Headphone history

Hi, Habravchane! Good to see you all again.

Today I want to talk about headphones. But not about the technical component, and not about who exactly and when made them look like modern ones, but about how and why in general each of us now uses at least one headset. I chose several milestones in the history associated with certain brands, which, in my opinion, particularly influenced our use of these devices.

Electrophone System

At the end of the last century in Britain there was such a service - listening to concerts and church chants by subscription at home. The company installed a special device for the client with four headphones that needed to be held by the handle. The service cost 5 pounds a year, but for an extra pound you could add another earpiece. This system is more like a phone.
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Service existed from 1895 to 1926. By 1908, 600 subscribers were served, and the broadcasts were from 30 theaters and churches.

It looked like a stand.

People enjoy listening to music.

Employees of the company, meanwhile, are working on such a remote control, switching users to the desired channels.

Microphones were installed in concert halls. In the churches they were disguised as bibles.

Advertising service.

Baldwin and Type C

In 1910, Nathaniel Baldwin offered the US Air Force his headphones. He had to wait a long time for an answer and even remind himself to pay attention to him - that is, to write again to the armed forces. For some reason, they didn’t like the idea of these headphones until they listened to them ... After that, Baldwin received an order from the Air Force and began collecting ears in the kitchen.

The popularity of radio and headphones

Any phones in the form of hamburgers and players in the form of a can of Coca-Cola appeared, it seems, not so long ago. But no, back in the twenties of the last century there was such a radio with headphones, which was given to the greatest lovers of oatmeal. Yummy.

In general, at the beginning of the 20th century, radio amateurs had detector receivers and headphones at home. They collected the receivers independently.

So, since the beginning of the last century, “ears” were no longer something supernatural, even for ordinary citizens.

Dynamic headphones from Beyerdynamic

In 1937, Beyerdynamic launched the DT-48 Dynamic Headphones. Today, this type of headset is the most popular because of its availability. Most of the headphones on the market today belong to this type.

The company itself has existed since 1924 and today is engaged in the production of microphones and headphones.

It is worth saying that during a tour of Germany in 1966, the Beatles used exclusively Beyerdynamic E 1000 microphones.

AKG

In 1949, AKG launched its first K120 headphones. This company is one of the most notable players in the professional music equipment market. She began with five workers who manually assembled microphones for radio stations and jazz clubs.

Koss and “domestication” of headphones

However, for a long time the headphones were mainly used by telephone operators, airport operators, pilots and tank crews. Well, and the kids and radio amateurs, as already said above. More massive this device made the company Koss. And then by chance.

Spouses donated 200 dollars for the wedding, they decided to invest in the business, and in 1953 they began renting television sets to hospital patients. The company was called JC Koss Hospital Television Rental Company. A little later, the company introduced a portable turntable for vinyl records. Included were headphones that were used by pilots during World War II.

In 1958, at the exhibition, everyone was interested in headphones. And John Koss began to streamline the production of this device.

The first model released under the brand KOSS - SP-3.

In the 1960s, Koss became the undisputed leader in the headset market. In addition, the company has become one of the leading suppliers of headphones for the US military - the circle is closed.

Beatlephones have become a dream of Beatles fans.

Headphones Porta Pro appeared in stores in 1983. Surprisingly, they are still sold and popular.

Also in the eighties, wireless infrared headphones were released.

Now the "crown" of the company's development is the KOSS ESP-950 model. Their range is from 8 to 35,000 Hz. These are electrostatic headphones, and this type gives the least distortion of all types of sound emitters.

Stax and the first electrostatic headphones

Before Koss, Sennheiser and other giants of the music industry began to produce electrostatic headphones, the company took up Stax. The electrostatic loudspeaker has indisputable advantages over other emitters: it is simplicity of design and sound quality. This type gives the least distortion, as I mentioned above.

Electrostatic Stax SR-1 headphones presented at an exhibition in Tokyo in 1959. In the company they are called earspeakers, that is, "loudspeakers for the ears."

How does an electrostatic emitter.

The device of this type of emitters.

Warm lamp electrostatic ear loudspeakers from Sennheiser.

Audio-Technica and the Olympic Games

Audio-Technica was founded by a 42-year-old Japanese in 1962. The history of the company began with the production of pickups for phonographs. The first two models, AT-1 and AT-3, began to be sold to audio equipment manufacturers in Japan. A year later, the company moved to Bole, a spacious premise and increased production, starting sales of AT-5, and in 1969 it entered the world market with its pickups.

And in 1974 the company released the first series of dynamic headphones AT-700. Four years later, the ATH-8 and ATH-7 condenser headphones come out.

The 1996 Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Russia ranked second overall with 26 gold, 21 silver and 16 bronze medals. Of the athletes, Alexei Nemov showed himself better, taking six medals at once, of which two were gold, one silver and three bronze.

A moment of nostalgia is complete. And now what am I talking about: all the microphones and headphones for this event were made by Audio-Technica. Since all the equipment worked perfectly, it was chosen to hold the Sydney Olympics in 2000. And in 2002, in Salt Lake City. Moreover, at the next Olympics, Athens Olympic Broadcasting SA used the microphones of the same company.

In 2007, Audio-Technica launches QuietPoint® Noise-Canceling Headphones - active noise-canceling headphones, and the ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint model, released in 2009, immediately takes the Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering award.

But do not forget that the main part of the company's production is professional equipment. Including, of course, intra-channel monitors. This image shows the wireless intra-channel monitors M3 released in 2008.

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC9 is one of the newest models of the company. Their frequency range - 10 Hz - 25 kHz, and the level of noise reduction - up to 30 dB, depending on the mode.

Bose and active noise reduction

In 1978, Amar Bose, the founder of the company Hi-end audio, got the idea of active noise cancellation. Headphones on the plane did not allow to enjoy the music, because they did not drown out the crying of children and the noise of the engine.

The essence of active noise cancellation is that the wave can be extinguished if you send a similar antiphase towards you. Bowes implemented this idea in practice, first for pilots' headsets, after which this system fell into the life of music lovers.

Surprisingly, Bowes was not the first: back in 1959, twenty years before the emergence of the ANC idea from Amar Bouz, Willard Mikker developed headphones with protection from external sounds.

Now the active noise cancellation system is also used in cars.

Pilots constantly fly in Bose headphones. As in the Westone, for example.

In 2000, Bose launches the QuietComfort line.

Sony Walkman and music outside

By 1979, headphones had already become part of the home environment of many people. However, Sony and his Walkman pulled the headphones outside, allowing people to listen to their favorite music anytime, anywhere, without disturbing others. Then, however, the company had to conduct long negotiations with Pavel Andreas, who invented his Stereobelt in 1972. Now Andreas, according to rumors, receives deductions from sales of the Walkman, and also fired over 10 million dollars from Sony about 13 years ago.

It is worth noting that Andreas’s idea of producing headphones was rejected by ITT, Grundig, Yamaha and Philips. Such a jamb they made, being sure that no one wants to listen to music in public.

Sony Walkman TPS-L2 - the first model of the line. Outside Japan, the player had other names.

First Walkman ad.

Included with the player were headphones MDR-3L2.

And in 1985, Westone joined in the production of Sony headphones, which made it really convenient to wear them using a special tab.

These headphones in the 1980s produced Sony.

A new form factor from Sony - 1997.

Westone and monitors for professionals and audiophiles

Full version: Westone Company History

The company Westone appeared in 1959 and began with the production of goods for people with hearing problems and for doctors who deal with these problems. Now in the list of products in this category, Westone has a great variety - that is, the entire range from hearing aids to models of the auricle for clinics.

But we are interested in something else: how did this company start producing headphones? It all began, probably in 1985, with the help of Sony in creating comfortable headphones with high-quality sound. A couple of years after that, Etymotic together with Westone developed monitors for musicians: the main thing is not to damage the hearing, such an important organ for a musician. The experience of Westone in medicine has helped to cope with this task.

In 1990, Westone began using armature in headphones for musicians, and in 1996, together with Shure, they released universal intra-channel monitors with a balanced anchor (that is, rebar).

In 1995, the sound group Van Halen assembled two-driver headphones capable of blocking noise and producing a sufficiently high-quality sound. Realizing that many people like his monitors, he founded Ultimate Ears. And the company Westone helped to refine these headphones and took up their production. In 1998, among the clients of the UE were The Rolling Stones, Enrique Iglesias and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

And only in 2002, the company produces headphones for mere mortals under its own brand. This UM1, headphones with a balanced anchor and a single emitter.

Now all the headphones have become available to the ordinary user. One of the last - W60 with six emitters, presented at CES 2014. Their price corresponds to the level: there is no reinforcement cheap.

iPod and earpods

In 2001, Apple launches the first generation iPod. Now this line consists of a series of iPod classic, iPod touch, iPod nano and Pod shuffle. By 2007, about 110 million of these players were sold, and by 2012, already 350 million. And with them - Apple Earpods.

Monster beats

You can’t throw the words out of the song, and how, in my opinion, these headphones didn’t look and no matter how popular it was to fake them right and left, here I’ll have to write something about the basis of Dr. Headphone Company Dre and Jimmy Iovine.