Harman To Acquire B&W, Denon, Polk And Marantz From Masimo In $350 Million Deal

[mhardy6647]

interesting, thanks. I assume that includes sugar alcohols?

Yes, but (and we're getting a little in the weeds here, vis-a-vis the Harman/Samsung acquisition ), in my case, that's mostly due to the old (but still quite useful) analytical trick of using alkaline-catalyzed beta-elimination with concomitant reduction of the reducing terminus using sodium borohydride to specifically release and recover (in an alkaline-stable form) the so-called O-linked oligosaccharides - as alditols - from glycoconjugates.

Simple sugar alcohols and other, relatively simple nonreducing sugars (e.g, trehalose) are sometimes used as excipients in pharmaceutical formulations, but I ain't a formulation kind of guy...

 

[alvigg]

Sound united (or whatever the new name is) indicates all AVR's with 4 sub outs will support Dirac ART later this year.

 

[techsamurai]

Sound united (or whatever the new name is) indicates all AVR's with 4 sub outs will support Dirac ART later this year.

Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or an irrelevant thing?

I honestly can't decide I own a Denon 4800h which I bought for $1,400 on sale and powering externally with my old AVR. I can definitely understand that those with AV10/AMP10 combos will probably spend the money on a non-transferable licence for Dirac ART but for most Marantz and Denon folks it's probably an extra reason to consider the Sonos Arc Ultra.

 

[techsamurai]

Absolutely game-changing in the bass and lower mid frequencies.

So you added DLBC to the 4800h with 2 subs and it was a game changer compared to straight up Dirac?

 

[Arc78]

Most people are happy with the sound their TV speakers offer. They don't want to clutter up the house with speaker boxes and gear. They also like the simplicity of no soundbar or anything else to connect. The housing market compounds the issue, as it's impacting space availability and free cash. AVR's don't have a lot of new customers beating down their doors. I think your son is in the majority.

How can they the sound from a flat screen is just horrible and just pale. I rather have a cheaper screen and good sound. The sound do everything to the experience. How is it missed? Special by the young audience. When I have not good audio I rather wait with good movies or series not to spoil them with TV speaker.

 

[mhardy6647]

Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or an irrelevant thing?

Good question! I was somewhere between perplexed and flummoxed about the four subwoofers...

 

[Arc78]

Sound united (or whatever the new name is) indicates all AVR's with 4 sub outs will support Dirac ART later this year.

If that happens it’s more than I could have ever dreamed of! I bought a x4800h a few weeks a go for 1400$ haven’t unboxed yet.., but if I could buy DIRAC art license for that… it would be just unbelievable value for that investment.
That system will be great 10 years from now with my NAD m25… hope hope hope!

 

[Steve Dallas]

So you added DLBC to the 4800h with 2 subs and it was a game changer compared to straight up Dirac?

I don't think I said that. I think I said the exact opposite in the Denon / DLBC thread and posted measurements. It was probably a waste of money in my setup, as DL alone performed almost as well.

Straight up Dirac is a game changer compared to nothing or even rudimentary EQ tools. But then, so is Audyssey.

 

[amper42]

If you look at the Stock price for MASI since the May 12, 2025 Sound United fire sale it certainly isn't showing a rally in progress. MASI gave Harman a smoking deal.

 

[Arc78]

Well I think that Harman once was in to hifi in the early 20ies they sold home cinema equipment with great quality even separates as I remember.
I owned one which sounded far better than Yamaha equivalent around 2000…
Today they are like a shell, they have nothing of value if that happens to Denon and B&W it will be a huge set back and enormous loss for all hifi industry.
After going through the market carefully nothing could match the functionality and value of the Denon receivers today… and B&W even if they last 10 years changed their sound for the worse they still produce and invent great sounding beautiful speakers…they gave me my first hifi experience…
Classe and those sort of producers are too much niche to really affect the market in the same way…
Samsung have not been a good owner to its brands, I think they just absorb the Know how unfortunately. I think Chinese owner would have been much better…

 

[EJ3]

In the future, we will spend less time in cars rather than more.

Perhaps less time in city traffic. But for me, much more time driving to places to see, over-landing and boating (both in the USA & elsewhere on this planet).
Unfortunately I have to rip the integrated stereos out now to get the great & loud sound that I expect to have around me when I am no IN the vehicle.
Top open & stereo for the area that I am in (sometimes, not all the time) but I want the option.
Maybe build it into a truck bed & tow a trailer for my gear.

 

[EJ3]

Yep, that's my read, too.

In addition, entertainment is more personal -- gaming PCs, people watching movies on computers / iPads, etc. Full blown home theatre systems with multiple channels around the room are a dying breed.

In our house, we barely use the TV at all. So little that we don't even have a soundbar. We just use the crappy built-in speakers.

I run my oPPo 205 UDP through the TV & the 2 .2 channel stereo. No streaming from anywhere & use it sparingly.
But I play lots of stuff from my TT, CD's, etc & just have the music on a lot.

 

[Oddball]

Good question! I was somewhere between perplexed and flummoxed about the four subwoofers...

I think that was always expected and they used the 4 subwoofers to note it applies to 3800H and Cinema whatever model and above. Getting ART all in software and hardware on 3800H for less than $2K will be amazing.

 

[techsamurai]

I don't think I said that. I think I said the exact opposite in the Denon / DLBC thread and posted measurements. It was probably a waste of money in my setup, as DL alone performed almost as well.

Straight up Dirac is a game changer compared to nothing or even rudimentary EQ tools. But then, so is Audyssey.

Sorry, you're right. Thanks for clarifying for my benefit and others'.

 

[techsamurai]

If you look at the Stock price for MASI since the May 12, 2025 Sound United fire sale it certainly isn't showing a rally in progress. MASI gave Harman a smoking deal.

Well, the same leadership is probably still there that made the Sound United Decision. They can easily make more decisions like this one.

 

[watchnerd]

I run my oPPo 205 UDP through the TV & the 2 .2 channel stereo. No streaming from anywhere & use it sparingly.
But I play lots of stuff from my TT, CD's, etc & just have the music on a lot.

We don’t have an optical disk player any more

 

[techsamurai]

I think that was always expected and they used the 4 subwoofers to note it applies to 3800H and Cinema whatever model and above. Getting ART all in software and hardware on 3800H for less than $2K will be amazing.

I almost wonder how many people who own a 3800H have 4 subs and will purchase ART? Do they automatically get selected to celebrate on a podium with champagne?

 

[Oddball]

Well, the same leadership is probably still there that made the Sound United Decision. They can easily make more decisions like this one.

Not really, they have changed the leadership due to SU affair.

 

[Oddball]

I almost wonder how many people who own a 3800H have 4 subs and will purchase ART? Do they automatically get selected to celebrate on a podium with champagne?

Sorry but not sure why so sarcastic and interpreting posts of other people in the way they were not worded?

If you read my post, you will get to a very different conclusion than you did. ART of course will work with 1 sub, or no subs at all if you have appropriate speakers - and is as of now exclusive to Storm that starts at $16K, but you easily get to $20K with the "necessary" options.

 

[techsamurai]

Not really, they have changed the leadership due to SU affair.

Well, I have to say that it's impressive that B&W, Marantz, and Denon have managed to launch so many products over the past 3 years considering the turmoil.