BUYERS' GUIDE NOMADIC LIFESTYLE BROUGHT TO YOU BY HEADPHONES MARKET IN-EAR HEADPHONES In the first half year 2019, in-ear headphones saw a sales value growth of 57% and accounted for 70% of the total headphone turnover. China by far is the largest market, followed by the Western European and Developed Asian countries. The regions Eastern Europe and Emerging Asia without China showed the highest growth rates of 76% and 74% respectively. 70% of all wireless in-ear devices sold in 1H 2019 were true wireless. The global market for these headphones consisting of two separate ear pieces grew by almost 200% from 2018 to 2019. Average sales price have dropped significantly to a current price of €85 due to increased competition. OVER-EAR HEADPHONES In the first half year 2019, over-ear headphones saw a stable sales value growth of 11% and accounted for around 29% of the total headphone turnover. These devices with Bluetooth to wirelessly connect the headphones to the music source witnessed considerable turnover growth and are becoming the standard, with a market share of close to 80% for over-ear headphones. The turnover with the devices featuring active noise cancelling, grew by 36% in the first half of 2019. CONTACT Markus Kick Global Strategic Insights Consumer Electronics Markus.Kick@GfK.com THE FUTURE The headphone market is in full transition, moving away from traditional models connected by cable to mobile and hi-fi gear to high-tech wireless headphones that effortlessly stream from smartphones, televisions and other audio gear. Headphones also have a big part to play in burgeoning virtual reality applications, combined with head-related transfer functions (HRTF) which detect head movements and adapt sound playback so you can pinpoint the location of a sound source. STATE OF PLAY Headphones are probably the most popular way of listening to music, at home but especially on the move. It’s a market segment which continues to grow strongly, driven by impressive sales of inear headphones (which account for 70% of total INNOVATIONS TO LOOK FOR AT IFA Noise-cancelling goes mainstream Most of our day-to-day environments today are characterised by one thing: a great deal of background noise. This is why noise-cancelling has become the go-to feature for most headphone users. It’s no longer a premium technology but is becoming a mainstream feature on increasingly cheaper headphones. Higher sound quality for truly wireless It’s only a few years since the first truly wireless inears – consisting of two separate earpieces – were introduced at IFA. Sales of these convenient products have grown immensely, and you no longer need to pay a top price to go totally cable-less. Expect a lot more totally wireless headphones at this year’s IFA, with premium models offering improved sound quality and extremely light housings. Our thanks to EISA member Jamie Biesemans for his input on this Buyers Guide INNOVATING @ IFA MOMENTUM WIRELESS: A THIRD GENERATION OF PREMIUM SOUND Sennheiser’s premium headphone range enters its third generation, with the launch of the new MOMENTUM Wireless at IFA2019, offering superior sound, a modern design aesthetic, and cutting-edge technology. With genuine sheep leather and soft padding on the earpads and headband they are extremely comfortable. Active Noise Cancellation and a Transparent Hearing function allow listeners to either block out the world or stay aware of their environment. » HALL 1.2 STAND 220 headphone turnover), noise-cancelling products, and consumers’ appreciation of totally wireless models. People obviously love music, but not cables. Better codecs Whether most people know it or not, how music is compressed during transmission can have a big impact on sound quality. Headphone manufacturers didn’t always bother with better codecs, such as aptX, aptX HD and LDAC, as smartphones and tablets couldn’t utilise them. However, as aptX and LDAC have become standard components in Android and the codec support is ingrained in new Bluetooth c h i p s e t s , s u p p o r t i n g these better audio codecs suddenly makes sense. PHILIPS NEW NOISE- CANCELLING HEADPHONES Philips is introducing the PH805, its flagship wireless headphones. A key feature of the new product is its noise cancelling performance, which can cancel out up to 25dB or 95% of background noise. Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity enables users to enjoy all of their music from their devices. Battery life is 30 hours; fast charging means a further two hours of playback can be available in five minutes. Philips said the PH805 is one of the lightest models in the over-ear wireless active noise cancellation sector, at 235g. » HALL 22 / STAND 101 66
NOMADIC LIFESTYLE / PART 1 HEADPHONES PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT BROUGHT TO YOU BY IFA My Media IFAIFA Home & Entertainment Electronics PURE PASSION FROM HAMA IFA Audio Entertainment KEY SELLING POINTS 1 / Up to eight hours on a single charge 2 / 4Gb of storage space 3 / Weighs 30g Pure Passion is the name of Hama’s new Bluetooth inear headset, which features two speakers on each side. Hama says the dual-speaker technology and digital sound processing deliver clear treble and bass. A built-in microphone enables users to switch between music playback and accepting calls. An integrated remote control allows them to accept and end calls, activate speech selection, and control music playback. The volume can be adjusted using a control on the cable. Pure Passion’s charge lasts for around six hours when in use and 200 hours in standby mode. » HALL 10.2 / STAND 101 WATERPROOF HEADPHONES WITH BUILT-IN MP3 PLAYER Designed for swimming, the AfterShokz Xtrainerz Open-Ear MP3 headphones from Shenzhen Voxtech, support MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and FLAC audio formats and have the IP68 waterproof standard. The product uses bone conduction, transmitting sound to the inner ear primarily through the bones of the skull, allowing the wearer to hear audio content without blocking the ear canal. The fuselage of the Xtrainerz has 4Gb of storage space and a spokesman for Shenzhen Voxtech says the headphones feature an independent working mode, which enhances the low frequency to ensure the user can hear while underwater. » HALL 4.2 / STAND 202 KEY SELLING POINTS 1 / Two speakers on each side 2 / Integrated microphone to make/receive calls 3 / Comes with silicone ear pads in three sizes KEY SELLING POINTS 1 / 24-bit audio signal processing 2 / Listen for up to 24 hours (with noise cancelling on) HOUSE OF MARLEY DEBUTS SUSTAINABLE EARBUDS House of Marley says Liberate Air, its first truly wireless earbuds, have been designed as an eco-conscious alternative within a plasticdriven market. Produced using bamboo, natural wood fibre composite, recyclable aluminium and fabric made of recycled plastic bottles, the Liberate Air system offers a sustainable sound experience without sacrificing quality. The unit features a seamless pairing experience. After the initial link to the device, the earbuds automatically pair upon opening the charging case, connecting before the earbuds even touch the user’s ears. Users can manage music, calls and Siri or Google Assistant with a tap of the earbud. » HALL 1.2 / STAND 217 KEY SELLING POINTS 1 / Produced using sustainable materials 2 / Nine hours on-board battery life 3 / Works with Siri and Google Assistant 3 / 10 minutes’ charge provides up to 90 minutes of battery life SONY MAKES ADVANCES IN HD NOISE CANCELLATION Sony has expanded its 1000X range with the addition of a new generation of truly wireless headphones, WF- 1000XM3, which feature an HD noise cancelling processor QN1e chip and Dual Noise Sensor Technology. The WF-1000XM3 buds are small and light but manage to pack in a newly developed Bluetooth chip. This allows for L/R simultaneous Bluetooth transmission which means that both left and right earbuds receive audio content, rather than the conventional left-to-right relay Bluetooth transmission. With Google Assistant, users can control the headphones by voice. The headphones are also compatible with the Sony Headphones Connect app. » HALL 20 / STAND 101 www.ifa-international.org IFAInternational • Friday 6 th September 2019 67
