Apple’s AirPods Max may ‘change the course’ of the advanced headphones arena : Apple World Today

Apple looks like it may change the course of the US$35 billion advanced headphones arena with its $549 AirPods Max and “inflict pain on incumbents from Bose Corp. to Bang & Olufsen A/S,” according to Bloomberg.

The article says that, between the tech giant’s new over-the-ear play at the high end and aggressively priced incursions from below [that would be the AirPods and AirPods Pro], firms like Sennheiser are struggling to compete with the wireless expertise, app ecosystems, and global reach of phone makers such as Apple.

“The AirPods Max will open the door for higher-priced wireless headphones from the incumbents such as Sony, Jabra, and Bose,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC. But “it will also put pressure on audiophile brands such as Bang & Olufsen and Master & Dynamic, as these companies have faced little competition within their price segments.”