Bose buys McIntosh

Bose has every incentive to keep McIntosh and Sonus Faber intact, as "halo" consumer brands that command high prices from a loyal owner community. As long as the image is remains good, the two upmarket brands can be also be licensed for car stereos (regardless of who actually designs and builds them). I would not be surprised if we see a McIntosh-branded soundbar a year or two from now, selling at upmarket prices.

Mount Blanc was once a coveted brand of fountainpen. It had a lifetime warranty if it needed repair. Then it was bought out by a tobacco company and now you can't have it fixed if it starts to leak. Will this happen to McIntosh?

Corporate ownership does not necessarily translate into an uptick or a downgrade in a brand’s manufacture process, quality, or R&D. The infusion of capital should provide some benefit to both McIntosh and Sonus Faber. Why don’t we give them a chance to NOT screw up before we bury them? Just saying.

I love my C49 preamp.  The notion that McIntosh is no longer a high end brand is BS.  Their gear still consistently gets high marks in the audio press and my preamp sounds great as well as being very flexible snd full featured.  It is, on the other hand, strangely antiquated.  Having to drive 100 miles to a service center for a firmware update in 2024 when a $200 AVR updates itself over the internet is kind of silly.  Mac gear is expensive but compared to other high end brands, it’s not that expensive and still is a pretty good value.

I’m betting pre-Bose acquisition McIntosh products will hold up well on the resale market. It’s a known entity with associated quality & sound.

Private equity groups do this all the time. Pay big $$, over leverage, and then sell for bigger $$$. Economies of scale can be done without affecting quality. Of course, prices will go up to help Bose recoup some of its investment.