MUMBAI: Since 1945, the name Sennheiser has stood for pioneering audio technology and passionate engineering. This year, the company is celebrating its 80th anniversary. At the same time as looking back on its history, Sennheiser reveals why this celebration is not about the number of years and more about what you learn for the future. The family-owned business is telling the stories behind its legendary products, bold decisions and the vision of building the future of audio.
For 80 years, the independent family-owned business Sennheiser has been building the future of audio. In June 1945, Dr. Fritz Sennheiser founded the Wennebostel laboratory in Wedemark near Hanover. What started out as an idea is now one of the world’s leading audio technology companies. “We live and breathe audio in everything we do. That’s what defines us. We are driven by a passion for creating unique sound experiences for our customers. Genuine, pure sound that you can not only hear, but also feel. This is why we have been building the future of audio for 80 years,” says Daniel Sennheiser, Co-CEO of the Sennheiser Group. “When we look back on our company history, it’s less about the number of years and more about what we have learned from the past for our future,” adds Dr. Andreas Sennheiser, Co-CEO of the Sennheiser Group. It’s about a journey full of exciting experiences, great curiosity, courageous decisions, but also product failures and, above all, a passion for sound. “Every product, every milestone, every challenge has shown us how we can build the future of audio – with new ideas that change the audio world.“
Sennheiser’s wireless technology is an impressive example of this. In 1957, the company together with a German broadcasting partner developed the first wireless microphone system for professional stage and TV use – it was a sensation. Since then, wireless microphones have become an integral part of radio and television – and music stars all over the world use products from the Wedemark at their concerts. In 2024, the next milestone in wireless technology is achieved: Sennheiser launches Spectera, a new bidirectional, digital, wireless broadband ecosystem. A system that once again completely redefines the world of wireless audio technology. A system that incorporates the expertise and experience of many years. A radical innovation, born of the courage to question the familiar. Then as now, one thing is the same – the system was developed together with customers.
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Creative dissatisfaction and room for crazy ideas
Fritz Sennheiser once put it in a nutshell: Engineers need room for crazy ideas. This spirit still characterizes Sennheiser today. Because true innovation is not created in the laboratory alone – it unfolds where there is room for the unconventional: on stages and in recording studios around the world. “Through our passion and creative dissatisfaction, we have repeatedly brought groundbreaking products to the market and redefined milestones in the audio world,” describes Andreas Sennheiser.
As early as 1947, the Wennebostel laboratory presented its first own microphone, the DM 2. This was followed by milestones such as the MD 421 (1960), which is still used in studios around the world today, and the HD 414 (1968), the first open headphones to revolutionize the listening experience. The HD 25 (1988) became an icon for professional monitoring and in clubs, the HD 800 (2009) set new standards for audiophile sound and the HE 1 (2015) reinterpreted the legendary Orpheus, the best headphones in the world. During this time, Sennheiser becomes an internationally successful brand: Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Jörg Sennheiser, the company opens numerous sales subsidiaries worldwide.
“Our products tell stories of people from all over the world – of DJs who went on tour with the HD 25, of journalists who captured voices with the MD 421, or of music lovers who discovered new worlds of sound with the HD 800,” explains Daniel Sennheiser. Sennheiser products have also been present at important historical moments and have captured words that have moved people around the world. “These stories are what bring our technology to life – because they show how sound can touch people.”
80 years of experience for the future
The successful products of the past are an important inspiration for the future, but also their toughest competitors. The balance between preserving legendary products and developing innovative technologies and solutions is the key to success. Because it is precisely this balance that has made Sennheiser relevant for more than 80 years. Research and development is and remains one of the most important strategic priorities of the Sennheiser Group. Every year more than 8 percent of turnover is invested in expanding the product portfolio, in new software solutions and in the intelligent combination of hardware and services. “The path to the future is never straightforward,” says Daniel Sennheiser. “That’s why this year we’re not only celebrating our successes, but also products that didn’t become milestones, that didn’t make it onto the market or were simply ahead of their time. “These products were often the starting point for our boldest developments. They show that Innovation is not a destination, but a path. And on this path, each of our products contains 80 years of experience, curiosity – and the will to constantly question the status quo,” continues Andreas Sennheiser.
An anniversary full of stories – and full of sound
You can discover these milestone products throughout this anniversary year on the Sennheiser website and social media channels. Here, Sennheiser will also be talking about its iconic products, with reports, interviews and background stories that provide behind the scenes insights into the company that has been building the world’s sound for 80 years.
