Sourcing Headphones Wholesale from China: Over-Ear & On-Ear Guide

Over-ear and on-ear headphones are one of the stronger categories for importers looking for a product with real margin potential. The price gap between factory cost and retail is larger here than in most electronics categories — a quality wireless headphone costing $20–30 at the factory can sell for $60–100 in Western markets with solid positioning.

China manufactures nearly all the world’s non-premium headphones. The factories are concentrated in Shenzhen and Dongguan, with some in Huizhou.

Factory Tiers

Budget ($5–12 factory cost): Wired or basic Bluetooth (BT 5.0, SBC/AAC). 40mm drivers. On-ear or fold-flat over-ear. Claimed frequency response of 20Hz–20kHz (technically accurate but no meaningful bass below 80–100Hz). Simple inline mic for calls. This tier competes at $15–30 retail. Audio quality is limited but adequate for calls, podcasts, and casual listening.

Mid-range ($12–30 factory cost): Wireless BT 5.x with AAC/aptX. 40mm–50mm drivers. Foldable over-ear with carrying case. 20–40 hours battery life. Basic ANC (often single-mic implementation that reduces hiss but doesn’t block much noise). USB-C charging. This tier can sell at $40–80 retail and represents the best volume opportunity for importers.

Premium ($30–70 factory cost): Hybrid ANC (multiple microphone array, adaptive noise cancellation), LDAC codec, 40–60 hour battery life, premium drivers with custom tuning, app with EQ control, multipoint connection (two devices simultaneously). These compete with Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QC45 at the $100–200 retail tier. Same Shenzhen factories that supply Anker Soundcore Q45, Edifier, and EarFun Max produce at this level.

Key Specs That Drive Buyer Satisfaction

Driver size and type. 40mm dynamic drivers are the standard. 50mm drivers can produce more bass impact. Planar magnetic drivers (found in audiophile products) are rarely available from standard Chinese factories but exist in some premium OEM lines. Dual-driver configurations (dynamic + balanced armature) appear in some premium models.

ANC quality. Cheap single-mic ANC in the $15–30 range often adds hiss or distortion rather than helping. Real ANC requires multiple microphones (feedforward + feedback configuration) and good DSP. Don’t advertise ANC heavily for products in the sub-$20 factory cost range — you’ll get returns.

Battery life (actual). Test at 60% volume with ANC off, then with ANC on. ANC typically reduces battery life by 20–30%. Quick charge is a real selling point — 10-minute charge for 3 hours of playback is achievable in mid-tier products and resonates with buyers.

Headband and ear cushion quality. This is where cheap products fall apart on Amazon reviews. Thin headbands crack after 6 months of use. Cheap leatherette ear cushions peel within a year. Ask about the specific materials used for the headband hinge and cushion covering. Protein leather (a form of synthetic leather) is better than standard PU.

Clamping force. Heavy clamping force causes fatigue after 30–60 minutes of wear. Test this yourself — wear samples for 2+ hours and pay attention to discomfort. Adjust before ordering if clamping is too high.

Foldability and portability. Foldable hinges that collapse for storage are important for commuter buyers. Test hinge durability — fold and unfold 200 times and check for loosening or cracking.

Microphone quality. For work-from-home buyers, call quality is critical. Test voice calls in a noisy environment. Cheap headphone microphones sound muddy or pick up excessive background noise.

Certifications

FCC Part 15: Wireless headphones (Bluetooth) need FCC authorization. Any product with wireless must have an FCC ID. Verify at fcc.report.

CE + RED: Required for EU/UK Bluetooth devices. SAR testing may be required if the headphone contains a transmitter close to the head — confirm with your factory.

RoHS: Standard. Ask for current test report.

Ergonomic standards: No mandatory ergonomic certification, but products marketed as “noise-cancelling” face scrutiny if ANC is misleadingly overstated.

MOQs

Wired or basic wireless headphones from standard designs: 100–300 units. The factory likely has this design in stock.

Mid-range wireless with your custom colors and packaging: 300–500 units.

Custom driver tuning (EQ profile changed in firmware or physical driver modification): 500–1,000 units.

Custom headband design: 2,000+ units with tooling.

The Margin Story

A well-tuned mid-range wireless headphone costing $22 factory + $3 shipping + $12 tariff (at ~50%) = $37 landed. Selling at $65–80 on Amazon gives a 1.8–2.2x multiplier before fees. That’s tight after Amazon’s ~15% fee and potential PPC spend.

The better play is brand building on specific niches: study/focus headphones with ambient mode, over-ear headphones for kids with volume limiting, studio monitoring headphones for content creators. Niche positioning protects margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What driver size should I look for in over-ear headphones? 40mm dynamic drivers are standard and adequate. 50mm drivers can produce better bass for casual listeners who want a bass-heavy sound signature. Driver size alone doesn’t determine audio quality — driver material, voice coil quality, and cabinet design matter equally. Always test with samples.

How do I evaluate ANC quality on a sample? Find an environment with consistent background noise (a running HVAC unit, fan, or similar constant source). Enable ANC and listen for: reduction in background noise, presence of added hiss, audio quality change. Good ANC reduces background noise by 20–30dB with minimal audio impact. Cheap ANC might reduce noise by 5–10dB while adding hiss.

What’s the realistic warranty failure rate for cheap headphones? Budget headphones (sub-$15 factory cost) can have return rates of 5–15% on platforms like Amazon for issues like headband cracking, cushion peeling, and connectivity problems. Mid-tier products from quality factories run 1–3%. Factor this into your landed cost model when evaluating margin.

Are wired headphones still worth sourcing? For certain niches, yes. Gaming headsets with 3.5mm + USB connection still sell well. Studio monitor headphones (wired, neutral sound signature) have a committed market. Music production education is a strong niche. For general consumer and commuter use, wireless is dominant.

Should I source headphones with or without a detachable cable? Detachable cables are preferred by audio enthusiasts and are a quality signal. They also reduce returns from cable damage — one of the most common failure modes. For mid-range and above products, a detachable USB-C + 3.5mm cable (for use with and without adapter) is a good spec to include.