Panasonic Avionics partners with Harman to deliver JBL headphones for HD-Audio

Hamburg, Germany – Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) today announces its collaboration with HARMAN International to make JBL branded Serenity S1H headphones available to airlines and their passengers.

The JBL Serenity S1H headphone has been purposefully designed to operate with Panasonic HD-AUDIO™ – the world’s only truly digital inflight audio solution – which connects to Panasonic’s NEXT Series inflight entertainment system via USB type-A or type-C connectors.

From the third quarter of 2019, the JBL Serenity S1H will be available exclusively to those airlines looking to offer their premium passengers with a cinematic experience and will be showcased by Panasonic at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (2-4 April) in Hamburg.

JBL developed the Serenity S1H headphone to deliver an authentic, high definition of sound reproduction, the way that artists intended. The legendary JBL signature sound, as found in theatres, arenas, and studios around the world, is now available in an inflight headphone.

Developed in collaboration with SoundChip SA, a Swiss-based global leader in system-level audio for headphones and hearables, Panasonic HD-AUDIO features an impressive array of powerful sound features, including digital audio, hybrid active noise cancellation, 3D sound, open-ear™ talk-through, and seat-to-seat and seat-to-ground VoIP telephony.

Gaston Sandoval, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing, says: “Audio of the highest quality is a critical element of the passenger experience with a wide range of applications from the cinematic delivery of the latest blockbuster movies to creating the serenity that is a key part of our Wellness solutions.”

“The strengthening of our HD-AUDIO platform, by combining this ground-breaking solution with the renowned excellence of compatible headphones from Harman and JBL, will be music to the ears of airline passengers globally.”

Olivier Bourdeau, Senior Sales Manager for Harman, referred to the partnership saying: “As an innovator in the audio space, HARMAN is proud to integrate its JBL S1H model with Panasonic’s inflight entertainment systems, offering best-in-class headphones for travelers that feature immersive sound and superior design qualities with first-class comfort”

– Ends –

Image caption: The JBL Serenity S1H headphones, incorporating Panasonic’s HD-AUDIO^TM

About Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world’s leading supplier of inflight entertainment and communication systems. The company’s best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin enabling its customers to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.

Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a U.S. corporation, is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California with over 5,000 employees and operations in 80 global locations, it has delivered over 14,370 IFE systems and 2,200 inflight connectivity solutions to the world’s leading airlines.

For additional information, please visit www.panasonic.aero

About HARMAN

HARMAN International (harman.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co, LTD., designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things.  With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

About SoundChip

SoundChip™ develops active noise cancellation (ANC) technology for headphones and hearables. The company’s unique system-level approach to ANC, which combines proprietary silicon, software, design tools and engineering services, is used by many of the world’s leading consumer brands to enable their products with powerful active noise cancelling and state-of-the-art sound features, such as transparent listening and active occlusion control.

SoundChip™ is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and operates design centers in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. For further information, please visit www.soundchip.com

Panasonic media contacts

Brian Bardwell
Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications
Tel: +1 949 462 1742
Brian.Bardwell@panasonic.aero

Charlie Hampton
Tel: +44 (0)7884 187297
Charlie@pembrokeandrye.com