OLD LYME, Conn. — April 2008 — The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has announced that audio pioneer Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser is to be inducted into its CE Hall of Fame. The 95-year-old founder of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG is one of 12 honorees to be inducted in 2008, and has been chosen by the expert jury in the category “Founders and Inventors”.
“We are as excited about this announcement as is Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser himself,” said Volker Bartels, speaker of the Sennheiser executive team. “Fritz Sennheiser still takes a keen interest in the company he founded, and feels very honored by this recognition from the American consumer electronics industry.”
Under the management of Fritz Sennheiser, who also taught RF wireless technology and electro-acoustics at University of Hanover in Germany, the family-owned company designed many important innovations. These included the shotgun microphone in the 1950s, open-back headphones in the 1960s, infrared transmission technology in the 1970s and revolutionary developments in multi-channel wireless technology in the early 1980s.
Volker Bartels: “Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser’s motto was to allow his developers to give free rein to their creative ideas, no matter how crazy they might seem. And his staff translated this freedom and trust into innovative audio solutions.” Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA, praised the 2008 inductees: “I am proud to honor the accomplishments of these 12 leaders in the consumer technology industry, which provides the products and services that inform, educate, entertain and keep consumers connected. They inspire all of us.” The 12 honorees will be officially inducted into the CE Hall of Fame during an awards dinner in October.
Since the founding of the CE Hall of Fame in 2000, the panel of industry experts has selected new honorees each year. Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser joins impressive company in 2008, capturing the incredible honor alongside such industry greats as Ken Kutaragi, who encouraged the development of Sony’s Playstation gaming console; Martin Cooper and Donald Linder, who developed the first mobile phone, the Motorola DynaTAC, in less than six months; and Joe Clayton, CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio and former head of RCA/Thomson. Past honorees include such inventors and scientists as Heinrich Hertz, Alexander G. Bell and Nikola Tesla.
The CEA is the pre-eminent trade association in the US consumer electronics industry, counting more than 2,200 companies among its members. The association supports its members through legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. The CEA also sponsors and manages the annual International Consumer Electronics Show.
SENNHEISER
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world through long-term distribution partners and subsidiaries in France, UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan, China, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Sennheiser’s technology is produced in manufacturing plants in Germany, Ireland and the U.S. Their pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Sennheiser Group is proud to be affiliated with Georg Neumann (Technical Grammy award-winning studio microphones), Klein and Hummel (studio monitors) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications that brings their award-winning technology to headsets for PCs, offices and call centers.
For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com
