Headphones
Headphones, also referenced as earspeakers or earphones, are the pair of small loudspeakers that are worn over the ears of the user. Headphones function as electroacoustic transducers that convert an electrical sign into its corresponding sound. The French engineer Ernest Mercadier first patented a set of in-ear headphones in 1891 and Nathaniel Baldwin is credited with inventing the prototype of headphones due to his need to better hear his Sunday service. Headphones allow users to have the option to listen to audio privately. Headphones connect to a signal source like a radio, CD player, smartphone, or game console.
The first real pair of headphones came out in 1910 and was made by engineer Nathaniel Baldwin. Unlike previous prototypes or attempts that were bulky and difficult to use or move around with, this (named “Radio Head-Set”) could easily fit between the head with a headband connecting two ear cups.
Inside a headphone’s earcups, there are magnets and conductive coils. When current flows through the coil, it creates an electromagnetic field. The reverse direction of the current will then cause pressure variation (caused by the magnet attracting or repelling the coil) making it move back and forth to create sound waves.
Most headphones have a lifespan of 4-5 years. However, how you use your headphone and the quality of the material used to make it also plays a role in how long your headphone will last. The parts that get worn out fast are the pads leading to loss of sound.
