JBL marks 80th anniversary, Bowers & Wilkins marks 60th with special Seoul showcase

Premium speakers including the Paragon and Nautilus on display in Gangnam

Harman posts record earnings last year; Samsung vows continued audio innovation

Samsung Electronics' audio subsidiary Harman will hold the "Sound Legends — JBL 80th Anniversary and Bowers & Wilkins 60th Anniversary Exhibition" at Project Space Line in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31. [Samsung Electronics]
Samsung Electronics' audio subsidiary Harman will hold the "Sound Legends — JBL 80th Anniversary and Bowers & Wilkins 60th Anniversary Exhibition" at Project Space Line in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31. [Samsung Electronics]

Ten years after Samsung Electronics acquired audio and automotive electronics subsidiary Harman, the company is marking the milestone with a special Seoul showcase celebrating the 80th anniversary of Harman's audio brand JBL and the 60th anniversary of Bowers & Wilkins.

Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday that it will hold the "Sound Legends — JBL 80th Anniversary and Bowers & Wilkins 60th Anniversary Exhibition" at Project Space Line in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from Saturday to Oct. 31.

Samsung completed its acquisition of Harman in March 2017 for approximately $8 billion — about 9.4 trillion won at the time — in what remains the largest overseas acquisition by a Korean company and Samsung's biggest merger and acquisition deal to date.

Last year, Harman posted a record annual operating profit of 1.5 trillion won ($1.13 billion). Domestic audio sales grew by nearly 1.5 times, extending the company's growth streak.

Harman, led by JBL, holds the top position in the global portable audio market. JBL was founded in 1946 by American acoustic engineer James B. Lansing and became part of Harman in 1969.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to watch a film tracing JBL's 80-year history and try out iconic products from different eras.

On display will be the Paragon, a stereo speaker released in 1957, and the L100 Century, a home speaker launched in the 1970s that became the best-selling home speaker in the world.

Flagship products from Bowers & Wilkins, the British premium audio brand Harman acquired last year, will also be featured.

To strengthen its audio technology lineup, Samsung Electronics acquired Bowers & Wilkins along with premium audio brands Denon and Marantz through Harman last year for $350 million.

Founded in 1966 by John Bowers, Bowers & Wilkins is widely recognized as the speaker of choice among music enthusiasts, recording professionals and luxury automakers worldwide.

A model introduces Bowers & Wilkins products at the JBL 80th and Bowers & Wilkins 60th anniversary special exhibition at Project Space Line in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Samsung Electronics]
A model introduces Bowers & Wilkins products at the JBL 80th and Bowers & Wilkins 60th anniversary special exhibition at Project Space Line in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Samsung Electronics]

Bowers & Wilkins is particularly renowned as a studio monitor speaker brand, with its products used at Abbey Road Studios — the recording home of artists including Oasis, Pink Floyd and Adele.

The exhibition will feature the Nautilus, widely hailed as one of the most beautiful speakers ever made, alongside the 800 Series Diamond D5, unveiled to mark the brand's 60th anniversary.

To celebrate JBL's 80th anniversary, Samsung Electronics is running a promotion offering discounts of up to 48 percent on JBL products at both online and offline stores.

Son Young-kwon, a Samsung Electronics adviser who serves as chairman of Harman's board of directors, said the event offers "an opportunity to experience in one place the 80-year sound legacy of JBL and the 60-year heritage of Bowers & Wilkins." He added that Samsung Electronics, together with Harman, "will continue to innovate in audio technology so that customers around the world can enjoy the best sound in every moment of their daily lives."


joze@heraldcorp.com