Bluesound
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Maker of wireless multi-room music streamers, speakers and soundbars.
We couldn't find where Bluesound makes most of its wireless hi-fi streamers and speakers, a certification covering its range or a list of its suppliers.
Also worth knowing
Most electronics are made in countries such as China and Vietnam, where pay is usually below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production, probably in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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 underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsWhere electronics are usually made, such as China and Malaysia, unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- 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 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Probably made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- 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
We couldn't confirm where Bluesound makes most of its products, so this shows where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 55% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 10% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Malaysia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South Korea | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| India | 5% | 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.
- 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 Bluesound products are designed in Canada and made by contract factories in Asia; no source names the countries or factories, and NAD, a sister brand, outsources to East Asian electronics factories. Lenbrook publishes no supplier list, supplier code of conduct, audit results or forced labour report, and makes no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not rated by Baptist World Aid; the Electronics Industry Report ended in 2016 and covered large brands only. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Neither Bluesound nor Lenbrook is in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark, which covers large listed companies. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Bluesound launches redesigned subwoofer (ChannelNews, 2026) · search the archive · Ambertech distributes Lenbrook's Bluesound in Australia; Lenbrook is privately held and Canadian.
- Bluesound brand profile (Vinyle Vintage) · search the archive · Designed and developed in Canada; production in Asia; part of Lenbrook International.
- Bluesound Node Nano (The Audio Tailor) · search the archive · Bluesound sold in stock at a physical showroom in Murarrie, Queensland.
- NAD Electronics (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Bluesound is a Lenbrook brand (Pickering, Ontario), alongside NAD and PSB
Published by Bluesound or its owner
- Lenbrook (company website) · search the archive · Privately owned Canadian company in Pickering, Ontario; owns NAD, PSB and Bluesound; over 200 staff.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Canada
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bluesound ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bluesound, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Bluesound.