Obviously HD800 successor.
Don't come with another pointless noise cancelling TWS please. They don't excite anyone anymore.
15 years... give us something!
The truth is that audio companies primarily sustain themselves through the sales of hundreds, if not thousands, of TWS earbuds with ANC, USB dongles, and the like. Employee salaries and monthly electricity bills are just a part of the expenses—research and development departments also need funding.
Recently, there has been a noticeable absurd increase in prices for audiophile headphones.
However, even this situation doesn't guarantee stability for many companies. So, what should be the realistic, actual prices of headphones?
During the last Black Week, prices of many products dropped drastically, such as HiFiMAN. This caused financial trouble for those who had recently purchased them on credit. It's important to note that despite these reductions, these products weren't exactly given away for free, and companies still managed to turn a profit.
The audio market is saturated with various equipment. On the other hand, audiophiles might be surprised by what the future holds for headphones. Although types of transducers like dynamic, planar, or electrostatic have already achieved very high quality, subsequent changes often tend to be cosmetic in nature.
It's the TWS earbuds, new Bluetooth versions, codec battles, and lossless audio that are becoming increasingly appealing to customers. They're more likely to reach for a $200 product every few years due to frequent smartphone upgrades than for a $2000 one, even if the difference in sound quality is minimal. For instance, some novelties like holography in certain tracks may seem enticing.
Audeze, after being acquired by Sony, is focusing on the gaming segment, adapting to current trends.
https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2023/sony-interactive-entertainment-to-acquire-audeze/
Meanwhile, Sennheiser, with its 75-year tradition and excellent equipment, not just headphones, is experiencing transformation. Some legends like the HD6...HD8... headphones are still in use, but the company isn't entirely finding its place in the changing landscape of personal devices. Hence, the consumer electronics division of Sennheiser was acquired by the Swiss company Sonova.
Sonova operates in hearing aids, audiological care, and cochlear implants, signifying the shift in Sennheiser's direction.
https://www.sonova.com/en/expanding...s-sonova-acquire-sennheiser-consumer-division
In my opinion, this is good news for the sound industry.
It requires a lot of research and testing to uncover possibly undiscovered areas. Therefore, the principle of "bigger" makes sense in such an endeavor.
After recent interviews on YouTube with Sennheiser engineers, I see a chance that in the coming years (perhaps even now?),
Sennheiser might once again be able to set the terms in the headphone market.
I hope these new solutions will be successful for both our ears and wallets 
