Sound United’s portfolio of world-class audio brands including Bowers & Wilkins, Denon and Marantz, will join HARMAN’s iconic family of brands, including JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, Mark Levinson, Arcam, and Revel.
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Here is some more background and perspective to this deal:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/sound-united-finds-new-home-harman
From the comments there:
While having one company own everything is rarely good for consumers this at least is better than them going away.
Considering the existing Harman brands and their current market presence compared to that enjoyed in earlier times ( Roon excepted) I wonder if it is necessarily better than going away? Perhaps Harman are only interested in IP ? Massimo as owners constituted a poor mix of interests ( we make home audio and medical equipment) and their purchase of these brands was unpopular with their shareholders according to reports hence the need to sell.
It is about the brands going away, or continue under the Harman flag.
E.g., I have a 800 series Bowers & Wilkins home theatre setup, and would not like to see B&W disappear from the market. I am currently in the process of upgrading to the D4 versions.
Yes, but the brands under Harman ownership seem not to have maintained their presence. I remember when Harman Kardon were one of the top flight amplifiers with the Citation, when Mark Levison were king of the top end market ( versus Krell) when AKG were a headphone brand that had sizeable interest from the high end headphone market. Without research on the interweb I cannot name a single current product from these brands. They have become more or less invisible.
You are right, invisible in the high end world. So I have to buy quickly, or later might see B&W get Harmanised…