Germany: Federal Cartel Office issued ruling in its investigation into Sennheiser and Sonova over alleged vertical price fixing

On 7 May 2025, the Federal Cartel Office imposed fines totalling EUR 6 million on Sennheiser and Sonova for engaging in vertical price fixing of premium headphones in Germany. Sennheiser had coordinated retail prices with authorised dealers since at least 2015, monitoring end-consumer prices and intervening to maintain higher price levels, while using coded language to conceal these practices. Although Sennheiser exited the consumer electronics sector after selling its business to Sonova in March 2022, Sonova continued some price-fixing activities until the Federal Cartel Office's raid in September 2022. The Federal Cartel Office considered both companies' cooperation with the investigation when determining the fines, which are now final.