Connected Home Audio Forecasts, 2015 to 2020 The Reinvention Of Hi-Fi

The 20,000 Foot View While the home hi-fi market was fading into irrelevance Sonos quietly set about reimagining the whole concept of in-home audio.  Now connected home audio is coming of age, with Sonos the dominant player in the multi-room audio segment.  Consequently incumbents of all shapes and sizes are rising themselves from their slumbers and entering the market in force.  Over the coming years the connected home audio market will grow strongly across all key product categories with streaming music acting as its catalyst.

Key Findings

• The majority            connected home audio consumers are            and male            are male,            are                       of connected home audio consumers            early adopter and            are technology            while            are music streamers
• The connected            audio market comprises three main            – low end wireless speakers,            wireless speakers, multi-room audio 
• The average            price of connected home audio                       with average category and brand            ranging from            to           
• Bose has            highest average price            Sonos is            with           
• Bose has            largest share of connected audio                       while Sonos is second with           
• A number            new entrants such as FON’s            Amazon’s Echo and Devialet’s Phantom            contribute to an increasingly competitive            in the coming years
• Increased competition            bring greater fragmentation, aided by            range of competing standards and            including Spotify Connect, Google Cast,            Airplay and Qualcomm AllPlay
• There were            connected audio households in 2014,                       of all households globally
• This will            to            million and            penetration in            with the rate of growth            each year
• Music subscriptions,            low end wireless speakers and            markets will all drive growth
• The US            the leading connected home audio            with            million households in 2014            will remain the leader with            in 2020
• Asia Pacific            be the largest region in            with            million households

Companies mentioned in this report: Sonos, Bose, JBL, Harman Kardon, Beats, Sony, Philips, Panasonic, Denon, FON, LG, Amazon, Qualcomm, Apple, Google, Bang & Olufsen, Devialey, Samsung, Ministry Of Sound, Naim Audio, Nad Electronics, Spotify, Deezer, Rhapsody, Qobuz, Pono, TuneIn, SoundCloud, Pandora, Rdio