Behind the scenes

Headphone sales up 25 per cent – AI is in, cables are out

6/2/2025

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

In-ear, over-ear, open, closed, designed for gaming, sports or the office – the headphone industry is creating an ever-increasing range of products, setting trends that include true wireless, hybrid noise-cancelling and AI/smart functions. Galaxus and Digitec sold 25.4 per cent more headphones in Switzerland and the EU in 2024 than in the previous year. But there’s one category of headphone accessories that’s shrinking rapidly.

A look at the history of the widely used Apple Airpods shows just how much the market has changed. After the 2016 launch of the Airpods, they gathered scorn and derision online, with a Spiegel.de headline reading «Apple embarrasses itself with ‘innovative’ ear thingamabob» (article in German). People reportedly found the earphones ugly and thought they looked like toothbrush heads. Yet just two years later, they were Apple’s best-selling accessory. According to estimates, Airpods currently make up 60 per cent of the global wireless headphone market.

Airpods are also listed as bestsellers on digitec.ch and galaxus.de. But the whole industry has changed and grown, and headphones are getting smarter. Galaxus sold a good 25 per cent more headphones in 2024 than in 2023 – and nearly twice as many as in 2020, despite sales already being high back then. Headphone case and sleeve sales have also grown strongly, doubling in 2024 compared to 2020. The spare headphone parts category has also grown almost as much as headphones. On the other hand, headphone cable sales are noticeably going down, falling by an average of 33 per cent annually.

While headphone sales are on the rise, the average price per unit since 2022 in Switzerland has actually been decreasing (website in German). «This also allows customers on a tighter budget to give high-end devices a go more often, which just a few years ago was only possible for the well-heeled,» says Johannes Grebmayer, Category Business Manager at Galaxus.

3 trending uses: AI, hearing aids, and home cinema

Anyone searching for the latest headphone trends will quickly come across numerous keywords, including true wireless, hybrid active noise cancellation, personalisation (of both sound and design), as well as models optimised for gaming, office, jogging, swimming, home cinema and VR. If you filter for «Audio» in the Galaxus magazine (Switzerland/Germany), you’ll find many reviews on the topic. Below are three examples.

Artificial intelligence: Galaxus editor Lorenz Keller shone a spotlight on the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 3’s translator mode. «This means you can hear the translation in one of 16 languages directly through your headphones – more or less live.»

News + Trends
These are the best new AI features from Samsung
by Lorenz Keller

Headphones as hearing aids: Galaxus editor Florian Bodoky reported on the Apple Airpods Pro 2 becoming hearing aids thanks to a software update. «First of all, you can take a five-minute [...] hearing test [...]. You will be played various sounds at different volumes and frequencies. A hearing profile is then created in the Health app based on the result. If you then activate the hearing aid function, certain sounds – e.g. human speech – will be amplified in real time.»

News + Trends
Apple AirPods become hearing aids
by Florian Bodoky

Home theatre function: You’ve been itching to watch Dune 2, Oppenheimer or Barbie at home, but don’t want to wake your sleeping family? Galaxus editor David Lee reports on the Sonos Ace headphones, which feature a home theatre function. «At the touch of a button, the sound output can be switched between the soundbar and the headphones. The spatial impression is supposed to be maintained as far as possible. To achieve this, the Sonos Ace offers 3D audio with Dolby Atmos and head position tracking. As a result, the sound in the home cinema is supposed to always come from the same place, even if you move your head slightly. With a new function called TrueCinema, the home cinema is also supposed to be spatially mapped to enable precise localisation with the headphones.»

News + Trends
Sonos Ace: headphones with home cinema functions
by David Lee

Which headphones did you buy recently and why? Where do you get your information before purchasing a new pair?

Header image: Sony Linkbuds / Lorenz Keller

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Daniel Borchers

Senior Communications Manager

Daniel.Borchers@galaxus.de

A soft spot for good series, loud music, science fiction and (second division) football. As PR Manager, I am available to answer journalists' questions about Galaxus and honest e-commerce.

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