JBL, an acronym of James Bullough Lansing, is a globally renowned audio equipment firm that manufactures what is widely considered within the music industry and sound experts to be some of the best speakers of the last century, and this and are in the conversation for the best ever made.
Established in 1946 by James Bullough, Lansing made a move to incorporate his company and changed the way music is listened to forever.
Before establishing JBL, he established another speaker company in 1927 known as Altec Lansing. But in 1941, he left due to some creative differences and formed JBL. The rest, as they say, is history!
JBL has proved to be one of the most innovative high-performance firms in audio equipment production right from the initial stages. Indeed, the company’s premier product – a D130 speaker became an overnight success and, to this day, is acclaimed among the best speakers of the 20th century.
With time, JBL only encouraged innovations even further and created some of the most groundbreaking products that were the cornerstone of the music industry.
Let’s get in our time machine and take ourselves back to the 20th century and take a look at some of the speakers that form the foundations of the giant that JBL is today:
The speaker that clearly dominated the market in terms of popularity was, without a doubt, JBL L100, introduced for production in 1970 and talked about to this day with many still around, not just in a museum but still working given the quality of their manufacturing and design. It was famous for its unique foam orange grilles and fantastic sound quality.
In 1973, we were also graced with the JBL monitor loudspeaker, which was like no other model on the market. So many studios across the world would widely embrace this compact monster. Many studios and artists appreciated its accuracy and clarity.
The JBL 4430 was a highly effective studio monitor speaker launched in 1985, and it gained rapid popularity among sound engineers and even music producers alike. It featured deep bass and midrange.
Many Companies Follow JBLs Lead
With growing competition in the speaker market from:
Bose
Marshall
Behringer
Sonos
Mackie
RCF
And G4M, to name just some…
The market found itself with almost too many options with new features, and many other manufacturers were taking a piece of the pie.
Also, with the music industry exploding with MTV and then with the introduction of heavy rock and heavy metal, new innovations were constantly evolving to meet the demand for louder, more aggressive sounds. JBL was not a household name like it is today at the close of the 90s.
JBL’s Renaissance in the 21st Century
Then JBL made a huge comeback with a new range of devices, making the words Bluetooth and Wireless Speakers synonymous with the brand.
In the 2000s, JBL began strong and relentlessly moved shoulder to shoulder with powerhouses like Bose.
Everyone either went to the coast or had a party by the pool, including outdoor weddings and even discotheques; if you were in attendance, it’s likely so was a JBL wireless speaker.
Let’s see what was behind this remarkable comeback story:
Innovation: JBL has never stopped innovating with its products, utilising cutting-edge technology and features such as waterproofing, long-lasting batteries and a range of heavy bass options. They have also launched new product ranges, including the Flip 5, Charge Clip, and PartyBox series, each of which comes with various features for portability and style.
Quality: JBL speakers have delivered premium sound and performance in audio, coupled with an outer skeleton that was built to last using strong materials like metals, rubbers, fabric, etc. Regardless of genre and taste, JBL speakers always deliver.
Affordability: JBL has been manufacturing products at highly competitive prices. They are also valuable for money since a lot of the products they stock and sell do not require any license fees, subscriptions, or contracts. Furthermore, they have been providing free shipping and returns for some of their products with individual customisation provisions for years.
Reputation: They started to be noticed across the board, in numerous countries and began picking up all kinds of awards from far and wide like:
iF Design Award 2016-17 winner
The CES Innovation Awards 2017
Red Dot Design Award Winner…and they kept coming
JBL had clearly been spending big on R&D and reaping big rewards whilst their design team were innovating like never before.
The Flip 5 – JBL’s Bestselling Bluetooth Speaker
The JBL Flip Five is one of the best-selling and highest-rated Bluetooth speakers of the last two decades. Launched in 2019 with numerous accolades and awards due to its sound, ergonomics, and build quality.
Some of the technical specifications of the JBL Flip 5 are:
- USB: yes
- Bluetooth: yes
- Bluetooth profile: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6
- Bluetooth version: 4.2
- Playback time: 12 h
- Battery capacity: 4800 mAh
- Output power: 20W RMS
- Frequency response: 65Hz – 20kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: >80dB
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 18.1 x 7.4 x6.9 cm
- Weight: 540 g
- IP rating: IP67
- Features: waterproof, with JBL PartyBoost and the possibility of charging via USB-C
The JBL Flip 5 was well-liked by many enthusiasts due to its great sound output, long-lasting battery life, and tough build.
This is because it provided heavy bass and crisp vocals that could easily take over the range of a room’s capacity or even outside. The Flip 5 was also waterproof up to a depth of about three feet; it graced pool parties or beach outings around the globe.
It was also small in size and lightweight, which allowed you to carry it around. In aggregate, the JBL Flip 5 was a superb all-rounder speaker offering both solid audio and convenience. And paved the way for JBL to become a permanent fixture in modern pop culture.
SUMMARY
JBL has been a mega brand over the years. But have seen a renaissance this century. It was very popular at certain times in the 20th century but found competition rife after the Woodstock era through to 2000. But they came roaring back, and now you will see JBL have product placement in movies, TV shows, adverts, and magazines, and have just become the coolest thing to have. Long may they continue to Rock ‘N’ Roll!