Sound United announced the acquisition of Onkyo’s home audio division, which includes the Onkyo, Pioneer, Pioneer Elite and Integra brands. Way back in Copper #28, Industry News announced the acquisition by Sound United of the Denon, Marantz and Boston Acoustics brands from the D+M Group. Subsequently, Sound United acquired Classe’, as well.
You may recall that Gibson formerly had a complicated interest in the Onkyo brands, including partial ownership and US distribution—but that arrangement went away with Gibson’s bankruptcy, leaving the Onkyo brands somewhat adrift in the US and some other markets. Keeping track of who owns what, where has become ever more complicated; last summer, Onkyo sold its European manufacturing and distribution assets to Austrian group Aquipa GmbH.
There’s been no specific mention of the fate of associated brands TEAC, Esoteric, and TAD. We’ll report more as we learn it.
As DEI Holdings—owner of Sound United and other groups—gets deeper and deeper into the world of hi-fi, another holding company has sold its interests in the field. Back in 2005, the Minneapolis-based private equity group Shoreview Industries purchased controlling interest in Paradigm from founder Scott Bagby; Bagby and Shoreview acquired MartinLogan, not long after.
Scott and his brother John Bagby just purchased Paradigm, MartinLogan, and Anthem from Shoreview, which no longer has any holdings in audio.
