Harman has officially completed its US$350 million acquisition of Masimo Consumer, raising questions over how the two businesses will be restructured in Australia — and whether local distributor Ambertech could lose some premium Harman brands in the process.

The deal hands Harman control of iconic names including Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS, and Boston Acoustics. Combined with existing Harman-owned brands such as AKG, Arcam, Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel, the Samsung-owned company now commands up to 60% of the Australian audio market, creating a powerhouse portfolio under one roof.

Dave Rogers, President of Harman’s Lifestyle Division, (seen above) stressed that brand integrity remains a top priority.

“Maintaining the core identity of each brand is imperative,” he said, adding that Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, and others will continue to operate as separate entities.

Rogers confirmed that the former Sound United portfolio — now part of Harman — will be independently managed with its own sales force, supply chain, and customer service, though closely aligned with Harman’s consumer audio division.

From Masimo Back to Audio Specialists

The Masimo Consumer brands were previously acquired by health technology company Masimo for US$1.2 billion in 2020. However, the healthcare giant quickly discovered that running an audio business was far more challenging than expected.

Rogers revealed that Harman had shown interest during those original discussions:

“When Masimo bought them, we were in the discussion at that point. They stepped in, made the offer, and we stepped away. At the time, we believed they had significantly overpaid.”

He added that fresh talks began at CES 2025, ultimately leading to the purchase earlier this year.

Leveraging Global Strengths

Looking ahead, Rogers flagged potential integration in manufacturing and engineering. Facilities in Japan (Denon and Marantz) and the UK (Bowers & Wilkins’ Worthing plant) could be leveraged to improve production efficiency and innovation.

“We’d look to create a dialogue between engineers, sharing best-in-class knowledge, testing, and ideas. Facilities are open to share — there are no hard lines between them,” Rogers said.

In Australia, Harman Consumer is led by Marcus Fry, while John Martin recently took over the Masimo Consumer business following Phil Newton’s retirement.

Brand Identities to Remain Intact

Despite speculation about overlapping portfolios, Harman insists it will retain and differentiate brands rather than cut them. Rogers argues that each label appeals to distinct audiences across regions, pointing to the unique sonic signatures of UK-based Bowers & Wilkins, US-oriented Polk and Revel, and horn-driven JBL.

“We are very committed to unique brand identities and heritages. We don’t want to homogenise. Each brand has a special place, especially in the high-end market.”

Rogers also sees opportunities for cross-pollination of expertise, such as collaboration between JBL and Bowers engineers or between Arcam’s UK team and Denon’s Japanese designers.

While the Australian distribution landscape remains uncertain, Harman’s expanded portfolio now positions it as the dominant player in premium audio — and local restructuring is widely expected in the months ahead.