What Impact Did Amar Bose Have on Home Technology?

Amar Bose transformed the audio industry with his innovative products such as noise-canceling headphones and high-quality speaker systems. With a passion for innovative sound and a commitment to research and development, he founded Bose Corp. in 1964 and revolutionized the way we hear and experience sound.

Education and Experience

Amar Bose’s pathway to success began in his early years, growing up in Philadelphia during the Great Depression. His parents noticed he had an intense inquisitiveness about the world around him and a passion for science. His mother encouraged him to play the violin, which inspired his lifelong love for classical music and helped him develop a keen sense of hearing. This laid the foundation for his pursuit of the perfect sound.

Bose also loved tinkering with and repairing electric trains, which soon turned into another passion. Because of financial constraints, he could only afford used trains, in need of repair. This firsthand experience sparked his interest in electrical repair, and by the time Bose turned 13, he was repairing radios to help support his family when his father’s import business faced challenges.

As word spread about his talent and abilities, Bose gained both knowledge in electronics and valuable entrepreneurial skills. Along with the guidance and encouragement of his parents, this became an important catalyst for shaping his future in the audio industry.

After graduating high school in 1947, Bose enrolled in the engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1951, his master’s degree in 1952 and his doctorate in 1956.

To celebrate his graduation, Bose purchased a high-end stereo and was disappointed in the poor sound quality. This further fueled his interest in audio technology, and while teaching electrical engineering and computer science at MIT – a position he would hold for more than 45 years – he began to research psychoacoustics, the scientific study of how humans perceive sound, in his spare time.

Invention and Recognition

As Bose’s research led him to develop and patent new technologies in acoustics, nonlinear systems and power electronics, he founded Bose Corp. in 1964. The company soon began handling contract work for the U.S. military, NASA and other government agencies.

In 1968 Bose designed one of his bestselling speaker systems, which mimicked concert hall acoustics. The Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting speaker system directed sound at multiple angles, toward the walls, rather than one straight sound directed toward the listener. This resulted in a fuller, more realistic sound through bookshelf-sized speakers.

Bose continued to develop more audio innovations, including the noise-reducing Quiet Comfort headphones, the popular Wave Radio and the 800 Professional speaker for musicians. In 1982, Bose Corp. even teamed up with ACDelco to develop customized sound systems for vehicles.

Under Bose’s leadership, Bose Corp. achieved worldwide success, and the company’s profits were reinvested back into the business, which enabled Bose to make advancements in areas beyond audio as well. Today, Bose Corp. continues to create leading electronics products.

Bose’s research and inventions have profoundly influenced modern audio technology, and his many patents spanned the fields of acoustics, electronics, nonlinear systems and communication theory. In recognition of his groundbreaking work, he received many honors, including being named the Inventor of the Year by the Intellectual Property Owners Association in 1987. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame^® in 2008.

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