Cartel suspicion: Sonova and Sennheiser under fire!

Cartel suspicion: Sonova and Sennheiser under fire!

A serious accusation against the heavyweights of audio technology: The Federal Competition Authority (BWB) has applied for the Swiss hearing aid manufacturer Sonova and the German audio experts Sennheiser fines for "vertical agreements". These amounted to 534,000 euros for Sonova and 100,000 euros for Sennheiser. This is the result of extensive investigations that were started in 2022 and focused on the trade with Sennheiser headphones. According to BWB, illegal price agreements took place between May 2015 and September 2022, which significantly influenced the competitive conditions in the area of consumer electronics. The agreements that were classified as anti -antitrust law included price bonds for a variety of products.

strategic takeover for market expansion

But that's not the only message about Sonova. How Sonova itself, the company will further expand its range by taking over the Sennheiser Consumer Division. The purchase price is 200 million euros and represents a strategic step to serve the growing demand for personal audio devices. The takeover is also intended to expand the sales network and the customer base in order to gain a foothold in the rapidly growing market for true wireless headphones and language-optimized hearable foot. CEO Arnd Kaldowski enthusiastically commented on the synergies between the two companies, while the Sennheiser leadership underlined that Sonova is an ideal partner to further develop the brand.