Sennheiser is marking its 80th anniversary this year with a series of campaigns reflecting on its history in professional audio and promotions for selected products.
The family-led company, founded by Dr. Fritz Sennheiser in June 1945, began as a small laboratory near Hanover and has grown into a major international audio brand. According to Sennheiser, the anniversary is less about the milestone itself and more about what the company has learned over eight decades of engineering.
“We live and breathe audio in everything we do,” said Daniel Sennheiser, co-CEO of the Sennheiser Group. “That’s what defines us. It’s not just about sound you hear — it’s about what you feel.”
His brother and fellow co-CEO, Dr. Andreas Sennheiser, added, “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. 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.”
True innovation isn’t created in the lab alone — it happens on stages, in studios and in real-world use
Sennheiser co-CEO Andreas Sennheiser
Key products over the decades
Among the company’s early breakthroughs was the development of the first wireless microphone system for stage and TV use in 1957, in collaboration with a German broadcaster. In 2024, Sennheiser introduced Spectera, a new bidirectional digital wireless system the company says reflects its long-standing focus on collaborative development with customers.
The company also points to several key products over the decades, including the MD 421 microphone (1960), the HD 414 open headphones (1968), the HD 25 (1988), the HD 800 (2009) and the HE 1 electrostatic headphone system (2015). According to the company, Sennheiser products have been used in major historical events and remain widely adopted in the broadcast and music industries.
Andreas Sennheiser said the company culture continues to be shaped by what its founder once called room for crazy ideas. “True innovation isn’t created in the lab alone — it happens on stages, in studios and in real-world use,” he said.
Sennheiser invests more than 8% of its annual turnover into R&D. Daniel Sennheiser noted that its less successful products often serve as the foundation for later advances. “Innovation is not a destination, but a path,” he said.
To mark the anniversary, Sennheiser is sharing product stories and interviews via its website and social media, and launching special offers on selected models, starting with the IE 100 Pro in July and HD 25 Light in August.
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