Heavys
Heavys is a New York-based, privately held consumer audio brand that designs and sells headphones and earbuds engineered specifically for rock and metal music listeners, anchored by a patented 8-driver architecture and a swappable shell system of officially licensed artist collaborations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Heavys does
Heavys is a New York-headquartered, privately held consumer audio equipment company that designs and sells headphones and earbuds engineered specifically for rock and metal music listeners. Its flagship H1H over-ear headphones use a patented 8-driver architecture (four drivers per ear cup, including front-facing tweeters and dual woofers) tuned for the frequency complexity of guitar-heavy music, paired with proprietary Hell Blocker active noise cancellation, 40–50 hour battery life, Bluetooth 5.1 wireless, USB-C and analog wired connectivity, and a companion mobile app for EQ and firmware. The product line also includes H1E true wireless earbuds targeting active/fitness use, a gaming bundle with a boom-mic cable, and an expanding catalog of interchangeable snap-on ear cup shells under officially licensed collaborations with artists such as KISS, Motörhead, Queen, Judas Priest, Lamb of God, Morbid Angel, Whitechapel, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, and Scorpions.
The company was founded by Axel Grell, a former 31-year Sennheiser engineer and chief audio engineer credited with the HD 600 and HD 800 headphones, who holds over 40 audio patents and personally drives the technical design. Products are engineered in Germany and sold primarily direct-to-consumer through heavys.com, with select retail partners carrying shells and limited editions. Heavys monetizes through one-time hardware sales — flagship bundles priced at $269–$299, standalone artist shells at $24–$39, and bundled headphone-plus-shell offerings at $259–$274 — supplemented by licensing royalties paid by the company to artist estates and rights holders on every licensed shell sold. Pricing includes US tariffs and, for most orders, EU/UK duties and VAT, with flex-pay options (Klarna, Shop Pay, PayPal, Afterpay) starting at $20/month and free shipping above $200.
Heavys reports over 200,000 customers, a 4.7/5 average rating across 1,470 verified reviews, and a SoundGuys "Top Rated" award (8.3/10, the highest score in the over-ear category, ahead of Apple AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM5, and Bose QC45). Its primary customer segment is heavy music fans seeking concert-like immersion at home or on the go, with secondary segments in fitness/workout users (via the H1E) and gamers (via the gaming bundle). The go-to-market motion is product-led DTC, supported by community-driven marketing through verified reviews, social media, and artist collaboration drops that double as collector events and organic PR catalysts.
Heavys firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heavys
- Legal name
- Heavys
- Website
- https://heavys.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Heavys is a New York-based, privately held consumer audio brand that designs and sells headphones and earbuds engineered specifically for rock and metal music listeners, anchored by a patented 8-driver architecture and a swappable shell system of officially licensed artist collaborations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heavys industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Audio Equipment
- NAICS
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (334310)
- SIC
- Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wireless Headphones (Over‑Ear & On‑Ear) (CRACANAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hearables (True Wireless Earbuds & Smart Headphones) (CRACAIAD), Audio Accessories (Ear Tips, Cables, Stands, Cases, Transmitters) (CRACANAM), Sports & Fitness Audio (Open‑Ear, Bone Conduction, Neckband) (CRACANAD), Headphones & Personal Audio Retail (Earbuds, ANC, DACs) (CRACAEAG)
Keywords
Where Heavys is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Heavys business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales - Headphones: Primary revenue stream from sale of H1H over-ear headphones and H1E wireless earbuds. One-time hardware purchase model with accessories and add-ons.
- Shell Accessories and Bundles: Sales of interchangeable shell covers (artist collaborations, limited editions) as standalone accessories or bundled with headphones at premium pricing.
- Licensing Royalties: Royalties received from Motörhead estate on every Motörhead shell unit sold. Similar royalty arrangements with all artist collaborations including Queen, Judas Priest, Lamb of God, Morbid Angel, Whitechapel, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Heavys H1H Headphones Bundle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Artist Shell Standalone |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Headphones + Shells Bundle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | H1E True Wireless EarBuds |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gaming Bundle |
| Other | Monthly | Flex Payment Options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Heavys product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heavys designs, manufactures, and sells premium consumer audio equipment — including the H1H over-ear headphones and H1E true wireless earbuds — built around a proprietary 8-driver acoustic architecture tuned specifically for heavy music genres such as rock and metal. The company complements this hardware with a gaming audio bundle, customizable artist-licensed ear cup shells (Heavys Shells), branded accessories, and a companion mobile application that supports device control and firmware updates.
Product overview
Heavys is a premium audio brand engineered for heavy music fans, offering a portfolio centered on its patented 8-speaker H1H over-ear headphones as the flagship core product. The ecosystem includes H1E true wireless earbuds for active lifestyles, a gaming bundle variant with boom mic, and the Heavys Shells interchangeable accessory system enabling customization through officially licensed artist collaborations. A companion mobile app provides EQ controls and firmware management. The company was founded by former Sennheiser engineer Axel Grell, who previously designed the legendary HD 600 and HD 800 headphones.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- H1H Over-ear Headphones
Quantifiable outcome
- SoundGuys score of 8.3 - highest in over-ear headphones category, beating Apple AirPods Max (7.5), Sony WH-1000XM5 (8.1), Bose QC45 (7.5)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Heavys
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Heavys technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Heavys partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Motörhead EstatecoreOfficial licensing collaboration to launch Motörhead Special Edition Shells featuring the band's iconic Snaggletooth artwork. Royalties paid to Motörhead estate on every unit sold. Shells priced at $39 standalone or $269 bundled with H1H headphones.
- Morbid AngelcoreOfficial collaboration with American death metal pioneers Morbid Angel for limited-edition interchangeable shell designs. Features band's iconic visual identity on patented 8-driver H1H headphones with ANC and 50-hour battery life.
- WhitechapelcoreMulti-release album collaboration releasing officially licensed shells for three Whitechapel studio albums. First album-by-album partnership structure allowing fans to collect across the band's catalog. 'Saw is the Law' and 'The Valley' currently available, 'Hymns of Dissonance' in production. Prices $29-$274.
- CurrentscoreLimited-edition Currents Shells officially licensed for H1H over-ear headphones. Collaboration expands customizable headphone shells ecosystem and artist partnership strategy with additional heavy music collaborations in development.
- Queen (Official Collaboration)coreOfficial Queen shells featuring the legendary band's iconic imagery. One of multiple artist collaborations under Heavys' officially licensed artist collaboration model.
- Judas Priest (Official Collaboration)coreOfficial Judas Priest shells as part of Heavys' officially licensed artist collaboration portfolio spanning rock and metal genres.
- Lamb of God (Official Collaboration)coreOfficial Lamb of God shells including 'Ashes of The Wake' edition. Royalties paid to the band on every unit sold.
- KISS (Official Collaboration)coreKISS Special Edition and 'Rock and Roll Over' Anniversary Edition shells featuring the iconic band's legendary branding.
- Geeky CamelminorFeatured in Geeky Camel's editorial roundup of best earbuds for exercise, highlighting products designed for workouts and active use.
- Onward (Shipping Protection)minorPartnership with Onward for carbon neutral shipping protection against lost, stolen, and damaged packages. Onward has partnered with Cool Effect (501c3 non-profit climate organization) to neutralize carbon emissions.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Heavys competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sennheiser: Premium headphone and pro-audio manufacturer, including the HD 600/HD 800 lines engineered by Heavys founder Axel Grell. Direct peer in over-ear headphones, with overlapping target customer in audiophiles and music enthusiasts.
- Sony (WH-1000XM line): Maker of the WH-1000XM5, the category-leading wireless ANC over-ear headphones that Heavys H1H directly competes against and beat in SoundGuys scoring. Same product category, same target buyer, same go-to-market through consumer electronics retail and DTC.
- Bose: Premium headphone brand behind the QuietComfort line, which Heavys also outperformed in independent reviews. Direct competitor in over-ear wireless ANC headphones sold through consumer electronics channels.
- Apple (AirPods Max): Manufacturer of AirPods Max at $549, the price/positioning benchmark Heavys H1H ($269-$299) is explicitly undercutting for rock/metal listeners. Direct peer in premium over-ear wireless ANC headphones.
- Beats by Dre: Mass-market consumer headphone brand emphasizing bass-heavy tuning and lifestyle/artist positioning — a model Heavys mirrors with its 8-driver bass focus and artist shell collaborations. Direct competitor in lifestyle over-ear and earbud categories.
- Skullcandy: Consumer headphone brand known for bass-forward tuning; verified Heavys customers explicitly cite replacing Skullcandy Crushers. Direct peer in lifestyle headphones targeted at younger, bass-leaning music listeners.
- Master & Dynamic: Premium DTC-first audio brand selling over-ear headphones and earbuds at comparable price points. Direct peer in premium consumer audio with similar positioning and small-batch/limited-edition brand strategy.
- Bang & Olufsen: Premium consumer audio brand with over-ear headphones and true wireless earbuds at higher price points. Direct peer in design-led premium audio sold DTC and through select retail.
- Audio-Technica: Long-established audio manufacturer with broad headphone lineup including the M-series over-ears that compete with Heavys on sound quality and price. Direct peer in consumer and prosumer headphones.
Emerging players
- Nura (Nuraphone): Australian audio startup that pioneered personalized/adaptive multi-driver headphone technology (Nuraphone). Comparable as a smaller, engineering-led challenger using proprietary driver architectures to differentiate from incumbents.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Heavys social profiles
Digital presenceHeavys financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heavys leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Heavys funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heavys M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Heavys
What does Heavys do?
Heavys designs, manufactures, and sells premium consumer audio equipment — including the H1H over-ear headphones and H1E true wireless earbuds — built around a proprietary 8-driver acoustic architecture tuned specifically for heavy music genres such as rock and metal. The company complements this hardware with a gaming audio bundle, customizable artist-licensed ear cup shells (Heavys Shells), branded accessories, and a companion mobile application that supports device control and firmware updates.
Is Heavys a public or private company?
Heavys is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Heavys founded?
Heavys was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Heavys based?
Heavys is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Heavys make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales - Headphones are the primary driver. The others are shell Accessories and Bundles and licensing Royalties.
Who are Heavys's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sennheiser, Sony (WH-1000XM line), Bose, Apple (AirPods Max), Beats by Dre, Skullcandy, Master & Dynamic, Bang & Olufsen and Audio-Technica. Nura (Nuraphone) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Heavys have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heavys.
What industry is Heavys in?
Heavys's product category is Consumer Audio Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACANAB, Wireless Headphones (Over‑Ear & On‑Ear), with a secondary code of CRACAIAD, Hearables (True Wireless Earbuds & Smart Headphones). Its NAICS code is 334310 and its SIC code is 3651.