CE Pro March 2023 - 14

Audio+Video
DISPLAYS | COMPONENTS | FURNISHINGS | ENTERTAINMENT | SERVICES
Harman Headlines
High-End Audio in
Las Vegas
Harman Luxury Audio Group's 'Harman
Explore' at Virgin Hotel showcases its
high-performance brands plus new
Classic Series components from JBL.
By Jason Knott
IF YOU WERE looking for
high-performance home
audio solutions at CES 2023,
there really was only one
place to be - and it was
not the Venetian Suites as in
years past. At the Virgin Hotel
in Las Vegas, the Harman
Luxury Audio Group had a
massive demonstration area
dubbed " Harman Explore "
that included four soundproof
listening rooms and
multiple other displays for
its JBL, JBL Synthesis, Mark
Levinson, Revel, Arcam and
Lexicon brands.
Back in 2018, Harman
" reintroduced " the JBL
L100 Classic speaker design
from the 1960s with all-new
electronics. According to
Jim Garrett, senior director,
Product Strategy and Planning,
Harman Luxury Audio,
the response has been
nothing short of amazing.
So, it made sense that the
company used CES 2023 to
debut a whole line of highend
audio solutions in the
Classic style, including the
14 | CE Pro March 2023
new SA550 Classic integrated
amplifier, MP350 Classic
streaming media player,
CD350 Classic CD player
and TT350 Classic turntable.
JBL's Classic Series combines
the timeless design of
the iconic L100 Classic with
modern technology. Inspired
by the JBL SA600 amplifier
from the 1960s and the
exclusive SA750 integrated
amplifier introduced to celebrate
JBL's 75th anniversary
in 2021, the Classic series
components have retro styling
features such as natural
walnut wood veneers along
with machined aluminum
faceplates and controls,
while also including the latest
hi-res digital and analog
audio electronics.
" Whether streaming audio
from a mobile device or enjoying
a CD or vinyl record,
the latest additions to our
Classic Series create captivating
experiences for listeners
that bring music to life, "
says Garrett. " And they look
as amazing as they sound.
Harman's Jim Garrett says the response to JBL's 'reintroduced'
Classic speaker design has been positive, so the
company introduced more Classic designs during CES 2023.
With their retro design, they
perfectly match each other
and JBL Classic and Studio
Monitor Loudspeakers for a
sleek, cohesive look in any
environment. "
Harman's SA550 Classic
integrated amplifier and
MP350 Classic music player
make it simple for users to
stream music services and
personal libraries from their
smartphones and tablets.
Featuring an advanced Class
G amplifier topology with
high power output and
the latest Bluetooth AptX
Adaptive technology for
hi-res wireless audio and low
latency, the SA550 Classic
can be paired with mobile
devices right out of the
box. Once connected to a
home network via Wi-Fi or
Ethernet, the Roon-ready
MP350 Classic music player
allows listeners to enjoy
music directly from Spotify
Connect and Tidal Connect,
as well as a host of additional
music services via the
Google Chromecast or Apple
AirPlay ecosystems. Both
components render digital
audio using a reference hires
DAC with time domain
jitter elimination.
For listening to physical
media, Harman's CD350
Classic CE player and TT350
Classic turntable put a
modern, yet retro spin on
CD players and turntables.
Supporting CD, CD-R, and
CD-RW playback, and FLAC,
WAV, MP3, AAC, and WMA
file formats, the CD350
Classic CD player combines a
robust tray loading mechanism
and USB-A input
with advanced hi-res digital
technology.
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CE Pro March 2023

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