STAMFORD, Conn. – Innovative wireless technologies for providing consumers flexible playback options led to eight coveted CES Innovation Awards, including a Best of Innovation Award for the Harman Kardon BDS 577. The record number of CES honors for HARMAN International Industries reaffirms the research and development the audio pioneer continues to invest in to create meaningful products that meet the needs of today’s consumer, who manages several sources to play audio content.

 

Products entered in the prestigious CES program are judged by independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in consumer electronics products. HARMAN’s winners include four Harman Kardon products and four JBL speakers:

 

Harman Kardon BDS 577: The BDS 577, a 2013 CES Best of Innovation winner, is an integrated Blu-ray Disc™ player and receiver providing access to wireless content from online sources, music or video playback from portable devices and 3D Blu-ray movie playback. The BDS 577 offers 5.1-channel audio/video and can access content via Bluetooth or Apple AirPlay wireless streaming. It includes a built-in 3D Blu-ray Disc player, an HDMI interface for 3D video, Dolby® Digital and DTS® audio decoding and on-screen menu for simple setup and navigation. The BDS 577 can be controlled by a downloadable app for Apple or Android™ devices.

 

 

Harman Kardon AVR 3700: With 7.2-channel surround sound powered at 125 watts per channel, the AVR 370 – a 2013 CES Innovations honoree – features Apple Airplay and WiFi connectivity, while Dolby® and DTS® processing create a 3D surround-sound experience. The audio/video receiver has eight HDMI® inputs, including one on the front panel, so owners can play any HD video source including Blu-ray™ discs, DVDs, HDTV programs and video games. The AVR 370’s Multizone functionality allows for two different sound sources to play simultaneously in two different zones.

 

 

Harman Kardon Soundsticks Wireless: the SoundSticks Wireless, a 2013 CES Innovations honoree, offers wireless playback through HARMAN’s TrueStream™ to deliver the highest-quality sound when connecting via Bluetooth®. TrueStream connects up to eight Bluetooth-equipped devices. The original SoundSticks speakers are a permanent fixture in the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Soundsticks Wireless features a 6-inch subwoofer, eight full-range drivers, and 40 watts of amplification to bring excitement to music, games and movies.

 

 

Harman Kardon BTA 10: the BTA 10, a 2013 CES Innovations honoree, is an ingenious Bluetooth® adapter that brings wireless audio streaming to any sound system – no matter how “old school” the technology. The BTA 10 streams music to any source with analog connections from up to eight different Bluetooth equipped devices. It weighs just ounces and measures a pocket-friendly 2" x 2" and includes connection cables for standard RCA left/right jacks on conventional audio products and the 3.5mm input connections found on portable and desktop docking products.

 

JBL SoundFly: The SoundFly, a 2013 CES Innovations honoree, is a portable speaker that plugs into a wall outlet to stream music via Apple AirPlay or Bluetooth® connection from any portable device. Requiring no shelf space, the SoundFly provides precision audio with nearly unlimited portability and is available in two options: JBL SoundFly Air (for Apple AirPlay) and JBL SoundFly BT (for Bluetooth® wireless).

 

 

JBL Flip: The Flip, a 2013 CES Innovations honoree and recently named iLounge’s Speaker of the Year and Accessory of the Year, easily pairs with any Bluetooth-compatible device. The cylindrical speaker includes two high-performance drivers, a built-in bass port and digital signal processing software to extend frequency response on the high end while providing tighter low ends for deeper bass response. The JBL Flip can be placed horizontally to perform like a small speaker system or flipped upright on a desktop for room-filling sound. The JBL Flip includes a built-in microphone for hands-free Bluetooth calls and a 5-hour rechargeable battery.

 

 

JBL Micro Wireless: The Micro Wireless, a 2013 CES Innovations honoree, pairs with any Bluetooth-compatible device and also includes a built-in audio cable to connect to any standard 3.5mm jack. The Micro Wireless can be daisy-chained to other JBL Micro speakers for a bigger sound. The built-in bass port and 40-millimeter driver delivers exceptional sound, while the rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides 5 hours of play time. The pocket-sized JBL Micro Wireless speaker can be clipped to clothing or slipped into a purse.

 

 

 

JBL Micro II: The Micro II, a 2013 CES Innovations honoree, includes a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, a built-in bass port and a 40-millimeter driver to deliver exceptional sound from a speaker the size of a hockey puck. The JBL Micro II includes an audio cable to connect to any portable device with a standard 3.5mm jack and, like the JBL Micro Wireless, can be daisy-chained to other JBL Micro speakers for a bigger sound. The pocket-sized JBL Micro II ultra-portable speaker can be clipped to clothing or slipped into a purse.

 

“We have invested time and money to develop audio software technologies that bring a high-quality performance to the wireless listening experience,” said Sachin Lawande, executive vice president of HARMAN and co-president of HARMAN Lifestyle and Infotainment. “We are dedicated to developing and delivering products that showcase cutting-edge innovations and meet consumers’ modern needs. We are thrilled to have eight products selected for inclusion in the CES Innovation Awards.”

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. The Best of Innovations honor is awarded to the products with the highest judges’ scores and will be featured in the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase at the 2013 International CES.

 

The eight winning HARMAN products will be on display at the 2013 International CES, which runs January 8 - 11, 2013, in Las Vegas.
 

 

 

Availability

 

For additional information or to purchase the 2013 CES Award-winning products from HARMAN, check local retailers or visit harmankardon.com and JBL.com.

 

 

 

About HARMAN

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for the twelve months ending June 30, 2012. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.