Sennheiser "discontinued" – some of the best headphones of all time at serious risk

A woman in a black jacket wearing Sennheiser HDB 630 headphones with trees and bushes blurred in the background — (Image credit: Sennheiser)

Quick Summary

Legendary audio manufacturer, Sennheiser, looks as though it could be on the rocks.

All signs point towards it being put up for sale.

The world of consumer audio looks set to be dealt a blow in the coming months. That's because legendary headphone manufacturer, Sennheiser, has had its operations discontinued by parent company, Sonova.

First, though, let's look at why the sale could be more complex than usual. As reported by Headphonesty, there's a lot of conjecture over the naming rights.

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Current owners, Sonova, own a perpetual license for the name, which was granted when the sale was closed. There's no word on whether or not that license can transfer to a new owner – if not, the Sennheiser family would have effective power over who the sale could be made to.

Of more practical importance to most people is the consumer side of what happens next. That's because the sale of the company could alter the way things like spare parts, repairs and warranties are handled.

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The worst case scenario would be a world where the brand is shut down altogether, making spares and repairs from the source all but impossible. It's a notion which will be concerning to those who already own products from the brand, and downright off-putting for anyone thinking of picking something up at the moment.

After all, if you have cash ready to spend – particularly the kind of cash reserved for a pair of decent headphones – you're going to want to invest in something solid. Fortunately for consumers, the market is filled with great options at a wide array of prices, which can be seen as alternatives for right now.

That won't do anything for the brand, though – every second counts in a sale like this, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a conclusion reached pretty swiftly.

Sam Cross is an award-winning journalist, with nine years of experience in the media industry. His work can be found in publications as diverse as Oracle Time, Metro and Last Word on Sports.

Here at T3, Sam is best known as the brand’s go-to guy for all things luxurious – from exquisite watches to fine fragrances; the latest performance vehicles to intricate audio equipment, and more.

He’s often found travelling around the world to test new launches, complete with high-end backpacks and suitcases in tow. And when he’s not adding to his air miles, Sam can be found in front of a video camera, bringing his distinctive brand of storytelling to T3’s social media channels.

Sam also loves all things analogue including listening to music on vinyl or cassette, and photography on vintage film cameras.