These devices represented a revolution for the entire world. They were born as a luxury and today they are a necessity.
Today, life seems impossible without headphones. Whether to travel to work, to university, simply to walk, or to listen to music without the need to do it through a speaker and, also, with better quality. But they were not initially created for that.
The first devices They appeared around 1880 and weighed 5 kilos. They were used to talk on the phone and were extremely uncomfortable, but over time their design and use was optimized to become the hearing aids we know today.
What the headphones were initially created for
In the 1880s, telephone exchange operators used a type of handset invented by Ezra Guilliland that could weigh more than 5 kilos. It involved a headset connected to a phone and a large microphone resting on the shoulder. Nevertheless, In 1891 Ernest Mercadier patented what he called a “bi-telephone.”.
This was a lightweight and portable version, very similar to in-ear headphones. They even had rubber protection to avoid hurting your ears. In any case, their use was far from being for listening to music, they were only used to communicate via telephone.
Different types of headphones throughout history
The marketing of the headphones towards the public began in 1930when the company Beyerdynamic decided to modernize the design that had been made for the phones of the time and put it on sale for the general public. Then, in 1958, John C. Koss and Martin Lange launched stereo headphones and that led to them being used to listen to music. However, their models were still large and uncomfortable.
Many years later, in 1979, Sony launched the legendary Walkman with headphones that were a resounding success. Since then, the evolution has not stopped and they have been optimized to the devices we know today: TWS headphones, Bluetooth headphones, waterproof headphones, headphones, headphones for gamers, headphones with microphone, among others.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
