JL Audio

Garmin Signs Purchase Agreement to Acquire JL Audio

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OLATHE, KS (08.08.23) – Garmin Ltd. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire JL Audio, a privately-held U.S. company that designs and manufactures audio solutions for marine, aftermarket automotive, powersports, home and RV customers.

“JL Audio’s extensive audio experience will create new opportunities to provide premium audio features across a broad range of our markets and products. The JL Audio brand is known around the world for offering a premium audio experience which is made possible by their talented and dedicated associates. We look forward to welcoming the JL Audio team into the Garmin family.” –Cliff Pemble, Garmin President and CEO

With over four decades of experience, JL Audio offers premium audio products and accessories, including speakers, amplifiers, subwoofers and other audio components.

“JL Audio shares Garmin’s vision to deliver unique technology solutions, supported by meaningful R&D and engineering. We are thrilled at the opportunity to integrate into Garmin’s product ecosystem. JL Audio will contribute audio knowledge and engineering expertise to create great audio products for many years to come.” –Lucio Proni, JL Audio Founder and CEO

JL Audio is headquartered in Miramar, Fla., and employs more than 600 associates. The completion of this acquisition is expected to occur by the end of 2023 and is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. All existing JL Audio products will continue to be supported post-closing, and customers can expect to continue receiving the same great customer service. Financial terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

Visit garmin.com and jlaudio.com for more.

JL Audio Launches MediaMaster Remote App, Enabling Remote System Control from Most Mobile Devices

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MIRAMAR, FL (04.19.23) – JL Audio, the leader in premium, high-performance marine audio systems, announced the launch of its MediaMaster® Remote app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Designed to work with the latest JL Audio MediaMaster marine audio source units and network controllers, including the MM105, MM105-HR and MMR-40, the MediaMaster Remote app connects via Bluetooth Low Energy technology and offers comprehensive control of all system features and settings.

“These apps represent an exciting control upgrade for the vast number of vessels that feature the latest MediaMaster audio source units as standard or optional equipment,” said Stephen Leigh, Sr. Vice President, Electronic Engineering, JL Audio. “The wireless control functionality and display of music data offered by the apps is comprehensive, far exceeding the features found on typical wired controllers and key fob-style remote controls.”

The MediaMaster Remote app from JL Audio furthers the brand’s mission of providing the absolute best sounding and feature-rich audio solutions for boating, powersports and RV customers. JL Audio’s MediaMaster Remote app features a clean, intuitive user interface that mirrors the UI layout and menu structure of its MM105 source unit, MMR-40 network controller, and the JL Audio control apps for popular multi-function display (MFD) systems.

Main control functions of MediaMaster Remote mobile app include:
· Power ON/OFF
· Source navigation and selection
· Stored presets
· All volume level controls (master & individual zones)
· All subwoofer level controls (master & individual zones)
· All tone & balance controls (master & individual zones)
· Source specific settings
·

The JL Audio MediaMaster Remote iOS and Android apps are available immediately for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. App functionality requires no additional hardware but requires the latest source unit software (version 1.0.1325) to be installed, which can be downloaded here: jlaudio.com/MediaMaster-Support

JL Audio Appoints Heritage Marketing Solutions as New Representative for Illinois-Wisconsin 12-Volt Markets

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MIRAMAR, Flor., – April 11, 2023 – JL Audio, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio solutions for the mobile, marine and powersports markets, announced the appointment of Heritage Marketing Solutions to its network of sales representatives. Heritage Marketing Solutions will be responsible for promoting and selling JL Audio’s extensive lineup of premium mobile, marine and powersports audio solutions to 12-Volt retailers throughout Illinois and Wisconsin from their base in Itasca, Illinois.

Heritage Marketing Solutions principals Steve Block and Samuel Yoo have extensive experience in 12-Volt sales and marketing, having worked with top-tier audio companies throughout their careers.

“We are pleased to welcome Heritage Marketing Solutions to the JL Audio team,” said J. Todd Wilson Area Sales Director for JL Audio. “Their extensive industry experience and commitment to customer service and satisfaction align perfectly with our values and mission. We are confident that they will help us grow our business in the Illinois-Wisconsin markets, while providing exceptional service and support to our customers.”

Steve Block

“We are thrilled to partner with JL Audio,” said Steve Block, Principal of Heritage Marketing Solutions. “Their commitment to quality and innovation is very well established, and we are excited to help them support their retailer base and grow JL Audio’s business in the Illinois-Wisconsin markets. We look forward to working with our customers to provide them with the best audio solutions available on the market.”

Samuel Yoo

About JL Audio:

Guided by a philosophy that great audio has real value, JL Audio develops innovative products that improve the audio experience on the go, in the home and in the studio. Committed to unique engineering and quality manufacturing, JL Audio operates three U.S. engineering facilities, and builds many of its home, car and marine loudspeaker products at the company’s Miramar, Florida, USA factory, with components sourced from the company’s global supply network. For more information about JL Audio, please visit www.jlaudio.com

JL Audio Introduces Compact and Versatile XDM Amplifiers for Land or Sea

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MIRAMAR, FL (04.07.23) – JL Audio has unveiled its new XDM series of compact amplifiers for the automotive and marine
markets. Thanks to marine-grade materials, XDM amplifiers are suitable for installation in boats, cars, trucks, and SUV’s and all models are available immediately at JL Audio authorized dealers.

“Our XD line of car amplifiers and M-series marine amplifiers have been the industry benchmarks for compact amplifiers,” said Brian Power Vice President of U.S. Retail Sales at JL Audio. “The XDM series of amplifiers is a welcome evolution to these product lines, simplifying inventory for our retail partners by working equally well in both car and marine applications.”

XDM series amplifiers are available in a wide range of configurations and power levels, offering incredible versatility for simple and complex system designs. The new XDM amplifiers feature a rugged black powder coated chassis and gasketed control cover, with JL Audio Blue accents.

Quality Sound from Start to Finish

Starting at the source, XDM series amplifiers are equipped with Differential-Balanced Inputs that combat induced cable noise and allow for the use of conventional RCA cables, while delivering many of the benefits of a true balanced connection. XDM amplifiers also feature an exclusive, selectable mode input filter for noise-free performance in boats or cars.

XDM amplifiers feature JL Audio’s high-performance NexD™ switching technology, allowing these compact amplifiers to deliver powerful, audiophile-grade sound quality with very high efficiency and reduced demands from the vehicle or vessel’s charging system and batteries.

XDM amplifiers feature a variety of studio-grade filter options. Each subwoofer amplifier/sub channel features a low-pass filter with a filter range of 50Hz to 500Hz and 12 or 24 dB/octave filter slope options. Full-range amplifiers/channels feature a high-pass filter with a 50Hz to 5KHz filter range, and some also add a bandpass filter option. Both high-pass and bandpass filters offer a 12 dB/octave filter slope. To further dial in the listening experience, XDM amps feature a remote level control port, and can be paired with optional JL Audio HD-RLC and MHD-RLC amplifier remote level controls.

Keeps The Music Playing When Things Get Hot

For those days where tunes need to be cranked at full blast, XDM amplifiers are designed to prevent annoying shut down events. With JL Audio’s exclusive Advanced Rollback Protection technology, should XDM amplifiers approach an unsafe operating temperature, a special circuit lowers peak power output, without changing gain, until the amplifier cools down. Once the amplifier cools down, the circuit restores full peak power output.

To find your nearest JL Audio authorized dealer, click here.

JL Audio Custom Shop Lets Customers Personalize and Order Factory Customized M6 and M7 Marine Speakers and Subwoofers

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MIRAMAR, FL (03.24.23) – JL Audio announced the launch of JL Audio Custom Shop at jlaudio.com. JL Audio Custom Shop provides customers and dealers a fast and fun way to personalize and order factory-customized M6 and M7 marine loudspeakers and subwoofers to match any desired aesthetic.

“Sonically, M6, and M7 coaxial speakers and subwoofers can be custom tuned to deliver incredibly high-quality audio in any open-air environment. With Custom Shop we’re taking the customized marine audio experience to another level by providing customers the ability to also dial in the looks of their M6 and M7 products without compromising performance or voiding warranties,” said Andy Oxenhorn, president at JL Audio.

Off-the-shelf JL Audio M6 and M7 marine speakers and subwoofers already look excellent, but JL Audio Custom Shop provides customers a way to personalize them to fit the exact look they’re after. To customize an M6 or M7 product, customers simply visit JL Audio Custom Shop online and select the speaker or subwoofer they’d like to customize. From there, they can change the JL Audio badge color, and pick from a variety of custom paint colors or patterns for the speaker grille and trim ring. For further customization, JL Audio M6 and M7 marine speakers and subwoofers can be optioned with Transflective RGB™ speaker cone illumination, which can be connected to an RGB controller for unlimited color options, or hard-wired to achieve one of seven color options.

Today, JL Audio Custom Shop allows customers to pick the following colors and patterns for speaker grille and trim ring: Gloss White, Warm White, Cream, Beige, Chrome, Silver, Titanium, Red, Blue, Gray Metallic, Anthracite, Satin Black and hydro-dipped Carbon Fiber. More colors and pattern options are to be added in the future.

JL Audio marine loudspeakers and subwoofers that are eligible for Custom Shop factory customization include:

M6 Loudspeakers:
M6-650X – 6.5-inch marine coaxial speaker (with or without RGB illumination)
M6-770X – 7.7-inch marine coaxial speaker (with or without RGB illumination)
M6-880X – 8.8-inch marine coaxial speaker (with or without RGB illumination)

M6 Subwoofers:
M6-8 – 8-inch infinite baffle or enclosed use marine subwoofers (with or without RGB illumination)
M6-10 – 10-inch infinite baffle or enclosed use marine subwoofers (with or without RGB illumination)

M7 Subwoofers:
M7-12 – 12-inch infinite baffle or enclosed use marine subwoofers (with or without RGB illumination)

All factory-customized Custom Shop M6 and M7 products carry the same warranty as their off-the-shelf counterparts and maintain the same durability to marine elements like saltwater and UV exposure.

Factory-customized M6 and M7 full-range speakers and subwoofers can be designed and ordered online today at www.jlaudio.com.

Clarion Marine Audio Enters Distribution Agreement with Elite Distributor Alliance

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MIRAMAR, FL (08.08.22) – JL Audio has announced the expansion of its distribution network for the Clarion Marine brand of products to include Elite Distributor Alliance (EDA).

“EDA brings a lot to the table. With twenty-five warehouses across the country, they can quickly put Clarion Marine products on retailer shelves, including same-day, or next-day delivery of products to 12- volt retailers covering 95 percent of the US population,” said Brian Power, vice president of U.S. retail sales, JL Audio. “We’re absolutely confident that our dealers are going to love the speed and convenience that EDA delivers.”

EDA will play an integral role in strengthening brand and distribution integrity, opening new opportunities with 12-volt retailers that specialize in marine products. This move reinforces the value of approved dealers, whose superior expertise, service and professional installation will help to deliver the best customer experience.

“Clarion Marine products offer tremendous value for marine and powersports customers. Combining a value-packed, newly refreshed product line backed by the brand’s reputation for excellent performance and quality with instant, nationwide availability makes for a winning strategy,” said Jim Warren, executive vice president, EDA. “Teaming up with Clarion Marine as a distribution partner validates the value proposition of EDA’s business model and the integrity of its members.”

Sporting a refreshed line consisting of new source units, remote controls, speakers, subwoofers and more, Clarion Marine has a solid reputation for innovation, durability, and reliability. Every Clarion Marine product undergoes extreme environmental testing to ensure it can withstand the rigors of the harsh marine environment season after season.

Visit www.elitedistributoralliance.com and www.clarionmarine.com.

JL Audio Extends Relationship with 2X Supra PWT Champion Nic Rapa as Brand Ambassador

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MIRAMAR, FL (06.14.2021) – JL Audio has extended its sponsorship of two-time Supra Pro Wake Tour Champion Nic Rapa. Headed into the 2021 season, Rapa will represent the JL Audio brand as he strives for a PWT championship three-peat.

“Nic is an all-star in the wakeboarding space and has been a great partner of the JL Audio brand since we first started working with him several years ago,” said Bryatt Fischer, Marketing Director, JL Audio. “As a brand ambassador, Nic has done a great job tying his enthusiasm for wakeboarding to promoting the JL Audio brand, and its gear on his boat. We’re pleased to extend our sponsorship of Nic for the 2021 and 2022 seasons and look forward to working with him to expose the JL Audio brand to a new generation of boating and watersports enthusiasts.”

2X Supra PWT Champion Nic Rapa

Since turning pro and joining the Supra Boats Team in 2016, native Australian Nic Rapa has quickly made a name for himself in wakeboarding. After winning the Supra Boats PWT Rookie of The Year title and placing in the top three rankings at the WWA Wakeboard World Championships his first year competing as a professional, Nic won second place at the 2017 and 2018 Supra Boats Pro Wakeboard Tours. In 2019, Nic earned the Champion title at the 2019 Supra Boats Pro Wakeboard Tour, as well as at the 2019 Nautique WWA National Champion, solidifying his status as a marquee rider in watersports. Rapa was also the 2019-2020 IWWF world champion and 2020 USA national champ, He won the Supra Pro Wakeboard Tours championship again in 2020, making it the second year in a row coming out on top, and was also 2020 WWA world champion, 2020 World Series overall champion, as well as the 2020 wake series champion.

“Music and watersports go perfectly with one another, which is why I am grateful to JL Audio for continuing to be an excellent partner,” said Nic Rapa. “As an athlete, I’m not only dedicated to my personal growth, I’m also fueled by leading companies like JL Audio seeing value in working with me to enhance their brand. I am confident that 2021 is going to be a solid season, and I look forward to rocking the JL logo and creating awesome content as we win more championships together.

JL Audio has been working indirectly with Rapa since 2016 when he first joined the Supra Boats Team. As the exclusive audio supplier for Supra Boats, Rapa has first-hand experience with JL Audio products. JL Audio has been entrenched in the professional wakeboarding circuit with their sponsorship of the Supra Boats Pro Wakeboard Tour since 2014. The PWT has served as the stage for JL Audio to connect directly with watersports and boating enthusiasts alike to demonstrating the latest and greatest in marine audio technology. The partnership with Nic allows JL Audio to continue to support and inspire the next generation of watersport athletes.

Visit www.jlaudio.com for more.

JL Audio Expands License of Clarion Marine Brand to Cover Global Marine, Powersports and RV Markets

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MIRAMAR, FL (03.31.2021) – JL Audio, Inc. has expanded its exclusive license of the Clarion brand for marine products to eliminate regional restrictions, and expand marketing, sales and support to include powersports and recreational vehicle (RV) markets. JL Audio, Inc. exclusively licenses the Clarion Marine brand from Faurecia, a global automotive supplier based in France that recently acquired Clarion Co., Ltd.

“We’ve made some strategic moves with the Clarion Marine brand to help our team reach its sales goals, and despite the many hurdles presented in 2020, we’re on track for record-breaking sales,” said Andy Oxenhorn, president of JL Audio, Inc. “We’ve successfully returned Clarion Marine to a leadership position with products that are relevant, well-priced and able to deliver a great customer experience. Now, with an expanded licensing deal, we’re on track to unleashing the brand’s true sales potential globally.”

Since the licensing agreement was initiated in late 2018, JL Audio has invested heavily in assembling a team to lead Clarion Marine’s return to prominence in the marine audio market. The first wave of new products from this team, including two new marine speaker lines, debuted last summer, and many more products are scheduled for delivery in 2021. The Clarion Marine brand also returned to the marine retail channel in core markets, allowing JL Audio to position the Clarion Marine brand for success. With this announcement, the brand’s current and future products will now be made available to a global network of OEM customers, resellers and retailers.

“We are proud to expand our strategic licensing agreement with JL Audio,” said Talal Kakish, president of Faurecia Clarion Electronics North America. “This relationship not only adds value to both companies but enables the end-consumer to benefit from our dynamic, innovative audio technologies.”

Clarion Marine products have already begun shipping to authorized retailers across the USA and Europe.

Visit clarionmarine.com and jlaudio.com for more.

JL Audio Relaunches Clarion Marine Brand Into Retail

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MIRAMAR, FL (07.02.2020) – Clarion Marine is positioned to make 2020 a breakout year by returning to the retail marine audio channel, under the management of JL Audio, Inc. The company has expanded Clarion Marine’s distributor base and is building a network of specialty retailers.

This follows JL Audio, Inc.’s licensing of the Clarion Marine brand from Clarion Co., Ltd. of Japan, an agreement not affected by the subsequent acquisition of Clarion Co., Ltd. by Faurecia, a global automotive supplier based in France.

Since the licensing agreement went into effect in late 2018, JL Audio hired a dedicated group of product planners, engineers and supply chain experts to form a product development team that could lead Clarion Marine’s return to prominence in the marine audio market. The first wave of new products from this team will debut this summer, with many more products scheduled for delivery in 2021.

“Clarion has a deep history as a pioneering car audio company, and a particularly strong reputation as a marine audio brand. We accepted the challenge to return Clarion Marine to a leadership position with products that are relevant, well-priced and able to deliver a great customer experience,” said Andy Oxenhorn, President of JL Audio, Inc. “It’s very exciting to see the product development team’s hard work come to market. With our disciplined marketing and distribution plan, we expect Clarion Marine to set new records for sales by 2023.”

The Clarion Marine product line is well-focused at key retail price points and will rely on a distribution model that recognizes the value of approved brick and mortar retail outlets. Key distribution partners sharing the company’s vision for the Clarion Marine brand will also play a key role in some markets.

A select group of authorized internet retailers, meeting Clarion Marine’s high standards, will be authorized to sell online.

JL Audio, Inc’s network of sales representatives will manage retail accounts across the United States, guided by the JL Audio, Inc’s sales team. VP of US Retail Sales, Brian Power said, “We have such a great opportunity in front of us, with a great plan for Clarion Marine that complements our well-established JL Audio brand. Our sales team is already hard at work, looking for the best opportunities for success in each market.”

Manville Smith, VP of Marketing for JL Audio, Inc. said, “Our new Clarion Marine tagline, ‘Let’s Hear It.’, anchors our brand message for Clarion Marine. We will focus on communicating in human-centered terms that emphasize the enjoyment our products bring to boaters.” Smith continued, “We will also place an emphasis on Clarion Marine’s longstanding reputation for building products that last in real marine use. We call it ‘Salt and Sun Certified,’ which is a short way of describing the intense testing and certification our products must pass.”

Clarion Marine products have already begun shipping to authorized retailers around the U.S.A.

Visit clarionmarinesystems.com and jlaudio.com for more.

JL Audio Announces Upcoming Online Training Schedule

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MIRAMAR, FL (05.05.2020) – In continuing with their virtual trainings, JL Audio has announced its next scheduled courses:

DSP Amplifiers
This multi session course will cover the basics of JL Audio’s DSP-based amplifiers, build the foundational knowledge required to get the best performance from a DSP-based amplifier and demonstrate two methods for system tuning using DSP. Participants may choose to learn about MVI, VXI or both.
Learn More
DSP Amplifiers
Session 101a: About VXi Hardware
Tuesday, May 5th at 10:00 AM EST
Register

Session 101b: About MVi Hardware
Tuesday, May 5th at 1:00 PM EST
Register

Session 102: TüN Software
Tuesday, May 5th at 4:00 PM EST
Register

Session 103: Audio Basics Part 1
Wednesday, May 6th at 10:00 AM EST
Register

Session 104: Audio Basics Part 2
Wednesday, May 6th at 1:00 PM EST
Register

Session 105: Audio Basics Part 3
Thursday, May 7th at 10:00 AM EST
Register
JD Amplifiers
JD Amplifiers (Encore)
This course serves as an introduction to the new line of JD Amplifiers from JL Audio. Participants will learn about the different models and key features as well as recommended applications and system ideas.Learn More
Session 101: About JD Amplifiers
Wednesday, May 6th at 1:00 PM ESTRegister

To view training schedule and details, click here.

Visit jlaudio.com for more.