Move over headphones, Sony’s new speakers let you blast music out of your shoulders

Become the talk of the town or make enemies on public transport with this futuristic-looking speaker.

Sony is always striving forward with groundbreaking technology, despite some of its inventions leaving consumers scratching their heads in confusion. With failure comes great success, and the tech giant has learned that combining a TV remote control with speakers isn’t exactly the smartest of ideas.

Now, instead, Sont wants to turn consumers into a walking boombox.

The Wearable Neck Speaker is Sony’s latest attempt at providing an audio experience like no other. This wireless device wraps around the neck and sits comfortably on the shoulders, directing music and sounds towards the user’s ears.

▼ Could this be the future of speakers?

▼ The Wearable Neck Speaker comes in at 24,880 yen (US$222.16).

The speaker envelops your ears with sound, allowing you to enjoy music as if it’s played live, or making it feel like you’ve stepped into an exciting movie scene. One advantage of this device is that it’s not on your ears, which means you won’t have to deal with uncomfortable headphones or ill-fitting earphones.

▼ Pair this rechargeable device with your TV or smartphone
and blast out some wicked tunes.

But one glaring flaw of the Wearable Neck Speaker is also that it’s not on your ears, turning you into the biggest pest of the century upon stepping out of your home. Granted, this device is mostly meant for indoor use, but that kind of defeats the purpose of its portable design.

▼ Let’s not even get started on, ahem, videos of questionable content.

Reactions from Japanese netizens were mixed:

“Why does Sony keep making things that don’t sell?”
“I don’t see how this is superior to headphones.”
“I’m getting this if the sound quality is fantastic.”
“It seems the ears of Sony employees are located on their shoulders.”
“This is marvelous. It’ll be great if it comes with a massage function.”

While I wouldn’t mind trying out the Wearable Neck Speaker just for the cool factor, its practicality (or lack thereof) outside of the home would make me opt for a Japanese bamboo speaker instead. It looks just as cool, doesn’t break the bank, and runs on zero electricity.

Source: Sony via Hachima Kiko
Images: Sony

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