History: Sennheiser celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2020!

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The history of Sennheiser in 28 key dates

2020 is a special year in the history of Sennheiser: the firm is celebrating its 75th anniversary. We invite you to discover or rediscover the history of the brand through 28 key dates. It all started in 1945 when engineering doctor Fritz Sennheiser founded LabW.

From LabW to Sennehsier Electronic (1945 – 1960)

At the end of the Second World War, the engineering doctor Fritz Sennheiser created the Laboratorium Wennebostel (LabW). We are in [1945, and these are the beginnings of the Sennheiser story. Two years later in 1947, LabW develops its first microphone, the DM2. It will take 10 years for the LabW to shine with the Mikroport, a wireless microphone system intended for television professionals. Developed in partnership with the German broadcasting company NDR, it will be marketed in 1958 by Telefunken. In the same year, Professor Fritz Sennheiser’s LabW company was renamed Sennheiser Electronic. Shortly after, he launched a legendary microphone on the market, the famous MD 421. This cardioid microphone was produced from 1960 until today, with some changes made over time.

Fritz Sennheiser’s house

Creation of essential references (1968 – 1975)

Sennheiser strikes a blow in 1968, creating the world’s first open-back helmet. The HD 414 and its 600 Ohms are a great success, helped by a featherweight and high sound quality. The microphone remains one of the specialties of the German brand, which proves it again in 1971 with the now classic MD 441. This is considered by many to be one of the finest supercardioid dynamic microphones ever created! A real star on TV sets… A few springs later, the MKE 2002 stereo microphone was presented. It allows binaural recordings to be made according to the principle of the artificial head as soon as 1974. The following year was marked by the launch of audio transmission by infrared. Sennheiser presents this technology in 1975 with a stethoset equipped with a receiver, associated with a transmitter base.

The Sennheiser MK 2002 binaural recording microphone

Second generation and internationalization (1982 – 1993)

In 1982, the management of the company passed into the hands of Fritz Sennheiser’s son, Dr. Jörg Sennheiser. The successes do not stop there: the brand is awarded a Scientific and Engineering Oscar in 1987 to salute the invention of the MKH 816 directional shotgun microphone. Still under the direction of Jörg, the Sennheiser group opened up to new horizons by creating 1982 the first subsidiary in its history, in France. Of course, many more will follow in the decades to come! In 1991, Sennheiser acquires a historic player in professional sound. This is the illustrious Berlin-based microphone manufacturer Neumann, whose prolific history dates back to 1928. The manufacturer also created one of the best headphones ever developed, the legendary Orpheus. Sennheiser distinguished itself shortly after by releasing a digital infrared headset called the IS 850. This was a world first in 1993 !

Fritz Sennheiser, Doctor Jörg Sennheiser

Award, Grammy and Gold Medal (1996 – 2002)

Few companies have acquired such a great international reputation. This again materializes in 1996, when Sennheiser was awarded an Emmy Award for its pioneering developments in RF technology. Ready to flood the audio industry, the German manufacturer is launching the evolution line of microphones in 1998, followed by wireless versions the following year. In 1999, the firm Neumann, driven by Sennheiser, won a Technical Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. No bug in 2000, since the MKH 800 microphone stands out as the first condenser studio model with a single converter system. It then makes it possible to fully exploit the wider bandwidth of the new digital audio formats. Consecration comes in 2002, when founder Fritz Sennheiser was awarded the Audio Engineering Society’s Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement.

Fritz Sennheiser receives Gold Medal from the Audio Engineering Society

Business is business (2003 – 2015)

Sennheiser establishes joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S in Denmark in 2003, then bought the famous loudspeaker manufacturer Klein + Hummel in 2005. Their expertise in monitoring speakers will thus be infused into the brand’s future products. The brand continues to innovate in the headphone segment with the sensational HD 800 from 2009. Its incredible sound immediately raises it to the top of the hierarchy of audiophile headphones. Another legend was born… The Digital 9000 wireless microphone system was launched in 2012, just before the management change that will place Andreas and Daniel Sennheiser at the head of the company in 2013. These gentlemen quickly prove to us that they do not intend to forget their glorious past: the new Sennheiser Orpheus HE1 audiophile headphones offer the most beautiful sound ever obtained with headphones. The price in 2015 is set at €59,000.

Sennheiser HD 800 headphones

The future is now (2016 – 2020)

Sennheiser presents its Ambeo 3D audio technology program to the public. The Ambeo VR Mic is the first Ambeo product to be marketed in 2016. Sennheiser continues its innovations in sound recording with the TeamConnect Ceiling, an intelligent micro ceiling developed for conference rooms (2017). Thanks to dynamic beamforming technology, it automatically records the speaker present in the room. Ambeo products welcome a new member in 2019 with the sensational Ambeo Soundbar. Barely launched, it was able to make everyone agree with a 5.1.4-channel 3D sound that has never been seen before on such a product. It is also unanimously recognized as the best soundbar ever designed! We are now in 2020, and Sennheiser celebrates its 75th anniversary…

The Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar

You can salute this rich history by expressing your wishes on the special Wishes page set up for the occasion. For our part, it’s already done: long life to Sennheiser!

See also:
Ken Ishiwata Tells You The History Of Hi-Fi
Discover The History Of The English Brand Rega!
Find the Key Dates of Focal History

Source: Sennheiser

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