Samsung acquires Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, in $350M audio deal

[zohaibahd]

What just happened? Samsung and its subsidiary, Harman International, have just signed a $350 million all-cash deal to acquire the consumer audio business of Masimo Corporation, bringing several of the industry's most iconic audio brands under their umbrella. This includes Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, and Definitive Technology. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval.

This move supercharges Samsung's ambitions in the premium audio space. Harman already owns a stable of respected audio brands, including JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, Arcam, Mark Levinson, and Revel – all thanks to Samsung's $8 billion acquisition of the company back in 2016.

By adding Masimo's high-end audio assets, Samsung is further strengthening its position in the global consumer audio market, which it projects will balloon to $70 billion by 2029.

Dave Rogers, President of Harman's Lifestyle Division, called the acquisition a "strategic step forward" and emphasized the expansion into core product categories like headphones, home audio, car audio, and hi-fi components.

He added that acquiring brands like Bowers & Wilkins not only enhances Samsung's product portfolio but also strengthens its reach across both luxury and mainstream audio segments.

For context, Bowers & Wilkins was founded in England in 1966 and is revered among audiophiles for its high-design, high-performance speakers like the Nautilus. Meanwhile, Denon, with a 115-year legacy, is renowned for AV receivers and sound systems. Then there's Marantz, which is a fan favorite for premium amplifiers and network players.

Of course, Samsung isn't just stockpiling luxury names and is also going to put them to work. The company expects to integrate technologies from these brands into its own ecosystem, boosting audio performance in Samsung smartphones, TVs, soundbars, and even wireless earbuds.

The acquisition also brings expanded potential for its SmartThings platform, which will allow broader compatibility across connected devices.

Masimo, for its part, is shifting focus. CEO Katie Szyman said the sale allows the company to concentrate on its core medical technology business, particularly in areas of unmet clinical need. This move follows a high-profile legal battle with Apple over pulse oximetry technology in the Apple Watch, which Masimo ultimately lost last year.

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Samsung acquires Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, in $350M audio deal

 

[kira setsu]

How the hell are all of them only worth 350mil?

 

[dirtyferret]

How the hell are all of them only worth 350mil?

market is different than what many of the older people here may remember

https://www.headphonesty.com/2024/11/high-end-audio-brands-disappear-sales-crash/

First off, remember Masimo, who bought Sound United’s collection of brands (including our beloved Denon and Marantz) back in 2022? They dropped a whopping $1.532 billion on that deal, and now they’re probably wishing they hadn’t.
Their consumer audio revenue has taken a nosedive.
By Q3 2024, they were only pulling in $161.4 million, down from $171.5 million the year before. And, if that doesn’t sound bad enough, they also watched their revenue tumble from $562.1 million to $465.6 million over nine months.
The end result? They’re now $31.3 million in the red, with $12.9 million of that loss happening in just Q3.
Sure, it’s technically better than their $17.8 million loss in Q3 2023. But, that’s like saying your boat is sinking slightly slower than before.

 

[b00ka]

I'm not suprised about the 350mil.
I was stupid enough to go down the hi-fi rabbit hole - I learned a lot, thankfully not spent alot (still bought I think one overpriced cable), but overall the experience was awful. Community is awful, everything is never enough, a lot of real tests on forums are deleted due to sponsors of those sites, a lot of people don't know what they are talking about (we're talking basic stuff). I hated it (and what I was slowly becoming) so much I sold everything and bought a great soundbar set - and to my suprise, the sound was and is better (to me). Let's not start about all the brands selling snake oil - I don't even know where to start. I'm somehow happy they are failing, but in hopes people keep their jobs.
Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

 

[kira setsu]

I'm not suprised about the 350mil.
I was stupid enough to go down the hi-fi rabbit hole - I learned a lot, thankfully not spent alot (still bought I think one overpriced cable), but overall the experience was awful. Community is awful, everything is never enough, a lot of real tests on forums are deleted due to sponsors of those sites, a lot of people don't know what they are talking about (we're talking basic stuff). I hated it (and what I was slowly becoming) so much I sold everything and bought a great soundbar set - and to my suprise, the sound was and is better (to me). Let's not start about all the brands selling snake oil - I don't even know where to start. I'm somehow happy they are failing, but in hopes people keep their jobs.
Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

high end audio imho brings out the same type of people high end pc gaming brings out, jerks.

its an anger filled rabbit hole, I've ran 5.1 surround for like 15yrs, currently 5.2.1 surround in my living room where my gaming pc is also, probably burned 700 dollars total on equipment cause I hunt for refurbs and deals, but youre right, some people think the only way you get great sound is by going broke. but because of them I can scoop up good gear for cheap.

I'm happy with my setup, and thats what counts.

 

[toooooot]

Wow, they definitely went on a shopping spree. I like both Denon and B&W, although I use a Sony receiver and Monitor Audio speaker set.

 

[brucek]

As a kid of I dreamed of exotic audio components. As an adult spending my own money, I enjoyed brands like Denon that could meet a lot of requirements without breaking the bank. Their receivers sound fine to me and meanwhile my girlfriend will still be cranking tunes out of the built in speaker on her phone anyway.

I hope this isn't part of a ploy to make the affordable tiers go away, not that I could see that really working -- I think there's far too many people who would be happy with solutions from outside the segment like portable bluetooth speakers, the headphones they already have for their phones, etc.