Shure

Lore & Background

Shure was founded by Sidney N. Shure in 1925 as 'The Shure Radio Company', selling radio parts kits several years after completely manufactured radios became commercially available. The company's office was located at 19 South Wells Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The following year, Shure published its first direct mail catalog, which was one of only six radio parts catalogs in the United States at the time. By 1928, the company had grown to over 75 employees, and Sidney's brother, Samuel J. Shure, joined the company, which was renamed Shure Brothers Company. In 1929, with the advent of the Great Depression and the increased availability of factory-built radios, Shure Brothers Company was forced to greatly reduce their staff and became the exclusive U.S. distributor of a small microphone manufacturer. In 1930, Samuel J. Shure left the company.

In 1931, Shure and engineer Ralph Glover began development of the first Shure microphone, and the following year, the Model 33N Two-Button Carbon Microphone was introduced, making Shure one of only four U.S. microphone manufacturers. Shure's first condenser microphone, crystal microphone, and microphone suspension support system (for which they received their first patent) were all introduced that same decade. In 1939, Shure introduced the Model 55 Unidyne Microphone, which went on to become one of the world's most recognized microphones. During World War II, Shure was contracted by the United States armed forces to supply microphones, and by 1942, the T-17B was the microphone most widely used by the U.S. Army and Navy. Shure also manufactured throat, headset, and oxygen mask microphones, and adopted the United States Military Standard for all Shure microphones.

By the mid-1940s, Shure was also manufacturing and supplying phonograph cartridges to major phonograph manufacturers and was the largest producer of phonograph cartridges in the U.S. at that time. Among Shure's innovations in phonograph cartridge design was Ralph Glover and Ben Bauer's 'needle-tilt' principle and Jim Kogen's engineering concept of 'trackability'. Shure produced the first phonograph cartridge capable of playing both long-playing and 78 rpm records, the first cartridge with tracking force of only one gram, and the first cartridge meeting the requirements of stereo recording. At the peak of production, the company was producing approximately 28,000 cartridges per day. After the introduction of compact discs in the 1980s reduced demand, Shure closed its Phoenix facility but continued manufacturing in Mexico until exiting the phonograph cartridge market in 2018.

Reader's Guide

Shure's significance lies in its long history of audio innovation, from its early days as a radio parts supplier to becoming a major manufacturer of microphones, phonograph cartridges, and professional audio equipment. The company's microphones, particularly the Model 55 Unidyne introduced in 1939, became iconic and widely recognized. Shure's contributions to phonograph cartridge technology, including the 'needle-tilt' principle and the concept of 'trackability', advanced record playback quality. The company also developed products for medical applications, such as the 66A piezoelectric stethophone in 1937 and hearing aid cartridges. Shure's expansion included international offices in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as manufacturing facilities in the United States, Mexico, and China. The company's corporate cause, adopted in 2002, is hearing conservation, and it established the Shure Bid for Hearing program. In 2016, Christine Schyvinck was promoted to president and CEO. Shure's legacy is that of a family-founded company that grew into a global provider of audio solutions for both professional and consumer markets, with a continued focus on microphone and listening product technology.

Did You Know?

• The Model 55 Unidyne Microphone, introduced in 1939, became one of the world's most recognized microphones.
• In 2018, Shure announced it would exit the phonograph cartridge market.