Audio Video News

Harman International, the Samsung-owned powerhouse behind JBL, Harman Kardon, Mark Levinson, Revel, and Arcam, has agreed to buy Masimo’s Sound United division for $350 million in cash. If regulators sign off, the sale should close by the end of 2025—just three years after Masimo stunned the market by paying roughly $1.0 billion for the very same collection of brands. For home-theater enthusiasts, the headline isn’t the price swing; it’s what happens when Denon and Marantz AV receivers, Polk Audio and Definitive Technology speakers, Bowers & Wilkins luxury models, Classé electronics, Boston Acoustics, and the HEOS multi-room platform all move under the same roof as Samsung TVs and Harman’s own audio lineup.

Movie-server specialist Kaleidescape has signed on as the newest member of the 8K Association (8KA), a trade group that promotes standards and best practices for ultra-high-definition video. The move places the California-based company alongside display makers, chipset suppliers, and content providers working to accelerate an 8K ecosystem.

Samsung has revealed pricing and availability details for its 2025 Neo QLED 8K TVs—led by the QN990F and QN900F series—as well as its updated flagship soundbar, the HW-Q990F. Having already announced the new sets’ advanced features and AI integration, Samsung is now sharing when and how much you can expect to pay to bring them home.

Bowers & Wilkins is stepping up its decade-long partnership with McLaren, becoming the official audio partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team. This expanded collaboration, initially established in 2015, previously focused solely on audio systems within McLaren's high-performance automotive division.

GoldenEar, which is known for making high-performance loudspeakers, is joining the Canadian parent business PML Sound International. This is a big deal for the high-end audio world. The audio industry already has some big names in this group: Paradigm, MartinLogan, and Anthem.

In a move that says as much about the state of the audio industry as it does about VOXX International’s strategic ambitions, Gentex Corporation is snapping up VOXX—including its crown jewels, Klipsch and Onkyo—for a mere $196 million. That’s not just VOXX, the company: that’s Premium Audio Company, VOXX’s high-end audio division, home to two of the most storied names in the audio world.

Apple’s upcoming tvOS 18.2 update for the Apple TV 4K brings a key enhancement for cinema enthusiasts: expanded aspect-ratio support, most notably 21:9. As reported by multiple sources, this update allows users with compatible projectors to view widescreen movies at their intended cinematic proportions.