Why Are Good Headphones So Expensive? Good Reasons

Looking to buy new headphones but are surprised after seeing their price tag? Well, we all have been there. Good Headphones now cost over 200$ and the great ones cost around 500$. However, if you check their reviews, most of them are positive, which is an indication that they are really worth the price. But this can make anyone wonder why good headphones are so expensive.

Good headphones are expensive because of a number of reasons. These are how many units companies plan on manufacturing, what material is used, how much companies have invested, which features have been added, and brand value.

Want more info? Then stay till the end as I am discussing everything.

Why Are Good Headphones Expensive? Explaining The Reasons

There are different factors that decide the end price of the headphones, and you need to have complete knowledge of every one of them to know why they cost a lot.

Let’s have a look at their details one by one.

Only Limited Units Are Manufactured

Bigger companies manufacture limited units of a specific model. This is done to keep the price up while maintaining the concept that not everyone can buy them. The prime example is the Sony WH-1000XM4, which is a limited edition headphone of the Sony brand.

But there’s much more about such headphones.

The manufacturing of good headphones is handled carefully. Many companies prefer to make hand-assembled products, which requires labor and time. That is why these products are limited and have high prices.

Bigger Companies Invest More

Another reason why products made by bigger brands are costly is that they are investing more money than smaller brands.

Following are the areas of investment for them:

• On Research
• To hire experienced professionals
• Marketing campaigns

On Research

Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on research alone on different aspects. They spend money to find better alternatives for various things and to try new designs. Similarly, companies also spend money on researching what the customers want. That gives them the idea about what people are complaining about and what their expectations are from a good product. This money is worth it in the end because companies make top-quality headphones with all the desired features.

On Experienced Professionals

After researching, it is crucial companies have experts to handle the manufacturing.

Here’s the thing.

Great talent always charges more. It’s no secret. Still, companies hire them because they know they will contribute a lot and make headphones of superior quality.

Marketing Campaigns

When the companies assemble the best possible headphones, the next phase of investment begins, which is marketing campaigns. These campaigns can take millions of dollars because companies want more people to know about their new products.

That is why these companies advertise on every kind of media about their new headphones. They even arrange a launching ceremony about it where they invite the media houses and display their products publicly to create some thrill.

Similarly, they also hire athletes or famous persons to make attractive ads. All of these things cost a lot, which is then compensated in the end by putting a higher price tag on headphones.

Related: Are Airpods Any Good?

High-Quality Materials Are Used

Good headphones are manufactured using top-quality exotic materials, which are really high-priced. Bigger companies mine or buy raw materials from credible sources, which requires a lot of money. But in the end, the headphones are worth it due to them.

Techwalla reported that the Good headphones are made with:

• Efficient electrostatic drivers
• Stronger magnets
• Gold
• Copper
• Soft leather
• Titanium
• Other High-quality metals and whatnot.

These materials are costly, but they really make the product top-quality. That is why you see Warranties offered on expensive headphones by the companies.

Usually, the warranties are valid for one or two years, depending on the policy. The reason companies offer it is because they are confident that they have used topmost materials that won’t be damaged easily.

They Are Full Of Features

One more reason why good headphones are overpriced is that they are loaded with features to make your experience positive.

Adding top-notch features is not cheap. It takes money to add a bundle of features. That is why the more companies add them, the more it costs.

Thus, when people get to know that headphones are expensive, they expect them to be full of features.

Some of the most valuable features present in the good (expensive) headphones are:

• App support (like in the case of Sony, Philips, etc.).
• Water/sweat/dust resistance.
• Active noise canceling.
• Better frequency response (supports 30 Hz and 300 Hz square wave responses).
• Better drivers to minimize distortions (even at 75 Db)
• Multi-point connectivity.
• Smooth Bluetooth connectivity with long range. Cheaper ones have irregular Bluetooth connections and a very limited range.
• Voice assistant access (like Siri, Alexa, etc.).
• Atmos or 3D sound support.

Cheaper headphones have very limited features (hence, their price is low). They may contain two or three features from the above list.

Brand Factor

The last reason why good headphones are heavy on the wallet is that they are made by credible and well-reputed brands. How?

Let me explain.

People are willing to pay more for big brand products because they think they are good and make them look classy. That’s the psychology of most people, according to research published in ResearchGate.

It means that even if the manufacturing of good headphones does not cost much, the brand factor comes into play. This brand factor lets companies raise prices. They know that their customers will buy the product no matter what.

So, these are the five most significant reasons why good headphones are so expensive!

Related: What Are The Uses Of Headphones In Computers?

Final Words

All-inclusive, good headphones are expensive because of five main reasons. These are: They are manufactured in limited quantities, the material used, how much companies invest, the number of features in the headphones, and the brand value.

These factors collectively influence the quality of the headphones and their end price. The better these things are, the pricier the headphones will be. That’s why good headphones are so expensive.