JBL Synthesis K2 S9900 - Manual (Page 8)

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exceptional stereo imaging and fatigue-free listening. Most important, it was the
first loudspeaker system available to consumers to do all this.
Project K2 S9900, one of the most advanced and sophisticated loudspeakers in
the world today, is the latest expression in technology that is deeply rooted in more
than 60 years of tradition. William Thomas, JBL president in 1954, described the
Hartsfield as the “speaker system we have always wanted to build [with] the finest
components ever made available to serious listeners.”
He went on to describe the process behind the creation of the Hartsfield:
“Most people who own and appreciate fine sound reproduction equipment look
forward to the day when they will be able to assemble a system without limitation
in just exactly the way they think it should be done. Periodically, a manufacturer
gets this same feeling.... The science of acoustics has provided us with the basic
principles available to all for achieving precision reproduction. It is only a matter
of incorporating these methods into a system design, and then taking every bit of
trouble necessary to build a system precisely to the design.”
He added, “It isn’t easy, but that’s the way it is done.”
The Ranger-Paragon, the second JBL Project system, was the first serious attempt
at a reflecting speaker system, and broke ground in the new concept of stereo
imaging. Basically two independent full-range speaker systems installed in a
handsome, curved cabinet nearly 9 feet (2.7 meters) long, the Paragon’s enclosure
was treated as an extension of its transducers. In essence, the system had its
own “built-in acoustics.” In many respects, the Paragon anticipated loudspeaker
developments that would occur years, and even decades, later. This “built-in
acoustics” concept is present in the Project K2 S9900.
For nearly 30 years, the Paragon, along with the Hartsfield, remained among the
most sought-after speakers in the world. In 1986, a new Project system was
introduced that retained the Paragon’s overall sense of musicality while upgrading
its character by incorporating three decades’ worth of continuous development in
every facet of its design. Its name – Project Everest – reflected the pinnacle of
achievement it represented. This was the original Project Everest DD55000.