Sennheiser

What they do

Sennheiser develops microphones, wireless audio systems, conference and education audio, and spatial audio tools for professional users. Fritz Sennheiser founded the company in 1945 with fellow engineers from the University of Hanover, initially as Laboratorium Wennebostel. It is still based in Wedemark, north of Hanover. The group also owns Georg Neumann GmbH, the Berlin studio microphone maker, acquired in 1991, and Merging Technologies, a Swiss audio specialist bought in 2022.

Why it matters

Sennheiser's microphones and wireless systems are standard equipment on stages, in broadcast studios and in theatres. Through Neumann, the group also owns one of the most respected names in studio recording: the U 87, introduced in 1967, is found in professional studios around the world. Sennheiser has increasingly concentrated on these professional markets. In March 2022 it completed the sale of its consumer headphones and earbuds business to the Swiss hearing aid group Sonova, which received a perpetual licence to use the Sennheiser name on consumer products.

Products to know

• Neumann U 87: the studio condenser microphone introduced in 1967.
• Wireless microphone systems: radio microphones for stage and broadcast.
• Dear Reality: spatial audio software, majority-owned since 2019.
• Business communication: audio for meeting rooms and lecture halls.

The German angle

Sennheiser is a family company now led by the founder's grandsons, Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser. Its decision to separate consumer audio and focus on professional engineering is typical of German Mittelstand strategy: retreat from mass markets where scale wins and concentrate on niches where precision commands a premium. Shoppers should note that Sennheiser-branded headphones are now a Sonova business, which announced in March 2026 that it plans to divest it.