Logitech to acquire Ultimate Ears

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Logitech to acquire Ultimate Ears

Logitech has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Ultimate Ears for $34 million in cash. According to the announcement, the acquisition will allow Logitech to “expand its portfolio of digital audio products, providing more options for portable music listening.” “Ultimate Ears is a perfect fit for Logitech and our audio business,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and CEO. “Since its inception, Ultimate Ears has been driven by innovation, close ties to its customers, and the desire to enable an immersive audio experience. Logitech’s success has been built on using a deep understanding of our customers to create innovative products that let people immerse themselves in their pursuits—whether they are listening to music, gaming, watching a video or otherwise enjoying their digital lifestyle. We look forward to using our worldwide distribution network and operational efficiencies to help more people discover this superior listening experience.” The acquisition is expected to close in August.

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Comments

1

I was hoping to get a pair of ultimate ears in the near future. I hope this acquisition doesn’t affect the quality that I have heard Ultimate Ears is known for. That would be a said day for audiophiles everywhere.

Posted by Jeff Hebert on August 14, 2008 at 6:18 AM (PDT)

2

Maybe Logitech will acutally get Ultimate Ears to more closely compare to Shure earbuds. I personally own both the Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10 Pro’s and a pair of Shure SE530’s, and the Shures blow the Ultimate Ears out of the water in clarity, bass, and comfort, and even imaging. The only time I use the Ultimate Ears pair is when I am going to be listening to ALOT of Rap/Hip-Hop type of stuff b/c the bass they produce is a little bit deeper, but it is “unnatural” to someone that has trained ears or is a musician and knows how things are supposed to sound. The Shures are like listening to a high end pair of Martin Logan or Sonus Faber speakers, no matter what type of music you throw at them, everything that you listen to sounds “live,” like you are listening to the music in the studio as it is being produced.

Posted by Stephen on August 14, 2008 at 7:04 AM (PDT)

3

Logitech makes excellent peripherals and accessories, particularly for the iPod. I think it’s safe to say that this will not be a sad day for audiophiles—in fact, I would expect Ultimate Ears products to be even more appealing now.

Posted by Flippy Hambone on August 14, 2008 at 9:58 AM (PDT)

4

I’m ordering my custom fit UE-11s next week. I would imagine logitech will only be interested in the off-the-shelf UE products. I would expect the custom products to be untouched, as they are for professionals and audiophiles. Hopefully this acquisition will not affect UEs development of future custom products.

Posted by stadidas on August 14, 2008 at 11:16 AM (PDT)

5

I have both UE 10 & 11. These are amazing earphones. I hope Logitech doesn’t abandon the high part UEs business. In the past logitech has walked away from some of the products it has acquired.

Posted by Walt Milliken on August 14, 2008 at 9:57 PM (PDT)

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