JBL
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Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, JBL is an American firm that produces audio equipment.[1]
Key facts and history
After Decker died in a 1939 airplane crash, Lansing struggled as a businessman and founded James B. Lansing Sound, Incorporated on 1 October 1946.[2][3] The first product was the model D101 15-inch loudspeaker, a near copy of the earlier Altec Lansing model 515.[2] JBL engineers Ed May and Bart N. Locanthi designed early products including the model 375 high-frequency driver and the 075 ring-radiator driver.[4] In 1969, Thomas sold JBL to the Jervis Corporation, later renamed Harman International, headed by Sidney Harman.[5]
By late 1949, the company owed $20,000; on Thursday, September 24, 1949, Lansing stopped by for the last time.[2] Bill Thomas, who had been vice president, bought Mrs. Lansing's one-third share and became the sole proprietor, a move that revived the business.[3] To settle ongoing conflicts with Altec Lansing Corporation, the brand name JBL was launched in 1955; the corporate name remained James B. Lansing Sound, Incorporated.[6]
What the cited sources add
The "JBL TO 1981" source states that the 1957 Paragon stereo system was the concept of Richard Ranger, and more than 1000 Paragons were built over 25 years.[7] A 2006 Mixonline article reports that the 4310 studio monitor morphed into the hugely successful L100 home product with sculpted foam grilles.[8] The "ARNOLD WOLF" account credits Arnold Wolf as President of JBL from 1969 to 1979 and notes JBL supplied equipment to the original Woodstock and Watkins Glen rock festivals.[9] A 2025 Audioholics article announces the JBL Synthesis SDP-80 home theater processor features 36 channels of high-resolution processing with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, and Auro-3D.[10]
A 2004 PCMag UK review describes the JBL On Stage as a ring-shaped iPod docking platform using the company's Odyssey microdrivers.[11]
References
- Wikipedia, "JBL" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "JBL Inc – Company Profile and News", Bloomberg.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "FOUNDING JBL", www.audioheritage.org. facts only, no text reused. audioheritage.org
- Wikipedia, "JBL" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "FOUNDING JBL", www.audioheritage.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "JBL" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "JBL TO 1981", www.audioheritage.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "JBL" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Staff, "1974 JBL 4311 Studio Monitors", Mixonline, 2006-09-01; "ARNOLD WOLF", audioheritage.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "JBL" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Signature Logo" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "JBL TO 1981", www.audioheritage.org. facts only, no text reused. audioheritage.org
- Staff, "1974 JBL 4311 Studio Monitors", Mixonline, 2006-09-01. facts only, no text reused. mixonline.com
- "ARNOLD WOLF", audioheritage.org. facts only, no text reused. audioheritage.org
- Green, "JBL Synthesis Readies 36-Channel SDP-80 Home Theater Processor", Audioholics, 13 May 2025. facts only, no text reused. audioholics.com
- Mann, "Harman Multimedia JBL On Stage", PCMag UK, 16 November 2004. facts only, no text reused. uk.pcmag.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article JBL (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: JBL (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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