As you’d expect from any headphones manufacturer with an ‘audiophile’ range, Sennheiser has stuck by the wire like household electricians and die-hard Dominic West fans. More than half of its combined in-ear and over-ear lineup is wired, and recent releases such as the IE200 — now Sennheiser’s most affordable wired earbuds — demonstrate that the German brand is serious about offering sound-first models to as many people who valiue performance above wireless’s convenience as possible.
But with convenience winning among the masses, what does the future of wired headphones hold? I spoke to Jermo Koehnke, Sennheiser’s audiophile product manager, on the longevity of cables, the eventual Al potential for wireless headphones, and whether the company plans to push its very respectable boundaries further in both the wired and wireless markets.
Long live wired
In a way, wired headphones have survived the arrival of wireless headphones —not in terms of still being used by the masses, of course, but by staying relevant and having a place. After all, the wireless space hasn’t been able to trample over the very high-end space, and those who prioritise sound quality above all else will still only be satisfied by wired pairs. Indeed, as Koehnke acknowledges, “the audiophile sentiment or the music enthusiast that I try to serve — if they valued
