Until now, German premium audio brand Sennheiser have sold their wares entirely through distributors, surprising given that the company will be 70 next year.

However they've finally decided that they’re old enough to have a place of their own, two in fact, and so have opened temporary stores in New York’s Lower East Side and San Francisco’s Mission District.

The Sound Sanctuary stores (open until December 28th) will deliver a unique sound experience to consumers while furthering Sennheiser’s own efforts to increase consumer awareness on the benefits of premium sound.

Grey, symmetric, acoustic panels on the stores’ interior will not only convey a unique spatial experience, but will also reduce outside noise, creating a sonic ‘cocoon’ — a temporary escape from the holiday hustle for ears that crave aural pleasure.

Special events will feature London creative collective Earnest Endeavours and singing violinist Marques Toliver, installations created by spacial designer Helen Sirp whose past work includes fashion week installations for the likes of Vivienne Westwood and an interactive installation reflecting the sounds of the city by Andreas Muller.

It’s interesting to see Sennheiser, despite being one of the leading audio brands in the world, dipping into the pop-up market in an attempt to build new relations with consumers.