Food

The Sound of Flavour

Sennheiser, a world leader in audio technology, is joining with Selector to explore the incredible influence music can have on what you taste.

In 1945, electrical engineer Prof Dr Fritz Sennheiser started a company specialising in high fidelity equipment. This included microphones, microphone transformers, mixers, and miniature magnetic headphones. 

Before long, Sennheiser became known as a highly innovative, trend setting company producing the best audio equipment in the world. This included the 1968 production of the world’s first ‘open’ headphones – completely transforming and advancing the audio market by producing a more natural sound. 

As an independent family business, Sennheiser continue to innovate and develop, shaping trends and the future of professional and consumer audio.

When developing his earliest headphones and audio products, Dr Sennheiser had little knowledge that sound was destined to become a medium that has an incredible influence on our physiology, our psychology, our cognitive and behavioural demeanour. 

Another profound effect that Dr Fritz would not have seen coming was the discovery of the effect that sound can have on taste and flavour.

Eat with your ears

Just as music can have an effect on our emotions, it can have a dramatic influence on how we experience taste, texture and flavour.

Heston Blumenthal famously demonstrated this in 2007 when he created his ‘Sounds of the Sea’ dish at his three-starred restaurant The Fat Duck.

This dish was a selection of raw seafood, foamed salt water and shore foraged elements served with headphones that delivered seascape sound.

The result was far reaching, with diners reviewing the experience as spectacular thanks to the amazing way the sound enhanced the flavours and aromas.

Oxford University then constructed studies around how sound and environment can effect and influence taste and flavour and the results prove that it definitely impacts what happens to what we eat and drink.

Music, like food and wine, unites us, stirring powerful emotions and memories that last forever.

And the better the quality of the sound, the greater the auditory contribution makes to flavour, and the more profound the experience.

Experience the flavour of Sound

Sennheiser, in partnership with Selector, will be holding a very special masterclass that blends cutting edge sound technology, music and wine to explore the boundaries of sound and flavour.  Held at Sennheiser’s flagship store in the Sydney CBD, this masterclass will change the way you experience wine, food and sound. 

To book tickets to this special event, click here.