ANALYSIS: PERSONAL AUDIO Home Entertainment


A symphony of sales: 30


Why the headphone market continues to rock on


Headphones remain the most buoyant category in the home audio market. Steve May looks at the


trends keeping the sector swinging, and highlights those brands striving for auditory perfection.


F


rom igniting workouts with adrenaline- pumping beats to transforming mundane commutes into private concerts, headphones have become the quintessential companions of


modern life – and it seems the market has yet to reach a crescendo. The worldwide retail value of the personal audio market was worth $52 billion in 2022, with headphone sales hitting 553 million units. According to Futursource, there’s more to come. The True Wireless Stereo (TWS) category continues to dominate, accounting for 340 million units of the overall market, with sales up 13 per cent year on year, some 62 per cent of the overall headphone market. Analyst Aishwarya Bhide says the importance of headphones in consumers’ lives and the increasing popularity of True Wireless models is largely responsible. Apple remains the powerhouse brand in the sector. Its AirPods Pro (2nd generation) have played a significant role in driving the growth of TWS, with Apple maintaining its global leadership position. Smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei, have also been particularly successful, says Mr Bhide.


Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is seen as a major feature benefit. True Wireless models with ANC grew from 28 per cent in 2021 to 40 per cent in 2022. This year, about 58 per cent of all TWS headphones are expected to include ANC, says Mr Bhide. Newer innovations, such as spatial audio


and binaural content, are also providing an uplift. In 2022, spatial audio-enabled headphones accounted for 24 per cent of the overall head-fi pie, with the True Wireless Stereo (TWS) category driving its adoption. Content support for the technology, which encompasses Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Sony’s 360 Reality audio, and Apple’s spatial audio, is growing fast. Apple Music’s Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos catalogue now has over 75 million fully immersive songs, and is listened to by over 80 per cent of its subscribers. Stephan


Lietz, Sennheiser Consumer


VP Global R&D, says Sennheiser has big expectations for spatial audio. “Content is a strong driver,” he remarks. “From our perspective, the main benefit is in the creation or restoration of an acoustic stage and the impression of being part of the music. Our products support spatial audio and binaural


A dynamic market According to Eduard van der Linde, Harman EMEA Senior Product Marketing Manager Headphones, Lifestyle Division, it’s essential for retailers to analyse their target audience and ensure they provide a diverse range of products catering to different needs and budgets.


rendered content, and we plan to add more exciting features in this area.” True Wireless earphones remain the largest market for Sennheiser, says Mr Lietz, but Bluetooth headband is growing quickly. “What matters is the experience that we provide to our users, and we want them to have the choice of form factors to select the best product for them. Our consumers are real music lovers, and we love to design products with that in mind, offering something that allows them to listen to music differently, deeply, and to hear every detail as it was intended by the artist.”


Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones


So what Sennheiser


products would


Mr Lietz advise retailers to focus on? “I’d definitely recommend our Momentum 4 Wireless headphones. These currently have the best combination of sound quality, ANC performance, comfort and ease of use, combined with an unrivalled 60 hours of battery life. Additionally, the Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds, powered by our TrueResponse transducer technology, deliver exceptional sound that can be customised with a Sound Personalisation feature to create the most unique and custom listening experience.”


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