Headphones for P49,000, anyone?
MOBILE device makers aren’t the only ones happy about the continuing explosion of tablets and smartphones.
Audio products makers are also enjoying huge sales as the growth of mobile devices means consumers are also buying headphones to go with their favorite mobile device.
According to Ng Chee Soon, president and managing director of Sennheiser Asia, the Philippines is one of the fastest growing market for Sennheiser, prompting the company to put up its very first concept store in V-Mall (formerly known as Virra Mall) in Greenhills.
Soon says his company recognizes the importance to consumers of “lifestyle” products, which now include headphones, the use of which is gaining popularity among the youth or club goers.
“We have always recognized the Philippines is a market with great potential in electroacoustics category and we are delighted to have finally been able to create this sound experience for Sennheiser fans,” says Soon.
In the concept store, consumers are allowed to try the product first before purchase to ensure that they experience the sound quality of a Sennheiser product.
“At the store, you can try and experience the product. Not all stores would allow you to open up packages and try the product. But we beg to be different. For an audio product, it would be hard for consumers to determine the quality unless they experience it first,” he says.
Sennheiser is known for top quality audio products and innovative German technology.
Most of its high-end and expensive headphones are used by music professionals and audiophiles, who are willing to pay the high price for a good quality sound.
For example, the company’s flagship product introduced in 2009 is the HD 800, which still carries a tag price of $1,499.95.
Designed, assembled and hand-crafted in Germany, it offers the most realistic and natural sound with minimal resonance because of a bigger diaphragm and new transducer design. Soon admits Sennheiser is perceived as high-end because of the many firsts and innovations it introduced in the headphone design and make, but the 67year-old company caters to all market segments.
You can buy a Sennheiser product for just below P1,000. You can also buy a Sennheiser product intended for gaming, wireless functions, or for sports needs. If you’re a runner, you can buy a Sennheiser rugged earphones that is sweat and rain proof.
Or if you’ll be needing earphones with noise canceling feature, there is a Sennheiser product.
In fact, Sennheiser lays claim to the invention of noise canceling technology in audio products.
“The quality of the product does not diminish over the range of products,” assures Soon.
Along with opening more concept stores and expanding its network of distribution, the company plans to introduce more “lifestyle”-themed headphones or colorful dandy-designed headsets boasting of Sennheiser sound quality.
Two new Sennheiser products to hit the stores locally are the new Amperior or HD 25 and the HD 700. The first is intended for club scene goers or DJs as it features large rotating ear cups and aluminum finish. The HD 700, on the other hand, is the more affordable version of the high-end HD 800. The open-type headphones almost have all the features of the HD800, but priced at P49,900.
“A lot of people love the HD 800, but many couldn’t afford it. Now we’re trying to meet those aspirations by bringing out a product that is almost as good as the HD 800 but features a more affordable price.”