Product Spotlight: Speakers!

If you’re like most of us, you probably spend a lot of time listening to music, podcasts, movies, concerts and other things. Have you ever thought about the devices that make it possible for us to do that?

Sure, there are lots of things that enable us to listen on the go – Bluetooth, wi-fi, radio broadcasts and more. But what’s the one ingredient all of those things share? Speakers, of course.

Without speakers, or loudspeakers as they’re also known, our world would look and sound far different than it does today. You wouldn’t stream music you’re your cell phone. In fact, you probably wouldn’t even have a cell phone. If you did, it would be rather hard to carry with a large horn attached to it.

Loudspeakers of all kinds have one basic job. They convert an electrical signal – your content – into an acoustic one. While they can vary in specifically how they do that, the speakers in your home theater system, a soundbar,  portable Bluetooth box, or your personal earbuds all perform that same function.

The history of speakers as we know them today dates back to the 19th century, and includes famous names such as Bell and Edison. Let’s take a look at where they came from and how they work. And of course, at their potential as promotional items.

Before the Loudspeaker

The 1800s brought rapid advances in technology to the world. In 1861, German inventor Philipp Reis invented a basic prototype of a telephone that captured sound via a microphone and transmitted it electrically to a basic receiver. The sound wasn’t intelligible enough for voice transmission.

Alexander Graham Bell later was able to refine the telephone to the point where voice transmission was possible. These early phones used a simple form of a speaker.

At the time, there was no electrical device capable of producing louder sound. That’s why early phonographs such as those invented by Thomas Edison relied on the horn we associate with those early machines. Sound waves from the needle were transmitted acoustically to a small diaphragm at the base of the horn. The horn itself allowed more air movement and greater sound volume.

Horns had their limitations. They offered poor sound quality and little to no volume control. They were largely an all-or-nothing device, with no way to lower the volume if desired. That changed in the early 20th century.

The Electric Age Arrives

In 1921, two engineers, one from General Electric and one from AT&T worked together to create what we know as the first modern loudspeaker, and the first electric amplifier to power it. The new system converted sound waves into an electrical signal and made it powerful enough to move a larger diaphragm or cone than the horn. By varying the strength of the signal to the speaker, it also became possible to control the volume.

Other speaker designs exist, but this “dynamic” type is still the most common speaker type in use today.

The shift to electrical amplification instead of horns also greatly improved the sound quality it was possible to achieve. That came in handy a few years later, when motion pictures with sound were introduced.

Evolution and Specialization

Those early amplifiers, using vacuum tubes, tended to be relatively large and bulky, and required a significant amount of electricity to run. That limited the development of portable devices.

All that changed with the invention of the transistor in the 1940s. Unlike vacuum tubes, transistors were miniature devices and much more efficient, enabling small, battery-powered devices. By 1957, the first practical transistor radio was on the market. With a small loudspeaker inside, it made music, news, baseball games and more available anywhere.

High Fidelity

Interest in better sound reproduction continued to grow. In the mid-1950s, inventor Edgar Villchur created the acoustic suspension speaker, placing the driver inside a sealed box. This enabled more accurate sound.

As Villchur, his business partner Henry Kloss, and others continued to advance speaker design, multi-driver speakers became common. These designs put different size speakers into one box, allowing each driver to recreate a specific frequency range. Small tweeters produce high frequencies, while larger woofers created lower bass sounds. The specialization enabled both to do what they do best. Three-way designs add a midrange driver to better cover the frequency span between woofer and tweeter.

Computer-Assisted Design

In the 1970s and ‘80s, speaker designers began experimenting with computer-assisted designs. By optimizing every aspect of a given design, this has led to better quality sound than ever before at lower prices. It also has led to breakthrough designs in headphones and earbuds.

Bluetooth Speakers

Progress continued in the 1990s, with the advent of Bluetooth technology. That opened up a new world of hands-free devices, starting with wireless phone headsets.

Music streaming in the 2000s added a new twist. Streaming enables listening to music or other programming on your smartphone. That led to the creation of Bluetooth wireless headphones, and to custom portable speakers. The ability to be your own DJ virtually anywhere created new markets.

Promotional Speakers

Thanks to the versatility of Bluetooth, the popularity of portable speakers is increasing every day. So are the many ways you can incorporate them into your marketing program.

Earbuds are a great place to start. With your logo imprinted on the case, or on the outside of the earbuds themselves, they’re a low-cost, high-impact promo. They’re ideal for employee motivational incentives, trade show giveaways and more.

Waterproof Speakers are perfect for boosting your brand among beachgoers, pool lovers, boaters, fishermen and more. You can even get speakers that float. Gotta love a speaker that can take a dunk and still blast the funk!

Coolers with built-in speakers also are ready to roll to the beach, the lake, the park or anywhere else you want to go. Keep your beverages and your music cool at the same time!

Tumblers let you keep the beat while you keep your coffee hot or your iced tea cold. They’re a unique product that’s sure to be a conversation piece at the coffee shop, convention, trade show or outdoor expo.

Sound Advice

We’ve truly come a long way from listening to gramophones through a horn. Today’s technology lets you take your preferred listening anywhere you go. And that opens up a new world of promotional possibilities for your brand as well.

It’s easy to incorporate speakers and earbuds into your marketing plan and they can make a big impact. Let us show you how easy it can be. Call or email us to find out more.