At some point, someone took a look at a loudspeaker of some description and thought to themselves: ” I should strap two of those to my ears”, and thus: headphones were born!
Okay okay, it wasn’t quite that simple (or indeed, humourous!) but headphones are basically that: loudspeakers, for your ears! Okay, normally loudspeakers are technically for your ears too, but you know what I mean.
Like everything else in the hi-fi kingdom, headphones have a long, rich and diverse history. And in this blog we will take some time to get to know them a little bit better. After all, headphones are our bestselling ‘category’, and our headphone bar in the showroom is our star attraction (it has been since we first opened it!) so it makes sense that we take a little time to pay some well deserved respect to an item that is as steeped in history as music itself.
Of course, information about specific models is somewhat scarce, especially considering this is a tale that stretches back to the late 1880s, so this will likely be a greater celebration of the headphones of today, but that doesn’t mean we can’t at least give you a taste of the backstory.
The Very Early Days (19th Century)
As with most of the greatest hi-fi revelations, headphones were not born out of the need for entertainment. Practicality was the determining factor. In and around 1880, the rise of the telephone meant the rise of the earpiece which was used by telephone operators, and had absolutely nothing to do with music or high-fidelity music. However, this was where the technology originated from, and where the idea of close-listening was formed. A decade or so later the heavy, one shouldered earpiece was replaced with a less heavy but equally unattractive two-ear system called the Electrophone, which resembled a stethoscope and were, quite frankly, a little bit terrifying…
Hey, who said evolution was pretty?
Everything has to start somewhere, and thankfully it wasn’t too long before the potential of headphones to deliver music was fully realised.
The Early Days (20th Century)
In 1910, the frequently cited ‘inventor of headphones’ Nathaniel Baldwin created the first headphones which were designed for musical use. A specialist electrician in hyrdoelectic plants, Baldwin developed a keen fascination with acoustic amplification, experimenting with air compression and amplifcation which lead him to develop the technology in his legendary headphones. This lead him to set up his Utah based company The Baldwin Radio Company, and make and manufacture the headphones you can see above, which he originally sold exclusively to the Navy. The phones were a roaring success – however some very unwise investments (including backing the Mormon Polgamy movement of the 1920’s) lead to the company’s bankruptcy in 1924, just 4 years after it was established (accumulating over $2million in sales. Remember kids – invest wisely!)
Baldwin failed to patent the technology, which meant it wasn’t the end for headphones. The next notable models came along in 1937, and boasted the title of the first mass-developed headphones.
Those beauties are the Beyerdynamic DT-48’s, widely considered the first dynamic headphones. Ever. They landed in 1937. Although it was some time yet before electrostatic headphones came into play
Which leads us on to the Golden Age of the hi-fi headphone…
The 1950s Onwards…
If you like your headphones, then you’ve probably heard the name John C. Koss. While Nathaniel Baldwin invented the concept of the headphone, Koss is the man behind the headphones we know a(and love) today. In 1958 (such a good year for hi-fi!) the first stereo headphones were born: the Koss SP-3 released through Koss’ legendary company AKG. These were the first ‘made for music’ headphones (they were almost purely radio-comms based up until this point). The sound quality was such that music reproduction was not only possible, but pleasant. And so hi-fi headphones were born.
Koss was good at what he did. Very good. So good his company (ran by his son) is still designing and manfacturing headphones until this very day. Although they’re no longer dominating the market, their brand of stereo headphone was the only kind to have right up until the late 1970s.
In 1979, the world of music changed. The invention of a highly portable format (the cassette tape) and the highly portable player (the Walkman – by Sony) meant that music wasn’t something to be almost exclusively enjoyed from the home. While the AKGs and their competitors were still considered foremost in the sound department, they weren’t all-that portable. Sony new this, and new that things would have to change in order to accomodate the expanding market. They started including Walkman-friendly MDR-3L2s with every Walkman purchases. Lightweight, bendy and super-aural (earpads pressed on – not over – the ear) these guys were fit for purpose, even if the sound was a little less than desirable.
It was a time when people were crying out for full high-fidelity headphones. And their call was answered.
The Hi-fi Headphone Game Changers…
Now, things changed in a number of ways over the decades that followed the release of the Walkman. The invention of ‘noise cancelling technology’ by Dr. Arman Bose (you might see where this is going) lead to a completely new take on the concept of the headphone, and every make and model since then has in some way taken what was created then and simply advanced upon it.
We came into the game a decade ago (2006), at a time when the music industry was slowly being reshaped by the rise of the iPod (and its rather famous earphones). The cheap, affordable and accessible, yet relatively low quality (in terms of sound, I mean!) of the MP3 format meant that the hi-fi industry was boosted! Nostalgic for the days when sound quality was the most importantr meant that the real gamechangers of the headphone world – headphones that are still regarded as some of the best in the world – began to surface.
And we were there from their very beginning.
The three hi-fi headphone models that still stand out to us to this very day are…
The glorious Grado SR80s! Although no longer in production, they were the rather amazing predecessors to the SR80e (previously passing through the equally awesome SR90i stage) which are some of the finest headphones you can buy (and are VERY affordable at that). The SR80s were the epitome of Grado, with a warm, lush and harmonic sound that has come to be entirely synonymous with the company themselves. To describe something as ‘pure Grado’ is high praise indeed, and these beautiful, classic headphones were some of the first to earn that moniker.
The phrase ‘why improve upon perfection?’ comes into play whenever you discuss the awesome Sennheiser HD650. Unchanged in their many years on the circuit, and just as popular today as they have ever been. They have been treated as the go-to hi-fi headphone ever since their release, and are somewhat synonymous with the whole ‘hi-fi headphone’ ideology, often attributed to their very affordable price and complete timelessness in terms of both style, sound and functionality.
And no hi-fi headphone blog would be complete without mention of…
Do we even need to tell you what those are? Well, just in case you’re new to this, those are the inimitable Sennheiser HD800. True premium hi-fi headphones which, despite having been around for a good few years, are still some of the finest examples money can buy, and never fail to out a smile on the faces of those who try them. And they’re a permanent fixture on our headphone bar, so there’s plenty of opportunity to try them for yourself.
Aside from the aforementioned, nowadays our hi-fi headphone catagory is well stocked with the best brands on the market. We have full Sennheiser, Grado, Oppo and Hi-fi Man ranges available to demo (And to buy, of course!) which includes the likes of the Hi-Fi Man HE1000 (the flagship, and a really funky looking set!), the gorgeous Grado PS1000 and the surprisingly awesome Oppo PM-1s, which we love breaking out as the wildcard on demos.
Speaking of demos…
Remember! We have most of the models mentioned above (and plenty of others to) wired up and ready for demo in our showroom. We love showing them off, and we really know our stuff. Give us a shout and we will sort you out with a piece of hi-fi headphone history, all your own.