In New York in the 1930s, simply put, there was a noise problem. To aid in this ‘business of sound control’, “dozens of different corporations were manufacturing and selling vast quantities of acoustical building materials (Thompson 170). Companies used any materials they could and they were everywhere. From auditoriums and sanctuaries to offices, schools, and other places of everyday life, people didn’t like unnecessary noise (Thompson 170). Sound control wasn’t just about creating good sound in the rooms where people wanted to listen, it became a tool to “minimize noise wherever it occurred and to insulate people from noises beyond their control” (Thompson 171). The materials used ended up not only eliminating “the noises of the modern era, they additionally created a new, modern sound of their own” (Thompson 171).
One of the biggest attributes of this modern sound was a lack of reverberation. The “absorptive materials created a sound that was clear and direct” (Thompson 171). This was exciting and modern because they didn’t have to deal with reverberation, but also because it “signaled the power of human ingenuity over the physical environment” (Thompson 171). Modern sound was commodified, “sound control was a business” (Thompson 171), and Koss was able to take advantage of this new business.
With the introduction of the stereo headphones, people could control sound in a way they never had before. As referenced in the "Noise vs. Sound" section, there were serious conflicts over what counted as music and what counted as noise. Stereo headphones made listening something personal so there was a barrier between sound and noise.
We could say that part of what made something noise to one person instead of music was the quality of the sound. Reverberating or unclear noise penetrating your ears while you're trying to focus on something else would most definitely not sound like music. Koss found a way to control this sound and once again showcase human ingenuity over the physical environment.
Before stereo headphones, sound will travel anywhere because of the nature of sound waves and what happens when sound is free to disrupt the air around. Koss focused on four different types of headphones.When someone is wearing headphones, you can't hear what they're listening to. Not only that, the person wearing the headphones can control how loud or soft the sound they listen to will be.