STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Through a new strategic approach, JBL is exploring a sustainable, solar-powered headphone: the JBL REFLECT Eternal. A first for the brand, JBL is using Indiegogo to crowdsource interest for a solar-powered headphone with unlimited playtime. This concept marries Exeger’s revolutionary light converting material into a stylish form-factor for everyday use, paired with JBL’s legendary Pro Sound credentials. By collaborating directly with customers, JBL hopes to gain insights and feedback from consumers on self-charging, eco-friendly technology to ensure they meet the needs of the JBL user.
Consumers are able to participate in the Indiegogo campaign and provide early response to the concept. The initiative is live at https://igg.me/at/jbl through January 14th. By receiving real-time responses, JBL and Exeger will incorporate consumers’ reactions into the optimal go-to market strategy and make any necessary product adjustments to meet customers’ needs.
In response to growing consumer interest in sustainability, the prototype for the JBL REFLECT Eternal was developed for music enthusiasts looking to implement greener habits into their audio world. Unlike traditional solar cells, which require a large surface area and are optimized only for outdoor use, Exeger’s unique Powerfoyle material is specifically engineered to generate power with indoor light and indirect sunlight. This makes the REFLECT Eternal perfect for active lifestyles, allowing the headphone to continuously charge whether in the office for the 9 to 5 or meeting up with friends from 5 to 9. Exeger’s compact and efficient solar cells bring uncompromised aesthetics with virtually unlimited battery life. JBL’s popular noise management technologies, Ambient Aware and TalkThru, will also be built-in to further complement the performance.
“We are looking forward to hearing from our customers and workshopping this sustainable technology with them in real-time,” said David Owens, Vice President, Business Development at HARMAN. “JBL has been working closely with our partners at Exeger to bring this cutting-edge solar technology into a headphone with JBL’s legendary Pro Sound, and we hope our customers are as excited about it as we are. JBL is pleased to be working with the right partners to contribute where we can to a more sustainable future.”
Exeger Founder and CEO Giovanni Fili said: “I am very excited to share the first culmination of our partnership with HARMAN - one of the world’s leading technology brands. Together we will introduce a self-powered headphone that can charge from any light around you. Like every investment in integrated clean energy, the more you use the JBL REFLECT Eternal headphones, the more you help restore the carbon balance of the planet.”
Consumers who choose to participate in the crowdsourcing will have the opportunity to pre-order the headphone once it becomes available at a discounted rate. To learn more about the self-charging JBL headphones visit reflect.jbl.com or https://support.jbl.com/us/en/.
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ABOUT JBL
JBL creates the amazing sound that shapes life’s most epic moments. From iconic events like Woodstock and concerts at Madison Square Garden, to games at Yankee Stadium and weekend road trips, JBL elevates listeners’ experiences with award-winning audio that lets them make the most of every moment. With unmatched professional credentials and over 70 years of delivering industry leading innovation, JBL is the authority in engineering superior sound.
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 EXEGER
Exeger is a Swedish deep tech company manufacturing the next generation of light harvesting technology, led by Swedish entrepreneur and CEO Giovanni Fili. Its unique dye-sensitized photovoltaic material, named Powerfoyle, converts ambient light into usable electricity, even in dim indoor conditions. Powerfoyle can enhance any consumer electronic product it is integrated into with extended or even eternal battery life, putting the power of cutting edge solar technology directly into the hands of consumers. Exeger’s carbon neutral material is screen printed at its own urban factory, allowing for versatility in production and product development, enabling Exeger’s vision of a better world where any surface can generate power through light. www.exeger.com
ABOUT INDIEGOGO
Indiegogo is the place for entrepreneurial projects to move quickly from concept to market, amplified by a community of backers who believe the world benefits when every idea gets an equal shot at success. Indiegogo empowers people around the world to fund what matters to them. As the world’s first crowdfunding platform, campaigns have launched from almost every country around the world with millions of dollars being distributed every week due to contributions made by the Indiegogo community. At its core, Indiegogo is the equal opportunity platform dedicated to democratizing the way people raise funds for any project –creative, entrepreneurial or cause-related. The company was launched in 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit Indiegogo.com and follow us at Twitter.com/indiegogo and Facebook.com/indiegogo.
© 2019 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson are trademarks of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. AKG is a trademark of AKG Acoustics GmbH, registered in the United States and/or other countries. Features, specifications, and appearance are subject to change without notice.
