# earbud headphones from the 1980s? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2015, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829 "2015-06-18T06:10:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/1 "2015-06-18T06:10:20Z")
Weird question - but does anyone remember from the 1980s a particular type of earbud headphones? They might have been made by a company like Sony or Panasonic, but they had a particular name, and I can’t remember what it was… ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/2 "2015-06-18T12:34:49Z")
Well its impossible to confirm what you really are searching for … Perhaps… Sony’s were called Nude. ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/3 "2015-06-18T12:55:29Z")
Does it help that I think they were yellow? (And no, the ones I remember weren’t called “Nude”.) ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/4 "2015-06-18T13:17:50Z")
Foam earbuds? Yellow foam was used with those made by [Etymotic](https://www.etymotic.com/media/publications/er_30_years_timeline_2013.pdf) in the 80’s. They weren’t sold as HiFi devices, but for audiometry. It wasn’t until '91 that the ER-4 came out as their first HiFi phones. These are ear canal phones rather than outer ear earbuds, but they did use yellow foam. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/5 "2015-06-18T22:52:37Z")
Astraltune came with a set of real nice headphones that were on a plastic under-chin yoke. The actual speaker parts are about the size of earbuds and poke into your ears. These came out in 1975, waaaay before the Walkman. Google for images. They are really good headphones. I’m pretty sure they (the headphones) were from Germany. They had a name on the 1/4" jack, but I don’t think I’ve got that part anymore. Something like “Stenheiser”. I’ll look in the garage. If I have it, I know where to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/6 "2015-06-18T23:01:06Z")
Couldn’t find it. Pictures: [astraltune - Bing images](http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=astraltune&id=C9AB02AD5190F2690265E0AA28991B3DC7247768&FORM=IQFRBA) Interesting. The headphones in the pictures are yellow. Mine are black. ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/7 "2015-06-19T08:11:05Z")
Thanks, but that’s not the name. It was a model, not a brand. I just remember being in high school, and people saying “Oh, do you have X…”. Maybe it was similar to the way people would talk about Beats today. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/8 "2015-06-19T12:13:29Z")
Are you talking about the vertical in-ear headphones? [They’re hard plastic instead of having a silicone bud](http://coolmaterial.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/history-of-headphones-1980.jpg), and go over the head. Those are the only ones I can think of, I had a pair in high school in the 80’s. They still make more modern looking versions currently. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/9 "2015-06-19T12:19:01Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I’m pretty sure they (the headphones) were from Germany. They had a name on the 1/4" jack, but I don’t think I’ve got that part anymore. Something like “Stenheiser”. [Sennheiser](http://sennheiser.com/). Very big name, especially in pro-audio. Funny, I have a pair of yellow foamed super-aural headphones in the 70’s (HD 424) which were pretty darned good. But I didn’t really couple the name with earbuds. Nowadays they make a huge range of headphones, including some of the best there is. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/10 "2015-06-19T21:33:48Z")
I was pretty close! I’m gettin’ old, but I guess I ain’t senile yet! I’ve still got my set, but the cord is broken and I haven’t been able to fix it. They have those fibers in them that make splicing in a new wire a major ass pain. The yolk is kinda busted up, too, but I was able to work with that. They really do sound good. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/11 "2015-06-20T02:34:33Z")
Fontopia ?? That was a Sony brandname for their earbuds. I had a couple of the sapphire diaphram ones in the '80s. Very good for the time. Didn’t have yellow bits however. ---
**Author:** ![Jesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesta)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/12 "2015-06-20T13:03:10Z")
I’ll just go with “sports” ? Sony’s yellow ear buds, with yellow cord and hard case, wind up style. as seen 3rd down on this page here: [http://aleduc.iweb.bsu.edu/me597i/compete2.htm](http://aleduc.iweb.bsu.edu/me597i/compete2.htm) ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earbud-headphones-from-the-1980s/722829/13 "2015-06-20T19:45:24Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Fontopia ?? That was a Sony brandname for their earbuds. I had a couple of the sapphire diaphram ones in the '80s. Very good for the time. Didn’t have yellow bits however. Actually, I think that might be it! From here, [http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1799565](http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1799565) > [@](#): > > I’ve still got my yellow Sony waterproof “fontopia” headphones with the special wind up case which I had when I was a teenager, a good 20 years old, and still occasionally use them, perfect condition! While the name Fontopia doesn’t ring 100% in my brain, it’s probably it - a model, not a brand, and that description on the page, is exactly what I remember, down to the color…