The History of The Headphones

The beginning

1890

Headphones started with phone operators. It was a single earpiece that rested on your shoulders it was about 10 pounds.

Audio Headphones

1910

Engineer Nathaniel Baldwin invented the first pair of audio headphones that he invented accidentally at his kitchen table.

Stereo Headphones

1958

In 1958. John Koss rewrote the rule book when he created the first stereo headphones, the Koss SP-3. Early models were nothing more than mini speakers covered in cardboard and sofa foam.

The Walkman

1979

Sony made headphones portable for the first time with their cassette player, the Walkman, which sold over 400 million units. While now a thing of the past, the habit it spawned - listening to music wherever and whenever you want - is bigger than ever.

MP3 players

2001

While MP3 players had been around for a minute, the invention of the iPod took portable digital music to the mainstream with their colorful commercials and clever marketing. Hundreds of millions of ubiquitous white Apple wired earbuds were suddenly everywhere.

FashIon

2008

Beats, UrbanEars, Skullcandy and more turned headphones from utility to fashion statement with bright colors, big headphones and expensive price tags. Pretty much every celebrity had a headphone affiliation at one point, with some of them making a pretty penny on acquisitions in the space.