Germany-headquartered Sennheiser, manufacturer of headphones, microphones and wireless transmission systems, on Friday showcased the Sennheiser HE 1, the successor to the Orpheus, in Bengaluru. It is priced at Rs 45 lakh.

The new reference headphone system combines a unique amplifier concept. "We launched the HE 1 in India in May last year. We first showcased in Mumbai, followed by Delhi and now in Bengaluru, and we have been receiving amazing feedback," said Kapil Gulati, Director-Consumer Segment, Sennheiser.

Gulati added that the HE 1 will not be sold online or offline. "We will be showcasing this in top 10 cities and provide listening experiences to people. We have got a few enquiries about sales in India and this headphone can also be customised according to each one's needs. At present, our production capacity is one headphone a day," Gulati said.

The Sennheiser Group, which generated turnover of €667.7 million in 2017, operates its own production facilities in Germany, Ireland and the USA, and is active in more than 50 countries. 

Sennheiser started its India operation in 2007 at a time when the concept of standalone headphones was very new to the market. But slowly the headphone category started growing in India and more players entered the market. "Our CAGR is 30% and we are seeing the biggest growth in wireless, which has grown 10 times compared to the last year," Gulati said, adding wireless headphones will be the future.

While its wireless headphones start at Rs 7,490, wired headphones are priced from Rs 1,490.