Harman (Samsung) Acquires B&W, Denon, Polk And Marantz for $350 Million

[Dub Modal]

Samsung subsidiary gets four known audio brands for basically peanuts. There is no $$$ in audio equipment. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2025/05/06/harman-to-acquire-bw-denon-polk-and-marantz-from-masimo-in-350-million-deal/

 

[mjzee]

There's ongoing consolidation in the high-end audio market.  In November, Bose bought McIntosh and Sonus Faber.  See: https://www.stereophile.com/content/bose-corporation-acquires-mcintosh-group

[Dub Modal]

It's unfortunate but expected I guess. I'd hazard a guess that the majority of today's 20-30 year olds don't own any audio equipment beyond a BT speaker and maybe some headphones. And the market will probably keep shrinking in the future. 

[T.D.]

I think Polk and Marantz have changed hands various times previously, and neither is nearly "what they used to be" (a number of onetime prestige names are in that category). B&W is definitely news, the most significant part of the announcement. Maybe Denon is significant, though they seem to have fallen off over the years.

Very much agreed on the decline of the audiophile market. Though the vinyl craze may prop it up for a while.

Edited May 7 by T.D.

[T.D.]

There's a Stereophile story which is more informative.

Sound United Finds a New Home with Harman | Stereophile.com

The acquired brands were already a portfolio of an entity called Sound United, which was a disastrous acquisition by a (healthcare? see below) conglomerate called Masimo Corp. Masimo was urged to divest by shareholder activists. 😁

Here are the first and last paras of the linked story. Note how many "name" brands Harman now owns!

Masimo Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Masimo Consumer Audio division, which is made up of the former Sound United hi-fi brands, to Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, for $350 million in cash. Pending regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2025. The sale transfers an extensive portfolio—including Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, and Boston Acoustics—to a buyer with business firmly rooted in audio. (The fate of the HEOS multiroom streaming platform remains unclear.) Harman already owns JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, Mark Levinson, Revel, Arcam, and Roon.

...

If regulators approve the transaction, it will close a turbulent three-year chapter that saw Sound United’s valuation tumble from more than a billion dollars to a third of that figure. Masimo exits with a costly but decisive return to its healthcare roots, while Harman and Samsung gain a powerful array of brands poised to strengthen their position in living-room entertainment from big-screen TVs to whole-home audio.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

For over 20 years, I worked at Analog Devices. We supplied a lot of components to Marantz/Denon. When they were part of DM Holdings, I used to get a 40% "employee discount", so I bought quite a few pieces of gear from them over the years. I bought several turntables, several Denon cartridges, a CD/SACD player, a CD recorder and at least 3 Denon multichannel receivers for myself and family members. After they got sold, the discount went down to 30% and I bought my last piece of gear before I retired, a Marantz PM-7005, which is still my main amp for my living room system.

I have had good luck with their stuff. I hope this new ownership doesn't go Onkyo with these product lines.

[mr jazz]

Too early to tell whether this is a good or bad thing I guess?

[T.D.]

There appears to be one plus: the portfolio of brands is now owned by an electronics conglomerate rather than a health care company whose "financial engineering" apparently went awry. 😆

Beyond that, too early to say.

Since the brands (presumably) had to be acquired as a portfolio, I wouldn't be surprised if some straggler or underperforming names get de-emphasized or shut down. Just my opinion and I know nothing of the financials of the acquired marques.

 

Edited May 9 by T.D.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

25 minutes ago, T.D. said:

There appears to be one plus: the portfolio of brands is now owned by an electronics conglomerate rather than a health care company whose "financial engineering" apparently went awry. 😆

Beyond that, too early to say.

Since the brands (presumably) had to be acquired as a portfolio, I wouldn't be surprised if some straggler or underperforming names get de-emphasized or shut down. Just my opinion and I know nothing of the financials of the acquired marques.

 

D&M Holdings used to include Boston Acoustics speakers. I bought several home theater speaker systems with my employee discount before D&M shut them down. I always liked Boston Acoustics speakers for their "bang for the buck".