JBL celebrating 60 years as a leading manufacturer of consumer and professional loudspeakers, today announced that four complete JBL Synthesis Atlas multichannel audio systems have been selected for use in custom-built screening rooms at the 59th Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes).

The JBL Synthesis Atlas 7.1-channel systems will be installed in one 25-seat, one 75-seat and two 40-seat theaters, all of which will be specially built at the renowned Gray d’Albion Hotel in Cannes to present feature films submitted by producers, directors and filmmakers from all over the world. In addition, a JBL Studio L multichannel loudspeaker system, Harman Kardon high-performance audio/video components and AKG wireless surround headphones will be used in two screening rooms custom-built to present short films for the Festival’s Short Film Corner, a showcase for the more than 800 short films to be featured at Cannes.

Paul Bente, president of JBL Consumer Products, noted: “JBL is proud to have been chosen once again to provide audio installations for the Cannes Film Festival, and to contribute to the success of the Festival in presenting the very best in cinema artistry. The ultrahigh-end JBL Synthesis Atlas systems used in this year’s screening rooms are the finest JBL systems ever to be installed at Cannes, and their extraordinary sound quality, in conjunction with the installations’ state-of-the-art video capabilities, will offer attendees a powerful and emotionally compelling cinema experience.”

The THX Ultra-certified JBL Synthesis Atlas systems for the Gray d’Albion installations feature SK2-1000 main-channel left-, center- and right-front loudspeakers, S3VC vertical loudspeakers used for the surround channels, and S1S-EX 18-inch subwoofers. Each system’s electronics include the SDP-40 digital surround processor/system controller and SDEC2500A digital equalizer, in addition to the S800 2-channel x 200-watt power amplifiers, S7150 7-channel x 150-watt power amplifiers, and custom S2500IC interconnect kits. And to deliver spectacular big-screen picture quality, the installations feature Screen Research ClearPix2 projection screens, and Runco high-definition DLP projectors (the 75-seat theater uses a Barco high-definition DLP projector).