# Bose buys Skullcandy to reach younger listeners

> Audio giant Bose acquires lifestyle headphone brand Skullcandy to access a customer base it has been missing, keeping the company independent in Park City, Utah.
- Title: Bose buys Skullcandy to reach younger listeners · WIRED
- Summary: Audio giant Bose acquires lifestyle headphone brand Skullcandy to access a customer base it has been missing, keeping the company independent in Park City…
- Keywords: bose, skullcandy, acquisition, audio equipment, headphones, consumer electronics, buys, reach, younger, listeners, WIRED
- Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/bose-acquires-skullcandy-october-2026
- Author: Harry Rabinowitz
- Published: 2026-10-21T20:15:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bose, skullcandy, acquisition, audio equipment, headphones, consumer electronics
## Bose acquires Skullcandy
Audio giant Bose announced on Wednesday it is acquiring Skullcandy, the lifestyle brand known for bass-heavy headphones. Skullcandy will remain separate within Bose's Premium Consumer Audio business and stay based in Park City, Utah.
## A year of collaboration first
Bose has worked with Skullcandy over the past year through its Sound by Bose licensing program.
## Skullcandy's strength and weakness
Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow told WIRED in July the twenty-three-year-old company excels at building community and culture around board sports.But he admitted it was not the greatest at the engineering part of innovation with products.

> the company wasn't "the greatest at the engineering part of innovation with products."
## Why Bose wants Skullcandy's reach
Bose CEO Lila Snyder says Skullcandy gives the company access to a customer base it is largely missing with the Bose brand.

> "Skullcandy gives us access to a customer base that we think we're largely missing with the Bose brand."
## What comes next for Skullcandy
Recent collaborations have improved Skullcandy's reputation.WIRED rated the Method three sixty ANC earbuds eight out of ten.

> "It's the beginning of what we think we can do together."
## Key takeaway

Bose acquired Skullcandy on Wednesday to tap into the board sports community and younger consumers the audio giant says it largely misses with its own brand.