Key things to know:
- Bose Professional has acquired Fulcrum Acoustic, effective Aug. 5, 2026.
- Fulcrum keeps its own brand, team and daily operations, with no change for customers or partners.
- Founded in 2008, Fulcrum builds roughly 130 products, including designs with patented Passive Cardioid Technology and TQ processing.
- Fulcrum systems are installed at NRG Stadium and the Rose Bowl.
- Design and manufacturing stay in Whitinsville, Mass.
- This is the first acquisition since Bose Professional became independent in 2023.
- Bose Professional plans to rebrand as 802 LABS in February 2027, with Fulcrum continuing as a distinct brand.
What Did Bose Professional Announce?
Bose Professional announced the acquisition of Fulcrum Acoustic, effective immediately as of Aug. 5, 2026. Fulcrum is a Massachusetts-based maker of high-performance loudspeakers, amplifiers and immersive audio systems. The company will continue to operate as an independent organization under its own brand, and Fulcrum customers and partners can expect continuity across products, support, service and business relationships.
Who Is Fulcrum Acoustic?
Fulcrum Acoustic is a performance audio company founded in 2008 by Stephen Siegel, Dave Gunness and Chris Alfiero. The company builds loudspeakers around a distinct engineering approach: treating digital signal processing as a core design ingredient from the start. That philosophy runs through a catalog of roughly 130 products, including coaxial point-source designs, patented Passive Cardioid Technology and the company’s TQ processing.
Fulcrum products are specified in stadiums and arenas, performing arts centers, houses of worship, theaters and clubs worldwide. Recent installations include Houston’s NRG Stadium and the Rose Bowl.
Every product is designed and built by hand in Whitinsville, Mass.
Why Did Bose Professional Acquire Fulcrum?
Bose Professional acquired Fulcrum to add nearly two decades of performance audio expertise, along with immersive audio and active acoustics technology. The deal puts the scale, resources and global distribution of Bose Professional behind the Fulcrum brand, extending its products into more markets.
“We’ve admired Fulcrum for years, the products of course, but also the way their team approaches the customer experience,” says John Maier, chief executive officer of Bose Professional. “They’ve earned one of the most respected names in performance audio the honest way: great engineering, and a habit of showing up for their customers. Our job now is to protect what makes Fulcrum special and put our full scale behind it, so more people around the world get to hear what this team can do.”
What Changes for Fulcrum Customers and Partners?
Nothing changes for Fulcrum customers and partners. The team, the products and day-to-day operations stay the same. Product lines, specification resources, support and channel relationships remain in place, and design and manufacturing continue in Whitinsville.
“From our first conversations, it was clear Bose Professional understood what Fulcrum is and why it works,” says Stephen Siegel, co-founder and president of Fulcrum Acoustic. “Our customers choose Fulcrum for the engineering, the craft, and the way we stand behind our work, none of that changes. Now we get to bring that work to a global audience at a much faster pace than we could on our own.”
What Does the Deal Mean for Fulcrum’s Engineering Work?
The company says its engineering work continues in Whitinsville, with the same standards and the same people. The company’s founders see the added resources as a way to pursue ideas that were previously out of reach.
“I’ve spent my career chasing the same problem: making loudspeakers behave the way physics says they shouldn’t,” says Dave Gunness, co-founder of Fulcrum Acoustic. “That work continues in Whitinsville, same bench, same standards. And a few ideas that have been waiting in my notebook for years just became possible.”
How Does This Fit Bose Professional’s Broader Plans?
Fulcrum is the first company to join Bose Professional since it became independent in 2023. Bose Professional recently announced it will transition to a new brand, 802 LABS, beginning in February 2027.
During that transition, Fulcrum Acoustic will continue as a distinct brand within the company, and customers and partners of both companies can expect continuity across products, support, service and business relationships.
