Download

The Evolution of Headphones

  • The Koss Sp-3

    The Koss Sp-3
    In 1958, John C. Koss invented personal listening with the world's first SP/3 stereo phone. Koss sought to replicate the excitement of a live musical performance. The original SP/3 stereo phone allowed listeners to experience sound as they had never before, bringing them closer to the music they love.
  • DR-1A

    DR-1A
    Stereo headset for tape recorders. This was the beginning of Sony's stereo headphones.
  • MDR-3

    MDR-3
    Included with the first-ever "Walkman" (model TPS-L2). The first model in the "H-AIR" series of compact, lightweight headphones.
  • MDR-E252

    MDR-E252
    The first in-ear headphones in the trend-setting ‘NUDE’ series.
  • MDR-R10

    MDR-R10
    These headphones were the first in the world to adopt a bio-cellulose diaphragm with rigidity comparable to that of aluminum. They were priced at JPY 360,000.
  • MDR-5700

    MDR-5700
    The world's first noise-canceling headphones for consumer use. Offered for use in the cabins of passenger planes.
  • MDR-G61

    MDR-G61
    The industry’s first neckband headphones.
  • MDR-EX70SL

    MDR-EX70SL
    The world's smallest dynamic driver unit at the time, with a diameter of 9 mm, and soft silicone rubber earpieces for a better fit to the ear and powerful bass reproduction.
  • MDR-NC500D

    MDR-NC500D
    The world's first digital noise canceling headphones, reducing ambient noise by up to 99%.
  • MDR-1R

    MDR-1R
    High-Resolution Monitor Headphone developed in collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), pursuing sound quality that enables the creative expression of musicians, sound engineers and other music creators to the highest level.
  • WF-1000X

    WF-1000X
    Wireless headphone that achieves the industry - leading noise cancellation performance at the time as a truly wireless type.
    It is the world's first to support Adaptive Sound Control, which detects the user's activities using various sensors on the smartphone and automatically switches the noise canceling and external sound capturing functions.
  • IER-Z1R

    IER-Z1R
    High-resolution stereo headphone in the Signature Series, capable of reproducing ultra-high frequencies of up to 100 kHz, providing a vast sound field and a sense of presence that is difficult to experience with conventional in-ear headphones.
  • CH-720N

    CH-720N
    Sony's newest noise-canceling headphone