4 ms·

Over-ear headphones are older than earbuds, how do you relate this preference with getting old?

wpietri 6y ago
The wearing of them isn't, though. People were not hauling around their 70s hi-fi systems on roller carts to listen to music in their large headphones. The original Walkman came with headphones [1], but they were light and fluffy. For a long time after, the trend was toward lighter, smaller. People wearing large headphones out and about are definitely a later wave. [1] https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/1/5861062/sony-walkman-at-35 https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/1/5861062/sony-walkman-at-35
- _ph_ 6y ago
  I was just about to write the same thing. Big headphones were of course the way most headphones were made initially. And it didn't matter until Sony released the Walkman allowing to have good audio in a mobile environment. For years though, they tried to make the headphones smaller, though being far away from todays in-ear phones. I really think it was Beats what made people wear large headphones in the public.
- Someone 6y ago
  If you’re old enough (and of the right subculture), you may have been hauling your 70s hi-fi system around, but not on roller-carts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boombox#/media/File%3AChicago_Pride_Parade_1985_033.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boombox#/media/File%3AChicago_... (also stops any complaints about these being too large :-) )
- taneq 6y ago
  There was a trend for a while in the 90s of people using Walkmans with big DJ style over-ear headphones. Maybe that's what they're talking about?
JohnBooty 6y ago
on-ear != over-ear People have worn on-ear headphones since the early days of Sony Walkmans. Y'know, this kind: https://retrospekt.com/products/retro-orange-headphones https://retrospekt.com/products/retro-orange-headphones Wearing over-ear headphones in public wasn't really a thing until Beats and such came into fashion in the last 15 years or so.
- owlmirror 6y ago
  oh, I'm certain Over ear headphones were popular long before beats came along. as an example from the top of my mind I'd like to point to the 1999 music video "Freestyler" and I myself a teenager then was sporting them in the late 90ies early 00s
- recursive 6y ago
  I was definitely wearing them outside in the 90s. It never occurred to me prior to today that it might have been some kind of youthful faux pas.
  - JohnBooty 6y ago
    Trendsetter!

The wearing of them isn't, though. People were not hauling around their 70s hi-fi systems on roller carts to listen to music in their large headphones. The original Walkman came with headphones [1], but they were light and fluffy. For a long time after, the trend was toward lighter, smaller. People wearing large headphones out and about are definitely a later wave. [1] https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/1/5861062/sony-walkman-at-35 https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/1/5861062/sony-walkman-at-35

_ph_ 6y ago
I was just about to write the same thing. Big headphones were of course the way most headphones were made initially. And it didn't matter until Sony released the Walkman allowing to have good audio in a mobile environment. For years though, they tried to make the headphones smaller, though being far away from todays in-ear phones. I really think it was Beats what made people wear large headphones in the public.
Someone 6y ago
If you’re old enough (and of the right subculture), you may have been hauling your 70s hi-fi system around, but not on roller-carts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boombox#/media/File%3AChicago_Pride_Parade_1985_033.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boombox#/media/File%3AChicago_... (also stops any complaints about these being too large :-) )
taneq 6y ago
There was a trend for a while in the 90s of people using Walkmans with big DJ style over-ear headphones. Maybe that's what they're talking about?

JohnBooty 6y ago

on-ear != over-ear People have worn on-ear headphones since the early days of Sony Walkmans. Y'know, this kind: https://retrospekt.com/products/retro-orange-headphones https://retrospekt.com/products/retro-orange-headphones Wearing over-ear headphones in public wasn't really a thing until Beats and such came into fashion in the last 15 years or so.

owlmirror 6y ago
oh, I'm certain Over ear headphones were popular long before beats came along. as an example from the top of my mind I'd like to point to the 1999 music video "Freestyler" and I myself a teenager then was sporting them in the late 90ies early 00s
recursive 6y ago
I was definitely wearing them outside in the 90s. It never occurred to me prior to today that it might have been some kind of youthful faux pas.
- JohnBooty 6y ago
  Trendsetter!