The global headphones market expanded by nearly 10

The global headphones market expanded by nearly 10 percent in unit volume last year to reach 286 million units shipped, triggering 16 percent growth in retail value and revenue of $8.4 billion, Futuresource Consulting said Thursday (http://bit.ly/1usFoBy). It predicted the global market will be worth $9.9 billion by the end of 2014, peaking at $11.3 billion in 2017 and with volumes continuing to build out to 2018 and beyond. “We're seeing nothing short of a headphones renaissance, with consumers making product choices across a wide price band,” the company said. The craze is particularly acute in both Europe and North America, where headphone ownership numbers three or four pairs in the average home, though this includes headphones bundled with smartphones, it said. In-ear models dominate global shipments, with 61 percent of unit volume, and with the average selling prices rising on the incorporation of new upscale features such as mics for mobile use and waterproofing for sports use, it said.