Today on November 19, 2024, Bose Corporation has announced the acquisition of McIntosh Group, the parent company of renowned high-performance and luxury audio brands that include McIntosh Laboratories and Sonus faber.
This strategic move unites industry pioneers with more than 175 years of combined expertise in audio reproduction. For those counting, McIntosh Labs is celebrating its 75th anniversary (founded in 1949), Bose is now 60 (founded in 1964) and Sonus faber just turned 41 (founded in 1983).
According to the press release, this acquisition will allow Bose to infuse its industry-leading audio research and technology into the high-performance and luxury space. In addition, the combined forces of Bose and McIntosh Group also opens new opportunities in the automotive sector. Bose already has 40-plus years of experience in automotive audio, while McIntosh has recently ventured into car audio with Jeep and Sonus faber has released premium audio systems with Maserati and Lamborghini.
“Over the last six decades we’ve delivered the best premium audio experiences possible; now, with McIntosh Group in our portfolio, we can unlock even more ways to bring music to life in the home, on-the-go and in the car,” said Lila Snyder, CEO of Bose Corporation. “We look forward to honouring the heritage of these brands, investing in their future and pushing the boundaries of audio innovation to bring customers experiences they’ve never heard before.”
“Bose’s dedication to research and singular focus on audio provides a tremendous opportunity to complement and enable our own pursuit of delivering inimitable, ultimate-quality audio experiences,” said Daniel Pidgeon, CEO of McIntosh Group. “Gaining access to their expertise as a pioneer in automotive audio will also help us accelerate our presence and enable us to deliver solutions that are commensurate with our reputation and performance standards.”
About the Transaction
No financial details of the transaction were disclosed. Jones Day acted as Bose’s legal counsel. The McIntosh Group was previously owned by Highlander Partners, L.P., a Dallas-based private investment firm, which purchased the company on June 15, 2022.
What’s next?
Bose will continue to develop products and experiences in popular categories like headphones, speakers, soundbars, and car audio while advancing critical technologies such as noise cancellation, hearing augmentation, and immersive audio.
McIntosh and Sonus faber will maintain its focus on amplifiers, loudspeakers, turntables, and other high-end products. Together the brands will imagine what’s possible in the future of audio — delivering new products, bespoke offerings and unparalleled listening experiences for music lovers around the globe.
The Bottom Line
The convergence of three audio industry heavyweights is good news from the perspective that the McIntosh Group companies (which also includes Sumiko) finally have an ownership group with a genuine background in the audio industry and who put a lot of resources into marketing.
McIntosh and Sonus faber have done a phenomenal job integrating their technology into the premium car market and we’ve been fortunate to experience that in both North America with Jeep and Maserati in Italy. Bose will only help them get their products in front of other automakers.
MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a major shareholder in Bose and we have to think that all three companies will take advantage of the engineering students that come out of the school in Cambridge. The university, however, is not allowed to sell its Bose shares or make any decisions for the company that impact its strategic direction or leadership.
What does this mean for the competition?
Do you really want to compete with Bose, McIntosh, Sonus faber, and Sumiko from a branding and market penetration perspective?
About the Companies
Bose is world renowned for its premium audio solutions for the home, on the go, and in the car. Since its founding in 1964 by Dr. Amar Bose, the company has been dedicated to delivering amazing sound experiences through innovation. And its passionate employees — engineers, researchers, music fanatics, and dreamers — have remained committed to the belief that sound is the most powerful force on earth; its ability to transform, transport, and make us feel alive. For 60 years, this belief has driven us to create products that have become iconic, changing the way people listen to music.
McIntosh Group has been a global leader in high-end audio equipment for decades and today manufactures the world’s finest amplifiers, speakers, turntables and other audio products under several renowned brands that include McIntosh, Sonus faber and Sumiko Phono Cartridges. They are driven by their dedication to quality performance, sophisticated technology, refined design, and artisan manufacturing, and that’s resulted in delivering products known for incomparable design, product quality and consumer experiences.
McIntosh is known for offering handcrafted quality audio products, superior customer service and the ultimate experience in music and film. With its 75th anniversary this year, McIntosh continues to define the ultimate home entertainment experience for discerning consumers around the world. Since 1949, McIntosh products have been engineered and built in Binghamton, New York and have undergone an incredible history, having powered events ranging from presidential inaugurations to Woodstock ‘69. McIntosh products are globally renowned both for their iconic signature design — including the beloved blue metered faceplate — as well as their unparalleled, powerful audio quality. McIntosh also brings its pioneering American spirit on the road in partnership with Jeep, powering the audio experience for select Grand Wagoneer, Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee models.
Sonus faber is a luxury designer and Italian manufacturer of handcrafted speakers, and other high-end audio equipment. Based in Vicenza, Italy, the brand’s heritage centers around its artisans’ craftsmanship, which leads to the creation of the world’s most elegant audio products. Sonus faber offers a range of products spanning from masterfully designed loudspeakers to custom installed solutions and cutting-edge wireless streaming speakers. Sonus faber also elevates the driving experience to new heights through automotive partnerships with Lamborghini and Maserati.
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Dave
November 19, 2024 at 11:14 pm
Can’t wait for the McIntosh 901’s to hit the market 😉
Robert Silva
November 20, 2024 at 1:55 pm
Or Bose coming out with a Tube Amp.
Steven O'Farrell
November 24, 2024 at 4:24 am
This is like Smart Car buying Lamborghini; it just seems so wrong!
Groaning Graham
November 24, 2024 at 9:37 am
Nothing is sacred anymore.
Wharfdale, Leak, Quad, Audiolab, JBL and Harman all purchased by Chinese and now Bose have taken control of 2 holy grails!
Why don’t this crappy product companies spend the money on improving their own brand products instead of buying out excellent brands and then reducing their quality.
Ian White
November 24, 2024 at 6:03 pm
GG,
Samsung now owns Harman and has done a relatively good job with it so far.
As to IAG which owns Wharfedale, Leak, Quad, Audiolab, Mission, Castle, 8Audio, and Luxman (in case people didn’t know this) — they have done a rather good job with all of those brands. Wharfedale has not been this successful in decades and their Heritage Series is one of the most popular and successful loudspeaker lineups in the world. The new QUAD 303 and 33 are already shipping and the early word is that the products are excellent.
Audiolab? Another really good brand making some excellent components. I use the 6000 series in my office with Wharfedale. Great and simple system that has worked without issue for 6 years.
The Bose acquisition of McIntosh and Sonus faber threw everyone for a loop. But I’ll add these two thoughts to the debate — they are now both owned by a legacy audio brand (versus a hedge fund) and it’s going to be a good thing for high-end automotive audio that will trickle down into more cars.
McIntosh isn’t ditching its designs or pricing to satisfy its new owners (which includes MIT).
We shall see.
IW
repete
November 24, 2024 at 8:22 pm
Bose customer service is some of the worst. I can’t see this as being good in any way, shape, or form for McIntosh and Sonus faber. I hope I’m wrong,but as IW said, “We shall see.”