Shure Celebrates 100 Years: A Timeline of Audio Innovation

Shure is celebrating its 100th anniversary, marking a century of pioneering innovation, exceptional quality, and unyielding commitment to audio excellence.

THE EVOLUTION OF SHURE

S.N. Shure started the Company in downtown Chicago in 1925 selling radio parts kits. In 1932, Shure became one of only a few U.S. microphone manufacturers with the introduction of the Model 33N microphone. Since then, the Company has grown into a global technology leader, offering a diverse portfolio of game-changing wired and wireless microphones, conferencing and meeting solutions, and personal and professional listening products. Over its 100-year history, more than 50,000 different electronics products have been developed by Shure.

Shure: A History in Time

• First Phonograph Cartridge (1937): Shure's development of the first phonograph cartridge established the company as a leader in high-fidelity audio. 
• Unidyne Microphone (1939): The Unidyne Model 55 was the first single-element unidirectional microphone, providing better sound isolation and reducing feedback, making it a popular choice for broadcast and live performance. 
• First Handheld Wireless Microphone System (1953): Shure introduced the Vagabond 88, enhancing the way performers and presenters operated on stage. 
• SM58 Microphone (1966): The Shure SM58 became an industry standard for live vocal performance microphones, known for its durability and reliable sound quality.
• First Integrated Wireless System (1990s): The introduction of the Shure UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) wireless systems brought more reliable and higher quality wireless audio transmission. 
• Axient Digital Wireless System (2016): This system introduced innovative features such as interference detection and avoidance, quadversity, and advanced connectivity options, setting a new benchmark for wireless microphone performance. 
• MXA910 Ceiling Array Microphone (2016): Conference rooms were enhanced with this precise audio capture option that inspired a whole new line of ceiling array microphones.
• IntelliMix Room (2020): The audio processing software revolutionized the AV industry by optimizing audio conferencing with advanced DSP algorithms. 
• Shure also recently launched ShureCloud, a comprehensive cloud-based platform designed to streamline the management and monitoring of Shure products. 

100 Years of Innovation. Over the past 100 years, Shure has introduced products that have become staples in the audio industry. The Shure SM58 microphone, known for its durability and reliability, has remained the top choice for vocal performances worldwide. The SM7B vocal microphone has equally earned a distinguished reputation, renowned in broadcast, recording, and podcasting industries.

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Shure introduced the first wireless microphone in 1953, the Vagabond 88 Wireless Mic, long before wireless technology became popular by the 1990s. The Company introduced digital wireless in 2011, and today, Shure digital wireless microphones are used across the world from the biggest sporting events and global concert tours to the top business conferences.

Shure's commitment to enhancing audio has led to significant advances in wireless technology, demonstrated by the evolution of its reliable wireless microphone systems such as Axient Digital. Shure advancements in wireless microphones were built on an explosion of software and networking advances, yielding more intelligent products that work more effectively and sustainably.

Shure’s deep experience in acoustics design and software innovation comes together in products like Shure’s AONIC line of Bluetooth headphones, professional content creation gear like the MV88+ Video Kit and MV7+ Podcast Mic, and the Company’s quickly growing enterprise communication portfolio, the Microflex Ecosystem, which brings award-winning audio quality to boardrooms, governments and educational institutions.

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Shure features five global engineering centers dedicated to product development and software excellence: Niles, Ill., USA; Copenhagen, Denmark; Suzhou, China; Edinburgh, Scotland; Hyderabad, India.

Shure products are now sold in more than 120 countries, and through the decades, they have been trusted and used around the world by such luminaries as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis Presley, Nelson Mandela, The Beatles, and other icons.