Tinkering in his kitchen, electrical engineer Nathaniel Baldwin created the first set of headphones more than a century ago and sold them to the U.S. Navy. Since that time headphones have evolved from a military tool to a consumer product. By 2016, the headphone manufacturing industry is expected to increase by $1.18 billion, according to market research firm IBISWorld.
Headphones are for more than just hearing your music or taking a call on your mobile — these days, they're a fashion statement. And there's no lack of options when it comes to color, size and design. Of course, sound quality and price are key factors, too. Whether you're looking for a top-notch set (there are a lot of good ones in this gallery) or something that makes a statement (we listed colorful and bling-y ones, too), we've got you covered.
Check out our photo gallery of headphones (12 in total) and tell us, which ones are your favorite?
These candy-colored headphones have an adjustable headband and cushion-y ear pads.
Earlier this month, rapper 50 Cent unveiled Street by 50 DJ headphones. These are the first foldable headphones in the SMS Audio collection. They cover the ear entirely and produce top-notch sound. The headphones come in a range of colors -- from grays, black and white to limited edition colors like neon yellow and blue. You can also buy the limited-edition DJ Pauly D-brand.
These headphones are super eco-friendly. They were made using recyclable aluminum, durable canvas and braided cable. The headphones, from The House of Marley, can be purchased on Apple.com. From now until Nov. 15, 10% of the total sales on Apple.com will be donated to 1Love.org where the money will be used to revive music programs in underprivileged schools.
These headphones from Monster look like jewels on your ears. They come in clear and black. The headphones were inspired by musician J.Y. Park's and are said to be "edgy like diamonds, smooth like tears." (The headphones are shown folded in this picture).
It's no surprise these leather encased headphones look vintage -- they sprung from a company that began in the 1960s. Originally used by rock-n-roll musicians and roadies, Marshall can rest on its decades of experience fine-tuning headphones.
These stylish headphones feature a real leather headband, memory foam and leather earpads for comfort and noise isolation. The headphones also have a four-foot cord, a stereo adapter and a Nokia phone adapter. The THRONE comes in gold or poison, which is like a purple color with gunmetal hardware. The two colors differ in what type of music sounds best on them: The gold is meant for listening to rock, R&B, or hip hop, while the poison is meant for vocals and acoustic.
These Executive headphones are made for traveling -- foldable and streamlined, these headphones offer the same sound quality as past Beats by Dre headphone sets. The company was created in 2006 by Dr. Dre and the chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records. It was one of the first celebrity-branded headphones to really take-off.
You can really get funky with these colorful headphones from SOL REPUBLIC, in partnership with Joshua Davis and Joel Zimmerman also known as deadmau5. They worked together to create this design which they say is a digital interpretation of the world. And if you're prone to accidents, these colorful headphones offer a FlexTech Sound Track headband that's virtually unbreakable.
These medium-size functional and stylish headphones can fold down to the size of your fist. The headphones also let your share music -- a friend can plug their ear buds into a plug on the ear cap and jam along with you. Price varies by color.
These around-the-ear headphones function with your iOS devices. The UE 6000 headphones use Logitech UE's active noise-canceling to filter out ambient noise so you get a more immersive experience. The on-cord mic and controls let you easily manage the sound and songs you hear. The battery on these headphones allows for more than 40 hours of listening time.
For the gun aficionado or just any badass, these bullet earphones are pretty cool. These titanium-coated earphones come in gold, silver or black and are made by a company called Munitio that also makes similar earphones called billets. The earbuds are supposed to keep the sound isolated in your ear so it's crystal clear. It also comes with a ballistic nylon carrying case and one set of replacement silicone hollow point tips.
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, ShaneKato
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