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In Unusual Saturday Statement, B&W Says, In Effect, We’ll Speak for Ourselves, Thank You

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Just ‘Early Stage Talks’ to ‘Explore Opportunities;’ No Mention of Agreement

B&W logo

Late in the day yesterday (Friday), Strata-gee told you about an announcement from top multi-brand audio provider Sound United, saying they had reached a preliminary agreement to acquire Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), a leading high-performance, high end audio loudspeaker brand. It was big news that represented another step in a long saga of B&W looking for a new home, after a previous deal with EVA Automation and its CEO Gideon Yu fell completely apart.

Now as I write this today, B&W has released a rare Saturday morning press statement that gives the same news – but from the B&W side of the deal…a statement that seems shaded differently than the Sound United characterization.

Read more on B&W take on the situation with Sound United…

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Bowers & Wilkins in Preliminary Agreement to Be Acquired By Sound United

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Sound United logo

In yet another twist in the long and winding saga of Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), it was announced late Friday that the company has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Sound United, the parent company of several audio brands such as Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, HEOS, Classé, and Boston Acoustics.

See more on Sound United acquiring Bowers & Wilkins…

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Sound United and HTSA Partner to Expand Market Availability of Top Audio Brands

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Sound United logo

Sound United LLC, the parent company to brands such as Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, and Boston Acoustics, announced on Tuesday that they have joined forces with Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA), a leading trade consortium of custom integration dealers. This new partnership will expand availability of some of the top specialty audio brands throughout North America, thanks to HTSA’s extensive network of top dealers.

See more on this Sound United and HTSA partnership…

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Leave Sony for Sound United?? Frank Sterns Senses Opportunity

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Graphic from Sound United website

When news first appeared two months ago that Frank Sterns was making the move from Sony to Sound United, many folks asked…why? At Sony, he was a top executive with a global CE leader positioned at the top of the industry food chain…a backbone-of-the-industry brand…the inventor of many of the core technologies used in just about every home in America today. Yes, Sound United is a global player as well, but in a much more limited way…and focused exclusively in only one area…audio.

Sterns Tells Strata-gee Readers What He Saw at Sound United…

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Reader’s Choice: The Top 10 Strata-gee Stories of 2019

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Grahic of Top Ten

As we hurtle headlong into the a new decade – the 2020s – it’s a good time to pause and take stock of some of the major events of our industry’s recent history by ranking the Top 10 Strata-gee stories of 2019 based on total page views. This ranking shows just what stories drew the most attention of Strata-gee’s eminently intelligent and inquisitive readers.

See which 2019 Strata-gee stories were tops with readers…

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Frank Sterns Leaves Sony for Sound United

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Rumors abound for the last few days and now we learn it’s true, Frank Sterns, former Vice President of AV Specialty/Custom Integration for Sony, has left that position to join Sound United as Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations – Americas. This new role will begin on January 6, 2020.

See more on Sterns joining Sound United…

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Denon Offers ‘Denon Home’ Wireless Speaker Line

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Denon announced yesterday a new series of wireless multiroom speakers featuring their HEOS Built-in technology. The new models, said to be part of their Denon Home series, brings all the advantages of the wireless, multiroom category…with the added benefit of hi-resolution sound thrown in to boot.

Learn more on Denon Home series…

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Onkyo to Slash Overall Company Headcount by 30%, Cutting Management by 50%

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Also: Consolidating Facilities & Moving Headquarters

Onkyo logo

It appears that the other shoe is dropping in the wake of the failed acquisition of Onkyo Corporation’s branded A/V division by Sound United last month, as the company now says it will reduce its overhead by cutting jobs. This appears to be the first step in a major reorganization of the company, as it seeks to right-size the organization for the industry’s new, smaller, and more competitive environment in which electronics manufacturers find themselves.

See more on Onkyo’s restructuring…

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Classé to Launch New Delta Series Line in Triumphant Return to the Market

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BREAKING NEWS

Classe Delta Series Preamplifier/DAC
New Delta Series Preamplifier/DAC [Click to enlarge]

With almost two years away from the market after their acquisition by Sound United in January 2018, Classé says it will return to the audiophile electronics market in January 2020 with the launch of their new even more upscale Delta Series line consisting of two new amplifiers and one new preamplifier/DAC. But after so long away, what will it take for the company to re-establish the brand?

See more on the return of Classé…

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The Curious Case of the Disappearance of Classé

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BREAKING NEWS Acquired by Sound United Two Years Ago, Then Gone


Classe logo

It was January 2018 when I reported that Sound United had completed its acquisition of Classé, an acquisition which had been first announced in December of 2017. In the weeks leading up to that December, former owner Bowers & Wilkins was considering getting out of the electronics business…maybe. After months of confusion, where on any day executives at Classé teetered back-and-forth between survival and demise – it now seemed that Sound United had thrown them a lifeline…a chance to live to fight another day.

And then they dropped out of sight for the last two years…

What happened to Classé?…

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