Who invented something is almost always defined, at least in popular memory, by who managed to get to a patent office first. Competing patent applications often win or lose based on subtle differences in how they describe similar tech. Prior to 1880, the US Patent Office required an actual working model be provided with all applications, and it was possible to build someone else's idea before they could and patent it, which is why you see a lot of old movies depicting characters working on "secret inventions" behind closed doors instead of the way things are done in real life today (file as soon as you think you can describe your idea and then begin development under "patent pending").
Edgar Villchur's biggest invention is arguably not a speaker at all, but the multichannel compression that is incorporated into almost every hearing aid in the world. When he developed it, instead of applying for a patent he published his work openly, putting it into the public domain. When asked about that, he would usually say it was too important a development in hearing research to limit and he didn't want to be involved in another patent boondoggle, but I wonder if he again didn't feel he needed the money that a patent might bring him and just wanted to ensure that this time he would be certain of getting the credit for his invention by publishing first.