered Prosumer Studio Monitors Pack Streaming Smarts”
JBL SUB80P Wireless Powered Subwoofer
Apart from the 4305P, JBL welcomed a new compact 400W dynamic subwoofer, the SUB80P, to its product family. The SUB80P utilizes a down-firing 8-inch subwoofer driver housed in a compact sealed enclosure and includes features and connectivity ideal for simple integration into Hi-Fi music and multi-channel AV systems. This compact yet powerful sub received glowing media coverage, with some highlights below:
● AudioXpress “JBL SUB80P Compact Powered Subwoofer Features Wireless Connectivity and 400W Dynamic Power”
● Geeky Gadgets “JBL 400W Dynamic Power Wireless Subwoofer”
● Musical Merchandise Review “JBL Introduces the SUB80P Powered Subwoofer Featuring Wireless Connectivity and 400W Dynamic Power”
● Techweek “JBL SUB80P: Active Wireless Subwoofer With 8-Inch Driver”
I am proud of the work our team has put into developing these fantastic new products. I hope you share in the excitement and enthusiasm that we are seeing from our HARMAN ExPLORE 2022 media coverage. 2022 is going to be an exciting year for us!