Sennheiser's headphone division seeks a new owner
Following the 2021 Sennheiser takeover, the Swiss hearing system specialist Sonova is undergoing a strategy change and intends to divest its consumer business.
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Swiss hearing system specialist Sonova has announced a comprehensive restructuring of its market strategy in conjunction with the publication of its business figures. The company intends to focus on its core business and no longer offer consumer products. It also wants to divest Sennheiser's headphone division.
New boss, new strategy
Swiss company Sonova took over Sennheiser's headphone division, headquartered in Wedemark, Lower Saxony, near Hanover, in 2021 for a sum of 200 million euros. At the time, Sonova CEO Arnd Kaldowski stated that the company intended to retain the workforce and the site, as the expertise was located there.
His successor Eric Bernard, who succeeded Kaldowski in September 2025, is now implementing a radical strategy shift: To focus more clearly on "core activities in hearing care," Sonova plans to sell its entire Consumer Hearing business.
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For Sonova, this means concentrating its own activities "on the areas of hearing aids and cochlear implants." The company intends to divest the Consumer Hearing business "to consistently align resources with innovation priorities." The company stated that it wants to find "the best possible owner for this business." The consumer division includes audio products for consumers such as premium headphones, true wireless earbuds, high-end devices, and soundbars. It also includes so-called "Hearables," which improve speech in noisy environments, for example, but are not yet classic hearing aids.
Ambitious Goals
Another aspect that seems significant for the spin-off, according to Sonova, is that the sales channels, demand dynamics, and development cycles of consumer products differ too much from those of hearing aids and cochlear implants. Starting with the financial year 2025/26, the Consumer business area will be "designated as a business area held for sale."
With the new strategy, Sonova is pursuing ambitious goals. By the 2030/31 financial year, the company aims to achieve a turnover of 6 billion Swiss francs (approximately 6.6 billion euros). This would correspond to an annual growth rate of around 8 to 9 percent.
(afl)
