Introduction : Evolution Of Headphones
The headphone is one of the essential parts of our life. It is durable and easy to use. Especially, It has great value to music lovers. As if music has the superpower to relieve stress and change anyone’s mood, headphone plays a vital role in music listening. Listening to favorite songs is like to gratify the magic. A headphone is a way to indulge this magic and a massive mystery in the evolution of headphones, we have noticed.
In many working environments, workers can’t concentrate on their tasks due to noise, and they wear noise-canceling headphones for noise cancellation.
Truly, Headphones are magical things, indeed. But what did we think? And when was it invented? What is the evolution of headphones?
Let’s start to know the history of headphones with an interesting chart and some fun. Stay tuned; who knows? You might get some new knowledge about headphones and it,s history.
Evolution Of Headphones- A Short Brief :
In The 1850s
The earliest in-ear device name was Stethoscopes. In the 1850s, It was used to check up the patient’s heartbeat and lungs and use with Thomas Edison’s Phonograph machine.
What Were The First Headphones?
The first headphone was made in the 1880s. Telephone operators woman used the first pair of headphones. It was single-sided.
That’s why it had rested on the user’s shoulder, which weighed over 10 pounds. This type of headphones looked like a boombox.
At that time, It was not an electrical device and was not easy to use at home. That was called Electrophone. The people who lived in London could hear live performance tune by using this setup.
In The 1895s
In the 1895s, headphones came in various kinds of design and the Headphone industry delivered many new types of headphones for commercial purposes and personal use. Those headphone’s outlook was like a stethoscope.
People could hear the beats of the local opera houses staying in their own homes. These were too much costly. If anyone wanted to use it, they had to pay for it. Only the subscribers could use that expensive service at that time.
In The 1910s Headphones
The US Navy was trying to use headphones with radio connections for communications in the 1910s. Every citizen of the US was sending their ideas and inventions.
Among them, Nathaniel Baldwin was also one who was the inventor of modern headphones. He discovered modern headphones on his kitchen table and sold them to the US navy. Baldwin’s headphones were used for communication.
The first models of headphones were not comfortable enough for users, and It had two receivers which bore a mile of copper wiring. It was beginning to enhance the features, audio quality, and listening experience in the early radio days.
In The 1920s
Earbuds are a result of the evolution of headphones and the mini version of them. It was available for the first time in the 1920s but too much costly. Everyone could not use it.
We guess that earbuds were obtainable only for wealthy persons. The popularity of the apple earbud was still in the top several years away.
In The 1937s Headphones
The first dynamic headphone’s name was DT-48(Dynamic Headphones-48). Beyerdynamic invented those headphones in the 1937s. These headphones hit the market, as well.
At that time, It was an outstanding achievement for them and the latest addition in technology. After a few numbers of the year, electrostatic headphones came into the market.
It was a significant movement in the history and evolution of headphones. For a few numbers of professionals and audiophiles, these headphones were used.
Beyerdynamics closed the production of headphones during WWII time. They created a headphone “Stielhorer” DT 49 with some new features and a modern design.
People could listen to the latest songs in a Bar/ Cafe, using headphone, which was Plattenbars means record bar.
They also used it to listen before buying. This system was available in Germany, and after a few years, it obtained popularity across the world.
Note: You’re learning the history of headphone. But shouldn’t to know some tricks and tips about headphone? If headphone got wet then learn how to fix water damaged headphones.
Also wanna make headphones louder ? click here and learn.
What Was The First Pair Of Headphones?
The K120’s was the name of the first pair of headphones, produced by AKG in 1949s. This type of headphones was sufficient to exempt the film industry materials business and switch to audio.
In The 1957s
The next fantastic invention was stereo sound. EMI, a label company, produced that wonderful creation in 1957s. After one year in 1958, Jazz musician John C Koss discovered the first stereo headphones – Koss SP-3. It was the best headphone for personal listening.
This headphone had a unique feature – a privacy switch; it helped to hear music using an SP3 stereophone.
The creator of the headphones concentrated on the two key factors. The first one was the unique design and another critical factor; this headphone could get all the sounds direct in the ear canals.
They also produced the endorsed headphones, which were known as celebrity headphones. This policy was the way to marketing of these products. Some days later, they launched “Koss beatlephones,” which were also reputed headphones.
In The 1959s
Stax displayed a new model of headphones in a show in Tokyo. The design of this headphone was gorgeous. Electrostatic headphones-SR-1s was the first pair of headphones produced by Stax. After one year of the show, it came into the market.
A few years later, producing the stereo headphones in 1968, Koss revealed the ESP-6’s, the first electrostatic model in the US. These headphones weighed two pounds and created a record for the latest headsets.
In The 1979s-
In the 1979s, Walkman was created by Sony, which changed the total game of the headphones industry. The first portable stereo player was Sony’s Walkman. The MDR 3L2 headphone, a lightweight set, was included with metal headbands, which hit the overall market.
We can not measure up the value of MDR 3L2 in the standard nowadays; It is incomparable.
The MDR 3L2, a complete bundle with uniqueness, features, portability, and high quality audio.
After some days, other competitors also delivered some new headphones model whose price was reasonable and consisting of sustainable performance. They hit the headphones market too.
In The 1980s
The 80,s gave the best solution for those who were inclined to headphone hair. Sony discovered an on-ear headphone with a behind neckband design.
Neckband headphones were fashionable and super perfect for listening to music with good sound quality. They got fame for these special features and then hit the market.
Beyerdynamic also got supreme popularity in some sectors like – broadcast station and the music industry for the suitability of their design in the mentioned sector.
In The 1990s Headphones
Dr. Amar Bose discovered noise cancelling headphone for the first time in headphones history in the 1990s. It was helpful for those people who travel on trains and Biman. It was a big deal in the evolution of headphones.
These headphones offered noise-canceling service that helped the pilot protect their ears from noise during flights because engine noise was the main factor for health issues and deafness.
In The 2000s
Bose created a super-duper Quiet Comfort series QC1 in the 2000s which design was amazing and the best technology for noise canceling.
Before creating this model, only pilots could use it, and then, passengers also used it to reduce the noise in flight.
In the same vein, some popular electronic brands delivered on-ear headphones with portable music players in the market.
In The 2001s
Steve Jobs company- Apple first time made the iPod with that tremendous white earbuds. It made a change in the music world. It has been said; they sold over 300 million iPods along with a pair of earbuds from 2001 to today.
In The 2008s
Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine made beats by Dr. Dre headphones. Certainly, It was the most famous headphone in the headphone industry and market because it had some fantastic qualities like; noise-canceling service and good quality sounds, what we want.
These headphones became famous within a short time and sold almost a million in a few days. Most importantly, It gave a better and stylish lifestyle to the rappers and musicians.
In The 2010s
The next big deal in the evolution of headphones was the invention of wireless headphones. Though the wireless headphone was invented for the first time in 2004, it gained more popularity in the 2010s.
Same time, headphones were available on the iPhone and another smartphone.
In The 2016s
The most significant and latest creation was wireless earbuds in the history of headphones. In the 2016s, some headphone manufacturers produced that. In fact, Headphones have become an undivided segment in our daily life.
You may also know the mysterious benefits and importance of headphones in our life that you never heard from anyone.
Anyway, There’s still an argument about pure audio and over the bass. But, a lot of options in front of us to choose from, enough time to think about portability, convenience, and performance. The most important thing – Everyone’s demand is not the same.