History
The company was founded in 1945 shortly after the end of World War II by Fritz Sennheiser[4] and seven fellow University of Hannover engineers. Originally named Laboratorium Wennebostel (shortened as "Labor W"), named after the village of Wennebostel in the municipality of Wedemark, where it had been relocated during the war, the company's first product was a voltmeter.[5][6]
In 1946, the company began building microphones designed for broadcast reporting, beginning with its first original design, the DM 2, soon followed up by the DM 3 and DM 4. In 1953, the company introduced the MD 21 dynamic microphone, which became established as the standard microphone for radio and television reporting.[7]
By 1955, the company had 250 employees and had begun production of many products, including geophysical equipment, noise-compensated microphones, microphone transformers, mixers, and miniature magnetic headphones, and introduced the MD 82, one of the world's first commercially-produced shotgun microphones, in 1956.[8] The following year, the company introduced "Microport," a wireless microphone system for television production.
In 1958, Labor W was renamed Sennheiser electronic.[9] In 1960, Sennheiser introduced the cardioid successor to its popular MD 21, the MD 421; this microphone was also quickly adopted for professional broadcasting applications, music recording studios, and live concert performances. Still in production more than 60 years after its introduction, the MD 421 is considered an industry standard, with more than 500,000 units having been produced.[7] In the early 1960s, Fritz Sennheiser tasked Thomas Schillinger with establishing the company's presence in the United States.[10] Sennheiser products were first sold in the United States in 1963 via an independent distributor in Manhattan,[11] and the distribution company Sennheiser Electronics Corp. was founded that same year.[12]
In 1968, the company introduced the world's first open-back headphones, the HD 414,[13] and in 1971, Sennheiser introduced the MD 441. Sennheiser transformed into a limited partnership (KG) in 1973.[14]
In 1980, the company entered the aviation market, supplying Lufthansa with aviation headsets.[9] The company began producing modern wireless microphones in 1982, the same year founder Fritz Sennheiser handed the management of the company over to his son, Jörg Sennheiser.
In 1987 at the 59th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized Sennheiser with a Scientific and Engineering Award for the industry-standard MKH 816 shotgun microphone.[15]
In 1991, Sennheiser Electronic GmbH acquired studio microphone manufacturer Georg Neumann GmbH, and moved Neumann microphone production into a newly-built level 100 cleanroom factory in Wedemark, while maintaining Neumann's official headquarters in Berlin.[13] That same year, Sennheiser’s U.S. headquarters was officially established in Old Lyme, Connecticut.[16]
In 2003, Sennheiser entered into a joint venture with Danish company, William-Demant-Holding, a specialist in hearing aids, diagnostic technology, and personal communication, establishing Sennheiser Communications A/S.[17] In 2020, this joint venture ended and Sennheiser Communications gaming headsets and enterprise solutions became EPOS Audio, a company solely owned by Demant Group.[18][19][20]
In 2005, Sennheiser acquired speaker manufacturer Klein + Hummel.[21]
Daniel Sennheiser, grandson of the founder, joined the company in 2008,[22] as did his brother Andreas Sennheiser two years later. Both are company shareholders.[23] In July 2013, Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser were promoted to the position of co-CEOs, responsible for Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG.[24][25][26][27]
In 2014, Sennheiser founded the new subsidiary Sennheiser Streaming Technology GmbH (SST), which develops streaming solutions for software and hardware.[28] In March of the same year, Sennheiser assumed sponsorship of Shanghai Concert Hall, which was renamed Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall. At the same time, the company launched the Sennheiser Media record label with the release of A Bu's first album.[29][30] Sponsorship of the concert hall continued until August 2017.
In 2019, Sennheiser acquired a majority stake in Dear Reality, a company that specializes in spatial audio algorithms and VR/AR audio software.[31]
In May 2021, Sonova Holding AG, a Swiss cochlear implant and hearing aid manufacturer, acquired Sennheiser's consumer audio division, which produces a range of headphones and home entertainment speakers, for €200 million.[32][33]
In 2022, Sennheiser acquired Merging Technologies.[34][35][36]
In May 2025, the German Federal Cartel Office fined Sennheiser and Sonova €6M for illegal price fixing of their consumer audio products, particularly headphones, as a result of a raid conducted in September 2022.[37][38]
In October 2025, Sennheiser announced Co-CEO Daniel Sennheiser would be transitioning to take over the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors the following January. Dr. Andreas Sennheiser would remain as the CEO.[39]
