BEYERCYNAMIC - High-End Headphones DT 770

The online configurator in consumer electronics

In 2006, the long-established Heilbronn-based company Beyerdynamic had its DT high-end hi-fi headphone series redesigned by Busse Design+Engineering, giving the housing and design a complete facelift. The medium-sized company also switched the entire assembly process from line production to island production. This change means that one person can now work on a headphone independently and on a customer-specific basis, from initial assembly to dispatch.

Along with the new housing concepts and production processes, a web-based individualization platform was created for end customers, the Beyerdynamic Manufaktur. Here, customers can put together their own individual headphones from a wide range of surface textures and finishes for the various headphone components - from the leather strap and metal parts to the plastic housing and ear pads. The concept, which was almost unique at the time, was a resounding success - the competitors, who were geared towards universal mass production, could only offer their standard products.

Now, more than seven years later, almost all of the currently popular manufacturers such as Beats, Isy and Skullcandy offer a variety of pre-customized headphones in mass markets and on the Internet. The online configurator has therefore set an absolute trend.