SOUND UNITED BUYS B&W

Sound United, a venture capital company that already owns Denon, Polk Audio, Marantz, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS and Boston Acoustics, has purchased Bowers & Wilkins.

“Sound United has a strong track record of enthusiastically protecting each of its brands’ unique identities and core competencies, and our approach with Bowers & Wilkins will be no different,” said Kevin Duffy, CEO at Sound United.

Duffy told Australian Hi-Fi Magazine that he believes Sound United’s entire product portfolio stands to benefit from the addition of Bowers & Wilkins. “This addition will in time translate into exciting new products, technologies and opportunities for our consumers, distributors, dealers, and all audio enthusiasts around the world.”

“This acquisition represents a new era for Bowers & Wilkins and offers a fresh opportunity for us to focus on what we do best, which is building the industry’s finest loudspeakers,” said Geoff Edwards, CEO of Bowers & Wilkins, who will continue in his role into the future. “We’re looking forward to becoming a part of the industry’s strongest portfolio of the world’s premium audio brands.”

The acquisition includes all worldwide third-party distribution and licensing agreements under which Bowers & Wilkins products are currently sold. Sound United is a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners. (Pictured above is one of B&W’s new Signature 702 Loudspeakers.)

For more information, contact Bowers & Wilkins (Australia) on (02) 9196 8990 or visit www.bowerswilkins.com/en-au