▁are ▁generally ▁accepted ▁as ▁having ▁their ▁origin ▁in ▁this ▁feature ▁of ▁speaking ▁tub es . ▁ ▁Spe aking ▁tub es ▁were ▁employed ▁in ▁some ▁offices , ▁with ▁wh ist les ▁at ▁either ▁end ▁and ▁were ▁therefore ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁wh ist ling ▁tub es . ▁Several ▁speaking ▁tub es ▁could ▁be ▁hung ▁from ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁a ▁des k ▁to ▁communicate ▁with ▁different ▁locations . ▁ ▁Spe aking ▁tub es ▁were ▁also ▁used ▁in ▁fine ▁autom ob iles ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁Roll s ▁Roy ce ▁Ph antom , ▁allowing ▁communication ▁between ▁the ▁separate ▁passenger ▁and ▁driver ' s ▁compart ments ▁when ▁desired . ▁ ▁G os port ▁t ube ▁A ▁' G os port ▁T ube ' ▁was ▁a ▁voice ▁t ube ▁used ▁by ▁flight ▁instruct ors ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁military ▁av iation ▁to ▁give ▁instructions ▁and ▁directions ▁to ▁their ▁students . ▁It ▁was ▁invent ed ▁by ▁flying ▁instruct or ▁Robert ▁Raymond ▁Smith - Bar ry ▁at ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Special ▁F lying ▁he ▁opened ▁at ▁G os port ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁Modern ▁usage ▁Ac oust ic ▁t ube ▁head ph ones ▁( also ▁called ▁p neum atic ▁ear ph ones ▁or ▁air ▁ear ph ones ) ▁are ▁used ▁especially ▁in ▁two - way ▁radio . ▁These ▁are ▁useful ▁because ▁a ▁clear ▁t ube ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁hide ▁the ▁ear ph ones . ▁They ▁are ▁also ▁sometimes ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁micro phone ▁on ▁tele phon ists ▁head sets ▁and ▁to