[ForShure]

The other day a few of my friends and I were talking about the future and this got me thinking. What will headphones look like in 25, 50, 100 years? Will they still even be around.
 
Here's some things I can see happening in the future.
 
1. The future is wireless, new wireless technology will allow headphones and players to receive signals losslessly. Though I'm sure even then there will be debate about if it is better than wired
2. The Dr. Dre Beats craze will be over, thank god.
3. LCD screens and touch screen controls on headphones. Maybe this is far fetched but I can see more use of touch control and information such as db listening level, bitrate of the files being played and such displayed on the headphone.
4. New file compression types
5. Lossless music becoming mainstream. With larger hard drive sizes more people may adopt lossless formats once they hear the sound advantage to them. I can just see iTunes HD coming out and non audio people making a big deal about how good their music sounds and how great this "New" technology is.
6. The end of physical media. I'm sure this has been discussed before but after the CD becomes obsolete will there be a followup physical media format? The world is increasingly moving towards digital distribution in everything.
 
These are some of my thoughts. Interested in what your guys thoughts are on the future of our hobby.

 

[Heitek]

I think you probably are on the right track. In the future, there probably won't be an physical music players. Most of it, if not all of it will be holographic. They'll be headphones where you just put something on or in your ear, and from there you get a holographic screen that allows you to choose songs, equalize them, change the dB, etc.

This will also apply to phones, MP3 players, and any other portable entertainment systems. I think we have either have a very technological future ahead of us, or we have a very dark, stressful, and dirty future ahead...

 

[kyuuketsuki]

I've said this before, while physical distribution won't be the main method anymore. I don't believe it will ever fully be phased out. There are many people who just prefer physical media, like myself. There are still vinyls being produced after all.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I don't think CD's will disappear, but Blu-Ray might become more prevalent. I don't see the other things happening on a large scale with audiophile headphones; they all just sound like gimmicks that most people here would not go for. The mainstream consumer might, however.

 

[lukEM22]

I think our headphones will start getting hooked up to the cloud. I also think that's how technology is going to be in the future, no hard drives, just the cloud.

of anybody has read any of the Orson Scott card series about ender and xenocide, the ansible is an intriguing idea (instantaneous data transfer and comminication)

 

[ForShure]

Quote:

I've said this before, while physical distribution won't be the main method anymore. I don't believe it will ever fully be phased out. There are many people who just prefer physical media, like myself. There are still vinyls being produced after all.

Yeah physical media has it's advantages. For one you actually own it. I wonder if someday the cd sound will have it's own vintage appeal compared to the popular formats out in the future.
 
Quote:

I think you probably are on the right track. In the future, there probably won't be an physical music players. Most of it, if not all of it will be holographic. They'll be headphones where you just put something on or in your ear, and from there you get a holographic screen that allows you to choose songs, equalize them, change the dB, etc.

This will also apply to phones, MP3 players, and any other portable entertainment systems. I think we have either have a very technological future ahead of us, or we have a very dark, stressful, and dirty future ahead...

Holographic stuff sounds awesome haha. Also controlling your phones equalization on the fly sounds awesome. I can't even fathom what technology will be like in 100 years. If you can imagine the wright bros reactions to a modern fighter plane might be what our future holds.

 

[jazzman7]

Headphone listening will eventually be retro, just like physical vacations.  Headphone listening will remain an enthusiast's hobby, as most people will prefer the convenience of the direct stimulation of auditory nerves over the expense of creating accurate physical sound. 

 

[ForShure]

Headphone listening will eventually be retro, just like physical vacations.  Headphone listening will remain an enthusiast's hobby, as most people will prefer the convenience of the direct stimulation of auditory nerves over the expense of creating accurate physical sound. 

That was deep haha. The scary part is that I don't see this being completely far off. We've become progressively closer to technology, it makes sense that we will only grow closer...

 

[Tsujigiri]

Yeah, I think the future will be shaped in ways that we wouldn't even expect. Look at just a few decades ago, when most people were predicting that the next major advances would be flying cars and moon colonies. Something like the internet hadn't even crossed the minds of many, but it turned out that that was a much more practical and game-changing innovation. The flying cars and moon colonies? Too expensive to justify a flashy sci-fi pipe dream in the near future.

 

[ThinkAwesome]

Eventually we'll bypass our ears completely and pipe music directly into our neural system. Listening to headphones will be like listening to vinyl and stuff, the weird concept of converting music into sound before hearing it will be like so retro cool and have a small but vocal following.

 

[lukEM22]

Eventually we'll bypass our ears completely and pipe music directly into our neural system. Listening to headphones will be like listening to vinyl and stuff, the weird concept of converting music into sound before hearing it will be like so retro cool and have a small but vocal following.

very intriguing. I think it will all be built into a personal assistant. like seriously, but more advanced and built into something other than a phone. perhaps something like Google glass.

 

[-xX-Mew-Xx-]

Headphones with built in mp3 and Amp/DAC combo!

 

[obobskivich]

Headphones with built in mp3 and Amp/DAC combo!

Already done, they flopped; Koss Tugo.

I think the OP is pretty close to the right track, but I also think that at least in some ways, that future is already here: the Koss Striva and Parrot Zik (if you haven't read about these two, they're absolutely awesome in terms of what all they can do - I haven't heard the Striva, but the Zik sound pretty good, all things considered).

 

[ForShure]

Quote:

very intriguing. I think it will all be built into a personal assistant. like seriously, but more advanced and built into something other than a phone. perhaps something like Google glass.

Pip Boy 3000!

 

[-xX-Mew-Xx-]

5 Drivers in each ear, oh wait... Razer Tiamat 7.1 ! If they make it noice isolating and cancelling AND wireless with a built in Mp3 play and amp As well as a voice commanded EQ!