Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
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Title: Samsung is paying $350 million for audio brands Bowers & Wilkins,
Denon, Marantz and Polk

Date: Wed, 07 May 2025 13:15:14 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/audio/samsung-is-pay...

Harman International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung, is purchasing the
audio business of health technology company Masimo for $350 million in cash.
The deal is expected to finalized by the end of 2025, though it's still
subject to regulatory approvals. Samsung purchased Harman International back
in 2017 for $8 billion, though it allowed the company to operate as an
independent subsidiary. Harman's brands include JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, Mark
Levinson, Arcam and Revel. If and when the acquisition pushes through,
Masimo's audio brands under Sound United will be added to the list, including
Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz and Polk Audio.

It is unclear if the purchase will lead to layoffs, but it sounds like Harman
is taking on Sound United's employees. "Built on a shared legacy of
innovation and excellence in audio technology, this combined family of
brands, together with the talented employees of both companies, will deliver
complementary audio products, strengthen our value proposition and offer more
choices to consumers," said Dave Rogers, the President of Harman's Lifestyle
division.

As noted by The Verge, Samsung published a press release, where it briefly
talked about the history of the brands it's acquiring. It mentioned some of
Bowers & Wilkins' most iconic products, such as the Nautilus loudspeaker
(pictured above) and its Zeppelin wireless speaker, as well as Denon's
history as an early adopter of the CD player. Harman had a 60 percent market
share in portable audio devices last year, and the company is looking to
maintain that position with this purchase. "By combining the audio business
of Masimo, which is being acquired this time, with HarmanΓÇÖs lifestyle
business division, the company plans to solidify its global No. 1 position in
the consumer audio market," Samsung said. Samsung also plans to apply the new
brands' audio technologies to its smartphones, TVs, wireless earphones,
soundbars and other devices in the future.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/audio/samsung-is-pay...
bowers--wilkins-denon-marantz-and-polk-131514754.html?src=rss

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