Beyerdynamic says its products “will continue to be handmade in Germany” following acquisition by Chinese firm Cosonic Intelligent

Beyerdynamic says that its products “will continue to be handmade in Germany” following acquisition by Chinese OEM manufacturer Cosonic Intelligent.

Last week, the century-old, family-owned German audio brand announced it would be acquired by Cosonic for €122 million, marking a major shift in ownership for the first time since Beyerdynamic was founded by Eugen Beyer in 1924.

Despite the move, Managing Director Richard Campbell has assured customers that the company’s production standards won’t be compromised. Currently, around 85 percent of Beyerdynamic’s headphone and microphone range – including models like the T1 Gen 3, DT 700 series, MMX gaming line, and Amiron wireless – are produced at its Heilbronn facility.

“The expectation is that we will continue to be handmade in Germany,” Campbell tells WhatHifi. “We expect that we’ll continue to develop technology out of Germany as we have been.”

“And the leadership team will remain intact as well, so there’s an expectation of consistency of what we’ve been doing and what we want to be doing and how we move forward.”

“Our strategic direction doesn’t change,” he adds. “We have a clear focus on pro audio, consumer and gaming – that will continue to be how we prioritise and look forward.”

Describing Beyerdynamic as a brand with “phenomenal history and legacy in the pro audio space with our headphone technology and microphone technology”, Campbell explains that the acquisition will enable the firm the chance to scale.

“This just allows us the opportunity to further that… and hopefully in ways that are bigger and better and beyond what we’ve been able to do thus far in 100+ years.”

The exec also says that Cosonic – which manufactures OEM audio components for various brands including JBL and Philips – brings backing that could help Beyerdynamic expand beyond its core European and American markets.

“The current structure wasn’t able to support that,” says Campbell. “So to be able to have the backing of an entity that’s able to help us grow and thrive in international markets in a way that’s beyond what we’re doing today – this acquisition gives us that opportunity.”

“So it’s very much a positive thing. It’s not related to anything other than that, and then allowing us to fulfil the vision of how we want to grow and build the brand.”

Still, the deal is subject to regulatory approval and may take several months to finalise. No immediate changes to Beyerdynamic’s leadership or product roadmap have been announced in the meantime.