beyerdynamic
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
German audio maker selling studio and hi-fi headphones and microphones.
Until beyerdynamic traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 7 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Germany are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: components such as circuit boards, displays and batteries
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 2
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
beyerdynamic names some of the countries it makes in: Germany. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 85% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 2% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | 2% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- "Made in Germany" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, components such as circuit boards, displays and batteries can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes beyerdynamic says about 85% of its headphones and microphones are hand-built at its own site in Heilbronn, Germany, where German labour law applies; where the remaining share is made is not stated. Its owner Cosonic, a Chinese contract audio manufacturer, completed the purchase in June 2026 and says Heilbronn production will stay. No supplier list, supplier code, modern slavery statement or conflict minerals report was found for components bought from abroad.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No beyerdynamic statement was found on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | beyerdynamic was not rated in Baptist World Aid's last Electronics Industry Report (2016); the series has ended. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | beyerdynamic is too small to be among the companies in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour abuse reports involving beyerdynamic or its suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Beyerdynamic confirms headphones will continue to be handmade in Germany after acquisition (What Hi-Fi, June 2025) · search the archive · About 85% of microphones and headphones made at its Heilbronn site; Cosonic buying the company for EUR 122 million
- Beyerdynamic sold to Chinese OEM specialist Cosonic (StereoNET) · search the archive · 385 employees worldwide; Cosonic plans to keep Heilbronn production
- Pinsent Masons advises Cosonic on the acquisition of beyerdynamic Group · search the archive · Acquisition by Cosonic International Pte. Ltd. closed on 10 June 2026
- Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO (Mannys) · search the archive · Sold by Mannys, which has stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 385
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is beyerdynamic ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/beyerdynamic, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other TV and audio brands
Nothing we've rated in TV and audio is better than Lacks transparency yet.
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