Headphones and earbuds have become a common accessory in almost every household in the United States. People use them for music, calls, gaming, workouts, travel, and everyday listening. While some brands focus on features like noise cancellation and premium sound, others offer affordable options for casual users.

Many well-known headphone brands started in the United States, while others came from countries such as Japan, Germany, Denmark, and China. Over the years, they have built a strong presence in the U.S. market, offering everything from budget-friendly earbuds to high-end wireless headphones.

In this article, we’ll discuss the top 10 headphone brands in the United States, based on their history, ownership, and the kind of products they are known for.

Quick Comparison

Rank	Brand	Founded	Owner / Founders	US Headquarters	Core Focus
1	Bose	1964	Founded by Amar Bose; majority owned by MIT; led by CEO Lila Snyder	Framingham, Massachusetts	Premium Headphones & Noise Cancellation
2	Beats by Dre	2006	Founded by Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine; owned by Apple	Culver City, California	Fashion-Focused Headphones
3	JBL	1946	Founded by James Lansing; part of Harman International, owned by Samsung	Los Angeles, California	Bluetooth Speakers & Headphones
4	Sony	1946	Founded by Masaru Ibuka & Akio Morita; publicly listed; led by CEO Hiroki Totoki	San Diego, California	Wireless & Noise-Canceling Headphones
5	Skullcandy	2003	Founded by Rick Alden & Cris Williams; owned by Mill Road Capital, led by CEO Brian Garofalow	Park City, Utah	Affordable Lifestyle Headphones
6	Sennheiser	1945	Founded by Fritz Sennheiser; family-owned, led by Co-CEOs Daniel & Andreas Sennheiser	Old Lyme, Connecticut	Studio & Audiophile Headphones
7	Bang & Olufsen	1925	Founded by Peter Bang & Svend Olufsen; publicly listed, led by CEO Gianfilippo Testa	New York, New York	Luxury Headphones & Audio
8	Jabra (GN Group)	1869 (GN); 1983 (Jabra)	Part of GN Group, Denmark; publicly listed	Nashua, New Hampshire	Wireless Earbuds & Office Headsets
9	Anker Soundcore	2011	Founded by Steven Yang; publicly listed, led by CEO Steven Yang	Bellevue, Washington	Affordable Wireless Earbuds
10	Audio-Technica	1962	Founded by Hideo Matsushita; privately held, led by President Kazuo Matsushita	Stow, Ohio	Studio & Turntable Headphones

Bose – America’s Most Trusted Name in Sound

Image Courtesy: Bose (Official Website)

• Founded: 1964 
• Owner: Founded by Amar Bose; majority owned by MIT, led by CEO Lila Snyder 
• Headquarters: Framingham, Massachusetts

Bose makes some of the most popular noise-canceling headphones in the country. It started in 1964 when Amar Bose, an MIT professor, got frustrated with the poor sound of his own stereo system. That frustration pushed him to research sound and build better speakers from scratch.

Today, most of the company’s ownership belongs to MIT itself, after Bose donated his shares before he passed away. Lila Snyder now runs the company as CEO, continuing its focus on strong, clean audio. Bose remains one of the most recognized names in headphones across America.

What Bose does: Makes noise-canceling headphones, earbuds, and speakers.

Services: Wireless headphones, noise-canceling earbuds, home speakers, and audio accessories.

Beats by Dre – The Brand That Made Headphones Fashionable

Image Courtesy: Beats by Dre (Official Website)

• Founded: 2006 
• Owner: Founded by Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine; owned by Apple 
• Headquarters: Culver City, California

Beats was started in 2006 by rapper Dr. Dre and music industry executive Jimmy Iovine. They wanted headphones that looked good and felt like a fashion item, not just a plain audio tool. This idea worked well, and Beats quickly became popular with athletes and musicians.

Apple noticed this success and bought the entire company in 2014 for about $3 billion. It remains one of the largest acquisitions Apple has ever made. Apple still runs Beats today as its own separate headphone brand.

What Beats by Dre does: Makes stylish headphones and earbuds aimed at everyday music fans.

Services: Wireless headphones, wireless earbuds, and Bluetooth speakers.

JBL – A Speaker Legend Now Owned by Samsung

Image Courtesy: JBL (Official Website)

• Founded: 1946 
• Owner: Founded by James Lansing; part of Harman International, owned by Samsung 
• Headquarters: Los Angeles, California

JBL was started in 1946 by audio engineer James Lansing, who had already built a strong name designing loudspeakers. He wanted to create a company under his own initials, focused purely on great sound. Even after Lansing passed away a few years later, the company kept growing steadily.

In 1969, the company became part of Harman International, a much larger audio business. Samsung later bought Harman, and JBL along with it, in 2017 for several billion dollars. JBL products are now sold in almost every electronics store across the country.

What JBL does: Makes Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and earbuds for everyday use.

Services: Wireless headphones, portable Bluetooth speakers, and true wireless earbuds.

Sony – A Japanese Electronics Giant Known for Quality Sound

Image Courtesy: Sony (Official Website)

• Founded: 1946 
• Owner: Founded by Masaru Ibuka & Akio Morita; publicly listed, led by CEO Hiroki Totoki 
• Headquarters (US): San Diego, California

Sony started in Japan in 1946, right after World War II, with just a handful of employees and very little money. Two engineers, Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, worked out of a small damaged building in Tokyo. Despite the difficult start, their focus on quality electronics slowly built the company’s reputation.

Sony’s history with music products, especially the Walkman, naturally led the company into headphones and earbuds. Its noise-canceling headphones are now considered some of the best in the industry. Hiroki Totoki became Sony’s president and CEO in 2025, taking over leadership of the wider company.

What Sony does: Makes wireless headphones, earbuds, and other audio and electronics products.

Services: Noise-canceling headphones, wireless earbuds, and home audio equipment.

Skullcandy – A Snowboarder’s Idea That Became a Headphone Brand

Image Courtesy: Skullcandy (Official Website)

• Founded: 2003 
• Owner: Founded by Rick Alden & Cris Williams; owned by Mill Road Capital, led by CEO Brian Garofalow 
• Headquarters: Park City, Utah

Skullcandy was started in 2003 by Rick Alden, who wanted headphones made specifically for snowboarders and skateboarders. Most headphones at the time were plain, boring, and not built for rough outdoor use. Alden designed his products to be colorful, affordable, and tough enough to survive falls.

The brand grew fast among younger customers who liked its bold designs and lower prices. Skullcandy even went public for a period before later becoming a private company again. In 2016, a private equity firm called Mill Road Capital bought the company outright.

What Skullcandy does: Makes affordable, colorful headphones aimed at younger customers.

Services: Wireless headphones, wireless earbuds, and gaming headsets.

Sennheiser – A German Family Business Known for Studio Sound

Image Courtesy: Sennheiser (Official Website)

• Founded: 1945 
• Owner: Founded by Fritz Sennheiser; family-owned, led by Co-CEOs Daniel & Andreas Sennheiser 
• Headquarters (US): Old Lyme, Connecticut

Sennheiser started in Germany in 1945, right after World War II, as a small workshop repairing electrical measuring equipment. Founder Fritz Sennheiser slowly shifted the company’s focus toward microphones and audio devices instead. His careful, engineering-focused approach helped the brand earn a strong reputation among musicians.

The company has stayed within the Sennheiser family for three generations now, which is rare for a business this size. Fritz’s grandsons, Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser, currently run the business together as co-CEOs. Sennheiser headphones remain especially popular with professional musicians and audio engineers.

What Sennheiser does: Makes high-quality headphones and microphones for music and studio use.

Services: Studio headphones, wireless earbuds, professional microphones, and audio equipment.

Bang & Olufsen – A Danish Brand Known for Luxury Design

Image Courtesy: Bang & Olufsen (Official Website)

• Founded: 1925 
• Owner: Founded by Peter Bang & Svend Olufsen; publicly listed, led by CEO Gianfilippo Testa 
• Headquarters (US): New York, New York

Bang & Olufsen is a Danish electrical engineering and consumer electronics company founded in 1925 by two young engineers. They created the first radio that could be plugged into a wall outlet rather than using batteries. This product was a great success and gave the company a solid reputation. The founders worked in the attic of a manor house owned by Bang’s family.

For several decades, the company has been creating products that combine disruptive technology and refined design. Most of their products are luxury items with a price tag significantly higher than those of their competitors listed on this page. The current CEO of the company is Gianfilippo Testa, who focuses his efforts on high-end headphones and home audio systems.

What Bang & Olufsen does: Makes high-end, design-focused headphones and audio products.

Services: Luxury wireless headphones, premium earbuds, and home speaker systems.

Jabra (GN Group) – A Danish Company Built on Hearing Technology

Image Courtesy: Jabra (Official Website)

• Founded: 1869 (GN Group); 1983 (Jabra) 
• Owner: Part of GN Group, Denmark; publicly listed 
• Headquarters (US): Nashua, New Hampshire

Jabra‘s parent company, GN Group, actually traces all the way back to 1869, when it started as a telegraph company in Denmark. Over many decades, the business slowly shifted away from telegraphs and into sound and hearing technology instead. This long history in hearing-related products gave the company deep experience long before headphones became popular.

The Jabra brand itself launched in 1983, with an early focus on headsets built for offices and phone calls. As remote work and video calls became more common, Jabra’s wireless earbuds grew even more popular in the US. Today, the brand is well known for headsets used in meetings, calls, and everyday commuting.

What Jabra does: Makes wireless earbuds and headsets built for calls and office work.

Services: Wireless earbuds, office headsets, and video conferencing audio equipment.

Anker Soundcore – A Chinese Tech Brand That Grew Fast in the US

Image Courtesy: Anker Soundcore (Official Website)

• Founded: 2011 
• Owner: Founded by Steven Yang; publicly listed, led by CEO Steven Yang 
• Headquarters (US): Bellevue, Washington

Anker started in 2011 when Steven Yang, a former Google engineer, began selling phone chargers and batteries online. He noticed that many charging products at the time were cheaply made and unreliable. Anker grew quickly by selling directly through platforms like Amazon instead of traditional stores.

As the company grew, Anker expanded well beyond chargers into audio products under its Soundcore brand name. Soundcore headphones and earbuds became popular for offering many premium features at a lower price. Steven Yang still leads the company today as chairman and CEO.

What Anker Soundcore does: Makes affordable wireless earbuds and headphones sold mainly online.

Services: Wireless earbuds, over-ear headphones, and portable Bluetooth speakers.

Audio-Technica – A Japanese Brand Loved by Music Professionals

Image Courtesy: Audio-Technica (Official Website)

• Founded: 1962 
• Owner: Founded by Hideo Matsushita; privately held, led by President Kazuo Matsushita 
• Headquarters (US): Stow, Ohio

The company was founded in Japan in 1962, and it initially produced phonograph pickups for turntables. Its founder, Hideo Matsushita, placed particular emphasis on thorough research and precise engineering of his company’s products. As a result, the brand gained an excellent reputation among serious music lovers.

The company then began to manufacture microphones and headphones widely used among musicians and DJs. Even today, some of the company’s microphones are used in presidential debates in the United States. The founder’s son, Kazuo Matsushita, has been leading the company as its president for several decades now.

What Audio-Technica does: Makes studio-quality headphones, microphones, and turntable equipment.

Services: Studio headphones, wireless earbuds, turntables, and professional microphones.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which is the oldest headphone brand on this list? 

Bang & Olufsen is the oldest, founded in Denmark in 1925, decades before most other brands on this list even existed.

Which brands are originally American companies? 

Bose, Beats by Dre, JBL, and Skullcandy all started in the United States, while Sony, Sennheiser, Bang & Olufsen, Jabra, Anker, and Audio-Technica started overseas.

Which brand is owned by Apple? 

Beats by Dre is fully owned by Apple, after Apple bought the company in 2014 for about $3 billion.

Which brand is owned by Samsung? 

JBL is owned by Samsung, through Samsung’s 2017 purchase of its parent company, Harman International.

Which brand is best known for office headsets and calls? 

Jabra, part of Denmark’s GN Group, is especially well known for wireless earbuds and headsets built for calls and office work.

Which brand is known for very affordable headphones? 

Anker Soundcore is known for offering many headphone features at a lower price, often sold directly online.

Are headphone brands in the USA regulated? 

Yes, headphones sold in the US must follow basic electronics and safety rules set by agencies like the FCC.

Which brand has stayed in the same family for generations? 

Sennheiser has remained in the same German family for three generations, now run by brothers Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser.

Which brand is known for studio and professional audio equipment? 

Audio-Technica is especially popular among musicians, DJs, and audio professionals for its studio headphones and microphones.

Why do these ten brands matter to everyday people? 

These brands make most of the headphones and earbuds Americans use daily for music, calls, workouts, and gaming.

Conclusion

America’s headphone market includes traditional American brands, Japanese tech giants, and European luxury brands. This list includes well-known names such as Bose, Beats, JBL, and Skullcandy, representing the American school of headphone design, and Sony, Sennheiser, Bang & Olufsen, Jabra, Anker, and Audio-Technica, Inc., the leading Japanese and European manufacturers. 

Together, these ten brands cover a wide range of high-end and economy-level wireless headphones and earbuds. The dynamic development of innovative solutions in the field of wireless communication and noise-canceling technologies will further spur the growth of this market, as demand for comfortable and convenient listening and talking devices will continue to rise across America.