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ARLINGTON, VA. - MP3-player docking-speaker systems emerged for the first time in 2009 as the home audio industry's largest category by factory-level dollar volume, even though their volume slipped for the first time in 2009, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) estimates show.
Factory-level unit and dollar sales have been rising at double-digit percentage rates since the first MP3 speaker systems debuted in the early 2000s, but 2009's 4.8 percent decline to an estimated $947 million was much smaller than the declines experienced by all other major home audio categories, CEA's statistics show.
Despite the dollar decline, unit sales of docking speakers kept on growing, with unit sales up an estimated 12 percent in 2009 to 9.24 million and forecast by CEA to rise more than 8 percent in 2010 to 10 million units.
In 2011, CEA forecasts unit and dollar growth of 6 percent and 1 percent, respectively, with 2012 forecast to post flat unit growth on a 4 percent dollar decline. In 2013, units will drop 4 percent to 10.2 million, with dollars falling 6 percent to $887 million.
The statistics exclude iPod-docking clock radios and tabletop radios, but when those categories are included, the influence of iPod docking capabilities on home audio sales grows further.
In 2010, CEA forecasts that 53 percent of all 11.2 million clock radios and 67 percent...