JBL ON TIME™ JBL ON TIME

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corporate &
markets
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sales offices &
colleagues
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brands &
products
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communication &
campaigns
Harman International® reports
record for the first six months
results: Net sales increased to
$ 1.587 billion.
Highlights are the Kurt Solland-portrait inclusive interview and the feature of the
German Harman Lounge 2006
in Heilbronn.
The car audio season has
started with the new JBL® Subwoofers. For the home segment
Harman Live provides news for
Cascade™ and TL 260.
Complete Cascade™ marketing package and HCGI product
launch calendar are availabel.
Moreover: News to JBL® sponsorship of EMMA.
more on page 2
more on pages 3–4
more on page 5
more on page 6
JBL ON TIME™
Ahead of its Time …
provides a
360-degree
horizontal sound field. Wherever the listener moves, the
sound always retains the same,
high quality. On Time obeys
the design dogma ‘form follows
function’.
JBL On Time™ is
the new radio alarm
with an iPod® docking
station. JBL® launched the
sophisticated sound system
on 10th January 2006 at the
MacWorld Expo® in San Francisco. “The reaction was staggering – from visitors, the press and
our customers. They were hugely
impressed by its functions, quality and design,” says Richard Metcalfe, European Brand Manager
Harman Multimedia & AKG, of his
experience at the exhibition.
On Time owners can have themselves woken gently from their
sleep by their favourite music,
stored in their iPod playlist. Simply
hook up the iPod, MP3 player or
other music source such as a CD
player, laptop or desktop computer
and enjoy that typical JBL sound –
realistic, precise and clear.
Its Phoenix™ and Ridge™ transducers play a major role in enhancing the listener‘s enjoyment. They
are driven by powerful neodymium
magnets. The combination of the
two Phoenix full-range transducers and one Ridge tweeter provides JBL On Time with a full,
rich frequency response from
the lowest bass to the highest highs. The On Time
loudspeaker design also
Just a touch and the black or
white On Time immediately adjusts
the volume or switches between
music sources. The backlit LCD,
with its time and channel display,
is easy to read. Automatic dimming provides the correct brightness level and continually adjusts
to match the light levels in any
environment. Large buttons make
it easy to operate the system.
The Harman Multimedia philosophy is to produce elegant, sophisticated and well considered designs
that stir the emotions.
“On Time aims to visualise the
perception of time and help the listener experience it through sound.
Time cannot be tasted, touched,
smelled, seen or heard. The unique
loudspeaker technology delivers a
sonic experience upon waking.
The iPod has also become a
cult object. For music fans it‘s not
just a simple playback device, but
actually embodies a lifestyle experience. With On Time we‘ve created a very special home for the
iPod. The blue dome light gives the
iPod a spiritual glow. It is its world
class design reaching into the
consumer’s emotions balanced
with technology that touches the
On Time user,” says Kurt Solland,
Vice President of Industrial Design
and the man who created the JBL
product. MacWorld and iLounge
have already honoured
On Time with their ‘Best of
Show’ award.
On Time will be available from
April 2006 in Apple Stores and
specialised trade stores, and will
cost 299 EUR.
editorial
Dear Readers:
JBL On Time™ had it’s worldwide
preview in January at the MacWorld
show in San Francisco. On Time is
set to make a big impact in the iPod®
speaker docking market. Last quarter,
Apple® shipped 14 million iPods globally, and as a key partner for Apple,
our success is set to follow suit. With
delivery expected in April, along with
the JBL On Stage™* II, our iPod docking speaker portfolio continues to
grow.
Richard
Metcalfe
European Brand
Manager Harman
Multimedia & AKG
But Apple is not the only opportunity
for us to increase Multimedia revenue.
The mobile phone market offers huge
potential in the growth of Multimedia
and AKG®. Our partnership with Nokia,
the largest handset manufacturer in the
world, is opening new sales channels
and opportunities across Europe. More
and more handsets contain high quality
MP3 players, and the operators across
Europe are now offering music download services directly to your phone.
Last year, Nokia sold 10 million MP3
enabled phones and as this market is
just starting to develop, the potential
for both AKG headphones and Harman
Multimedia products is massive.
Another growth area is the gaming
market. Microsoft’s Xbox 360™ was
launched in Europe just before Christmas and offers a complete media
experience with high definition audio
and video. The experience is greatly
enhanced when coupled with Harman
Multimedia and AKG products, as was
discovered by the many visitors who
attended the Microsoft® booth and tour
bus during the launch events in France.
HCGI partnered up with Microsoft during this launch, providing all professional and consumer audio equipment
for the booth and bus and we will continue to develop strategic relationships
in this exciting area.
The next 12 months are set to be a
really exciting time for Harman Multimedia and AKG and I look forward to
working closely with you all to take
advantage of the great opportunities
ahead!
Best regards,
Richard Metcalfe
2
corporate & markets
harman live
management report
marketing
Harman International® reports record
for the first six months results
Advertising Campaign
for Harman Multimedia in the USA
Harman International® Industries,
Incorporated announced – on 25
January 2006 – record results for
the first six months ended December 31, 2005. Net sales were $1.587
billion compared to $1.480 billion
in 2004, an increase of 7 percent.
Exclusive of foreign currency translation, net sales increased 11 percent. Operating income for the
period was $194.1 million, a 20 percent increase versus $161.4 million
last year, or 26 percent excluding
foreign currency translation.
Net sales for the second quarter
were $832.6 million, a 6 percent
increase compared to $788.6 million last year, or 12 percent exclu-
sive of foreign currency translation.
“We achieved excellent results for
the second quarter and first half of
fiscal 2006. Despite unfavourable
foreign currency translation, each
of our three operating groups had
a strong first half.
Automotive continues to invest in
research and development to fuel
the growth of our expanding infotainment business.
Consumer multimedia products
continued their vigorous growth.
Although hampered by product
shortages around the world, sales
increased 144 percent compared
to the first six months last year.
Professional did well with a solid
array of products linked by the
HiQnet protocol. During the first six
months of this fiscal year, we repurchased 1,341,300 shares of our
outstanding common stock for
$119 million”, says Dr. Sidney
Harman, Executive Chairman of
Harman International.
Earnings per diluted shares
were $1.07 compared to $0.92 a
year ago, an increase of 16 percent. Excluding foreign currency
translation, earnings per diluted
share increased 25 percent.
Harman International Industries, Incorporated: Unaudited Condensed Statements of Operations
000s omitted except per
share amounts
Six Months Ended, December 31
Three Months Ended, December 31
2005
Net sales
2004
2005
2004
$ 832,645
788,587
1,587,293
1,480,293
Cost of sales
526,876
510,097
1,015,229
980,404
Gross profit
305,769
278,490
572,064
499,889
Selling. general and
Administrative expenses
189,909
178,978
378,011
338,452
Operating income
115,860
99,512
194,053
161,437
Interest expense, net
4,558
2,600
8,397
5,967
Miscellaneous, net
1,156
699
1,770
4,214
110,146
96,213
183,886
151,256
37,968
30,788
57,741
52,159
(357)
0
(357)
0
$ 72,535
65,425
126,502
99,097
Basic earnings per share
$ 1.10
0.97
1.92
1.48
Diluted earnings per share
$ 1.07
0.92
1.86
1.40
Shares outstanding (Basic)
65,771
67,361
65,944
66,777
Shares outstanding (Diluted)
67,948
70,942
68,185
70,592
Other Expenses:
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
Minority interest
Net income
Their outstanding quality and, in
particular, their striking design,
have already made Harman Multimedia products into bestsellers.
But there is room in the marketplace
for further gains and expansion.
Joanne Mustapich, the Director
of Marketing for Harman Kardon®
and HCG Corporate Media Director, is assisting with this. The
Harman Consumer Group developed an advertising campaign for
JBL On Stage™* aimed at increasing exposure nationally, while
focusing on a host of major American cities, e.g. Los Angeles, New
York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Detroit,
Philadelphia, Washington D.C.
and West Palm Beach.
JBL On Stage
print ads appeared in 17 different magazines,
including lifestyle,
entertainment and
IT
publications.
This initiative alone
generated almost
50 million impressions. At the same
time, JBL On Stage
ads were featured
on kiosks in prestigious shopping
malls, billboards in subway stations, posters on trains and buses,
and outdoor pillars. The entire
campaign is expected to create
approximately 561 million impressions. “This ongoing, multifaceted
campaign has proven successful for Multimedia with increased
awareness of both JBL® and
JBL On Stage. The European market should also see benefits from
this,” says Joanne Mustapich.
Please view the whole chart of Harman International sales on http://www.harman.com/fp/index.jsp?articleId=5.0
++ breaking news ++
++ Harman International® will
be at IFA 2006 ++
The decision has been taken –
Harman International® will have a stand
at the IFA consumer electronics trade fair
in Berlin between 1st and 6th September
2006.
“Last year‘s IFA was so successful that
we believe we should go back every year.
In future issues of Harman Live, we shall
industry
QNX Software Systems
won Award
be providing regular updates on our IFA
activities,” says Mathias Brand, the Director of International Marketing.
IFA is the world‘s largest consumer electronics trade fair, with over 1,200 exhibitors from 40 countries, almost 250,000
visitors in 2005, and 160,000 square
metres of exhibition space. IFA claims that
it is the sector‘s largest single source of
orders, with over 2.5 billion euros‘ worth
of business being done.
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth
consulting
company,
recently
presented its 2006 Automotive
Software Industry Innovation &
Advancement of the Year Award to
QNX Software Systems (QNX) for
its QNX® Neutrino® Real Time Operating System – the industry’s most
widely-used and reliable software
to power infotainment, navigation,
and Bluetooth-based telematics in
vehicles in North America.
QNX Software Systems, a
Harman International® company,
is the industry leader in real time,
embedded OS technology.
In the highly competitive automotive software market, QNX consistently produces software for controlling and connecting the increasing
amount of invehicle electronic
equipment used for communication, entertainment, and safety.
Harman International, impressed
by this exceptional performance,
acquired the company in 2004.
“QNX has continued to increase
its share in the growing automotive software market,” says Frost
& Sullivan research analyst Robert
Cavin.
“The electronics content of vehicles is expected to grow to 35 percent of the overall value of a vehicle by 2015, and Frost & Sullivan
believes QNX is well-positioned to
expand its market presence and
cement its leadership in automotive software.”
harman live
sales offices & colleagues
3
personally
convoy
Interview with Kurt Solland
Setting an Example
JBL®
multimedia
products
seem to be the most fancy products – not to say very successful – products within the JBL line.
JBL Creature® has been the first
one, how did you get the idea for
such an exceptional industrial
design?
Solland: I believe that the best
designs are to capture the initial
inspiration. It is that brief moment
in time that must be preserved all
the way through production. As for
Creature, the design was sketched
on a napkin when I least expected
it. From that, we solidified the
design and made it a reality.
compound curves … a bar of soap
or a potato is organic.
If we look at the JBL multimedia products, most of these products have an organic shape, which
is very special and different compared to most of the competitors.
Is this a future trend, and if, what
will be next?
Solland: I also do not believe in
trends, the word itself states plagiarism. I do not consider the multimedia products “organic”, in contrast they are simple shapes with
How are you getting these great
ideas? Is it more working on the
design board, or do you suddenly
wake up at night and you have the
new products in your mind?
Solland: Powered by massive
amounts of Caffeine!
about the designer
Kurt Solland was surrounded by innovation all his life. He
grew up with Norwegian Viking craftsmanship and the creativity of music.
For generations, the Solland family has been superior
craftsman in machining and boat building. Kurt’s father
Merle brought boat building to extremes. Starting in 1955
and ending in 1995 he was among the few innovators to
start racing Hydroplanes. On Kurt’s mother’s side was the
influence of Eddie Lund, known as one of the greatest
names in Tahitian music. Hearing these records inspired Kurt to play
jazz starting in the fifth grade through college.
Growing up in this environment, Kurt Solland became skilled in machining, hydro dynamics and the arts at a young age. At 11 years old he designed components for hydroplanes and began inventing products. Now with over 70 patents and dozens of international awards to his name, Kurt has established himself as being a true innovator both in
design and functionality. His philosophy is to create simple timeless design. In this hightech world having so many choices and complexities, simple designs speak of a time
when things were carefree and easy.
Kurt has the ability to solve difficult, complex problems in an elegant simple way. In
the early 90’s he partnered up a friend to form MachineTech bicycle division. After the
MachineTech days, he evolved as an independent inventor designing and licensing several fitness products. Respected fitness manufacturers are still using his patented mechanisms today.
On the music side, his love of music has been expressed by designing audio equipment for over a decade. Kurt has designed numerous award-winning products for JBL®,
Harman Kardon®, and Infinity®. Today, Harman Consumer Group, a division of
Harman International®, hired Kurt to be their Vice President of Industrial Design. His
role is to set the design vision for the new multimedia retail strategy.
hcgi
Of course, all products look fantastic and are very successful, but
what it your personal favourite?
Solland: I always like the latest
product launch, and right now I
really like JBL On Time™.
Their reports, issued every two
months, summarise items that
have made it into the media, press
releases and their content, mailshots and eMarketing activities,
product launches, adverts and banner links in printed media and on the
Internet, and JBL show car presentations. They distinguish between
the marketing activities carried
out on behalf of JBL and those for
How do you see the future of what
is called multimedia products?
Solland: There are many forms
of source devices that need better speakers, like cell phones and
gaming.
“Harman Consumer Group International would be delighted to
have each distributor reporting on
their communication activities as
regularly as Convoy do. The better informed we are about our customers‘ marketing activities, the
more efficiently we can support
their efforts and the more easier it becomes to share the best
practices experienced globally”
says Cyril Vincienne, Export Sales
Manager. “We would need such a
report on a quarterly basis to begin
with.”
harman multimedia
JBL On Time™
Wins Over Press
SDI Technologies turned
that around by creating
the iHome clock radio,
which Apple says was the
strongest selling accessory last year. The speaker
maker JBL® has jumped in
with the $300 JBL On Time
clock radio/iPod® dock.”
Since Harman in Heilbronn
held its in-house exhibition,
Germany‘s iPod magazines
can no longer ignore the
multimedia product.
Do you have children? If
yes, do you involve them at
any concept stage, do you
ask for their opinion?
Solland: I do not have any
children, but my wife reminds
me that I can be very childish!
Which speakers are connected
to your PC and iPod®?
Solland: I connect wherever I
can with Creature, Encounter™
and JBL On Stage™*. As soon
as I get a JBL On Time, that will be
in my kitchen.
Harman Kardon, and between the
Home and Car segments.
The JBL On Time™ had
hardly been launched before it
was already captivating its public. The media, in particular, were
enthralled by the new Harman Multimedia product.
For example, on 3rd February The
New York Times wrote, “Take clock
radios, which have been a sleepy
category for more than a decade.
The magazine iPod Love granted
On Time two whole pages in the
first issue of 2006. Dorian Staps,
Product Manager with Harman
Germany, is in the process of setting up another article with iCreate, the magazine for creative Mac
users. France‘s Univers Mac also
unveiled On Time to its readers in
its February edition.
++ short news ++
Culture and Competence
Seminars Launched
On 18th January, Kent Mørk, the
Managing Director of Harman Consumer Group International (HCGI),
and Francesco Gentiluomo, the
Director of Human Resources, presented the forthcoming series of
culture and competence seminars
to German, Austrian and Swiss
We guess the products we see
today, are just the best of best
and top of the iceberg. What other
products are on your shelf which
you had designed in the past, but
have never produced?
Solland: Just trust us this is only
the tip of the iceberg! There is
going to be a great line-up in the
near future.
The Harman distributor Convoy, who distribute the JBL® and
Harman Kardon® Home and Car
product ranges in Australia, provide regular reports on their marketing activities.
employees. Kent Mørk referred to
facts and figures as he presented
a picture of HCGI‘s past, present
and future.
HCGI‘s
management
team
believe that systematic staff training will enable the company to take
full advantage of its
potential for growth.
Francesco
Gentiluomo went into
some detail as he
explained how the
seminars will work.
Training for Harman‘s German team
is due to begin in
July 2006.
++ Harman Dealer Show
in Holland ++
Harman Consumer Holland (HCH) will
held its Dealer Show between 5th and 9th
March in the Holland Casino in Utrecht.
A special location has been chosen to
house the show, to show all new exciting products, invite customers, press and
special guests but also to celebrate the
10th anniversary of HCH and the 60th anniversary of JBL®.
ager Marketing & Promotions. If you wish
for further information, please contact Erik
van Geuns ([email protected]).
++ Golf GTI Lounge in Brussels ++
Harman Belgium presented the red
JBL Creature® in the Volkswagen Group‘s
GTI Lounge at the Salon de l’Automobile
between 10th and 22nd January in Brussels.
To create associations with the new, red
Golf GTI in the VIP lounge, the company
also exhibited trendy, modern products in
the colour red – including the Creature.
The automotive fair was visited by threequarters of a million people.
++ Award for
HD970 in Poland ++
The readers of the Polish audio
magazine Audio Video have voted
Harman Kardon®’s HD970 CD player the
Best CD/SACD™ Player of 2005/2006.
As a result, Audio Video awarded the
HD970 their ‘Zlote Ucho’ (Golden Ear).
42.9 percent of their readers placed the
Harman Kardon product ahead of rival systems such as the Usher CD-1 and Meridian G07. Audio Video is one of the leading
audio magazines in the Polish market.
The JBL® E80 was runner-up in the
Floorstanding Loudspeakers category.
“It promises to become a very spectacular show. More info and pictures of the
event will be shown in the next issue of
Harman Live”, says Erik van Geuns, Man-
4
sales offices & colleagues
harman live
harman lounge 2006 in germany
Great Products, Familiar Atmosphere and
Perfect Organisation …
… record visitor numbers, good
sales figures, terrific décor, late
nights and excellent staff commitment. The list goes on and on. But,
to sum it up, Harman‘s in-house
exhibition in Heilbronn was a major
success. As it now does each
year, Harman Germany invited
its business partners to its traditional sales show. Over 700 guests
received a warm welcome over a
five-day period between 18th and
22nd January.
This year AKG® was represented
as a fully-fledged exhibitor for the
first time. Harman is hoping that a
vigorous campaign to support its
products in the higher-level segment, plus increased efforts to
sign up dealers will expand AKG‘s
market position in Germany. The
K701 and K27i models found
themselves at the centre of attention. “Wearing headphones is very
much in vogue. They‘ve become a
genuine fashion accessory,” said
Hans Guttleber, the Sales Manager for Multimedia, Car and AKG.
Kent Mørk (top: Managing Director HCGI) holding
his speech and Wolf Rüdiger Hartmann (General
Manager Harman Germany) attending the Saturday night party.
The impressive restyled warehouse of Harman Germany.
It‘s important to our customers
that they can get hold of the systems in April, to take advantage
of the boom for the World Cup,”
explained Sales Manager Gerd Schneider.
JBL‘s On Time™ was
responsible for creating a certain amount of
impromptu enthusiasm.
Harman‘s
multimedia
products are booming
Presentation of the Multimedia and
AKG product range.
The visitors, who included a
number of Media Markt and
Saturn senior managers and
departmental heads, commented positively on the new
AKG sales and marketing
structure and the fact that it
has come under the wing of the
Harman sales team.
Harman Kardon® gave a world
debut to its full home cinema
system, which includes flat
screens. “The design and quality of
Harman Kardon‘s plasma and LCD
screens made a big impression.
The proposed price categories for
the full system were deemed to be
‘very ambitious, but achievable’.
ily’. “Our clients have been coming already for years now, and feel
very much at home here. The quality of personal contacts and trust
is constantly improving,” said Wolf
Rüdiger Hartmann, the General
Manager of Harman Deutschland.
“I‘d like to thank all of our staff who
helped to make the event such a
success.”
The highlight of the presentations
delivered in the sound studio was
Infinity®‘s Cascade™ loudspeaker
range. And listener‘s verdicts were
similarly positive – not only in terms
of the sound quality, but also the
design attributes of the Cascade
models.
Quite apart from the business
of gathering general impressions
from the show and submitting
orders, the customers enjoyed
themselves until the early morning
hours, dancing in the warehouse
which had, at some expense, been
completely restyled for the occasion. Harman Germany took full
responsibility for organising their
entire stay. Travel connections
were researched, hotel
rooms reserved and a VIP
limousine service laid on.
Many of the visitors took
advantage of the offer to
travel with their partners.
On Friday the entertainment was provided by
the band ‘MadChick
of Soul’, and on Saturday by the cabaret star
‘Gerhard Polt’ and the The musicians of ‘LIVIN music family’ make sure that the party is
band ‘LIVIN music fam- put into good humour.
harman belgium
Belgium Team Comes to Heilbronn
at both the acoustic and business
levels. Meanwhile, JBL® is celebrating its 60th birthday with a limited anniversary edition – the new
floor standing JBL TL260 loudspeaker.
At 10.00 am on the 17th January,
26 guests from Belgium landed at
Stuttgart Airport. It was the second time that Henri Sebbe and
Kurt Frooninckx had invited their
customers to Germany. “Our first
trip, to the IFA Fair in Berlin, in
September 2005, was excellent.
So we thought it a good idea to
put on another trip so that our
top customers could check out
the new products at Harman‘s
in-house presentation area,”
explains Henri Sebbe, Regional
Division Manager Wallonia & Luxembourg.
The next day, the Belgium team
met up with their 24 invitees at
the company‘s in-house presentation area. Henri Sebbe and Kurt
Frooninckx took them round the
exhibition rooms, and then presented some demos in the cinema
and sound studio. “The customers loved the German dealer show,
and are already asking when the
next trip is,” says Kurt Frooninckx,
Regional Division Manager Flanders & Brussels.
It is far more economical for the
Belgians to come to Harman exhibitions in Germany than to put on
their own dealer show. The party
returned to Brussels at 6.00 pm on
the 18th January.
First of all, the Belgian Harman
dealers visited the Audi plant in
Neckersulm, not far from Heilbronn, where they studied the
Multi Media Interface (MMI) Basic
with a monochrome display as
made by Harman/Becker Automotive Systems – Harman‘s automotive group. Audi are including
this as standard in their new A6
models.
Complete Home Cinema Systems inclusive flat screens by Harman Kardon.
The Belgium Team and its customers at the Harman Germany’s in-house exhibition.
harman live
brands & products
5
Infinity
JBL GTO subwoofer
Cascade™ loudspeakers
receive a double honor
Let’s Rock
Infinity’s Cascade™ loudspeakers have won the Consumer
Electronics
Show Innovations 2006
Design and Engineering Award, in addition
to the ADEX (Award
for Design Excellence)
Platinum
Award,
thanks to their compelling combination of beauti-
For anyone that absolutely has to
let rip in their car, the new range
of GTO subwoofer enclosures are
the real deal. All of the enclosures
house the highly-praised GTO
bass chassis. The GTO1204BR
subwoofer enclosure is the recommendation for rock fans. The
crispest possible bass reflex tuning takes drum solos to another
level.
ful design, unmatched installation
flexibility and superlative sound.
Sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association and endorsed
by the Industrial Designers of
America, the Innovations Awards
program
is
the industry’s
most recognized, high-
But the GTO1204BR delivers
great pop and electronic music,
too. Moreover, the box has great
visual styling. A varnished front
and stable protective aluminium
grilles mean that the enclosure
will catch the eye in any car boot.
For car audio fans whom only an
extreme fix of deep sound can satisfy, there is the GTO1204BP bandpass box. It was developed specifically to cater
for the needs
of
enthusiasts
that
are deeply
in love with
lighting product advancements in
technology design and engineering.
The ADEX Platinum Award is
the highest honor given by Design
Journal magazine. ADEX entries
are judged on five criteria: innovation, technological advancement,
quality, aesthetics and value.
++ harman live ++
JBL power subwoofer
New model name for Car Audio DSP from JBL®:
Low Pressure
System on its Way
On page 2 of the last issue of Harman Live (Harman Live 02, February 2006),
in the articles ‘Harman International® at CES in Las Vegas’ and ‘The future of
the car audio aftermarket’, we mentioned the launch of JBL®‘s unique,
8-channel Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Amplifier. We would like to make it
clear that the new DSP solution will be launched under the name MS-8. ‘MS’
stands for ‘Mobile Synthesis’. The new model name hints at the connection to
the semi-professional Synthesis® home theatre and music system from JBL.
By stitching-in
the tinsel leads,
nothing can go
wrong,
even
under
heavy
pressure.
JBL® is launching two new
Power Subwoofers. The twin
giants have been named P1022
and P1222 and are replacing the
old models with immediate effect.
The deep bass chassis are completely new. The impression made
by JBL’s new proprietary frame is
not merely superficial. With its tidy
design, it achieves maximum stabil-
ity and ventilation. The membrane
is made of Kevlar ®-impregnated
paper and boasts a high strengthto-weight ratio. 2 ohm voice-coils
bass. Fed on a diet of hip hop or
black music, the deep bass takes
no prisoners – it will dig way
down into the frequency basement. The same
quality is apparent
in its appearance.
Four white LEDs
light the chamber
behind the plexiglas
panel and provide
just the right setting for the bass chassis. Put these
boxes in your
car, inject 250
watts, and just
listen to them
(by
take off!
Tobias Runge,
Car Audio Product Specialist)
JBL TL260
Un-compromised Sound
are attached to the 76 mm voice
coil bracket so it is simple to connect to any amplifier. The tinsel leads are insulated and connected to the spider to give the
chassis the best possible longterm quality. There is a large pole
piece at the back of the woofer
to keep the motor structure
cool. Running on 350 – 600
watts, these subwoofers are
great fun whatever your musical taste – they‘ll bring a smile
to your face and put butterflies in your stomach. That‘s
in-car audio!
The new Power Subwoofers
available in 25 cm or 30 cm, are
extremely robust and fit into any
type of enclosure.
(by Tobias
Runge, Car Audio Product Specialist)
JBL® celebrates its
60th anniversary and
introduces TL260
limited edition loudspeaker in April
2006. The highperformance loudspeaker is an evolution of the legendary L250Ti, one of
the most acclaimed loudspeakers
ever built. It combined the proven
design concept of its predecessor
with JBL’s latest advancements in
transducer and enclosure technology, to achieve an extraordinary
level of sonic accuracy and music
realism. “The TL260 is sure to thrill
music lovers and audiophiles with
its ability to deliver a remarkably
faithful reproduction of the original performance – and above all,
provide an emotionally captivating
listening experience,” pointed out
Paul Bente, President of JBL.
L250Ti was JBL’s flagship speaker
throughout the 1980’s. The development concept of the loudspeakers was made by Greg Timbers,
Chief Development Engineer of
Harman International®, and the
industrial design was performed by
Douglas Warner. Douglas Warner
was responsible for recommending the trapezoid enclosure shape
that accomplished the engineering function of the original pyramid
design, but resulted in a more satisfying, understated appearance.
To achieve its exceptionally accurate and natural sound quality, the
JBL TL260 incorporates the company’s latest advancements in loudspeaker design and engineering. A
key JBL innovation that is utilized
in the TL260 is a newly developed
ultrahigh-frequency
transducer
that provides extended frequency
response to 40kHz. The driver element, which operates in conjunction with a specially designed horn
with a 60° by 30° coverage pattern, utilizes a 19 mm Mylar® dome
mounted directly to the voice coil to
deliver smooth, open and detailed
high-frequency reproduction – with
a more natural quality of spaciousness over a wide listening area.
The ultrahigh-frequency transducer is complemented by a
25 mm
pure-titanium
dome
tweeter that features a large motor
assembly and highly flexible surround for exceptional transient
response and clarity. The tweeter
is housed within JBL’s exclusive
Elliptical
Oblate
Spheroidal™
(EOS™) waveguide that delivers
the same response off-axis as it
does on-axis, and directs sound
toward the listening area rather
than off the side
walls, for more
precise imaging
and localization of vocals
and instruments.
6
communication & campaigns
harman live
Cascade™ marketing
++ harman live ++
Marketing Package for Cascade
Please Note: Harman Live 04
reflect a fashion-led lifestyle,
and thus support our advertising message for Cascade,” says
International Marketing Director
Mathias Brand.
200 promotional cases were
produced for the sales teams.
They contain the driver so that
the newly-patented Maximum
Radiating Surface™
(MRS™)
flat-panel transducer technology
can be presented more effectively to the customer, the info
and press CD, brochures, the
white paper, the Infinity Academy
DVD, black and red colour material examples.
Following on from the Cascade™
info CD (Harman Live 01, December 2005), International Marketing
is introducing a host of sales support measures for the new Infinity®
range of loudspeakers – a new
advertising campaign, a promotional case, plexiglas and cardboard display units, roll-up and
hang-up banners, posters and a
promotional brochure. Everything
in the marketing package will be
available from late February.
For the advertising campaign, a
lifestyle-type shoot was arranged
at the showrooms of the furniture
designer and manufacturer Rolf
Benz. Cascade does not merely
incorporate a prestigious home
cinema and stereo speaker system with innovative technology,
but exudes design, pure and simple. “The people motifs aim to
The plexiglas display unit also
shows the Cascade innovation
with a driver that is visible from
all sides. The cardboard display unit is for holding brochures.
The hang-up banners measure 200 cm x 80 cm and are available in two different colour styles.
The roll-up banners are 200 cm tall
and 100 cm wide. For further information, please contact Erik Bosma
([email protected]), the Marketing Manager.
Issue 04 of Harman Live will appear a fortnight later –
towards the middle of April.
HCGI product-launches
New! HCGI Product
Launch Calendar
In mid-February, International Marketing and the brand managers published a calendar that shows all the product launches in the first six months
of 2006 at a glance such as the launch of JBL® TL260
in April. The leporello fold calendar is for the use of
the sales teams. Harman salespeople can offer their
customers an attractive overview of future products
from Harman Kardon®, JBL, and Infinity® and use
it to sound out possible deals. Anyone interested
should get in touch with the Marketing Manager,
Erik Bosma ([email protected]).
staff newspaper
JBL® goes EMMA
Feedback on
Harman Live
Harman International® Sponsors
European Mobile Media Association
All of our colleagues and distributors – Danish, English, French, Belgian, Dutch, Finnish, and German –
have reacted positively to the first
issue of Harman Live. Some people
enjoyed the humour, while others
praised the staff interviews or the
fact that the newspaper was delivered to their home address. Ryszard Balys, the Managing Director
of PH R Balys, in Poland, promises his active support for Harman‘s
new staff newsletter. He places great
store on sharing
information about
European marketing activities, and
would like to know
more about promotional
ideas
from other distributors
and
Harman‘s sales
offices. He would particularly like
to read about experiences gleaned
from trade fairs and car show promotions.
“All staff newspaper survive on
information and contributions sub-
mitted by the staff. We hope that
we‘ve set the ball rolling, and we
really want our employees and
customers to keep us informed
about what they‘re doing. There
are numerous examples of best
practice at Harman International®,
and we need to tell people about
them,” says Communication Manager Katja Meincke. Staff in the
USA, too, have lined up behind the
project. 250 copies are being distributed in the Woodbury and Northridge
offices. The newsletter
is also being published
on the myharman.com
intranet. Staff in Europe
should see the intranet
up and running later this
year.
“We‘re having a lot
of fun with this project.
Thanks to everyone that
has contributed so far, and thanks
in advance for all future news submissions. Everybody is welcome
to play their part in creating Harman Live. Just get in touch with
us,” says Katja Meincke.
JBL® supports EMMA‘s activities
through international sponsorship,
which underlines its determination
to place greater emphasis on the
cognoscenti when marketing the
new GTI loudspeakers.
The European Mobile Media
Association was formed in 2000
to enable industry, dealers and
dedicated users to bring the fascinating world of in-car entertainment closer to the general public.
involved in professionally showing sponsors‘ products. Over 400
sound-offs, 18,000 competitors
in 2005 and 40 member countries
illustrate that the idea is gaining
ground among car audio enthusiasts.
The JBL logo will continue to
appear on the official EMMA CD,
on their rule-book and on the
international homepage, www.
(by Tobias
emmanet.com.
Runge, Car Audio Product Specialist)
Its main activity consists of
organising sound-off contests.
The various competition categories, including Sound Quality,
ESPL, Multi Media and EMMA
Racing, aim to reward the best
possible individual realisation of
the vision of a perfect car. Other
areas of interest related to products from the mobile media industry have been spun out of this
high-level, innovative, competitive
environment.
EMMA set up the EMMA Academy in order to train dealers and
has for some years been actively
MASTHEAD
Over 30 happy winners present at the German Sound Off-Finale.
harman live, Nº 3 published by: HCGI, 2, route de Tours, 72500 Château du Loir, France editors: Mathias Brand, Katja Meincke,
Phone: +49 (0) 71 31 48 02 08, E-Mail: [email protected] editorial address: HCGI, Hünderstrasse 1, 74080 Heilbronn, Germany
contributors: Ryszard Balys, Erik Bosma, Kurt Frooninckx, Francesco Gentiluomo, Bozena Kozlowska, Klaus Lebherz, Richard Metcalfe, Joanne Mustapich,
Laurent Rault, Tobias Runge, Monika Schnabel, Henri Sebbe, Kurt Solland, Dorian Staps, Lutz Uphoff, Erik van Geuns, Cyril Vincienne
layout/illustrations: Götz, Stähler GbR, Wiesbaden, Germany printed by: msp druck und medien gmbH, Mudersbach, Germany
© 2006 Harman International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Harman International, Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity, AKG, Creature and Synthesis are trademarks of Harman International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States
and/or other countries. On Time, Phoenix, Ridge, Encounter, Cascade, Maximum Radiating Surface (MRS) and Elliptical Oblate Spheroidal (EOS) are trademarks of Harman International
Industries, Incorporated. The trademark JBL On Stage is used with permission of OSA International, Inc.
iPod and Apple are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. QNX and Neutrino are registered trademarks of QNX Software Systems GmbH & Co.
KG and are used under license by QNX Software Systems International Corporation. Mylar and Kevlar are registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. SACD is a
trademark of Sony Electronics Inc. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Xbox is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. MacWorld Expo is
a registered trademark of IDG World Expo Corporation.