Bose has bought Skullcandy, but is it going to be good for its headphones business?
Bose has been splashing the cash… again
by Andy Madden · What Hi-Fi?
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It’s always interesting in the world of tech when one brand acquires another. The first questions to enter my head are usually “why did they do it”, “what is there to gain” and, perhaps more importantly, “what is there to lose” from any new arrangement?
Well, last week those questions were firmly on my mind following the news that Bose had dipped into the market to buy headphone manufacturer Skullcandy.
It’s an interesting move, but in recent years Bose has proved it isn’t afraid of raising an eyebrow or two. It was only a couple of years ago that it made a statement in hi-fi circles by acquiring the McIntosh Group and its brands (McIntosh, Sonus Faber and Sumiko) in one fell swoop. Bose’s move into luxury audio was huge news, and one nobody really saw coming.
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But now the company has been making moves in the opposite direction: more affordable audio. And when I think about it, I can completely understand why Bose would be interested in a brand like Skullcandy.
Head over to the Skullcandy website, and you’ll see some crossover with products and pricing, but its products are aimed at a younger demographic, with more splashes of colour and more variety when it comes to styles. Skullcandy’s range ends near where Bose’s QuietComfort offerings start, which gives a neat spread of products for prospective buyers to look at.
Not only that, but Skullcandy also has gaming headsets and budget wireless speakers in its product line-up, which are products you don’t tend to see from Bose.
What you might not know is that the two brands already had a relationship before this recent deal. It was a multi-year partnership which allowed Skullcandy to license some of its processing and ANC technology and stamp a ‘Sound By Bose’ label on some of its wireless headphones and earbuds.
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I’m really intrigued to see where this goes next. The press release sent out at the time of the deal said Skullcandy “will remain a separate brand within Bose’s Premium Consumer Audio business”, and I do hope this is the case.
Bose’s most recent headphones haven’t fared quite as well with our test team as previous generations, and I’ve been wondering out loud if its crown might even be starting to slip.
What I wouldn’t want is for Bose to take its eye off the ball and be distracted by its latest acquisition. We shall see…
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Is the crown starting to slip on Bose, the king of noise-cancelling headphones?
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Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) review