The wireless headphone market will show consistent growth, adding $2.2 billion in incremental value in 2018, according to the new “Future of Tech” report from The NPD Group. The research firm added 16 percent of consumers it surveyed plan to purchase a pair of wireless headphones in the next year, with two-thirds (65 percent) of the buyers men and one-third women.
According to NPD, $25 price points will drive the in-ear wireless market, as entry-level brands “apply pressure” to legacy brands. The in-ear wireless segment will drive $836 million in incremental revenue in 2018.
As for around-the-ear headsets, “premium price points” will drive roughly $706 million in growth for this category.
In total, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of those surveyed already own at least one pair of wireless headphones.
“The middle of the market is becoming something of a no-man’s land, with unit demand on the rise at both the low-cost and premium ends of the segment,” remarked Ben Arnold, executive director, industry analysis, for The NPD Group. “An important factor here is that many headphone buyers are replacing a device — whether it’s a cheap set they use at the gym or the high-end one they use to get the best experience at home. We may find the top purchase factor is: what are they replacing?”