Tariffs on imports are stacking up, threatening to drive consumer audio prices higher.
A wave of recent U.S. trade tariffs is raising costs across the electronics industry – and high-end audio gear from headphones to DAC components are not exempt. In the coming months, headphones, earphones, and amplifiers from HiFiMan, Sennheiser, Moondrop, Schiit and others are poised to get more expensive for American buyers.
A longtime de minimis loophole that let Americans import small parcels (valued under $800) tariff-free from China was closed as of May 2025. Previously, you could order a pair of earphones direct from a Chinese seller and likely pay no import tax. Now, every China-origin package is hit with about a 30% duty (with a hefty minimum fee). So whether you buy through U.S. dealers or import directly from overseas, tariffs are adding costs at every turn. Chi-Fi (Chinese hi-fi) favorites like HiFiMan headphones or Moondrop IEMs could soon cost hundreds more in the U.S. than they used to and could almost double in price by May.
Take Moondrop for example. In late 2024 and early 2025, Moondrop’s U.S. distributors began alerting customers to imminent price increases on their IEMs (in-ear monitors) due to the new tariffs. The jump was roughly 10–16%. At the time of writing, the Moondrop Blessing 3 now costs around 20% more, and the Variations model rose about 30%. Even more affordable models like the Aria have seen price hikes.
HiFi audio electronics from China are seeing similar impacts. HiFiMan, one of the leading audiophile headphone brands (known for its planar magnetic headphones made in China), is expected to raise U.S. prices as well. These headphones are poised to become significantly more expensive for American buyers. To illustrate, a tariff of 34% plus other fees alone could add a few hundred dollars to the HiFiMan Ananda headphone.
It’s not only Chinese-origin brands that will be affected due to the global impact of tariffs. Sennheiser has also hinted at price adjustments, even though many of its high-end products aren’t made in China. Sennheiser manufactures the vast majority of its audiophile headphones (like the HD 600 and HD 800 series) domestically in Europe, often in Tullamore, Ireland. These headphones still rely on global supply chains for parts – for instance, the high-end driver units require precision components and possibly rare earth magnets (materials often sourced from China), and their wireless models require chips that could be made in Asia. If those upstream parts have gotten more expensive due to tariffs or shortages, Sennheiser is expected raise prices.
American audio manufacturers expected to take a hit
Blanket tariffs make it nearly impossible for U.S. brands to escape price hikes as input costs of components go up dramatically. Brands like Schiit Audio (known for its amps and DACs, assembled in California and Texas) or boutique headphone makers like ZMF and Abyss are domestically made but are likely to come under pressure to increase prices.
A Schiit amp could be assembled in the U.S. but the DAC chips or amplifier ICs inside could be from a company like ESS (based in the U.S. but often fabricated in Asia) or AKM (Japan) – or even newer Chinese chip suppliers. The printed circuit boards (PCBs) might be sourced from China or Taiwan. Many passive components (resistors, capacitors, etc.) are mass-produced in Asia.
Experts caution that a USA-made product might be “assembled in the US…using a DAC from Beijing, FPGAs from Taiwan, electrical components from Japan/China, [and] metal and wood from Canada/Australia”. Tariffs on any of those imported parts will increase the production cost for the U.S. maker. Schiit would likely see a 35% price hike on inputs (assuming these tariffs stay at the current rate) in these components and will likely have to absorb those costs (hurting their margin) or pass them on through price hikes.
Canadian Buyers Not Affected – For Now
In the short term, Canadian consumers are less affected by these price hikes. Canada did not mirror the U.S. in slapping broad tariffs on consumer electronics from China. So a Canadian buying a Moondrop or HiFiMan unit from a retailer in Canada isn’t facing a new 10% or 25% tariff on it. They’ll pay whatever normal duty and sales tax that existed (and Canada’s normal import duties on electronics are fairly low or often zero under trade agreements, aside from sales tax). Canadian dealers also haven’t reported the kind of sudden supplier price lists changes that U.S. dealers have.
Prices expected to skyrocket in May
Starting in May 2025, the implementation of new tariffs by the U.S. government is expected to significantly impact the prices of Chi-Fi headphones, including brands like HiFiMAN. These tariffs impose a 54% duty on Chinese imports, directly affecting consumer electronics manufactured in China. Other brands likely to be affected include FiiO, Shanling, and Moondrop, all of which manufacture their products in China. These increased costs may be passed on to consumers, leading to higher retail prices for Chi-Fi headphones and other electronics.
If you’re in the market for headphones and you live inside the U.S., maybe it’s time to grab that HIFIMAN Arya before it’s too late.