Every once and a while a new audio company decides to have a go at the around-the-neck or neckband form-factor. As a concept the neckband has been around for decades now, as audioXpress explored in this article. LG, JBL and Bose were some of the more notable brands to attempt the neckband approach as a convenient way for users to move around the home or office, listening to music and taking calls - as long as no one is around. And yet, maybe because of that "use at home" restriction, commercial success has eluded all those products. More recently, Alango revived the neckband concept for its BeHear PROXY product, also designed for home use.
Recognizing that a lot of people will continue to work from home or remotely and that many users don't like the feeling of being isolated wearing headphones, particularly in-ears, Sony decided it was time for another take on the open-ear neckband and now announced the NB10. Also, because signal processing technology for such applications has improved considerably, batteries and charging technology is now much better, and the use case for work-from-home communications is now top of mind for everyone.
"The new NB10 is the perfect work-from-home product, offering impressive new features that can power anyone through their workday," says Daisuke Kawaguchi, Vice President of Home Entertainment & Sound, Sony Electronics. "With stunning call quality and a comfortable design, customers can keep this on all day long without shutting out the world around them."
The Sony NB10 neckband is optimized for personal sound so the user can hear their virtual meetings and phone calls clearly, without disturbing others in the room too much. Thanks to a full-range speaker unit angled upwards and a passive radiator to boost the bass, every call features incredible audio clarity.
Combining precise voice pickup technology, two beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing, the NB10 minimizes feedback and echo and delivers crystal clear voice quality. Users can also easily control the microphone while on conference calls with a simple click of the Mic Mute button.
Lightweight and comfortable, this wireless neckband speaker will appeal to a new demographic that will consider it for a work-from-home lifestyle while not disdaining its potential for entertainment. The speaker fits securely around the neck and rests gently on the shoulders so users can wear it throughout the workday to listen to calls and into the evening to enjoy podcasts and music. To ensure all-day comfort, a flexible band on the back helps users find the perfect fit.
With up to 20 hours of battery life, the Sony NB10 is ready to handle a whole day of activity. Additionally, the NB10 now uses a USB Type-C connector for fast-charging. A quick 10 minute charge gives up to an hour of extra playback.
Another significant improvement over the most recent neckband products released, is the Multipoint Connection feature, allowing users to connect two wireless Bluetooth devices at the same time. One for music playback using Bluetooth A2DP protocol, the other for communication using HFP profile. If a business call comes in on the user's laptop while they're listening to music on their smartphone, they can take the call with just one click of the Play/Call button on the left side of the neckband. Once the call is over, it's back to the user's favorite playlist with no need to reconnect.
With Bluetooth 5.1 technology and AAC codec support, users can also connect to a TV, smartphone or music player to enjoy favorite movies, shows and playlists without bothering the neighbors, roommates or other family members. Additionally, the IPX4 splash-proof design allows crying and drooling while watching content, or listening to podcasts while doing daily chores.
The Sony NB10 features a high-quality fabric finish and was designed with the environment in mind. Plastic comprises less than 10% of the packaging material, reflecting Sony's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its product and practices.
The SRS-NB10 has a suggested retail price of $149.99 (150 EUR) and is available to order in charcoal gray or white starting in September 2021.
www.sony.com
