Beech Tree News Network

Nathaniel Baldwin invented the headphones in 1919 in his kitchen.  He started making more by hand and selling them to the U.S. Navy.  January 1, 1937 in Germany, a company called Beyerdynamic started making the first dynamic headphones and named them DT-48.  Fast forward to 1958, John C. Koss Made the first stereo headphone.  In 1966, Koss started to make headphones with pictures of the Beatles on them that were wildly popular.  Two years later, Koss made the first Electrostatic headphones. 

Koss.jpg

Sony came out with the first Walkman in 1979.  For those unaware, the Walkman was basically a bigger iPod.  With it came smaller, much lighter weight headphones.  I remember all my Walkman’s.  I had one with a Smurf on it.  It was lite blue.  I had a silver and a black and silver one.  Those lite mesh ear covers tore easily.  When they did, you basically had to get another pair.  They were not well-made.  

Walkman.jpg

In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod.  We went from headphones to ear buds.   I preferred the Beats ear buds because they had the rubber padded earphones.  Sure, they were quite a bit more expensive. They were worth it.  The cord was better as well.  Beats by Dre were introduced January 1, 2008.  Celebrity endorsed headphones became a big thing that year.  Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber and Diddy chief among them.  I received a pair of Beats headphones for Christmas years ago.  Fast=forward over a decade later and I still have them.

Beats.jpg

I went off the beaten path several years ago with my headphones. When I took up running about a decade ago, I bought a pair of Sony Bluetooth.  We had a good run.  Then they broke when I was taking them off one day.  I was in the market for new ones once again.  I got my current pair, Skull Candy, at FYE in Greenwood Mall.  I’m still listening to those to this day.  They’ve been with me on the treadmil, to Nashville and on the plane to Florida, just to name a few.  I wouldn’t trade them for anything.  Plus, they were about $80 whereas Beats can run about $200.  

Skull.jpg

From big, round earpieces to Bluetooth, headphones have certainly come a long way since their debut.  There’s no telling what the future holds.  https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-history-of-headphones