Sound United Acquires D&M Group (Denon,Marantz, boston)

[gene]

Sound United LLC, parent company to Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, and Polk BOOM, today announced it has completed the acquisition of the D+M Group, owner of the Denon, HEOS by Denon, Marantz, and Boston Acoustics brands. The D+M Group is the largest supplier of audio/video receivers worldwide and a leader in wireless multi-room audio. Sound United is the largest supplier of loudspeakers in North America and a leading supplier of sound bars and wireless music systems. For now, no immediate changes are planned for the brands, but what direction will this eventually take them? Only time or a lucky person with access to a DeLorean with flux capactitors can tell.

Read: Sound United Acquires D&M Group (Denon,Marantz, Boston)

 

[smurphy522]

I'm guessing the direction they will all be taken (though likely most all production is there already) is Far East Asia.

 

[Bucknekked]

Only time or a lucky person with access to a DeLorean with flux capactitors can tell.

Read: Sound United Acquires D&M Group (Denon,Marantz, Boston)

I have spent a lot of time working for a living in the corporate world. Music is my escape from most of that.
Gloom and doom is the first reaction to news like this because its so easy to point out all the other mergers and acquisitions that took formerly good companies and they end up gutted with sanitized products.

I don't think that's what I would prognosticate here. I think I share the opinion that only time will tell what the outcome will be. Audio is such a niche market and what these companies have been able to do with their own prior mergers and acquisitions demonstrates they understood how make it work once already. Hopefully, the survivors in the new companies love what they do enough to keep focused and keep their products distinctive and improving.

 

[TLS Guy]

D & M has been in trouble for a while now. It has been loosing money and only secured hand to mouth temporary financing. It was showing is QA and I think design.

The last AV pre pro I bought for Eagan, has a bug that prevents it delivering 2.1. So I have to run 3.1.

I spoke with one of their engineers when I bought it several years ago. He admitted they were short of funds, and said they had no plans to fix it and they never have.

So if D & M are properly financed things will hopefully improve.

 

[Diesel57]

D & M has been in trouble for a while now. It has been loosing money and only secured hand to mouth temporary financing. It was showing is QA and I think design.

The last AV pre pro I bought for Eagan, has a bug that prevents it delivering 2.1. So I have to run 3.1.

I spoke with one of their engineers when I bought it several years ago. He admitted they were short of funds, and said they had no plans to fix it and they never have.

So if D & M are properly financed things will hopefully improve.

I hope so, because what comes to mind is the business transaction with Onkyo and Pioneer which I don't have any idea if Pioneer's name or the quality of the product has been impacted...

 

[Stanton]

Here's a hot sports opinion for ya'll:
I predict D+M will only be D (or M) within 3 years; Yamaha has been eating their lunch on the multi-channel side and there's still plenty of 2-channel (and esoteric amplifier) competition. The parent/holding company has demonstrated they know good quality when they see it (I have been a Polk owner/fan for over 30 years), and I think the long-term attraction of the D+M purchase was (International) sales channel expansion.

 

[bpassman]

Interesting news....As a business guy, I'm sure they'll look to streamline support, manufacturing and other support functions. But, time will tell if they can maintain so so many different brands and create the value their investors are looking for.

 

[mr sarnoff]

I'm guessing the direction they will all be taken (though likely most all production is there already) is Far East Asia.

Sound United LLC, parent company to Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, and Polk BOOM, today announced it has completed the acquisition of the D+M Group, owner of the Denon, HEOS by Denon, Marantz, and Boston Acoustics brands. The D+M Group is the largest supplier of audio/video receivers worldwide and a leader in wireless multi-room audio. Sound United is the largest supplier of loudspeakers in North America and a leading supplier of sound bars and wireless music systems. For now, no immediate changes are planned for the brands, but what direction will this eventually take them? Only time or a lucky person with access to a DeLorean with flux capactitors can tell.

Read: Sound United Acquires D&M Group (Denon,Marantz, Boston)

Samsung bought Harmon intl. in its entirety and all the broad market and spendy brands there ,less competition = higher prices

 

[mr sarnoff]

Interesting news....As a business guy, I'm sure they'll look to streamline support, manufacturing and other support functions. But, time will tell if they can maintain so so many different brands and create the value their investors are looking for.

true and ,less competition = higher prices

 

[mr sarnoff]

Interesting news....As a business guy, I'm sure they'll look to streamline support, manufacturing and other support functions. But, time will tell if they can maintain so so many different brands and create the value their investors are looking for.

true and less competition = maybe higher prices

 

[mr sarnoff]

D & M has been in trouble for a while now. It has been loosing money and only secured hand to mouth temporary financing. It was showing is QA and I think design.

The last AV pre pro I bought for Eagan, has a bug that prevents it delivering 2.1. So I have to run 3.1.

I spoke with one of their engineers when I bought it several years ago. He admitted they were short of funds, and said they had no plans to fix it and they never have.

So if D & M are properly financed things will hopefully improve.

right D & M outside of Denon product *at the better model tiers holds little interest to me and Marantz never in its current state of decline going back to the genuine well regarded 1970's Marantz of Japan inc.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Whichever has better customer service (D or M) that's the one to keep. Just my 2 pesos worth.