John C. Koss, Creator of the World’s First Stereophone, Has Died
22 Dezembro 2021 - 4:00PM
Musician, entrepreneur, and inventor John C. Koss passed away
Tuesday, December 21, 2021, at 91. He was the Founder and former
Chairman of Koss Corporation, a consumer electronics company Mr.
Koss created in 1953 initially to rent television sets to hospital
patients.
In 1958, Mr. Koss and his partner, Martin Lange,
Jr., introduced personal listening to the world with the
development of the world’s first high fidelity Stereophone. This
product, the SP/3 Stereophone, sparked the creation of the global
stereo headphone industry.
“Dad loved music and the experience of a live
performance,” Michael J. Koss, Chairman and CEO of Koss
Corporation, said. “Like many legendary entrepreneurs, our founder
channeled his passion to create a revolutionary product. Today,
it’s clear that his innovation changed the way the world listens to
music.”
Throughout his career, John Koss drove the Koss
Corporation with many headphone, audio, and technological
innovations. After introducing the SP/3 Stereophone, Mr. Koss
developed the Pro/4 Series, which became a recording industry
standard, and the official headphones of Air Force One. He went on
to help standardize the plug and headphone jack we take for granted
today.
“As a member of the reserve Air National Guard,
it’s safe to say, one of Dad’s proudest moments in business was
when Koss Stereophones became part of the Air Force One in-flight
entertainment system,” Michael Koss continued.
Seeing the miniaturization of electronics in the
1980s, John Koss pushed his company to develop “portable”
headphones for on-the-go listening. The result was the Koss Porta
Pro, a collapsible headphone that continues to be one of the most
popular and well-respected headphones on the market today.
Mr. Koss’ innovative focus always emphasized
high quality, an exciting listening experience, and outstanding
customer service. In 1989, Koss introduced its “No-Questions-Asked”
Lifetime Warranty Program on its entire line of stereo
headphones.
“Dad was a music lover that pushed hard to
maintain the ‘Sound of Koss.’ He always wanted to bring people
closer to the music they loved. It’s why he coined the Koss tagline
‘Hearing is Believing’.”
A graduate of Riverside High School, Mr. Koss
served his local community as a director and Chairman of Junior
Achievement of Southeastern Wisconsin and as a director of the
Milwaukee School of Engineering where he received the Pioneer Award
in 1980, along with an honorary Doctor of Engineering Degree in
1983. He also served on the board of several charitable
organizations and stepped in during the 1970s to purchase and save
Milwaukee’s only classical radio station, WFMR.
In the 1980s, Mr. Koss and the company
contributed to the Medical College of Wisconsin to develop the Koss
Hearing and Balance Center, along with the Koss Cochlear Implant
program. This relationship ultimately led to the John C. Koss
Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology.
In 2007, Mr. Koss received an Honorary Doctor of
Science Degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the
Seymour Cray Award for Distinction in Technology presented by The
Wisconsin Historical Society. John C. Koss has been inducted into
the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame, The Wisconsin Business Hall
of Fame, and the Audio Hall of Fame.
“Ask anyone who knew my father, and they’ll tell
you he was one of a kind. He distinguished himself as an eternal
optimist that never let anything stand in his way. We’re all proud
of his achievements, not just with the Koss Corporation, but
through the contributions he’s made helping others. John C. Koss
made the world a better place. We’ll miss him dearly.”
Koss® Corporation: The Original American Stereophone Company
since 1958Koss Corporation markets a complete line of high-fidelity
headphones, wireless Bluetooth® speakers, computer headsets,
telecommunications headsets, active noise canceling headphones,
wireless headphones, and compact disc recordings of American
Symphony Orchestras on the Koss Classics® label.
Contact:Michael J. Koss, Jr.V.P. Marketing
& Product414-964-5000mjkjr@koss.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9909a4d-bce3-40da-a49a-2a4a02370392
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