INITIAL DEVELOPMENT
The first developments of headphones date back to the 1880’s. Telephone operators needed equipment that would allow them to be hands free and work more efficiently. The first device used to help operators do so, was invented by Ezra Gilliland (Fenlon, 2013). It was a heavy piece of equipment that sat on the shoulders of the operator, in theory allowing them to move more freely. By the early 1890’s the telephone began transitioning into people’s homes for their own individual use. In Britain, the company Electrophone first offered a revolutionary service that streamed live music and entertainment from London theaters (BBC, 2010). It would extend through the telephone wires to reach the public in their own homes. Subscribers to this service would contact their operator and be connected to live performances such as the opera and listen through their receiver. The receivers looked similar to a stethoscope and were also extremely bulky, with the apparatus connecting below the chin. It drastically changed how people could attend special events, create social gatherings or independently listen to magnificent performances from the comfort of their own home (Fenlon, 2013).
In 1891 headphone design implications were being developed by a French engineer, Ernest Mercadier. He presented a U.S. patent in-ear headphone system that was extremely light. It weighed less than two ounces and it had earpieces that were connected by a thin wire, making them much more comfortable to use (Stamp, 2013). The focus was still on creating a design that was overall more practical for the occupational uses it benefited.
INVENTION ADVANCEMENT
The next breakthrough came in 1910, when Nathaniel Baldwin sent a prototype of his in-home creation of telephone headsets to the U.S. Navy for radio operator use. Before nearly rejecting the submission, the Navy tested the headsets on a whim. They were surprised to find them much more efficient than their current technology. After taking several small suggestions for improvements, Baldwin sent a duplicate set of his headsets for further analysis (Stamp, 2013). The improved design was simplified to ultimately making a comfortable and proficient piece of equipment (Stamp, 2013). When the Navy officially requested their first order from Baldwin, they discovered his operations were confined to his home kitchen in Utah and he was the only source of labor to make the headsets. With the help of a manufacturing company called the Wireless Apparatus Specialty Co., Baldwin’s operations were able to be mass-produced in a factory in Utah (Stamp, 2013).
The German company Beyerdynamics shifted gears by 1937 to become experts at sound quality with the invention of the dynamic microphone. This model transitioned into a headphone better known as the DT-48. It set a standard that allowed for DT-48’s to be produced and retain popularity until today (Newman, 2012, August 18).
KOSS DOMINATION
It was not until 1958 that the headphone industry would be dominated by a new name. According to the website Visual.ly (2012), John C. Koss and the Koss Corporation would take over with the first stereo headphones during the 60’s. Koss had a goal to design headphones for personal use in the privacy of a consumer’s home (2012). After the release of Koss’s stereo headphones in 1958, headphones would now change the way we look at music. The purpose of headphones was no longer solely for military use and had evolved into an independent activity. The development of headphones made music private to the ear of the listener (Thompson, May 30). A couple years after Koss’s innovation of stereo headphones, celebrity endorsed headphones hit the market with extreme popularity. In 1966, Koss designed the first celebrity headphones, the Koss Beatlephones. They were headphones featuring images of the Beatles. This was only the beginning of celebrity-endorsed headphones. Almost a decade later in 1968, Koss released the first electrostatic model headphones which would change the design and concept of headphones yet again. These updated headphones provided less distortion and weighed 2 pounds. (The History of Headphones, 2012). Koss’s domination in the headphone industry revolutionized the way we listen to music, and would forever influence the music industry.
MODERN HEADPHONES
The 1970’s through the 2000’s became an era for further innovation of headphones. In 1979 the Sony Walkman made cheap, lightweight headphones the latest trend. The headphones were meant to be more comfortable for potable use, with foam padding on the earpiece. In 2001, the music industry evolved with the invention of the iPod (This History of Headphones, 2012). Along with the purchase of an iPod came compact white earbuds. Earbuds insert into the ear canal as opposed to headphones that sit over the outer ear (cite). Today, the white ear buds are so popular that any average person seems to have at least one pair.
In the last decades headphones have evolved in styles, designs, weight and portability. Headphones have played a significant role in the music industry and influenced the way society listens to music (Thompson, 2012). However, in more recent years, music is what influences how headphones are made. Headphones have become a fashion statement in how they are designed. The next leap in headphone design transpired with Beats headphones. They were endorsed by the famous rapper Dr. Dre who wanted to appeal to a more exclusive audience. These headphones were designed to cancel outside sound and enhance music quality with a deep bass (Newman, 2012). Along with Dre Beats, there have been endorsements from top selling artists Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, 50 Cent and many athletes as well. (The History of Headphones, 2012). Headphones have become a technology not only necessary to own, but crucial to enjoy music as an individual on a daily basis.
Today, personal music players are everywhere. In fact, they seem to be as common to carry around as a wallet. One of the divides of how people listen to these devices is the type of headphones they use. People use their music players while working out, walking from place to place, during a work break or just in their own downtime.
Sound quality is one of the major factors determining what kind of headphones people prefer to use. While earbuds are compact and beneficial for on the go use, top music artists, producers and music enthusiasts negatively regard their sound capabilities (Fekadu, 2011). Compared to headphones, earbuds have mediocre sound quality, and do a poor job of blocking out surrounding noise. People tend to over amplify their earbud volume in order to shut out distracting outside noises, which can potentially lead to future hearing issues (McManus). Headphones are marketed to have better engineering that provides accuracy in how music is originally produced to sound and to block out ambient sound. For example, Beats are advertised to release the sound that ipods and other MP3 players are capable of. Jimmy Iovine, co-creater of Beats says music players are remarkable electronics that people already spend hundreds of dollars on, but then they lose value when consumers do not invest in quality headphones to accompany their device (Fekadu, 2011). Larger, ear covering headphones have gained popularity again because they have more capabilities to create the sound experience people have been missing out on since earbuds became the must have accessory. Headphones have greater abilities to translate music as what it sounds like directly from the studio and what artists want their listeners to hear. Noise cancelling and noise isolating technologies are part of what developers try to include in their designs to further enhance the sound experience a person has. Noise isolating is how an earpiece physically seals off the ear from outside noises. Some earbuds boast having this feature, but it all depends on how well it actually fits into the mold of a person’s ear canal. Headphones cover or enclose the entire ear, so it is presumed by most people that they can better block out more noise. Noise cancelling is different and more advanced because it involved the headphone to have small microphones that will listen for constant ambient noise and mute it from the listener.
The first developments of headphones date back to the 1880’s. Telephone operators needed equipment that would allow them to be hands free and work more efficiently. The first device used to help operators do so, was invented by Ezra Gilliland (Fenlon, 2013). It was a heavy piece of equipment that sat on the shoulders of the operator, in theory allowing them to move more freely. By the early 1890’s the telephone began transitioning into people’s homes for their own individual use. In Britain, the company Electrophone first offered a revolutionary service that streamed live music and entertainment from London theaters (BBC, 2010). It would extend through the telephone wires to reach the public in their own homes. Subscribers to this service would contact their operator and be connected to live performances such as the opera and listen through their receiver. The receivers looked similar to a stethoscope and were also extremely bulky, with the apparatus connecting below the chin. It drastically changed how people could attend special events, create social gatherings or independently listen to magnificent performances from the comfort of their own home (Fenlon, 2013).
In 1891 headphone design implications were being developed by a French engineer, Ernest Mercadier. He presented a U.S. patent in-ear headphone system that was extremely light. It weighed less than two ounces and it had earpieces that were connected by a thin wire, making them much more comfortable to use (Stamp, 2013). The focus was still on creating a design that was overall more practical for the occupational uses it benefited.
INVENTION ADVANCEMENT
The next breakthrough came in 1910, when Nathaniel Baldwin sent a prototype of his in-home creation of telephone headsets to the U.S. Navy for radio operator use. Before nearly rejecting the submission, the Navy tested the headsets on a whim. They were surprised to find them much more efficient than their current technology. After taking several small suggestions for improvements, Baldwin sent a duplicate set of his headsets for further analysis (Stamp, 2013). The improved design was simplified to ultimately making a comfortable and proficient piece of equipment (Stamp, 2013). When the Navy officially requested their first order from Baldwin, they discovered his operations were confined to his home kitchen in Utah and he was the only source of labor to make the headsets. With the help of a manufacturing company called the Wireless Apparatus Specialty Co., Baldwin’s operations were able to be mass-produced in a factory in Utah (Stamp, 2013).
The German company Beyerdynamics shifted gears by 1937 to become experts at sound quality with the invention of the dynamic microphone. This model transitioned into a headphone better known as the DT-48. It set a standard that allowed for DT-48’s to be produced and retain popularity until today (Newman, 2012, August 18).
KOSS DOMINATION
It was not until 1958 that the headphone industry would be dominated by a new name. According to the website Visual.ly (2012), John C. Koss and the Koss Corporation would take over with the first stereo headphones during the 60’s. Koss had a goal to design headphones for personal use in the privacy of a consumer’s home (2012). After the release of Koss’s stereo headphones in 1958, headphones would now change the way we look at music. The purpose of headphones was no longer solely for military use and had evolved into an independent activity. The development of headphones made music private to the ear of the listener (Thompson, May 30). A couple years after Koss’s innovation of stereo headphones, celebrity endorsed headphones hit the market with extreme popularity. In 1966, Koss designed the first celebrity headphones, the Koss Beatlephones. They were headphones featuring images of the Beatles. This was only the beginning of celebrity-endorsed headphones. Almost a decade later in 1968, Koss released the first electrostatic model headphones which would change the design and concept of headphones yet again. These updated headphones provided less distortion and weighed 2 pounds. (The History of Headphones, 2012). Koss’s domination in the headphone industry revolutionized the way we listen to music, and would forever influence the music industry.
MODERN HEADPHONES
The 1970’s through the 2000’s became an era for further innovation of headphones. In 1979 the Sony Walkman made cheap, lightweight headphones the latest trend. The headphones were meant to be more comfortable for potable use, with foam padding on the earpiece. In 2001, the music industry evolved with the invention of the iPod (This History of Headphones, 2012). Along with the purchase of an iPod came compact white earbuds. Earbuds insert into the ear canal as opposed to headphones that sit over the outer ear (cite). Today, the white ear buds are so popular that any average person seems to have at least one pair.
In the last decades headphones have evolved in styles, designs, weight and portability. Headphones have played a significant role in the music industry and influenced the way society listens to music (Thompson, 2012). However, in more recent years, music is what influences how headphones are made. Headphones have become a fashion statement in how they are designed. The next leap in headphone design transpired with Beats headphones. They were endorsed by the famous rapper Dr. Dre who wanted to appeal to a more exclusive audience. These headphones were designed to cancel outside sound and enhance music quality with a deep bass (Newman, 2012). Along with Dre Beats, there have been endorsements from top selling artists Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, 50 Cent and many athletes as well. (The History of Headphones, 2012). Headphones have become a technology not only necessary to own, but crucial to enjoy music as an individual on a daily basis.
Today, personal music players are everywhere. In fact, they seem to be as common to carry around as a wallet. One of the divides of how people listen to these devices is the type of headphones they use. People use their music players while working out, walking from place to place, during a work break or just in their own downtime.
Sound quality is one of the major factors determining what kind of headphones people prefer to use. While earbuds are compact and beneficial for on the go use, top music artists, producers and music enthusiasts negatively regard their sound capabilities (Fekadu, 2011). Compared to headphones, earbuds have mediocre sound quality, and do a poor job of blocking out surrounding noise. People tend to over amplify their earbud volume in order to shut out distracting outside noises, which can potentially lead to future hearing issues (McManus). Headphones are marketed to have better engineering that provides accuracy in how music is originally produced to sound and to block out ambient sound. For example, Beats are advertised to release the sound that ipods and other MP3 players are capable of. Jimmy Iovine, co-creater of Beats says music players are remarkable electronics that people already spend hundreds of dollars on, but then they lose value when consumers do not invest in quality headphones to accompany their device (Fekadu, 2011). Larger, ear covering headphones have gained popularity again because they have more capabilities to create the sound experience people have been missing out on since earbuds became the must have accessory. Headphones have greater abilities to translate music as what it sounds like directly from the studio and what artists want their listeners to hear. Noise cancelling and noise isolating technologies are part of what developers try to include in their designs to further enhance the sound experience a person has. Noise isolating is how an earpiece physically seals off the ear from outside noises. Some earbuds boast having this feature, but it all depends on how well it actually fits into the mold of a person’s ear canal. Headphones cover or enclose the entire ear, so it is presumed by most people that they can better block out more noise. Noise cancelling is different and more advanced because it involved the headphone to have small microphones that will listen for constant ambient noise and mute it from the listener.