Sennheiser To Stop Producing Pilot Headsets

Sennheiser will exit the pilot headset business at the end of February, shifting its focus to core businesses, the company said. “Our decision to leave the pilots’ headset sector was not taken lightly, especially as we have played a key role in the development of audio transmission in the cockpit, for example by introducing the world’s first headset with active noise compensation to receive FAA-TSO certification,” said COO Peter Claussen. “We will redirect our aviation-specific resources to focus on our key business of headphone and microphone technology.”

The company will continue to provide headsets for the ATC sector. The ATC team will be folded into the joint venture Sennheiser Communications in January. Sennheiser also said it would fulfill all obligations for servicing and spare parts. “Even after all legal obligations have expired, support can certainly still be offered in individual cases,” Claussen confirmed.

Sennheiser, which has sold pilot headsets since the 1980s and developed noise-canceling technology for them later that decade, currently offers the S1 series, along with the HME 110, for general aviation. Just this year the company unveiled an S1 passive headset for helicopters.