ANAHEIM,
CA - January 17, 2002 - In spring, 2001, JBL Professional introduced
the MPro 200 and 400 Series speakers at a Launch Party at Florida's
Kennedy Space Center. Within weeks retailers had their initial MPro
deliveries of a line that has become a major force at music stores
and pro audio outlets across the U. S. Leading the change have been
two products, the MP410 10" two-way speaker system and MP418SP
Crown-powered subwoofer.
"The MPro line had several mainstream two-way products with 12"
and 15" woofers - the mainstay of the MI retailer pro audio
room. Our dealers accepted these immediately," explained
Tom Weeber, Vice President of US Sales for JBL Professional. "But
then we had some innovative, not-so mainstream products, like
the MP410 and MP418SP. While some dealers started off skeptically,
their customers quickly showed them the usefulness and marketabilty
of these products."
Some dealers
thought a 10" two-way speaker was not viable for them. Before
the MP410, 10" two-way speakers had been one of two extremes:
cheaply made, low power, speech-only speakers; or high end, expensive
systems more suited to permanent installation. The MP410 was not
cheaply built, having a plywood cabinet, metal hardware and Duraflex™
finish. And with a 50 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range and 300 watt
power capacity, it is well suited for live sound at a price significantly
below the upper-end 10" two-way speakers. Musicians with
smaller cars and those wanting lighter weight cabinets now had
an excellent alternative to larger cabinets, at a fraction of
the price of the installation range products.
The MP410
was also well suited for a "Sub-Sat" system with the
MP418SP. Sub-Sat systems, where a smaller mid/high cabinet sits
atop a pole above a subwoofer, were always considered a viable
sound system solution, they were not practically implemented -
the right combination of products did not exist for U. S. customers.
The innovative MP418SP has changed all that.
Co-developed
with Crown Audio, the MP418SP has a dual channel 660 watt (4 ohms)
power amp built into the cabinet. One channel drives the internal
18" low frequency transducer. The second channel can either
drive a satellite speaker, such as the MP410, MP412, or MP415
or a second subwoofer.
"Some
retailers maintained they had no market for a high performance,
powered subwoofer, like the MP418SP," continued Weeber. "We
convinced them to try it out and their customers immediately got
and liked the concept. A few longtime dealers have called me this
year to tell me they were wrong in their assessments of the MP418SP
- 'it's a winner' is what they have told me.
"Beyond
this, many dealers have discovered the MP418SP is an excellent
add-on for systems they have already sold and we have even seen
the MP418SP going into churches, auditoriums, and other venues
that generally use more traditional installation range subwoofers.
The MP418SP is becoming the subwoofer equivalent of the Swiss
Army Knife."
All MP400
Series and 200 Series products are available at music and pro
audio stores throughout the world. For more information on the
individual models and where to see, hear and buy them, go to the
JBL Professional website at www.jblpro.com.
Headquartered
in Northridge, California, JBL Professional is the world's leading
designer, manufacturer, and marketer of professional loudspeakers
for recording and broadcast, musician, cinema, touring sound,
commercial sound and contracting applications. JBL Professional
is part of the Harman International network of professional and
consumer audio companies. For complete product and company information,
go to the JBL Pro website at www.jblpro.com.
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