McIntosh makes nice products, maybe Bose wants McIntosh to help them get better.
Most people don’t realize that high end audio is an expensive niche hobby. The sell maybe a few hundred a year compared to lower level products that sell thousands. Only the older adults with $$$ buy high end. All the younger generation want to purchase Beats or Apple Airbuds all while they are saving up for a nice sports car.
I’ve taken some friends to CES and RMAF to hear nice sounding systems. Everyone system they heard they liked, but they never pursued any equipment. But some of them invested in home theater systems.