STAMFORD, CT – HARMAN, the award-winning maker of outstanding audio and entertainment solutions, announced today that eight new products have been named CES Innovation Award winners for 2014. The awards were presented by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®), producer of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. Products from HARMAN’s JBL, Harman Kardon, Infinity, AKG, and Aha brands were recognized for outstanding design and engineering in consumer electronics.

Four JBL products received awards for home and multimedia audio systems incorporating wireless Bluetooth connectivity, enabled by Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, including:

  • JBL Authentics L8 home entertainment sound system, which offers a wide range of options for effortlessly streaming music from portable devices, including DLNA for Android and Apple's AirPlay for iOS devices;

  • JBL Flip2 portable speaker system, providing room-filling sound from a compact cylindrical enclosure small enough and lightweight enough to carry in your hand;

  • JBL Synchros SB400BT Bluetooth headphones, which deliver peerless sound with matched speakers in over-the-ear cushioned cups, without the encumbrance of wires; and

  • JBL J46BT ultra-light and ultra-comfortable in-ear Bluetooth headphones, which, though connected to each other with a tangle-free cable, need no physical connection to the audio system.

The Harman Kardon Esquire portable Bluetooth audio and speakerphone system also received a 2014 CES Innovation Award. The Harman Kardon Esquire is designed with business travelers in mind, with an upscale geometric enclosure, compact to travel well in luggage or carry-on.


HARMAN’s AKG brand was recognized for the new AKG K845 BT wireless headphones, which combine the superb noise isolation of a closed-back design with the spacious sound and feel of open-back headphones. These headphones are destined to be standard-setters, with multi-dimensional sound and full bass produced by AKG's largest 50 mm drivers.


HARMAN's Infinity product line is represented in the awards by the Infinity Performer handheld portable wireless sound system, offering consumers great sound, forward-looking design, and the utmost in mobility.

A software innovation rounds out HARMAN's award-winning season. Aha by HARMAN is an interactive service that makes Web content as easy and safe to use as radio. Aha uses the Harman Cloud Platform to turn Web content into personalized radio stations that consumers can listen to anywhere – at home, on the go, or safely from the driver’s seat (see related news release).

"Innovation is the driving force behind our mission to surprise and delight consumers with products that deliver unsurpassed audio experiences while addressing today’s digital and mobile lifestyle,” said Dinesh C. Paliwal, HARMAN Chairman, President and CEO. "Our latest product lineup has received more than 40 design and innovation awards this year, and I’m honored to add these CES awards to our roster.”

Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers, and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge
consumer electronics products across a wide range of product categories. The Innovations entries are judged on:

  • Engineering qualities based on technical specs and materials used;
  • Aesthetic and design qualities, using photos provided;
  • The product’s intended use/function and user value;
  • Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive; and
  • Design and innovation in comparison with other products in the marketplace.

2014 Innovation Award honoree products are featured on www.cesweb.org, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, designer, description, photo and URL.

The JBL Authentics L8, JBL Flip2, JBL Synchros SB400BT, JBL J46BT, Harman Kardon Esquire, Infinity Performer, AKG K845BT and Aha Application will be on display at HARMAN’s exhibit during the International CES, which runs January 7 – 10, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Honorees will also be displayed at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES on Sunday, January 5 in the Mandalay Bay, Level 3, South Seas Ballroom C, Las Vegas.

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 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.