Garmin-Owned JL Audio Launches Primacy Luxury Home Audio System

The launch gives an early glimpse into how Garmin’s 2023 acquisition of JL Audio is moving beyond car and marine audio into the premium home market. Although Garmin announced Primacy through its own corporate channels this week, this remains very much a JL Audio product rather than a Garmin-branded hi-fi platform, so no your tactical smartwatch still won’t be taking over streamer duties, yet. 

Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing, described the latest development:

Primacy reflects our unwavering commitment to integrate modern lifestyles and technologies into luxury audio that’s high performing, beautifully built and uniquely optimised for the space it’s in. The ultimate audio experience, Primacy lets you listen to music, movies and games like you’re there live, inside the scene, with amazing clarity of every sound.

Available with either the full-size Primacy T6 three-way floorstanding loudspeakers or smaller S3 two-way standmounts, the Primacy system has been designed as a fully active architecture, replacing traditional passive crossover networks with DSP-controlled amplification dedicated to each driver section.

The specifications also suggest JL Audio is targeting genuine high-performance territory rather than simply the luxury lifestyle market. For example the T6 system incorporates a claimed 1000W of onboard amplification and is rated for peak output levels above 112dB SPL, technically placing it in large-room or cinema-grade performance territory.

According to JL Audio, each loudspeaker incorporates multiple built-in amplifiers alongside a 32-bit/192kHz triple-core DSP platform handling crossover filtering, equalisation, delay, dynamics and phase correction. The company says the DSP filtering occurs ahead of amplification for tighter control over each driver.

A significant part of the system centres around what JL Audio calls P.A.R.O or Primacy Automatic Room Optimisation. The technology automatically measures and adjusts the system to suit both the room itself and specific listening positions, including optimisation of crossover points, equalisation, timing and subwoofer integration.

The system also adopts Dante digital networking technology, more commonly associated with professional studio and AV installations, to distribute high-resolution digital audio directly to the speakers’ internal amplifiers. Streaming support includes Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Roon Ready, Apple AirPlay and Google Cast.

At the centre of the ecosystem is the Primacy CS centrepiece, a network streamer, preamplifier and system controller designed to manage source selection, room optimisation and profile-based listening presets. A Wi-Fi-connected tabletop remote with a weighted volume dial is also included.

Visually, JL Audio appears to be positioning Primacy as much as a luxury lifestyle product as a traditional hi-fi system. The loudspeakers use large cast and machined aluminium-alloy enclosures with integrated internal bracing and precision-machined detailing intended to reduce resonance while creating a sculptural industrial design aesthetic. Beyond the standard gloss black finish, both the S3 and T6 models can also be customised with interchangeable decorative side panels.

Pricing also places Primacy well beyond JL Audio’s traditional enthusiast and custom-install audience. Pricing starts at US$15,000 | £14,500 | A$24,500 for the Primacy CS centerpiece controller, while the compact S3 loudspeakers are priced at US US$35,000 | £34,000 | A$28,500 per pair and the flagship T6 floorstanders reach to US$90,000 | £86,000 | A$73,000 per pair.

For more information visit JL Audio