The continuing rise of portable devices like smartphones, tablets and multimedia players has helped drive up the demand for audio accessories such as ‘wireless personal audio devices’ in the Middle East region, according to ‘harman house,’ the leading retail chain in home, professional and car infotainment in the Middle East.
The statement complements a recent report from leading telecommunications research firm, Juniper Research, which predicts that more than two billion users will be using their smartphones and tablets to watch TV and video by the year 2017. In line with this, ‘harman house’ revealed that the demand has ushered in a 400 per cent sales increase in ‘wireless personal audio devices’ within the Middle East over the last few months.
The Juniper Research report shares that the predicted increase is due to the growing popularity of short and easily shared video clips and the increased global uptake of connected devices with faster processors and better displays. From this perspective, more and more people, particularly across a younger demographic, have now shifted to using their smartphones and tablets as the primary screen for viewing TV and video content.
The availability of portable devices that offer faster processors, better displays and hooking up to faster networks, also play a key role in fuelling this shift. In addition, the seamless integration of streaming devices with social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube have also helped drive up viewership.
According to ‘harman house’ senior executives, consumers today have demonstrated a shift from wired connectivity to docking and Bluetooth based devices, with the latter enjoying more popularity. In fact, JBL’s ‘Flip’ Bluetooth wireless stereo system is one of ‘harman house’s best sellers—selling close to 300 units per day over the last few months.
The briskness in sales is equally matched by AKG’s Quincy Jones series; a premium headphone collection represents a milestone partnership between AKG and Quincy Jones, one of the most accomplished musicians of the 20th century. The increased sales of these models also show another shift; consumers now prefer to purchase the more expensive headphones and headsets that are available in the market today.
With rising affluence and spending power, consumers these days are more willing to indulge in better quality brands and products. Taking a cue from this consumer shift, ‘harman house’ is aiming to address this demand with an expansion initiative that has seen opening of three new stores in Qatar and one new showroom in Oman.
“The growing preference for high performance headphones, docking stations and portable speakers, all boils down to multi-functionality. The emergence of mobile technology has helped reposition them as essential accessories,” said Amit Malani, President, Harman Middle East. “And because it represents many functions and good quality sound, consumers today are now willing to make an informed buying decision to spend on an audio device, which they not only use for listening to music but also for watching movies, videos and for gaming as well.”
‘harman house’ is also currently offering the harman/kardon headphones and the JBL J series as their main highlights. The latest harman/kardon headphone range includes two in-ear models, three on-ear and over-ear styles, which is composed of wireless Bluetooth and noise-cancelling features.
The models have been designed to pair with an iPhone, iPad or iPod and are priced from AED 399 to AED 1499. Meanwhile, the JBL J series are available in four engaging lightweight styles; the on-ear J55 and J55i; the over-ear J88i; the in-ear J22 and J22i and the J33i. The ‘i’ version of each model comes with a built-in remote / microphone for iPhone compatibility.
The high-performance drivers of the ‘JBL J Series’ premium headphones allows consumers to ‘hear the truth’ from their music through its production of outstanding frequency response and high-output sound. In addition, the headphones present a pure bass that is deep, powerful and accurate.
“Ultimately, headphones are personal devices, and in order to win the consumer, it is essential that manufacturers are able to come up with offerings that provide not only comfort, but also the right pricing to fit nicely into the consumers’ lifestyle. ‘harman house’ has always remained true to its commitment of bringing headphones with the latest technology and design to this region,” concluded Malani.
