After multiple partnership projects, Bose acquires US audio brand Skullcandy; CEO Lila Snyder says it will give the company access to…

​Bose has acquired American audio brand Skullcandy. The purchase follows a partnership through which Skullcandy released several headphones and earbuds using Bose audio technology. The company has confirmed that Skullcandy will remain a separate brand within Bose’s Premium Consumer Audio business and continue operating from Park City, Utah. However, Bose did not disclose how much it paid for the company, which it acquired from a fund managed by Connecticut-based private investment firm Mill Road Capital Management. The deal adds a younger, generally less expensive audio brand to Bose’s portfolio while extending its reach into communities associated with board sports, music, gaming, and fitness.“Skullcandy gives us access to a customer base that we think we’re largely missing with the Bose brand,” CEO Lila Snyder told Wired. Bose plans to give Skullcandy greater access to its audio technology, business resources, retail relationships, and global distribution network. However, the company said Skullcandy would retain the freedom to develop products that reflect its existing identity and customers.Bose and Skullcandy worked together before the acquisitionThe companies began their product partnership in 2025 with the Method 360 ANC earbuds. Skullcandy designed the earbuds, and Bose supplied and tuned the audio components as part of its Sound by Bose licensing program.Skullcandy followed up in July 2026 with the Crusher 1080 ANC headphones, which combine the company’s adjustable bass system with Bose noise-cancellation and spatial audio technology. At IFA Berlin, Skullcandy also displayed the Noise Master Buds Open.Earlier products let both companies test how Bose technology could work with Skullcandy’s design style and lower pricing before the acquisition.“We believe this is a win for Skullcandy and our fans,” Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow said. He added that the deal would bring Bose’s audio expertise and technology into more Skullcandy products.Why Bose wants Skullcandy’s customersBose is known for premium headphones and speakers, including its QuietComfort range. Skullcandy sells products at lower prices and has built its brand around younger buyers and communities connected to skating, snowboarding, gaming and music.Snyder said Skullcandy would remain in Park City because the Utah city is closely linked to boardsports culture. Keeping the company there is meant to preserve its connections with athletes and customers, rather than moving it to Bose’s operations in Massachusetts.“As a privately held company, we have the freedom to make bold, long-term investments in opportunities we believe in, and Skullcandy is a great example of that,” Snyder said in the acquisition statement.Skullcandy is Bose’s third acquisition of 2026Bose bought StreamUnlimited Engineering in June. The Vienna-based company develops software and hardware modules used in streaming and connected audio products. Bose said that the purchase would help place its audio technology in more third-party devices and smart-home systems.On October 1, Bose acquired Firelight Technologies, the Australian company behind FMOD, an audio-software platform used by game developers. Skullcandy is its third acquisition of the year.The company also owns McIntosh and Sonus Faber through its earlier purchase of McIntosh Group. Those brands occupy the high-end audio market, while Skullcandy gives Bose a presence at more accessible prices. The company has not announced any new products resulting from the acquisition yet.​You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.