Are IEMs going to put headphone makers out of business?

[Dunring]

Well I've had the 7hz Salnotes Zero:2 for a week and it's replaced a lot of things I used to use every day. With the advances they've made it seems headphone makers with their big price tags might be in serious trouble. I've had the Heddphone and Audivina, and wouldn't trade the Zero:2 for either one of them if I had to use them every day. Amplifiers and DACs have gotten so good and affordable, but IEMs need just a trickle of power and sound as good as headphones costing 20 times as much or more. Wondering if the trend towards IEMs will put traditional headphone makers into a decline for sales. The Aurvina Ace 2 just arrived, and the solid state drivers are really fast and sound good, but haven't heard any news on if xMEMS will be put into full size headphones. There's always going to be a market, but I have a feeling it'll be a much smaller one now that $24 IEMs can trade blows with $2,000 headphones.

 

[JustJones]

I can see where inexpensive IEMs have the potential to make inroads on expensive headphones but there's always going to be people like me who can't abide having things stuck in their ears. In the past and occasionally now when I need hearing protection I couldn't stand and never used these

Instead I used these

 

[bodhi]

There is a very large segment of people who have used whatever IEMs they have had in hand, usually the ones that came with the phone, and at some point start to wonder if there is something better available. Many if not most of headphone questions in more casual forums come from these people and they have progressed about the same way for a long long time: low end hifi <200€, then something like HD600/Sundara, then come amps and DACs and then you are a hobbyist and progress at your own pace without needing any particular reason to upgrade.

Now when these people start looking they might find that 50€ IEMs or 250€ wireless IEMs are as good as it gets sound quality wise and there is no need to experience FOMO. Most of them stay there for the rest of their lives and there is no reason not to.

I'm certain this will cut to profits on hifi headphone industry regardless of price category, maybe discounting the highest of high end that caters mostly to customers for whom the money is not an issues to be considered anyways.