Now (H)ear This
In 1984, a gumdrop-sized object developed at Etymotic Research, Inc. turned the world of electroacoustics on its, well, ear. The squat cylinder, doughy like a gumdrop except for a length of thin, flexible tubing at one end, was a foam eartip with a unique distinction: it sealed the ear from outside ambient noise while delivering test tones and speech through the world’s first “tubephone” insert earphone. Before then, earphones-also known as headphones-were designed for over-the-ear use. Because of its snug fit in the ear canal, an insert earphone allows for greater accuracy in testing, for example, by reducing ambient noise.
