10. Monster Cable Products, Inc.
Monster Cable Products, Inc.was founded by Noel Lee in 1979 after he discovered that differently constructed wires produce differences in audio performance. Monster is now one of the most popular audio cable companies in the world and makes every kind of headphone from on-ear noise canceling phones to the iSport line of sports-friendly in-ear buds, including the iSport Immersion’s completely waterproof in-ear buds.
9. Sony
Sony makes every kind of headphone imaginable and in every price range from the spend-thrift to wallet-emptying. The massive conglomerate of Sony had its humble beginnings with a Japanese company–Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo–which was founded shortly after the end of World War II. After building Japan’s first tape recorder, the founders moved on to develop the world’s first commercially produced transistor radio, and from there you can listen to the rest of its history on the headphones you’re probably wearing right now that are most likely attached to the radio they designed.
8. Audio-Technica
Audio-Technica established in Japan, was founded in 1962 and specializes in equipment for audio technophiles. This is the company that invented the famous Mister-Disc, the battery operated, portable record player of the 80’s. One of their most popular headphones is the Ath-M50.
7. Panasonic
Panasonic was founded in 1918 by Japanese industrialist Konosuke Matsushita as a vending outlet for duplex lamp sockets. Now the company has 580 subsidiary companies and a staff of roughly 330,000. One of the highest rated in-ear headphones on Amazon is the Panasonic RPHJE120K, which has nearly a five star rating from over 7,000 consumers and costs only around $10.
6. Kinivo
Kinivo is a very new American company founded in Washington in 2010. They specialize in gadgets that make life easier. To the credit of their mission statement they have developed the very popular Kinivo BTH240 Bluetooth, which supports wireless music streaming and hands-free calling.
5. V-Moda
V-Moda makes nothing but headphones and headphone accessories for the modern audiophile, including the Crossfade M-100, winner of the DJ Tech Awards.
4. JVC Americas Corp.
JVC Americas Corp., a subsidiary of JVC Kenwood, manufactures video and audio equipment for every type of consumer. The brand name was founded in Japan in 1927 as a subsidiary of America’s Victor Talking Machine Company which was later transferred to RCA-Victor.
3. MEElectronics
MEElectronics is another relatively new company, founded in 2005, that specializes solely in the manufacture of headphones and audio accessories for amateur listeners.
2. Parrot
Parrot, founded in 1994 by Henri Seydoux, creates mostly wireless devises by mobile phones but has branched out to create Parrot Zik, a Bluetooth stereo headphone designed solely for the hard core audio buff in response to the fact that a vast majority of people today experience their music entirely through their wireless devices and mobile phones.
1. Bose
Bose, a Massachusetts based American company founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, is an industry leader in sound design. Its most well known item, the Bose Wave Radio, revolutionized sound technology in small devices. They’ve also been known to dabble in cold-fusion research.
