Museum
Koss SP/3: The World’s First Stereophone
Mar
In 1958, John C. Koss set out to replicate the feeling of a live musical performance. His invention, the Koss SP/3, would go on to redefine the hi-fi landscape forever.
Music listening in the 50’s
In modern days, very few of us can imagine a life without headphones. But in 1958, the term of “personal listening” didn’t really exist, and music was more of a social concept.
For most people, the only way to experience music was through large home speaker systems or public jukeboxes. Radios were common too, but they were typically mono, offering a single-channel sound. And, while headphones had been around since the 1880s, they were mostly used for voice communications, to improve audio clarity and keep conversations private.
Back then, achieving high-fidelity was only possible through complex speaker setups that were not only very costly, but also heavily influenced by the acoustics of the room they were placed in.
Jazz musician and entrepreneur John C. Koss, driven by his desire to recreate the immersive experience of live music, partnered with engineer Martin Lange, Jr. to develop a portable stereo phonograph player with side-wing speakers. Koss envisioned a way for people to privately experience the richness of stereo sound, which ultimately lead to the invention of the world’s first high fidelity stereophone.
Koss and Lange revealed their new phonograph at a Milwaukee audio show, but it was the bundled SP/3 headphones – originally meant as an accessory to showcase stereo sound – that stole the spotlight.
Designed with purpose
The Koss SP/3 marked the start of a new era of music listening. Designed with a lightweight plastic frame and an open-back structure, they were the complete opposite of the bulky, heavy headphones of that time.
As they were purpose-built for music, the SP/3 were engineered to have a wide, smooth frequency response, delivering a wide soundstage and a natural, detailed sound reproduction. One of the most innovative features of the SP/3 was the privacy switch, which allowed listeners to enjoy their music without having the sound disturbing others around them.
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A cultural icon
While their sound signature may not be considered high-fidelity by modern standards, the SP/3 paved the way for the evolution of portable devices, including headphones, radios or casette players. For the next few decades, the SP/3 would be revered by musicians, sound engineers and audio enthusiasts alike, becoming a cultural icon.
Like many of the items in our Headphone Museum, this headphone forever changed the way people listen to music, inspiring an industry that continues to push the boundaries of sound today.
Want to experience audio history? Come by our store in Heidelberg and explore our Headphone Museum!