Sony is Buying Gaming Headphone Maker, Audeze

Sony Interactive Entertainment (basically the PlayStation wing) today announced plans to acquire Audeze. From a report: The Orange Country, CA-based firm is best known for its high-end headphones, targeted at gamers and audio producers. The hardware is often priced into four-figures, but the company earns consistently high marks from reviewers and users alike. In a release announcing the news, the companies are quick to note that operating under the Sony banner won't mean platform exclusivity (at least not at first). Audeze will continue to produce gaming headphones for competitors, including -- presumably -- the Xbox. Playstation branded products, however, are almost certain to follow.

Audeze is a name only audiophiles will know

[PhrostyMcByte]

I wonder if Sony is going to add any of their tech to their own headphones, or needed any patents.

Audeze is a small shop, they sell ultra-high-end planar magetic headphones. They largely only target audiophiles on the upper end of the tax bracket -- while they have some gaming headset offerings, they haven't seemed to make much headway outside of their existing audiophile customers.

It's a curious acquision.

That said, I really like my Audeze headphones! While the market is a lot broader now, 5 years ago Aude

Re:

[Mal-2]

It is curious, because Sony's own headphones are pretty good value for the money and come in at a much more middle-class-friendly $200 or so. Maybe there is some economy of scale Sony can invoke as a vertically integrated company, where they supply a critical component to themselves rather than sourcing it from outside. This could bring costs down and not affect quality in any meaningful way. Or maybe they don't make any changes now, they just want a premium brand name to use in the future.

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[Xenx]

Audeze already has a decent $300 gaming headset, and $400 studio headphones. I'm not one for buying actual audiophile headphones, but those are downright budget. Even when you look at their higher end headphones, they seem to be "reasonably" prices for what they are.

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[AmiMoJo]

When I read the name I initially thought they were a knock-off anti-flatulence medication.

https://www.savers.co.uk/Winde... [savers.co.uk]

Not "Gaming"; 'Audiophile'.

[DarkFiber23]

Their bread and butter is $1,000+ headphones, not so-called "gaming" products. They are, love 'em or hate 'em, an 'audiophile' company. I own an LCD-X and spent WAYYYY too much on them. But yes, they're excellent products.

RIP Audeze

[SciCom Luke]

It was nice knowing you.

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[Can'tNot]

I wouldn't assume that Sony is going to gut the company, or mismanage it. They don't have a bad track record when it comes to acquisitions and a headphone maker is well within their wheelhouse.

The only effect

[NotEmmanuelGoldstein]

Audeze will continue to produce gaming headphones for competitors ...

It's unlikely people will stop buying Xbox consoles because they no longer contain Audeze products. There's no leverage in preventing Xbox owners also having Audeze accessories. The only effect will be fewer sales of Audeze products.

Suck

[NomDeAlias]

Audeze nuts!

In Communist Russia

[Aisha.Washington]

Headphone maker Audeze buys Sony