Dealers get a name brand they can make their own, plus drop in speakers and new subwoofers.
JBL showed off its Harman Kardon car audio lineup at SEMA. The line is sold only through brick and mortar 12-volt specialty retailers.
There is no online presence for the line, and the dealer names the price. “We don’t publish any pricing on it,” said Shawn Spedding, director of sales at JBL.
Spedding said the goal is for each dealer to make Harman Kardon its own house brand.
Drop In Fit for Popular Vehicles
Most of the line is built to drop into factory locations. For Toyota, Chrysler and Jeep, Harman Kardon makes a 6×9 three way with a 2.75-inch soft dome tweeter, where most brands use a dual cone or full range speaker.
The line also includes 3-inch and 4-inch speakers with swivel grilles that turn a component set into a three way. “So they’re not having to stock a three way,” Spedding said. “They can stock the mid and add it.”
An 8-inch speaker drops into the Ford Mustang door. For BMW, an under seat speaker comes with an adapter ring and a BMW harness, so it plugs right in. The speakers are high res certified.
Two Ways to Add Bass
Harman Kardon added a powered 8-inch subwoofer a few months ago. It is ported, makes 300 watts and comes with feet. Installers can stand it up or lay it down so it fires into the floor.
For tight spaces, the Shallow 10 subwoofer offers selectable impedance, so the same sub runs at 2 or 4 ohms. JBL showed them off in a root beer brown, tubbed Chevelle in its booth, with four Shallow 10s on display.
“A nice solid line of product that a specialist can really embrace and get behind,” Spedding said.
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