News Bose buys McIntosh Group

[Deliriumbassist]

Bose Corporation Acquires McIntosh Group - Essential Install

Bose Corporation has announced the acquisition of McIntosh Group, the parent company of high-performance brands that include McIntosh and Sonus faber.

essentialinstall.com

Interesting - the group was acquired by the (now previous) owners back in 2022.

 

[daytona600]

 

[nopiano]

I’ve noticed both McIntosh and Sonus faber have been on a big programme of launching new gear. I try to ignore their forays into car audio, hoping secretly that the publicity helps moderate the prices of the stuff I’m interested in!

But the financial breadth to achieve this is considerable, so I can only hope Bose is well structured and funded. Given the world’s obsession with headphones they are probably minting it.

 

[nopiano]

Bose's historic double swoop sees the US brand acquire McIntosh and Sonus Faber

BoseIntosh? Sonus fa-Bose?

www.whathifi.com

Our host’s take on this.

 

[davidf]

I’ve noticed both McIntosh and Sonus faber have been on a big programme of launching new gear. I try to ignore their forays into car audio, hoping secretly that the publicity helps moderate the prices of the stuff I’m interested in!

But the financial breadth to achieve this is considerable, so I can only hope Bose is well structured and funded. Given the world’s obsession with headphones they are probably minting it.

Maybe that's why McFaber have been struggling?

But where are Bose now compared to 20 years ago? Lots of people were buying Acoustimass and Lifestyle systems, as well headphones and later on portable Bluetooth speakers. Then Bose pulled out of independent dealers and invested in their own stores. Then they closed all the stores down and went exclusively online - something which I doubt would've retained their older clientele, which was significant at the time. They haven't had a high street presence for a few years now, which they obviously feel is the right way forward. Are they going to do the same thing with McFaber? Or are they going to force McFaber dealers to sell Bose too?

 

[manicm]

Maybe that's why McFaber have been struggling?

But where are Bose now compared to 20 years ago? Lots of people were buying Acoustimass and Lifestyle systems, as well headphones and later on portable Bluetooth speakers. Then Bose pulled out of independent dealers and invested in their own stores. Then they closed all the stores down and went exclusively online - something which I doubt would've retained their older clientele, which was significant at the time. They haven't had a high street presence for a few years now, which they obviously feel is the right way forward. Are they going to do the same thing with McFaber? Or are they going to force McFaber dealers to sell Bose too?

Has McIntosh been struggling? They've had a proliferation of new products lately. Ditto Sonus Farber. From what I've seen both are in rude health, and will fill Bose coffers.

The only thing that should be of concern is there's no synergy to and from Bose, which is a headphone and soundbar company.

For me this transaction is a non-event really.

 

[R2D2]

I quite like Bose.

 

[davidf]

Has McIntosh been struggling? They've had a proliferation of new products lately. Ditto Sonus Farber.

I don't know, but many high end manufacturers have changed hands over the years due to falling sales. I would've thought they'd be doing ok, especially in the U.S., where it's almost mandatory to own a pick up truck, a 12 gauge, and a McHiFi. I've grown to dislike McFaber, as they're two brands that seem popular nowadays purely to be shown off on the likes of Instagram and high-end "high and mighty" Facebook groups. I've read many comments from owners/previous owners about how they're just not the same company any more, I guess a bit like Linn and Naim - the legacy is a distance past.

 

[nopiano]

I don't know, but many high end manufacturers have changed hands over the years due to falling sales. I would've thought they'd be doing ok, especially in the U.S., where it's almost mandatory to own a pick up truck, a 12 gauge, and a McHiFi. I've grown to dislike McFaber, as they're two brands that seem popular nowadays purely to be shown off on the likes of Instagram and high-end "high and mighty" Facebook groups. I've read many comments from owners/previous owners about how they're just not the same company any more, I guess a bit like Linn and Naim - the legacy is a distance past.

I don’t know much about McIntosh, other than their more fabled valve designs and their ‘iconic’ blue lighting and meters. It all looks v expensive now. By contrast I’ve owned Sonus fabers since 1997, and followed them closely.

As you know, in the UK, Absolute Sounds imported Sf from their earliest days as an independent. They never handled Mc, and it wasn’t a big brand here, whereas Krell and Audio Research were also imported by AS and often powered Sf at shows and in dealers. With that perspective I never thought Mc was a great match for Sf as both veered more towards a richer/warmer balance - but then Sf became more commercial after Franco Serblin left and started up his own brand (which happily survives his death).

Arguably the heritage moved with the founder, whereas McHifi as you call it became more a luxury good than purist Hifi. Sure enough, wireless devices and headphones appeared, but so did extraordinary top end designs, keeping the flame alight. A fairly disastrous venture into Chinese manufacturing with the pleasant but unexciting Venere range didn’t last long.

My Guarneri Memento are probably the last Serblin influenced Sf design, and they are lovely things, not least to look at! Sadly, globalisation seems inevitable for survival, and Naim at least has gone that way with Focal. Likewise KEF and B&W have been through various owners, and IAG have absorbed many famous British brands.

Being naturally positive in outlook I think that longterm it’s probably all for the good, as nothing can stay unchanged. Time will doubtless tell!

 

[Al ears]

I don’t know much about McIntosh, other than their more fabled valve designs and their ‘iconic’ blue lighting and meters. It all looks v expensive now. By contrast I’ve owned Sonus fabers since 1997, and followed them closely.

As you know, in the UK, Absolute Sounds imported Sf from their earliest days as an independent. They never handled Mc, and it wasn’t a big brand here, whereas Krell and Audio Research were also imported by AS and often powered Sf at shows and in dealers. With that perspective I never thought Mc was a great match for Sf as both veered more towards a richer/warmer balance - but then Sf became more commercial after Franco Serblin left and started up his own brand (which happily survives his death).

Arguably the heritage moved with the founder, whereas McHifi as you call it became more a luxury good than purist Hifi. Sure enough, wireless devices and headphones appeared, but so did extraordinary top end designs, keeping the flame alight. A fairly disastrous venture into Chinese manufacturing with the pleasant but unexciting Venere range didn’t last long.

My Guarneri Memento are probably the last Serblin influenced Sf design, and they are lovely things, not least to look at! Sadly, globalisation seems inevitable for survival, and Naim at least has gone that way with Focal. Likewise KEF and B&W have been through various owners, and IAG have absorbed many famous British brands.

Being naturally positive in outlook I think that longterm it’s probably all for the good, as nothing can stay unchanged. Time will doubtless tell!

Hear, hear!

 

[manicm]

I don’t know much about McIntosh, other than their more fabled valve designs and their ‘iconic’ blue lighting and meters. It all looks v expensive now. By contrast I’ve owned Sonus fabers since 1997, and followed them closely.

As you know, in the UK, Absolute Sounds imported Sf from their earliest days as an independent. They never handled Mc, and it wasn’t a big brand here, whereas Krell and Audio Research were also imported by AS and often powered Sf at shows and in dealers. With that perspective I never thought Mc was a great match for Sf as both veered more towards a richer/warmer balance - but then Sf became more commercial after Franco Serblin left and started up his own brand (which happily survives his death).

Arguably the heritage moved with the founder, whereas McHifi as you call it became more a luxury good than purist Hifi. Sure enough, wireless devices and headphones appeared, but so did extraordinary top end designs, keeping the flame alight. A fairly disastrous venture into Chinese manufacturing with the pleasant but unexciting Venere range didn’t last long.

My Guarneri Memento are probably the last Serblin influenced Sf design, and they are lovely things, not least to look at! Sadly, globalisation seems inevitable for survival, and Naim at least has gone that way with Focal. Likewise KEF and B&W have been through various owners, and IAG have absorbed many famous British brands.

Being naturally positive in outlook I think that longterm it’s probably all for the good, as nothing can stay unchanged. Time will doubtless tell!

The Focal group is hardly global though. Focal is French, but Naim retains British manufacturing, apart from its cheaper components like the Muso range.

 

[twinkletoes]

Think many forget Bose hold many patents, noise cancelling probably being the biggest one. one of there biggest arms is pro audio, pretty sure those massive speaker arrays at the 02 and Wembley arena are Bose which probably come with a tidy service agreement. They're also pretty big in the aviation industry and probably have military contracts as well . Lets face it weather you like the brand or not they heritage of really good products that span many industries. They are a true tech company.

I don't know why people think there poor, they raked in 3billion in 2023. naim for example bring home just about 1% of that

It they managed to purchase Macintosh and Sonos Faber, then, well not to put a too fine a point on it they weren't in a good way. and at least it stayed on home soil.

 

[Jasonovich]

View attachment 7862

Ok, I fixed the typo. Better

 

[Jasonovich]

The Focal group is hardly global though. Focal is French, but Naim retains British manufacturing, apart from its cheaper components like the Muso range.

Actually

Focal and Naim Audio joined forces in 2011, and the VerVent Audio group was born. Both brands were already renowned, but they’ve become even more prominent over the last dozen years, and are now sold in more than 10,000 retailers worldwide.

Well known brands are merging to allow them to compete in an ever decreasing and challenging market.

 

[Jasonovich]

Bose Corporation Acquires McIntosh Group - Essential Install

Bose Corporation has announced the acquisition of McIntosh Group, the parent company of high-performance brands that include McIntosh and Sonus faber.

essentialinstall.com

Interesting - the group was acquired by the (now previous) owners back in 2022.

Now McHiFi'ers have to make lifestyle choices.

 

[Al ears]

Now McHiFi'ers have to make lifestyle choices.

Nope.
McIntosh buyers will still buy McIntosh.... Simples !
They don't give a damn who owns them.

 

[Jasonovich]

Nope.
McIntosh buyers will still buy McIntosh.... Simples !
They don't give a damn who owns them.

Yes of course they will!
Let's hope they never make a McIntosh wireless tube sound bar

 

[podknocker]

I've never owned McIntosh kit, because I can't afford it, but I think it's over engineered, with the lighting and over the top build quality etc. It's more overpriced bling in my opinion and I'm sure this stuff would sound just as good at half the price or less. I will gurantee the build and sound quality will worsen with the Bose intervention. I hate Bose. I think they are the modern day Bang and Olufsen, all fancy designs with mediocre sound. I've heard a few Bose systems and speakers and I honestly think the garbage bin photos are spot on.

 

[Rodolfo]

Makes sense: a) Probably a necessary diversification/survival strategy for Bose, b) the primary assets involved being the brands themselves --Bose and McIntosh, and c) strategically, the Bose Group will now have greater market capacity and value than independent B + (the M&SF group).

I hope it will be fun to watch.

 

[Al ears]

Makes sense: a) Probably a necessary diversification/survival strategy for Bose, b) the primary assets involved being the brands themselves --Bose and McIntosh, and c) strategically, the Bose Group will now have greater market capacity and value than independent B + (the M&SF group).

I hope it will be fun to watch.

Hopefully they will leave well alone and let the McKintosh team continue in their owm merry way....

 

[nopiano]

The Focal group is hardly global though. Focal is French, but Naim retains British manufacturing, apart from its cheaper components like the Muso range.

Well, they seem dominant in car loudspeakers, but I agree they perhaps aren’t global in the way others are.

Naim are using Hypex modules now, so they are slowly losing the DIY Salisbury mantle so epitomised in the original shop/workshop.

 

[nopiano]

I've never owned McIntosh kit, because I can't afford it, but I think it's over engineered, with the lighting and over thr top build quality etc. It's more overpriced bling in my opinion and I'm sure this stuff would sound just as good at half the price or less. I will gurantee the build and sound quality will worsen with the Bose intervention. I hate Bose. I think they are the modern day Bang and Olufsen, all fancy designs with mediocre sound. I've heard a few Bose systems and speakers and I honestly think the garbage bin photos are spot on.

At least B&O looks fabulous, and I’ve increasingly grown to respect their engineering excellence over the decades. But that’s off topic I realise. 🙂

 

[Noddy]

Bose Corporation Acquires McIntosh Group - Essential Install

Bose Corporation has announced the acquisition of McIntosh Group, the parent company of high-performance brands that include McIntosh and Sonus faber.

essentialinstall.com

Interesting - the group was acquired by the (now previous) owners back in 2022.

As someone suggested, not much synergy between Bose and McBling. Perhaps we will see headphones with blue meters, big dials and carrying handles. Or noise cancelling amps providing beautiful silence.

 

[davidf]

I don’t know much about McIntosh, other than their more fabled valve designs and their ‘iconic’ blue lighting and meters. It all looks v expensive now. By contrast I’ve owned Sonus fabers since 1997, and followed them closely.

As you know, in the UK, Absolute Sounds imported Sf from their earliest days as an independent. They never handled Mc, and it wasn’t a big brand here, whereas Krell and Audio Research were also imported by AS and often powered Sf at shows and in dealers. With that perspective I never thought Mc was a great match for Sf as both veered more towards a richer/warmer balance - but then Sf became more commercial after Franco Serblin left and started up his own brand (which happily survives his death).

Arguably the heritage moved with the founder, whereas McHifi as you call it became more a luxury good than purist Hifi. Sure enough, wireless devices and headphones appeared, but so did extraordinary top end designs, keeping the flame alight. A fairly disastrous venture into Chinese manufacturing with the pleasant but unexciting Venere range didn’t last long.

My Guarneri Memento are probably the last Serblin influenced Sf design, and they are lovely things, not least to look at! Sadly, globalisation seems inevitable for survival, and Naim at least has gone that way with Focal. Likewise KEF and B&W have been through various owners, and IAG have absorbed many famous British brands.

Being naturally positive in outlook I think that longterm it’s probably all for the good, as nothing can stay unchanged. Time will doubtless tell!

I always liked the sound of the two Toy models about 12 years ago or so, and I like the look of the Heritage range as it looks more like earlier SF designs.

 

[davidf]

As someone suggested, not much synergy between Bose and McBling. Perhaps we will see headphones with blue meters, big dials and carrying handles. Or noise cancelling amps providing beautiful silence.

Quite possible - Bose could buy Meters headphones as well, and just backlight them - McFans would lap it up!