Jabra output consumer headphone business. The move is shocking because Jabra’s parent company announced it at the same time Elite introduced new models of headphones. GN CEO Peter Karlstromer said the decision was “part of our commitment to focus on attractive markets where we can deliver profitable growth and strong returns.”
The company will cease operations Jabra Elite (consumer headphones) and To talk (mono Bluetooth) product lines. In late 2023, it refocused its Elite line into the premium segment in a move designed to compete with industry heavyweights. apple, Sony and Bose. However, the company lamented that its target markets have “changed over time”. Its current assessment is that “We may not be able to generate a fair return on investment compared to many other opportunities we have in our Audio, Enterprise and Gaming businesses.”
Jabra will reduce its inventory of discontinued products and expects to complete the discontinuation by the end of the year. However, GN said it will service and support its devices for “several years”.
Although a bit under the radar from outright competitors like AirPods, Jabra has produced some high-quality audio devices. Engadget’s audio expert Billy Steele called the 2021 Jabra Elite 3 the company’s “new standard for affordable wireless headphones.” struck an attractive balance between quality and value.
Who’s new now? Jabra Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active headphones coming at the end of this month?
Update, June 12, 2024, 1:15 PM ET: This story and headline have been updated to note that Jabra’s parent company announced it was exiting the headphone business on the same day it released the new headphones, rather than the day after its announcement.
