The first true “headphones” were created for professional use, not for casual music listening. They were mainly built for telephone switchboard operators in the late 1800s and then dramatically improved for U.S. Navy radio operators in the early 1900s.

Who Were the First Headphones Created For?

Quick Scoop

  • The earliest head-mounted receivers were made for telephone switchboard operators so they could keep their hands free while routing calls.
  • The first modern-style headphones (two earpieces on a headband) were created by engineer Nathaniel Baldwin for the U.S. Navy’s radio operators , not for music fans.
  • Headphones designed specifically for music listening at home only became popular much later, especially after the 1950s.

Early Days: Not for Music at All

In the 1880s and 1890s, telephones were new and operators had to connect calls manually. To keep both hands free, they started using heavy “headphones” that were basically a single telephone receiver clamped to the head. These early devices were often large, sometimes weighing over 10 pounds, and were very much work tools , not consumer gadgets.

Telephone operators used these so they could plug and unplug cables quickly while still hearing callers. The term headphone originally referred to this one-ear receiver mounted on the head, not the lightweight music headphones we imagine today. In other words, the first headphones were created for people working in telecommunication , not for entertainment.

Nathaniel Baldwin and the Navy

Fast forward to the early 1900s. American engineer Nathaniel Baldwin built a more advanced headset at his kitchen table around 1910. His design had two earpieces connected by a headband and offered much better sound, making it ideal for radio communication.

Private companies initially dismissed Baldwin’s idea, but the U.S. Navy quickly realized its value. They ordered dozens, then around 100 pairs, using them for Naval radio operators during a period when wireless communication was becoming crucial. So the first modern-style headphones that look like what we use now were essentially built for the military , not for gamers, commuters, or audiophiles.

In short: the first modern audio headphones were “born in a kitchen, raised by the Navy.”

When Did Headphones Become “For Listeners”?

For decades, headphones stayed mostly in the worlds of telephony, radio rooms, and technical work. Even the earliest in‑ear designs, like Ernest Mercadier’s 1891 “bi-telephone” earbuds, were conceived primarily as improved telephone receivers, not leisure gadgets.

It wasn’t until 1958 that John Koss developed one of the first headphones explicitly for music listening , as part of a “private listening system” for records. This shift—from tools for operators and soldiers to accessories for music lovers—marks the point where headphones truly became a consumer audio product.

Mini Timeline (Who They Were For)

[1][2][3] [3] [4][5][2][3] [2][3] [6][3]
Period Main users What headphones were for
1880s–1890s Telephone switchboard operators Hands‑free call handling in telephone exchanges.
1890s Early phone users, service subscribers Devices like Electrophone for listening to live theatre via telephone networks.
1910s U.S. Navy radio operators, wireless operators Modern-style headsets for clearer radio communication (Nathaniel Baldwin design).
Early–mid 1900s Radio and telegraph operators Professional communication and signal monitoring.
1950s onward Everyday music listeners Private music listening at home, starting with systems like Koss’s “private listening” setup.

Clear Answer to Your Question

If you’re asking “who were the first headphones created for?” then historically the answer splits into two levels:

  1. Earliest “headphone”-style devices (late 19th century):
    • Created for telephone switchboard operators to free their hands while connecting calls.
  1. First modern, two‑earcup headphones (early 20th century):
    • Created by Nathaniel Baldwin primarily for U.S. Navy radio operators to improve sound clarity in military communication.

So the very first audience wasn’t music fans at all—it was telecom workers and military communication specialists.

TL;DR:
The first “headphones” were made for telephone operators in the 1880s, and the first truly modern headphones were developed for U.S. Navy radio operators in the 1910s—not for everyday music listeners.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.