Razer buys THX or undisclosed sum

THX announced it sold itself to peripheral maker Razer for an undisclosed sum. The company will continue to operate as an independent entity and will stick with its three lines of business: certification, optimizing other's systems (THX Live!) and using their core technologies in partner products (THX Inside).

There's not a whole lot of information about Razer's rational behind the decision to acquire THX, but a message from THX CEO Ty Ahmad-Taylor suggests there may be a couple of joint products with Razer, and hinted that THX wants to play a leadership role in the audio portion of virtual reality gaming.

THX announced today that Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, has acquired the majority of the assets of THX Ltd. and brought onboard the management and employees of the company. THX will continue to operate as an independent entity under its own management and apart from the ongoing business of its parent company. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Razer and THX share storied histories of commitment to excellence. The acquisition follows an active growing period for THX, which in recent months expanded its certification program to live entertainment and concert experiences. Under the new ownership, THX will maintain its core mission – to provide quality entertainment experiences in the cinema, in the home and on the go – while simultaneously being propelled into new categories in order to address evolving consumer needs.

"For over 30 years, THX has maintained a proud legacy of being one of the leaders in audio technology and certification worldwide," said Laurie Fincham, senior vice president of Audio Research and Development at THX. "With their focus on quality, design and innovation, Razer supports our vision to optimize and deliver the best audiovisual experiences to audiences worldwide."

Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan said, "Razer has a vision for innovation at every level of entertainment, a vision which THX has championed since its inception more than 30 years ago. This acquisition will allow us to reinforce Razer’s leadership in gaming and extend the brand into broader areas of entertainment, while at the same time empowering THX to develop into a global powerhouse, independently."

"Our focus has always been on ensuring that anyone can experience high quality entertainment, regardless of their medium of choice. With Razer, we can now continue to strengthen our core lines of business while delivering excellence for our customers’ ever-changing needs," said Ty Ahmad-Taylor, CEO of THX. "As a standalone company, THX will work with Razer but will primarily continue to service our partners in the industry in order to deliver great products to consumers."

THX certification programs are an assurance to consumers of uncompromised quality, as well as best-in-class performance and consistency, in order to truthfully deliver the artist’s vision to audiences around the globe. The THX certification program has since expanded to audio electronics, non-Internet-connected speakers, TVs, projectors, automotive audio systems and live entertainment. Moving forward, THX will focus on the expansion of its current certification program to include new technologies, such as immersive audio and HDR, and the introduction of whole new programs, such as headphone certification and, in the future, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality experiences and their enabling devices.