An American audio brand with 80 years of history is becoming a showcase for Samsung Electronics’ ambitions in premium sound. JBL, founded in the United States in 1946, is celebrating its anniversary with a speaker limited to just 800 pairs worldwide and an exhibition of historic audio equipment, including a stereo system reportedly once installed in the White House.
The celebration comes nearly a decade after Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant best known for its smartphones and televisions, acquired Harman, the American audio and automotive technology company that owns JBL, for approximately $8 billion. What began as one of Samsung’s largest overseas acquisitions has since become part of a broader effort to expand its presence in the global audio business.
That strategy has extended beyond JBL. In 2025, Harman acquired a portfolio of premium audio brands, including Britain’s Bowers & Wilkins and the established names Denon and Marantz, for $350 million. The purchases have expanded Samsung’s reach from portable speakers and headphones into luxury home audio, while providing additional sound technology that the company plans to incorporate into its televisions, smartphones and soundbars.
Samsung is highlighting that expansion through its “Sound Legends” exhibition, scheduled for October 24 through 31 at Project Space Line in Seoul. The event is part of Harman’s global JBL Playback Gallery tour and also celebrates the 60th anniversary of Bowers & Wilkins.
Among the main attractions is the JBL L100 Classic 80, a commemorative version of the company’s signature L100 Century home speaker. Only 800 pairs will be produced worldwide, each carrying an individual serial number. The model reflects JBL’s history of bringing technology developed for professional audio applications into consumers’ homes.
Another highlight is the Paragon, a stereo speaker system introduced in 1957. Known for its large, furniturelike wooden cabinet, the Paragon combines two speakers with a structure designed to reflect and distribute sound. Each unit required more than 100 hours of woodworking, and the model was reportedly installed in the White House.
The exhibition also traces JBL’s development through historic products, including a Jackson Bell radio from the 1920s and the original L100 Century, alongside modern portable speakers, headphones and wireless earbuds.
Bowers & Wilkins, founded in Britain in 1966, will have a separate display featuring some of its best known designs. These include the Nautilus, a distinctive shell shaped speaker introduced in 1993 to reduce unwanted internal sound and resonance, as well as the newer 800 Series Diamond D5 speakers and Px8 S2 wireless headphones.
The exhibition arrives as Harman approaches a decade under Samsung’s ownership with a substantially larger business. According to Samsung, Harman’s annual revenue more than doubled between 2017 and 2025, while operating profit reached a record $1.1 billion last year. Those figures reflect Harman’s broader operations, which also include automotive technology, rather than JBL’s performance alone.
Samsung is now seeking to build on that growth by combining its consumer electronics business with the engineering expertise and brand recognition acquired through Harman.
JBL’s anniversary offers a reminder of the American audio heritage behind that strategy, while the addition of Bowers & Wilkins and other premium brands illustrates how Samsung is extending its investment beyond the company it purchased nearly 10 years ago.
