Sony Acquires High-End Headphone Maker to Boost PlayStation

Vlad Savov, Bloomberg News

Sony Group Corp. Inzone headsets, from left, H7, H9, and H3, displayed during an unveiling event in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Sony is launching a new gaming gear brand called Inzone, trotting out headphones and displays for the PC to try and expand its reach beyond the PlayStation. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Sony Interactive Entertainment is buying audiophile gear maker Audeze LLC in a bid to advance the sound experience of its PlayStation products.

Santa Ana, California-based Audeze will continue to operate independently and make products for other platforms while benefiting from being part of the PlayStation ecosystem, Sony said in a statement Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Better known for pricey headphones used by music professionals and enthusiasts, Audeze in recent years branched out into gaming and a technology known as spatial audio, which gives users a more immersive audio experience. It sells a $299 Maxwell wireless gaming headset, with versions tailored specifically for Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox consoles.

Sony earlier this week announced the PlayStation Portal, a $199 gadget that combines a controller and display to let gamers play their PlayStation 5 remotely — and accompanied that introduction with new wireless headphones and earphones as complementary accessories designed to provide higher quality audio.

The Audeze acquisition and new PlayStation gear also reflect Sony’s efforts to expand its entertainment hardware offerings, including last year’s creation of the Inzone line of headsets and monitors aimed at capturing a slice of the PC gaming market.

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