[Alan Hoyle]

I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World Service last
night and they had a short piece on the invention of headphones. They
interviewed John Koss as part of the story, played some of his music
in the background, and gave some of the historical perspective. All
in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't seen it on the
World Service web page yet.

-alan

--
Alan Hoyle - - http://www.alanhoyle.com/

[Arny Krueger]

"Alan Hoyle" wrote in message


I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World
Service last night and they had a short piece on the
invention of headphones. They interviewed John Koss as
part of the story, played some of his music in the
background, and gave some of the historical perspective.
All in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't
seen it on the World Service web page yet.

Headphones have been around for more like 90 years. They were widely used to
listen to radio signals in the early days of radio, and they were used by
telephone switchboard operators before automatic telephone switching systems
were invented.

The Wikipedia article on headphones shows a pair that are dated to the
1920s.

http://historytogo.utah.gov/salt_lak...rs/070801.html

"In the 1920s, the sleepy Salt Lake County farming community of East Mill
Creek was home to Utah's first high-tech boom. The Baldwin Radio Company
employed 150 men and women around the clock, producing a remarkable variety
of gadgets, including "Baldy Phones," the first radio headsets. Few remember
that Nathaniel Baldwin, an eccentric Utahn, invented headphones in 1910.
During the Roaring '20s, his company generated $2 million in yearly sales,
worth 10 times that amount today."

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality headphones. Radio
headphones underwent a steady increase in quality:

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/compa...y-History.html

"In 1949, with the release of the K120 DYN, the company's (AKG) first
headphone set"

[Casper[_4_]]

On Nov 27, 4:38*am, Alan Hoyle wrote:
I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World Service last
night and they had a short piece on the invention of headphones. *They
interviewed John Koss as part of the story, played some of his music
in the background, and gave some of the historical perspective. *All
in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't seen it on the
World Service web page yet. *

-alan

--
* Alan Hoyle *- *- *http://www.alanhoyle.com/

Curious. Not sure what that piece was about and still nothing up on
World Service web page. Headphones are a little older ...

Very sensitive headphones such as those manufactured by Brandes around
1919 were commonly used for early radio work. (Circa 1920 photo on
Wiki)

Don't see an corporations celebrating a 50th recently either ...

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1945, just a few
weeks after World War II, by Fritz Sennheiser and seven fellow
engineers of the University of Hannover in a laboratory called Labor
W.

AKG, founded in Vienna in 1947 by Dr. Rudolf Goerike and Ernst Pless.
AKG already celebrated their 50th anniversary some time back with a
K240 Special Edition headset. {Photo:
https://www.head-fi.org/forums/f10/fs-akg-k240-50th-anniversary-327423/}

Koss was founded in 1953 as the J.C. Koss Hospital Television Rental
Company by John C. Koss.

Audio-Technica Corporation established in 1962 and headquartered in
Tokyo, Japan.

[Sonnova]

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:20:53 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"Alan Hoyle" wrote in message


I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World
Service last night and they had a short piece on the
invention of headphones. They interviewed John Koss as
part of the story, played some of his music in the
background, and gave some of the historical perspective.
All in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't
seen it on the World Service web page yet.

Headphones have been around for more like 90 years.

Try more than 100 years. Early Marconi wireless operators (late 1890's) can
be seen wearing them in period photohraphs.

They were widely used to
listen to radio signals in the early days of radio, and they were used by
telephone switchboard operators before automatic telephone switching systems
were invented.

The Wikipedia article on headphones shows a pair that are dated to the
1920s.

http://historytogo.utah.gov/salt_lak...rs/070801.html

"In the 1920s, the sleepy Salt Lake County farming community of East Mill
Creek was home to Utah's first high-tech boom. The Baldwin Radio Company
employed 150 men and women around the clock, producing a remarkable variety
of gadgets, including "Baldy Phones," the first radio headsets. Few remember
that Nathaniel Baldwin, an eccentric Utahn, invented headphones in 1910.
During the Roaring '20s, his company generated $2 million in yearly sales,
worth 10 times that amount today."

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality headphones. Radio
headphones underwent a steady increase in quality:

Koss's phones were light, circumaural, comfortable and STEREO. Those were his
contributions.

[Arny Krueger]

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:20:53 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality
headphones. Radio headphones underwent a steady increase
in quality:

Koss's phones were light, circumaural, comfortable and
STEREO. Those were his contributions.

Pro 4 series headphones, light? ;-)

Stereo headphones were commonplace, after all for most of them the
difference was in the external wiring.

[[email protected]]

On Nov 27, 4:38 am, Alan Hoyle wrote:
I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World Service last
night and they had a short piece on the invention of headphones. They
interviewed John Koss as part of the story, played some of his music
in the background, and gave some of the historical perspective. All
in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't seen it on the
World Service web page yet.

Upon reading the title to your post, the pair of headphones
my late father used in the cockpit of his Grumman TBF in
1942 suddenly vanished of the bookshelf, embarrassed into
non-existence as a cruel lie. This was followed shortly
afterwards by an audible Pop! as his headphones from his
days in the early 1930's as the holder of amateur radio
license W1LHH quickly followed in oblivion.

[Sonnova]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:00:41 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:20:53 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality
headphones. Radio headphones underwent a steady increase
in quality:

Koss's phones were light, circumaural, comfortable and
STEREO. Those were his contributions.

Pro 4 series headphones, light? ;-)

Stereo headphones were commonplace, after all for most of them the
difference was in the external wiring.


No they weren't. As a teen, I had the original Koss Stereophones, the SP3
(~1959) which were the FIRST stereo headphones sold to the public.

http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/kmuseum?openform&50s^Products

They consisted of two lightweight vacuum-formed brown plastic cups, each
containing a single, 3" PM speaker. a light plastic cover with a holes in it
it was screwed over each speaker and tan-colored piece of die-cut foam rubber
made up each ear-pad (later versions had these pads covered with vinyl). A
hoop of brass colored wire (looked like brazing rod to me) went over the head
where another vacuum-formed light plastic piece formed the back of the head
band. The part that touched one's head was another piece of the same foam
that formed the ear pads, again, this was vinyl clad in subsequent releases.

[Arny Krueger]

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:00:41 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:20:53 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality
headphones. Radio headphones underwent a steady
increase in quality:

Koss's phones were light, circumaural, comfortable and
STEREO. Those were his contributions.

Pro 4 series headphones, light? ;-)

Stereo headphones were commonplace, after all for most
of them the difference was in the external wiring.


No they weren't. As a teen, I had the original Koss
Stereophones, the SP3 (~1959) which were the FIRST stereo
headphones sold to the public.

http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/kmuseum?openform&50s^Products

They consisted of two lightweight vacuum-formed brown
plastic cups, each containing a single, 3" PM speaker. a
light plastic cover with a holes in it it was screwed
over each speaker and tan-colored piece of die-cut foam
rubber made up each ear-pad (later versions had these
pads covered with vinyl). A hoop of brass colored wire
(looked like brazing rod to me) went over the head where
another vacuum-formed light plastic piece formed the back
of the head band. The part that touched one's head was
another piece of the same foam that formed the ear pads,
again, this was vinyl clad in subsequent releases.

In 1959 I worked for a Lafayette Radio Associate store that sold Japanese
headphones that were constructed in a similar fashion. Previously, I had
owned a pair of Telex stereo headphones with mylar-diaphragm drivers.

[Sonnova]

On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:32:34 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:00:41 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:20:53 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality
headphones. Radio headphones underwent a steady
increase in quality:

Koss's phones were light, circumaural, comfortable and
STEREO. Those were his contributions.

Pro 4 series headphones, light? ;-)

Stereo headphones were commonplace, after all for most
of them the difference was in the external wiring.


No they weren't. As a teen, I had the original Koss
Stereophones, the SP3 (~1959) which were the FIRST stereo
headphones sold to the public.

http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/kmuseum?openform&50s^Products

They consisted of two lightweight vacuum-formed brown
plastic cups, each containing a single, 3" PM speaker. a
light plastic cover with a holes in it it was screwed
over each speaker and tan-colored piece of die-cut foam
rubber made up each ear-pad (later versions had these
pads covered with vinyl). A hoop of brass colored wire
(looked like brazing rod to me) went over the head where
another vacuum-formed light plastic piece formed the back
of the head band. The part that touched one's head was
another piece of the same foam that formed the ear pads,
again, this was vinyl clad in subsequent releases.

In 1959 I worked for a Lafayette Radio Associate store that sold Japanese
headphones that were constructed in a similar fashion. Previously, I had
owned a pair of Telex stereo headphones with mylar-diaphragm drivers.

Koss claims that they invented the Stereo Headphone in 1958, and I must say,
that I had never seen or heard of a pair before that. But Lafayette Radio DID
sell a pair of gray plastic headphones with snaps around a removable headband
very soon after. I recalled that they didn't sound as good as the Koss (which
weren't great, either, I must say).

[nebulax]

On Nov 30, 4:22*pm, Sonnova wrote:
On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:32:34 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):



"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:00:41 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:20:53 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality
headphones. Radio headphones underwent a steady
increase in quality:

Koss's phones were light, circumaural, comfortable and
STEREO. Those were his contributions.

Pro 4 series headphones, light? ;-)

Stereo headphones were commonplace, after all for most
of them the difference was in the external wiring.

No they weren't. As a teen, I had the original Koss
Stereophones, the SP3 (~1959) which were the FIRST stereo
headphones sold to the public.

http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/kmuseum?openform&50s^Products

They consisted of two lightweight vacuum-formed brown
plastic cups, each containing a single, 3" PM speaker. a
light plastic cover with a holes in it it was screwed
over each speaker and tan-colored piece of die-cut foam
rubber made up each ear-pad (later versions had these
pads covered with vinyl). A hoop of brass colored wire
(looked like brazing rod to me) went over the head where
another vacuum-formed light plastic piece formed the back
of the head band. The part that touched one's head was
another piece of the same foam that formed the ear pads,
again, this was vinyl clad in subsequent releases.

In 1959 I worked for a Lafayette Radio Associate store that sold Japanese
headphones that were constructed in a similar fashion. *Previously, I had
owned a pair of Telex stereo headphones with mylar-diaphragm drivers.

Koss claims that they invented the Stereo Headphone in 1958, and I must say,
that I had never seen or heard of a pair before that. But Lafayette Radio DID
sell a pair of gray plastic headphones with snaps around a removable headband
very soon after. I recalled that they didn't sound as good as the Koss (which
weren't great, either, I must say).

Beyerdynamic introduced their DT 48 phones in 1937, and had a stereo
version as early as 1950 -
http://northern-america.beyerdynamic...sheadsets.html

[Alan Hoyle]

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:38:11, Alan Hoyle wrote:
I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World Service last
night and they had a short piece on the invention of headphones. They
interviewed John Koss as part of the story, played some of his music
in the background, and gave some of the historical perspective. All
in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't seen it on the
World Service web page yet.

-alan

Still nothing on the web site, but there was a particular anecdote
that was worth sharing. In the interview with Mr. Koss, he mentioned
how he got headphone jacks added to amplifiers. The story
(paraphrased) was as follows:

Two primary amplifier manufacturers were around at the time (let's
call them "A" and "B" since I can't recall the details) and they were
heavily in competition. Mr. Koss had been in discussions with both of
them trying to get them to install jacks on their amps, but neither of
them were willing to do so.

While talking to "A," Koss said something to the effect of "Well, B is
going to add them." and A's response was "Wait, wait wait... If
they're doing that, then we're going to too." Koss then went to "B"
and did roughly the same thing. Thus both manufacturers were
convinced to put headphone jacks on their pieces.

-a

--
Alan Hoyle - - http://www.alanhoyle.com/

[Sonnova]

On Mon, 1 Dec 2008 05:08:56 -0800, nebulax wrote
(in article ):

On Nov 30, 4:22*pm, Sonnova wrote:
On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:32:34 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):



"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:00:41 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

"Sonnova" wrote in message

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:20:53 -0800, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):

Koss didn't even innovate the idea of high quality
headphones. Radio headphones underwent a steady
increase in quality:

Koss's phones were light, circumaural, comfortable and
STEREO. Those were his contributions.

Pro 4 series headphones, light? ;-)

Stereo headphones were commonplace, after all for most
of them the difference was in the external wiring.

No they weren't. As a teen, I had the original Koss
Stereophones, the SP3 (~1959) which were the FIRST stereo
headphones sold to the public.

http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/kmuseum?openform&50s^Products

They consisted of two lightweight vacuum-formed brown
plastic cups, each containing a single, 3" PM speaker. a
light plastic cover with a holes in it it was screwed
over each speaker and tan-colored piece of die-cut foam
rubber made up each ear-pad (later versions had these
pads covered with vinyl). A hoop of brass colored wire
(looked like brazing rod to me) went over the head where
another vacuum-formed light plastic piece formed the back
of the head band. The part that touched one's head was
another piece of the same foam that formed the ear pads,
again, this was vinyl clad in subsequent releases.

In 1959 I worked for a Lafayette Radio Associate store that sold Japanese
headphones that were constructed in a similar fashion. *Previously, I had
owned a pair of Telex stereo headphones with mylar-diaphragm drivers.

Koss claims that they invented the Stereo Headphone in 1958, and I must say,
that I had never seen or heard of a pair before that. But Lafayette Radio
DID
sell a pair of gray plastic headphones with snaps around a removable
headband
very soon after. I recalled that they didn't sound as good as the Koss
(which
weren't great, either, I must say).

Beyerdynamic introduced their DT 48 phones in 1937, and had a stereo
version as early as 1950 -

http://northern-america.beyerdynamic...-studio-video-
production/
products/headphonesheadsets.html

Perhaps. The paragraph that your URL references is actually pretty unclear
about exactly what Beyer was doing in 1950. Whatever they did, they certainly
weren't SELLING any stereo phones in 1950. There was simply no reason to.
There was no STEREO in 1950. Even stereophonic sound in the movies (don't
bring up Fantasia, that wasn't stereo) was at least two years away and any
home-based stereo was five or six years away with the introduction of RCA
stagger-head pre-recorded stereo tape in 1955-56.

[Harry Lavo]

On Dec 1, 5:31*pm, Alan Hoyle wrote:
On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:38:11, Alan Hoyle wrote:
I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World Service last
night and they had a short piece on the invention of headphones. *They
interviewed John Koss as part of the story, played some of his music
in the background, and gave some of the historical perspective. *All
in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't seen it on the
World Service web page yet. *
-alan

Still nothing on the web site, but there was a particular anecdote
that was worth sharing. *In the interview with Mr. Koss, he mentioned
how he got headphone jacks added to amplifiers. *The story
(paraphrased) was as follows:

Two primary amplifier manufacturers were around at the time (let's
call them "A" and "B" since I can't recall the details) and they were
heavily in competition. *Mr. Koss had been in discussions with both of
them trying to get them to install jacks on their amps, but neither of
them were willing to do so.

While talking to "A," Koss said something to the effect of "Well, B is
going to add them." and A's response was "Wait, wait wait... If
they're doing that, then we're going to too." *Koss then went to "B"
and did roughly the same thing. *Thus both manufacturers were
convinced to put headphone jacks on their pieces.


I imaging that must have been Mr. H. H. Scott and Mr. Avery Fisher.
They dominated amplifier volume in the late '50's/ '60's. Interesting
anecdote, thanks.

[Harry Lavo]

On Dec 1, 7:55*pm, Harry Lavo wrote:
On Dec 1, 5:31*pm, Alan Hoyle wrote:





On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:38:11, Alan Hoyle wrote:
I was listening to the Business Today on the BBC World Service last
night and they had a short piece on the invention of headphones. *They
interviewed John Koss as part of the story, played some of his music
in the background, and gave some of the historical perspective. *All
in all, it was an interesting piece, but I haven't seen it on the
World Service web page yet. *
-alan

Still nothing on the web site, but there was a particular anecdote
that was worth sharing. *In the interview with Mr. Koss, he mentioned
how he got headphone jacks added to amplifiers. *The story
(paraphrased) was as follows:

Two primary amplifier manufacturers were around at the time (let's
call them "A" and "B" since I can't recall the details) and they were
heavily in competition. *Mr. Koss had been in discussions with both of
them trying to get them to install jacks on their amps, but neither of
them were willing to do so.

While talking to "A," Koss said something to the effect of "Well, B is
going to add them." and A's response was "Wait, wait wait... If
they're doing that, then we're going to too." *Koss then went to "B"
and did roughly the same thing. *Thus both manufacturers were
convinced to put headphone jacks on their pieces.

I imaging that must have been Mr. H. H. Scott and Mr. Avery Fisher.
They dominated amplifier volume in the late '50's/ '60's. *Interesting
anecdote, thanks.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Late yesterday I received a personal email from Michael J. Koss,
President and CEO of Koss Stereophones, confirming that the men in
question were indeed Herman H. Scott and Avery Fisher.

He further explained that his father certainly did not invent the
headphones, but that he was the instigator behind the introduction of
stereo headphones (the SP3 and later the Pro4) explicitly designed for
high-fidelity reproduction of stereo music, and thus founded the
personal stereo listening industry. And it was this latter that
requrired persuading Mssrs. Scott and Fisher to add stereophonic
headphone outputs to the front of their amplifiers.

He mentioned that his father had and used the conventional headsets
then extant (late '50's) but as a musician found them terribly wanting
in their ability to reproduce music at a quality level. This was his
inspiration to invent the Koss Stereophones.

I think this is highly credible as I was a budding audiophile during
this period, and my Dad owned a chain of audio/electronics
stores....it rings true to my recollections of the time.