Mammoth audio brand Bose Corp has announced the acquisition of the McIntosh Group, the parent company of luxury audio brands including McIntosh and Sonus Faber. The group had been acquired by Highlander Partners, a US private equity firm, back in 2022.
Such an acquisition will grant Bose control of both McIntosh and Sonus Faber, and while McIntosh will continue to manufacture the high-end audio equipment for which it has become so well regarded, it isn't yet clear the extent to which Bose will exert its influence over the direction of its newly acquired assets.
The acquisition is a bold move by Bose. As a brand more commonly associated with its range of noise-cancelling headphones, wireless earbuds and Bluetooth speakers, Bose's takeover of two big-bucks audio brands marks a jump into brand new territory. Sonus Faber's Stradivari floorstanders will set you back £45,000, for example, whereas McIntosh's MA8950 integrated amplifier will knock £12,495 / $9000 off your bank balance.
According to Bose's CEO Lila Synder, Bose wants to keep McIntosh manufacturing high-end goodies from its New York headquarters. Bose Corp is also using the takeover as a way to break into more diverse markets, not simply those which are more economically rarefied. According to Synder: "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."
McIntosh produces audio systems for many members of the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee lines, whereas Sonus Faber provides in-car audio solutions for such luxury vehicles as the Maserati Grecale and the Pagani Huayra, the latter of which will set you back a cool $3.5 million. This expansion, says McIntosh CEO Daniel Pidgeon, will allow the company to "accelerate (its) presence and...deliver solutions that are commensurate with our reputation and performance standards.”
Despite current economic uncertainty, the luxury audio market continues to expand, so it's little wonder that this is an area into which Bose has taken an interest. While many middle and lower-end consumers may be looking to save their cash as the cost of living crisis continues to hit hard, the market's biggest spenders are likely to remain insulated from its effects.
Aside from its luxury aspirations, we are keen to see how this acquisition will shape the respective directions of the brands concerned, with many variables remaining unknown at this stage. Could rival companies follow suit with similarly ambitious moves? Will Bose attain a stranglehold on the luxury hi-fi market? Could a premium pair of Sonus Faber noise-cancelling headphones one day arrive? We shall see.
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