HARMAN Luxury Update

HIGH END Vienna made its triumphant debut at the Austria Center Vienna earlier this month. The official attendance for the first two trade days was 10,603 visitors from 93 countries. There were an additional 549 media representatives from 45 countries. On Saturday and Sunday, the show was mobbed by over 23,000 music enthusiasts who came to see what our industry was displaying. Speaking of our industry, there we over 500 exhibitors from 41 countries representing nearly 1,000 brands.

For everyone who journeyed up to our rooms, they all left with a smile, including our competitors. As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we decided to focus on JBL’s 80^th and ARCAM’s 50^th Anniversaries which occur this year. Thanks to our fantastic Public Relations team, visitors were able to go back in time and see some of the products that James B. Lansing had his fingers on including working samples of the JBL Paragon and an original pair of the L100 Century in the stunning California Oak cabinet. Depending on where the visitors started their listening experience, the left knowing about our past and the future of the brand.

Of course, we also used this show to debut our two new JBL Summit loudspeakers, the Summit K2 and Summit Everest. Visitors to the JBL Summit room were treated to the first public playing of the Summit Everest and they were not disappointed. Much like its namesake, Summit Everest in the apex of HARMAN technology and engineering prowess. Visitors had the opportunity to listen to several different demo tracks showcasing the versatility and control of our flagship.

The listening room also allowed visitors to interact with our team to better understand the patented technology engineered into the Summit Series line. One of the most memorable comments I heard when people were leaving the room was “Not only are those loudspeakers the best I have heard at this show, but the best I have heard at any High End show!” That person was not the only one raving about the performance of Summit Everest. To read more be sure to check out some of the news and reviews in our From the Audio Files section of the newsletter.

Next to the JBL Summit room was our ARCAM room. It was not only filled the new Radia components including the A50 Signature dual-monaural Class G integrated amplifier and our new flagship CD25 compact disc player, but also with visitors who were in full amazement as to how complete the new Radia series has become. I too was impressed to see the full assortment of hi-fi and home cinema components and loudspeakers in one room at the same time. We were blessed to have an Audio Industry Icon in that room taking questions from the press and visitors. John Dawson, who’s signature will always be part of the A50 Signature, shared how he was happy to see his legacy being passed down to the engineers in Cambridge and that he knows that he brand is well cared for with HARMAN.

All new products showcased in Vienna are already in production or will start production within 30 days. So, get your stockrooms and warehouses readied for them.

For those of you who attended, it was great to see you and for those who could not break away from business to attend this year’s show, check out the YouTube videos below and the interviews with our team. An event like we had in Vienna takes a passionate team to pull off and I thank everyone who had a part in the preparation, room set-ups, product demonstrations, and pack-up after the show concluded.