Bose has acquired Skullcandy, adding the Park City, Utah-based audio brand to its premium consumer audio business while keeping it operationally separate. Announced October 21, the deal follows a multiyear technology partnership. Bose says it intends to invest in Skullcandy’s growth, combining its audio engineering and resources with Skullcandy’s established lifestyle brand and broader consumer reach.
Key takeaways
The deal brings together Bose’s audio technology and Skullcandy’s lifestyle-focused products, without folding the brands into one. Financial terms were not disclosed.
- Skullcandy will remain a separate brand headquartered in Park City.
- Bose plans to expand the brand’s access to its technology, resources and global distribution.
- Recent collaborations include the Method 360 ANC earbuds and Crusher 1080 ANC headphones.
A partnership becomes an acquisition
The companies had already worked together through Bose’s “Sound by Bose” program, which brought Bose audio technology to Skullcandy products. The Method 360 ANC earbuds launched in 2025, followed by the Crusher 1080 ANC headphones in July. Bose has also described head-tracking spatial audio and active noise cancellation among the technologies it has brought to these collaborations.
The acquisition formalizes that relationship and gives Skullcandy greater access to Bose’s engineering capabilities. For audio and gaming hardware buyers, the arrangement could mean more products combining Skullcandy’s styling and price positioning with technologies associated with Bose’s higher-end headphones. The companies have not announced specific upcoming products or prices.
Two brands with different audiences
Bose CEO Lila Snyder said Skullcandy can help Bose connect with consumers it currently reaches less effectively. Skullcandy’s presence in board sports and its lifestyle-oriented identity offer a contrast to Bose’s established premium positioning, particularly in noise-canceling headphones. Its products also give the combined business a more affordable option alongside Bose’s higher-priced devices.
Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow said the deal would give the company more ways to incorporate Bose expertise while allowing it to keep developing in line with its identity. Bose says Skullcandy will remain based in Park City, where it was founded in 2003.
What remains undisclosed
Bose acquired Skullcandy from a fund managed by Mill Road Capital Management. The companies have not released the purchase price or other financial terms, and have not detailed how the acquisition will affect staffing or specific product plans.
The move follows Bose’s 2024 acquisition of McIntosh Group, which owns luxury audio brands McIntosh Laboratory and Sonus Faber. With Skullcandy, Bose adds a brand positioned at a different point in the market. Whether that broader portfolio leads to new products for headphone, gaming and fitness audiences will become clearer as the companies announce what comes next.
Via Bose