Samsung Newsroom spoke with Dr. Sean Olive, Acoustic Research Senior Fellow for HARMAN International, where he has worked since 1993. He directs the Corporate HARMAN X Sound Quality Group, whose research has mainly focused on the perception and measurement of sound reproduction including loudspeakers, room acoustics, automotive audio, headphones, and smart speakers.

Dr. Sean E. Olive, Senior Fellow, Acoustic Research HARMAN INTERNATIONAL

Q. What are the current music listening trends especially amongst a young generation and how does the context of listening to music influence our experience?

Music today is heard under many different contexts and environments often serving as an accompaniment to daily activities such as exercise, commuting, work, and shopping.

Among Millennials, digital streaming of music has become the preferred means to listen to music. They listen to 75% more music on a daily basis than Baby boomers.¹ A 2016 study from Northwestern University found that when it comes to music discovery, young people value convenience the most, favoring music services that are available across many platforms for easy access.

Moreover, new channels of digital music distribution such as music apps have made it easier for consumers to access a deeper catalogue of music from different artists and genres than ever before. Millennials in particular like to select their own tracks and tend to jump across platforms to hear the songs they like, and will skip songs they don’t like after hearing a few bars. We’ve moved from listening to entire albums from the same artist to listening to individual tracks from multiple artists across different genres, which has not only significantly affected our experience, it impacts how music is created, recorded and distributed.

Q. Does the equipment matter when we’re listening to music or does a great song suffice?

Good equipment can’t fix a bad song or performance but it can make it sound wonderful. Good equipment allows us to hear all the notes of the music from the lowest pipe organ note to the highest overtones of the piccolo accurately reproduced with correct spectral balance and dynamic nuances. There is nothing more exciting than to experience a Beethoven Symphony reproduced through your audio system at home at concert levels without strain or compromise.

Q. What are some practical tips on how we can improve the quality of the music we listen to on a regular basis, including improving our listening experience?

For headphone listening, the fit and seal of the cup or ear-tip is critical to hearing good bass. If sound leaks out of your ear you are less isolated from background noise and will hear less bass.

For loudspeaker listening, proper placement is critical to achieving balanced sound and stereo imaging. The stereo speakers should be equidistant from the listener at an angle of ± 30 degrees in order to hear instruments properly distributed between the speakers. Moving them 1-2 meter away from the walls can reduce excess bass or muddiness. The speakers should be angled towards the listening spot with the tweeter at the same height as the ears of a seated listener.

Q. What does a listener need to pay attention to when they choose the device on which they listen to music?

Many speaker systems, particularly portable Bluetooth systems have limitations in how much bass they can reproduce particularly at higher volume levels. To hide this fact they will sometimes add extra upper bass, or for active speakers, they will reduce the bass as you turn up the volume making it sound thin and anemic. Apart from that, listen to tracks with instruments that cover the entire spectrum and listen for how smooth and even-balanced the sound is. The spectral balance should be smooth and even and sound neither bright/dull, or too full/thin. When you turn up the volume, the balance shouldn’t change significantly or get harsh and fuzzy (an indication of distortion).

Lexicon SL-1

Q. HARMAN launched Lexicon SL-1 recently. What are HARMAN’s expectations for the launch?

Musicians are probably familiar with the Lexicon brand, which invented digital reverberation. This is truly a unique loudspeaker in that the sounds radiated from it range from a narrow focus for an intimate sound to a very broad omnidirectional pattern without a significant change to the timbre of the sound. This gives you the option of hearing a very focused sound or a very spacious sound depending on the choice of music, room acoustics or personal taste. The so-called stereo sweet spot can also be beamed to wherever the listener chooses to sit.

Q. With technological innovations in audio technology, can more people become audiophiles and learn to appreciate high quality audio production and subtle differences that elevate the music to another level?

It is clear from HARMAN’s sound quality research over the past 25+ years that most naive listeners can hear and appreciate better sound quality when given the opportunity to compare different products side by side whether it’s loudspeakers, headphones or lossless versus low-bit MP3 music. With the decline of brick-and-mortar audio stores replaced by internet sales there are fewer opportunities to test products side by side. So, we have to figure out how to educate and reach more consumers on what is good sound, better communicate the benefits, and make it easier for them to find and achieve critical listening. The opportunities are huge since audio is consumed everywhere (car, home, cinema, work, gym and on-the-go). For example, we are working on a consumer-focused version of our listener training software called “How to Listen” that we hope to make available soon.

Q. How can you meet the balance between professional level sound quality and popularization?

HARMAN makes audio products for both professional and consumers. The sound quality targets are essentially the same. Any film, television, or music track mixed on a JBL professional monitor or AKG headphone should sound much the same on our higher quality consumer products. The differences mainly lie in the industrial design, features and user experience.

HARMAN Luxury Audio Studio in Munich, Germany

Q. HARMAN recently opened a luxury studio in Munich, Germany. Could you tell us a little bit about the studio and the features of the studio that you want people to know about?

Dedicated to the Art of Listening, the new Luxury Studio celebrates and showcases HARMAN’s award-winning luxury audio brands through a uniquely immersive approach.

HARMAN’s Luxury Audio Group boasts five prestigious brands—JBL Synthesis, Mark Levinson, Revel, Lexicon and ARCAM—which together deliver the most advanced high-performance audio systems available anywhere in the world. The HARMAN Luxury Audio Studio was designed to serve not only as a billboard for these remarkable, award-winning brands, but to offer HARMAN’s customers and partners the opportunity to interact with them in a wholly original way.

Resembling a musician’s loft, the studio contains a stereo lounge with a vinyl record wall and a conference room. Everything in the studio was designed using materials chosen for their acoustic properties, with vintage layers and textures throughout the space. Completing the studio is a state-of-the-art JBL Synthesis 7.4.4 home theater with Dolby Atmos® to be used as a testing ground for HARMAN’s latest products while providing a luxury in-home experience certain to impress audiophiles and audio professionals alike.

Q. Is there any HARMAN technology applied to Samsung products?

Yes, one example is the new AKG Headphones like the N5005 and N700, and Samsung Galaxy Buds. These new products are designed to conform to the HARMAN Target Curves, which is based on HARMAN X’s research into listener sound quality preferences. The sound profile is very precise and refined, and preferred by the majority of listeners we’ve tested.

In addition, there are already ongoing collaborations between Harman and Samsung in Lifestyle, Professional and Automotive spaces. HARMAN’s expertise, technologies and markets are a natural compliment to Samsung’s so it only makes sense that such collaborations continue.

Q. What will the future look like in the way we listen to music?

We listen to music today more than ever, and this will continue. Autonomous driving is one example where humans will have more free time to actively listen to music with full attention. As we better understand the science of how music and our mode of listening affect our health and wellbeing, we will become more aware and motivated to become active listeners.

¹ Digital Music News : Millennials Listen to 75% More Music Than Baby Boomers, Study Finds (June 2, 2016)

Kuala Lumpur, 7 June 2018 – In its efforts to continue creating enriching cinema experiences for customers, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) today unveiled the country’s first cinema LED screen, Onyx. Powered by the innovation at Samsung Electronics, Onyx is designed to transform the traditional cinema-going experience with a futuristic LED theatre display that delivers ultra-sharp high definition visuals and superior sound.

Located at Hall 11 of GSC’s flagship Mid Valley Megamall cinema, the 33.8 feet wide and 16.4 feet high Onyx Cinema LED screen enlivens content by showcasing greater detail and colour vibrancy in cutting-edge 4K. It is the world’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-compliant High Dynamic Range (HDR) LED theatre display, which can achieve peak brightness levels of 146fL (foot-lambert), enabling the screen to capture even the most pristine whites and deepest blacks with a nearly infinite contrast ratio.

Supplementing the next-generation viewing experience is world-class audio technology from Samsung’s Audio Lab and JBL by HARMAN Professional Solutions. By integrating powerful speakers on the edge of the screen, Onyx is able to establish an expanded audio “sweet spot” throughout the theatre’s seating area, so audiences can enjoy a more impactful and immersive aural experience. Additionally, the hall also features plush eco-leather seats that makes watching a movie a luxuriously comfortable treat from start to finish.

“Innovation is the lifeblood of Golden Screen Cinemas and we are committed to pioneering new technology and advancements that reinvent the way our customers enjoy the magic of the movies. The arrival of Onyx in Malaysia is a momentous milestone for the cinema industry, as it is poised to reshape the way we look at the cinema in the future,” said Ms. Koh Mei Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Screen Cinemas.

She added: “As a leading cinema exhibitor, we are constantly seeking ways to provide our customers great value through our range of value promotions, F&B offerings, and the latest cinema tech. We believe that Onyx complements the variety of high-quality alternative content that we offer at our cinema like e-sports, live musical performances and more, giving our customers unforgettable movie experiences that they can only enjoy with us at Golden Screen Cinemas.”

Customers will be able to enjoy GSC’s Onyx hall at only an additional RM1.50 surcharge on top of the regular ticket price. Tickets to catch Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom on the Onyx Cinema LED screen are now available for purchase.

For more information, please visit GSC’s website at www.gsc.com.my, check out GSC’s Mobile App, or GSC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GSCinemas.

For more information about Onyx, please visit https://displaysolutions.samsung.com/led-signage/onyx

About GSC

Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd (GSC), Malaysia’s largest cinema exhibitor, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the PPB Group (a member of the Kuok Group). GSC operates a total of 433 screens in 50 locations across Malaysia and Vietnam, with 344 screens in 36 locations in Malaysia, and 89 screens in 14 locations in Vietnam through a partnership with Galaxy Studio. Aspiring to be a regional cinema and content operator that is recognized for providing total quality movie entertainment, GSC offers THX-certified halls and the multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos® audio surround technology across Malaysia. The 21-screen GSC Mid Valley Megamall holds the record of being the largest multiplex in Southeast Asia, while GSC Paradigm JB houses the largest GSC Maxx screen in Malaysia. GSC Signature offers exclusive cinema experience with its luxurious Gold Class and Premiere Class halls, while GSC Lite brings urban-class cinema entertainment into smaller towns. For more information, log-on to www.gsc.com.my.

Malaysia’s leading cinema exhibitor, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) has announced that it is partnering with Samsung Malaysia Electronics (SME) to introduce and bring its pioneering Cinema LED technology to Malaysia, as the cinema chain continues to innovate and deliver enriching experiences for movie-goers in the country.

This new next-generation viewing experience, which will be made available at GSC’s flagship theatre in Mid Valley Megamall, marks a new milestone for GSC with Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen implementation in Malaysia, and follows successful implementations in Asia including China, Korea, and in Europe.

“Golden Screen Cinemas is excited to introduce the Samsung Cinema LED to Malaysians, as it underscores our commitment in bringing in the latest cinematic technologies. The Samsung Cinema LED screen expands our offerings, enabling us to deliver new and enriching cinema experiences to customers, but it is also part of our efforts to transform the Malaysian entertainment landscape. We intend to change how audiences across the country look at the traditional cinema-going experience, and this is the next step for the future of cinema,” said Ms. Koh Mei Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Screen Cinemas.

“At Samsung, we design our products around how people live, bringing joy and value into their life. Through the partnership with GSC, we hope to provide the best audio-visual enjoyment and we strive to continuously redefine cinematic tools to stand out and be a part of creating cinema history. We are confident that this partnership with GSC will be a successful one as they are the largest cinema exhibitor in Malaysia, and we shall grow together to bring the best immersive cinematic experience with Samsung Cinema LED screens,” said Mr. Yoonsoo Kim, President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics.

As the world’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-compliant High Dynamic Range (HDR) LED theatre display, Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen is designed to deliver a more captivating and vibrant viewing experience, by pairing stunning video technology with state-of-the-art audio technologies from JBL by HARMAN Professional Solutions and Samsung Audio Lab.

Measuring 10.3m (33.8 ft) wide in size, the Cinema LED Screen brings the visual power of HDR picture quality to the big screen, delivering ultra-sharp 4K resolution visuals (4,096 x 2,160) and peak brightness levels of 146Fl. Leveraging its ultra-contrast and low-tone grayscale settings, the futuristic screen is able to showcase the brightest colours, most pristine whites, and deepest blacks at a nearly infinite contrast ratio, enlivening and bringing content to life.

To complement its stunning picture technology, Samsung’s Cinema LED screen also comes with world-class audio technology from JBL by HARMAN. This integration includes powerful speakers bordering the screen, and an expanded audio “sweet spot” throughout the theatre’s seating area, so that audiences can enjoy a true multi-sensory aural experience, just the way the content creators intended.

“GSC has always been poised at the forefront of out-of-home entertainment, delivering high-quality cinematic experiences that are complemented by a diverse range of content, some of which are available exclusively under our GSC International Screens brand. We are confident that with the Samsung Cinema LED screen, our customers will get more out of their movie-going experiences with us, whether they are watching a Hollywood blockbuster, catching a foreign film, celebrating their favourite bands in concert, or cheering for their favourite e-Sports teams,” added Ms. Koh.

For more information, please visit GSC’s website at www.gsc.com.my, check out GSC’s Mobile App, or GSC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GSCinemas.

For more information about Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen, as well as related articles, photos and videos, please visit https://displaysolutions.samsung.com/showcase/news-press/detail/samsung_debuts_worlds_first_cinema_led_display.

About GSC

Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd (GSC), Malaysia’s largest cinema exhibitor, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the PPB Group (a member of the Kuok Group). GSC operates a total of 404 screens in 47 locations across Malaysia and Vietnam, with 344 screens in 36 locations in Malaysia, and 82 screens in 13 locations in Vietnam through a partnership with Galaxy Studio. Aspiring to be a regional cinema and content operator that is recognized for providing total quality movie entertainment, GSC offers THX-certified halls and the multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos® audio surround technology across Malaysia. The 21-screen GSC Mid Valley Megamall holds the record of being the largest multiplex in Southeast Asia, while GSC Paradigm JB houses the largest GSC Maxx screen in Malaysia. GSC Signature offers exclusive cinema experience with its luxurious Gold Class and Premiere Class halls, while GSC Lite brings urban-class cinema entertainment into smaller towns. For more information, log-on to www.gsc.com.my

With today’s introduction of the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen at Arena Cinemas’ Sihlcity theater in Switzerland, Samsung Electronics continues its efforts to make traditional, projection-based cinema technology a thing of the past.

Designed and installed with the help of Imaculix AG, the 3D-ready variation of Samsung’s Cinema LED screen maintains consistent brightness for immaculate delivery of subtitle text, images and minor visual details for viewers wearing 3D glasses. Unlike standard 3D cinemas, the Samsung Cinema LED screen provides consistent picture quality across an entire theater, ensuring a uniform, immersive viewing experience for viewers in every seat.

“Samsung is thrilled to be able to debut the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen in Switzerland,” said Seog-gi Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We hope that more movie-goers can experience the Cinema LED screen firsthand as we look to partner with more theaters around the world.”

As the industry’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-certified High Dynamic Range theater display, the Samsung Cinema LED screen invites Swiss consumers into a next-generation viewing experience. Stretching nearly 10.3m (33.8ft) wide and 5.4m (17.7ft) in height, and featuring nearly 9 million pixels, Samsung’s Cinema LED screen delivers exceptional visual quality, technical performance and reliability.

The Samsung Cinema LED display amplifies on-screen content through HDR picture quality. All visuals shine through ultra-sharp 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160) and peak brightness levels nearly 10 times greater (146fL) than the common cinema standard (14fL). The resulting high contrast showcases bright colors, pristine whites and deep blacks, making it perfect for both 2D and 3D movies. Paired with state-of-the-art audio technologies from HARMAN International’s JBL Professional brand, it is a truly immersive experience.

“Zurich is one of Europe’s burgeoning hubs for the film industry, and an optimal location to introduce a pioneering technology like the Cinema LED screen to the region,” said Eduard Stöckli, owner of Arena Cinemas. “The display’s streamlined design also allows our Sihlcity theater to remove its projector closet, making room for additional seats and allowing us to deliver a more complete, comfortable and innovative setting for our guests.”

First introduced in July 2017, Samsung’s Cinema LED screen has been successfully installed in theaters in Seoul and Busan, Korea and Shanghai, China. The Arena Cinemas partnership marks the first implementation of Samsung’s Cinema LED display in Europe and is the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen.