Plug in, hit play and let your senses come alive! Whether you’re listening to some death metal, floating to the skies with some Euro-trance, or listening to your favourite movie soundtracks, you probably have a pair of headphones sitting snugly on your head! It’s not hard to spot people sporting a pair of headphones hanging on their necks whether you’re taking a bus, or walking down the street. Once again, audiophiles, DJs, Sound engineers, and music lovers cheer as over-ear headphones take centre stage once more!
Believe or not, the first modern headphones which came out in 1910 had little to do with music. The headphone were invented by Nathaniel Baldwin using everyday materials in his own kitchen. These headphones were later sold to the U.S Navy and used for early radio and telecommunications work. During this time the sound quality from the headphones were crude due to the use of moving iron drivers and the lack of damping. Often these headphones were also terribly uncomfortable having little to no padding at all and a large amount of clamping force.
It wasn’t until the year 1958 that the headphones we know today came into existence. Prior to 1958 the use of headphones was almost strictly for radio work and music. John Koss, introduced the SP3 Stereophones which were targeted at the consumer market for the specific use of listening to music. Everything changed from this point onwards as the sound quality drastically improved. These were headphones built for music, intended for music, and optimized for music.
In the years that followed, on-ear headphones were omnipresent. Many audio companies jumped into the pool and started producing their own sets of headphones for audio use. In 1979 the iconic Sony ‘Walkman’ was released along with a pair of slim headphones. The compact music player pushed headphones out of the homes and out onto the streets!
Similar to the decline in vinyl records in the 90s, on-ear headphones dropped in popularity as ear buds appeared. The digital age and the notion of “compact” and “lightweight” controlled the consumer market. Ear buds continued to increase in popularity while on-ear headphones slowly faded to audio enthusiasts, DJs, and was left to professional audio or radio work.
It wasn’t until recent years when the voice of audio enthusiasts were reverberated in the consumer market. Attention was brought to the downward spiral of audio quality that was provided by shrinking ear buds. This spark rekindled the flame of headphones, as more and more people noticed this difference in quality. Headphone sales have continued to increase in the past years, and has once again become a popular trend. Full-sized on-ear audio headphones can once again be seen hanging in stores, as many in number as their lighter and smaller counterparts.
Headphones are iconic, and they are once again trending. Whose to say how long they’ll soar in the consumer market? Perhaps they will even reclaim their glory as in the 70s and 80s. Only time will tell where this trend is going. In the meantime, just grab a pair and just enjoy the music!
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