Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer HTC has bought the company behind Beats by Dr Dre and other celebrity-endorsed hi-fi headphones.

HTC plans to bundle Beats headphones with its mobile phones in a bid to raise the audio expectations of phone users.

The company spent $500 million for a controlling 51% stake in the headphone firm, which has also produced headphones linked to Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

Beats International chairman and renowned record producer Jimmy Iovine said: “For Beats by Dr Dre this represents a critical step in our continued mission to clean up the destruction of audio caused by the digital revolution; and reengineer how sound is delivered so that the consumer feels the music the way that the artist intended.”

HTC phones with Beats headphones should be available from the autumn.