MUSIC TO OUR EARS

Audio editor Kashfia Kabir visits Sennheiser's factory in Ireland to see how some of the world's best headphones are made- and likes the sound of it

Is there a brand more synonymous with headphones than Sennheiser? Sure, names such as Bose, Sony, Grado, Stax and more have many corners of the headphone market sewn up, but none is more prevalent and renowned throughout the world - and across decades than Sennheiser and its range of wired headphones.

From the HD 414 on-ears with the distinctive yellow earpads from 1968 to its hugely accomplished HD 600 range, the German brand has staked its claim as a pioneer - and primary force - in headphone performance.

What you might not know is that Ireland plays a huge part in the company's well regarded audiophile headphones ranges. Since 1991, Sennheiser's factory in Tullamore, Ireland (about an hour's drive from Dublin) has been the main facility for manufacturing the high-quality transducers found in the brand's top models, including those in the famed HD 600 range for the past two decades. It was only recently, in 2022, that the assembly of these headphones was also ported into this same Tullamore factory. Sennheiser says this "improves transducer matching", and says that being able to assemble the headphones and get them ready for the final packaging in the same place guarantees that quality control standards are met.

The Tullamore plant is also the place where they assemble Sennheiser's flagship HE 1 (nicknamed "Orpheus" at its 2015 launch) electrostatic headphones, which cost between £55,000 and £60,000 these days. You might have seen this astonishingly priced product on many a "most expensive headphones ever" list.

The Tullamore factory has evolved over time and has been spruced up even more recently to include a new hi-fi listening room where visitors can sit comfortably and listen to any of Sennheiser's wired headphones.

Rise of the machines