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After Year-Long Search, B&O Finds a Buyer…But Only One

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Investors Who Bid Up Stock on News of a Buyer, May Be Sorry

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Bang & Olufsen A/S, the well-known Danish premium technology brand that balances high performance with high design, has spent a year searching for a prospective buyer. The good news is that they were successful. The bad news is that they were only a little successful…they found exactly one potentially interested party. And as any businessperson can tell you, that there is only one bidder doesn’t bode well for sparking a bidding war to drive up the deal to ever more profitable levels.

See the problematic situation B&O has gotten themselves into… [Read more…] about After Year-Long Search, B&O Finds a Buyer…But Only One

Streaming Revenues Overtake Music Downloads for the First Time Ever

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Overall Recording Industry Sales Grow for First Time Since 2011

RIAA logoThe Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported overall industry sales data for  2015 this week, revealing that for the first time in history streaming music was the single largest component of industry sales. Revenues from streaming sources accounted for 34.3% of total revenues, beating out music downloads from services like iTunes and others which accounted for 34% of total revenues.

Overall sales increased 0.9% to $7 billion, the first overall industry growth since 2011.

See more on the growth of streaming in music industry sales… [Read more…] about Streaming Revenues Overtake Music Downloads for the First Time Ever

Sonos vs. D&M Holdings: Both Sides Ratchet Up the Pressure

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Judge Makes Two Key Decisions

D&M LogoIn revisting the long-running saga of Sonos, Inc. vs. D&M Holdings, Inc. et. al., we find that after a series of skirmishes over scheduling issues – such as deadlines for filings and responses, and new claims and counterclaims filed – there appears to be a concerted effort by both parties to ratchet up the pressure. So far, it appears to our non-legally educated eyes that Sonos has a slight edge in this game, winning the scheduling skirmish and winning the right to expand the number of patents at issue.

But D&M has had some success as well. See where this case is at now… [Read more…] about Sonos vs. D&M Holdings: Both Sides Ratchet Up the Pressure

Sorry Siri: Research Shows Consumers Aren’t Using Voice-Controlled Assistants

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eMarketer logoThere is a lot of buzz surrounding Amazon’s Echo product, a tabletop computer featuring a voice-controlled digital assistant named Alexa. Alexa will play your favorite music, get your morning news update, find out today’s weather for you, and more. All you have to do is ask Alexa.

But before Alexa, we had Siri and other voice-controlled assistants, mostly associated with our favorite smartphone. But are consumers enamored with using voice-controlled assistants? A new study from marketing company 451 Research suggests that we don’t.

See more on smartphone users embrace of voice-controlled assistants… [Read more…] about Sorry Siri: Research Shows Consumers Aren’t Using Voice-Controlled Assistants

LCD Panel Prices in a Free Fall – Down 40% This Year

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Photo of 4K Ultra HDTVLiquid crystal display panel prices are dropping dramatically, hitting new low levels never before seen, as ramped-up production by Chinese manufacturers collides with depressed consumer demand for televisions and personal computers.The situation does not seem to be righting itself, even considering the fact that an earthquake recently damaged LCD panel production in Taiwan.

See more on the impact of a glut of LCD panels… [Read more…] about LCD Panel Prices in a Free Fall – Down 40% This Year

Atlantic Technology Launches Passive Soundbar & Speakers

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Atlantic Technology logoAtlantic Technology announced this week that it is launching a new line of home theater and music speakers, including a unique product they call a “front-stage” speaker which resembles a traditional soundbar, but is passive. All models are based on the same drivers, so that whether used separately or together, the sound is fully timber-matched for consistent imaging and sound quality.

See more on these new models from Atlantic Technology… [Read more…] about Atlantic Technology Launches Passive Soundbar & Speakers

Moody’s Downgrades Gibson Brands Credit to Junk

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Gibson Brands CEO Responds to Moody’s Downgrade

Photo of Gibson busThe music industry is positively buzzing about the announcement late last week by Moody’s Investors Service that, for the second time in three months, it has downgraded the credit rating of Nashville, Tennessee-based Gibson Brands. Gibson (formerly Gibson Guitars) is a tightly held private company that launched an aggressive diversification strategy a few years ago, focusing on acquiring several consumer electronics brands such as Onkyo Corp. and Teac, Corp. and recently Philips.

Now Moody’s suggests the debt used to acquire these brands is dragging the company down… [Read more…] about Moody’s Downgrades Gibson Brands Credit to Junk

After Big Setback, Sharp-Foxconn Deal Expected Soon

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Newly Discovered Liabilities Nearly Derail Deal

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Terry Gou

In what most Japanese media are calling a due diligence blunder, a potential deal for Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, to buy Sharp Corp. was nearly scuttled when over $3 billion in potential additional liabilities suddenly came to light. The development caused Foxconn to pull back and, ultimately, launch an even deeper and more detailed analysis of the opportunity.

With talks back on track, a deal is now expected by March 31st… [Read more…] about After Big Setback, Sharp-Foxconn Deal Expected Soon

Thiel Audio Makes Retroactive CEO Announcement & More

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Third CEO Since Acquisition Three Years Ago

New Thiel logo black backgroundOn Monday of this week, Thiel Audio Products, Inc. unexpectedly announced that it has hired a new CEO for the organization. This announcement appears to refer to the CEO we previously told you about back in October 2015, although the release announces his appointment retroactively, effective January 15, 2016.

See more about who Thiel’s new CEO is, and their statement about what’s next… [Read more…] about Thiel Audio Makes Retroactive CEO Announcement & More

Yet Another High-End Brand Turns to Internet Sales, But This Time’s Different

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This Time Brand Takes Local Dealers With Them

Cary Audio logoRaleigh, NC-based Cary Audio announced this week that they will allow their high-end specialty electronics line to be sold online. At first blush, this looks like yet another specialty brand disrupting their bricks-and-mortar dealer base in favor of powerful online dealers – much like our recent story on McIntosh Labs doing just that. But this time, Cary took a completely different approach – one that takes their local dealers along with them.

See how Cary built an entirely different program in going online… [Read more…] about Yet Another High-End Brand Turns to Internet Sales, But This Time’s Different