Sony is acquiring Audeze, the maker of audiophile-grade wired headphones, IEM-style earbuds, and gaming headsets. But in a weird twist, it’s not Sony’s electronics division that is doing the deal. Instead, it’s Sony Interactive Entertainment — the division that oversees the company’s gaming portfolio including the PlayStation 5 console. The terms and cost of the acquisition haven’t been released.
When Sony revealed that its new Pulse Explore wireless earbuds for PlayStation 5 use planar magnetic drivers, I was surprised. Planar is a fairly exotic audio tech that has historically been limited to wired earbuds that can cost as much as $1,000. It seemed like an even stranger move given that, to my knowledge, Sony Electronics hasn’t created any personal audio products that use planar drivers.