Evolution of headphones over the years

14
centrespread
SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2016
Listen Up!
Stethoscopes were
one of the earliest in-ear
devices. In the 1850s, they
were invented for listening
1850s to a patient's heartbeat
and lungs. Thomas Edison
used them with his
phonograph machine
Back in the 1880s, the
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centrespread
SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2016
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first headphones
were used by
telephone operators.
It was a single earpiece
that rested on the user’s
shoulder and weighed
over 5 kg. In the 1890s,
British opera houses
and theatres started
supplying the audience
with rudimentary
headphones
Cutting
the Cord
Thriller-themed:
Nathaniel Baldwin invented headphones in 1910.
Apple changed
the music game
in 2001 with the
iPod. Since then,
2001 over 300 million
iPods have been
sold, all with the
accompanying pair
of earbuds
With the US Navy's guidance, Baldwin's final design
consisted of two sound receivers, each containing a
mile of copper wiring, attached to the
operator's headband. This design was
the foundation for electricity-free
telephones used in World War II
1910
In 1989, Dr Amar Bose
set up a research programme at
Bose Corporation to investigate how
ambient noise could be reduced with
active noise cancellation. The Noise
1989 Reduction Technology Group
grew out of that programme, and
in 1989, the company introduced
the first noise-reduction headset,
designed for the aviation industry
1958
Milwaukee-based jazz musician
John C Koss introduced
SP3 Stereophones in 1958.
He teamed up with engineer Martin
Lange, Jr. to develop a portable
stereo phonograph player with sidewing speakers. One of the product's
unique features was a privacy
switch, which allowed listeners
to hear music by plugging in the
world's first SP3 stereophone
In 1979, Sony invented the
Walkman, creating a need
for portable headphones.
Conveniently, a lightweight set
of MDR-3L2 headphones
was included with the portable
cassette player. The 3.5 mm
headphone jack was also made
popular by Sony's Walkman, but
was first introduced in one of the
Japanese company's transistor
1979
Marketed as truly
y
wireless smart
earphones, German
an
company Bragi
introduced the first
st
wireless earphones
es
— Dash — early this
is
year. The cord-free
ee
earpieces providee
biometric data,
activity coaching,
and passive noise
isolation
The LG Tone Infinim
headset features retractable
earbuds and can connect with two
devices simultaneously. The headset
notifies you of calls and messages
with mild vibrations
The ROAM ROPES
are bold new
wireless earbuds
designed to
be worn like
a necklace.
Resembling a
stethoscope
of sorts, the
device’s receiver
is at the end
and hangs on
the neck. The
ear buds can
be adjusted to
wrap around
the user’s
neck
The Thriller Headphones, inspired by Michael
Jackson’s song, designed by Johnny Lighthands
and built by ATOM Creative Solutions, won the
Nokia headset design competition in 2008. It
featured gravestones, zombies and the creepy,
yellow-eyed wolf bursting through the door
Bedazzled Ones: The 18-carat
rat gold earphones,
made by jeweller Casa Gi based
sed in Belgium,
are encrusted with 59 of thee highest
quality diamonds. The only pair of
Casa Gi earphones in the UK was
sold for around $3,499
Rapper Lil
il Wayne
was seen wearing a
$1 million diamond
studded Beats by
Dre headphones at a
basketball game in LA
‘I’m Flying’
Headsets
Rodshakur, a winner of the
Nokia Music Almighty
Headset competition,
created this headset
inspired by R Kelly’s track
I Believe I Can Fly. Each
earpiece was designed
with white and
gold wings