These wacky headphones twist into a tiny portable speaker

CES is always full of weird and wonderful gadgets—many of them inventive prototypes that never quite make it to market. This year, TDM’s new Neo headphones might be the most unusual personal audio device I’ve seen: a pair of on-ear headphones that transform into a palm-sized portable speaker with a simple twist of the earcups.

The idea is that you can walk up to your friends while listening to music, take the headphones off, twist them, and instantly turn your solo session into a group experience. From “solo to social,” as the company puts it. Each earcup houses two 40mm drivers—one inward-facing for headphone mode and one outward-facing for speaker mode.

[TKTK: Hands-on impressions here — How’s the sound? Does the speaker mode get loud enough to be useful? How does it balance when in speaker form? Is the twist motion satisfying or clunky?]

TDM claims that Neo offers a whopping 200 hours of battery life in headphone mode—an impressive number, if accurate. Speaker mode lasts a more modest 10 hours, which makes sense given the increased power demands, though the size difference raises questions. A five-minute fast charge is said to deliver up to eight hours of headphone use, with a full charge taking three hours.

The Neo includes Bluetooth 6.0 support with multipoint pairing, USB-C charging, manual controls, and customizable twist gestures that can change tracks or power the device off. Creature comforts, such as dual-layer memory foam cushions and a vegan leather headband, round out the spec sheet.

At $249, Neo isn’t cheap—you could buy a decent pair of budget headphones and a standalone Bluetooth speaker for the same price or less. But the appeal here is clearly in the hybrid novelty and on-the-go convenience. The device will be available in black or white via Kickstarter later this month.