German TV maker Loewe is taking over French speaker-specialist Cabasse in order to supercharge its own audio offerings.
Cabasse’s speakers are best described as French fancies: swirling designs such as The Pearl and La Sphère Evo with audiophile-grade sound to match. But it does make more affordable products, too, such as the Swell portable speaker and the Pearl Akoya.
Loewe is best known for its high-end designer-y TVs such as the Stellar, but it also makes headphones, soundbars, multi-room speakers, radios and, er, coffee machines. It is also rolling out its TVs in the US market.
With a similar focus on aesthetics, the two brands seem well matched. The deal is a “strategic partnership” which will see Cabasse continue to operate independently under its own name.
Loewe will invest in Cabasse’s “talent, infrastructure and product development” while providing some sales and marketing heft. Because of its wider range of products, Loewe is the better known of the two brands outside hi-fi circles.
Loewe will also acquire Cabasse’s proprietary technology, including its loudspeaker designs, digital-signal processing (DSP) and portfolio of patents. Loewe will use these to “develop a new generation of high-end audiovisual products” under its own name.
Expect luxury home cinema and multi-room systems, wireless speakers, “advanced customisation and sound optimisation technologies” and Cabasse’s acoustic calibration technology to be found in Loewe’s audio products.
“Joining Loewe marks a new chapter in our history,” said Arnaud Hendoux, Cabasse’s deputy CEO. “We will continue to innovate from [our HQ in] Brest, true to our heritage, while benefitting from a powerful international platform to accelerate our development.”
Loewe’s audio products have kept a fairly low profile in the UK so far. Can this acquisition propel it into the same league as Marantz, Audio Pro, Bowers & Wilkins, Wharfedale and KEF? We’ll have to wait and see.
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