In the world of hi-fi and home cinema, many brands have been around for quite a while. To the point, some of the heavy-hitters we cover are significantly older than What Hi-Fi?, which, in case you missed it, is turning 50 this year.
This is why many of us assume certain household names are here to stay. At least that's what we thought until 2026 rolled around and three key events occurred that could spell trouble – or lead the way to a brighter future – for some of the industry's biggest names.
Article continues belowHi-fi high jinks
Starting with what’s going on in hi-fi, the most recent news is that Belgium firm Barco is set to buy VerVent Audio.
Not heard of either? Neither had I until a grey cell fired off, reminding me VerVent is the relatively new parent company of Focal and Naim.
And then alarm bells went off when a quick bit of research reminded me that Barco is mainly known for its presence in the healthcare industry and commercial AV markets, and certainly not hi-fi. Think giant screens for immersive museum installations, cinemas and stadium-level events, rather than two-channel separates.
The CEO of Barco, An Steegen, was eager to tell press and investors that the purchase is intended to help it “shape the future of immersive audiovisual experiences”, and that both brands will continue to operate in the consumer space. But even then, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of concern.
First, because the statement clearly stated the focus was on growing “integrated solutions where image and sound reinforce each other seamlessly”.
Pessimistic soul that I am, this sounds like the aforementioned museums and stadiums rather than home hi-fi, which is of course where Focal and Naim have such strong pedigree.
We’ve contacted both Naim and Focal for more information on this point, but haven’t heard back at the time of writing. And in truth, it’s likely too early for people at those brands to know Barco's plans – these acquisitions tend to take a while to roll out.
This news comes on the back of Harman International completing its purchase of Masimo’s audio brands in September 2025.
That deal had us worrying for the future of the brands affected – Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Denon, Marantz and Polk Audio, to name a few.
All told, there's a lot of uncertainty in the hi-fi world.
Home cinema havoc
And how about in the home cinema world? Here we have two other big shifts.
Last month we covered the Panasonic 2026 TV launch event in Germany and we expected it to follow a familiar script: journalists turn up, company executives brief media, new products are announced, we share all the news with you, the readers.
Except it didn’t go down that way. Instead, Lewis Empson, our TV and AV writer, was greeted by an emptier showroom than normal. And a bunch of people with Skyworth branding were on stage with Panasonic. And it turned out for good reason.
The Chinese firm is buying Panasonic’s TV business. This means that apart from the single new OLED this year, the Z85C, Skyworth will be responsible for the R&D, production and sales of Panasonic TVs going forward.
Yes, Skyworth has made TVs before, but for people like me who remember Panasonic in its plasma heyday, this is a big change. And it's not the only one we've had this year.
Back in January we had the bombshell announcement from Sony that it had reached an agreement to sell a 51 per cent stake in its home entertainment business to TCL. Marketed as a “strategic partnership”, the concrete details of how the arrangement will work remain unknown.
But the early announcement confirmed TCL will oversee "the full process from product development and design to manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service for products including televisions and home audio equipment".
That, in theory, includes Sony’s OLED business, which has had multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winners, including the Sony Bravia 8 and Sony Bravia 8 II, in recent years.
Given TCL’s past insistence that Mini LED is better than OLED, the move has set off more than a few alarm bells among the What Hi-Fi? team.
Be like Brian
So what do all these changes mean for regular consumers, who just want to buy the best possible TV or hi-fi products?
It’s way too early to tell. During the 50 years of What Hi-Fi?'s existence we’ve seen acquisitions like this plenty of times before, and some have been positive for the brands involved, others less so.
The only thing we know for certain right now is that big changes to the home cinema and hi-fi market are coming.
Which is why, for now, while I wait for more information and the firm’s involved to offer concrete answers to the questions we’ve sent (which they may well not know right now either), I’ve decided to take a page out of the playbook of my favourite prophet, Brian.
Specifically, to always look at the bright side of life, and hope that the changes will be positive until I get clear evidence to the contrary. After all, we certainly don't want to lose any more legendary AV brands.
MORE:
These are the best OLED TVs we’ve reviewed
Our picks of the best floorstanding speakers
We rank the best hi-fi systems
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