Articles on JBL

JBL is an American manufacturer of loudspeakers and headphones. The company has two divisions: JBL Professional produces speakers for studio, live, and cinema applications, while JBL Consumer produces speakers and headphones for the consumer market.

James B Lansing started a company in 1927 to produce speaker drivers named Lansing manufacturing Company. In the 1930s, the company marketed Shearer Horn and later the Iconic System loudspeakers for cinemas. The company was bought by Altec in 1941, and its name changed to Altec Lansing.

In 1946, after his contract with Altec expired, James Lansing left and founded JBL. Early products were near copies of Altec Lansing products.

In 1969, the company was sold to the company headed by Sidney Harman, which would later become Harman International. In the 1970s, JBL became a household brand, selling large numbers of loudspeakers and studio monitors.

Over the next decades, JBL went more mass-market with their entry-level speakers. It also supplied many automakers.

JBL's consumer products currently include numerous wireless headphones, wireless speakers, and soundbars.