JBL is marking its 80th anniversary with the JBL Playback Gallery, an exhibition running from October 24 to 31 at Project Space Line in Seoul. The event serves as the final stop on a global tour that has previously visited Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich, Nagoya, and Tokyo. The Seoul installation features a curated selection of products designed to reflect the city’s cultural identity and evolving lifestyles over the past eight decades.
Spanning three floors, the exhibition traces the brand’s history from its founding in 1927 by James B. Lansing in Los Angeles. The display also includes a dedicated section for Bowers & Wilkins, celebrating the premium audio brand’s 60th anniversary following its acquisition by HARMAN last year.
JBL Heritage and Historic Speakers
The second floor, titled “A Legacy of Sound,” recreates living rooms from the 1920s, 1950s, and 1970s to contextualize JBL’s technological milestones. The 1920s section features a 1929 Jackson-Bell radio equipped with speakers from Lansing Manufacturing, the company that preceded JBL.
The 1950s display highlights the JBL Paragon, a home stereo system launched in 1957. This model combined left and right speakers in a single cabinet, requiring approximately 100 hours of woodworking to produce its distinctive curved wooden design. The 1970s room illustrates the transition of professional audio into the home, featuring the JBL L100 Century. Launched in 1970 based on the 1968 4310 studio monitor, the L100 Century became one of the brand’s most successful home loudspeakers.
The exhibition also explores the “Pro to Home” evolution, showcasing how technologies developed for cinemas and recording studios adapted for residential use. A key highlight is the Summit K2, the latest iteration of the Project K2 series introduced in 1989. The Summit K2 combines advanced acoustic technologies with high dynamics to deliver nuanced musical detail.
Modern Products and Bowers & Wilkins Tribute
The first floor focuses on current offerings, positioned at the entrance by the L100 Classic 80. This limited-edition model blends the iconic 1970s design with modern technology. Only 800 pairs were produced worldwide to commemorate the 80th anniversary, with each unit featuring a commemorative plaque engraved with the signature of Chief Systems Engineer Chris Hagen and a unique serial number.
This year also marks ten years since Samsung Electronics announced its acquisition of HARMAN, JBL’s parent company. The exhibition reflects this partnership through zones dedicated to portable speakers and headphones, illustrating how the technology has integrated into daily life. The space is divided into “Seoul by Night” and “Seoul by Day” zones, inspired by the city’s contrasting urban landscapes.
The third floor is dedicated to Bowers & Wilkins’ 60th anniversary. The display introduces founder John Bowers’ “True Sound” philosophy and traces the brand’s evolution from its first speaker, the P2H, to the iconic Nautilus. Five models from the flagship 800 Series Diamond D5 lineup are on display, alongside a tribute to the brand’s long-standing relationship with Abbey Road Studios, where the 800 Series has served as reference monitors since 1979.
An art wall created in collaboration with Korean artist DAWN adds a local touch to the exhibition. The artwork reimagines the 80th-anniversary campaign logo using traditional Korean patterns, bronze bells, and dancheong, a decorative painting style found on traditional Korean architecture.
Starting October 24, the gallery will offer guided tours and product demonstrations. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear the signature sound of JBL’s heritage and modern products firsthand.
Source: Samsung
