Fender Audio has officially entered the competitive consumer audio market with a new lineup of Bluetooth headphones and portable speakers that bring the iconic guitar maker’s heritage to everyday personal listening. Unveiled at CES in January and available to purchase through retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Fender Audio, the brand’s debut hardware includes the modular MIX over-ear wireless headphones and the high-output ELIE series portable Bluetooth speakers, according to coverage from Rolling Stone and Best of High End.
Designing for Longevity With the Modular MIX Headphones
Priced at $299.00, the Fender Audio MIX over-ear headphones lean heavily into sustainability and user repairability. As detailed by Rolling Stone, the headphones feature a modular design where components such as the headband, earcups, and even the internal battery are completely user-replaceable. Because these interchangeable parts are manufactured in varying colors, users can mix and match components to customize their look.
Beneath the customizable exterior, the MIX headphones are engineered for endurance. They utilize 40mm graphene drivers for balanced audio delivery and feature hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC). According to Best of High End, the headphones deliver class-leading battery life, boasting up to 100 hours of playback with ANC turned off, or 52 hours with ANC enabled at 50% volume. Connectivity options are similarly robust, running on Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC and AAC support, alongside an included USB-C transmitter that enables wireless, high-fidelity audio.
Amplifying the Portable Space With the ELIE Speaker Series
Complementing the headphones are the ELIE series portable Bluetooth speakers, designed to bridge the gap between consumer Bluetooth tech and musician-friendly gear. Taking its name from the acronym for Extremely Loud Infinitely Expressive, the ELIE lineup consists of two models: the ELIE 6 priced at $299.99 and the larger ELIE 12 priced at $399.99, as reported by Best of High End.
What sets these speakers apart in a crowded portable audio market is their multi-source versatility. Both models include a wired XLR and quarter-inch combo jack, allowing the speakers to double as portable amplifiers for microphones or guitars. The compact ELIE 6 stands at 7.7 inches tall, housing a subwoofer, full-range driver, and a tweeter to pump out 60 watts of output with up to 18 hours of battery life. Meanwhile, the heavier ELIE 12 scales up to 120 watts with a dual-driver configuration featuring two subwoofers, two full-range drivers, and two tweeters alongside dedicated bass and treble controls.
Scaling Up With Advanced Processing and Ecosystem Integration
Both ELIE speakers leverage Waves SoC processing to maintain clean audio output at higher volumes. Furthermore, the speakers support Auracast Bluetooth technology, enabling users to pair units in stereo or link up to 100 speakers together for multiroom audio setups. They accept high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/48kHz and include a 3.5mm line-out port.
Operated under license by Riffsound Pte. Ltd. as Fender celebrates its 80th anniversary, the new hardware brings aesthetic cues from the company’s legendary guitar amplifiers into the modern personal audio landscape. Available in Olympic White and Skyscraper Black finishes, the lineup positions Fender Audio to compete directly against established portable audio giants like JBL and Marshall by offering pro-grade inputs and repairable architecture.
The Broader Consumer Audio Landscape
Worth a look
