Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) announced today it has restructured its company in order to further its research and development initiatives. In a brief announcement, only four paragraphs long, new CEO Gregory Lee (former CEO of Samsung North America) said a new, larger research facility will open in 2019.
B&W
TPVision and B&W Partner on New Philips TVs
TPVision, a principal licensor of the Philips brand of upscale TVs in Europe, announced today that is has partnered with Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) in a new multi-year agreement for a new line of products representing the finest in video and audio quality. The announcement noted the reputation both companies enjoy for excellence in engineering and suggests this partnership will set a new reference standard for visual and audio performance in televisions.
See more on this announcement from Philips and B&W… [Read more…] about TPVision and B&W Partner on New Philips TVs
Ex-B&W President Finds New Home at JL Audio
It was only a matter of months ago that Strata-gee broke the news that EVA Automation founder Gideon Yu, the new owner of Bowers and Wilkins (B&W), had dismissed Doug Henderson, President of the B&W Group North America. It was a move that was to send shock waves around the industry and presaged a round of additional staff departures (and additions) as Yu worked to restructure the company.
Now we can report that Henderson is the new Senior Vice President of Home Audio at JL Audio, the scrappy upstart that launched first in the 12-volt business, but has since expanded into the marine, powersports, and home audio segments as well.
See more on this new role for Henderson… [Read more…] about Ex-B&W President Finds New Home at JL Audio
Confirmed: B&W Closes Classé HQ; Staff Dismissed
We have now confirmed that at the end of the day last Friday, October 6th, the Classé headquarters facility was in fact closed by Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) for the last time and all remaining employees were dismissed. This move is a sad and sobering end to a once proud brand celebrated by many audiophiles as one of the finest performing lines of high-end electronics available.
See more of what we know about the closing of Classé… [Read more…] about Confirmed: B&W Closes Classé HQ; Staff Dismissed
Sales Schism – Multiple B&W Regional Managers Resign
BREAKING NEWS
Multiple sources have confirmed to us that several B&W regional managers have resigned from their positions with the company this week. In a move that one source indicated has been coming since the moment the company terminated President Doug Henderson, the regional managers all turned in their voluntary resignations in the same week.
See more on this new development at B&W… [Read more…] about Sales Schism – Multiple B&W Regional Managers Resign
New Mystery: Has Classé Closed?
Fact? or Fiction?
Less than a week after we reported that B&W Group President Doug Henderson had been summarily dismissed from the company he has been a key executive at for more than a decade, the rumor mill has fired up again with word that Classé has been closed down. Classé, like B&W Loudspeakers, is owned and distributed by B&W Group Ltd., a company recently acquired by EVA Automation. Multiple sources are suggesting that EVA owner Gideon Yu has decided to cease operations at the high end manufacturer of audio electronics.
See what we found out from B&W Group about Classé… [Read more…] about New Mystery: Has Classé Closed?
Bowers & Wilkins Notifies Dealers of Henderson’s Departure
STORY UPDATE
Shortly after we published our BREAKING NEWS report on the Bowers & Wilkins dismissal of President Doug Henderson, we obtained a copy of an email that was apparently sent by the company to all B&W dealers explaining the situation. We’d like to be able to say this note answered all questions surrounding the upheaval their actions caused, but it raised as many questions as it answered.
See the email Bowers & Wilkins sent to their dealers on Henderson’s departure… [Read more…] about Bowers & Wilkins Notifies Dealers of Henderson’s Departure
Bowers & Wilkins Dismisses President Doug Henderson
BREAKING NEWS
We have learned that Doug Henderson, President of B&W Group North America, was dismissed from the company earlier this week. There has been no official announcement from the company and B&W executives and employees have been unusually tight-lipped about the matter.
See what we’ve uncovered so far on this move by Bowers & Wilkins… [Read more…] about Bowers & Wilkins Dismisses President Doug Henderson
B&W Acquired by EVA Automation
BREAKING NEWS
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) announced this morning that they have been acquired by EVA Automation, a Silicon Valley-based technology company founded just two years ago by Gideon Yu. Yu is a well-known sports and technology executive that has launched EVA Automation with the expressed goal of “reimagining the audio/video experience by making products that will change how people interact and think about the home.”
He is also, apparently, a B&W enthusiast. See more… [Read more…] about B&W Acquired by EVA Automation
B&W Re-engineers A Classic, Launches All-New 800 Series Diamond Line
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) announced Wednesday that it has completely re-engineered their top-of-the-line 800 Series Diamond loudspeaker line, a favorite of many discerning audiophiles. Changing your flagship product is an incredibly daunting (and risky) task – how do you improve on perfection? – but it’s all in a day’s work for a company that, since 1966, has been in a “Quest for Perfection.”