John Koss, 91, father of the modern stereo headphone industry, died Tuesday, the Koss company he founded in 1953 announced Wednesday. His cause of death wasn't disclosed. “Dad loved music and the experience of a live performance,” said his son,…
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Michael, the company’s chairman-CEO. Like many “legendary entrepreneurs,” he said, his father “channeled his passion to create a revolutionary product. Today, it’s clear that his innovation changed the way the world listens to music.” John Koss was “a legend, to be sure, and based on my interactions with him, a decent man,” Terry Shea, Audio Times editor in the 1980s during the peak of Koss’ success, wrote on Facebook Wednesday. Koss was among four dozen Consumer Technology Hall of Fame inductees in its inaugural 2000 class alongside luminaries with the stature of Ray Dolby, Sidney Harman, David Lachenbruch, Konosuke Matsushita, Akio Morita and Jack Wayman. Koss was "a pioneer in many ways," whom the industry "will miss," emailed CTA President Gary Shapiro Thursday. "He recognized the value of high-quality audio and also how it could be delivered to discriminating listeners." Koss’ wife, Nancy, died in 2018. His survivors include five children, 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.