Sennheiser
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
German audio brand known for Momentum headphones.
Until Sennheiser 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 1 of 6 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 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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Malaysia, where 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: 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 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
Sennheiser names some of the countries it makes in: Germany and Romania. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Romania | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 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.
- Modern slavery statement
- 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 Sennheiser consumer headphones belong to Sonova, which announced in March 2026 that it plans to sell the business (no buyer named by November 2026), while the family-owned Sennheiser group makes professional audio at its own plants in Wedemark, Germany and Brasov, Romania, with Asian partner factories. Neither discloses where consumer headphones are made, names suppliers or publishes audit results. Sonova screens suppliers through EcoVadis and a due diligence platform and reported no modern slavery cases; Sennheiser says it audits suppliers, including unannounced visits and worker housing. Neither is an RBA member or makes a living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Sennheiser (UK) Limited publishes a UK Modern Slavery Act statement covering the family-owned professional audio business. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Sonova's joint FY2024/25 statement for its Australian and UK entities names Sennheiser as a core brand but gives no details on its headphone suppliers. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour abuse allegations involving Sennheiser or its suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Sennheiser's consumer division is being sold again (Headphones.com, 2026) · search the archive · Sonova announced on 23 March 2026 it intends to sell its Consumer Hearing (Sennheiser) business; no buyer named.
- Who Owns Sennheiser And Where Are Its Headphones Made? (SlashGear, 2026) · search the archive · Sonova bought the consumer division in 2021-22; family runs Professional Audio in Germany and Romania.
Published by Sennheiser or its owner
- Sennheiser - Supply chain · search the archive · Production sites in Wedemark, Germany and Brasov, Romania; no share or partner countries given.
- Sennheiser (UK) Modern Slavery Act statement · search the archive · Plants in Germany and Romania plus Asian partner companies; supplier audits incl. unannounced visits; no findings published.
- Sonova Group Modern Slavery Statement FY2024/25 · search the archive · Sennheiser a core brand; 933 direct suppliers; EcoVadis remote audits; no modern slavery cases; no Sennheiser supplier detail.
- Sonova Sustainability Factsheet 2024 · search the archive · Sonova sites in China, Switzerland, Mexico, US and Vietnam; supplier ESG risk assessments; no living wage mention.
- Sonova delivers strong FY 2025/26 results (Sonova, 18 May 2026) · search the archive · Sonova intends to divest its Consumer Hearing business, held as discontinued operations; no buyer or timing given.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sennheiser ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sennheiser, 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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