Sony has been known to have a little bit of a weird streak, launching some truly unconventional products over the years among its more conventional mainstream hits. The latest oddity is its new SRS-NB10 Neckband Speaker which as its name suggests sits around a user’s neck by being mounted over their shoulders. It’s similar in approach to some of their Bluetooth headphones like the WI-C400, but where that model uses wired in-ear buds to deliver their sound to the wearer, the new SRS-NB10 model uses built-in speakers.
The Sony SRS-NB10 Neckband Speaker is being targeted at the emergent work from home market which often requires users to connect to meetings using headphones and a mic for the best experience. However, that can get a little tiresome if you have back-to-back meetings and that’s where the new Neckband Speaker hopes to find a niche. Naturally this means it has built-in beamforming microphones and Bluetooth connectivity in addition to the upward-facing speakers. Sony claims it is very comfortable to wear while it also has a built-in mute button for added convenience.
Sony says that the SRS-NB10 Neckband Speaker is good for 20 hours on a charge which is plenty for both a typical work day and for any casual use around the house. Quick charging over the USB-C port will give users 60 minutes of power from a 10-minute charge. They also support multi-point connectivity meaning that they can be simultaneously paired with two devices like a laptop and smartphone. The SRS-NB10 also picks up an IPX4 splash resistance rating.
The Sony SRS-NB10 Neckband Speaker comes in gray and white while it will retail for US$150 when it goes on sale in September.