AfterDawn: News

Beats looking to get out of its partnership with HTC

In 2011, smartphone maker HTC purchased 50 percent of Beats Audio for $300 million. Beats is now looking to get completely out of that deal.

Beats makes headphones and audio software for mobile and desktop devices.



The WSJ reported that Beats is looking to get out of their partnership, which is down to 25 percent since Beats bought back half of what they sold earlier this year for $150 million.

Sources claim Beats is now "looking to bring in a new investor to provide fresh funds for growth."

Beats has seen great success over the last three years, while HTC has floundered. Beats is said to have revenue near $1 billion, and a 59 percent market share in the U.S. premium headphone market. HTC has had nearly two years of falling revenue and profits.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Aug 2013 20:30

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• 13 comments

• PraisesToAllah

  a smack in the face for HTC

  19.8.2013 22:09 #1

• Bozobub

  Pff. "Beats Audio" is overpriced trash, much like SkullCandy.

  19.8.2013 22:33 #2

• DarthMopar

  Originally posted by Bozobub: Pff. "Beats Audio" is overpriced trash, much like SkullCandy. Been using Skull Candy for a long time. No complaints.
  
  Never been a fan of Beats, though. Seems like half the price you pay is for the name only.
  

  20.8.2013 10:30 #3

• A5J4DX

  Originally posted by DarthMopar: Originally posted by Bozobub: Pff. "Beats Audio" is overpriced trash, much like SkullCandy. Been using Skull Candy for a long time. No complaints.
  
  Never been a fan of Beats, though. Seems like half the price you pay is for the name only. true...just the name...
  

  20.8.2013 14:23 #4

• Bozobub

  SkullCandy consistently rates low-to-middling in audiophile reviews, yet charges middling-to-premium prices. I can't stand them any more than I can stand "Beats Audio". I can easily get better headphones and other comparable gear for (quite literally) half the price.

  20.8.2013 16:12 #5

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by A5J4DX: Originally posted by DarthMopar: Originally posted by Bozobub: Pff. "Beats Audio" is overpriced trash, much like SkullCandy. Been using Skull Candy for a long time. No complaints.
  
  Never been a fan of Beats, though. Seems like half the price you pay is for the name only. true...just the name... Beats is kinda pointless...at least SkullCandy has a cool icon on all their stuff (and to be fair, empty skulls have no eardrums so SkullCandy is just fine). Of course the audio quality is shoddy at best and they are extremely uncomfortable, and the generic headphones at your local gas station are probably better in both areas...but the kind of people who actually go for such items generally don't care...and those who do care don't buy anything less than klipsch, in spite of the ugly logo and hard to pronounce name.
  
  I would say that Beats is the Paris Hilton of the audio world...but that would imply that they were spawned from something decent like a nice hotel chain or something.
  

  
  

  20.8.2013 19:51 #6

• Mrguss

  Out of 10:
  5 = Skullcandy Mix Master (too noisy)
  6 = Beats Audio Pro (good bass only)
  7 = Sony MDR-V700 $149
  10 = Pioneer HDJ-2000
  

  +5000

  21.8.2013 16:30 #7

• hearme0

  Originally posted by Bozobub: Pff. "Beats Audio" is overpriced trash, much like SkullCandy. And the truth will set you free!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Beats Audio, high priced for run-of-the-mill product.

  22.8.2013 13:22 #8

• Bozobub

  I get better sound out of a bullshit $20 (or so) pair of Philips headphones than I get out of any Beats Audio or SkullCandy product I've seen, so far. SkullCandy does have the "design aesthetic" win, I suppose, but if I gave a crap about aesthetics over performance, I'd own a Mac =p ...

  22.8.2013 14:20 #9

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by Bozobub: I get better sound out of a bullshit $20 (or so) pair of Philips headphones than I get out of any Beats Audio or SkullCandy product I've seen, so far. SkullCandy does have the "design aesthetic" win, I suppose, but if I gave a crap about aesthetics over performance, I'd own a Mac =p ... Apple...design aesthetic? Really? Everything they make looks like a fake toy knock-off for kids (and generally only have slightly more performance).
  

  
  

  22.8.2013 19:15 #10

• Bozobub

  Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by Bozobub: I get better sound out of a bullshit $20 (or so) pair of Philips headphones than I get out of any Beats Audio or SkullCandy product I've seen, so far. SkullCandy does have the "design aesthetic" win, I suppose, but if I gave a crap about aesthetics over performance, I'd own a Mac =p ... Apple...design aesthetic? Really? Everything they make looks like a fake toy knock-off for kids (and generally only have slightly more performance). Sure, they have a unifying aesthetic. That's exactly what the Apploids are buying, after all. Whether or not you LIKE their aesthetic choices is something else entirely ^^' .

  22.8.2013 20:26 #11

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by Bozobub: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by Bozobub: I get better sound out of a bullshit $20 (or so) pair of Philips headphones than I get out of any Beats Audio or SkullCandy product I've seen, so far. SkullCandy does have the "design aesthetic" win, I suppose, but if I gave a crap about aesthetics over performance, I'd own a Mac =p ... Apple...design aesthetic? Really? Everything they make looks like a fake toy knock-off for kids (and generally only have slightly more performance). Sure, they have a unifying aesthetic. That's exactly what the Apploids are buying, after all. Whether or not you LIKE their aesthetic choices is something else entirely ^^' . Is that like the theory that all expensive furniture goes together to make a room, no matter what the design or color? I've seen such room setups...and they look like a high-end goodwill store. Just wondering...since the macbookpro clashes with itself, the new mac desktop looks like a shop-vac (that clashes with the screen that it comes with), and within 6 months the iPhone is going to be in at least half a dozen colors, including pastels that won't match anything except refrigerators from the 1950's.
  

  
  

  23.8.2013 17:08 #12

• aldan

  i think the word we are looking for here kb is "trendy".apple is "trendy".beats is "trendy".as long as there are people who fall for that crap they have a place in the market.
  

  24.8.2013 15:33 #13