Success and Setbacks in Asia: Lessons from the Headphone Market
Some audio brands experience rapid rises and equally dramatic declines in certain markets. The history of Beyerdynamic in Asia is one example of a market journey filled with both high points and difficult setbacks—and in some cases it has even become a textbook example of how international expansion can go wrong.
The Asian audio markets are unique and highly dynamic. Success there often depends not only on product quality but also on local relationships, cultural understanding, and strong distribution networks.
Beyerdynamic’s Strategy in China
In 2016, Beyerdynamic entered into a partnership with EAD Digital (Guangzhou) Ltd, which became the exclusive distributor for the TG1000 wireless microphone system in China.
The goal of this collaboration was to strengthen Beyerdynamic’s presence in the Chinese professional audio market.
(Source: ProAudio-Central)
At the same time, the company appointed Frank Li as Managing Director for the Greater China region, underlining the strategic importance of the Chinese market.
However, these changes also created tension with the existing distributor, who had previously built up the brand successfully in China but was eventually replaced.
The attempt to manage the market more directly proved less successful than the earlier distributor-driven strategy.
A Familiar Situation
Interestingly, this type of experience is not unique.
Ultrasone encountered a similar situation in the United States, which makes it easier for us to understand how such challenges can arise.
Because of these experiences, ULTRASONE has adopted a clear strategy:
markets outside Europe are generally developed through long-term distributor partnerships.
Strong local partners often provide:
Established dealer networks
Deep knowledge of local markets
Cultural and business expertise
Faster brand recognition
Growing Interest in Asia
Just as in Japan, interest in Ultrasone is currently growing strongly in China and other Asian markets.
At the recent audio exhibition in Shanghai, our booth attracted significantly more visitors than neighboring exhibitors, demonstrating the strong reputation ULTRASONE enjoys in many Asian countries.
Because of this positive momentum, we will continue to focus strongly on Asian markets in the future.
My Perspective
Trying to do everything yourself is not always the better strategy.
The situation of Beyerdynamic in China illustrates this clearly. And many companies have likely faced similar experiences—sometimes learning valuable lessons along the way.
With the right partner, strong motivation, and excellent local connections, market success becomes much more predictable. Of course, this also requires regular presence and engagement in the local market to build and maintain the brand.
For Ultrasone, the direction is clear:
Full speed ahead.
And customers in Europe benefit as well—because when trends in the audio market are recognized early in Asia, they often become available in Europe sooner too. 🎧
EXPERIENCE ULTRASONE
- Global Shipping – free of Charge
- Because your ears deserve better.