JBL Professional Introduces PRX600 Series Portable Powered Loudspeakers

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — JBL Professional rocked the audio industry today with the introduction of its highly evolved PRX600 Series active portable loudspeakers. The new PRX600 Series offers unparalleled power, rugged durability and incredible versatility for any small to mid-sized live sound environment.

The new PRX600 Series comprises four full-range cabinets (PRX612M, PRX615M, PRX625, PRX635) and two subwoofers (PRX618S and PRX618S-XLF). Utilizing tour-tested JBL Differential Drive® speaker technology, dbx® Type IV™ limiting circuitry and Crown® award-winning class-D amplifiers, the PRX600 Series delivers uncompromised performance in a package that is light, small and professional in both function and appearance. At the core of the PRX line is a fully integrated DSP input section providing mic/line level input, selectable system EQ and a premium A/D converter for a maximum signal-to-noise ratio.

“We designed the PRX600 Series from the ground up to perform in the real world of sound reinforcement where challenging audio environments, high ambient noise levels and loud volumes are the norm,” said Richard Ruse, Director of Marketing, Portable PA, JBL Professional. “With their professional appearance, tour tough construction, affordability and outstanding performance, the PRX600 Series are the intelligent solution to almost any audio problem.”

In addition to Crown amplifiers, the PRX600 Series loudspeakers utilize new, ultra-low noise A/D converters that help reduce idle noise and improve the overall spectral balance and audio performance of the speakers. The entire line has been re-voiced for better clarity and tone and, with the addition of a new, professionally discrete appearance and strategically located M-10 suspension points on the full-range cabinets, the PRX600 Series is ideal for installation in any commercial facility or house of worship. The new models are at least 15 percent lighter and 20 percent smaller than their predecessors, making them the “performance-to-weight” ratio leaders in their class.

In addition to meeting the performance requirements for the PRX600 Series, JBL accepted a new challenge to meet Harman’s “Green Edge” promise of being environmentally responsible. The new speakers require less wood and less plastic than their predecessors, use less energy to build and will use less fuel (due to the lower weight) to transport than previous models.  

All PRX600 Series loudspeakers include: proprietary JBL Differential Drive® neodymium woofers; powder-coated, obsidian, 16-gauge perforated steel grilles; obsidian DuraFlex™ finish; integrated handles with backing cups; commercial-grade, lightweight, multi-layer, 18mm sides and 24 mm top and bottom, poplar/birch hybrid-ply cabinetry; tongue and groove construction; dual 36 mm pole sockets on the PRX612M and PRX615M; single 36 mm pole sockets on the PRX635/PRX618S; and an M20 pole socket on the PRX618S-XLF.

Prices range from US $1,199.00 MSRP to US $1,849.00 MSRP

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 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems.  HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

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New Lower JBL PRX500 Pricing Sets Unprecedented Performance-to-Value-Ratio for Powered Loudspeakers

Delivering a new level of affordability coupled with unprecedented performance, JBL is now offering its standard-setting PRX500 Series portable PA loudspeakers at a lower price, making the PRX500 Series the most powerful and high-performance system at its price point.

“With the refinement of the PRX500 Series’ pricing structure, every musician, DJ, venue and audio/video provider can experience high-performance, self-powered speaker systems with a degree of simplicity unmatched by competitive systems,” said Simon Jones, Director of Marketing for Portable PA, JBL Professional.

The PRX500 draws from JBL’s 60 years experience of the world’s leading loudspeaker engineering and Crown’s 40 years experience of designing and producing unmatched amplifiers. The fusion of these two brands truly makes the PRX500 Series much more than the sum of its parts.

The PRX500 Series includes JBL Differential Drive® transducers and state-of-the-art Crown Class D amplifiers, delivering high power and performance at approximately 30 percent less weight than competitive products. In fact, two PRX500 speakers deliver more performance, power and clarity than four speakers from competitive systems. Neodymium Differential Drive transducers provide high sound pressure levels with minimum distortion and power compression.

The PRX500 Series has established itself as the most versatile powered system in its class. They are incredibly light, delivering the highest performance-to-weight ratio in their class. Dependable and road tough, they’re covered with JBL’s DuraFlex™ and heavy-duty, foam-backed steel grilles.

Crown integrated digital amplifiers power the PRX500 Series. Lightweight, compact and multichannel, Crown amplifiers offer more power than competitive systems and include sophisticated DSP for EQ, crossover, system control and protection.

For more information on the PRX500 Series visit www.jblpro.com; for detailed information on the new prices contact your JBL dealer.

JBL Rewards Customers With Cash Back And Free Gear For Purchase Of Studio Monitors And Portable PA Loudspeakers

Adding even more value to its lineup of portable PA loudspeakers and studio monitors, JBL Professional is offering substantial rebates and free gear offers on several of its industry-leading loudspeaker models. These offers extend to the LSR4300 Series studio monitors as well as the PRX500 and MRX500 Series portable PA loudspeakers.

Purchasers of LSR4300 Series studio monitors qualify for cash-back rebates of up to $200. Each purchase of an LSR43212SP subwoofer qualifies for a $125 rebate; JBL is offering $150 cash back for purchase of a pair of (2) LSR4326P studio monitors and $200 cash back for each purchase of a pair of (2) of LSR4328P studio monitors. Rebates on LSR4300 Series monitors are available for purchases between May 1 and June 30, 2009.

With the purchase of a pair of (2) PRX500 Series portable PA loudspeakers between June 1, 2009 and July 31, 2009, users can receive a free dbx DriveRack PX made by JBL’s Harman sister company. Additionally, a $50 rebate is available with the purchase of any MRX500 Series loudspeaker between June 1, 2009 and July 31, 2009.
“JBL developed the PRX, MRX and LSR Series product lines to provide unprecedented feature sets, quality, ease of use and affordability,” said Mark Gander, VP of Marketing, JBL Professional. “With these new rebates and free gear offers, we are giving our customers even greater value and maximizing every dollar they invest in JBL.”

For more information on these rebates and free gear offers, please visit www.jblpro.com

Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Tour Picks Up Speed With JBL PRX Series Loudspeakers

In a unique example of the power and light weight of JBL Professional’s PRX powered portable loudspeakers, The Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Tour has covered more than 5,000 miles on bicycles through California and Mexico, promoting lower energy consumption to prevent future environmental catastrophes. A crucial component in delivering the message has been a pair of JBL PRX512M powered portable loudspeakers, featuring built-in, world-class amplification technology from Crown.

On Halloween 2007, the bands Ginger Ninjas and SHAKE YOUR PEACE! launched The Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Tour in North San Juan, California. From the Sierra Nevada mountains through southern California, into Baja and eventually Mexico City, the team has played shows, recorded music with local musicians, and advocated a leapfrog-style transition to sustainable transportation.

During shows, two guitars, two vocal microphones and the bass are amplified through the portable audio system, which includes two JBL PRX512M loudspeakers halfway between the drummer and the two singers up front. To power the system itself, four Xtracycle bikes (elongated bicycles for extra carrying capacity) are set up in the air on kickstands, allowing the wheels to spin freely and turn a generator (a small DC motor run in reverse). The generator in turn goes into a capacitor to control the voltage. An indicator on the handlebars tells the “riders” (always volunteers from the audience) whether to pedal harder, cruise, or stop. The four capacitors feed a high-quality inverter, into which an 8-channel mixer and the two PRX512M loudspeakers are plugged, creating a 1,000-watt, portable, human-powered sound system.

The entire system is packed onto the Xtracycles for transportation between shows, a task that requires an optimal combination of power and light weight from the audio components. “When you are a traveling bike band, you also want music on the road,” said Kipchoge Spencer, lead singer of the Ginger Ninjas, co-founder of Xtracycle and organizer of The Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Tour. “So I’m carrying one of the PRX512M speakers on the rear deck of my Xtracycle. With an iPod and a lightweight lithium phosphate battery [charged by a 26-watt folding Brunton solar panel], we have a 500-watt ‘soul cycle’ with amazing thump and brilliant attitude.”

Although Spencer did not anticipate audiences to be larger than 300 people, crowd sizes have often reached 500. “The tour has been amazing so far, so much so that we extended it for a few more months,” Spencer said. “We’ve been playing some really great shows, some planned but many just impromptu in the town plazas.”

According to Spencer, the power efficiency of the PRX512M loudspeakers has contributed significantly to the success of the tour. “The PRX loudspeakers are the only speakers in the world that I’m aware of that could make this system possible,” Spencer added. “Not only are they light, but the built-in amplification is efficient enough to make good use of our limited amount of human power. And they sound amazing. The hyper-efficient digital amplifier puts them in a class by themselves when it comes to ecological amplification. Whether or not you’re a self-propelled bicycle road show, you should be using these speakers if you care about saving energy.”

For more information on The Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Tour, please visit www.pleasantrevolution.net

For more information on Ginger Ninjas, please visit www.myspace.com/gingermyninja