When Was Headphones Invented: The Complete History

From luxuries to necessities, no one can deny the need for at least a pair of headphones today. In fact, the headphone industry earned an estimated $34.8 billion in 2020 alone or 514.5 million units sold in just one year!

But like any other technology, headphones didn't become a huge industry overnight. It took decades of innovation to turn this technology into the headphones we know today. This is a very fascinating story!

Let's take a deep dive into the history of headphone technology since the 1880s and the future of this essential wearable technology.

Many people find bulky headphones cumbersome or even uncomfortable. That's why most people prefer to use smaller, lighter options. Well, if you've seen headphones come to life, it's impossible to opt for a smaller headphone!

Back in the 1880s, switchboard operators used a "headphone" invented by Ezra Gilliland that could weigh more than 10 pounds. It featured an earpiece attached to the phone and a large microphone resting on the shoulder. These telephone operators did it before it was cool to carry a loudspeaker over your shoulder!

In 1891, a French engineer named Ernest Mercadier patented what he called a "double telephone." This would prove to be the first recorded version of the in-ear headphones.

They are lightweight and portable, very similar to the IEMs we use today. Quite a feat considering it was about 130 years ago! He even recommends using rubber boots to protect the ears from chafing while in use.

Of course, back in the late 1800s, listening to music with earbuds or headphones was a long way off, and the technology was limited to telephone use.

There have been similar ideas in the past, but many credit Nathaniel Baldwin as the inventor of the headset. All because Baldwin's invention contained a significant improvement over previous designs.

Similar to headphones in use today, Baldwin's invention includes 2 padded ear cups and 2 straps that span the head so it fits comfortably on the head - no hands required.

Unaware of the enormous potential, Baldwin invented the first headphones in his Utah kitchen as a device to help him listen to sermons at a local Mormon temple.

Initial investors scoffed at the idea and didn't realize its value until the U.S. Navy embraced it. The Navy ordered these headsets in large numbers due to the design not requiring an external power source. This opened up huge business opportunities for Baldwin.

Unfortunately, Baldwin's financial success didn't last long. A series of ill-advised investments and jail time for mail fraud led to his firm's bankruptcy.

Some audio brands are easy to identify, such as Philips and Sennheiser. Yet all of the branding we know and love today owes a lot to John Koss.

At this time in the 1950s, headphones were not yet on the market. The use of headsets is mainly limited to military and communications.

This changed in 1958 when Koss developed a "private listening system", the Koss Model 390 gramophone. It includes a turntable, speakers and a headphone jack. He also developed the accompanying headphones, the Koss SP-3 headphones. These early headphones had plastic earcups, 3-inch speakers, and foam ear pads for a comfortable fit.

With the first headphones designed specifically for listening to music, John Koss' innovations paved the way for more advances in headphone technology. In addition, personal music listening is also very popular.

Wireless headphones had hit the market decades before Bluetooth technology existed. In fact, they existed and were widely used throughout the 1960s and 70s.

These headphones are called "radio headphones," as the name suggests. These headphones use a built-in am/fm radio antenna and 2" speakers in each padded earcup, allowing users to take the radio with them and listen to it anywhere.

Radio was a big thing at the time. So this model also helps people with hearing impairments to better listen to their radios anywhere. These were early models of radio headsets on the market today.

The headphone scene changed further in 1969. This is not least because of the Sennheiser HD 414, the first open-back headphones. Since the back of the earcups is open instead of closed, users are able to enjoy the wider sound. Not to mention the added bonus of a lighter, more breathable design.

Now, the sound quality of headphones has improved, and people can wear them comfortably for a long time.

In previous years, headphones were still the listening device you used at home, mainly because they didn't have a portable source.

However, with the introduction of the Walkman, listening to music has become more personal and private. This provides the ability to listen to your own music library instead of the radio. And, for the first time since the Walkman was released, cassette tapes outsold vinyl records.

But while the technology changed the personal music scene, many users felt that the headphones that came with the Walkman (made of a single metal headband and 2 foam earpieces) didn't offer the best sound quality. This has led to a surge in demand for third-party headsets.

Unbeknownst to Sony, their invention paved the way for many more brands and competitors in the market.

In 1989, the use of headphones as a private listening experience was further developed with the innovative invention of noise-canceling headphones.

Basically, noise-canceling headphones work with a small microphone that picks up all external noise and creates equal, opposite sound waves to cancel out the noise.

The technology has proven useful to pilots in the aviation industry, and to combat vehicle crews in the Army. But of course, it ended up expanding its popularity for personal use.

The application of bone conduction to hear has been known for decades. In fact, Beethoven is said to have used bone conduction technology when he lost his hearing. But it wasn't until 1994 that Werner Bottesch patented the first bone-conduction headphones.

Like many innovative headphone technologies, bone conduction was originally used in the military.

By transmitting sound directly through the skull rather than the eardrums, these headphones allow users to stay connected to their external environment. Over time, though, bone-conduction headphones expanded to everyday consumers and athletes, and companies like  AfterShokz became known.

While headphones have undergone extensive upgrades over the decades, one thing has remained almost constant: the wires that connect the headphones to the audio source. This is about to change with the invention of Bluetooth.

Bluetooth technology has been in development since 1999, but while early versions could support voice calls, the bandwidth couldn't handle streaming studio music.

Yes, wireless headphones and earbuds have been around since before 2015 (when Bluetooth technology was around 10 years old), but they're not completely wireless. Of course, the headphones don't have wires that connect to an audio source, but they do have wires that connect to each earpiece.

That's why Japanese pro audio gear maker Onkyo surprised everyone with the release of its first truly wireless headphones, the Onkyo W800BT. Now, with true wireless headphones, everything is included in the earbuds, including the on/off switch, microphone, and volume controls.

While it's no match for the truly wireless earbud technology we have today, Onkyo proved what's possible with the technology and paved the way for more manufacturers to release their own.

While Onkyo may have released the first true wireless earbuds, it didn't make a bigger impact than Apple's AirPods.

Apple changed the game again in 2017, making major design changes to the iPhone and earbuds, moving away from wired earbuds. The AirPods are incredibly lightweight, weighing just 4 grams each, and some of the notable features of the AirPods include the ability to double-tap to pause audio, as well as the ability to automatically pause when removed from the ear.

They quickly became Apple's most popular accessories, with more than 60 million sold.

But perhaps Airpods' biggest impact on the headphone industry has been their chic and unique style.

After their huge success with consumers, more and more manufacturers and brands have released their own versions of AirPods, some even copying their style completely.

The earbuds or headphones of the future could be an all-in-one device that stores, streams, and plays music. And, with the advent of VR, surround sound capabilities will become increasingly popular, even outside of gaming.

It seems crazy to think about it today, but what if the headphones of the future looked more like hearing aids - more like a permanent devices than something we carry around and have to put on and take off?

Likewise, the future is unknown. But one thing's for sure: Headphone development and innovation aren't done yet. Over the years, we can expect more functionality and more functionality from headphones in our everyday lives.

Headphones as we know them have a rich history of over 100 years. As technology evolves and consumer interests change, the industry continues to innovate to keep pace.

The above introduces the history of headphones, if you want to buy headphones, please contact us.

JunYe is a professional custom earphone manufacturer. Our products include wired earphones, wireless earphones, bluetooth earphones, noise-canceling earphones, etc. We provide one-stop service, design-development-production, and shipping. With more than 400 employees and 60,000 square meters of factory buildings, it is specialized in OEM/ODM. We have our own mold center and the whole industry chain: hardware, injection molding, wire, cushion, assembly, packaging. It has 8 production lines, including two TWS professional lines.